Wolverine World Wide(US:WWW) ZACKSยท2025-07-10 14:45Core Insights - Wolverine World Wide, Inc. (WWW) started fiscal 2025 with strong momentum, achieving a record gross margin and notable operational efficiency improvements [1][7] - The company reported a 7.3% year-over-year increase in adjusted gross profit, reaching $194.8 million in the first quarter [1] Financial Performance - The adjusted gross margin for the first quarter was 47.3%, an increase of 80 basis points from the previous year, driven by a favorable sales mix, reduced promotional activities, and supply-chain cost-saving initiatives [2][9] - Operating income improved due to stronger top-line results and strict expense control, with the adjusted operating margin rising by 100 basis points to 6% [4] Brand Performance - Significant margin gains were observed in key brands, particularly Saucony and Merrell, which benefited from higher average selling prices and a healthier full-price sales mix [3] - Sweaty Betty, despite a planned revenue decline, achieved a 1,000-basis-point improvement in gross margin by shifting focus from promotions to premium pricing [3] Future Projections - Wolverine anticipates an adjusted operating margin of 7.2% in the second quarter, reflecting a 90-basis-point improvement year-over-year [5] - The company is taking proactive measures to mitigate cost pressures, including diversifying its sourcing footprint and implementing selective price increases [6] Stock Performance - Over the past three months, WWW stock has increased by 75.9%, outperforming the Zacks Shoes and Retail Apparel industry's growth of 31.4% [8] - The stock is currently trading above its 50 and 200-day simple moving averages, indicating a continued uptrend [11] Valuation Metrics - Wolverine trades at a forward price-to-sales ratio of 0.84X, which is below the industry average of 2.01X [12] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Wolverine's current financial-year sales and earnings per share indicates year-over-year growth of 3.6% and 15.4%, respectively [15]