FL - Foot Locker, Inc.

NYSE - NYSE Delayed Price. Currency in USD
39.21
-0.36 (-0.91%)
At close: 4:02PM EDT
Stock chart is not supported by your current browser
Previous Close39.57
Open39.35
Bid0.00 x 1000
Ask0.00 x 800
Day's Range39.06 - 39.72
52 Week Range36.82 - 68.00
Volume2,374,565
Avg. Volume4,087,548
Market Cap4.301B
Beta (3Y Monthly)1.48
PE Ratio (TTM)8.19
EPS (TTM)4.79
Earnings DateAug 23, 2019
Forward Dividend & Yield1.52 (3.84%)
Ex-Dividend Date2019-07-18
1y Target Est54.94
Trade prices are not sourced from all markets
  • PR Newswire

    Foot Locker, Inc. Declares Quarterly Dividend Of $0.38 Per Share

    NEW YORK , Aug. 20, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Foot Locker, Inc. (NYSE: FL), the New York -based specialty athletic retailer, announced today that its Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend on ...

  • Foot Locker Earnings: 3 Numbers to Watch
    Motley Fool

    Foot Locker Earnings: 3 Numbers to Watch

    The footwear retailer reports earnings on Friday, Aug. 23.

  • These Factors Make Foot Locker, Inc. (NYSE:FL) An Interesting Investment
    Simply Wall St.

    These Factors Make Foot Locker, Inc. (NYSE:FL) An Interesting Investment

    Foot Locker, Inc. (NYSE:FL) is a stock with outstanding fundamental characteristics. When we build an investment case...

  • TheStreet.com

    Home Depot, Kohl's, TJX, and More - Earnings to Watch Tuesday

    While earnings season may be winding down, there are still a few key companies reporting the week of August 19th.

