Saudi Arabia's PIF Considers Cutting Support for LIV Golf
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 13 hours ago
0mins
Should l Buy GOLF?
Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund, is considering cutting its support for LIV Golf, people familiar with the matter told Financial Times' Samuel Agini, Arash Massoudi and Sujeet Indap. An announcement on the future of the kingdom's involvement in LIV, which has racked up huge losses since being set up five years ago, could come as soon as Thursday, the sources said. Golf suppliers include Acushnet (GOLF) and Callaway Golf (CALY). Golf broadcasters include Comcast's (CMCSA) NBC, Paramount Skydance (PSKY), Disney's (DIS) ESPN and Fox Corp. (FOXA).
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Analyst Views on GOLF
Wall Street analysts forecast GOLF stock price to fall
4 Analyst Rating
0 Buy
3 Hold
1 Sell
Hold
Current: 97.900
Low
74.00
Averages
78.25
High
85.00
Current: 97.900
Low
74.00
Averages
78.25
High
85.00
About GOLF
Acushnet Holdings Corp. is engaged in the design, development, manufacture and distribution of performance-driven golf products. The Company’s segments include Titleist golf equipment, FootJoy golf wear, and Golf gear. The Titleist golf equipment segment includes Titleist and Pinnacle branded golf balls; PG Golf recycled golf balls; Titleist branded golf clubs, including drivers, fairways, hybrids and irons; Vokey Design wedges; Scotty Cameron putters and Titleist Performance Institute. The FootJoy golf wear segment includes FootJoy branded golf shoes, golf gloves, golf outerwear and golf apparel. The Golf gear segment includes Titleist branded golf bags, headwear, golf gloves, travel gear and other golf accessories, as well as Club Glove travel products and Links & Kings luxury leather golf goods. It designs, manufactures and markets a range of products under the Titleist, FootJoy, KJUS, and other brands.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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See More
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- Low Free Cash Flow Margin: With an average free cash flow margin of 5.8% over the last two years, Acushnet's performance lags behind industry expectations, limiting its ability to return capital to shareholders and potentially undermining investor confidence.
- Declining Return on Invested Capital: Acushnet's ROIC has decreased by 1.2 percentage points annually in recent years, and coupled with its already low returns, this trend suggests limited profitable growth opportunities, which could negatively impact future stock performance.
- High Market Valuation: Despite Acushnet's recent strong stock performance, trading at a forward P/E of 24.2 indicates that optimistic expectations are already priced in, leading analysts to suggest that there are more attractive investment options available at this time.
See More
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- Quarterly Dividend Increase: Acushnet Holdings has declared a quarterly dividend of $0.255 per share, representing an 8.5% increase from the previous dividend of $0.235, indicating a positive outlook on cash flow and shareholder returns.
- Dividend Yield: The forward yield of 0.99% reflects the company's ability to maintain an attractive dividend return in the current market environment, which enhances investor confidence.
- Sales Target Setting: Acushnet has outlined a sales target of $2.625 billion to $2.675 billion for 2026, demonstrating strategic decisions to accelerate product launches and expand capacity, aimed at increasing market share and competitiveness.
- Financial Performance Overview: Although the GAAP EPS of -$0.58 missed expectations by $0.28, the revenue of $477.22 million exceeded forecasts by $23.63 million, showcasing resilience in revenue growth despite earnings challenges.
See More
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- Adjusted EBITDA: The adjusted EBITDA for 2025 was $410 million, showing a modest 1.5% growth year-over-year; however, Q4 EBITDA fell to $9.8 million, highlighting the pressure from tariff costs, with an anticipated $70 million in tariffs expected for 2026.
- Dividend Increase: The company announced an 8.5% increase in its quarterly dividend to $0.255 per share for 2026, marking the ninth consecutive annual dividend increase, reflecting the Board's confidence in future growth and commitment to shareholder returns.
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