The Zacks Industrial Services industry’s near-term outlook has been clouded by a weak manufacturing sector as customers remain wary of the effects of tariffs. Increased input costs and the implementation of tariffs are expected to erode industry margins.Despite the current setback, the rise in e-commerce activities will be a key catalyst for the industry. Companies like Kion Group (KIGRY) , Andritz (ADRZY) , SiteOne Landscape Supply, Inc. (SITE) and MSC Industrial Direct Co., Inc. (MSM) are positioned for g ...

Industry Overview - The Zacks Shoes and Retail Apparel industry is facing persistent pressures from higher input and freight costs, supply-chain inefficiencies, and elevated selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses related to digital and store investments, which are negatively impacting margins [1][5] - The industry is also affected by currency volatility, geopolitical uncertainty, and evolving trade and tariff policies, alongside a softer consumer backdrop and a tight labor market [1][5] Consumer Demand Trends - Demand for activewear, footwear, and wellness-focused products remains strong, driven by a broader shift towards healthier lifestyles [2][6] - Companies are leveraging this trend through product innovation, expanded athleisure assortments, and enhanced e-commerce and omnichannel capabilities [2][6] E-Commerce Investments - Digital channels are a major growth engine for the athleisure market, with brands expanding their reach through websites and social media [7] - Investments in faster delivery, supply-chain efficiency, and fulfillment enhancements are sharpening competitive edges, while physical stores are being reimagined to create a seamless omnichannel experience [7] Industry Performance - The Zacks Shoes and Retail Apparel industry has underperformed the broader Zacks Consumer Discretionary sector and the S&P 500 over the past year, with a collective decline of 18.9% [12] - The industry's current Zacks Industry Rank is 180, placing it in the bottom 25% of over 250 Zacks industries, indicating dull prospects for the near term [9][10] Valuation Metrics - The industry is currently trading at a forward 12-month price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 26.34X, compared to the S&P 500's 23.44X and the sector's 18.19X [13] - Over the last five years, the industry's P/E ratio has ranged from a high of 38.15X to a low of 20.83X, with a median of 27.10X [13] Key Companies - **Steven Madden**: Positioned for durable upside through a strategic shift towards higher-margin direct-to-consumer channels, with a focus on online and owned-store growth [17][18] - **NIKE**: Set to benefit from its Consumer Direct Acceleration strategy, focusing on sports and product innovation while reducing reliance on promotions [20][22] - **Adidas**: Poised for growth due to strong demand and improved margins from price increases and a better channel mix [24][25] - **Wolverine**: Focused on brand structure and efficiency improvements, with a strong emphasis on direct-to-consumer business [28][29] - **Caleres**: Improving investment case supported by strong brand momentum and cost discipline, with a focus on inventory management [32][33]

All right, welcome back everybody. Black Friday is in full swing this morning and our next guest is powering many of those sales. Harley Finkelstein is the president of Shopify.And Harley, thank you for coming in today. >> Great to be here. >> You've got data that is not just up to the hour, but up to the almost minute.>> We do. Yeah, we have we have uh minute minutes to minute data. Right now, as we talked about, we have about 12% of all US e-commerce on Shopify.Obviously, most people think that we support ...

Indian e-commerce platform Meesho is set to raise as much as $605 million through an initial public offering that will open on Dec. 3 https://t.co/cjbfR0x0rq ...