  • 10 Undervalued Stocks With Breakout Potential
    InvestorPlace

    10 Undervalued Stocks With Breakout Potential

    The stock market has rushed to all-time highs in 2019 and -- despite recent trade-inspired turbulence -- is still on pace to have one of its best years in recent memory. But not all stocks have joined in on the rally. Instead, a handful of stocks have actually had a rough 2019, dropping big year-to-date into historically undervalued territory -- even while the market trades at a decade-high valuation.Some of these undervalued stocks are undervalued for a reason, and should be avoided for the foreseeable future. The fundamentals simply don't warrant a turnaround.But some of these undervalued stocks look primed for a breakout. That is, some of them appear unreasonably undervalued, with big catalysts on the horizon -- a combination which paves a tangible pathway for big upside.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading Tips * 7 Great Small-Cap Stocks to Buy With that in mind, let's take a look at 10 undervalued stocks with breakout potential in the back-half of 2019. Foot Locker (FL)Source: Shutterstock The Valuation: Because the athletic apparel sector sources a lot of production from China, many athletic apparel stocks find themselves at the epicenter of the U.S.-China trade war. Foot Locker (NYSE:FL) is no exception. The company's margins have come under significant pressure thanks to tariffs, and in response, investors have sold off FL stock to an anemic 8-times forward earnings multiple, versus a five-year-average forward multiple north of 12, a consumer discretionary sector average multiple north of 20, and a footwear sector average multiple north of 28.The Breakout Catalyst: Foot Locker's demand trends are healthy. Last quarter, Foot Locker reported nearly 5% comparable sales growth. Thus, the whole problem here is the trade war. If the trade war cools, FL stock will presumably rally in a big way. It increasingly appears that this will happen. U.S. President Donald Trump has delayed the next round of tariffs, while China is coming under intense internal pressure with the Hong Kong riots. Consequently, it appears both sides want to de-escalate trade tensions. Such a de-escalation should couple with strong demand drivers at Foot Locker to propel a breakout rally in FL stock into the end of 2019. CVS (CVS)Source: Shutterstock The Valuation: Pharmacy giant CVS (NYSE:CVS) is in the midst of multi-year downtrend thanks to adverse consumption and legislation trends, the sum of which have weighed on revenues, profits, and investor sentiment. Net net, CVS stock today trades at a depressed 8.5-times forward earnings multiple, versus a five-year-average forward multiple of over 13. * 3 Warning Signals a Stock Market Crash Is Coming The Breakout Catalyst: Both consumption and legislation trends are finally progressing in the right direction for CVS. On the consumption side, CVS reported a robust 4.2% increase in same store sales last quarter, including an impressive 2.9% increase in front store sales. This is mostly because, thanks to the Aetna acquisition, CVS is pushing forward on a promising local healthcare plan. Meanwhile, on the legislation side, the White House scrapped a PBM rebate program which would've been disastrous for CVS. Broadly, then, it increasingly appears that CVS stock is the early innings of massive multi-quarter rebound. AT&T (T)Source: Shutterstock The Valuation: Telecom-giant AT&T (NYSE:T) has featured a persistently cheap stock for the past several years. T stock trades at just 10-times forward earnings today and has averaged an 11-times forward earnings multiple over the past five years. In other words, T stock has been stubbornly cheap forever.The Breakout Catalyst: AT&T stock has been stubbornly cheap forever because the company has been staring at huge cord-cutting headwinds. Much like Disney (NYSE:DIS) has done over the past few months, though, AT&T is prepared to shake off those cord-cutting headwinds over the next few months thanks to the launch of a new content-packed streaming service in HBO Max. At the same time, the forthcoming 5G wave promises to provide a big boost to the company's wireless business. Thus, over the next twelve months, two big catalysts -- a full blown pivot into the streaming space and the mainstream roll-out of 5G -- will finally "wake up" T stock and spark a big breakout rally in this stubbornly cheap stock. American Airlines (AAL)Source: Shutterstock The Valuation: Airline stocks have been hit hard over the past twenty months, dragged down by rising oil prices in early 2018, slowing global air travel demand in late 2018 and the 737 MAX crisis in 2019. American Airlines (NYSE:AAL) has been no exception to the trend. If anything, it's been an out-sized loser, with AAL stock down more than 50% since early 2018. At present, given the the airline industry's sizable headwinds, AAL stock trades at just 5.5-times forward earnings, versus an airline average forward earnings multiple north of 8. * 15 Growth Stocks to Buy for the Long Haul The Breakout Catalyst: The fundamentals underlying the airline industry are positioned to meaningfully improve over the next few quarters. Oil prices will drop, as supply continues to outstrip demand in a slowing global manufacturing economy. Air travel demand will remain robust, as the global consumer economy remains on solid footing. 737 MAX planes will get back into the air by early 2020. Net net, by early 2020, top and bottom line trends across the whole airline industry should meaningfully improve, and that improvement should lead to a breakout recovery rally in depressed and beaten-up AAL stock. AMC Entertainment (AMC)Source: Shutterstock The Valuation: It's been a rough year for movie theater operator AMC Entertainment (NYSE:AMC), as sluggish box office trends in the first half of 2019 have breathed life back into the thesis that movie theaters are going extinct. As that thesis has gained traction, AMC stock has plunged to dirt cheap levels. Today, AMC stock trades at less than 0.3-times trailing sales. Three years ago, the trailing sales multiple was above 1.The Breakout Catalyst: July 2019 box office trends showed meaningful improvement from the January through June trend. August is off to a good start, too. The outlook for the rest of 2019 is also favorable, headlined by a second Frozen movie and the final installment in the latest Star Wars trilogy. As box office trends continue to improve into the end of the year, the "movie theaters are dying" thesis will start lose steam. As that thesis drowns out, investor sentiment will improve, and the stock will meaningfully recover. Ford (F)Source: Shutterstock The Valuation: After several years of red hot growth, the global auto market is cooling off. In that cooling market, U.S. auto giant Ford (NYSE:F) is losing share. The company's margins are also coming under intense pressure thanks to U.S.