Chewy Stock Trades at a Discount: Should You Buy or Hold for Now?

Core Insights - Chewy (CHWY) is a prominent player in the pet care industry, leveraging its strong e-commerce platform to cater to a growing number of pet owners. The stock is currently trading at a forward 12-month price-to-sales (P/S) multiple of 1.38X, which is below the industry average of 2.02X, raising questions about whether it is a buy, hold, or sell opportunity [1][21] Valuation Comparison - Chewy's valuation is attractive compared to peers such as Central Garden & Pet Company (CENT) at a forward 12-month P/S of 0.75, Petco Health and Wellness Company, Inc. (WOOF) at 0.15, and BARK, Inc. (BARK) at 0.33 [2] Stock Performance - Chewy's stock price has increased by 24.3% over the past three months, closing at $41.86, outperforming the industry's rise of 18.2% and the Retail - Wholesale sector's growth of 11.5% [3][5] - The stock is currently trading above its 50-day and 200-day moving averages of $41.53 and $35.26, indicating strong upward momentum and market confidence [9] Financial Performance - For the first quarter of fiscal 2025, Chewy reported net sales of $3.12 billion, an 8.3% year-over-year increase, exceeding guidance expectations [10] - The Autoship program generated record sales of $2.56 billion, accounting for 82% of total net sales and growing 14.8% year-over-year [11][13] - Chewy's active customer base grew to 20.8 million, a 3.8% year-over-year increase, with net sales per active customer rising by 3.7% to $583 [14] Growth Initiatives - Chewy's Vet Care business is expanding, with 11 clinics currently operating and plans to open 8-10 additional clinics in fiscal 2025 [15] - The Chewy+ membership program has successfully transitioned out of beta, showing increased customer engagement and order frequency [15] Future Outlook - For fiscal 2025, Chewy anticipates net sales between $12.3 billion and $12.5 billion, reflecting 6-7% year-over-year growth, with an adjusted EBITDA margin guidance of 5.4% to 5.7% [16] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for EPS has seen upward revisions, with current estimates at $1.28 for the current year and $1.53 for the next year [17] Market Position - Chewy has demonstrated resilience through steady revenue growth and customer retention strategies, positioning itself as a high-growth, digitally native pet care leader [21]