SGB Executive Sports & Fitness
HSBC Downgrades Nike Over Possibly “Painful” U.S. Distribution Shift
HSBC lowered its rating on Nike Inc. to “Hold” in part due to the recent bump-up in its shares but also because of the likely challenges Nike will face in its plan to aggressively shift away from undifferentiated retail environments.
Holiday Selling Starts Off With A Bang
According to reports from the National Retail Federation (NRF), Adobe and ComScore, sales surged ahead from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday, providing a heap of optimism for the rest of the holiday selling season. Not surprisingly, online purchases again strongly led the gains and smartphones expanded as a key driver of transactions.
Aisle Talk, Week Of November 20
Top headlines from the active lifestyle industry you may have missed this week.
Hibbett Sports Hikes Outlook After Q3 Beat
Hibbett Sports lifted its outlook for the year after reporting that underlying sales trends significantly improved in the third quarter. Comps were down 1.3 percent versus an 11.7 percent tumble in the second quarter with notable improvement in footwear, apparel and team equipment.
Foot Locker’s Shares Skyrocket On Hopeful Forecast
Shares of Foot Locker Inc. vaulted $8.97, or 28.2 percent, to $40.82 on Friday after the sneaker powerhouse reported third-quarter earnings that topped Wall Street’s targets and indicated that results for the full year may exceed guidance. Foot Locker officials also outlined a number of steps it’s taking to revive top-line growth.
Aisle Talk, Week Of November 13
Top headlines from the active lifestyle industry you may have missed this week.
Athleta “On Fire” In Q3
“Simply put, Athleta is on fire,” said Art Peck, president and CEO, Gap Inc. “Top and bottom line momentum continues. We’re seeing exceptional growth outpacing the industry with operating margin expansion.”
Shoe Carnival Lifts Outlook On Robust Athletic Trends
Said Cliff Sifford, CEO, “We believe the positive athletic and athleisure trend happening in the family footwear channel will continue, and we have reallocated inventory dollars to those specific categories for the fall season to take advantage of this trend.”
Wall Street Reacts: Dicks Q3
For the analyst community, Dick’s issuance of a poor outlook for 2018 indicates that the industry’s return to healthy, full-price selling will take longer than expected.
Sport Chek’s Weak Sales Continue, Management Upbeat On Prospects
“There are aspects of the business we are pleased with and others that require attention,” said Stephen Wetmore, CEO and president of Canadian Tire, the owner of FGL Sports, of the business on his company’s third quarter conference call. “However, everything we look at is providing upside potential.”
Dick’s Sees Margin Pressures Lingering Well Into 2018
Said Ed Stack, CEO, on a conference call with analysts, “With excess inventory still in the supply chain, broadened distribution strategies from some key vendors and a lack of newness and innovation, the fourth quarter and 2018 will continue to be promotional and pressure margins from last-year levels.”
Kohl’s Sees 20 Percent Growth Across Activewear In Q3
“Both apparel and footwear categories in Active were strong and this was driven by large increases in both Nike and Adidas, as well as continued strong performance from Under Armour,” said Kevin Mansell, Kohl’s CEO, on a conference call with analysts.
Cowen Downgrades Finish Line On “Skyrocketing” Promotions
Cowen & Co. lowered its rating on The Finish Line to “underperform” from “market perform” due to signs of “skyrocketing” promotions at the retailer. The investment firm also found that Finish Line was continuing to undercut prices of Nike and Adidas online, posing a risk it may see less access to those key brands in the future.
Adidas Q3 Boosted By North America And China
The Adidas brand, which grew 13.6 percent on a currency-neutral basis in the quarter, was led by growth of 31 percent in North America, 28 percent in Greater China and 39 percent across global e-commerce.
Aisle Talk, Week Of November 6
Top headlines from the active lifestyle industry you may have missed this week.
