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Designer Brands Inc (DBI)
NYSE:DBI

Designer Brands (DBI) AI Stock Analysis

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Designer Brands

(NYSE:DBI)

Rating:54Neutral
Price Target:
$2.50
▲(12.61%Upside)
While Designer Brands shows some operational strengths and strategic improvements, significant challenges in profitability and sales declines weigh heavily on the stock. The high leverage and uncertain market conditions further impact the score, despite positive signals from dividend declarations and brand growth initiatives.
Positive Factors
Digital Expansion
Management noted its digital orders fulfilled by its logistics center increased by 56% from last year, leading to increased store in-stock levels and higher in-store conversion.
Operational Efficiency
The company is prioritizing its retail channels and improving operating cost control, which should result in approximately $20 million to $30 million of savings.
Negative Factors
Debt and Cash Flow
The largest risk is potential sustained losses, with a large debt balance and increasingly limited cash position.
Financial Performance
Designer Brands reported materially worse-than-expected first-quarter results and pulled its full-year guidance.

Designer Brands (DBI) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)

Designer Brands Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company DescriptionDesigner Brands Inc. (DBI) is a leading footwear and accessories retailer in North America, primarily operating through its DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse stores. The company offers a wide range of brand-name and designer footwear and accessories, targeting a diverse customer base with various lifestyle needs. In addition to its retail operations, DBI also engages in wholesale distribution of footwear and operates several private-label brands, enhancing its product portfolio.
How the Company Makes MoneyDesigner Brands Inc. generates revenue primarily through the sale of footwear and accessories across its extensive retail network, which includes both physical stores and an online presence. A significant portion of its revenue comes from its DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse stores, which offer a broad selection of shoes and accessories for men, women, and children. Additionally, DBI benefits from its private-label brands, which often carry higher margins. The company also engages in wholesale activities, distributing footwear products to other retailers. Strategic partnerships and collaborations with well-known brands and designers further enhance its product offerings and attract a diverse array of customers, contributing to its overall earnings.

Designer Brands Earnings Call Summary

Earnings Call Date:Jun 10, 2025
(Q1-2025)
|
% Change Since: -40.48%|
Next Earnings Date:Sep 04, 2025
Earnings Call Sentiment Neutral
The earnings call reflects a challenging quarter with significant sales declines and macroeconomic pressures, including tariffs and weakened consumer sentiment. However, the company has made notable progress in cost reduction and strategic brand growth, particularly in the Topo brand. While positive steps have been taken to mitigate risks, the overall outlook remains cautious amid ongoing uncertainties.
Q1-2025 Updates
Positive Updates
Cost Reduction Achievements
Implemented expense cuts leading to a 6% reduction in operating expenses for the quarter, and projected savings of $20 million to $30 million over the course of 2025.
Topo Brand Growth
The Topo brand continued its impressive growth trajectory with an 84% year-over-year increase in sales, reinforcing its momentum as an emerging growth brand.
Operating Income Growth in Brand Portfolio
Despite a decline in total sales, the Brand Portfolio segment grew operating income by over 30% due to a focus on operational efficiencies.
Strategic Diversification Efforts
Accelerated sourcing diversification efforts to mitigate tariff impacts, aiming to reduce reliance on China to less than half by the end of the year.
Negative Updates
Overall Sales Decline
First-quarter comparable sales declined 8%, with U.S. Retail and Canadian segments experiencing 7.3% and 9.2% declines in comps, respectively.
Withdrawn 2025 Guidance
Due to the highly volatile environment, the company decided to withdraw forward-looking guidance for 2025.
Impact of Tariffs and Macroeconomic Uncertainty
Tariffs emerged as a substantial cost, alongside macroeconomic uncertainty affecting consumer sentiment and planning visibility.
Decreased Gross Margin
Consolidated gross margin decreased by nearly 120 basis points due to increased markdowns and weaker traffic.
Company Guidance
During the Designer Brands First Quarter 2025 Results Conference Call, the company reported several key metrics and strategies. Comparable sales declined by 8% in the first quarter, with U.S. Retail comps down 7.3% and Canadian comps down 9.2%. Total net sales were $687 million, an 8% decrease from the previous year. Despite these challenges, the Brand Portfolio segment achieved over 30% growth in operating income due to a 23% reduction in operating expenses, although sales were down 7.9%. The Topo brand showed strong performance with an 84% sales increase. Cost-cutting measures are projected to yield $20 million to $30 million in savings for 2025. The company also highlighted a 6% reduction in operating expenses for the quarter versus the previous year. Due to the volatile macroeconomic environment, Designer Brands withdrew its forward-looking guidance.

