Topic: How To Invest

Hi Pat: What is your opinion on Columbia Sportswear? Thanks.

Article Excerpt

Columbia Sportswear Co., $51.09, symbol COLM on Nasdaq (Shares outstanding: 70.3 million; Market cap: $3.4 billion; www.columbia.com), is a leading maker of outdoor apparel (80% of sales) and footwear (20%). The company’s main brands include Columbia, Sorel, Mountain Hardware, Montrail, OutDry and Pacific Trail. It sells most of its products through mass retailers. It also operates its own stores and sells goods online. The U.S. accounts for about 57% of its sales, followed by Latin America/Asia Pacific (24%), Europe (12%) and Canada (7%). Columbia focuses on designing and marketing its products, and outsources the manufacturing to factories in Asia. In May 2014, Columbia paid $188.5 million for Prana, which specializes in yoga and casual clothing. The new operations added $100 million to Columbia’s annual sales, and will reduce its reliance on cold-weather apparel like fleece jackets and winter boots. In the three months ended September 30, 2015, Columbia’s sales rose 13.7%, to $767.6 million from $675.3 million a year earlier. Stronger sales in the U.S….