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Zumiez Inc (ZUMZ)
NASDAQ:ZUMZ

Zumiez (ZUMZ) AI Stock Analysis

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ZUMZ

Zumiez

(NASDAQ:ZUMZ)

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Neutral 56 (OpenAI - 5.2)
,
Neutral 56 (OpenAI - 5.2)
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Neutral 56 (OpenAI - 5.2)
Rating:56Neutral
Price Target:
$22.50
▲(3.59% Upside)
Action:ReiteratedDate:03/17/26
The score is driven primarily by a moderate financial recovery (profitability and free-cash-flow improvement) and a constructive earnings outlook focused on margin gains and disciplined capital returns. These positives are tempered by weak technical momentum and a relatively high P/E without dividend support, alongside cautious near-term guidance and ongoing regional/category headwinds.
Positive Factors
Gross Margin Expansion
A sustained 200bp gross-margin improvement signals structural gains from assortment, pricing and inventory discipline. Higher product margins provide durable earnings leverage versus sales, improving resilience to cost pressures and supporting modest profit growth even if top-line gains remain gradual.
Private-label penetration & assortment
Rising private‑label mix is a durable competitive advantage: exclusive SKUs increase gross margins, reduce promo dependency, and strengthen customer differentiation. Over time this supports margin sustainability, supplier leverage and control over inventory/assortment vs pure third‑party reliance.
Strong balance sheet & capital flexibility
A cash-rich, debt-free position and active repurchase authorization create durable optionality: funds can support buybacks, targeted investment, store rationalization, or weather downturns. Financial flexibility reduces refinancing risk and enables strategic capital allocation over multiple quarters.
Negative Factors
Thin & volatile margins
Despite recent improvement, very low operating and net margins leave limited room for error. Retail margin volatility from markdowns, SG&A or supply swings can quickly erase profits, making durable free‑cash‑flow generation and reinvestment programs vulnerable in economic downdrafts.
International (Europe) weakness
Persistent European softness is a structural growth headwind requiring either margin recovery or costly investment to regain share. Underperformance abroad increases execution complexity, raises inventory and FX risks, and has already driven store rationalization that trims long‑term sales capacity.
Inconsistent cash flow history
Historic swings to negative free cash flow highlight operational sensitivity to sales and inventory cycles. Inconsistent FCF constrains sustained investment, dividends or buybacks and reduces the margin of safety if margins compress again or working capital needs spike.

Zumiez (ZUMZ) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)

Zumiez Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company DescriptionZumiez Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a specialty retailer of apparel, footwear, accessories, and hardgoods for young men and women. Its hardgoods include skateboards, snowboards, bindings, components, and other equipment. As of February 26, 2022, the company operated 738 stores, including 602 stores in the United States, 52 stores in Canada, 67 stores in Europe, and 17 stores in Australia under the names of Zumiez, Blue Tomato, and Fast Times. The company also operates zumiez.com, zumiez.ca, blue-tomato.com, and fasttimes.com.au e-commerce websites. Zumiez Inc. was founded in 1978 and is headquartered in Lynnwood, Washington.
How the Company Makes MoneyZumiez primarily makes money by retailing branded and private-label merchandise at a markup over its cost of goods sold. The company’s key revenue stream is net sales from (1) physical retail stores and (2) e-commerce websites, where it sells apparel, footwear, accessories, and skateboarding-related hardgoods. Revenue is recognized when products are sold to customers (in-store or shipped/delivered for online orders), while profitability is driven by merchandise margins and sales volume, offset by operating costs such as store labor, occupancy (rent), distribution/fulfillment, marketing, and corporate overhead. Zumiez’s earnings are influenced by product assortment and inventory management (buying the right brands/styles and controlling markdowns), traffic and conversion in stores and online, and seasonal demand patterns. It also benefits from operating multiple banners (Zumiez, Blue Tomato, fasttimes), which expand its geographic reach and customer segments, and from relationships with third-party brands it carries; specific partnership details beyond vendor/brand relationships are null.