Financial Performance - Prosus reports a rise in profit [1] - Profit increase is attributed to higher revenue from its e-commerce business [1] - Profit increase is attributed to the sale of some of its stake in China's Tencent [1]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Paysafe reported a 2% increase in revenue to $433.8 million for Q3 2025, with organic revenue growth of 6% [18][19] - Adjusted EBITDA grew by 7% to $126.6 million, resulting in an adjusted EBITDA margin of 29.2%, up 160 basis points year-over-year [19][20] - Adjusted net income was $40.3 million, or $0.70 per share, compared to $0.51 in Q3 of the previous year [21] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Merchant solutions volume increased by 9% to $34.9 billion, leading to organic revenue growth of 7%, primarily driven by e-commerce [22] - Digital wallet volume rose by 13% to $6.7 billion, with revenue from digital wallets increasing by 8% [24] - E-commerce growth moderated to over 20%, while iGaming growth exceeded 50% [10][27] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - North America, the largest market, grew by 8%, driven by approximately 50% growth from iGaming [5] - Europe also experienced 8% growth, while Latin America was roughly flat due to a large customer contract renewal in the prior year [5] - The rest-of-world segment saw a double-digit decline, reducing its contribution to total revenue from 5% to 3% [6] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on optimizing its SMB portfolio and expanding its direct sales channel, which has shown significant growth [12][13] - Plans to roll out value-added services and new products throughout 2026 are underway [14] - The company aims to enhance its digital wallet offerings and expand its geographic reach, particularly in Europe and Latin America [16][17] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management acknowledged a longer timeline for delivering new product initiatives, particularly in the digital wallet segment, due to regulatory and banking complexities [38] - The company expects full-year organic growth to be in the range of 5%-6%, with adjusted EBITDA growth of 4%-5% [29] - Management remains confident in the long-term strategy and growth potential, despite current challenges [30] Other Important Information - The company repurchased 1.5 million shares for $20 million in Q3, with a total of $50 million year-to-date [4][26] - Total debt at the end of the quarter was $2.5 billion, with net leverage improving to 5.2 times [25] Q&A Session Summary Question: Dynamics within the SMB book and direct channel growth - Management indicated that direct channel growth will take time to build, with a focus on increasing sales team productivity and enhancing client stickiness through value-added services [32][33] Question: E-commerce deceleration details - The deceleration was primarily in non-core verticals, with iGaming growth remaining strong; challenges were faced with certain higher-risk merchant categories [34][35] Question: Timeline for new product deliveries - Management noted that the delivery of new wallet initiatives is taking longer than expected due to complexities in regulatory alignment and market expansion [38] Question: Medium to long-term deleveraging outlook - The company aims to reduce leverage below 4 times, with expectations to reach 3.5 times by 2027 [39]

