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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE 13G
Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
(Initial Filing)*
Stage Stores, Inc.
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(Name of Issuer)
Common Stock
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(Title of Class of Securities)
85254C107
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(CUSIP Number)
8/31/98
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(Date of Event Which Requires Filing of this Statement)
Check the appropriate box to designate the rule pursuant to which this
Schedule is filed:
/X/ Rule 13d-1(b)
/ / Rule 13d-1(c)
/ / Rule 13d-1(d)
*The remainder of this cover page shall be filled out for a reporting
person's initial filing on this form with respect to the subject class of
securities, and for any subsequent amendment containing information which
would alter the disclosures provided in a prior cover page.
The information required in the remainder of this cover page shall not
be deemed to be "filed" for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 ("Act") or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that
section of the Act but shall be subject to all other provisions of the Act
(however, see the Notes).
(Continued on following page(s))
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CUSIP No. 85254C107
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(1) Names of Reporting Persons.
S.S. or I.R.S. Identification Nos. of above person
SAFECO Common Stock Trust
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(2) Check the Appropriate Box if a Member (a) / /
of a Group (See Instructions) (b) / /
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(3) SEC Use Only
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(4) Citizenship or Place of Organization
State of Delaware
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Number of Shares (5) Sole Voting Power
Beneficially 0
Owned by --------------------------------------------------
Each Reporting (6) Shared Voting Power
Person With: 2,244,134
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(7) Sole Dispositive Power
0
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(8) Shared Dispositive Power
2,244,134
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(9) Aggregate Amount Beneficially Owned by Each Reporting Person
2,244,134
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(10) Check if the Aggregate Amount in Row (9) Excludes Certain Shares (See
Instructions) / /
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(11) Percent of Class Represented by Amount in Row (9)
8.462%
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(12) Type of Reporting Person (See Instructions)
IV
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Page 2 of 8
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CUSIP No. 85254C107
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(1) Names of Reporting Persons.
S.S. or I.R.S. Identification Nos. of above person
SAFECO Asset Management Company
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(2) Check the Appropriate Box if a Member (a) / /
of a Group (See Instructions) (b) / /
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(3) SEC Use Only
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(4) Citizenship or Place of Organization
State of Washington
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Number of Shares (5) Sole Voting Power
Beneficially 0
Owned by --------------------------------------------------
Each Reporting (6) Shared Voting Power
Person With: 2,483,496
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(7) Sole Dispositive Power
0
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(8) Shared Dispositive Power
2,483,496
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(9) Aggregate Amount Beneficially Owned by Each Reporting Person
2,483,496(1)
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(10) Check if the Aggregate Amount in Row (9) Excludes Certain Shares (See
Instructions) / /
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(11) Percent of Class Represented by Amount in Row (9)
9.365%
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(12) Type of Reporting Person (See Instructions)
IA
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(1) The Reporting Person disclaims any beneficial ownership of the shares
reported on this joint 13G. The reported shares are owned beneficially
by registered investment companies for which the Reporting Person serves
as an adviser, and include the shares reported in this joint 13G by
SAFECO Common Stock Trust.
Page 3 of 8
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CUSIP No. 85254C107
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(1) Names of Reporting Persons.
S.S. or I.R.S. Identification Nos. of above person
SAFECO Corporation
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(2) Check the Appropriate Box if a Member (a) / /
of a Group (See Instructions) (b) / /
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(3) SEC Use Only
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(4) Citizenship or Place of Organization
State of Washington
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Number of Shares (5) Sole Voting Power
Beneficially 0
Owned by --------------------------------------------------
Each Reporting (6) Shared Voting Power
Person With: 2,823,726
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(7) Sole Dispositive Power
0
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(8) Shared Dispositive Power
2,823,726
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(9) Aggregate Amount Beneficially Owned by Each Reporting Person
2,823,726(2)
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(10) Check if the Aggregate Amount in Row (9) Excludes Certain Shares (See
Instructions) / /
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(11) Percent of Class Represented by Amount in Row (9)
10.647%
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(12) Type of Reporting Person (See Instructions)
HC
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(2) The Reporting Person disclaims any beneficial ownership of the shares
reported on this joint 13G. The reported shares are owned beneficially
by registered investment companies for which a subsidiary of the
Reporting Person serves as adviser and by employee benefit plans for
which the Reporting Person is a plan sponsor.
Page 4 of 8
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CUSIP No. 85254C107
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ITEM 1.
(a) Name of Issuer
See front cover
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(b) Address of Issuer's Principal Executive Offices
10201 Main Street, Houston, TX 77025
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ITEM 2.
(a) Name of Person Filing
See Item 1 on cover page (pp 2-4).
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(b) Address of Principal Business Office or, if none, Residence
SAFECO Common Stock Trust: 10865 Willows Road NE, Redmond, WA 98052
SAFECO Corporation: SAFECO Plaza, Seattle, WA 98185
SAFECO Asset Management Company: 601 Union Street, Suite 2500,
Seattle, WA 98101
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(c) Citizenship
See Item 4 on cover page (pp 2-4).
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(d) Title of Class of Securities
See front cover page.
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(e) CUSIP Number
See front cover page.
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ITEM 3. IF THIS STATEMENT IS FILED PURSUANT TO RULES 240.13d-1(b) OR
240.13d-2(b) OR (c), CHECK WHETHER THE PERSON FILING IS A:
(a) / / Broker or dealer registered under section 15 of the Act
(15 U.S.C. 78o).
