** Shares of apparel retailer Express Inc EXPR.N down 1.6%
at $0.83 premarket
** EXPR's Q4 net sales fall 14% to $514.3 mln from $594.9
mln a year ago
** Co says there was reduced consumer spending and increased
price sensitivity in discretionary categories
** "We expect the margin pressure and recessionary
environment we experienced in the back half of the year to
continue," CEO Tim Baxter says
** Express forecasts Q1 gross margin rate to decline about
850 basis points
** Co also expects FY loss of $0.85/shr to $1.05/shr; it
reports 2022 loss of $1.21/shr
** Up to Thursday's close, stock had fallen 76.6% in the
past 12 months
(Reporting by Anne Florentyna Gnanaraja Sekar in Bengaluru)
((AnneFlorentyna.GnanarajaSekar@thomsonreuters.com;))