We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies, revised Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
You are being directed to ZacksTrade, a division of LBMZ Securities and licensed broker-dealer. ZacksTrade and Zacks.com are separate companies. The web link between the two companies is not a solicitation or offer to invest in a particular security or type of security. ZacksTrade does not endorse or adopt any particular investment strategy, any analyst opinion/rating/report or any approach to evaluating individual securities.
If you wish to go to ZacksTrade, click OK. If you do not, click Cancel.
Skechers Gains More Than 40% in 3 Months: What's Driving It?
Read MoreHide Full Article
Skechers U.S.A., Inc. (SKX - Free Report) appears to be a solid bet, given its sturdy efforts to remain on the growth trajectory. The company’s greater emphasis on new line of products, store remodeling projects, cost containment efforts, inventory management, and global distribution platform are the primary catalysts. Also, Skechers’ domestic e-commerce business continues to gain traction.
All these efforts not only helped the company to deliver robust fourth-quarter 2018 results but also helped the stock to outperform the industry in the past three months. Shares of this Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) stock have rallied approximately 48% compared with the industry’s 25.2% growth.
Let’s introspect.
Factors Behind Skechers’ Bullish Run
Skechers continues to offer a diversified portfolio of brands that includes a wide range of fashion, athletic, non-athletic, and work footwear at compelling prices. We believe that this multi-brand strategy enables the company to roll out new products without cannibalizing its existing brands and helps to expand the targeted demographic profile of customers. Management pointed that Skechers D’Lites is fast gaining traction with sturdy demand in North America and Europe. The brand is also set for growth in South America, India and the Middle East.
Apart from this, the company is focused on product innovation, additional store openings and increasing distribution channels by entering into distribution agreements to boost sales and profitability. Moreover, Skechers’ international business remains a considerable sales growth driver for the company with Europe and China being the significant market outside the United States. The company is poised to enhance global reach in the footwear market through distribution networks, subsidiaries and joint ventures (JVs).
The company’s international wholesale business revenues, which constituted 43.4% of total sales, advanced 18.4% on the back of a 19.5% increase in joint venture business and 14.4% growth in international subsidiary business during the fourth quarter of 2018. Also, Skechers’ international distributor business surged 19.7%. Meanwhile, China remains one of the important markets with about 22.8 million pairs shipped in 2018. Business in China grew 21.5% during the fourth quarter of 2018.
Wrapping Up
We believe management’s well-knitted efforts have helped Skechers to deliver a positive earnings surprise of 34.8% in the fourth quarter of 2018. Moreover, both the top and bottom line grew year over year. Management’s first-quarter 2019 earnings view also came above analysts’ expectations.
For first-quarter 2019, management now projects earnings between 70 cents and 75 cents a share. Additionally, the company anticipates first-quarter net sales in the band of $1.275-$1.300 billion compared with $1.250 billion reported in the prior-year quarter.
We expect all the aforementioned factors to continue bolstering the company’s performance and help it remain in investors’ good books.
NIKE, Inc. (NKE - Free Report) has a long-term earnings growth rate of 12.3% and a Zacks Rank #2.
Rocky Brands, Inc. (RCKY - Free Report) delivered average positive earnings surprise of 43.5% in the trailing four quarters. It carries a Zacks Rank of 2.
Zacks' Top 10 Stocks for 2019
In addition to the stocks discussed above, would you like to know about our 10 finest buy-and-holds for the year?
Who wouldn't? Our annual Top 10s have beaten the market with amazing regularity. In 2018, while the market dropped -5.2%, the portfolio scored well into double-digits overall with individual stocks rising as high as +61.5%. And from 2012-2017, while the market boomed +126.3, Zacks' Top 10s reached an even more sensational +181.9%. See Latest Stocks Today >>
See More Zacks Research for These Tickers
Pick one free report - opportunity may be withdrawn at any time
Image: Bigstock
Skechers Gains More Than 40% in 3 Months: What's Driving It?
Skechers U.S.A., Inc. (SKX - Free Report) appears to be a solid bet, given its sturdy efforts to remain on the growth trajectory. The company’s greater emphasis on new line of products, store remodeling projects, cost containment efforts, inventory management, and global distribution platform are the primary catalysts. Also, Skechers’ domestic e-commerce business continues to gain traction.
![](https://staticx-tuner.zacks.com/images/zadmin_tuner_image/skx%20graph(2).jpg)
All these efforts not only helped the company to deliver robust fourth-quarter 2018 results but also helped the stock to outperform the industry in the past three months. Shares of this Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) stock have rallied approximately 48% compared with the industry’s 25.2% growth.
Let’s introspect.
Factors Behind Skechers’ Bullish Run
Skechers continues to offer a diversified portfolio of brands that includes a wide range of fashion, athletic, non-athletic, and work footwear at compelling prices. We believe that this multi-brand strategy enables the company to roll out new products without cannibalizing its existing brands and helps to expand the targeted demographic profile of customers. Management pointed that Skechers D’Lites is fast gaining traction with sturdy demand in North America and Europe. The brand is also set for growth in South America, India and the Middle East.
Apart from this, the company is focused on product innovation, additional store openings and increasing distribution channels by entering into distribution agreements to boost sales and profitability. Moreover, Skechers’ international business remains a considerable sales growth driver for the company with Europe and China being the significant market outside the United States. The company is poised to enhance global reach in the footwear market through distribution networks, subsidiaries and joint ventures (JVs).
The company’s international wholesale business revenues, which constituted 43.4% of total sales, advanced 18.4% on the back of a 19.5% increase in joint venture business and 14.4% growth in international subsidiary business during the fourth quarter of 2018. Also, Skechers’ international distributor business surged 19.7%. Meanwhile, China remains one of the important markets with about 22.8 million pairs shipped in 2018. Business in China grew 21.5% during the fourth quarter of 2018.
Wrapping Up
We believe management’s well-knitted efforts have helped Skechers to deliver a positive earnings surprise of 34.8% in the fourth quarter of 2018. Moreover, both the top and bottom line grew year over year. Management’s first-quarter 2019 earnings view also came above analysts’ expectations.
For first-quarter 2019, management now projects earnings between 70 cents and 75 cents a share. Additionally, the company anticipates first-quarter net sales in the band of $1.275-$1.300 billion compared with $1.250 billion reported in the prior-year quarter.
We expect all the aforementioned factors to continue bolstering the company’s performance and help it remain in investors’ good books.
3 More Stocks to Watch
Deckers Outdoor Corporation (DECK - Free Report) has a long-term earnings growth rate of 11.8% and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
NIKE, Inc. (NKE - Free Report) has a long-term earnings growth rate of 12.3% and a Zacks Rank #2.
Rocky Brands, Inc. (RCKY - Free Report) delivered average positive earnings surprise of 43.5% in the trailing four quarters. It carries a Zacks Rank of 2.
Zacks' Top 10 Stocks for 2019
In addition to the stocks discussed above, would you like to know about our 10 finest buy-and-holds for the year?
Who wouldn't? Our annual Top 10s have beaten the market with amazing regularity. In 2018, while the market dropped -5.2%, the portfolio scored well into double-digits overall with individual stocks rising as high as +61.5%. And from 2012-2017, while the market boomed +126.3, Zacks' Top 10s reached an even more sensational +181.9%.
See Latest Stocks Today >>