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Johnson Outdoors Inc. (JOUT)
NASDAQ:JOUT
US Market

Johnson Outdoors (JOUT) AI Stock Analysis

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JOUT

Johnson Outdoors

(NASDAQ:JOUT)

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Neutral 69 (OpenAI - 5.2)
Rating:69Neutral
Price Target:
$48.00
▲(7.36% Upside)
Action:ReiteratedDate:02/28/26
The score is driven primarily by improved financial resilience (low leverage and stronger recent cash generation) and supportive technical momentum (price above key moving averages and positive MACD). The latest earnings call added confidence via strong early-fiscal-2026 operational improvement and margin expansion, while the overall score is capped by ongoing losses/negative P/E and remaining profitability and guidance visibility risks.
Positive Factors
Balance sheet strength
Very low leverage and a sizable equity base provide durable financial flexibility. This conservative capital structure reduces refinancing and bankruptcy risk, supports continued dividend payments, funds seasonal inventory needs, and enables investment in product development and M&A during downturns.
Improved cash generation
Meaningfully stronger operating and free cash flow improves the company's ability to self-fund capex, working-capital needs, dividends, and strategic investments. Sustained FCF supports resilience across seasonality and funds digital and product investments without heavy external financing.
Margin expansion and product/digital momentum
Gross-margin expansion from pricing, overhead absorption, and cost-savings, combined with product innovation and accelerating e-commerce, indicates structural improvements in profitability and distribution. Diversified brands and digital channels can sustain mix improvement and lower unit economics over cycles.
Negative Factors
Ongoing unprofitability
The company remains unprofitable on a trailing basis and posts a negative ROE, which constrains reinvestment and raises reliance on cash conversion rather than earnings. Persistent losses limit flexibility for growth initiatives and maintain execution pressure to return to consistent profitability.
Earnings and cash-flow volatility
Material swings in profitability and periodic negative cash flow history increase forecasting uncertainty and capital planning risk. Volatility weakens confidence in sustaining recent margin gains, complicates inventory and supplier planning, and raises the bar for consistent cash conversion.
Tax-rate and cost-pressure uncertainty
A U.S. valuation allowance and resulting tax-rate volatility create recurring unpredictability in net results and cash taxes until profit geography stabilizes. Coupled with material-cost pressures and higher operating expenses, this can erode incremental margin gains and complicate long-term earnings visibility.

Johnson Outdoors (JOUT) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)

Johnson Outdoors Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company DescriptionJohnson Outdoors Inc. designs, manufactures, and markets seasonal and outdoor recreational products for fishing worldwide. It operates through four segments: Fishing, Camping, Watercraft Recreation, and Diving. The Fishing segment offers electric motors for trolling, marine battery chargers, and shallow water anchors; sonar and GPS equipment for fish finding, navigation, and marine cartography; and downriggers for controlled-depth fishing. This segment sells its products under the Minn Kota, Humminbird, and Cannon brands through outdoor specialty and Internet retailers, retail store chains, original equipment manufacturers, and distributors. The Camping segment provides consumer, commercial, and military tents and accessories; camping furniture and stoves; other recreational camping products; and portable outdoor cooking systems, as well as manufactures fabric floors and insulated thermal liners and a subcontract manufacturer of military tents. This segment sells its products under the Eureka! and Jetboil brands through independent sales representatives and Internet retailers. The Watercraft Recreation segment offers kayaks, canoes, and paddles for family recreation, touring, angling, and tripping through independent specialty and outdoor retailers under the Ocean Kayaks, Old Town, and Carlisle brands. The Diving segment manufactures and markets underwater diving and snorkeling equipment, such as regulators, buoyancy compensators, dive computers and gauges, wetsuits, masks, fins, snorkels, and accessories through independent specialty dive stores and diving magazines under the SCUBAPRO brand name. This segment also provides regular maintenance, product repair, diving education, and travel program services; and sells diving gear to dive training centers, resorts, public safety units, and armed forces. It sells its products through Websites. The company was founded in 1970 and is headquartered in Racine, Wisconsin.
How the Company Makes MoneyJohnson Outdoors generates revenue through the sale of its diverse range of outdoor recreational products. Key revenue streams include the sales of kayaks, canoes, paddleboards, camping gear, and scuba diving equipment. The company operates through multiple brand segments, each targeting specific consumer markets, thus diversifying its income sources. Additionally, Johnson Outdoors benefits from seasonal sales cycles, with peak revenues typically occurring during the spring and summer months when outdoor activities are most popular. The company also forms strategic partnerships with retailers and distributors to enhance its market reach, and it invests in marketing initiatives to promote brand awareness and customer loyalty.

