Is International Expansion the Key to Wolverine World Wide's Next Leg

Wolverine World Wide, Inc.’s WWW international business continues to stand out as a core growth engine, highlighting the strength of its global brand portfolio and scalable operating model. With products sold in more than 170 countries, the company’s international footprint provides diversification and a meaningful competitive edge as global demand for active and lifestyle footwear remains resilient.

Saucony remained the primary international growth engine, benefiting from continued investment in its key city strategy. The flagship store in Tokyo’s Harajuku district drove strong APAC engagement, while additional store openings are planned across China through local partnerships. Management expected APAC to be Saucony’s fastest-growing region in 2025. 

In Europe, Saucony built momentum through high-profile sponsorships of the London 10K and Shoreditch 10K. These efforts contributed to strong double-digit growth across EMEA this year, with momentum heading into 2026. Further expansion is planned in Paris, including sponsorship of the Eiffel Tower 10K and the opening of a pioneer store.

Merrell also contributed meaningfully to international growth, particularly in Europe, where demand for outdoor performance and lifestyle footwear continued to accelerate. The brand’s evolution beyond core hiking categories has resonated well with global consumers, strengthening its presence across the key EMEA markets.

Wolverine World Wide has guided total revenues between $1.86 billion and $1.87 billion for 2025, suggesting year-over-year growth of 6-6.8%, while fourth-quarter revenues are projected between $498 million and $513 million. With continued expansion in underpenetrated markets like China through partner-led distribution and ongoing investments in key cities across APAC and EMEA, WWW remains well-positioned for sustained, profitable global growth in 2026.

WWW’s Price Performance, Valuation & Estimates

In the past month, Wolverine World Wide’s stock has gained 5.9% against the Zacks Shoes and Retail Apparel industry’s 5.9% decline.

From a valuation standpoint, the company trades at a forward price-to-sales ratio of 0.75X, below the industry’s average of 1.66X. It has a Value Score of A.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for WWW’s current and next financial years’ earnings implies year-over-year growth of 47.3% and 1.5%, respectively. Earnings estimates for 2025 and 2026 have been unchanged in the past 30 days.

Wolverine currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Key Picks

Some better-ranked stocks are FIGS Inc. FIGS, American Eagle Outfitters Inc. AEO and Boot Barn Holdings, Inc. BOOT. 

FIGS is a direct-to-consumer healthcare apparel and lifestyle brand. It flaunts a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for FIGS’ current financial-year earnings and sales suggests growth of 450% and 7%, respectively, from the year-ago actuals. FIGS delivered a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 87.5%.

American Eagle is a specialty retailer of casual apparel, accessories and footwear. It sports a Zacks Rank of 1 at present.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for American Eagle's current fiscal-year earnings and sales suggests declines of 23.6% and growth of 2.4%, respectively, from the year-ago actuals. AEO delivered a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 35.1%.

Boot Barn operates as a lifestyle retail chain devoted to western and work-related footwear, apparel and accessories. It currently has a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy). 

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Boot Barn’s fiscal 2026 earnings and sales implies growth of 20.5% and 16.2%, respectively, from the year-ago actuals. Boot Barn delivered a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 5.4%.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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