-China tariffs. Net net, revenue, margin and profit trends at Ford have been depressed for some time. This has led to an equally depressed Ford stock, which presently trades at just 7.2-times forward earnings. * 10 Cheap Dividend Stocks to Load Up On The Breakout Catalyst: The recent surge of proactive fiscal stimulus in the U.S. economy in the first half of 2019, should have a positive impact on auto market demand in the back half of 2019. Continued healthy labor conditions should similarly help reinvigorate auto demand. At the same time, Ford is aggressively reshaping its car portfolio to be more electric and thereby, more relevant. Tariffs are also being pushed back, and the trade war looks like it will cool down from here. Putting all that together, then, Ford's underlying fundamentals are positioned to improve significantly over the next few quarters. As they do, Ford stock should bounce back from today's depressed levels. Intel (INTC)Source: JHVEPhoto / Shutterstock.com The Valuation: When it comes to playing the next-gen AI and data revolution, chipmaker Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) offers investors arguably the cheapest way to do it. The company has exposure to all of those secular growth end markets (self driving, machine learning, hyper-scale data centers, so on and so forth). Yet, INTC stock trades at just 11-times forward earnings, mostly because Intel is a slow growth player in those market that is rapidly losing share to faster growing rivals.The Breakout Catalyst: INTC stock could charge higher for three big reasons. First, Intel's next-gen chips are finally here (and more are coming soon), so the company may finally be able to win share back from Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ:AMD). Second, the trade war appears to be cooling, and that's big for both Intel's demand and margins. Third, there are rumors out there that hyper-scale data center spend - which has taken step back thus far in 2019 - is finally starting to ramp back up. Those three catalysts together could push INTC up towards $60 within the next few quarters. IBM (IBM)Source: Shutterstock The Valuation: Much like shares of AT&T, shares of blue chip tech giant IBM (NYSE:IBM) have been stubbornly cheap for the past several years as the company has dealt with sluggish revenue, margin, and profit growth trends. Investors keep waiting for things to turn around. They never do. As such, IBM stock has been depressed for a long time. * 7 Safe Dividend Stocks for Investors to Buy Right Now The Breakout Catalyst: IBM's sluggish growth trends could finally turn around over the next few quarters, thanks to the integration of Red Hat. Last year, IBM announced its intention to acquire hybrid cloud company Red Hat. That acquisition just closed. Importantly, Red Hat is growing revenues at a much faster rate than IBM, and operates at higher gross margins. Red Hat also opens up IBM's cloud business to Red Hat's long list of hybrid cloud customers. Thus, the integration of Red Hat into IBM's business will provide a meaningful lift to IBM's revenue and profit growth trends. That lift should breathe life back into depressed IBM stock. Skechers (SKX)The Valuation: As mentioned earlier, the athletic apparel sector finds its square in the middle of the U.S.-China trade war. Athletic footwear brand Skechers (NYSE:SKX) is no exception. Consequently, as trade tensions have heated up in August, SKX stock has retreated. The stock now trades at less than 15-times forward earnings, versus an apparel retail sector average multiple of nearly 18 and footwear sector average multiple of nearly 30.The Breakout Catalyst: Prior to trade tensions heating up, Skechers reported blowout second quarter numbers which comprised big revenue growth, big margin expansion, and big profit growth. SKX stock soared in response to that print. The stock has since given up nearly all of those gains because of Trump's proposed new tariffs. But, those new tariffs are being edited and delayed -- and may never actually come into existence. As such, as fear surrounding those new tariffs eases and disappears over the next few months, SKX stock should bounce back to its post-earnings highs. Kohl's (KSS)Source: Sundry Photography/Shutterstock.com The Valuation: The physical retail sector has been killed over the past several quarters, mostly because a disappointing holiday 2018 season has flowed into continued sluggish sales trends through the first half of 2019. Kohl's (NYSE:KSS) -- one of the largest physical retailers in the U.S. -- has not been immune to the sell-off. In 2019, Kohl's comparable sales have dropped into negative territory, while margins have retreated. In response, KSS stock has dropped big, and now trades at a dirt cheap 9.6-times forward earnings multiple (versus a five-year-average forward earnings multiple of 12-plus). * 7 Great Small-Cap Stocks to Buy The Breakout Catalyst: The macro retail backdrop will meaningfully improve over the next few quarters, thanks to: 1) proactive fiscal stimulus in the first half of 2019, 2) continued favorable U.S. labor conditions, 3) plunging interest rates and 4) de-escalating trade tensions. Against that improving retail backdrop, Kohl's growth trends should bounce back because this company has a unique value prop (off price and off mall) and winning omni-channel growth strategy based on multiple Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) partnerships. As such, by the end of 2019, Kohl's comps should inflect back into positive territory, while margins should march higher. If so, KSS stock should bounce back in a big way from today's depressed valuation levels.As of this writing, Luke Lango was long FL, CVS, T, DIS, AMC, F, INTC, and AMZN. More From InvestorPlace * 2 Toxic Pot Stocks You Should Avoid * 10 Cheap Dividend Stocks to Load Up On * The 10 Biggest Losers from Q2 Earnings * 5 Dependable Dividend Stocks to Buy The post 10 Undervalued Stocks With Breakout Potential appeared first on InvestorPlace.

