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Iconix Brand (ICON) Struggles In Spite of Strong Margins

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Iconix Brand Group, Inc. (ICON - Free Report) remains skeptical about its full-year performance as it slashed its sales guidance and reiterated its earnings expectation for 2016 during the third quarter 2016 conference call. The lowered view was due to delayed timing in some new men's programs and difficult macro conditions in Europe.

Estimates for this Zacks Rank #4 (Sell) stock also declined over the past 60 days period. For 2016 and 2017, estimates have declined 1.7% and 1.8% to $1.11 and $1.08 per share, respectively. Moreover, the company anticipates 2016 and 2017 earnings to decline 16.5% and 3.2% on a year-over-year basis.

ICONIX BRAND GP Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

 

ICONIX BRAND GP Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise | ICONIX BRAND GP Quote

However, we note that Iconix reported better-than-expected third-quarter 2016 results and earnings also surged about 72.7% from the year-ago level, mainly due to higher operating income and improved margins. Currency favorably impacted sales in the quarter. In fact, shares of this clothing brand licensing company have been trending higher since the company reported its third-quarter 2016 results. The stock increased 12% in comparison to the Zacks categorized Shoes & Retail Apparel industry, which showcased growth of just 1.5%.

While the company’s Home and Entertainment categories recorded growth, the women's and men's segments were sluggish in the last seven consecutive quarters. In the women's segment, the largest component of the decline was the wholesale business, with some pressure on the Rampage brand. The sale of Badgley Mischka in the first quarter of 2016 also led to the decline. There was also continued weakness across the overall men's portfolio.

Overall, we are encouraged by the company’s business strategy and its focus on its strong brands and joint ventures to expand its portfolio. However, the headwinds will continue to persist for some more time. We note that it expects other headwinds like higher expenses, adjustments related to the financial restatement, and transition costs to hamper its profitability.

Stocks to Consider

Some better-ranked stocks in the retail/apparel sector are Francesca's Holdings Corporation , Caleres, Inc. (CAL - Free Report) and Deckers Outdoor Corporation (DECK - Free Report) . While Francesca's Holdings sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), Caleres and Deckers Outdoor hold a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

While Francesca's Holdings has an expected long-term earnings growth of 13.75%, Caleres and Deckers Outdoor have an expected earnings growth of 11.0% and 9.0%, respectively, for the next three to five years.

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