WG
WEYCO GROUP INC (WEYS)·Q1 2025 Earnings Summary
Executive Summary
- Q1 2025 net sales were $68.0M, down 5% year over year; gross margin held at 44.6% while operating income fell 15% and diluted EPS declined to $0.57 as softness in non-athletic footwear persisted and BOGS demand remained subdued .
- Florsheim rose 7% on new product launches, but declines at Stacy Adams (-7%) and Nunn Bush (-16%) and a 5% drop at BOGS offset gains; retail e-commerce sales fell 12% with fewer promotions, while Australia/South Africa net sales declined 7% (local currency -3%) .
- A major macro surprise: effective tariff rate on China-sourced goods increased to 161% from 16% in 2024; management temporarily halted U.S. China imports, staged inventory in Canada, and plans price increases beginning Summer 2025, alongside accelerated sourcing diversification .
- Balance sheet remained strong (cash $71.5M, no revolver debt) and the Board raised the quarterly dividend 4% to $0.27; capex for 2025 guided to $1–$2M, reinforcing liquidity and capital discipline .
- Near-term stock reaction catalysts: tariff mitigation execution (supplier cost reductions, price hikes, supply chain diversification), BOGS sell-through and weather normalization, and durability of Florsheim share gains amidst cautious discretionary spending .
What Went Well and What Went Wrong
What Went Well
- Florsheim sales +7% on new products, gaining share in refined hybrid/casual footwear; management remains “bullish” on seamless construction and new spring products like the Boga clog .
- Gross margins resilient at 44.6% consolidated; retail gross margin improved to 66.6%, and Australia gross margin expanded to 62.7% on higher sales locally .
- Strong liquidity: cash and equivalents $71.5M, undrawn $40M revolver, dividend increased to $0.27/share; capex guidance trimmed to $1–$2M for 2025 .
What Went Wrong
- Wholesale softness across Stacy Adams (-7%) and Nunn Bush (-16%) reflecting cautious consumer discretionary spending; BOGS -5% on lower retailer demand .
- Retail e-commerce revenue down 12% due to reduced promotions (particularly BOGS) versus strong promotional-driven comps last year; retail operating income down 52% to $0.6M .
- Tariffs represent a material future headwind: effective rate on China-sourced goods now 161%, materially elevating future COGS despite mitigation actions; Q1 results did not yet reflect the impact .
Financial Results
Consolidated trends (last three quarters)
YoY comparison – Q1 2025 vs Q1 2024
Segment breakdown – Q1 2025 vs Q1 2024
KPIs and balance sheet highlights
Guidance Changes
Earnings Call Themes & Trends
Management Commentary
- “We started the year facing significant geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertainties… To date, our efforts to minimize the impact of the incremental tariffs have been fruitful… This allows us time… to temporarily halt our China imports… We are confident in our ability to manage tariff-related cost challenges.” — Thomas W. Florsheim, Jr., Chairman & CEO .
- “We remain very bullish on our innovative seamless construction… lighter and more durable… We are also excited about new spring products like the Boga clog… off to a solid start.” — Thomas W. Florsheim, Jr. .
- “During the first 3 months of 2025, we generated $4.1 million of cash from operations… paid $2.5 million in dividends and repurchased $700,000 of our common stock… We estimate that 2025 annual capital expenditures will be between $1 million and $2 million.” — Judy Anderson, CFO .
Q&A Highlights
- Import pause duration and inventory coverage: Management expects coverage “through part of the third quarter,” while continuing manufacturing in China and staging inventory in Montreal to enable rapid U.S. delivery when tariffs subside .
- Duty mechanics and staging strategy: Canada duty is 19%; if U.S. China tariffs fall (e.g., ~30%), company will use duty drawback to recoup Canadian duty and import to U.S. at prevailing rate; current additional duty is ~145% making direct U.S. import “totally unmanageable” .
- Supply chain diversification timeline: Expect “radical reorganizing” of supply chain over the next 12 months into Cambodia, Vietnam, India, leveraging prior experience, with fall product flows beginning from new sources .
Estimates Context
- S&P Global consensus for Q1 2025 appears unavailable for EPS and revenue; the S&P dataset returned actuals but no consensus values or estimate counts, indicating limited coverage for WEYS this quarter. As such, we cannot assess beats/misses versus Wall Street consensus for Q1 2025 [Values retrieved from S&P Global]*.
Key Takeaways for Investors
- Tariff shock is the dominant risk; management’s multi-pronged mitigation (supplier cost concessions, price increases starting Summer 2025, supply chain diversification, Canada staging) is the central execution focus for the next 1–3 quarters .
- Florsheim’s consistent outperformance and share gains provide ballast; monitoring whether Stacy Adams and Nunn Bush stabilize as retailers rebalance non-athletic footwear spend is key to margin resilience .
- BOGS trajectory hinges on normalized weather and the seamless-construction pivot into less weather-sensitive channels (farm/ag, lifestyle); sequential improvement potential exists if sell-through and at-once orders recover .
- Liquidity and capital returns remain attractive (cash $71.5M, dividend lifted to $0.27), with low capex ($1–$2M) supporting optionality for inventory, pricing investments, and opportunistic buybacks .
- Near-term trading lens: headlines around tariff policy shifts, evidence of price realization without undue demand destruction, and updates on re-sourcing timelines likely drive stock moves more than near-term volume growth .
- Medium-term thesis: If mitigation and diversification are executed effectively, WEYS can preserve margins through a turbulent macro, with Florsheim-led brand mix and healthier e-commerce profitability providing structural support .
- Watch for Q2/Q3 inventory cadence and gross margin prints as the first real tests of tariff mitigation and price increases, alongside weather-linked BOGS demand signals .
Notes: All financial and operational figures and quotes are sourced from company filings and press releases/transcripts as cited. *Values retrieved from S&P Global.