User Base & Engagement - LDK has 40 million monthly active users globally on LTE [1] - LDK boasts 30% of Gen-Z and millennial women in the US [1] - The platform sees 60 people shopping every second [2] Sales & Revenue - $11,000 of product is purchased every minute on the platform [2] - This equates to $6 billion annually, comparable to an "Era's Tour" every quarter [2] - Sales are growing by $1 billion since 2024 [2] Creator Influence & Brand Strategy - Creator trust is up over 20% year-over-year, driving brand interest [3] - Brands like Nike, Target, Ulta, Sephora, Tarte, ALO, and Adidas are launching on LDK to connect with creators and audiences [3] - Brands curate existing creator content on LDK, rather than creating their own [6] Consumer Behavior & Trends - Average order values are up 7% year-over-year on LDK [9] - Consumer spending is almost $1 billion more this year compared to last year [10] - Consumers are prioritizing in-stock availability over price, with a 300% increase in searches for gifting in September [10] - Consumers expect creators to help them source alternative products when items are out of stock [10] Platform Features - One in five searches on the LDK app includes a brand name [7] - LDK offers a unique following feed where users choose the content they see [8] - LDK has launched a free "all-in-one creator platform" for brands [11] - There have been about 7 million pieces of original content just on the LTA platform alone from these creators year over year [5]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Third quarter revenue was $96.1 million, down 2% sequentially from $97.9 million in the second quarter 2025, and up 1% year-over-year from $95.2 million in the third quarter 2024 [13] - Third quarter endpoint IC revenue was $78.8 million, down 7% sequentially from $84.6 million in the second quarter 2025, and down 3% year-over-year from $81 million in the third quarter 2024 [13] - Third quarter systems revenue was $17.3 million, up 30% sequentially from $13.3 million in the second quarter 2025, and up 21% year-over-year from $14.2 million in the third quarter 2024 [13] - Third quarter adjusted EBITDA was $19.1 million, compared to $27.6 million in the second quarter 2025 and $17.3 million in the third quarter 2024 [16] - Third quarter GAAP net loss was $12.8 million, while non-GAAP net income was $17.7 million, or $0.58 per share on a fully diluted basis [16] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Endpoint IC revenue decreased sequentially but grew 15% when excluding the $16 million second quarter licensing revenue [13] - Systems revenue exceeded expectations, driven by reader strength in supply chain and logistics [14] - Gross margin for the third quarter was 53%, down from 60.4% in the second quarter 2025 but up from 52.4% in the third quarter 2024 [14] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Retail volumes grew modestly, influenced by the upcoming holiday season, but with cautious buying patterns from partners and end users [5] - The company expects a modest decline in fourth quarter volumes for both supply chain and logistics and retail endpoint ICs [5] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focusing on expanding its market opportunities in retail, supply chain and logistics, food, and other applications [11] - The introduction of Gen2X is aimed at solving industry challenges and enhancing product offerings, with a focus on customization for various market verticals [10] - The company is aggressively hiring technical and business talent to develop software solutions and capitalize on recurring revenue opportunities [8] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management noted that the current operating environment is dynamic, with adjustments in project timing and delivery requests from partners [20] - The company expects fourth quarter revenue to decline slightly, with guidance between $90 million and $93 million [18] - Management expressed confidence in the long-term growth potential, particularly in the food sector, with expectations for modest volumes in the first half of 2026 and acceleration thereafter [26] Other Important Information - The company issued $190 million of 0% convertible notes while repurchasing $190 million of its 1.125% convertible notes, aimed at reducing interest expense and improving balance sheet flexibility [17] - The company ended the third quarter with cash, cash equivalents, and investments totaling $265.1 million, an increase from $260.5 million in the second quarter 2025 [16] Q&A Session Summary Question: What does the timing mean for Q4 revenue? - Management indicated that Q3 revenue was stronger than anticipated, leading to a natural step down in Q4, with some project timing shifting to the right [20][22] Question: Can you discuss the Walmart announcement? - Management expressed excitement about the Walmart announcement, emphasizing the importance of product freshness and customer experience, with expectations for modest food volumes through the first half of 2026 [25][27] Question: Is there a fundamental problem in tagging produce? - Management clarified that there are no fundamental limits to tagging produce, but challenges exist in the tagging process, which may require innovation in packaging [30] Question: How does Gen2X impact gross margins? - Management stated that Gen2X is expected to help drive adoption of the M800 but does not directly increase gross margins beyond what was already anticipated [51] Question: What are the expectations for operating expenses? - Management expects operating expenses to increase in the fourth quarter, consistent with seasonal patterns, while maintaining fiscal discipline [68]

Company Overview - Lantern 是一家初创公司，由 Andrew Lissimore 创立，旨在解决电商平台客户保留问题 [1] - Lantern 提供 Shopify 原生平台，帮助品牌提高客户留存率 [1] Solution Focus - Lantern 专注于为电商企业提供定制化的客户忠诚度解决方案 [1]

Market Trends & Expansion - AppLovin is expanding beyond apps into the broader web and AI, aiming to become a key player in digital and AI, potentially like the "Nielsen" of the digital world [1] - The e-commerce sector, referred to as the "open web," is expected to contribute significantly to AppLovin's revenue, with consensus estimates around $16 billion [1] - Mobile gaming is seen as a major beneficiary of AI, with improvements in games expected to drive increased consumer engagement and spending [4] - AppLovin is undergoing a substantial Total Addressable Market (TAM) expansion by venturing into e-commerce [8] Competitive Landscape & Strategy - AppLovin's self-service platform, launched on October 1st, aims to emulate the success of platforms like Meta or Google for the web era [3] - AppLovin's Axon 2.0, utilizing neural networks, is designed to enhance advertising effectiveness [5] - AppLovin focused on rolling out Axon 2.0, allowing them to explode in growth, reaching approximately $15 billion in gross advertising spend, nearly half of the mobile gaming market [7] - Unity missed a product cycle, while AppLovin focused on Axon 2.0, leading to a disparity in market capitalization [7] Investment & Valuation - Mobile gaming stocks, including AppLovin, Roblox, and Unity, are considered expensive but justified due to their potential as major beneficiaries of current market trends [5] - AppLovin's valuation is supported by expectations of strong growth in e-commerce and the potential of its AI-driven advertising solutions [1][5]