Wolverine World Wide (NYSE:WWW) shares rose more than 3% on Thursday after the company reported first-quarter results that topped Wall Street forecasts for both earnings and revenue.
The footwear and apparel group posted adjusted earnings per share of $0.25, exceeding analyst expectations of $0.22 by $0.03.
Revenue increased 11% year over year to $457.6 million from $412.3 million in the same period last year, surpassing the consensus estimate of $447.95 million. On a constant-currency basis, sales grew 7.3%.
Merrell and Saucony Lead Portfolio Growth
“The team delivered a solid start to 2026, with first quarter revenue, gross margin, and earnings per share all exceeding our expectations,” said Chris Hufnagel, president and chief executive officer of Wolverine World Wide. “I believe we’re better brand builders today – led by Merrell and Saucony – with encouraging progress now evident across our broader portfolio.”
The company’s Active Group division was the primary growth driver, with revenue climbing 13.7% year over year to $371.6 million. The Work Group segment generated $75.7 million in revenue, representing a 1.2% increase from the prior year.
Among key brands, Merrell revenue rose 12.7% to $169.7 million, while Saucony delivered a 20.1% jump in sales to $155.9 million. International revenue also showed strong momentum, increasing 20.1% to $249.6 million.
Margins Improve Despite Tariff Pressure
Gross margin remained stable at 47.6%, unchanged from the previous year, as favorable product mix and pricing gains helped offset the impact of higher U.S. tariffs.
Operating margin expanded by 230 basis points to 7.4%, while adjusted operating margin improved 140 basis points to 7.7%.
Company Raises Earnings Outlook for Fiscal 2026
Wolverine World Wide maintained its fiscal 2026 revenue guidance in the range of $1.96 billion to $1.985 billion. The midpoint of $1.973 billion was slightly below analyst expectations of $1.98 billion.
However, the company increased its adjusted earnings per share forecast to between $1.43 and $1.58, compared with its previous guidance range of $1.35 to $1.50.
The midpoint of the updated EPS outlook, $1.51, is above the consensus analyst estimate of $1.46.