What's the outlook for WWW's EPS in 2025?
4/6/2025 05:31pm
**Wolverine World Wide's (WWW) EPS outlook for 2025 is positive, with expected growth and stabilization.** Here's a detailed analysis:
1. **Current EPS and Growth Expectations**:
- WWW's Non-GAAP EPS for Q4 2024 was $0.42, which is in-line with expectations.
- For FY 2025, the company expects an EPS range of $1.050 to $1.200, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.340. This suggests a potential upside risk to the EPS expectation.
2. **Analyst Ratings and Price Targets**:
- The consensus rating for WWW is "Neutral" with an average current price target of $21.40. This indicates a moderate outlook for the stock, suggesting that while there is potential for growth, it is not strongly bullish.
- Recent upgrades and price target adjustments by analysts, such as Stifel's upgrade to Buy with a higher price target, and UBS's retention of a Buy rating with a reduced price target, reflect varying degrees of confidence in WWW's prospects.
3. **Revenue and Profitability Expectations**:
- WWW expects revenue for FY 2025 to be approximately $1.795 to $1.825 billion, representing growth of about 2.5% to 4.3%. This growth is expected to be driven by improvements in the Saucony brand and new product launches.
- The company anticipates an expansion in EBITDA margin due to full-price sales, product cost and SG&A savings, and investments in growth.
4. **Debt Reduction and Financial Health**:
- WWW has significantly improved its leverage, with the leverage ratio decreasing to 5.3x by the end of 2024, down from 9.2x at the end of 2023. This indicates a stronger financial position, which could support EPS growth.
- The company's positive free operating cash flow (FOCF) and successful debt reduction efforts are positive signs for its ability to sustain and increase EPS in the coming years.
In conclusion, while the EPS outlook for WWW in 2025 is positive, with expected growth and stabilization, the pace of growth may not be strongly bullish, as indicated by the analyst consensus and the company's own revenue guidance. The company's focus on debt reduction, profitability improvements, and growth drivers such as new product launches and expanded distribution are key factors supporting a positive EPS outlook.