Adidas (ADDYY) released its Q4 ’17 earnings report and while the company missed analysts’ revenue expectations, it reported top line growth (+16% YOY) and bottom line growth (+32% YOY) that left CEO Kasper Rorsted “extremely happy with the results.” The company expects to continue growing sales (+10%) and profits (+13%-17%) in 2018, albeit at a slower rate. On Wednesday’s earnings call, Rorsted also announced that the company had raised its 2020 profitability outlook to 11.5% and announced a plan to buyback $3.72 billion worth of shares (+/- 9%) by ’21; news that sent ADDYY’s share price up +9.4% ($116.80) by the days’ close.
Howie Long-Short: Adidas sales were up 35% YOY in fiscal 2017, enabling the company to surpass Jordan Brand in U.S. sneaker sales (and Under Armour in apparel sales). ADDYY now holds the #2 spot in the category behind NKE. How did that happen? As UAA and NKE focused on basketball sneakers (-20% in ’17), ADDYY built a pipeline of desirable lifestyle sneakers (Superstar, NMD, Stan Smith). Simply put, they’re producing a quality product desired by the consumer.
Fan Marino: Fun fact: Adidas sold 1 million pairs of sneakers in 2017 that were constructed from plastic found in the ocean. The Ultraboosts, each reusing 11 plastic bottles, were created in collaboration with Parley for the Oceans (an environmental organization).
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