  • Factors Setting the Tone for Foot Locker's (FL) Q2 Earnings
    Zacks

    Factors Setting the Tone for Foot Locker's (FL) Q2 Earnings

    Foot Locker (FL) is trying to improve performance through operational and financial initiatives. This is likely to favorably impact second-quarter results.

  • 3 Things to Watch in the Stock Market This Week
    Motley Fool

    3 Things to Watch in the Stock Market This Week

    Look for Home Depot, Foot Locker, and TJX Companies stocks to make big moves over the next few trading days.

  • Motley Fool

    Nike Makes Moves to Control Its Retail Inventory

    The company is using RFID and artificial intelligence to monitor inventory.

  • Analysts Estimate Foot Locker (FL) to Report a Decline in Earnings: What to Look Out for
    Zacks

    Analysts Estimate Foot Locker (FL) to Report a Decline in Earnings: What to Look Out for

    Foot Locker (FL) doesn't possess the right combination of the two key ingredients for a likely earnings beat in its upcoming report. Get prepared with the key expectations.

  • Nike Stock Is Set to Survive the Trade War
    InvestorPlace

    Nike Stock Is Set to Survive the Trade War

    You may think that if the U.S.-China trade war escalates, Nike (NYSE:NKE) stock will be absolutely slammed. If it does, I think you should grab some shares.Source: Shutterstock While Nike stock has been volatile in 2019, it's still up 12.4% for the year -- trading around $81 on Aug. 14. That gives Nike a market cap of roughly $130 billion, with a price-to-earnings multiple of 32.7 and a minimal 22-cent-per-share dividend yielding just over 1%.Nike is due to next report earnings Sept. 26, for the quarter ending this month, with 71 cents per share expected on revenue of $10.45 billion. That's top-line growth of just 5% over last year. If NKE stock is overpriced relative to the market, why aren't analysts more worried about it?InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading Tips Nike MarketingNike has one of the best marketing shops in the world; it's always innovating. One of the latest innovations is the Nike Adventure Club. It's a subscription shoe service for children ages 2-10. For just $20 per month, kids can get four pairs of kicks a year -- with 100 options to choose from. * 15 Growth Stocks to Buy for the Long Haul The service should make Nike a huge online merchant right away, with the opportunity to then sell shoes and other apparel through ongoing relationships. It builds loyalty from the ground up, and solves a big pain point for parents, especially those residing outside big cities, because kids grow so quickly.Nike has made four technology buys in the last four years, the most recent being a predictive analytics outfit called Celect. The most important may be Invertex, an Israeli outfit bought in April. They created a 3D mobile scanning app called Nike Fit that can now help subscribers get their kids' shoe sizes right.Nike also isn't ignoring its sales channel. It's working with Foot Locker (NYSE:FL) on Power Stores -- community-focused retail locations. Together, Nike and Foot Locker have opened three locations and promoted them with digital ad campaigns honoring Nike designs and offering exclusive gear. Despite a disastrous spring quarter (thanks to the retail apocalypse), Foot Locker stock is surviving and is up 20% over the last two years. FL stock's dividend yields just under 4%. About That Trade WarNow, about that trade war.Unlike some other international product companies, Nike has fabulous control over, and flexibility with, its global supply chain. Wherever it needs manufacturing for a tactical advantage in order to evade tariffs, Nike has suppliers who are ready to act.While it's true that Nike still operates 109 manufacturing plants in China, 30 of which are dedicated to producing shoes, the company is moving elsewhere. It now has 105 plants in Vietnam, employing over 460,000 workers -- over 40% of Nike's 1.1 million manufacturing employees.This data comes from Nike's Manufacturing Map which is an interactive map of its supply chain. Here you can drill down to plants in 41 countries, 525 plants in all, where it makes its clothes, shoes and accessories. Nike sources materials from 11 different countries. Cambodia is home to 10 apparel plants and Indonesia houses 38 factories total. There are even 42 manufacturing plants in the United States. The Bottom Line on Nike StockNike stock would be hurt if the trade war gets worse, but it's resilient enough to keep going. Few companies are better positioned for the online transition. Nike opened a shop at Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) via a direct partnership deal in 2017 and treated it as an an outlet store during Amazon's recent Prime Day. But the company isn't blind to Amazon's power. It has a sophisticated direct-to-consumer operation that's picking up speed, one that promises higher margins than it gets from any retailer.Nike has delivered a return of over 20% per year over the last five years and the stock is up over 800% since the start of the recovery in 2009. It's one of those stocks for which any dip is a buying opportunity.Dana Blankenhorn is a financial and technology journalist. He is the author of the environmental story, Bridget O'Flynn and the Bear, available at the Amazon Kindle store. Write him at danablankenhorn@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter at @danablankenhorn. As of this writing he owned shares in AMZN. More From InvestorPlace * 2 Toxic Pot Stocks You Should Avoid * 15 Growth Stocks to Buy for the Long Haul * 5 More Cloud Stocks With Plenty of Potential * 5 Clean Energy ETFs to Buy for 2019 The post Nike Stock Is Set to Survive the Trade War appeared first on InvestorPlace.

  • GuruFocus.com

    Aristotle Fund Lp Buys Abercrombie & Fitch Co, Foot Locker Inc, Sells Office Depot Inc, ...

    Portland, ME, based Investment company Aristotle Fund Lp (Current Portfolio) buys Abercrombie & Fitch Co, Foot Locker Inc, sells Office Depot Inc, SINA Corp, Simon Property Group Inc during the 3-months ended 2019Q2, according to the most recent filings of the investment company, Aristotle Fund Lp. Continue reading...

  • Foot Locker Unveils Washington Heights Community Power Store
    PR Newswire

    Foot Locker Unveils Washington Heights Community Power Store

    NEW YORK , Aug. 9, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Foot Locker announced the grand opening of its Washington Heights community-based Power Store set for Aug. 10 , which features a full suite of immersive capabilities ...

  • Benzinga

    Morgan Stanley Upgrades Foot Locker On Valuation, Q2 Print May Support Shares

    The risk to Foot Locker, Inc’s (NYSE: FL ) revenue and EBIT margin seem priced in, following the massive year-to-date pullback in its share price, according to Morgan Stanley. The Analyst Morgan Stanley’s ...

  • Foot Locker, Inc. Celebrates the Evolution of the Swoosh with Exclusive Collection
    PR Newswire

    Foot Locker, Inc. Celebrates the Evolution of the Swoosh with Exclusive Collection

    Foot Locker's 'We Live Sneakers' Digital Campaign Celebrates Life in the Day of a Sneakerhead NEW YORK , Aug. 8, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Foot Locker today announced its "We Live Sneakers" digital ...

  • PR Newswire

    Foot Locker, Inc. To Report Second Quarter Financial Results On Friday, August 23, 2019

    Press Release to be issued before the U.S. markets open on August 23, followed by a 9 a.m. ET Conference Call NEW YORK , Aug. 7, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Foot Locker, Inc. (NYSE: FL), the New York -based specialty ...

  • GuruFocus.com

    Keeley Asset Management Comments on Foot Locker

    Guru stock highlight Continue reading...

