Shoe Carnival (NASDAQ:SHOE) Downgraded to Sell Rating by Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen downgraded Shoe Carnival from “Hold” to “Sell,” although the broader analyst consensus remains “Moderate Buy” with an average price target of $22.
• Shoe Carnival’s latest quarterly results missed expectations: EPS was $0.23 versus a $0.34 consensus estimate, revenue was $284.31 million versus roughly $299 million expected, and sales fell 7.2% year over year.
• The company maintained fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $0.75–$0.90, while increased put-option activity suggested rising investor concern about further share-price weakness.

Shoe Carnival (NASDAQ:SHOE - Get Free Report) was downgraded by research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report issued on Saturday, Wall Street Zen reports.

Several other equities analysts have also recently commented on the stock. Zacks Research cut shares of Shoe Carnival from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, June 12th. Weiss Ratings assumed coverage on shares of Shoe Carnival in a research report on Monday, June 15th. They issued a "hold (c-)" rating on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $22.00.

Shoe Carnival Stock Up 3.5%

Shares of NASDAQ:SHOE opened at $12.71 on Friday. Shoe Carnival has a fifty-two week low of $10.20 and a fifty-two week high of $24.10. The business has a 50-day moving average of $14.82. The firm has a market capitalization of $345.08 million, a PE ratio of 14.44 and a beta of 1.40.

Shoe Carnival (NASDAQ:SHOE - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, September 10th. The company reported $0.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.34 by ($0.11). Shoe Carnival had a return on equity of 5.31% and a net margin of 2.20%.The firm had revenue of $284.31 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $299.19 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.70 earnings per share. Shoe Carnival's quarterly revenue was down 7.2% on a year-over-year basis. Shoe Carnival has set its FY 2026 guidance at 0.750-0.900 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Shoe Carnival will post 0.82 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of Shoe Carnival

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of SHOE. Global Retirement Partners LLC bought a new position in Shoe Carnival in the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Huntington National Bank increased its holdings in Shoe Carnival by 45.5% in the 4th quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 2,169 shares of the company's stock valued at $37,000 after buying an additional 678 shares during the period. Kestra Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in shares of Shoe Carnival in the 4th quarter valued at $44,000. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC acquired a new position in shares of Shoe Carnival in the 2nd quarter valued at $46,000. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc bought a new position in shares of Shoe Carnival during the 2nd quarter worth about $56,000. 66.05% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Shoe Carnival News

Here are the key news stories impacting Shoe Carnival this week:

• Positive Sentiment: FY 2026 guidance was maintained or updated: Shoe Carnival projected earnings of $0.75–$0.90 per share for fiscal 2026. The guidance provides investors with a defined earnings outlook following the quarterly results. Shoe Carnival quarterly results press release
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest data showed no measurable bearish position: Reported short interest was zero shares, with a zero-day short-interest ratio. Because the figures were unchanged at zero and included an invalid percentage comparison, the data offers little meaningful insight into trading sentiment.
• Negative Sentiment: Quarterly earnings missed expectations: Shoe Carnival reported adjusted earnings of $0.23 per share, below consensus estimates ranging from $0.32 to $0.34 and well below $0.70 a year earlier. Revenue of $284.31 million also missed estimates of approximately $298–$299 million. Shoe Carnival earnings report
• Negative Sentiment: Sales trends deteriorated: Quarterly revenue declined 7.2% year over year, while the company reported a relatively low 3.31% net margin and 7.24% return on equity. The earnings decline raises concerns about promotional pressure, demand, and profitability.
• Negative Sentiment: Bearish options activity increased sharply: Investors purchased 5,887 put options, roughly 342% above typical put volume of 1,333 contracts. This unusually high activity indicates increased demand for downside protection or speculation on further weakness.

About Shoe Carnival

Shoe Carnival, Inc NASDAQ: SCVL is a U.S.-based specialty retailer offering a broad assortment of footwear, apparel and accessories for the entire family. Through its network of brick-and-mortar stores and e-commerce platform, the company provides casual, athletic and dress shoes for men, women and children, as well as complementary apparel, handbags, socks and other accessories designed to deliver value and variety. Its distinctive in-store carnival host service model aims to create an engaging shopping experience and foster customer loyalty.

Founded in 1978 and headquartered in Evansville, Indiana, Shoe Carnival has expanded over four decades to operate more than 350 retail locations across over 30 states.

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