Start here if you're new
what it is
Genesco sells shoes and accessories through stores and websites in the US, Canada, the UK, and Ireland.
how it gets paid
Last year Genesco made $2.3B in revenue. Journeys Group was the main engine at $1.10B, or 48% of sales.
growth snapshot
Revenue was roughly flat last year at $2.3B. 46.4% gross margin mattered because it showed the goods still carry decent markup.
what just happened
Genesco posted $1.6B in quarterly revenue, but EPS was -$3.31.
At a glance
C+ balance sheet — struggling to keep the lights on
10/100 earnings predictability — expect surprises
1128.0x trailing p/e — you're paying up for this one
0.5% return on capital — nothing to write home about
-$1.80 fy2024 eps est
xvary composite: 28/100 — weak
What they do
Genesco sells shoes and accessories through stores and websites in the US, Canada, the UK, and Ireland.
Genesco runs 1,245 stores across four countries. That gives your customer 1,245 places to meet the brand before they compare prices. Online sales made up 30% of retail sales, so stores and websites keep feeding each other.
How they make money
$2.3B
annual revenue · their business grew +0.0% last year
Journeys Group
$1.10B
+7.0%
Schuh Group
$0.55B
+4.0%
Johnston & Murphy Group
$0.33B
flat
Genesco Brands Group
$0.32B
4.0%
The products that matter
youth footwear retail
Journeys
$1.7B · 74% of sales
This is the engine. It drove a 9% comparable-sales increase in Q4 and remains the reason a flat full-year revenue line can still produce a turnaround narrative.
core chain
U.K. footwear retail
Schuh
$0.5B · 22% of sales
Schuh grew 4% for the full fiscal year. That's useful support, but it is not large enough to offset a stumble at Journeys.
supporting growth
wholesale and licensing
Genesco Brands
$0.1B · 4% of sales
Sales fell 4%. On a business this small, decline matters less for revenue and more for what it says about portfolio quality.
drag
Key numbers
$22.56
share price
You are paying $22.56 for a business with $2.3B in sales and $474M of debt.
$2.3B
annual sales
That is the size of the engine. The equity is only about $270M.
3.0%
operating margin
Operating margin means profit after store costs. At 3.0%, each $100 of sales leaves $3.
$474M
long-term debt
Debt is 64% of capital, so the balance sheet is doing real work here.
Financial health
C+
strength
- balance sheet grade C+ — weak — may struggle to fund operations
- risk rank 5 — safer than 5% of stocks
- price stability 10 / 100
- long-term debt $474M (64% of capital)
C+ — balance sheet grade and long-term debt are flagged. this stock carries more risk than average.
Total return vs. market
Return history isn't available for GCO right now.
source: institutional data · return history unavailable
What just happened
missed estimates
Genesco posted $1.6B in quarterly revenue, but EPS was -$3.31.
Gross margin held at 46.4%, but the company still lost money. That means the product still has markup, while costs below gross profit kept biting.
$1.6B
revenue
-$3.31
eps
46.4%
gross margin
gross margin
46.4% gross margin mattered because it showed the goods still carry decent markup, even if overhead ate the profit.
source: company earnings report, 2026
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What could go wrong
the #1 risk is a retail rebound that fades as quickly as it appeared.
high
thin margins leave no room for a bad season
Operating margin is 3.0%. That means small misses in traffic, markdowns, or inventory can do outsized damage to profit.
a modest sales wobble can hit earnings hard
high
debt limits the turnaround runway
Long-term debt is $474M, or 64% of capital. For a company with a $270M market cap, that is not background noise. It is a constraint.
less flexibility if results weaken or costs rise
med
cfo transition during systems change
Cassandra Harris steps down in 2026 while the company is working through an IT transformation. Leadership handoff plus operational change is a messy combination.
execution risk rises when controls and systems are both moving
med
the valuation headline can reverse fast
A 1128x trailing P/E is less a sign of market love than a sign of razor-thin profit. If earnings slip back, the stock can re-rate on very little provocation.
multiple compression risk sits on top of operating risk
A retailer with a 3.0% operating margin, $474M in long-term debt, and a 1.87 beta does not have much room for execution mistakes.
source: institutional data · regulatory filings · risk analysis
Pay attention to
metric
Journeys comp sales
Q4 comparable sales rose 9%. You want to know whether that was the start of a trend or one quarter of relief.
calendar
Q1 FY2027 earnings report
Expected on or around May 21, 2026. Consensus expects a loss of -$2.55 per share. Seasonal retail swings make the next print a fast reality check.
risk
new cfo appointment
You want a clean handoff while the IT transformation is underway. If the search drags, execution risk stays elevated.
trend
buybacks versus debt
Genesco repurchased 604,531 shares for $12.6M in FY2026. Watch whether cash keeps going to buybacks while debt still sits at $474M.
Analyst rankings
earnings predictability
10 / 100
Low predictability means earnings are hard to model. In human-speak: expect surprises, and not always the fun kind.
price stability
10 / 100
The stock has not behaved like a steady compounder. You are signing up for swings, not smoothness.
source: institutional data
Institutional activity
institutional ownership data for GCO is being compiled.
source: institutional data
Price targets
3-5 year target range
n/a
n/a
$23
current price
n/a
target midpoint · n/a from current
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