Johnson Outdoors Earnings Call Summary

Earnings Call Date:Feb 06, 2026
(Q1-2026)
|
% Change Since: |
Next Earnings Date:May 01, 2026
Earnings Call Sentiment Positive
The call conveyed a broadly positive start to fiscal 2026: significant margin expansion (gross margin +6.7 pts), a large improvement in pre-tax loss (~$17.6M improvement), inventory reduction (~$17.7M), debt-free status, continued dividend, and strong product and e-commerce momentum. Offsetting risks include a remaining pre-tax loss, a $2.1M increase in operating expenses, an unexpected ~$2M tax charge driven by a U.S. valuation allowance (creating tax-rate volatility), material cost pressures, and continued macro/consumer uncertainty. On balance the positive operational and financial improvements materially outweigh the lowlights presented.
Q1-2026 Updates
Positive Updates
Double-Digit Revenue Growth
Company reported double-digit growth in the quarter (management noted this is meaningful given the quarter is typically seasonally slower). Management said most of the increase was unit-volume driven, with incremental pricing also implemented to offset cost pressure.
Large Improvement in Pre-Tax Loss
Loss before income taxes improved to a loss of $1.3 million vs. a pre-tax loss of $18.9 million in the prior year quarter — an improvement of approximately $17.6 million.
Gross Margin Expansion
Gross margin for the quarter rose to 36.6%, up 6.7 percentage points year-over-year. Drivers included overhead absorption from higher volumes, price increases, and progress on cost-savings initiatives which helped offset higher material costs.
Inventory Reduction and Strong Balance Sheet
Ending inventory was $103.9 million, down about $17.7 million from the prior year quarter. The company remains debt-free and continued to pay a meaningful dividend (Board-approved in December).
Product and Segment Strength
Fishing: Minn Kota trolling motors and Humminbird (strong demand for Explorer series and Mega Live 2) performed well. Camping & watercraft: Jetboil and Old Town showed growth with Jetboil demand exceeding expectations. Diving: Scubapro’s Hydros Pro 2 began shipping in December and showed positive momentum.
Digital and E-commerce Momentum
Investments in digital and e-commerce are yielding results: management called e-commerce the fastest-growing channel, helping discovery and purchase and contributing to quarterly growth.
Cost Savings and Warranty Improvement
Ongoing cost-savings initiatives were cited as a contributor to margin improvement. Warranty expense decreased (management indicated this accounted for less than one percentage point of the operating expense improvement in the quarter).
Negative Updates
Still a Pre-Tax Loss
Despite material improvement, the company remains unprofitable on a pre-tax basis with a loss of $1.3 million for the quarter.
Operating Expenses Increased
Operating expenses increased $2.1 million year-over-year, primarily due to higher sales volume-related expenses, partially offset by decreased warranty expense.
Tax Expense and Valuation Allowance Impact
Tax expense for the quarter was about $2 million driven mainly by an adjustment related to the U.S. valuation allowance on deferred tax assets. Management warned the tax rate will be 'wonky' going forward until profit geography stabilizes.
Material Cost Pressures
Management noted increased material costs; while pricing and cost-savings efforts helped offset these, material cost pressure remains a headwind.
Broader Environment and Demand Uncertainty
Management acknowledged ongoing uncertainties in the broader environment and said consumer 'takeaway' as the selling season begins remains to be seen despite healthy trade inventory levels.
Limited Quantitative Guidance on Key Metrics
Management did not provide specific percentages for new product contribution or e-commerce revenue share or give forward quantitative guidance, limiting visibility for investors on those growth levers.
Company Guidance
The company provided largely directional guidance: management said it is encouraged by a strong start to fiscal 2026 but that it is still “too early to predict” the full year, and reiterated priorities to sustain a robust innovation pipeline, accelerate digital/e‑commerce growth, and continue product-cost and operating‑efficiency savings; near‑term metrics cited include double‑digit revenue growth in Q1, loss before income taxes of $1.3 million (versus a $18.9 million pre‑tax loss prior year, an improvement of $17.6 million), gross margin of 36.6% (up 6.7 percentage points), operating expenses up $2.1 million, inventory of $103.9 million (down ~$17.7 million YoY), tax expense of about $2 million (driven by a US valuation allowance), a debt‑free balance sheet, continued dividend payments, and a reduction in warranty expense (under one percentage point of operating‑expense impact).

