The Middle-Class Experience Has Transitioned from Stability to Strain
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Aug 31 2025
0mins
Source: WSJ
Consumer Confidence Decline
- Drop in Sentiment: Consumer sentiment in the U.S. fell nearly 6% in August, reversing the upward trend observed in June and July, as reported by the University of Michigan's index.
- Job Market Concerns: There is a growing pessimism regarding the job market, with an increasing number of respondents indicating expectations of a decline in their income, according to a survey conducted by the Conference Board.
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Analyst Views on CROX
Wall Street analysts forecast CROX stock price to fall
8 Analyst Rating
1 Buy
7 Hold
0 Sell
Hold
Current: 98.460
Low
75.00
Averages
88.71
High
100.00
Current: 98.460
Low
75.00
Averages
88.71
High
100.00
About CROX
Crocs, Inc. is engaged in the design, development, worldwide marketing, distribution, and sale of casual lifestyle footwear and accessories for all. The Company's brands include Crocs and HEYDUDE. The Crocs Brand's collection contains Croslite material, a proprietary, molded footwear technology. It also uses Croslite material formulations in connection with material technologies used in its visible comfort collections, such as its LiteRide and Free Feel Technology products. The HEYDUDE Brand offers shoes with an iconic and versatile loafer silhouette with many wearing occasions that focus on casualization, comfort-led functionality and personalization. It sells its products in more than 80 countries, through wholesale and direct-to-consumer channels. Its wholesale channel includes domestic and international multi-brand retailers, e-tailers and others. Its direct-to-consumer channel includes Company-operated retail stores, Company-operated e-commerce sites and third-party marketplaces.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
Crocs Beats Earnings Estimates with Strong Quarterly Results
- Earnings Beat: Crocs reported earnings per share of $2.29, surpassing the analyst consensus estimate of $1.90, indicating strong company performance that may boost investor confidence.
- Sales Growth: The company achieved quarterly sales of $957.640 million, exceeding the analyst consensus estimate of $922.327 million, demonstrating success in sales strategy and market demand.
- Optimistic Outlook: Crocs projects FY2026 adjusted EPS between $12.88 and $13.35, above market estimates of $12.10, reflecting the company's confidence in future growth.
- Analyst Rating Adjustments: Following the earnings announcement, Barclays and Stifel raised their price targets from $86 and $90 to $109 and $99 respectively, indicating a positive market outlook for Crocs' future performance.
See More
Blueshift Asset Management Reduces Crocs Holdings Analysis
- Share Reduction Details: Blueshift Asset Management sold 34,281 shares of Crocs in Q4 2025, valued at $2.87 million, indicating a cautious stance despite the company's strong earnings report.
- Holding Change Analysis: By the end of 2025, Blueshift retained 14,596 shares of Crocs worth $1.25 million, with a net position change of $2.84 million, reflecting the impact of market fluctuations on its investment portfolio.
- Market Performance Comparison: As of February 12, 2026, Crocs shares were priced at $98.46, up 10.8% over the past year, but underperforming the S&P 500, indicating differing market expectations for future growth.
- Future Outlook: Crocs anticipates 2026 earnings per share between $12.88 and $13.55, significantly exceeding analyst forecasts of $11.89, demonstrating the company's commitment to improving financial health and shareholder returns, despite challenges faced by its HEYDUDE brand.
See More
Blueshift's Strategic Reduction in Crocs Holdings
- Share Reduction Details: Blueshift sold 34,281 shares of Crocs in Q4 2025 for an estimated value of $2.87 million, indicating a potential loss of confidence despite the company's earnings beat.
- Current Holdings: As of year-end 2025, Blueshift still holds 14,596 shares valued at approximately $1.25 million, suggesting a strategic wait-and-see approach rather than a complete divestment.
- Market Performance Analysis: Crocs' stock surged nearly 20% on February 12, 2026, although it underperformed the S&P 500 over the past year, reflecting market optimism about its future earnings potential.
