Sprouts Farmers Market closes $600 million revolving credit facility
On Friday, Citi analysts adjusted their outlook on Hennes & Mauritz AB (ST:HMb) (HMB:SS) (OTC: HNNMY), lowering the price target from SEK 134.00 to SEK 131.00 while maintaining a Sell rating on the retailer’s shares. The revision reflects a change in earnings per share (EPS) expectations for the fiscal years 2025 and 2026, with a decrease of 3% and 4%, respectively, largely due to updated foreign exchange (FX) projections.
The analysts noted that while constant currency (cFX) sales forecasts remain unchanged, nominal sales are anticipated to be 2.0% and 2.4% lower for FY25 and FY26, respectively. The updated analysis also includes a prediction of a 66 basis points (bps) decline in gross margin for FY25, which is an improvement from the previously expected 74 bps drop. This adjustment is attributed to a tempering in the strength of the U.S. dollar.
Despite the gross margin forecast improvement, the analysts expect increased marketing expenses to outweigh benefits, pointing out that the fourth quarter of 2024 showed some operating leverage improvement. However, they anticipate that marketing costs will return to FY24 levels in FY25, distributed more evenly throughout the year. As a result, the analysts believe that significant operating leverage is unlikely without a substantial increase in sales growth beyond current levels.
For the upcoming quarter, Citi forecasts a 2% increase in constant currency sales, following a 4% growth in December and January. This growth included a roughly 1 percentage point benefit from the timing of Black Friday. However, they project a roughly 1% decline in February constant currency sales, which includes an approximate 0.3 percentage point drag from leap year timing.
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