Aisle Talk, Week of February 5
Top headlines from the active lifestyle industry you may have missed this week.
Columbia Q4 Boosted By Improving U.S. Business
President and CEO Tim Boyle said, “In the fourth quarter, the U.S. wholesale channel played a significant role contributing to our top line beat relative to our October outlook, aided by improved order conversion.”
Champion Grows Double-Digits In Q4
“We think Champion is doing really well,” said HanesBrands’ CEO Gerald W. Evans Jr. on a conference call with analysts. “It’s got a lot of upside to it from a global standpoint.”
Skechers Delivers Blowout Q4
With all distribution channels delivering double-digit growth, Skechers USA reported fourth-quarter results that came in well above guidance.
Fitness And Outdoor Drive Amer Sports’ Q4 Growth
Amer Sports reported revenues on a currency-neutral basis grew 9.0 percent in the fourth quarter, led by a 14 percent gain by its Fitness segment and an 11 percent climb by its Outdoor segment. The Ball Sports’ segment inched up 1 percent and has been impacted by a “challenging U.S. wholesale market.”
Vista Outdoor’s Q3 Hamstrung By Weak Hunt Business
On a conference call with analysts, Christopher Metz, Vista Outdoor’s CEO since October, said the company made progress in the third quarter generating cash, reducing inventories and driving down costs, but continued weakness in its Shooting Sports continues to erode earnings.
Mizuno’s America’s Q3 Sales Dip 9.3 Percent
Mizuno Corp. reported sales in Americas continued to decline in the third quarter and nine months ended December 31 as the focus remains on improving profitability in the region.
Canada Goose Blasts Past Street Targets In Q3
Driven by oversized growth in its direct-to-consumer (DTC) channel and its ability to drive premium pricing, Canada Goose Holdings Inc. reported third-quarter results that easily eclipsed Wall Street’s consensus estimates.
Dick’s Seen Benefiting From Eagles Win And Bat Regulation Changes
J.P. Morgan reiterated its “Overweight” rating on Dick’s Sporting Goods as it expects a “near-term comp” benefit from the Philadelphia Eagle’s Super Bowl win and an equal benefit from new Little League bat regulation.
Winchester’s Q4 Profits Tumble On Pricing Pressures
Said John Fischer, Olin’s chairman, president and CEO, on a conference call with analysts, “We’re currently cautious about our Winchester forecast due to the high commodity and other material costs and the pricing environment.”
Wall Street Shrugs Off Lululemon CEO’s Abrupt Exit
Lululemon’s shares rose slightly on Tuesday despite the abrupt resignation of its CEO, Laurent Potdevin, due to an unidentified misconduct. Analysts generally felt the company remained in good hands, led by Glenn Murphy, the former head of Gap Inc.; and some had issues with the way Potdevin steered the company.
Delta Apparel’s Q1 Boosted By Rebound At Soffe
“Soffe was a bright spot for us during the quarter and we believe it is gaining solid momentum as we move further into fiscal 2018,” said Robert Humphreys, chairman and CEO, on a conference call with analysts.
Active Brands Owed Money In Bon-Ton’s Bankruptcy
Under Armour is owed $1,4 million in the bankruptcy of Bon-Ton Stores. Others in the active space with large unpaid bills include Hanesbrands, Perry Ellis, Skechers and Deckers Brands.
Outdoor Retailer + Snow Show Draws 29,000 Attendees
The Outdoor Retailer + Snow Show, which debuted for the first time in its new home in Denver, drew over 29,000 total attendees, with more than 7,500 verified retail buyers from 60 countries joined with over 1,000 brands for four days.
Johnson Outdoors Buoyed By Strength In Fishing And Diving
On a conference call with analysts, Helen Johnson-Leipold, CEO, said both its Fishing and Diving segment are benefitting from successful innovations. The Camping and Watercraft Recreation segment “continue to be very challenging” and are being impacted by constrained inventories in the marketplace.