  • Even if US businesses flee China, prices will still spike: Footwear industry group CEO
    Yahoo Finance

    Even if US businesses flee China, prices will still spike: Footwear industry group CEO

    A major shoe industry organization is warning American consumers could soon feel the impact of U.S.-China trade tensions, even if businesses relocate manufacturing from the country.

  • Dividend Hunters Should Consider Foot Locker, Inc. (NYSE:FL), With A 3.9% Yield
    Simply Wall St.

    Dividend Hunters Should Consider Foot Locker, Inc. (NYSE:FL), With A 3.9% Yield

    Foot Locker, Inc. (NYSE:FL) is a true Dividend Rock Star. Its yield of 3.9% makes it one of the market's top dividend...

  • Barrons.com

    The Trade War Could Hurt Gap and Foot Locker Stocks, Analyst Stays

    New 10% tariffs on Chinese imports might not hurt some retailers too much, according to new research, but 25% would be far worse.

  • GuruFocus.com

    Keeley Mid Cap Dividend Value Fund 2nd-Quarter Shareholder Commentary

    Discussion of markets and holdings Continue reading...

  • PR Newswire

    Leidos Holdings & IDEX Set to Join S&P 500; Grubhub & Foot Locker to Join S&P MidCap 400; National Beverage to Join S&P SmallCap 600

    NEW YORK , Aug. 1, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- S&P Dow Jones Indices will make the following changes to the S&P 500, S&P MidCap 400 and S&P SmallCap 600:   S&P MidCap 400 constituents Leidos Holdings Inc. (NYSE:LDOS) ...

  • Can Value Investors Consider Foot Locker (FL) a Worthy Pick?
    Zacks

    Can Value Investors Consider Foot Locker (FL) a Worthy Pick?

    Let's see if Foot Locker (FL) stock is a good choice for value-oriented investors right now from multiple angles.

  • Why Foot Locker, Inc. (NYSE:FL) Is A Top Dividend Stock
    Simply Wall St.

    Why Foot Locker, Inc. (NYSE:FL) Is A Top Dividend Stock

    Today we'll take a closer look at Foot Locker, Inc. (NYSE:FL) from a dividend investor's perspective. Owning a strong...