Johnson Outdoors Financial Statement Overview

Summary
Balance sheet strength (low leverage and sizeable equity base) and a meaningful rebound in operating/free cash flow support financial resilience. However, profitability is still weak (TTM net loss and negative ROE) and earnings have been volatile, which keeps the financial score only moderately positive.
Income Statement
44
Neutral
TTM (Trailing-Twelve-Months) revenue is up 5.6% and gross margin improved to ~36% versus the prior year, showing some stabilization in demand and pricing/mix. However, profitability remains weak: net income is still negative in TTM (about -3.6% net margin) and results have been volatile over the last several years, swinging from solid profits (2021–2023) to losses (2024–TTM). The sharp drop in operating profitability from the 2021 peak suggests execution and/or end-market normalization is still pressuring earnings power.
Balance Sheet
72
Positive
The balance sheet looks conservatively positioned with low leverage: debt-to-equity is ~0.11 in TTM and has remained around this level historically. Equity is sizable relative to assets, which provides flexibility to absorb cyclical downturns. The key weakness is returns: return on equity is negative in TTM (about -5.2%), reflecting that the company is currently not generating adequate profits despite a solid capital base.
Cash Flow
66
Positive
Cash generation improved meaningfully in TTM, with operating cash flow (~$93M) and free cash flow (~$77M) both materially higher than the most recent annual period, and free cash flow growth very strong versus the prior year. This is a notable strength given ongoing net losses, suggesting working-capital or non-cash dynamics are supporting cash flow in the near term. The main concern is consistency: cash flow has been uneven historically (including a year with negative operating and free cash flow), so investors should watch durability of the current cash conversion.
BreakdownTTMSep 2025Sep 2024Sep 2023Sep 2022Sep 2021
Income Statement
Total Revenue625.70M592.41M592.85M663.84M743.36M751.65M
Gross Profit227.52M208.09M200.98M244.09M271.33M334.13M
EBITDA29.55M11.57M-10.10M42.27M73.28M126.47M
Net Income-22.30M-34.29M-26.53M19.53M44.49M83.38M
Balance Sheet
Total Assets600.13M604.10M635.21M681.61M679.93M674.29M
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments130.73M176.40M162.04M138.62M129.80M240.45M
Total Debt46.82M48.68M49.33M52.34M57.90M49.99M
Total Liabilities186.58M185.68M171.79M181.87M191.92M215.78M
Stockholders Equity413.55M418.42M463.42M499.74M488.01M458.50M
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow38.52M40.23M18.97M19.05M-93.83M36.91M
Operating Cash Flow54.70M56.21M40.98M41.71M-62.14M58.32M
Investing Cash Flow-9.65M-11.86M5.03M-48.37M-31.68M-21.38M
Financing Cash Flow-13.59M-13.56M-13.70M-12.73M-12.23M-9.03M

Johnson Outdoors Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis Sentiment
Positive
Last Price44.71
Price Trends
50DMA
46.76
Negative
100DMA
43.96
Positive
200DMA
40.12
Positive
Market Momentum
MACD
-0.93
Positive
RSI
49.76
Neutral
STOCH
45.18
Neutral
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For JOUT, the sentiment is Positive. The current price of 44.71 is below the 20-day moving average (MA) of 46.40, below the 50-day MA of 46.76, and above the 200-day MA of 40.12, indicating a neutral trend. The MACD of -0.93 indicates Positive momentum. The RSI at 49.76 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 45.18 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Positive sentiment for JOUT.

