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Signet Jewelers Stock Just Popped. Is It a Buy for 2026?

newsfeedback@fool.com (Jeremy Bowman)
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⚡ Quantum Brief
Signet Jewelers reported its first annual same-store sales growth in four years (1.3%) for fiscal 2026, reversing pandemic-era declines. The stock surged 13.7% after Q4 earnings beat expectations despite a 0.7% same-store sales dip. CEO J.K. Symacyk’s "Grow Brand Love" strategy is streamlining operations, reducing eight brands to four core banners: Kay, Zales, Jared, and Blue Nile. James Allen and Rocksbox will merge into existing platforms to cut costs and improve efficiency. Fiscal 2027 guidance projects modest growth, with same-store sales forecast between -1.25% and 2.5%. EPS is expected to reach $8.80–$10.74, though buybacks could boost results further after a 6% share reduction in 2026. Lab-grown diamonds and higher average prices (7% retail growth) are driving revenue amid weak discretionary spending. Tariff headwinds are easing, while gold prices remain elevated, impacting margins. With a P/E of 9, $425M in free cash flow, and a 10% dividend hike, analysts argue the stock remains undervalued. Earnings growth may rely on operational efficiencies and continued share repurchases.
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By Jeremy Bowman – Mar 20, 2026 at 3:45PM ESTKey PointsSignet reported positive same-store sales in fiscal 2026 for the first time in four years.The retailer expects modest growth in fiscal 2027.It announced a brand portfolio transformation plan to drive efficiencies this year. Signet Jewelers (SIG 0.41%), the world's largest retailer of diamond jewelry, has been a volatile stock over its history, but the company began a new chapter a little more than a year ago when J.K. Symacyk joined the company as CEO. Shortly after he took over, the company launched its Grow Brand Love strategy, which is focused on investing and growing its core banners, a full-price marketing strategy, and simplifying the brand portfolio. With fiscal 2026 now complete, which ended in January, the strategy appears to be paying off. Signet finished the year with a same-store sales increase of 1.3%, its first year of positive growth in four years, as sales boomed during the pandemic and then gave back some of those gains in the subsequent years. Investors were pleased with the fourth-quarter earnings report, sending the stock up 13.7% on Thursday. Same-store sales were down 0.7% in the fourth quarter, and adjusted earnings per share slipped from $6.62 to $6.25, beating the consensus at $6.11. Management offered strong guidance for the first quarter, calling for same-store sales growth of 0.5% to 2.5%. Its forecast for the full year was more uncertain, calling for same-store sales growth of -1.25% to 2.5%, and adjusted earnings per share of $8.80-$10.74, which compares to $9.60 in the year just completed, though that guidance doesn't take into account any potential share buybacks. In fiscal 2026, Signet repurchased 3.1 million shares, reducing total shares outstanding by 6%. Image source: Getty Images. What's in store for Signet in 2026 Fiscal 2027 marks the second year of Signet's Grow Brand Love strategy, and the company is focused on streamlining its brand portfolio in order to drive efficiency, cut costs, and simplify its product offering for its customers. As part of that move, the company is transitioning its portfolio from eight brands to four core banners, Kay, Zales, and Jared as brick-and-mortar chains, and Blue Nile as an online luxury platform. To execute that strategy, Signet is closing the jamesallen.com site, and James Allen will instead be a proprietary collection within the Blue Nile website. In an interview with the Motley Fool, Signet CFO Joan Hilson said that comparable sales had been running negative for some time at James Allen and that folding it into Blue Nile would drive efficiency, create synergies, and allow Signet to capitalize on the brand value. Similarly, the company is consolidating Rocksbox within Kay, making it a branded collection, and is folding Diamonds Direct within Jared. ExpandNYSE: SIGSignet JewelersToday's Change(-0.41%) $-0.37Current Price$89.19Key Data PointsMarket Cap$3.6BDay's Range$85.94 - $89.6452wk Range$49.99 - $110.20Volume74KAvg Vol895KGross Margin39.75%Dividend Yield1.43% Is Signet a buy? The jewelry retailer is navigating a challenging environment in 2026 as discretionary spending has generally been weak, and gold prices are elevated as tariffs remain in place, though the company said that headwinds from tariffs would decrease from a year ago. Signet competes in a mature category, but the company is finding success with its push into lab-grown diamonds, and CEO J.K. Symancyk said both lab-grown and natural diamonds are growing in the industry. Signet reported 7% avereage unit retail in 2026, with growth in both bridal and fashion, showing the company is benefiting from higher prices. That trend is likely to continue into 2026. At the midpoint of Signet's EPS guidance, the company is calling for $9.77, which represents just 2% growth. However, Signet is likely to earn more than that due to share buybacks. Based on earnings, the stock now trades at a price-to-earnings ratio of 9, based on that guidance, and it brought in $425 million in free cash flow last year, giving it plenty of room to return cash to shareholders and invest in the business. Signet also raised its dividend by nearly 10% to $0.35 per quarter. Overall, the stock still looks undervalued and should deliver earnings growth through a combination of driving efficiencies in the business and share buybacks.Read NextMar 19, 2026 •By Joe TenebrusoWhy Signet Jewelers Stock Jumped TodayMar 17, 2026 •By Micah ZimmermanIs Signet Jewelers Stock a Buy in 2026?Mar 15, 2026 •By Reuben Gregg BrewerIs Signet Jewelers Seriously Undervalued?Feb 25, 2026 •By Dave KovaleskiIs It Too Late to Buy Signet Jewelers Stock?Dec 10, 2025 •By Jeremy BowmanHere's What You Should Watch With Signet Stock in 2026Dec 5, 2025 •By Jeremy Bowman1 Value Stock That Just Went On SaleAbout the AuthorJeremy Bowman has been a contributing Motley Fool stock market analyst, covering technology, consumer goods, and macroeconomic trends since 2011.

Before The Motley Fool, Jeremy was a newspaper reporter, restaurant manager, and English teacher abroad. He holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Colorado College and a master’s degree in business administration from American University. One of his Motley Fool headlines was briefly featured on Late Night with Stephen Colbert.TMFHoboX@TMFBowmanStocks MentionedSignet JewelersNYSE: SIG$89.19(-0.41%)-$0.37*Average returns of all recommendations since inception. Cost basis and return based on previous market day close.

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