What happened
Shares of Skechers (SKX -0.23%) outperformed a surging stock market last month. The stock rose 11% in May compared with a 4.5% increase in the S&P 500, according to data provided by S&P Global Market Intelligence.
Yet the boost only erased a portion of the losses that investors have seen in recent months, and the stock is still down over 15% since the start of 2020.
Image source: Getty Images.
So what
The footwear giant's last earnings report, in late April, showed that first-quarter earnings were nearly cut in half through the early days of COVID-19 store closures. Management expressed confidence in a potentially quick rebound, and investors last month bought into that optimistic reading as it appeared possible that the pandemic's effect on the economy may be lessening.
Now what
Now that its retailing partners are reopening, Skechers should have positive comments to make about its outlook when it announces second-quarter results in mid-July. But that period will cover some of the biggest COVID-19 impacts, including any potential inventory writedowns associated with seasonal merchandise that missed its demand window. As a result, operating trends will likely get worse for the apparel specialist before they begin improving in the second half of 2020.
