Columbia Sportswear's Shares Surged: What You Need to Know

Although we don't believe in timing the market or panicking over market movements, we do like to keep an eye on big changes -- just in case they're material to our investing thesis.

What: Shares of outdoor apparel designer Columbia Sportswear (NAS: COLM) looked hearty today, jumping as much as 11.1% in early action but fading to a 4% gain by closing time.

So what: Columbia's third-quarter results, reported this morning, blew analyst targets out of the water. Alongside another good-looking report from Under Armour (NYS: UA) , it suddenly looks like the Grinch might not steal this Christmas after all.

Now what: Before declaring the mall safe for children and investors again, keep in mind that we're talking about two of the best-managed businesses in the clothing industry. Even if Columbia, Under Armour, and Nike (NYS: NKE) pull off a healthy holiday season, I wouldn't extend that strength to cover the whole sector. Family budgets are still pretty tight, after all.

Interested in more info about Columbia Sportswear? Add it to My Watchlist.

At the time thisarticle was published Fool contributorAnders Bylundholds no position in any of the companies mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of Under Armour.Motley Fool newsletter serviceshave recommended buying shares of Under Armour. Try any of our Foolish newsletter servicesfree for 30 days. We Fools don't all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. Check outAnders' holdings and bio, or follow him onTwitterandGoogle+. We have adisclosure policy.

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