  • 7 Stocks to Buy This Summer Earnings Season
    InvestorPlace

    7 Stocks to Buy This Summer Earnings Season

    Second-quarter earnings season is upon us. The broad outlook from Wall Street is not a rosy one. For the second quarter in a row, analysts are expecting the S&P 500 to report a year-over-year earnings decline. For comparison purposes, in the year ago quarter, S&P 500 earnings rose 25% year-over-year.Although Q2 earnings are expected to be bad, it is important to note that Wall Street analysts have a history of underestimating EPS. For example, last quarter, analysts thought the S&P 500 EPS was going to drop 4% year-over-year. But Q1 earnings only dropped 0.3% year-over-year. This is nothing new. Over the past five years, reported S&P 500 earnings have exceed estimated S&P 500 earnings by 4.8%, on average, while the projected EPS growth rate heading into a quarter has historically been 3.7 percentage points below the actual EPS growth rate in that quarter.If we extrapolate that trend out, then Q2 earnings will actually rise by about a percent. Importantly, that represents sequential acceleration form last quarter's down 0.3% growth rate. Such sequential acceleration implies that corporate earnings may have bottomed, and that going forward, earnings will start growing at a healthy pace again.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading TipsFrom this perspective, Q2 earnings could provide a big catalyst for the market. If earnings do come in ahead of expectations and actually grow year-over-year, then the stock market will rally as investors take that as evidence that the mini-earnings draw-down of early 2019 is over. * 7 Defense Stocks to Buy to Fortify Your Portfolio With this in mind, let's take a look at seven stocks to buy with the potential to lead an earnings rally this summer. Facebook (FB)Source: Shutterstock Reporting Date: July 24The Thesis: One stock that looks due for a blockbuster summer earnings report and big subsequent rally is digital ad giant Facebook (NASDAQ:FB). Facebook has spent most of 2019 putting its 2018 user privacy headaches behind it. The Q2 earnings report should cement that those headwinds are in the rear-view mirror.Global online ad spend trends in 2019 have been favorable. Facebook Stories usage has been on the up and up, while Instagram has seen an influx of new advertising opportunities, as has Messenger. Thus, Facebook's user and revenue numbers should be good this quarter. The margin numbers should be good, too, as the lap gets easier. Further, Facebook management will be able to update investors on its new commerce initiatives, and bullish sentiment there could spark a rally.All in all, it increasingly looks like the big 2019 rally in FB stock is set to take another leg higher this summer, making the social media giant a stock to buy. Crocs (CROX)Source: Shutterstock Reporting Date: August 6 (estimate)The Thesis: Ugly is the new cool, and because of that, "ugly" footwear brand Crocs (NASDAQ:CROX) has staged a huge operational turnaround over the past several years. But that turnaround hit a snag in the first quarter of 2019 as Crox ran into some demand and margin headwinds. Investors implied from this that the best of the CROX turnaround story had already materialized, and CROX stock subsequently dropped off a cliff.But the best of this rebound narrative hasn't materialized. Instead, most data points suggest that the Crocs brand is only gaining momentum. Piper Jaffray's survey of young consumers found that Crocs has one of the fastest growing mind-shares in the entire footwear category, while both domestic and global search interest trends indicate that consumer interest surrounding Crocs is surging higher. Further, the company's recent collaboration with Vera Bradley was a huge hit. * 10 High-Flying, Overvalued Stocks in Danger of Crashing Overall, then, it looks likely that Crocs will report very strong second quarter numbers this summer. Those strong numbers will affirm that the best of this rebound narrative isn't over just yet, and will consequently spark a nice recovery rally in CROX stock. JD.Com (JD)Source: Shutterstock Reporting Date: August 15 (estimate)The Thesis: Calendar 2018 was a really bad year for Chinese e-commerce juggernaut JD.Com (NASDAQ:JD). China's consumer economy cooled off, JD's revenue growth rates dropped, and the company's margins were slashed in half. In response to those adverse trends, JD stock lost more than half of its value in 2018.But all three of those trends have reversed course in 2019. China's consumer economy has picked up steam recently, especially over the past two months, during which retail sales growth has accelerated meaningfully and notched a 12-month-high in June. At the same time, JD's revenue growth rates have stabilized in the ~20% range, while operating margins have expanded by 70 basis points or more in each of the past two quarters.Because all three of these trends have reversed course, it is likely that JD puts up impressive summer 2019 numbers. Those impressive numbers should sustain the big 45% year-to-date rally in JD stock. Foot Locker (FL)Source: Shutterstock Reporting Date: August 24 (estimate)The Thesis: Owing largely to fears regarding trade war escalation and its impact on the company's demand and margins, footwear retailer Foot Locker (NYSE:FL) has dropped over 20% in 2019. But the U.S. and China have declared a trade war truce, meaning conditions on the trade front won't get worse anytime soon.At the same time, Foot Locker reported strong numbers last quarter that comprised positive comparable sales growth and gross margin expansion. Nike (NYSE:NKE), who is Foot Locker's largest brand partner, just reported very strong 10% constant-currency revenue growth in its most recent quarter. Lululemon (NASDAQ:LULU), who doesn't sell through Foot Locker but nonetheless is an important player in the athletic apparel market, also reported strong revenue growth last quarter. * 8 Stocks to Buy That Are Growing Faster Than Amazon Broadly, then, athletic apparel adoption tailwinds remain alive and well, while trade war headwinds have been put on pause for the foreseeable future. That combination means that Foot Locker likely had good a Q2, and that management will issue a favorable guide. In response, beaten up FL stock should rally. Tesla (TSLA)Source: Shutterstock Reporting Date: July 24The Thesis: Shares of electric vehicle maker Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) were hammered in early 2019 amid a global auto and EV demand slowdown which negatively impacted Tesla's first quarter delivery numbers. The consensus thesis became that the best of the Tesla growth narrative was over. In response, TSLA stock crashed.But that consensus thesis was disproved by a strong Q2 delivery report, in which Tesla delivered a record number of vehicles. TSLA stock rallied after the Q2 delivery report. But it's still well below where it was following the bad Q1 delivery report, and that's mostly because investors want to see how margins played out in Q2. Given the rampant increase in scale, it's likely that margins similarly moved higher in Q2. Thus, the Q2 earnings report should also reaffirm that Tesla's bad Q1 was an anomaly that won't repeat.If so, TSLA stock has runway to retake the $300 level this summer. It also helps that 30% of the float is short -- a historically large number, even for Tesla -- so in the event that second quarter numbers are good, TSLA stock is positioned for a huge short squeeze rally. AMC Entertainment (AMC)Reporting Date: August 7 (estimate)The Thesis: Following a record year in 2018, box office results have been sluggish through the first half of 2019. Year-to-date through June, box office sales were down over 9% relative to 2018. As the box office has been sluggish, so have shares of America's largest movie theater operator, AMC Entertainment (NYSE:AMC). Year-to-date, AMC stock is down 20%.But not all hope is lost for AMC stock. Thanks to the huge success of the most recent Spider-Man movie, July box office revenues are up slightly year-over-year. This renewed box office growth will likely persist into the end of the year, given the upcoming releases of Lion King, Frozen 2, and a new Star Wars movie. At the same time, AMC's subscription movie-going program, Stubs A-List, is gaining tremendous traction. * 5 Reasons to Buy the Dip In Netflix Stock All in all, I think AMC's next earnings report will be quite good. The trailing three month numbers might not be the best. Bu, the guide will likely be good, and management will likely talk up the success of Stubs A-List on the call. That will be enough good news to get shorts - who represent a whopping 30% of the float - to cover, and spark a big rally in AMC stock. Alibaba (BABA)Source: Shutterstock Reporting Date: August 22 (estimate)The Thesis: The story at Chinese e-commerce juggernaut Alibaba (NYSE:BABA) is similar to the story at peer JD.Com. Calendar 2018 was a rough year, defined by slowing consumer strength, falling revenue growth rates, and compressing margins. But calendar 2019 has been very different. The Chinese consumer is starting to bounce back. Revenue growth rates at Alibaba are stabilizing. Margin expansion is coming back into the picture.As these new and favorable trends persist throughout 2019, Alibaba should report solid numbers. Those solid numbers will converge on a relatively cheap (only 26-times forward earnings, versus a five year average forward multiple of 29) and beaten-up (11% off 2019 highs) BABA stock. This convergence should result a healthy rally in Alibaba stock.As of this writing, Luke Lango was long FB, CROX, JD, FL, NKE, LULU, TSLA, AMC, and BABA. More From InvestorPlace * 2 Toxic Pot Stocks You Should Avoid * 7 Defense Stocks to Buy to Fortify Your Portfolio * 10 High-Flying, Overvalued Stocks in Danger of Crashing * 8 Stocks to Buy That Are Growing Faster Than Amazon The post 7 Stocks to Buy This Summer Earnings Season appeared first on InvestorPlace.

