European Wax Center, Inc. (EWCZ) could be a solid choice for investors given its recent upgrade to a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). This rating change essentially reflects an upward trend in earnings estimates -- one of the most powerful forces impacting stock prices.The sole determinant of the Zacks rating is a company's changing earnings picture. The Zacks Consensus Estimate -- the consensus of EPS estimates from the sell-side analysts covering the stock -- for the current and following years is tracked by t ...

Group 1: European Wax Center, Inc. (EWCZ) - European Wax Center is a franchisor and operator of out-of-home waxing services with a Zacks Rank 1 [1] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increased by 96.8% over the last 60 days [1] - The company's shares gained 30.8% over the last three months, outperforming the S&P 500's advance of 5.3% [1] - European Wax Center possesses a Momentum Score of A [1] Group 2: Carlsberg A/S (CABGY) - Carlsberg is a producer of beer and other beverage products with a Zacks Rank 1 [2] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increased by 6.1% over the last 60 days [2] - Carlsberg's shares gained 41.2% over the last six months, significantly outperforming the S&P 500's advance of 1.9% [2] - The company also possesses a Momentum Score of A [2]

Group 1: European Wax Center, Inc. (EWCZ) - European Wax Center is a franchisor and operator of out-of-home waxing services with a Zacks Rank 1 (Strong Buy) [1] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings has increased by 96.8% over the last 60 days [1] - The company has a PEG ratio of 0.56 compared to the industry average of 3.02 and possesses a Growth Score of B [1] Group 2: The ODP Corporation (ODP) - The ODP Corporation provides products and digital workplace technology solutions and also carries a Zacks Rank 1 [2] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings has increased by 18.4% over the last 60 days [2] - ODP has a PEG ratio of 0.43 compared to the industry average of 3.65 and possesses a Growth Score of B [2] Group 3: Strattec Security Corporation (STRT) - Strattec Security Corporation specializes in automotive security, access control, and user interface controls products and solutions, holding a Zacks Rank 1 [3] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings has increased by 19.9% over the last 60 days [3] - The company has a PEG ratio of 1.25 compared to the industry average of 4.33 and possesses a Growth Score of A [3]

Group 1: European Wax Center, Inc. (EWCZ) - European Wax Center is a franchisor and operator of out-of-home waxing services with a Zacks Rank 1 (Strong Buy) [1] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings has increased by 96.8% over the last 60 days [1] - The company has a PEG ratio of 0.52 compared to the industry average of 3.01 and possesses a Growth Score of B [1] Group 2: The ODP Corporation (ODP) - The ODP Corporation provides products and digital workplace technology solutions and also carries a Zacks Rank 1 [2] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings has increased by 18.4% over the last 60 days [2] - ODP has a PEG ratio of 0.42 compared to the industry average of 3.73 and possesses a Growth Score of B [2] Group 3: Strattec Security Corporation (STRT) - Strattec Security Corporation specializes in automotive security, access control, and user interface controls products and solutions, holding a Zacks Rank 1 [3] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings has increased by 19.9% over the last 60 days [3] - Strattec Security has a PEG ratio of 1.24 compared to the industry average of 4.53 and possesses a Growth Score of A [3]

Market Overview & Investment Strategy - The podcast focuses on growth stocks, noting a potential breakout in the S&P 500 in the summer of 2025 following a trade war selloff [1] - Zacks' premium screens, which utilize the Zacks Rank, are highlighted as a tool for identifying promising growth stocks [3][4] - The podcast aims to explore growth stocks using Zacks' screening tools, offering insights into both basic and premium screening options [2][3] Featured Stocks & Analysis - **Apploving (AP)**: A technology platform in the advertising sector with a market cap of $136 billion, showing strong earnings growth and positive analyst revisions [22][37][43] - **Anglo Gold Ashanti (AU)**: A gold mining company with a market cap of $19.9 billion, benefiting from rising gold prices and showing significant earnings growth [23][49] - **Birkenstock (BIRK)**: A shoe manufacturer with a market cap of $10 billion, demonstrating strong sales and earnings growth despite potential tariff concerns [23][57] - **Cyber Arc Software (CYBR)**: A cyber security company with a market cap of $19.5 billion, experiencing robust growth in a booming industry [25][63] - **European Wax Center (EWCZ)**: A personal care franchise with a smaller market cap of $284 million, showing potential for growth and value combination [26][67] - **NB Bankore (NBBK)**: A regional bank with a market cap of $676 million, exhibiting growth in earnings and revenue, and considered undervalued with a low price-to-book ratio [28][73] Key Metrics & Financial Highlights - Apploving's sales are expected to grow by 243% in 2025, with earnings up by 852% [43] - Anglo Gold Ashanti's 2025 estimates show a 95% increase, driven by rising gold prices [50] - Birkenstock's PEG ratio is 11%, indicating reasonable growth at 28 times earnings [57] - Cyber Arc Software's earnings growth is projected at 170% for 2025, with sales also in double digits [63] - European Wax Center's forward PE is 84%, with a PEG of 46, indicating a value PEG [71] - NB Bankore has a price-to-book ratio of 094, suggesting it is undervalued [77]

