This episode of Motley Fool Hidden Gems Investing begins with a deep dive into **Dick's Sporting Goods (DSG)**, whose stock plummeted 27% after a disappointing earnings report and updated guidance. Host Tyler Crowe, joined by Rachel Warren and Matt Frankel, explores why a company that often posts decent results saw such a sharp decline.
Rachel explains that Dick's missed both top and bottom-line expectations. Adjusted EPS came in at $3.53 against Wall Street's $3.76, and revenue was just under $6 billion, below forecasts. The primary culprit was the **Foot Locker acquisition** from last year. While core Dick's stores saw a respectable 5% comparable sales increase, Foot Locker stores experienced a 3.6% decline. Management attributed this to fewer high-profile shoe launches, an increasingly competitive and discounted market forcing price cuts, and the broader "Nike ripple effect"—a perceived "creative lull" from major partners that Foot Locker, reliant on retro launches, feels first. Inventory surged 63% year-over-year, partly due to the acquisition, hinting at future clearance sales. To top it off, Dick's significantly slashed its full-year earnings guidance.
Matt notes that DSG stock was already down 10% year-to-date and the footwear space generally faces a cyclical problem, with Nike, Under Armour, and Academy Sports also underperforming. He highlights a large $3 billion buyback authorization as a potential signal to the market. The host jokingly dismisses management's mention of "geopolitical troubles" affecting shoe sales.
Discussing the Foot Locker acquisition, Matt believes it's too soon to call it a mistake, but acknowledges it's "definitely going poorly." Dick's cut full-year guidance by 18% almost entirely because of Foot Locker. He characterizes it as a "turnaround acquisition" where the market cycle immediately turned against them, but notes they've already closed 110 stores in year one. Rachel adds that Dick's likely acquired Foot Locker to tap into a younger demographic and revitalize its core business. She suggests the stock reaction reflects a broader concern that integrating Foot Locker will be a much costlier, slower, and more margin-degrading endeavor than initially promised, also pointing to a "K-shaped consumer reality" where core Dick's buyers are still spending, but younger Foot Locker customers are hit by inflation.
The conversation then moves to under-the-radar earnings from the past quarter. Matt highlights **Walker & Dunlop (W&D)**, a stock he owns. Despite "ugly" headline numbers—earnings sharply down, $23 million in charges from a fraud investigation, and a $21 million credit loss provision—Matt sees positives. He reiterates the common sentiment that real estate companies like W&D just need the market to turn around. He notes W&D's growing market share in multifamily loans (from 11% to over 14%) and a predictable servicing portfolio that grew 6% and has over 50% of its $146 billion loans maturing within five years, creating a refinancing pipeline. The stock trades for less than 10 times adjusted earnings. The host questions if past acquisitions, for which W&D overpaid, are contributing to current issues like fraud and credit provisions. Matt agrees W&D overpaid for some acquisitions during their buying spree, though some, like their appraisal business, are solid.
Rachel then discusses **CVS Health**, which surprisingly beat expectations. Adjusted EPS came in at $2.58 (vs $1.87), and revenue rose over 7% to $106 billion, leading management to raise full-year profit guidance. CVS, through its Aetna division, benefited from broader healthcare trends: consumers are postponing doctor visits and elective surgeries due to tight budgets. This, while an "unfortunate trend," lowers expenses for insurance companies, as they pay out fewer medical claims. The host notes CVS's past struggles with Aetna integration, store closures, and CEO turnover, and asks if the stock, trading at 11 times forward earnings, is a value play or still a work in progress. Rachel suggests watching from the sidelines, acknowledging the company's serious operational issues, high Medicare utilization rates, and prior earnings forecast cuts. However, she praises their turnaround efforts, including a $2 billion cost-cutting initiative, layoffs, store closures, and new leadership overhauling underwriting and tightening cost controls. She sees signs of their vertical integration strategy paying off but says it's too soon to declare the turnaround complete.
Finally, the podcast addresses a listener's mailbag question to Matt about **UPS** as a value stock or trap. Matt explains UPS's "network reconfiguration program" is generating almost $3 billion in benefits this year, partly by cutting 30,000 operational jobs through automation. He dismisses Amazon as a threat, stating UPS has removed "low quality Amazon volume" and focuses on high-margin specialized shipping like medical equipment. UPS raised its guidance in Q2 and posted double-digit operating profit growth. While its 6.4% dividend yield is attractive, it represents 98% of the company's free cash flow, indicating a high payout ratio. Matt doesn't call it a dividend trap, but stresses the need for serious free cash flow growth to maintain the dividend. Rachel adds that UPS's focus on high-value, temperature-controlled pharmaceutical shipments (like GLP-1 drugs) is a smart strategy, generating significantly more profit per box. Automated facilities are 30% cheaper per package, but require substantial investment and rely on high package volume to be efficient. Both agree UPS is a turnaround story, with a clear path but challenges in executing it "completely unscathed."