Sporting goods stocks have been on such a long run over the past year that I have to wonder if these stocks have the legs to last another year. After a slow 2009, shoppers are back to buying new athletic gear that looks a little less frivolous than it did a year ago when the economy was hitting rock bottom.
Below are four of the most high profile sporting goods stocks with trailing revenue and EPS growth over the last year and corresponding stock performance.
|
Company |
1 Year Revenue Growth |
1 Year EPS Growth |
1-year Stock Performance |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Nike (NYSE: NKE) |
4.6% |
30.3% |
33.0% |
|
Under Armour (NYSE: UA) |
21.1% |
52.2% |
112.0% |
|
Foot Locker (NYSE: FL) |
2.8% |
N/A |
100.1% |
|
Dick's Sporting Goods (NYSE: DKS) |
9.5% |
N/A |
62.6% |
Source: The Motley Fool.
Both Foot Locker and Dick's posted losses in the year-ago trailing 12 months but have turned that around into nice profits this year. Nike and Under Armour have posted nice EPS growth consistently, driving their stock prices higher.
But all isn't well across the sporting landscape, as golf is trying to fix a terrible slice. Dick's is closing some Golf Galaxy stores, and golfers appear to be fine with playing with their clubs for another year. Callaway Golf's (NYSE: ELY) loss in the last quarter wiped out most of the profit seen during the spring and summer golf season.
These stocks have all run up nicely, but where are we headed from here? Nike and Foot Locker have only marginal revenue improvements over last year, so earnings growth can only go so far. Dick's is expanding its store footprint, but so is Hibbett Sports (Nasdaq: HIBB), and there are only so many sporting goods dollars to be spread around.
My pick, Under Armour, might be the most expensive stock with a 49 price-to-earnings ratio, but its brand, new product opportunities, and continued revenue growth give a lot of upside that this Fool can't ignore. Nike may sponsor some of the fastest runners in the world, but Under Armour is catching up faster than Nike Chairman Phil Knight would like.
The Motley Fool Rule Breakers team thinks Under Armour is the way to go, while Stock Advisor has Nike winning the race. Tell us who your pick is in the comments section below or join one of these newsletters free for 30 days to get their in-depth analysis.
Run, Forrest, Run:
