PeopleImages/iStock via Getty Images Steven Madden, Ltd. ( SHOO ) reported good Q4 '25 results , particularly in terms of brand strength, not so much on margins, and pointed towards a positive year in 2026, with potential margin recovery but owned brands growing at HSD organically. To this, we have to add the recent uncertainty regarding tariffs, potentially returning some profitability to the com...
PeopleImages/iStock via Getty Images Steven Madden, Ltd. ( SHOO ) reported good Q4 '25 results , particularly in terms of brand strength, not so much on margins, and pointed towards a positive year in 2026, with potential margin recovery but owned brands growing at HSD organically. To this, we have to add the recent uncertainty regarding tariffs, potentially returning some profitability to the company down the road (high exposure to Chinese manufacturing). SHOO did not provide earnings guidance because of this uncertainty. Despite the company performing, I find that the price is fair to aggressive for what is still a consumer discretionary business. Even assuming HSD growth and 1.5pp of margin leverage, the name still trades at a P/E of 15/16x, or a yield of ~6.5%, which is not super attractive. If instead of focusing on earnings, we focus on growth, the combination of HSD growth and distributable earnings (after the investment required for growth) leads to a higher yield of about 10/12%, but still riding on relatively optimistic assumptions. This is fair, potentially, but not a crazy opportunity. I maintain a Hold. Q4 '25 results SHOO Q4 '25 top line results were very positive on an unadjusted basis, with revenues up 30% because of the inorganic acquisition of Kurt Geiger, and "negative but good" on an adjusted basis, with ex-KG revenues down 1.5%. Although the adjusted figure was negative, the result is positive for two reasons. First, it is an improvement from a very challenging Q3 '25 (down 15% ex-KG) and Q2 '25 (down 10% ex-KG). Second, the majority of the negative impact is now contained to the private label business, which remains pressured because of supply chain restructuring and the K-shaped economy. Private label is not a small business, at 25% of revenues in 2024, and closer to 15% in 2025, but it is probably not the company's highest margin business. The company did not provide the specifics in the call for the quarter, but private label was down 15% fo...
“The transaction we negotiated would have created shareholder value with a clear path to regulatory approval,” Netflix said Thursday in a statement. “However, we’ve always been disciplined, and at the price required to match Paramount Skydance’s latest offer, the deal is no longer financially attractive, so we are declining to match the Paramount Skydance bid.” Netflix shares jumped as much as 13%...
“The transaction we negotiated would have created shareholder value with a clear path to regulatory approval,” Netflix said Thursday in a statement. “However, we’ve always been disciplined, and at the price required to match Paramount Skydance’s latest offer, the deal is no longer financially attractive, so we are declining to match the Paramount Skydance bid.” Netflix shares jumped as much as 13% in after-hours trading, indicating that investors were happy to see the company walk away from the deal.
Image source: The Motley Fool. Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026 at 4:45 p.m. ET Progyny (NASDAQ:PGNY) ended fiscal 2025 with record revenue and adjusted EBITDA, with both measures surpassing guidance midpoints by meaningful margins. The company’s diversified client base and nearly complete client retention were highlighted as supporting operational stability, while platform investments and cost control dro...
Image source: The Motley Fool. Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026 at 4:45 p.m. ET Progyny (NASDAQ:PGNY) ended fiscal 2025 with record revenue and adjusted EBITDA, with both measures surpassing guidance midpoints by meaningful margins. The company’s diversified client base and nearly complete client retention were highlighted as supporting operational stability, while platform investments and cost control drove improved gross margins. Management expects continued growth in fiscal 2026, supported by client expansion and service enhancements, yet has proactively acknowledged possible member activity variability and a smaller-than-expected covered lives count, attributed to administrative updates from clients, not workforce reductions. Guidance for fiscal 2026 also details a pronounced reduction in stock-based compensation, and new product launches, particularly Progyny Select, are structured to limit risk but are not expected to impact results until fiscal 2027. Continue reading
A number of stocks jumped in the afternoon session after Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang dismissed fears that artificial intelligence would cannibalize the enterprise software sector.
A number of stocks jumped in the afternoon session after Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang dismissed fears that artificial intelligence would cannibalize the enterprise software sector.
Block, the company behind Square, Cash App and Afterpay, is cutting its staff by 40%. The reason: “intelligence tools,” according to a letter to shareholders by co-founder Jack Dorsey.
Block, the company behind Square, Cash App and Afterpay, is cutting its staff by 40%. The reason: “intelligence tools,” according to a letter to shareholders by co-founder Jack Dorsey.
Japan’s sale of two-year government bonds on Friday will reveal the appetite for the policy-sensitive debt as investors deliberate over the latest signals from the Bank of Japan. Shorter-maturity bonds were sold while the yen strengthened Thursday after an interview with BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda in the Yomiuri newspaper was seen as reiterating the central bank’s rate-hike path. That reversed moves ...
