Page 8 - Bloomberg Businessweek - November 19, 2018

Bloomberg Businessweek The Year Ahead 2019 50 Companies to Watch

26 Kering SA ▲ KER FP

Est. sales Est. EPS Total 12-month 1-year total Female board
growth
assets
growth
return
membership
sales
Luxury -4.1% 52.3% $24b $17b 5.9% 60%
After a knockout 2017 performance, Kering has more
in store for the year ahead. Growth at Gucci in 2018
is unabated, stemming from new designs and store
concepts, targeted marketing, and e-commerce
projects. Its second brand by size, Yves Saint Laurent,
and smaller brands such as Balenciaga and Alexander
McQueen are also on a roll.
◀ Gucci designer
Alessandro Michele at
the presentation of his
spring/summer 2019
fashion show
27 Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings Inc. ▼ KNX US

Est. sales Est. EPS Total 12-month 1-year total Female board
Trucking growth 45.8% assets sales return membership
growth
-22.3%
16.7%
$4.5b
25.3%
$7.7b
Trucking giant Knight-Swift is poised for revenue and limited truck driver availability. Greater demand for
earnings growth that’s likely to outpace those of its trucking is rapidly pushing up revenue per mile.
peers through 2019. Gains will be driven by two factors:
management’s ability to find operating efficiencies and
90
28 Kroger Co. ▲ KR US
Est. sales Est. EPS Total 12-month 1-year total Female board
growth growth assets sales return membership
Food 0% -0.5% $37b $124b 46.6% 27.3%

Kroger is seeing some positive results from a plan investments in new stores. Partnerships with U.K. online
unveiled a year ago to adopt technological and data- grocer Ocado, Alibaba’s Tmall, and other sellers have
driven efforts to connect with customers and reduce paved the way for the next wave of growth.

29 L Brands Inc. ▼ LB US

Est. sales Est. EPS Total 12-month 1-year total Female board
Apparel growth -12.5% assets sales return membership
growth
2.4%
-19.8%
$13b
$7.6b
25%
Will L Brands turn business around in 2019? Returning marketing at Body By Victoria and Pink. Moving to fix
to its historical sales peak is unlikely at Victoria’s Secret, merchandising issues—the product mix isn’t right—would
but watch for moves to improve the product lines and be a positive sign and a first step toward recovery.
30 Lennar Corp. ▼ LEN US
Construction Est. sales 31.3% Total 12-month 1-year total Female board
Est. EPS
membership
return
assets
growth
growth
sales
$15b
50.8%
15.4%
$28b
-22.4%
Lennar’s acquisition of CalAtlantic Group Inc., the largest 30 markets. Across the sector, share prices have been VICTOR VIRGILE/GETTY IMAGES
ever in the U.S. homebuilding industry, strengthened hurt by rising home prices and interest rates. Demand and
its position as the No. 2 U.S. homebuilder (behind D.R. Lennar’s “Everything Included” program, which features
Horton) and increased its market share in 24 of the top digital-ready, green luxury homes, should support sales.