  • 7 Retail Stocks to Buy for the Second Half of 2019
    InvestorPlace

    7 Retail Stocks to Buy for the Second Half of 2019

    The stock market is having its best year since 1997. Retail stocks, though, didn't get an invite to the party. Year-to-date, the S&P 500 is up a whopping 18%. As for retail stocks, the SPDR S&P Retail ETF (NYSEARCA:XRT) is up a meager 3%.Let's put this in context. The unemployment rate in the U.S. is at record lows. Wage growth is running at decade highs. Consumer confidence and sentiment have surged higher in 2019. Rates have dropped. Credit is good. Households aren't overly leveraged. Everything is going right for the U.S. consumer.Yet, despite everything going right, retail stocks are still up just 3% year-to-date, versus an 18% gain for the S&P 500. Why? The trade war, and a sluggish consumer in early 2019.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading TipsBut, the U.S.-China trade war has been put on hold. It looks increasingly likely that a deal will be struck soon. At the same time, the Fed projects to cut rates this summer, and that should goose the economy and reinvigorate the consumer.Thus, the two headwinds that have killed retail stocks year-to-date, could reverse course this summer, and turn into tailwinds by the end of the year. That reversal ultimately means that retail stocks have big upside potential over the next several months from today's depressed levels. * 10 Stocks to Buy on College Students' Radars Which retail stocks should you buy to play this retail recovery rally? Let's take a look. Foot Locker (FL)Source: Mike Mozart via Flickr Athletic footwear retailer Foot Locker (NYSE:FL) has had a tough time over the past few years. The athletic retail market has shifted from wholesale retail to direct retail, and that shift has meant lower sales volume through wholesale retail distributors like Foot Locker. But, this shift has normalized over the past few quarters. As it has, Foot Locker's numbers have improved, and the stock has moved higher.The trade war knocked this FL recovery off course in 2019. Foot Locker is at the epicenter of the trade war, since the athletic footwear industry outsources a lot of production to China. As such, higher tariffs on China imports stand to significantly and adversely impact Foot Locker's numbers. Investors have been persistently nervous about this, and FL stock has dropped as trade tensions have hung around.Those trade tensions are now de-escalating. A deal looks likely soon. At the same time, the Fed is going to cut rates, and that will reinvigorate a sluggish consumer. The financial implications for Foot Locker? Stronger comparable sales growth and higher margins. That combination should ultimately spark a big rally in FL stock, which presently trades at an anemic 8-times forward earnings multiple. Macy's (M)Source: Mike Mozart via FlickrMuch like Foot Locker, mall retail giant Macy's (NYSE:M) has had a tough time over the past several years as the retail world has shifted from wholesale to direct. This shift has pushed consumers to direct-focused retail platforms like Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN). Macy's has had trouble keeping up. Sales, margin and profit trends have been weak. Macy's stock has also been weak.Adverse secular trends coupled with trade war headwinds have pushed Macy's stock to depressed levels in 2019. We are talking 7-times forward earnings and a 7%-plus dividend yield. In other words, the sentiment is so negative surrounding Macy's stock that the stock is now essentially priced for profit trends to remain weak forever. * 10 Best Stocks for 2019: A Volatile First Half That won't happen. A trade deal and rate cuts will provide a big tailwind to the retail industry in the back half of 2019. This rising tide will lift all boats, even the beaten-up ones like Macy's. As such, Macy's profit trends will improve throughout the course of 2019, and as they do, Macy's stock should rally in a big way given its presently depressed valuation. Crocs (CROX)Source: Shutterstock Unlike Foot Locker and Macy's, sandal footwear brand Crocs (NASDAQ:CROX) has actually experienced tremendous success over the past few years. The brand orchestrated a huge operational turnaround in the mid-2010's through narrowing the product portfolio and focusing on the company's classic foam clog. Doing so reinvigorated revenue growth and cut expenses from the operating model, which produced robust profit growth. That robust profit growth propelled CROX stock from $6 in mid-2017, to over $30 by early 2019.The CROX turnaround hit a road-bump in early 2019. First quarter numbers weren't good. Sales growth slowed and gross margins tightened. The outlook wasn't great, either. Broadly, Crocs reported early 2019 numbers that implied that the best of the CROX turnaround is over. Investors proceeded to dump CROX stock. The stock now trades 35% off its 2019 highs.But, since those ugly early 2019 numbers, U.S. labor markets have remained healthy, rates have plunged, and trade tensions have eased. Plus, consumer interest with respect to Crocs has only surged higher since then, and the company just scored a big partnership with Vera Bradley.In other words, recent data implies that the best of the CROX turnaround is not over, the company the will report strong second-quarter numbers soon, and CROX stock is due for