What are the Factors Driving Best Buy Ahead of the Industry?
Shares of Best Buy Co., Inc. BBY are riding high on strategic efforts, sturdy online sales growth and solid earnings surprise history. Best Buy has outperformed the Zacks categorized Retail-Consumer Electronic industry in the past one year. Moreover, the stock has gained 84.2% in the past one year comfortably outperforming the industry’s gain of 64.4%. Let’s delve deeper and find out what’s driving it.
Strategic Efforts
Best Buy is making extensive investments to upgrade operations with special focus on developing omni-channel capabilities and strengthening partnership with vendors. Further, owing to the shift in consumer buying behavior, retailers find the store-in-a-store concept more viable and profitable to reach their target group. We believe that the strategy seems compelling to most retailers and is often considered a game changer as it facilitates the display of different brands under one roof and ensures a larger footfall.
Best Buy 2020: A Game Changer
Following the successful completion of “Renew Blue” program, the company has launched a fresh strategy called “Best Buy 2020: Building the New Blue”. In an effort to drive growth, the company is focused on expansion of multi-channel retail business, offering services and solutions that solve customer need. Moreover, it is focusing on accelerating growth in Canada and Mexico. Under the program, it has already achieved the cost reduction target of $400 million, three quarters ahead of the deadline. The company now targets $600 million of cost reduction and gross profit optimization by 2021.
Impressive Earnings Streak
The Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) company has reported better-than-expected earnings for the eighteenth straight quarter. In the trailing four quarters, the company’s earnings have surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by an average of 33.8%. The stock’s long-term earnings per share growth rate of 11.4% and a VGM Score of “A” portray its inherent strength.
Best Buy Vs Industry
From the above discussion it is evident Best Buy looks to have a clear advantage, in terms of fundamentals, past and future performance.
Other Stocks to Consider
Other top-ranked stocks which warrant a look in the retail space include Aaron's, Inc. AAN, Conn's, Inc. CONN and The Children's Place, Inc. PLCE. All these stocks sport a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Aaron's has reported better-than-expected earnings in the trailing four quarters, with an average beat of 10.6%.
Conn's has an impressive long-term earnings growth rate of 18.5% and has also surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in the trailing four quarters, with an average earnings beat of 80.9%.
The Children's Place has reported earnings beat in the trailing four quarters, with an average of 36.6%.
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