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What: Shares of Under Armour (NYSE:UAA) were looking tougher than ever today, jumping as much as 25% to a new record on a blowout fourth-quarter earnings report.
So what: The report from the sports-apparel specialist comes at a time when many retailers, including rival lululemon athletica, have turned in disappointing holiday earnings. Under Armour, however, bucked that trend, posting a profit of $0.59 a share, better than expectations of $0.53. Its top-line performance was even stronger, as revenues jumped 35%, to $682.8 million, topping the consensus at $619.9 million. CEO Kevin Plank called 2013 a "banner year," noting that the company completed its first acquisition, purchasing MapMyFitness, and opened the first of its two UA Brand House retail stores.
Now what: Under Armour also raised its guidance for 2014, saying it expects sales growth of 22%-23%, or total revenue of $2.84-$2.87 billion, above the consensus at $2.77 billion. Plank explained, "We have tremendous momentum across our business and we will leverage this strength to fuel our global growth ambitions in 2014." In addition to the major steps taken above, the company recently signed partnerships with Notre Dame and Navy, two high-profile programs that should further spread its brand appeal. The stock is certainly pricey, but with growth opportunities aplenty, Under Armour seems like it may just be on the cusp of an athletic-apparel empire.
Jeremy Bowman has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Under Armour. The Motley Fool owns shares of Under Armour. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
