Under Armour Stock Price Hits a 22-Month Low On Earnings Miss And Coronavirus Fears

Shares of Under Armour plunged 14% this week after the retailer reported lower-than-expected fourth-quarter results, as well as disappointing sales forecast. As a result, the stock hit $15.02, which is the lowest it has traded since April 2018.

Fundamental analysis: Coronavirus to hurt sales in Q1

The company reported the fourth-quarter earnings that missed the analyst estimates as revenue came in at $1.44 billion, lower than the $1.47 billion expected by the market. Earnings were reported in line with the expectations, at $0.10 per share.

“We believe prior promotional activity has impacted the consumers’ willingness to pay full price for our brand to a higher degree than we originally anticipated,” CEO Patrik Frisk told analysts Tuesday.

Moreover, Under Armour said it expects its 2020 sales to drop due to the expected Q1 hit from the coronavirus. The current estimates show a hit between $50 and $60 million for the first quarter. Sales in the Asia – Pacific region rose 9.8% in the fourth-quarter, the company said.

Under Armour’s performance in the North American market has slightly improved with sales up 1.9%. Still, North America is the region that worries analysts and investors. It looks like Nike and Adidas are fishes too big to swallow for Under Armour.

“We worry this may not be a sufficient reset and Under Armour may see the worst of both worlds: revenue reductions without margin lift,” BMO analyst Simeon Siegel said. “We believe that declining North America sales will be hard to ignore, especially as Under Armour’s main peers have generated $500 million [to] $900 million each in North America sales over the last 12 months.”

Technical analysis: A 22-month low in place

A revenue miss and lower sales forecast have forced the Under Armour stock price to hit the fresh 22-month low of $15.02. A break of this very important support for the bulls could facilitate much bigger losses for the retailer.

Under Armour stock daily chart (TradingView)

The bears will be targeting the area around the $13.50 mark next. The all-time low for the Under Armour stock is $10.42, printed in November 2017. Should negative headlines continue to persist around Under Armour, we may see a quick trip south to test these levels.

On the upside, the zone around $17.60 is the first big hurdle for the bulls on the way above $20.

Summary

Under Armour reported lower-than-expected fourth-quarter revenue, together with disappointing sales forecast. Coronavirus outbreak is expected to cost the company between $50 million and $60 million in lower sales. As a result, the stock hit the lowest levels seen since April 2018.