Although we don't believe in timing the market or panicking over market movements, we do like to keep an eye on big changes -- just in case they're material to our investing thesis.
What: Shares of Winnebago Industries, (WGO 2.01%) were getting driven into a ditch today, falling 14% after posting an underwhelming earnings report.
So what: The recreation-vehicle maker saw profits jump 51% in the quarter, but lower-than-expected revenue weighed on the stock. Sales improved 15% to $222.7 million, up 15%, but that was well short of analyst estimates at $233.1 million. The company noted solid increases in motorhome sales on rising demand, and CEO Randy Potts said the results were "strong." He added that the company was continuing to come out with promising new vehicles such as the Winnebago Trend, which was named "top RV debut" of the year. Earnings per share came in $0.40, beating estimates of $0.37.
Now what: The sharp sell-off is surprising given the fact that the company managed to top Wall Street's bottom-line estimates, but Winnebago seems to have simply been a victim of the analysts' high expectations as the experts were eyeing sales growth of 20%. I'd say the sell-off presents an excellent buying opportunity. With a generation of baby boomers cycling into retirement, stocks at all-time highs, and the economy recovering at warp speed, a perfect storm could be brewing for Winnebago sales to boom. Its brand strength and name recognition only makes it more compelling. I plan to give a thumbs-up in CAPS and may buy some shares myself soon.
