PVH Q1 Earnings Call: Management Details Margin Pressure and Promotional Challenges Amid Weak Consumer Environment
In This Article:
Fashion conglomerate PVH (NYSE:PVH) beat Wall Street’s revenue expectations in Q1 CY2025 as sales rose 1.6% year on year to $1.98 billion. Its non-GAAP EPS of $2.30 per share was 2.2% above analysts’ consensus estimates.
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PVH (PVH) Q1 CY2025 Highlights:
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Revenue: $1.98 billion (1.6% year-on-year growth)
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Adjusted EPS: $2.30 vs analyst estimates of $2.25 (2.2% beat)
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Management lowered its full-year Adjusted EPS guidance to $10.88 at the midpoint, a 13.5% decrease
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Operating Margin: -16.7%, down from 10.5% in the same quarter last year
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Constant Currency Revenue rose 1.9% year on year (-8.7% in the same quarter last year)
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Market Capitalization: $3.88 billion
StockStory’s Take
PVH’s first quarter results reflected the company’s efforts to drive growth at Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger through product innovation and targeted marketing despite an increasingly challenging retail environment. CEO Stefan Larsson highlighted the successful launch of Calvin Klein’s Icon Cotton Stretch Underwear for Men, which drove a 25% increase in sales for that franchise, and noted a 14% gain in Calvin Klein’s fashion denim assortment due to expanded fits and designs. Direct-to-consumer e-commerce saw growth, while store traffic remained pressured. Larsson acknowledged that weaker consumer sentiment led to higher promotional activity, particularly in North America and China, which weighed on margins.
Looking forward, PVH’s management signaled a cautious outlook amid ongoing macroeconomic headwinds, including new tariffs and persistent softness in consumer demand. Larsson stated, “We are not yet in a place to fully compensate for the effects of these strong macro forces,” while CFO Zac Coughlin emphasized that the company’s updated guidance accounts for a more promotional environment and the impact of tariffs, especially in the U.S. Management aims to mitigate these challenges by expanding key product launches, increasing marketing investment, and executing cost-saving initiatives. The addition of new leadership at Calvin Klein and the scaling of PVH’s operational improvements are intended to position the company for margin recovery in the second half of the year and into 2026.
Key Insights from Management’s Remarks
Management attributed the quarter’s revenue growth to product innovation and expanded wholesale activities, but highlighted that consumer softness and increased promotion led to margin compression and a downward revision of full-year profit guidance.
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Product innovation drove select growth: The launch of Calvin Klein’s Icon Cotton Stretch Underwear franchise, supported by a high-profile marketing campaign, resulted in 25% higher combined sales for that category. Fashion denim also saw a 14% lift due to updated fits and designs, showing where targeted innovation can still deliver growth.
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Wholesale outperformed direct retail: PVH benefited from earlier wholesale shipments in The Americas, as well as the relaunch and in-housing of Calvin Klein women’s sportswear and jeans. However, direct-to-consumer revenue—especially in brick-and-mortar stores—declined amid lower traffic, only partially offset by e-commerce gains.
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Europe stabilized, Asia lagged: Europe saw mid-single-digit revenue growth in both wholesale and direct-to-consumer, with improved conversion during key shopping periods. In contrast, Asia Pacific, particularly China, faced continued weakness in consumer sentiment, contributing to a double-digit sales decline in the region.
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Promotional activity pressured margins: Management cited a more promotional retail environment globally—especially in the U.S. and China—as a key factor behind the decline in gross margin. This trend is expected to persist throughout the year, as PVH absorbs both macroeconomic pressure and new tariff impacts.
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Operational challenges at Calvin Klein: The transition to a centralized global product creation model for Calvin Klein led to operational hurdles, constraining product development timelines and sourcing. Management addressed these by bringing in new leadership and expects sequential improvements by next spring, but acknowledged that these issues contributed to first-half margin weakness.