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Kontoor Brands, Inc.: Q4 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q4 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 3 March 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 17 new. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Quarter revenue rose 46 percent: Fourth-quarter revenue was $1.02 billion. The company attributes the increase mainly to the Helly Hansen acquisition, which added 36 percentage points. Source
  • Full-year adjusted operating income up 23 percent: Full-year reported operating income was $337 million. Full-year revenue was $3.15 billion, up 21 percent, with an 18 point Helly Hansen benefit. Source
  • Wrangler revenue grew 12 percent: Wrangler is the largest brand. U.S. revenue rose 12 percent and international rose 10 percent in the quarter. Source
  • Helly Hansen contributed $254 million: Helly Hansen's fourth-quarter revenue was $254 million, with Sport revenue of $194 million and Workwear revenue of $54 million. Source
  • Gross margin up 210 basis points adjusted: Reported gross margin was 46.2 percent. Helly Hansen contributed 180 basis points of the adjusted increase. Source
  • Inventory fell $198 million in the quarter: Inventory was $567 million at year-end, down from $765 million at the end of the third quarter, which included Helly Hansen. Source

“We are entering 2026 from a position of strength, with sharp strategic clarity and a relentless focus on execution,”

Scott Baxter, President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Revenue SourceFull year 2026$3.40 to $3.45 billionNew
Revenue SourceFirst half 2026$1.56 to $1.57 billionNew
Adjusted gross margin SourceFull year 202647.2 percent to 47.4 percentNew
Adjusted gross margin SourceFirst half 202647.1 percent to 47.3 percentNew
Adjusted SG&A SourceFull year 2026increase of approximately 12 percentNew
Adjusted SG&A SourceFirst half 2026increase of approximately 33 percentNew
Adjusted operating income SourceFull year 2026$506 million to $512 millionNew
Adjusted operating income SourceFirst half 2026$195 million to $198 millionNew
Adjusted diluted EPS SourceFull year 2026$6.40 to $6.50New
Adjusted diluted EPS SourceFirst half 2026$2.25 to $2.30New
Capital expenditures SourceFull year 2026approximately $45 millionNew
Effective tax rate on adjusted earnings SourceFull year 2026approximately 20 percentNew
Effective tax rate SourceFirst half 2026approximately 23 percentNew
Interest and other expense SourceFull year 2026interest about $55 million; other about $15 millionNew
Average shares outstanding SourceFull year 2026approximately 56 millionNew
Cash from operations SourceFull year 2026approximately $425 millionNew
Voluntary term loan payments and net leverage SourceFull year 2026$225 million payments; net leverage below 1.5 times by year-endNew

What changed from last quarter

  • New: The tariff assumption changed from 30 percent on China and 20 percent on other countries to 15 percent on new receipts and at least 20 percent on earlier inventory. Source
  • New: The company repurchased $25 million of stock in the quarter, leaving $190 million under the program, down from $215 million in the prior quarter. Source

Fourth quarter and full year results

  • Quarter revenue rose 46 percent: Fourth-quarter revenue was $1.02 billion. The company attributes the increase mainly to the Helly Hansen acquisition, which added 36 percentage points. Source
  • Full-year adjusted operating income up 23 percent: Full-year reported operating income was $337 million. Full-year revenue was $3.15 billion, up 21 percent, with an 18 point Helly Hansen benefit. Source
  • Excluding Helly Hansen, operating income rose 9 percent: Without Helly Hansen, fourth-quarter adjusted operating income was $110 million, and adjusted operating margin for the company excluding Helly Hansen was 15.8 percent for the full year. Source

Segments and regions

  • Wrangler revenue grew 12 percent: Wrangler is the largest brand. U.S. revenue rose 12 percent and international rose 10 percent in the quarter. Source
  • Lee revenue was roughly flat: Lee revenue grew 2 percent in the quarter, with the 53rd week contributing about 6 points. Source
  • Helly Hansen contributed $254 million: Helly Hansen's fourth-quarter revenue was $254 million, with Sport revenue of $194 million and Workwear revenue of $54 million. Source
  • Helly Hansen split between U.S. and international: Helly Hansen U.S. revenue was $68 million in the quarter. Musto brand revenue was $7 million. Source

“Supported by record cash generation, including a $100 million contribution from Helly Hansen, we are ahead of our planned deleverage path, allowing us to capitalize on opportunistic share repurchases in the fourth quarter.”