Zumiez Earnings Call Summary

Earnings Call Date:Mar 12, 2026
(Q4-2025)
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% Change Since: |
Next Earnings Date:Jun 04, 2026
Earnings Call Sentiment Positive
The call highlighted multiple clear improvements: revenue and comparable-sales growth (notably in North America), meaningful gross margin expansion, a return to full‑year profitability, strong private label penetration and product-margin gains in Europe, and a strengthened balance sheet with active share repurchases. Offsetting these positives were persistent international sales weakness in parts of Europe (though improving), ongoing footwear softness, litigation-related costs and planned store closures that will trim sales. Management remains cautiously optimistic but guarded due to macro and geopolitical uncertainties. Overall, the positive operational and financial progress outweighs the remaining regional and category headwinds.
Q4-2025 Updates
Positive Updates
Q4 Revenue and Comparable Sales Growth
Net sales for Q4 2025 increased 4.4% to $291.3M (from $279.2M). Consolidated comparable sales were up 2.2% for the quarter.
North America Momentum
North America Q4 net sales were $224.4M, up 4.8% (ex-FX +4.6%). North America comparable sales rose 5.5% in Q4, marking eight consecutive quarters of comp growth; full-year NA comps were +6.7%.
Gross Margin Expansion
Q4 gross profit rose to $111.4M and gross margin expanded to 38.2% vs 36.2% a year ago (+200 bps). FY 2025 gross margin was 35.8% vs 34.1% in 2024 (+170 bps); product margin improvements were a primary driver.
Return to Full-Year Profitability
Fiscal 2025 net income was $13.4M ($0.78 EPS) versus a net loss of $1.7M (-$0.09 EPS) in fiscal 2024. Operating income improved to $17.0M (1.8% of sales) from $2.0M (0.2%).
Strong Private Label & New Brands
Private label penetration reached ~30% of sales in 2025 (up from 12% five years ago). The company launched over 150 new and emerging brands in 2025, supporting assortment newness and margin profile.
Improved European Product Margins
Europe achieved 660 basis points of year-over-year product margin improvement in Q4 and ~250 bps product margin growth across 2025, driven by assortment, full-price selling and inventory discipline.
Healthy Balance Sheet and Share Repurchase Activity
Cash and marketable securities were $160.6M (up from $147.6M). No debt and full unused credit facility. Repurchased 2.7M shares for $38.3M in FY2025; Board approved up to $40M additional repurchase program.
Strong Start to Fiscal 2026 (4-week February Period)
For the 4-week period ended Feb 28, 2026, total sales increased 9.8% and comparable sales increased 7.5%. North America comps +6%, other international comps +13.2% (driven by Europe).
Negative Updates
Other International (Europe) Sales Weakness in FY and Q4
Other international comparable sales declined 7.5% in Q4 and were down 5.4% for the full year. On a constant currency basis, other international net sales decreased 4.2% for the year and decreased 7.1% in Q4.
Footwear Category Underperformance
Footwear was the only negative comping category in Q4, full year and quarter-to-date, indicating continued category-specific softness.
Store Closures and Net Location Rationalization
Company expects to close approximately 25 stores in fiscal 2026 (20 in North America, 5 internationally) after closing 17 in fiscal 2025; closures are expected to reduce potential sales by roughly $12M in 2026 planning.
Wage-and-Hour Litigation and SG&A Impact
Fiscal 2025 was negatively impacted by ~ $0.15 per diluted share related to a California wage-and-hour settlement. SG&A increased to $315.5M (34.0% of sales) vs $301.1M (33.9%), including litigation-related items and higher incentive costs.
Q1 Operating Loss and Cautious Near-Term Guidance
First-quarter outlook expects an operating loss of negative $15.6M to negative $17.8M (improved vs prior-year loss of $19.9M) and EPS loss of -$0.77 to -$0.87. Guidance is cautious despite strong first-month results, citing macro/geopolitical risks.
Macro Uncertainty and Risk Exposure
Management flagged ongoing macro volatility (global conflicts, tariff changes, fuel prices) that contributed to a more conservative near-term guide despite positive early-year sales trends.
Share Buybacks Affect EPS Comparisons
Share repurchases reduced basic shares outstanding by ~10%, which management notes negatively impacts loss-per-share comparisons for the quarter due to a smaller share base.
Company Guidance
Zumiez guided Q1 FY2026 total sales of $189–$193 million (13 weeks ending May 2, 2026), up 3%–5% with comparable sales +2%–4%, and a consolidated operating loss of $(15.6)M to $(17.8)M (vs. $(19.9)M prior year), driven by an expected 130–200 basis points of gross margin expansion and 10–70 basis points of SG&A leverage (140–270 bps total margin improvement) and partly reflecting a $2.9M one‑time wage settlement in Q1 2025; they expect Q1 EPS of $(0.77) to $(0.87) (vs. $(0.79) prior, with ~$(0.07) headwind from a ~10% reduction in basic shares). For full‑year FY2026 they see potential low‑single‑digit total sales growth (inclusive of ~$(12)M of closed‑store sales), continued product‑margin gains, operating‑margin expansion of 50–100 basis points, a full‑year effective tax rate of ~35%–40% (vs. 44.4% in 2025), capital expenditures of $14–16M (vs. $11.1M in 2025), depreciation & amortization (ex‑noncash lease) ~ $18.9M (down from $21.3M), a projected diluted share count of ~17.1M, five new U.S. store openings, ~25 store closures (20 NA, 5 international), and continued balance‑sheet strength (cash & marketable securities $160.6M, no debt) plus a Board‑authorized $40M repurchase program.