Designer Brands Financial Statement Overview

Summary
Designer Brands shows operational efficiency in a challenging environment, but consistent profitability is lacking due to net losses. High leverage is a concern, though cash flow generation is a relative strength, providing liquidity amidst industry fluctuations.
Income Statement
55
Neutral
Despite a challenging environment, Designer Brands has managed to stabilize its revenue after significant fluctuations in previous years. The gross profit margin remains healthy, reflecting effective cost management. However, the net profit margin has been under pressure, with a recent shift to negative net income, indicating profitability challenges. The EBIT and EBITDA margins show operational efficiency, yet they are dampened by the overall net losses, which could impact long-term profitability.
Balance Sheet
60
Neutral
The company's balance sheet indicates a relatively high debt-to-equity ratio, suggesting leverage risk. However, the return on equity has shown improvement in past periods, though it has recently turned negative, mirroring the net income trend. The equity ratio indicates a modest level of equity financing, but the increased liabilities could pose a risk if not managed properly.
Cash Flow
65
Positive
Designer Brands’ cash flow shows resilience with consistent positive operating cash flow. The free cash flow growth has been volatile, reflecting changes in capital expenditures and financing needs. The operating cash flow to net income ratio suggests strong cash generation capabilities relative to earnings, despite recent net losses. Overall, the cash flow statement portrays a company capable of generating cash, albeit with fluctuations.
Breakdown
Mar 2025Mar 2024Mar 2023Mar 2022Mar 2021
Income StatementTotal Revenue
3.01B3.07B3.32B3.20B2.23B
Gross Profit
1.29B974.89M1.08B1.07B311.24M
EBIT
34.93M72.40M110.26M128.95M-442.04M
EBITDA
99.53M138.51M255.94M283.15M-496.59M
Net Income Common Stockholders
-10.55M29.06M162.68M154.48M-488.72M
Balance SheetCash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments
44.75M49.17M58.77M72.69M59.58M
Total Assets
2.01B2.08B2.01B2.01B1.98B
Total Debt
1.29B1.24B1.10B1.02B1.26B
Net Debt
1.24B1.19B1.04B948.50M1.20B
Total Liabilities
1.73B1.71B1.58B1.60B1.73B
Stockholders Equity
278.49M359.22M429.75M412.40M243.02M
Cash FlowFree Cash Flow
87.27M107.40M146.45M138.40M-184.91M
Operating Cash Flow
82.24M162.40M201.43M171.43M-153.79M
Investing Cash Flow
-62.67M-182.49M-88.12M-35.03M2.63M
Financing Cash Flow
-22.09M10.48M-128.48M-121.49M122.95M

Designer Brands Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis Sentiment
Negative
Last Price2.22
Price Trends
50DMA
3.08
Negative
100DMA
3.71
Negative
200DMA
4.66
Negative
Market Momentum
MACD
-0.15
Positive
RSI
30.07
Neutral
STOCH
2.61
Positive
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For DBI, the sentiment is Negative. The current price of 2.22 is below the 20-day moving average (MA) of 3.30, below the 50-day MA of 3.08, and below the 200-day MA of 4.66, indicating a bearish trend. The MACD of -0.15 indicates Positive momentum. The RSI at 30.07 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 2.61 is Positive, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Negative sentiment for DBI.

Designer Brands Risk Analysis

Designer Brands disclosed 21 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Designer Brands reported the most risks in the "Ability to Sell" category.
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
Latest Risks Added 0 New Risks

Designer Brands Peers Comparison

Overall Rating
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (62)
Financial Indicators
Name
Overall Rating
Market Cap
P/E Ratio
ROE
Dividend Yield
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
73
Outperform
$520.75M7.9710.52%3.15%-1.24%-11.02%
GEGES
66
Neutral
$596.11M14.292.61%10.47%9.02%-93.19%
62
Neutral
$6.82B11.052.80%4.32%2.67%-24.92%
57
Neutral
$250.31M-29.52%1.85%-337.77%
FLFL
56
Neutral
$2.29B194.63-12.85%-2.62%0.93%
DBDBI
54
Neutral
$108.39M-9.20%9.01%-4.22%-386.70%
GCGCO
49
Neutral
$219.56M-3.07%1.85%22.34%
* Consumer Cyclical Sector Average
Performance Comparison
Ticker
Company Name
Price
Change
% Change
DBI
Designer Brands
2.22
-4.54
-67.16%
CTRN
Citi Trends
30.18
8.19
37.24%
FL
Foot Locker
24.02
-0.30
-1.23%
GCO
Genesco
20.37
-4.07
-16.65%
GES
Guess?
11.46
-8.52
-42.64%
SCVL
Shoe Carnival
19.05
-17.18
-47.42%

Designer Brands Corporate Events

Dividends
Designer Brands Declares Quarterly Cash Dividend
Positive
May 16, 2025

On May 15, 2025, Designer Brands‘ Board approved a quarterly cash dividend of $0.05 per share for its Class A and Class B common shares. This dividend will be paid on June 18, 2025, to shareholders recorded by June 5, 2025, reflecting the company’s ongoing commitment to returning value to its shareholders.

The most recent analyst rating on (DBI) stock is a Hold with a $5.50 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Designer Brands stock, see the DBI Stock Forecast page.

Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.

Disclaimer

This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.