Why Container Store Group Inc Shares Plunged

Although we don't believe in timing the market or panicking over market movements, we do like to keep an eye on big changes -- just in case they're material to our investing thesis.

What: Shares of storage products retailer Container Store Group Inc  plummeted 22% today after its quarterly results and outlook disappointed Wall Street.

So what: The stock has rallied nicely since its November IPO on high growth expectations, but the third-quarter results -- EPS of $0.11 on a revenue increase of just 7% -- coupled with downbeat sales guidance for Q4, is forcing analysts to quickly recalibrate their estimates. While the company continues to grow same-store sales and adjusted profit at a solid pace, today's results suggest that it isn't growing fast enough to justify its seemingly lofty forward P/E.

Now what: Management now sees full-year adjusted EPS of $0.40 on revenue of $754 million, versus the consensus of $0.38 and $756.2 million. "With 63 stores today, we have a long runway of growth ahead of us as we expand our store base to realize the 300+ store opportunity that we believe exists," Chairman and CEO Kip Tindell reassured investors. More important, with the stock now off more than 15% from its post-IPO highs, today's hiccup might be providing Fools with a great chance to buy into those long-term growth prospects.