(b) / / Bank as defined in section 3(a)(6) of the Act (15 U.S.C. 78c).
(c) / / Insurance company as defined in section 3(a)(19) of the Act
(15 U.S.C. 78c).
(d) /X/ Investment company registered under section 8 of the Investment
Company Act of 1940 (15 U.S.C. 80a-8).
(e) /X/ An investment adviser in accordance with section 203 of the
Investment Advisers Act of 1940.
(f) / / An employee benefit plan or endowment fund in accordance with
section 240.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(F).
(g) /X/ A parent holding company or control person in accordance with
section 240.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(G).
(h) / / A savings association as defined in section 3(b) of the Federal
Deposit Insurance Act (12 U.S.C. 1813).
(i) / / A church plan that is excluded from the definition of an investment
company under section 3(c)(14) of the Investment Company Act of 1940
(15 U.S.C. 80a-3).
(j) / / Group, in accordance with section 240.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(J).
Page 5 of 8
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CUSIP No. 85254C107
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ITEM 4. OWNERSHIP
Provide the following information regarding the aggregate number and
percentage of the class of securities of the issuer identified in Item 1.
Items (a) through (c): See items 1 and 5-11 of the cover
pages (pp 2-5).
SAFECO Asset Management Company and SAFECO Corporation
expressly declare that the filing of this statement on
Schedule 13G shall not be construed as an admission
that they are, for the purposes of Section 13(d) or
13(g) of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, the
beneficial owners of any securities covered by this
statement. Each of such companies is filing this
statement because it is considered an indirect
beneficial owner of such securities based on its
ownership or control of one or more investment
companies which directly own such shares.
(a) Amount beneficially owned:
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(b) Percent of class:
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(c) Number of shares as to which the person has:
(i) Sole power to vote or to direct the vote
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(ii) Shared power to vote or to direct the vote
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(iii) Sole power to dispose or to direct the disposition of
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(iv) Shared power to dispose or to direct the disposition of
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ITEM 5. OWNERSHIP OF FIVE PERCENT OR LESS OF A CLASS
If this statement is being filed to report the fact that as of the date
hereof the reporting person has ceased to be the beneficial owner of more than
five percent of the class of securities, check the following. / /
Not applicable
ITEM 6. OWNERSHIP OF MORE THAN FIVE PERCENT ON BEHALF OF ANOTHER PERSON
Not applicable
ITEM 7. IDENTIFICATION AND CLASSIFICATION OF THE SUBSIDIARY WHICH ACQUIRED
THE SECURITY BEING REPORTED ON BY THE PARENT HOLDING COMPANY
SAFECO Asset Management Company is the subsidiary on
which SAFECO Corporation is reporting as the parent
holding company. SAFECO Asset Management Company is an
investment adviser as specified in Item 12 on the cover
page (p. 3), and reported shares are owned beneficially
by registered investment companies for which SAFECO
Asset Management Company serves as investment adviser.
ITEM 8. IDENTIFICATION AND CLASSIFICATION OF MEMBERS OF THE GROUP
Not applicable.
ITEM 9. NOTICE OF DISSOLUTION OF GROUP
Not applicable.
Page 6 of 8
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CUSIP No. 85254C107
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ITEM 10. CERTIFICATION
(a) The following certification shall be included if the statement is filed
pursuant to section 240.13d-1(b):
By signing below I certify that, to the best of my knowledge and
belief, the securities referred to above were acquired and are
held in the ordinary course of business and were not acquired
and are not held for the purpose of or with the effect of
changing or influencing the control of the issuer of the
securities and were not acquired and are not held in connection
with or as a participant in any transaction having that purpose
or effect.
(b) The following certification shall be included if the statement is filed
pursuant to section 240.13d-1(c):
By signing below I certify that, to the best of my knowledge and
belief, the securities referred to above were not acquired and
are not held for the purpose of or with the effect of changing or
influencing the control of the issuer of the securities and were
not acquired and are not held in connection with or as a
participant in any transaction having that purpose or effect.
EXHIBITS.
The statement required by Rule 13d-1(f) is attached as Exhibit A.
SIGNATURE.
After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief, I
certify that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and
correct.
Date: September 10, 1998 SAFECO Corporation
By /s/ Ronald L. Spaulding
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Ronald L. Spaulding, Treasurer
SAFECO Common Stock Trust
By /s/ Ronald L. Spaulding
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Ronald L. Spaulding, Treasurer
SAFECO Asset Management Company
By /s/ Neal A. Fuller
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Neal A. Fuller, Secretary
Page 7 of 8
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CUSIP No. 85254C107
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EXHIBIT A
Agreement for filing Schedule 13-G.
Pursuant to the requirements of Regulation 13d-1(d), SAFECO Corporation, SAFECO
Asset Management Company, and SAFECO Common Stock Trust each agree that
Schedule 13-G filed by them with regard to Stage Stores, Inc.'s common stock is
filed on behalf of each of them.
Date: September 10, 1998 SAFECO Corporation
By /s/ Ronald L. Spaulding
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Ronald L. Spaulding, Treasurer
SAFECO Common Stock Trust
By /s/ Ronald L. Spaulding
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Ronald L. Spaulding, Treasurer
SAFECO Asset Management Company
By /s/ Neal A. Fuller
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Neal A. Fuller, Secretary
Page 8 of 8
