Feb 8 - Hibbett Sports Inc cut its fourth-quarter earnings outlook on slow January sales.

"After a strong start to the quarter, we were disappointed with comparable store sales in the latter half of January," Chief Executive Jeff Rosenthal said in a statement.

Hibbett Sports in Tennessee, United States

The company said sales were also hit by income-tax refund delays and weather issues in many of its markets.

Hibbett cut fourth-quarter earnings forecast to 42-44 per share from 47-50 cents per share earlier.

Net sales rose 4 percent to $173.5 million.

Analysts on an average were expecting earnings of 50 cents per share on revenue of $180.7 million for the quarter ended Jan. 29, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

Shares of Birmingham, Alabama-based Hibbett were down 4 percent in extended trading after closing at $32.78 on Tuesday on Nasdaq.

(Reporting by NR Sethuraman in Bangalore; Editing by Joyjeet Das)