Summary of Buckle (BKE) Update - September 03, 2025 Company Overview - The company discussed is Buckle (BKE), a retail company operating in the apparel sector, specifically focusing on men's and women's clothing and accessories. Key Financial Metrics - Comparable store sales for the four-week period ended August 30, 2025, increased by **12.2%** compared to the same period in the previous year [1] - Total net sales for the same period rose by **13.4%**, reaching **$119.2 million**, up from **$105.1 million** in the prior year [1] Sales Performance by Category - **Men's Sales**: Increased by **4%** for the four-week period, representing approximately **49.5%** of total sales, down from **54%** in the prior year [2] - **Women's Sales**: Increased significantly by **25.5%**, accounting for approximately **50.5%** of total sales, up from **46%** in the previous year [2] - Overall price points for men's products increased by **1.5%**, while women's price points rose by **7%** [2][3] Accessory and Footwear Sales - Accessory sales increased by approximately **10%**, while footwear sales saw a slight decline of **0.5%** [3] - Accessories accounted for about **9.5%** of current fiscal August net sales, while footwear represented **4%** [3] - Average accessory price points increased by **3%**, and average footwear price points rose by approximately **4.5%** [3] Customer Metrics - Units per transaction (UPT) decreased by approximately **1.5%**, while the average transaction value increased by **2.5%** compared to the prior year [4] Store Operations - Buckle operates **441 retail stores** across **42 states**, maintaining the same store count as of September 4, 2024 [4] Forward-Looking Statements - The company does not provide guidance on current sales or project results for the next quarter, citing material risks and uncertainties that could affect future performance [4][5] Additional Information - The commentary included a disclaimer regarding forward-looking statements and encouraged further inquiries to specific company contacts [5]

Core Insights - American Eagle's shares surged 25% in after-hours trading following the release of its second quarter earnings report, highlighting the success of its advertising campaign featuring actress Sydney Sweeney [1] - The campaign, titled "Great Jeans," contributed to increased engagement, comparable sales, and customer awareness for the brand [1][5] Marketing Success - CEO Jay Schottenstein emphasized the effectiveness of the fall denim campaign with Sydney Sweeney, noting record-breaking new customer acquisition and enhanced brand awareness across various demographics [2] - The company also reported a successful marketing partnership with professional football player Travis Kelce, launching a limited-edition design collaboration with his lifestyle brand, Tru Kolors [4] Financial Performance - The company attributed the uptick in customer awareness, engagement, and comparable sales to stronger product offerings and the success of recent marketing campaigns [5] - American Eagle aims to leverage its progress and brand strength to drive higher profitability, long-term growth, and shareholder value [5] Target Demographic - American Eagle is focused on appealing to Gen Z shoppers and has previously collaborated with other young influencers, including actress Jenna Ortega and tennis player Coco Gauff [7] Social Media Reactions - The campaign featuring Sydney Sweeney received mixed reactions on social media, with some labeling it "tone-deaf" while others praised it for countering "woke" advertising [10] - Notably, former President Trump publicly praised the ad campaign, calling it "fantastic" [10]

Core Insights - The company has been a disruptor in the health care apparel market for approximately 13 years, focusing on comfort, functionality, and design [1] - The business experienced over 100% annual growth, particularly during the pandemic when demand for scrubs surged [1] - Post-pandemic, the company is positioned as a leader in the industry, offering the best products and brand [1]