Zumiez Financial Statement Overview

Summary
Financials show an early-stage rebound: revenue recovered and profitability returned to positive, with sharply improved 2026 operating/free cash flow. Offsetting this, margins remain thin and results have been volatile across recent years, with historically inconsistent free cash flow.
Income Statement
54
Neutral
Revenue has been volatile: a strong rebound in the latest annual period (2026) follows declines in 2024 and 2023. Profitability has improved meaningfully versus the 2024 loss year, returning to a small profit in 2026, but margins remain thin (about 1% net margin and ~2% EBITDA margin), well below the stronger 2021–2022 levels. Overall, the income statement shows an early-stage recovery with still-fragile earnings power.
Balance Sheet
62
Positive
Leverage appears moderate for a retailer, with debt running at roughly ~0.6x equity across periods, and equity remains solidly positive. However, returns on equity have swung from very strong (2022) to sharply negative (2024) and only modestly positive most recently, reflecting uneven profitability. The balance sheet looks serviceable, but earnings volatility increases risk around consistent returns and balance-sheet efficiency.
Cash Flow
58
Neutral
Cash generation improved sharply in the most recent year: operating cash flow and free cash flow are both strongly positive in 2026 and free cash flow has accelerated versus the prior year. That said, cash flow has been inconsistent historically (including negative free cash flow in 2023–2024), and operating cash flow remains relatively small versus the debt load, suggesting limited cushion if profitability softens again.
BreakdownJan 2026Jan 2025Jan 2024Jan 2023Jan 2022
Income Statement
Total Revenue929.06M889.20M875.49M958.38M1.18B
Gross Profit332.54M303.04M280.89M324.68M456.73M
EBITDA40.01M24.11M-39.12M52.73M180.74M
Net Income13.38M-1.71M-62.61M21.03M119.29M
Balance Sheet
Total Assets699.84M634.88M664.23M747.90M862.01M
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments160.62M147.56M171.58M173.49M294.48M
Total Debt199.33M199.82M220.76M254.29M267.89M
Total Liabilities375.56M305.90M311.02M340.57M393.69M
Stockholders Equity324.29M328.98M353.21M407.33M468.32M
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow54.29M5.70M-5.59M-26.01M119.20M
Operating Cash Flow53.47M20.70M14.76M-379.00K134.95M
Investing Cash Flow-6.39M32.60M-8.55M54.21M101.64M
Financing Cash Flow-37.34M-24.60M704.00K-87.26M-191.41M

Zumiez Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis Sentiment
Negative
Last Price21.72
Price Trends
50DMA
24.99
Negative
100DMA
25.02
Negative
200DMA
20.59
Positive
Market Momentum
MACD
-0.84
Positive
RSI
35.54
Neutral
STOCH
30.07
Neutral
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For ZUMZ, the sentiment is Negative. The current price of 21.72 is below the 20-day moving average (MA) of 24.74, below the 50-day MA of 24.99, and above the 200-day MA of 20.59, indicating a neutral trend. The MACD of -0.84 indicates Positive momentum. The RSI at 35.54 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 30.07 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Negative sentiment for ZUMZ.

