Tommy Hilfiger-owner PVH Shares Fall as Tepid Europe Demand Hits 2024 Forecasts

A look from Tommy Hilfiger’s autumn/winter 2024 collection at New York Fashion Week. (AFP)
A look from Tommy Hilfiger’s autumn/winter 2024 collection at New York Fashion Week. (AFP)
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Tommy Hilfiger-owner PVH Shares Fall as Tepid Europe Demand Hits 2024 Forecasts

A look from Tommy Hilfiger’s autumn/winter 2024 collection at New York Fashion Week. (AFP)
A look from Tommy Hilfiger’s autumn/winter 2024 collection at New York Fashion Week. (AFP)

Shares of PVH Corp slumped up to 25% on Tuesday, a day after the Calvin Klein-owner forecast a steeper-than-expected drop in its annual revenue on the back of weakening demand in Europe.

The apparel maker, which also owns Tommy Hilfiger, forecast fiscal 2024 revenue to fall between 6% and 7%, steeper than the 2.3% drop estimated by analysts, according to LSEG data.

PVH plans to significantly reduce the number of online platforms it sells to in Europe in mid-2024, CEO Stefan Larsson said on a conference call on Tuesday, adding that the move would lead to a 5% reduction in its total European sales this year.

"Where the consumer and macro (backdrop) are tougher, we are willing to sacrifice short term, low-quality revenues in order to strengthen our brand position and pricing power," Larsson said.

The decline in PVH stock also dragged shares of peers VF Corp, Tapestry and Ralph Lauren, all of which were down at least 5%.

"A slowing and increasingly promotional European market is a concern and the outlook comes as a surprise," Telsey Advisory Group analyst Dana Telsey wrote in a note.

PVH forecast its annual earnings per share in the range of $10.75 to $11.00, versus analysts' estimate of $11.89.

Retailers such as PVH, Levi Strauss and Ralph Lauren have struggled with weaker wholesale business in North America due to department stores and retailers cutting back on orders owing to slow consumer demand.

PVH's wholesale revenue declined 10% in the fourth quarter, as wholesale customers across North America and Europe continued to take a cautious approach.

The company, however, beat analysts' expectations for quarterly sales and profit on the back on a strong holiday demand and better inventory planning.

PVH's forward price-to-earnings multiple, a common benchmark for valuing stocks, is at 11.35, lower than Ralph Lauren and Lululemon Athletica's P/E ratio of 16.28 and 26.27, respectively.



Abercrombie & Fitch Lifts Sales Forecast on Trendy Apparel Demand; Lofty Expectations Hit Shares

A hiring sign is displayed in front of Abercrombie & Fitch at the Tysons Corner Center mall on August 22, 2024 in Tysons, Virginia. (Getty Images via AFP)
A hiring sign is displayed in front of Abercrombie & Fitch at the Tysons Corner Center mall on August 22, 2024 in Tysons, Virginia. (Getty Images via AFP)
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Abercrombie & Fitch Lifts Sales Forecast on Trendy Apparel Demand; Lofty Expectations Hit Shares

A hiring sign is displayed in front of Abercrombie & Fitch at the Tysons Corner Center mall on August 22, 2024 in Tysons, Virginia. (Getty Images via AFP)
A hiring sign is displayed in front of Abercrombie & Fitch at the Tysons Corner Center mall on August 22, 2024 in Tysons, Virginia. (Getty Images via AFP)

Abercrombie & Fitch raised its annual sales target on Wednesday after reporting better-than-expected quarterly revenue, but shares of the company fell 14% as investors expected a bigger forecast bump from the high-flying retailer.

The stock has surged about 89% so far this year after nearly quadrupling in 2023.

"While the market may have been looking for a stronger guidance lift for the year, given momentum across the business, we see a beat and raise as impressive given a moderating top line outlook in response to a choppy macro environment across many of Abercrombie's specialty retail peers," said Dana Telsey, analyst at Telsey Advisory Group.

Abercrombie has been revamping its merchandise with new styles, featuring dressier apparel and cargo pants while tapping into growing demand for wide-legged jeans, helping it draw in fashion-savvy shoppers.

Retailers ranging from department store chains Macy's to home improvement chain Home Depot struck a cautious note and trimmed their annual sales forecasts, blaming weak discretionary demand. Strong results from Target and Walmart showed shoppers were looking for bargains amid budget constraints.

Sales at the Abercrombie brand jumped 26% in the quarter ended Aug. 3, while its Hollister division reported a 17% rise due to better-than-expected back-to-school selling.

The company now expects net sales to rise between 12% and 13% in fiscal 2024, compared with its prior forecast of around 10% growth.

Abercrombie CEO Fran Horowitz said the forecast raise came despite "an increasingly uncertain environment".

The company saw benefits from lower promotions and lower cotton costs, which helped it improve its gross profit rate by 240 basis points to 64.9%. However, it expects pressure from freight costs in the back half of the year.

In the second quarter, it reported profit of $2.50 per share, beating an estimate of $2.22, according to LSEG data.

Net sales rose 21% to $1.13 billion in the second quarter, compared with analysts' estimate of $1.10 billion.