** Shares of U.S. department-store operator Kohl's KSS.N plunge ~8% to $13.68 premarket

** Co forecasts steeper annual sales drop than expected, as budget-conscious shoppers pull back spending on higher-margin items, including apparel and home goods

** Expects annual sales to be flat to decline 2%, compared with analysts' estimates of a 0.7% decline - data compiled by LSEG

** Forecasts annual adjusted EPS in the range of $1.00 to $1.60, whose midpoint is below analysts' expectations of $1.39

** Posts Q4 revenue of $4.97 billion compared to estimates of $5.03 billion

** Stock rose 45% in 2025

(Reporting by Koyena Das from Bengaluru )

((Koyena.das@thomsonreuters.com))