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Ollie's Bargain (OLLI) Up 37% in 3 Months: Too Late to Buy?

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Ollie's Bargain Outlet Holdings, Inc. (OLLI - Free Report) has demonstrated impressive stock performance over the past three months, reflecting its robust business model and strategic initiatives. During this period, OLLI's stock surged approximately 37.1%, surpassing both the industry’s 2.5% increase and the S&P 500's growth of 8.7%. On Jul 8, 2024, the stock reached a 52-week high of $100.88 before closing at $99.86.

The company's success is anchored in its 'buy cheap, sell cheap' strategy, supported by rigorous cost management and operational efficiency, which have fortified its market position. Ollie's strong customer loyalty program, Ollie's Army, further enhances its competitive edge by fostering customer retention and attracting new shoppers. These factors have been pivotal in driving Ollie's recent stock appreciation.

This surge has sparked investor interest, raising questions about whether it's still a viable investment opportunity.

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Decoding Tailwinds

Ollie's Bargain’s commitment to offering value-driven merchandise assortments has positioned it strongly in the marketplace. The continued growth of Ollie's Army, which boasts 14.2 million active members accounting for more than 80% of sales, underscores its effective customer engagement strategy.

The company's ability to consistently deliver compelling deals and diverse product offerings resonates well with a broad customer base. Strong vendor relationships further bolster Ollie's ability to secure attractive merchandise at competitive prices, enhancing operating margins.

Driven by its expansion strategy, Ollie's Bargain aims to expand its footprint significantly, targeting 1,300 stores in the long term. The company has maintained a robust store growth trajectory, achieving a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.4% from 345 stores in fiscal 2019 to 512 stores in fiscal 2023.

In fiscal 2024, Ollie's Bargain plans to open 50 new stores, leveraging a flexible real estate model focused on store sizes between 25,000 and 35,000 square feet. These expansions are expected to contribute approximately $4 million in new store sales within the first year of operation.

Management has set ambitious targets for fiscal 2024, with net sales projected between $2,257 million and $2,277 million, marking an increase from $2,102.7 million reported in fiscal 2023. The company foresees fiscal 2024 adjusted earnings in the range of $3.18-$3.28 per share, up from the adjusted earnings of $2.91 reported last fiscal.

Estimate Revision Favoring the Stock

Reflecting the positive sentiment around Ollie's Bargain, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings per share has seen upward revisions. Over the past 60 days, analysts have increased their estimates for both the current and next fiscal year by 2.2% to $3.26 and by 2.8% to $3.67 per share, respectively. These estimates indicate expected year-over-year growth rates of 12% and 12.4%, respectively.

Not Too Late to Buy

Ollie's Bargain’s strategic endeavors position the stock firmly for growth. With promising factors such as enhanced closeout opportunities, a growing trend of consumers trading down and ample room for expanding its store network, this Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) stock appears poised for a bright future.

3 More Stocks Looking Red Hot

Here, we have highlighted three other top-ranked stocks, namely Vital Farms (VITL - Free Report) , Sprouts Farmers Market (SFM - Free Report) and J&J Snack Foods Corp. (JJSF - Free Report) .

Vital Farms offers a range of produced pasture-raised foods. It currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). VITL has a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 102.1%. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Vital Farms’ current financial-year sales and earnings suggests growth of 22.6% and 62.7%, respectively, from the year-ago reported numbers.

Sprouts Farmers, the renowned grocery retailer, currently sports a Zacks Rank #2. SFM has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 9.2%, on average.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Sprouts Farmers’ current financial-year sales and earnings implies growth of around 8% and 9.9%, respectively, from the year-ago reported numbers.

J&J Snack Foods, a leader and innovator in the snack food and frozen beverage industry, currently carries a Zacks Rank #2. JJSF has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 5.7%, on average.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for J&J Snack Foods’ current financial-year sales and earnings calls for growth of around 1.6% and 17.6%, respectively, from the year-ago reported numbers.


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