True Religion fourth quarter tops view, sees weak 2010 profit

True Religion fall-winter campaign

Feb 24 (Reuters) - True Religion Apparel Inc (TRLG.O) reported quarterly results that comfortably beat market estimates, driven by strong direct-to-customer and international sales, but forecast a full-year 2010 profit range below expectations.

True Religion, whose namesake jeans cost as much as $300 in specialty boutiques and major department stores, projected earnings in the range of $2.00 to $2.10 on sales of about $360 million for the year.

Analysts were expecting a profit of $2.13 a share on revenue of $345.3 million, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

For the fourth quarter, net income rose to $14.6 million, or 59 cents a share, from $12.7 million, or 53 cents a share, a year ago.

Revenue rose 27 percent to $92.8 million. Net sales for the consumer direct segment, which includes its branded retail stores and e-commerce site, nearly doubled to $45.1 million. International sales grew about 24 percent to $14.6 million.

Analysts on average were expecting the company to earn 55 cents a share on revenue of $84.5 million.

Shares of the Vernon, California-based company closed at $20.78 Wednesday 24 February on Nasdaq. (Reporting by Viraj Nair in Bangalore; Editing by Anil D'Silva)