Will Foot Locker (FL) see a recovery soon?

Shares of Foot Locker Inc. (NYSE: FL) were down 2.8% during afternoon hours on Wednesday. The stock has dropped 41% over the past one year and 12% over the past one month and is currently trading 49% below its 52-week high of $68.00.

However, the majority of analysts have given the stock a Buy rating and the remaining have rated it as Hold. It has an average 12-month price target of $48.38, which reflects a 40% upside from the current level.

Foot Locker saw an increase of 3.9% in its total sales in the third quarter of 2019 while comparable store sales increased 5.7%.

The company has been undertaking initiatives to improve its supply chain in the US. It has also been investing in expanding its digital capabilities and remodeling its stores. A significant part of this investment has been focused on its community-based power stores worldwide.

These investments, however, have led to higher costs that have been putting pressure on margins. Foot Locker is also facing tough competition from stronger players in the retail sector.

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Despite the challenges, the investments being made by the company to improve its operations is likely to drive growth going forward. Foot Locker also has the opportunity to further expand its footprint in international markets which will prove beneficial to its growth.

Last week, Foot Locker declared a quarterly dividend of $0.40 per common share, payable on May 1, 2020 to shareholders of record as of April 17, 2020, reflecting a 5% increase and an annualized rate of $1.60 per share.   

Foot Locker is set to report its fourth quarter 2019 earnings results on Friday. Analysts have projected earnings of $1.58 per share on revenue of $2.25 billion. If the company manages to beat these estimates, the stock is likely to see a recovery.

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