Crocs shares soar as shoemaker raises 2021 sales outlook, sees growth of 40% to 50%

Crocs shares shot up more than 8% Tuesday after the shoe maker increased its revenue outlook for the full year and reported record first-quarter sales.

CEO Andrew Rees said demand for the Crocs brand is “stronger than ever” across the world. Some have called Crocs the “it” shoe of the pandemic, as the clog became a closet staple for consumers seeking comfort at home. But it had seen momentum growing even prior, thanks to popular collaborations and limited-edition drops with celebrities including Justin Bieber, Post Malone and Priyanka Chopra.

Here’s how the shoe maker did for its quarter ended March 31, compared with what analysts were anticipating, using data from a Refinitiv survey:

• Earnings per share: $1.49 adjusted vs. 89 cents expected
• Revenue: $460.1 million vs. $415 million expected

Crocs’ first-quarter net income grew to $98.4 million, or $1.47 per share, compared with $11.1 million, or 16 cents per share, a year earlier. Excluding one-time adjustments, the company earned $1.49 a share, solidly outpacing the 89 cents that analysts were anticipating, according to Refinitiv.

Revenues grew a whopping 64% to $460.1 million from $281.2 million a year earlier. That topped Street expectations for $415 million.

Crocs said its digital sales surged 75.3% to represent 32.3% of revenue, compared with 30.1% in the year-ago period.

For the second quarter, Crocs is now calling for sales to grow between 60% and 70% year over year. Analysts had been looking for growth of 39.2%, according to Refinitiv.

For the year, it now expects sales to be up between 40% and 50%. In February, it had been guiding for revenue growth of 20% to 25%. Analysts had been calling for a 25% increase.

While Crocs said it’s seeing strong and continued momentum in the Americas, it sees the biggest long-term growth opportunity in Asia, which it says is the second-largest footwear market in the world.

It continues to experiment with new designs that build on its classic clog, including platform Crocs for women. The company also told analysts and investors Tuesday that it will be launching more sandals in the future.

Over the past 12 months, Crocs shares have rallied more than 260%, making it one of the best-performing stocks in the retail industry during the span of the health crisis. It has a market cap of $5.5 billion.

Find the full press release from Crocs here.