What Happened?
Shares of pool products retailer Leslie’s (NASDAQ: LESL) jumped 3.5% in the pre-market session after the company announced the appointment of a seasoned retail executive, Amy College, as its new Chief Merchandising and Supply Chain Officer.
The announcement, made after the market closed on the previous day, was seen as a positive step for the company. The hiring of a new leader to oversee both merchandising and the supply chain can signal to investors a strategic focus on improving product assortment, inventory management, and operational efficiency. These areas are critical for a specialty retailer like Leslie's to navigate a challenging consumer environment and drive profitability. The move suggests the company is actively working to strengthen its leadership team and core business functions.
After the initial pop the shares cooled down to $0.39, down 4.4% from previous close.
Is now the time to buy Leslie's? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free.
What Is The Market Telling Us
Leslie’s shares are extremely volatile and have had 90 moves greater than 5% over the last year. In that context, today’s move indicates the market considers this news meaningful but not something that would fundamentally change its perception of the business.
The previous big move we wrote about was 5 days ago when the stock dropped 5.4% on the news that the Trump administration announced intentions to impose a 35% tariff on many goods imported from Canada.
This move was far more than a typical trade dispute; it targeted the United States' largest and most deeply integrated trading partner. Canada is not merely a neighbor but a critical component of North American supply chains, particularly in sectors like automotive, energy, and critical minerals.
This move sparked concerns about potential retaliatory actions and a wider impact on the North American economy, leading to a risk-off sentiment among investors. The S&P 500, Dow Jones Industrial Average, and Nasdaq all opened lower, pulling back from recent record highs.
Leslie's is down 82.9% since the beginning of the year, and at $0.39 per share, it is trading 90.5% below its 52-week high of $4.09 from July 2024. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of Leslie’s shares at the IPO in October 2020 would now be looking at an investment worth $17.84.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, it should be obvious by now that generative AI is going to have a huge impact on how large corporations do business. While Nvidia and AMD are trading close to all-time highs, we prefer a lesser-known (but still profitable) semiconductor stock benefiting from the rise of AI. Click here to access our free report on our favorite semiconductor growth story.
