On The Fly: What to watch in Under Armour earnings report - InvestingChannel

On The Fly: What to watch in Under Armour earnings report

Under Armour (UA, UAA) is scheduled to report results of its fourth fiscal quarter before the market open on Tuesday, February 13, with a conference call scheduled for 8:30 am EDT. What to watch for: 1. GUIDANCE: In October, Under Armour cut its fiscal 2017 adjusted earnings per share view for the second time to 18c-20c from 37c-40c, below analysts’ consensus at that time of 37c. The company also cut its FY17 revenue growth view to up low single digits from its previous 9%-11% growth view. The reduced guidance reflects lower North American demand and operational challenges due to the implementation of the company’s enterprise resource planning system and related service levels. Susquehanna analyst Sam Poser said the fundamental outlook has not improved since its weak print back in October, despite a recent 30%+ rally, and he believes the company’s brand will continue to weaken before it is clear if it can survive. Buckingham analyst Eric Tracy acknowledged that domestic headwinds should persist over the near-term but also noting that investor expectations are now very low. 2. RESTRUCTURING UPDATE: Earlier this year, Under Armour approved a restructuring plan to better align its financial resources to support the company’s efforts as the consumer landscape shifts. As part of the plan, Under Armour is cutting about 2% of its global workforce of 15,000. The company said it is streamlining “all aspects” of the organization to improve business operations. In October, Under Armour acknowledged that its cost structure is “too big for a company of this size,” noting that part of the imbalance was due to things in its control, like structural changes, while some things were out of its control, like macro conditions and shifting consumer behavior. Investors are concerned with Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank’s multitasking, Stifel analyst Jim Duffy told The Wall Street Journal’s Sara Germano in December. In an interview, however, Plank told the reporter that there is no link between activity at Plank Industries and Under Armour’s troubles. The executive added that he’s focused on turning Under Armour around. 3. COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT: Analysts and investors will listen for comments from the company on how it views the current athletic environment. Jefferies analyst Randal Konik said his firm’s February webscrapes point to better traction at Under Armour with discounts down in each of the last three months. Further, a survey of 200 footwear retailers shows the Under Armour HOVR Phantom is building momentum, the analyst added. Konik said in December that adidas (ADDYY) was gaining share from Nike (NKE) in running, and in basketball, while Nike continues to dominate, the recent launch of the Curry 4 is putting Under Armour “back on the map.” 4. EXECUTIVE TURNOVER: Last quarter, the Wall Street Journal said that co-founder Kip Fulks has taken a sabbatical from the sportswear maker. The publication later said that Peter Ruppe, SVP of Footwear, would also leave the company, which Stifel analyst Jim Duffy called “troubling.” Duffy noted that Ruppe’s departure followed a number of other senior executive departures in the past twelve months, which he sees suggesting instability and lack of clear direction. However, the addition of Patrik Frisk as President and COO holds “promise” to introduce leadership continuity, said Duffy. Additionally, during the quarter, Under Armour named David Bergman as CFO.