Shoe Carnival (SCVL) and Boot Barn Holdings (BOOT) Head-To-Head Survey

Shoe Carnival (NASDAQ: SCVL) and Boot Barn Holdings (NYSE:BOOT) are both small-cap retail/wholesale companies, but which is the superior investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, risk, valuation, dividends, profitability, analyst recommendations and institutional ownership.

Profitability

This table compares Shoe Carnival and Boot Barn Holdings’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Shoe Carnival	2.12%	7.27%	4.91%
Boot Barn Holdings	2.26%	8.58%	2.66%

Risk & Volatility

Shoe Carnival has a beta of 0.95, suggesting that its share price is 5% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Boot Barn Holdings has a beta of 1.26, suggesting that its share price is 26% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

62.2% of Shoe Carnival shares are held by institutional investors. 28.5% of Shoe Carnival shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 4.6% of Boot Barn Holdings shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares Shoe Carnival and Boot Barn Holdings’ top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	EBITDA	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Shoe Carnival	$994.02 million	0.30	$62.91 million	$1.19	14.39
Boot Barn Holdings	$635.78 million	0.36	$56.20 million	$0.54	15.87

Shoe Carnival has higher revenue and earnings than Boot Barn Holdings. Shoe Carnival is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Boot Barn Holdings, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of current ratings and price targets for Shoe Carnival and Boot Barn Holdings, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Shoe Carnival	0	5	2	0	2.29
Boot Barn Holdings	0	2	5	0	2.71

Shoe Carnival presently has a consensus price target of $22.50, indicating a potential upside of 31.35%. Boot Barn Holdings has a consensus price target of $10.43, indicating a potential upside of 21.69%. Given Shoe Carnival’s higher possible upside, research analysts plainly believe Shoe Carnival is more favorable than Boot Barn Holdings.

Dividends

Shoe Carnival pays an annual dividend of $0.30 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.8%. Boot Barn Holdings does not pay a dividend. Shoe Carnival pays out 25.2% of its earnings in the form of a dividend.

Shoe Carnival Company Profile

Shoe Carnival, Inc. is a family footwear retailer. The Company’s primary activity is the sale of footwear and related products through its retail stores in approximately 30 states within the continental United States and in Puerto Rico. It also offers online shopping on its e-commerce site at www.shoecarnival.com. Its products assortment includes dress and casual shoes, sandals, boots and an assortment of athletic for the entire family in four general categories-women’s, men’s, children’s and athletics. In addition to footwear, its stores carry selected accessory items, such as socks, belts, shoe care items, handbags, sport bags, backpacks, jewelry, scarves and wallets. It classifies athletic shoes by functionality, such as running, basketball or fitness shoes. As of January 28, 2017, it operated 415 stores in 35 states and Puerto Rico and offered online shopping at www.shoecarnival.com.

Boot Barn Holdings Company Profile

Boot Barn Holdings, Inc. is a lifestyle retailer of western and work-related footwear, apparel and accessories for men, women and children. The Company’s stores are located in or near neighborhood shopping centers with trade areas of approximately five or more miles, and it has opened stores in malls and outlet center locations. The Company’s stores average an area of approximately 11,490 square feet and feature an assortment of brands and styles. It also carries assortments of denim, western shirts, cowboy hats, belts and belt buckles, western-style jewelry and accessories. The Company’s western assortment includes various brands, such as Ariat, Dan Post, Justin, Levi Strauss, Lucchese, Miss Me, Montana Silversmiths, Resistol and Wrangler. Its work assortment includes rugged footwear, outerwear, overalls, denim and shirts. Its other brands include Carhartt, Georgia, Timberland Pro and Wolverine. As of March 26, 2016, the Company operated 208 stores in 29 states.