Exports, meanwhile, soared 51.8percentt last year, to $8.3 billion, surpassing forecasts by more than 10percentt.
In the teenage category, increases of more than 10percentt at Aéropostale and Buckle surpassed forecasts.
But the shares rose 18percentt because earnings, excluding special items, surpassed forecasts.
One Wall Street analyst said May shares were trading higher because the company surpassed forecasts and because its sales of fall merchandise were healthier than those of this summer.
In the housing market, the National Association of Realtors said the sale of existing homes rose 12.3 percent in December to an annual rate of 5.28 million units, surpassing forecasts for a rise to 4.85 million.
The National Association of Purchasing Management said its manufacturing index rose to 47.9 in August from 43.6 in July, surpassing forecasts by some Wall Street economists that the index would rise only to 43.9.
Having said that it doesn't pay to be too pessimistic, as the rate of new discoveries and treatments are consistently surpassing forecasts.
The same night "Moonlight" won Best Picture, "Get Out" ended its fruitful theatrical debut with $33.4 million in North American grosses, surpassing forecasts that estimated a $28 million opening.
Recall that this is a company that pre-announced its quarterly results in the depths of the financial crisis — to say that it would handily surpass analysts' forecasts.