Market Overview - Major indexes experienced mixed results, with the Dow closing down -24 points (-0.05%) after a drop of -250 points intra-day, while the S&P 500 rose +32 points (+0.51%) and the Nasdaq gained +218 points (+1.02%) [1] - The Russell 2000 index slipped -2 points (-0.095%) [1] Alphabet and Big Tech - A recent court ruling favored Alphabet, allowing its relationship with Apple to continue, which may have prevented a potential breakup of its conglomerate and provided relief to the broader Big Tech sector [2] Salesforce Performance - Salesforce.com reported Q2 earnings of $2.91 per share, exceeding the Zacks consensus of $2.77 and the previous year's $2.56, with revenues of $10.24 billion surpassing expectations of $10.13 billion [3] - However, guidance for Q3 earnings and full fiscal year was considered lackluster, leading to a -4% decline in after-market trading, compounding a -23.6% loss year-to-date [4] American Eagle Performance - American Eagle posted earnings of 45 cents per share, significantly above the Zacks consensus of 20 cents, with revenues of $1.28 billion exceeding the anticipated $1.23 billion, driven by a successful advertising campaign [5] - The company's shares increased by +23% in late trading, marking a positive year-to-date performance [5] Labor Market and Economic Indicators - The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) for July reported 7.2 million job openings, below the expected 7.4 million, indicating a tightening labor market [6] - Factory Orders for July were reported at -1.3%, an improvement from the previous month's -4.8% [7] - The Beige Book indicated rising costs due to tariffs and utilities, reflecting modest growth across regions [7] Upcoming Economic Reports - Anticipation for tomorrow's market includes the ADP report on private-sector payrolls for August, expected to decrease to 75K from 104K in July, along with other economic indicators [8] - Earnings reports from Broadcom, lululemon, and Docusign are expected, with Broadcom anticipated to report strong profits from AI-related sales, while lululemon and Docusign expect negative year-over-year earnings growth [9]

Core Insights - American Eagle Outfitters reported a fiscal Q2 2025 revenue of $1.28 billion, a 1% decrease year-over-year, marking the second-highest Q2 revenue in the company's history [4][24] - The company expects a tariff impact of approximately $70 million for the second half of fiscal 2025, down from an unmitigated estimate of $180 million [4][7] - The company plans to close 35 to 40 American Eagle locations by year-end, while simultaneously expanding Aerie and offline store locations [4][29] Financial Performance - Gross margin improved to 38.9%, up from 38.6% last year, despite a 20 basis points deleverage in buying, occupancy, and warehousing costs [3][25] - Operating income for Q2 2025 was $103 million, a 2% increase from the previous year, resulting in an operating margin of 8% [3][26] - Diluted EPS rose 15% compared to last year, reflecting strong financial discipline and effective cost management [3][10] Sales and Marketing - The company experienced robust new customer growth driven by celebrity marketing campaigns, resulting in over 700,000 new customers and 40 billion campaign impressions [4][22] - Comparable sales declined 1% in Q2 2025, but Aerie's comparable sales grew by 3%, indicating a positive trend in specific segments [6][17] - The marketing campaigns featuring Sydney Sweeney and Travis Kelce have generated significant engagement and traffic, contributing to record-breaking sales during Labor Day [4][22] Inventory and Supply Chain - Ending inventory cost increased by 8%, primarily due to tariff effects, with units up 3% in Q2 2025 [6][26] - The company actively managed inventory to align with category trends and anticipated demand, minimizing pull-forward related to tariffs [4][7] - Strategic supply chain adjustments, including country-of-origin shifts and vendor negotiations, have helped mitigate tariff impacts [4][7] Future Outlook - For Q3 2025, the company expects a low single-digit increase in comparable sales and operating income in the range of $95 million to $100 million, including approximately $20 million in tariffs [4][30] - Fiscal Q4 2025 guidance includes a low single-digit increase in comparable sales and operating profit projected at $125 million to $130 million, with an expected tariff impact of $40 million to $50 million [4][31] - The company is focused on optimizing its store fleet and enhancing its digital channel to drive future growth [4][28]

Group 1 - American Eagle Outfitters reported $1.28 billion in revenue for the quarter ended July 2025, a year-over-year decline of 0.6% [1] - The EPS for the same period was $0.45, compared to $0.39 a year ago, representing a surprise of +125% over the consensus estimate of $0.20 [1] - The reported revenue exceeded the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.23 billion by +4.14% [1] Group 2 - American Eagle's shares returned +12.4% over the past month, outperforming the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +3% change [3] - The stock currently holds a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold), indicating potential performance in line with the broader market [3] Group 3 - The number of AE Brand stores was 829, exceeding the average estimate of 822 by four analysts [4] - Total net revenue for American Eagle was $800.41 million, compared to the average estimate of $790.97 million, reflecting a -3.3% year-over-year change [4] - Aerie's total net revenue was $429.08 million, surpassing the estimated $402.05 million, marking a +3.2% change year-over-year [4]

