Crocs Could Turn The Corner As Analyst Sees Tariff Pain Hitting Its Peak

Core Insights - Crocs, Inc. reported third-quarter adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $2.92, surpassing the analyst consensus estimate of $2.36 [1] - The company guided fourth-quarter adjusted EPS to a range of $1.82 to $1.92, with expected sales of approximately $910.6 million, which is below the Street's expectation of $922.7 million [1] Analyst Ratings and Forecasts - Bank of America Securities analyst Christopher Nardone reiterated a Buy rating on Crocs, raising the price forecast from $98 to $112, citing steady improvement at HeyDude and undervalued cash flow strength [2] - Nardone raised his 2025 EPS forecast by 8% to $12.16, attributing this to the earnings beat and better fourth-quarter margins [4] Margin and Cost Management - Third-quarter trends are showing signs of bottoming, which boosts confidence in future performance, with additional cost savings expected to support margin gains into 2026 [3] - Nardone anticipates fourth-quarter gross margins to face "peak" tariff pressure, but expects a slight upside to gross margin compared to previous estimates [4][5] Operational Outlook - Management's commitment to improving North America Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) performance in the fourth quarter is seen as encouraging and may indicate a recovery [3] - Preliminary guidance suggests operating margin growth in fiscal 2026, regardless of revenue, which exceeds earlier expectations [4]