Wally Weitz Comments on Fossil Group

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Jul 20, 2016

Fossil Group (NASDAQ:FOSL) is the fourth-largest producer of watches and the largest licenser of watches and jewelry globally. Following a strong first quarter earnings report, Fossil reported disappointing results in the second quarter due to a tough consumer environment and weakness in the wholesale channel in North America and Europe. The main drivers of the wholesale channel weakness were weak foot traffic, inventory destocking and continued moderation at their largest licensed brand, Michael Kors. This difficult environment led management to cut guidance for thefull year. The retail channel and Fossil’s owned brands continued to outperform, with Skagen growing double-digits and the Fossil brand posting growth in a difficult environment. Despite low visibility over the next several quarters, we expect a rebound in 2017 led by a large pipeline of product introductions, including wearables launches across 10 brands. Furthermore, investments in brand building and omni-channel initiatives should also benefit 2017 results.

From Weitz Partners Fund's second quarter 2016 commentary.