Scott Baxter, President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors

Channels and customers

  • Wrangler U.S. direct-to-consumer grew 16 percent: Wrangler U.S. wholesale rose 11 percent alongside the direct-to-consumer increase. Source
  • Wrangler international direct-to-consumer up 35 percent: Wrangler international wholesale grew 6 percent in the quarter. Source
  • Lee U.S. wholesale and direct-to-consumer both grew: Lee U.S. revenue rose 9 percent in the quarter. Source
  • Lee international declined on wholesale: Lee international revenue fell 6 percent. Direct-to-consumer grew, partly offsetting the wholesale decline. Source

Costs, margins and pricing

  • Gross margin up 210 basis points adjusted: Reported gross margin was 46.2 percent. Helly Hansen contributed 180 basis points of the adjusted increase. Source
  • Excluding Helly Hansen, gross margin up 30 basis points: Project Jeanius and channel and product mix helped the margin; product costs and tariffs partly offset, net of pricing actions. Source
  • Demand creation spending raised SG&A: Excluding Helly Hansen, adjusted SG&A rose 11 percent, mainly from demand creation and volume-based expenses. Source
  • Plant closure charges in the quarter: Restructuring and transformation costs in the quarter included $5.7 million tied to closing part of the manufacturing network, excluded from adjusted results. Source

“We have the team and platforms in place to drive another year of record revenue and earnings, cash generation, and investment behind our brands.”

Scott Baxter, President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors

Tariffs and trade policy

  • Supreme Court ruling under review: The company is assessing the effect of the recent Supreme Court tariff ruling on its costs. Source
  • Possible Bangladesh duty exemption: U.S.-grown cotton is used in more than 80 percent of Bangladesh-sourced products, which may qualify for a duty exemption. Source

Inventory and demand

  • Inventory fell $198 million in the quarter: Inventory was $567 million at year-end, down from $765 million at the end of the third quarter, which included Helly Hansen. Source
  • Underlying revenue growth was 2 percent: Excluding Helly Hansen and the 53rd week, revenue grew 2 percent in the quarter. Source

Capital, cash and returns

  • Term loan prepaid by $200 million: The company made a $200 million voluntary term loan payment. Pro forma net leverage was 2.0 times, with $108 million of cash. Source
  • Quarter returns of $54 million: Dividends and buybacks totaled $54 million in the quarter, including $25 million of repurchased common stock. Source
  • Full-year returns of about $140 million: Full-year shareholder returns through dividends and repurchases were approximately $140 million. Source

Helly Hansen and strategy

  • Helly Hansen acquisition defined 2025: The chief executive described 2025 as a transformational year, highlighted by the Helly Hansen acquisition. Source
  • Project Jeanius expected to offset tariffs: The company expects Project Jeanius, mix and Helly Hansen to offset tariff increases, net of pricing actions. Source
  • Demand creation investment to continue in 2026: Excluding Helly Hansen, 2026 SG&A is expected to be flat, including more investment in demand creation and growth initiatives. Source

Coming up, as management said on 3 March 2026

  • Dividend payable March 20, 2026: The $0.53 quarterly dividend is payable March 20, 2026, to holders of record on March 10, 2026. Source
  • Voluntary term loan payments planned for 2026: The company plans $225 million of voluntary term loan payments during 2026, targeting net leverage below 1.5 times by year-end. Source

Risks management discussed

  • External: Tariff impact is expected to be larger in the first half of 2026, due to inventory flows at higher costs. Source
  • Regulatory: The effect of the recent Supreme Court tariff ruling and the Bangladesh trade agreement is still being evaluated. Source
  • Demand: Helly Hansen has seasonal revenue and earnings, with the second quarter as its smallest revenue quarter. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Ahead: Management says the company is ahead of its planned deleverage path after record cash generation. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.