Zumiez Risk Analysis

Zumiez disclosed 31 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Zumiez reported the most risks in the "Production" category.
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
Latest Risks Added 0 New Risks

Zumiez 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
$3.90B9.1138.98%7.57%1.75%
68
Neutral
$5.79B13.7417.66%11.09%51.51%
61
Neutral
$18.38B12.79-2.54%3.03%1.52%-15.83%
56
Neutral
$368.58M30.864.41%2.81%
54
Neutral
$2.95B20.9012.12%2.09%-1.15%-0.98%
52
Neutral
$1.28B12.8210.27%4.89%-0.34%-61.00%
50
Neutral
$82.89M-2.54-21.26%-8.31%36.10%
* Consumer Cyclical Sector Average
Performance Comparison
Ticker
Company Name
Price
Change
% Change
ZUMZ
Zumiez
21.51
6.54
43.69%
ANF
Abercrombie Fitch
86.42
3.84
4.65%
AEO
American Eagle
17.53
6.05
52.74%
CRI
Carter's
34.63
-4.44
-11.36%
TLYS
Tilly's
2.89
0.43
17.48%
URBN
Urban Outfitters
65.39
16.11
32.69%

Zumiez Corporate Events

Business Operations and StrategyStock BuybackFinancial Disclosures
Zumiez Announces New $40 Million Share Repurchase Plan
Positive
Mar 12, 2026

Zumiez reported that for the fiscal 2025 fourth quarter ended January 31, 2026, net sales rose 4.4% to $291.3 million and comparable sales increased 2.2%, while gross margin expanded by 200 basis points to 38.2% and earnings per share jumped 48.7% to $1.16. For the full fiscal year 2025, net sales grew 4.5% to $929.1 million and comparable sales climbed 4.3%, with the company swinging to net income of $13.4 million, or $0.78 per share, from a $1.7 million loss a year earlier despite a $3.6 million wage-and-hour settlement charge.

The retailer ended January 31, 2026 with $160.6 million in cash and current marketable securities, up from $147.6 million a year before, after repurchasing 2.7 million shares in fiscal 2025 at an average $14.18 for a total of $38.3 million. On March 11, 2026 the board authorized a new stock repurchase program of up to $40 million through January 29, 2028, while management signaled continued portfolio rationalization by planning to open about five new North American stores and close roughly 25 locations in fiscal 2026 amid improving first-quarter-to-date sales trends.

The most recent analyst rating on (ZUMZ) stock is a Hold with a $29.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Zumiez stock, see the ZUMZ Stock Forecast page.

Business Operations and StrategyFinancial Disclosures
Zumiez Raises EPS Outlook Despite Mixed Holiday Sales
Positive
Jan 12, 2026

Zumiez Inc. reported that for the nine-week 2025 holiday period ended January 3, 2026, comparable sales rose 2.9% year over year, with North America delivering a strong 6.5% comp increase while international markets, including Europe and Australia, saw an 8.9% decline. Women’s apparel led category growth, followed by men’s, accessories and hardgoods, while footwear was the only segment to post negative comparable sales. Reflecting softer international demand but improved product margins and cost discipline, Zumiez trimmed its fiscal 2025 fourth-quarter net sales outlook to a range of $287 million to $290 million, down from prior guidance, but raised its earnings-per-share forecast to $1.05 to $1.10, signaling that profitability is holding up despite mixed regional performance and underscoring the strategic benefits of its focus on full-price selling and expense management.

The most recent analyst rating on (ZUMZ) stock is a Hold with a $29.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Zumiez stock, see the ZUMZ Stock Forecast page.

Business Operations and StrategyPrivate Placements and Financing
Zumiez Extends Revolving Credit Facility Maturity to 2027
Positive
Dec 22, 2025

On December 17, 2025, Zumiez Inc. and its subsidiaries Zumiez Europe Holding GmbH and Blue Tomato GmbH, along with newly added borrowers Zumiez Services Inc. and Zumiez Canada Holdings Inc., amended their existing revolving credit agreement with PNC Bank, National Association. The amendment extends the maturity of the secured $25 million revolving credit facility, originally dated December 20, 2024 and previously scheduled to mature on December 20, 2025, to December 23, 2027, providing the company and its affiliated borrowers with longer-term access to credit for general corporate purposes and reinforcing their financial flexibility.

The most recent analyst rating on (ZUMZ) stock is a Hold with a $24.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Zumiez stock, see the ZUMZ 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: Mar 17, 2026