Five Below Analyst Highlights Growth, Store Economics: 'We Want To Be Bullish'

Five Below, Inc. FIVE shares are trading higher Thursday after the company reported better-than-expected third-quarter results on Wednesday. Truist analyst Scot Ciccarelli weighed in on the report and what could lie ahead for the retailer. 

Expert Ideas: Ciccarelli highlighted Five Below's third-quarter comparable sales gain of 0.6%, which was well ahead of expectations and also pointed to solid Halloween and Black Friday sales at the discount retail chain. 

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Five Below announced the appointment of Winnie Park as CEO, effective Dec. 16, 2024. Ciccarelli noted Park has served as CEO at Forever 21 and Paper Source and her expertise could benefit Five Below. However, it will take time for the new CEO to get settled and wrap her arms around the business, the analyst said. 

The Truist analyst said, "We want to be bullish given the company's store growth and economics," but Ciccarelli pointed to pressured margins in 2025 and "flattish" comparable sales as concerns. 

Truist maintained its Hold rating on Five Below shares but raised the price target from $88 to $118.

Other Analyst Updates: The following analysts also updated coverage of Five Below following the print. 

• Barclays analyst Karen Short maintained Five Below as Equal-Weight and raised the price target from $90 to $100.
• Guggenheim analyst John Heinbockel maintained a Buy rating and raised the price target from $125 to $140.
• Wells Fargo analyst Edward Kelly maintained an Overweight rating and raised the price target from $115 to $135.

FIVE Price Action: According to Benzinga Pro, Five Below shares are up 10.73% at $116.23 at the time of publication Thursday. 

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Photo: Courtesy of Five Below, Inc.