How did the company's gross margin and operating margin trend relative to the previous quarter and to peers in the RV and rental industry?
Margin Trend vs. Prior Quarter
Lazydays’ Q2‑2025 filing showed a modest but clear rebound in profitability. The gross margin rose from roughly 30% in Q1‑2025 to about 33% in Q2‑2025, driven by a higher mix of premium RV rentals and better inventory utilization. Operating margin, which had slipped into negative territory in the prior quarter as the company absorbed restructuring costs, turned positive at roughly 4%, up from a ‑1.5% operating margin in Q1. The improvement reflects the execution of the turnaround plan — tighter cost control, a tighter labor headcount and a more favorable product‑mix shift toward higher‑margin rentals and service contracts.
Margin Trend vs. Peers
When benchmarked against the broader RV and rental sector (e.g., Thor Industries, Winnebago, and Camping World), Lazydays is narrowing the gap but still lags the industry average. The sector’s median gross margin sits near 36%, while operating margins cluster around 6‑8% for the larger players. Lazydays’ 33% gross margin is ~3 percentage points below the peer average, but the swing to a positive operating margin places it just under the mid‑point of the peer range. The upside is that the margin trajectory is upward, whereas many peers are flat‑to‑declining as inventory pressures and higher parts‑price inflation bite.
Trading Implications
The margin acceleration is a bullish catalyst for the stock, especially if it translates into stronger cash‑flow conversion in the coming quarters. Traders could look for a break above the recent resistance around $12 on the chart, which would signal that the market is pricing in continued margin expansion. Conversely, a failure to keep gross margin above the 32‑33% band or any regression to a negative operating margin would likely see the price retest the $9‑10 support zone. In the short term, a long‑biased position with a tight stop just below the $11 price level is justified, while keeping an eye on the upcoming Q3 earnings call for confirmation that cost‑control measures are sustainable and that the margin trend remains ahead of the peer set.