- Financial Health Status: Crocs successfully retired $128 million in debt and repurchased 10% of its outstanding shares in 2025, indicating strong cash flow and highlighting its potential for future growth.
See More
Crocs Shares Bounce Back, Charts Indicate Potential for Further Growth
Consumer Discretionary Performance: Consumer discretionary stocks have seen minimal growth, with only a 2% increase over the past year as indicated by the Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR ETF.
Comparison with Other S&P Sectors: Among the 11 major S&P sectors, consumer discretionary stocks performed poorly, with only financials showing worse performance, remaining unchanged over the same period.
S&P 500 Growth: In contrast, the S&P 500 has experienced a more robust gain of 12% over the past year, highlighting the underperformance of consumer discretionary and financial sectors.
Market Trends: The overall market trends suggest a challenging environment for consumer discretionary stocks, reflecting broader economic conditions affecting consumer spending.
See More
Market Update: S&P 500 Declines and Upcoming CPI Data
- CPI Expectations: The consumer price index, set to be released at 8:30 a.m. ET on Friday, is expected to show a month-over-month increase of 0.3% and a year-over-year rise of 2.5%, which could significantly influence market sentiment and lead investors to reassess their risk appetite.
- Moderna Stock Fluctuations: Moderna's shares have surged 50% over the past three months, closing at $40.11 on Thursday, although this remains significantly lower than the pandemic peak of $497, indicating ongoing volatility in biotech stocks that investors are closely monitoring.
- Wendy's Stock Decline: Wendy's shares fell 7.7% on Thursday, down 55% from their 52-week high, highlighting the persistent pressures facing the fast-food industry, which may impact its future market performance.
- Retail Sector Dynamics: The Amplify Online Retail ETF dropped nearly 4% on Thursday, now down 19.5% from its September high, reflecting weakness in the retail market, especially after experiencing five consecutive weeks of declines, which could negatively affect overall consumer confidence.
See More
Wall Street Rattled by Cisco's Cautious Outlook
- Cisco's Stock Plunge: Despite beating earnings and revenue expectations, Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) saw its shares drop over 11%, marking the worst single-day decline since May 2022, as investors expressed concerns over profit durability.
- Tech Sector Decline: The iShares Tech-Expanded Software Sector ETF (NYSE:IGV) fell 3.7%, revisiting lows from last week, indicating heightened sensitivity to AI disruption risks following Cisco's outlook.
- Small Caps Underperform: The Nasdaq 100 dropped 1.7%, while both the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 1.2%, with the Russell 2000 small-cap index sliding 2.4%, reflecting a cautious market sentiment.
- Increased Volatility: The VIX surged 16%, as investors rotated into defensive sectors, with utilities and consumer staples outperforming, highlighting a risk-off tone in the market.
See More
Crocs Beats Earnings Estimates with Strong Quarterly Results
- Earnings Beat: Crocs reported earnings per share of $2.29, surpassing the analyst consensus estimate of $1.90, indicating strong company performance that may boost investor confidence.
- Sales Growth: The company achieved quarterly sales of $957.640 million, exceeding the analyst consensus estimate of $922.327 million, demonstrating success in sales strategy and market demand.
- Optimistic Outlook: Crocs projects FY2026 adjusted EPS between $12.88 and $13.35, above market estimates of $12.10, reflecting the company's confidence in future growth.
- Analyst Rating Adjustments: Following the earnings announcement, Barclays and Stifel raised their price targets from $86 and $90 to $109 and $99 respectively, indicating a positive market outlook for Crocs' future performance.
See More
Blueshift Asset Management Reduces Crocs Holdings Analysis
- Share Reduction Details: Blueshift Asset Management sold 34,281 shares of Crocs in Q4 2025, valued at $2.87 million, indicating a cautious stance despite the company's strong earnings report.
- Holding Change Analysis: By the end of 2025, Blueshift retained 14,596 shares of Crocs worth $1.25 million, with a net position change of $2.84 million, reflecting the impact of market fluctuations on its investment portfolio.
