Benzinga | Sep 30, 2021 04:33PM EDT

BofA Bearish On Foot Locker After Nike Warns Of Supply Chain Issues

Supply chain delays could continue to put Foot Locker, Inc's (NYSE:FL) earnings at risk in the first half of 2022, according to BofA Securities.

The Foot Locker Analyst: Lorraine Hutchinson reinstated coverage of Foot Locker with an Underperform rating and a price target of $45.

The Foot Locker Thesis: Although the company's balance sheet is robust, with net cash estimated at $639 million by the fourth quarter of 2021, the recent acquisitions of WSS and Atmos "remove the firepower for larger buybacks or shareholder returns," Hutchinson said in the reinstation note.

"When reporting 1Q results, Nike Inc (NYSE:NKE) lowered F22 sales guidance by $3bn (7%) due to ongoing supply chain issues. FL's sales exposure to Nike is 70-75%, so we expect these supply chain challenges to make their way to FL," the analyst wrote.

"We think supply chain issues and lapping the high levels of stimulus dollars create a difficult catalyst path for the stock," she added.

FL Price Action: Shares of Foot Locker had declined by 7.55% to $45.66 at the time of publication Thursday.

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