COLUMBIA, Mo., May 20, 2026, 09:06 CDT
- American Outdoor Brands last traded at $8.67 on Wednesday, putting the Nasdaq-listed company’s market value near $109 million.
- The company’s most recent quarter turned up weaker sales and a slimmer gross margin. Management stuck to its fiscal 2026 sales forecast of $191 million to $193 million.
- Amer Sports and VF, both big in outdoor and activewear, gave new growth updates this week and set a higher bar for smaller companies that depend on retailer orders.
American Outdoor Brands Inc. traded at $8.67 on Wednesday. The stock was little changed as investors looked to see if the hunting, fishing, camping and shooting accessories company can hold to its fiscal-year forecast after weaker sales in recent periods.
Timing is key here. The company wrapped its fiscal year on April 30. In the March quarter, net sales dropped 3.3% to $56.6 million, gross margin narrowed to 41.0% from 44.7% a year ago. The company posted a GAAP net loss of $4.1 million. GAAP stands for standard U.S. accounting rules.
The company stuck to its full-year sales target for fiscal 2026, still calling for net sales between $191 million and $193 million. CFO Andrew Fulmer said tougher retailer orders and “broader consumer uncertainty” are a challenge, but management still sees gross margin for the year running at 42% to 43%. SEC
Chief Executive Brian Murphy said in March that quarterly net sales came in above what the company was expecting, driven by “strong retail sell-through,” meaning more sales to end customers through retailers. The increase didn’t reverse the overall sales decline, but management used it to make the case that demand wasn’t as soft as wholesale orders showed. SEC
Outdoor Lifestyle was up 5.4% in the quarter, now making up over 62% of sales. Shooting Sports dropped 15%, mostly on weaker demand for aiming-solution products. The company said new products—meaning stock-keeping units introduced within the last 24 months—accounted for 26.6% of net sales for the quarter.
American Outdoor Brands finished the quarter with no debt and $10.4 million in cash, Fulmer said. “Balance sheet remains strong,” he said. The company bought back around 181,000 shares for $1.4 million during the quarter. In March, it changed a secured loan deal to provide a $75 million revolving credit line, which matures in 2031. SEC
Amer Sports lifted its outlook after reporting a 32% jump in first-quarter revenue to $1.95 billion. The company, which owns Arc’teryx, Salomon and Wilson, also nudged up 2026 targets for sales, margin and profit. CEO James Zheng said Amer is “taking share globally.” Amer Sports Investor Relations The field is hotter than AOUT’s tape right now.
VF Corp posted full-year revenue growth, with The North Face sales jumping 12% and Timberland up 8% in the fourth quarter, the company said Wednesday. CEO Bracken Darrell said VF “returned to a full year of growth.” VF, which owns The North Face, Vans and Timberland, is much bigger than American Outdoor Brands, but these numbers suggest outdoor and active isn’t soft across the board. VF Corporation
American Outdoor Brands pointed to order timing as the key issue. E-commerce sales dropped 4.6% last quarter, while sales through its traditional channel slid 2.1%. The company said the online decline mostly came from lower sales to the world’s largest online retailer, citing that customer’s inventory management moves.
The risk is simple. If retailers cut orders again, or if the shooting-sports slump goes on, or if tariff and shipping costs don’t come down, it could be tough for the company to hit its margin goal. The company said refunds on tariffs and its approach to import duties are both still up in the air, and its most recent filing blamed some of the drop in gross margin on slow inventory, inbound freight, and tariff costs.
Innovation is the next test. American Outdoor Brands mentioned its Caldwell products for clay shooting and the BUBBA SCORETRACKER LIVE fishing platform as moves toward combining hardware and digital. For a thinly traded small-cap, investors may look for more results and fewer stories when the company reports again.
