Factors Setting The Tone For Zumiez (ZUMZ) In Q3 Earnings

Zumiez Inc. (NASDAQ:ZUMZ) is scheduled to report third-quarter fiscal 2018 numbers on Dec 6. In the last reported quarter, the company’s earnings surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 30.8%. Also, it delivered an average four-quarter positive earnings surprise of 9.6%. Let’s see what awaits this quarterly release.

How are Estimates Faring?

Investors are keeping their fingers crossed and hoping for an earnings beat in the quarter to be reported as well. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for third-quarter earnings is pegged at 48 cents, in line with the figure registered in year-ago quarter. Notably, the consensus mark has been stable over the past 30 days. For revenues, the same stands at $248.6 million, up about 1.1% from the year-ago quarter’s tally.

Zumiez Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

Factors Influencing Zumiez’s Q3 Performance

Zumiez has been witnessing top-line growth for a while now. In the second quarter of fiscal 2018, net sales advanced 13.9% and outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate, reflecting the ninth successive quarterly beat. The improvement in the top line was driven by favorable comparable sales (comps) and 11 net new store additions since the end of last year’s second quarter. Also, Zumiez’s top-line gained about $10 million contributions from the calendar shift that led the back-to-school season to fall in the second quarter of fiscal 2018 compared with the third quarter of fiscal 2017.

Additionally, the company’s robust comps trend is commendable. Quarterly comps grew 6.3% in the second quarter, marking the eighth consecutive quarter of positive comps. Moreover, October marked the 10th straight month of positive comps this year. Zumiez expects third-quarter net sales to be in the range of $247-$252 million, with comps growth of 4-6%.

However, the company revealed that results for the to-be-reported quarter will be negatively impacted by the aforementioned calendar shift of the back-to-school season in to the fiscal second quarter this year. The shift is likely to impact net sales by $10 million, operating profit by $3.2 million and earnings per share by 10 cents during the third quarter this fiscal.

Nevertheless, Zumiez remains focused on merchandising, integration of sales channels and the rollout of new customer engagement strategies. In fact, the company is striving to expand its e-commerce and omni-channel platforms to provide consumers with the facility of quick and easy access to its products and brands.

Also, Zumiez has considerably improved customers’ experience by integrating its physical and digital networks. This, in turn, allows customers to access inventories through all channels alongside availing facilities like buy online, pick up in store, reserve online and pay in store. We believe that the company’s well-balanced store expansion and e-commerce strategies will help Zumiez keep track of the evolving patterns and drive top-line growth.

What the Zacks Model Unveils

Our proven model shows that Zumiez is likely to beat earnings estimates in third-quarter fiscal 2018. This is because a stock needs to have both — a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) — for this to happen. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.

Zumiez has a Zacks Rank #3 and an Earnings ESP of +0.69%.

Stocks With Favorable Combination

Here are some other companies you may want to consider as our model shows that these too have the right combination of elements to post earnings beat.

Boot Barn Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:BOOT) has an Earnings ESP of +6.85% and a Zacks Rank #1. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Fossil Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:FOSL) has an Earnings ESP of +5.14% and a Zacks Rank #1.

The Gap, Inc. (NYSE:GPS) has an Earnings ESP of +0.39% and a Zacks Rank #3.

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