Japan’s sale of two-year government bonds on Friday will reveal the appetite for the policy-sensitive debt as investors deliberate over the latest signals from the Bank of Japan. Shorter-maturity bonds were sold while the yen strengthened Thursday after an interview with BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda in the Yomiuri newspaper was seen as reiterating the central bank’s rate-hike path. That reversed moves seen on Wednesday after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi nominated two new monetary policy board members who are seen as dovish. “There is likely to be a growing view that it will be difficult for the BOJ to accelerate its pace of rate hikes under the Takaichi administration,” said Lisa Mochizuki , an analyst at SMBC Nikko Securities, in a note. “Current yield levels should attract decent investor demand.” Traders have been trying to gauge Takaichi’s stance on rate hikes after her historic election victory earlier this month — particularly after the Mainichi newspaper reported that she voiced apprehension over further monetary tightening in a meeting with Ueda. The two-year rate is hovering around 1.235%, near its highest level since 1996 hit earlier this month. Shorter-dated bonds attract a wider range of investors, from regional banks to asset managers, and demand is underpinned by surplus cash and collateral needs for BOJ operations. The swap market shows about a 66% chance of a rate hike by April. The BOJ’s most hawkish board member Hajime Takata renewed his call for raising the benchmark interest rate on Thursday, describing the nation’s once-frozen inflation trend as heated to the core. “Current yield levels already reflect a reasonable degree of rate hikes and can be viewed as fairly attractive,” Okasan Securities strategists Yuuki Kimura and Naoya Hasegawa said in a note. “There will likely be demand from banks and foreign investors, and the auction should have a decent result.” Next week will provide more clues on sentiment with sales of 10- and 30-year government bon...
RF-SMART, a leading warehouse management system (WMS) provider for NetSuite, announced it has reached 2,800 customers across 40+ countries, earning a spot on G2's 2026 Best Software Awards for Supply Chain and Logistics Products. Their Built-for-NetSuite warehouse management platform scales across operations of all sizes: from Shopify and Etsy sellers managing 20 SKUs with less than 100 orders per...
RF-SMART, a leading warehouse management system (WMS) provider for NetSuite, announced it has reached 2,800 customers across 40+ countries, earning a spot on G2's 2026 Best Software Awards for Supply Chain and Logistics Products. Their Built-for-NetSuite warehouse management platform scales across operations of all sizes: from Shopify and Etsy sellers managing 20 SKUs with less than 100 orders per day, to highly regulated enterprise facilities managing 60,000+ SKUs and processing thousands of da
Maki Nakamura/DigitalVision via Getty Images As members know, we at the Income Lab are not advocates of market timing. History has shown time and again that even professionals are unable to consistently predict short-term market movements. For the majority of investors, a disciplined dollar-cost averaging ("DCA") strategy into a diversified portfolio, held over the long term, is the simplest yet m...
Maki Nakamura/DigitalVision via Getty Images As members know, we at the Income Lab are not advocates of market timing. History has shown time and again that even professionals are unable to consistently predict short-term market movements. For the majority of investors, a disciplined dollar-cost averaging ("DCA") strategy into a diversified portfolio, held over the long term, is the simplest yet most effective way to achieve one's retirement and financial goals. But while asset allocation matters, knowing your psychological and emotional limits can be just as, or arguably even more, important. As the legendary investor Benjamin Graham famously observed, " The investor's chief problem—and even his worst enemy—is likely to be himself." Benjamin Graham When markets are booming, it's easy to feel like a genius. But what happens when the market drops 50%? Warren Buffett once remarked that if you can't handle that kind of drawdown, you shouldn't be in stocks. In good times, investors invariably overestimate their risk tolerance. But when volatility strikes, the immense emotional pressure can cause investors to make suboptimal investing decisions under duress. This is why it is especially important to examine one's investment plans and capacity for risk when markets are calm, rather than when they are in turmoil. Investors who want to capture expected returns over the long term need to mentally and financially prepare for bad times and hold assets they're not going to panic sell even when things are not working out as expected. Importance of Avoiding FOMO One of the most important lessons in investing is to avoid the "fear of missing out", or FOMO for short. As the legendary J.P. Morgan (allegedly) once said, " Nothing so undermines your financial judgment as the sight of your neighbor getting rich ." A related quote from Charlie Munger is, " The world is not driven by greed; it's driven by envy ". As an investor, it's important to ask yourself honestly: can I resist the i...
Stephen Yalof, President and CEO of Tanger, discusses what differentiates the online experience from in-store retail, saying customer service is the key advantage. He tells Romaine Bostick and Bailey Lipschultz on “The Close” that brands want to be where their customers are. (Source: Bloomberg)
Stephen Yalof, President and CEO of Tanger, discusses what differentiates the online experience from in-store retail, saying customer service is the key advantage. He tells Romaine Bostick and Bailey Lipschultz on “The Close” that brands want to be where their customers are. (Source: Bloomberg)