- Market Performance Comparison: As of February 12, 2026, Crocs shares were priced at $98.46, up 10.8% over the past year, but underperforming the S&P 500, indicating differing market expectations for future growth.
- Future Outlook: Crocs anticipates 2026 earnings per share between $12.88 and $13.55, significantly exceeding analyst forecasts of $11.89, demonstrating the company's commitment to improving financial health and shareholder returns, despite challenges faced by its HEYDUDE brand.
See More
Blueshift's Strategic Reduction in Crocs Holdings
- Share Reduction Details: Blueshift sold 34,281 shares of Crocs in Q4 2025 for an estimated value of $2.87 million, indicating a potential loss of confidence despite the company's earnings beat.
- Current Holdings: As of year-end 2025, Blueshift still holds 14,596 shares valued at approximately $1.25 million, suggesting a strategic wait-and-see approach rather than a complete divestment.
- Market Performance Analysis: Crocs' stock surged nearly 20% on February 12, 2026, although it underperformed the S&P 500 over the past year, reflecting market optimism about its future earnings potential.
- Financial Health Status: Crocs successfully retired $128 million in debt and repurchased 10% of its outstanding shares in 2025, indicating strong cash flow and highlighting its potential for future growth.
See More
Crocs Shares Bounce Back, Charts Indicate Potential for Further Growth
Consumer Discretionary Performance: Consumer discretionary stocks have seen minimal growth, with only a 2% increase over the past year as indicated by the Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR ETF.
Comparison with Other S&P Sectors: Among the 11 major S&P sectors, consumer discretionary stocks performed poorly, with only financials showing worse performance, remaining unchanged over the same period.
S&P 500 Growth: In contrast, the S&P 500 has experienced a more robust gain of 12% over the past year, highlighting the underperformance of consumer discretionary and financial sectors.
Market Trends: The overall market trends suggest a challenging environment for consumer discretionary stocks, reflecting broader economic conditions affecting consumer spending.
See More
Market Update: S&P 500 Declines and Upcoming CPI Data
- CPI Expectations: The consumer price index, set to be released at 8:30 a.m. ET on Friday, is expected to show a month-over-month increase of 0.3% and a year-over-year rise of 2.5%, which could significantly influence market sentiment and lead investors to reassess their risk appetite.
- Moderna Stock Fluctuations: Moderna's shares have surged 50% over the past three months, closing at $40.11 on Thursday, although this remains significantly lower than the pandemic peak of $497, indicating ongoing volatility in biotech stocks that investors are closely monitoring.
- Wendy's Stock Decline: Wendy's shares fell 7.7% on Thursday, down 55% from their 52-week high, highlighting the persistent pressures facing the fast-food industry, which may impact its future market performance.
- Retail Sector Dynamics: The Amplify Online Retail ETF dropped nearly 4% on Thursday, now down 19.5% from its September high, reflecting weakness in the retail market, especially after experiencing five consecutive weeks of declines, which could negatively affect overall consumer confidence.
See More
Wall Street Rattled by Cisco's Cautious Outlook
- Cisco's Stock Plunge: Despite beating earnings and revenue expectations, Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) saw its shares drop over 11%, marking the worst single-day decline since May 2022, as investors expressed concerns over profit durability.
- Tech Sector Decline: The iShares Tech-Expanded Software Sector ETF (NYSE:IGV) fell 3.7%, revisiting lows from last week, indicating heightened sensitivity to AI disruption risks following Cisco's outlook.
- Small Caps Underperform: The Nasdaq 100 dropped 1.7%, while both the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 1.2%, with the Russell 2000 small-cap index sliding 2.4%, reflecting a cautious market sentiment.
- Increased Volatility: The VIX surged 16%, as investors rotated into defensive sectors, with utilities and consumer staples outperforming, highlighting a risk-off tone in the market.
See More