Core Insights - American Eagle's recent marketing campaign featuring Sydney Sweeney is considered a success, contributing to better-than-expected earnings in the second quarter [2][3] - The campaign has increased customer awareness and engagement, leading to a notable uptick in sales [2][4] Financial Performance - Earnings per share rose 15% year-over-year to $0.45, while net revenue decreased by 1% to $1.28 billion [3] - Comparable sales across the company, which includes Aerie, also fell by 1% [3] Marketing Campaign Impact - The "great jeans" campaign has sparked significant conversations and attracted new customers, with Sweeney's jeans selling out within a week [4] - The campaign has generated unprecedented new customer acquisition, according to the chief marketing officer [4] Controversy and Reception - The ad faced criticism for promoting "regressive" beauty standards, but the company maintained its stance that the campaign was focused on the jeans [5] - Despite mixed reactions, the campaign has been credited with driving sales and customer engagement [5][11] Future Collaborations - Following the success of the Sweeney campaign, American Eagle launched a clothing line in collaboration with NFL star Travis Kelce, which is expected to further boost sales [10][12] - The company plans to continue evolving the Sweeney campaign with new elements [11]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Total revenue for the second quarter was $1,280,000,000, marking a 1% decline compared to the previous year, but it was the second highest revenue ever posted for this quarter [6][22] - Operating income improved by 2% to $103,000,000, exceeding expectations, with diluted EPS increasing by 15% year-over-year [9][22] - Gross profit dollars were $500,000,000, reflecting a gross margin of 38.9%, up from 38.6% last year [23] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Aerie experienced a comp growth of 3%, driven by strong demand in intimates, soft dressing, sleepwear, and activewear [6][15] - American Eagle saw a decline in comps but improved in key categories such as women's jeans and tops as the quarter progressed [17][19] - The overall traffic was positive across brands and channels, with significant momentum building through the second quarter [7][22] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported a strong customer acquisition, with over 700,000 new customers attributed to recent marketing campaigns [20] - The campaigns generated approximately 40,000,000,000 impressions, indicating a significant reach and engagement [33][36] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on strengthening its brands, improving growth runway, and managing for higher profitability [5][9] - There is a commitment to operational efficiencies and supply chain improvements, particularly in response to tariff impacts [10][26] - The company plans to open approximately 30 Aerie and offline locations and remodel 40 to 50 AE stores, while closing 35 to 40 American Eagle locations by year-end [28][29] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed optimism about the early results of actions taken to reignite performance, despite a dynamic consumer backdrop [5][9] - The third quarter is off to a better start, with consolidated comps up in the mid-single digits, and a positive outlook for the remainder of the year [29][30] - Management acknowledged the challenges posed by tariffs but emphasized ongoing efforts to mitigate their impact [10][30] Other Important Information - Year-to-date, the company has returned $276,000,000 to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases [11] - The company expects to incur approximately $20,000,000 in tariff costs in the third quarter and $40,000,000 to $50,000,000 in the fourth quarter [30][40] Q&A Session Summary Question: Can you tell us more about how you keep the momentum going with the new customers attracted by the campaigns? - The campaigns have generated unprecedented new customer acquisition, and the focus is on converting this buzz into repeat business [35][37] Question: Can you provide more details on the comp metrics, transaction ticket, and tariff impacts? - AUR was down mid-single digits, but traffic was healthy, and the team managed to offset some of the declines through effective markdown management [50][52] Question: What percentage of sales does intimates represent for Aerie, and how is the strategy to recapture share? - Intimates account for roughly one-third of Aerie's business, and the company is focused on launching new collections to regain market share [59][61] Question: Are there any product categories not performing well at Aerie? - The shorts category was identified as a challenge, but overall, the company is seeing positive trends in intimates and soft apparel [74][75] Question: What are the expectations for gross margin in the back half of the year? - The company anticipates a decline in gross margin due to tariff impacts, with ongoing efforts to manage expenses and optimize pricing strategies [78][80] Question: How will the marketing spend be allocated for the back half of the year? - Advertising expenses are expected to increase in the third quarter to support ongoing campaigns, while the fourth quarter may see a stabilization in SG&A expenses [100][101]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported a comparable net sales decrease of 4.5%, which was within the outlook range and represented a second consecutive quarter of sequential trend improvement from 2024 [9] - Total net sales were $151.3 million, a decrease of 7.1% compared to the previous year [12] - Earnings per share were $0.10, beating the earnings outlook range and marking the first profitable quarter since 2022 [10][15] - The company ended the quarter with total liquidity of $114 million and no borrowings [16] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Net sales from physical stores decreased by 7.3%, representing 81.1% of total net sales, while e-commerce net sales decreased by 6.6%, accounting for 18.9% of total net sales [13] - Gross margin improved by 180 basis points to 32.5% of net sales compared to 30.7% last year [13] - Total SG&A expenses were $46.4 million, a decrease of $4.4 million and 50 basis points as a percentage of net sales compared to last year's second quarter [14] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Total comparable net sales for fiscal August increased by 0.9% compared to last year, with comparable net sales from stores increasing by 4.5% [17] - E-commerce net sales decreased by 12.1% during fiscal August, primarily due to a distribution decision by a third-party brand [17] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims to stabilize its business and improve product assortment while enhancing marketing efforts to build customer awareness [10][20] - Management is focused on reducing inventory levels and improving inventory aging, with a 14.5% reduction in total balance sheet inventory compared to last year [17] - The company plans to remain debt-free throughout fiscal 2025 and expects to close additional stores as part of its strategy [19] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed cautious optimism about continued improvement in performance under new leadership [20] - The company anticipates a modest impact from tariffs on product costs for the remainder of fiscal 2025, with potential larger impacts in fiscal 2026 [12] - Management noted historical trends of sales slowdown after the back-to-school season, which informs their conservative outlook for the upcoming months [34] Other Important Information - The company ended the second quarter with 232 total stores, a net decrease of 15 stores or 6.1% compared to a year ago [13] - The company has 45 lease decisions remaining to be made by the end of the fiscal year, which may result in additional store closures [19] Q&A Session Summary Question: Broader opportunity and early priorities at Tilly's - The new CEO emphasized the importance of focusing on successful strategies while identifying areas for improvement [22][24] Question: Progression of comparable sales during the second quarter - Management noted a sequential improvement in sales, with fiscal May at -2%, June at -7.6%, and July at -3% [28] Question: Drivers of the positive comp in August - All apparel departments showed positive movement in August, contributing to overall sales improvement [28] Question: Outlook for the third quarter and potential sales erosion - Management indicated that historical patterns suggest a slowdown post-back-to-school, which informed their conservative sales outlook [34] Question: Gross margin and product margin improvements - The company reported improved product margins due to better inventory management and reduced markdowns [36][38] Question: Impact of tariffs and vendor pricing - Management noted that some vendors are adjusting prices in response to tariffs, but the net impact on costs has been limited [39][40] Question: Opportunities for further cost containment in SG&A - Management expects to see continued savings in store labor and other expenses in the upcoming quarters [42][43]

Group 1 - The investment strategy focuses on long-only investment, evaluating companies from an operational and buy-and-hold perspective [1] - The approach does not prioritize market-driven dynamics or future price action, instead emphasizing the long-term earnings potential of companies [1] - The majority of recommendations will be holds, indicating a cautious approach to market conditions and a belief that only a small fraction of companies are suitable for buying at any given time [1] Group 2 - The articles aim to provide valuable information for future investors while maintaining a healthy skepticism towards a generally bullish market [1] - The author expresses no current stock or derivative positions in the companies mentioned, ensuring an unbiased perspective [2] - The content reflects the author's personal opinions and is not influenced by any business relationships with the companies discussed [2]