Johnson Outdoors Risk Analysis

Johnson Outdoors disclosed 26 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Johnson Outdoors reported the most risks in the "Finance & Corporate" category.
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
Latest Risks Added 0 New Risks

Johnson Outdoors Peers Comparison

Overall Rating
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (61)
Financial Indicators
Name
Overall Rating
Market Cap
P/E Ratio
ROE
Dividend Yield
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
69
Neutral
$475.38M-33.91-5.18%3.22%-0.07%-31.45%
63
Neutral
$5.41B25.3423.39%1.15%4.20%24.12%
61
Neutral
$18.38B12.79-2.54%3.03%1.52%-15.83%
48
Neutral
$104.84M-2.76-33.17%2.93%30.34%-1749.06%
$43.78M-6.48-4.97%61.04%99.61%
47
Neutral
$107.06M-6.98-3.19%2.85%24.82%
* Consumer Cyclical Sector Average
Performance Comparison
Ticker
Company Name
Price
Change
% Change
JOUT
Johnson Outdoors
45.96
21.24
85.90%
CLAR
Clarus
2.73
-1.15
-29.57%
GOLF
Acushnet Holdings
92.46
25.34
37.75%
YYAI
Connexa Sports Technologies
1.04
-36.02
-97.19%
AOUT
American Outdoor Brands
8.50
-4.42
-34.21%

Johnson Outdoors Corporate Events

Executive/Board Changes
Johnson Outdoors Announces Planned Retirement of Longtime CFO
Neutral
Mar 4, 2026

Johnson Outdoors Inc. announced that on March 4, 2026, longtime Vice President and Chief Financial Officer David W. Johnson informed the company of his intention to retire later this year. Johnson has held the CFO role and served as principal financial and accounting officer since November 2005.

The company has begun a succession process to identify and retain a new CFO, with Johnson expected to support the transition of his responsibilities to his successor. Johnson’s departure is not related to any disagreement over financial reporting, policies, or procedures, suggesting a planned leadership change with limited disruption to financial oversight and governance.

The most recent analyst rating on (JOUT) stock is a Hold with a $55.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Johnson Outdoors stock, see the JOUT Stock Forecast page.

Business Operations and StrategyExecutive/Board ChangesShareholder Meetings
Johnson Outdoors Shareholders Approve Board, Auditor and Incentive Plans
Positive
Feb 27, 2026

At its annual meeting of shareholders held on February 26, 2026, Johnson Outdoors Inc. re-elected all nominated Class A and Class B directors, with no competing nominations, maintaining continuity on the board. Shareholders also ratified the appointment of RSM US LLP as independent auditor for the fiscal year ending October 2, 2026, and approved on an advisory basis the executive compensation program disclosed for the meeting.

Investors further endorsed amendments to the 2020 Long-Term Stock Incentive Plan and the 2023 Non-Employee Director Stock Ownership Plan, increasing the pool of Class A common shares available under both programs. The voting outcomes, reflecting the higher voting power of Class B shares, reinforce management’s compensation and governance approach and provide additional equity capacity to support long-term incentives for executives and directors.

The most recent analyst rating on (JOUT) stock is a Buy with a $53.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Johnson Outdoors stock, see the JOUT Stock Forecast page.

Dividends
Johnson Outdoors Declares Quarterly Dividend, Signals Ongoing Stability
Positive
Feb 27, 2026

On February 27, 2026, Johnson Outdoors Inc. announced that its board approved a quarterly cash dividend of $0.33 per Class A share and $0.30 per Class B share, underscoring the company’s continued practice of returning capital to shareholders. The dividend is scheduled to be paid on April 30, 2026, to shareholders of record as of the close of business on April 16, 2026, providing income-oriented investors with clearer visibility into the company’s near-term cash distribution plans.

The decision signals confidence by the board in Johnson Outdoors’ financial position and cash-generating ability despite broader macroeconomic and industry uncertainties. For stakeholders, the ongoing dividend program may enhance the stock’s appeal among long-term investors and supports the company’s positioning as a stable, shareholder-friendly participant in the outdoor recreation equipment sector.

The most recent analyst rating on (JOUT) stock is a Buy with a $53.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Johnson Outdoors stock, see the JOUT 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.Date of analysis: Feb 28, 2026