a nice recovery rally. Nordstrom (JWN)Source: Shutterstock Similar to Macy's, mall retail giant Nordstrom (NYSE:JWN) has struggled over the past several years to drive traffic gains against the backdrop of a consumer exodus from physical to digital shopping channels. These struggles got really bad in early 2019. The company recently reported awful first-quarter numbers that included negative comparable sales growth and margin compression. Management also cut the full year 2019 guide. In response, JWN stock tumbled.But, really bad early 2019 numbers were an anomaly produced by ephemeral headwinds, such as poor execution on a new loyalty program and a lack of digital marketing spend. Those two hiccups have been remedied. As such, it is likely that Nordstrom's numbers improve meaningfully into the summer, especially with trade tensions cooling, the labor market healthy and a rate cut on the way. * The 7 Best Long-Term Stocks to Buy for 2019 and Beyond Improving numbers should spark a rally in JWN stock. The stock trades 50% off recent highs. It's also at a decade-low valuation level. This combination of fundamental improvements and a depressed valuation give the stock ample firepower to shoot higher over the next few months. Canada Goose (GOOS)Source: Shutterstock Luxury outdoor apparel brand Canada Goose (NYSE:GOOS) was once one of Wall Street's favorite retail stocks, due to its robust growth trajectory. Then, the company reported sub-par fourth-quarter numbers that comprised of slowing growth trends and delivered a disappointing long-term growth guide. The implication? The growth trajectory here isn't as robust as everyone thought it was. GOOS stock subsequently dropped.But, Canada Goose is still a 20%-plus revenue growth company with a healthy and expanding margin profile. Net net, that should drive 20%-plus profit growth, versus an average long-term profit growth rate across the retail segment of below 10%. For that sub-10% growth, retail stocks are trading at 18-times forward earnings. For more than double that growth potential (20%-plus profit growth), GOOS stock is trading at less than double the retail average valuation (30-times forward earnings).Thus, relative to other retail stocks, GOOS stock now gives investors more bang for their buck. As such, as the broader retail industry rallies over the next several months thanks to cooling trade tensions and rate cuts, GOOS stock should generate alpha relative to its peers due to its attractive fundamentals and favorable valuation. Dollar General (DG)Source: Mike Mozart via FlickrYou want to buy off-price retail giant Dollar General (NYSE:DG) because this company has found a winning strategy in the dynamic retail landscape, and it will continue to leverage that winning strategy to drive high-quality profit growth over the next several years.Over the past decade, Dollar General has honed in on becoming a go-to off price destination for consumer staples products. Because consumers always need to buy consumer staples products, and because consumers always love low prices, this retailing strategy has produced strong sales and profit growth for Dollar General over the past several years.This strong growth continued in early 2019, when the rest of retail broadly reported bad numbers. It's also expected to persist for the rest of the year, as management delivered a healthy full-year 2019 guide in the company's last earnings report. The implication? Dollar General will continue to leverage its winning off-price retailing strategy to drive big profit growth for the next several quarters and years, regardless of how the rest of the retail shapes up. * 7 Simple Ways for Young Investors to Invest Their First $1,000 So long as the profit growth trend here remains favorable, DG stock should continue to move higher. As such, the smart move here is to stick with the rally in DG stock for the foreseeable future. Lowe's (LOW)Source: Mike Mozart via Flickr (modified)The bull thesis on Lowe's (NYSE:LOW) is pretty simple. For all intents and purposes, Home Depot (NYSE:HD) and Lowe's are largely the same company, so their stocks should trade at similar valuations. Normally, they do. But, every once in a while, LOW stock trades at a sizable discount to HD stock. Whenever this valuation discrepancy arises, it's usually a signal to buy LOW stock (so long as the economic backdrop remains favorable).That's exactly where we are today. HD stock trades north of 20-times forward earnings. LOW stock trades at just 18-times forward earnings. That's the biggest valuation discrepancy between these two stocks over the past three years. Meanwhile, the economic backdrop is favorable (low rates, full labor market, big wage gains, etc.), and Lowe's actually just out-comped Home Depot last quarter.Net net, LOW stock presently trades at a sizable discount to HD stock, but the fundamentals say it shouldn't. Ultimately, the fundamentals will win out here, meaning LOW stock is due for a nice rally over the next few months.As of this writing, Luke Lango was long FL, M, AMZn, CROX, JWN and LOW. More From InvestorPlace * 2 Toxic Pot Stocks You Should Avoid * 10 Best Stocks for 2019: A Volatile First Half * 7 Simple Ways for Young Investors to Invest Their First $1,000 * 6 Stocks to Buy Based on Insider Buying The post 7 Retail Stocks to Buy for the Second Half of 2019 appeared first on InvestorPlace.