Core Viewpoint - European Wax Center, Inc. (EWCZ) has shown a significant price increase of 51.5% over the past four weeks, with a mean price target of $6.50 indicating a potential upside of 27.7% from the current trading price of $5.09 [1] Price Targets and Analyst Consensus - The average price targets for EWCZ range from a low of $4 to a high of $15, with a standard deviation of $3.51, indicating variability in analyst estimates [2] - The lowest estimate suggests a decline of 21.4%, while the most optimistic estimate indicates a potential upside of 194.7% [2] - A low standard deviation among price targets suggests a high degree of agreement among analysts regarding the stock's price movement [9] Earnings Estimates and Analyst Optimism - Analysts have shown strong agreement in revising EWCZ's earnings estimates higher, which correlates with potential stock price increases [11] - Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year has increased by 127.1%, with four estimates moving higher and no negative revisions [12] - EWCZ holds a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy), placing it in the top 20% of over 4,000 ranked stocks based on earnings estimates [13] Caution on Price Targets - Solely relying on price targets for investment decisions may not be wise, as analysts' ability to set unbiased targets has been questioned [3][10] - Analysts often set overly optimistic price targets due to business incentives, which can lead to inflated estimates [8]

Core Viewpoint - European Wax Center, Inc. (EWCZ) shows a significant improvement in earnings outlook, making it an attractive investment option as analysts continue to raise earnings estimates for the company [1][3]. Earnings Estimate Revisions - The rising trend in earnings estimate revisions reflects growing analyst optimism regarding the company's earnings prospects, which is expected to positively impact its stock price [2]. - For the current quarter, the earnings estimate is projected at $0.17 per share, marking a 13.33% increase from the previous year, with a 48.94% rise in consensus estimates over the last 30 days [6]. - For the full year, the expected earnings are $0.61 per share, representing a year-over-year increase of 35.56%, with a notable 127.06% increase in consensus estimates due to positive revisions [7][8]. Zacks Rank and Performance - European Wax Center currently holds a Zacks Rank 1 (Strong Buy), indicating strong agreement among analysts in revising earnings estimates upward, which historically correlates with stock outperformance [9]. - Stocks with Zacks Rank 1 and 2 have shown significant outperformance compared to the S&P 500, with Zacks 1 stocks averaging a 25% annual return since 2008 [3][9]. Stock Performance - The stock has gained 68.6% over the past four weeks, driven by solid estimate revisions and positive earnings growth prospects, suggesting it may be a good addition to investment portfolios [10].

Core Insights - European Wax Center, Inc. (EWCZ) is currently rated as a Strong Buy with a Zacks Rank of 1, while e.l.f. Beauty (ELF) holds a Zacks Rank of 3, indicating a Hold status [3] - EWCZ has demonstrated stronger earnings estimate revision activity compared to ELF, suggesting a more favorable analyst outlook for EWCZ [3][7] Valuation Metrics - EWCZ has a forward P/E ratio of 8.57, significantly lower than ELF's forward P/E of 26.91, indicating that EWCZ may be undervalued [5] - The PEG ratio for EWCZ is 0.47, while ELF's PEG ratio stands at 6.18, further supporting the notion that EWCZ is a better value opportunity [5] - EWCZ's P/B ratio is 2.95, compared to ELF's P/B of 6.65, reinforcing EWCZ's more attractive valuation metrics [6] Value Grades - EWCZ has received a Value grade of A, while ELF has been assigned a Value grade of F, highlighting the significant difference in perceived value between the two stocks [6]

Core Viewpoint - A significant increase in the price target by an analyst can lead to notable stock price movements, as evidenced by European Wax Center's stock gaining over 2% following a price target hike from Citigroup [1] Group 1: Price Target Change - Citigroup analyst Kelly Crago raised the price target for European Wax Center from $4.50 to $6 per share, marking a 33% increase [2] - Despite the price target increase, Crago maintained a neutral recommendation on the stock [2] Group 2: Company Performance - Crago expressed a positive outlook on European Wax Center's first-quarter results, highlighting stronger overall sales and better-than-expected same-store sales growth [4] - The management of European Wax Center was praised for its efforts to grow the company and enhance marketing strategies to attract new customers [5] Group 3: Strategic Considerations - There are concerns regarding the clarity of the company's overall strategy, which contributed to Crago's decision to keep her recommendation neutral [5] - The retail environment is heavily influenced by trends, and there is skepticism about whether the waxing trend will continue to gain momentum [6]

Core Insights - European Wax Center, Inc. (EWCZ) reported a revenue of $51.43 million for the quarter ended March 2025, reflecting a decrease of 0.9% year-over-year, while EPS increased to $0.22 from $0.13 in the same quarter last year [1] - The revenue exceeded the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $49.4 million by 4.11%, and the EPS surpassed the consensus estimate of $0.05 by 340% [1] Financial Performance Metrics - Same-store sales increased by 0.7%, outperforming the average estimate of -0.6% from five analysts [4] - System-wide sales reached $225.90 million, exceeding the average estimate of $219.72 million from four analysts [4] - The ending center count was 1,062, slightly above the average estimate of 1,061 based on three analysts [4] - Revenue from marketing fees was $7.20 million, surpassing the average estimate of $6.78 million, representing a year-over-year increase of 1.5% [4] - Revenue from royalty fees was $12.43 million, slightly above the average estimate of $12.26 million, with a year-over-year change of -0.1% [4] - Revenue from product sales was $28.87 million, exceeding the average estimate of $27.69 million, reflecting a year-over-year decrease of 2.1% [4] - Other revenue amounted to $2.93 million, surpassing the average estimate of $2.78 million, with a year-over-year increase of 2.9% [4] Stock Performance - Shares of European Wax Center have returned +20% over the past month, compared to the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +9.9% change [3] - The stock currently holds a Zacks Rank 1 (Strong Buy), indicating potential for outperformance in the near term [3]