Market Performance - The small-cap Russell 2000 index increased by +10% over the past month, although it remains down -4% year to date [1] - The S&P 500 index stayed above the 6000 mark, gaining +0.09% on the day, while the Nasdaq rose by +0.31% [3] - The Dow index remained unchanged at 0.00%, influenced by a -1.2% drop in Apple shares [2][5] Company News: Apple - Apple shares fell -1.2% following a lackluster performance at the Worldwide Developers Conference, where details on AI competition were sparse [2] - Apple shares are down -29.5% from their 52-week highs reached after Christmas last year [2] Company News: Casey's General Stores - Casey's General Stores reported fiscal Q4 earnings of $2.63 per share, exceeding the Zacks consensus by 70 cents, with a year-over-year growth of +12.4% [6] - Revenues reached $3.99 billion, surpassing analyst expectations of $3.97 billion [6] - Same-store sales increased by +1.7%, and the company raised its dividend by +14% to 57 cents per share, marking its 26th consecutive increase [7] - Casey's shares are now trading at new all-time highs, reflecting strong performance [7]

Core Insights - Casey's General Stores reported strong fiscal 2025 results with double-digit revenue and earnings growth, exceeding expectations [2][5] - The company is effectively navigating a challenging retail environment, driven by strong bakery, hot sandwich, and nonalcoholic beverage sales [3][7] Financial Performance - Q4 FY24 revenue was $3.60 billion, increasing to $3.99 billion in Q4 FY25, representing an 11% growth [1] - Earnings per share rose from $2.34 to $2.63, marking a 12% increase [1] - Inside same-store sales grew by 1.7% in Q4 FY25, with a full-year growth of 2.6%, outperforming the industry [3] Cost Management - The company has successfully reduced same-store labor hours for 12 consecutive quarters, maintaining overall inside margin year over year [3] Growth Strategy - Casey's expanded its store count from 2,658 to 2,904, including 35 new builds and a $1.1 billion acquisition of Fikes Wholesale, its largest deal to date [4] - The company plans to open at least 80 new stores in fiscal 2026, continuing a three-year plan to expand by approximately 500 stores [6] Shareholder Returns - Casey's increased its quarterly dividend by 14% to $0.57 per share, marking the 26th consecutive annual increase [4] Market Reaction - Following the earnings release, Casey's stock rose over 7%, indicating positive investor sentiment [5]

Financial Performance - Casey's reported a net income of $546.5 million for fiscal year 2025, an increase of 8.9% compared to the previous year, with EBITDA reaching $1.2 billion, up 13.3%[4] - Net income for the twelve months ended April 30, 2025, was $546,520 thousand, a 8.9% increase from $501,972 thousand in 2024[21] - Net income for the three months ended April 30, 2025, was $98,307,000, an increase from $87,020,000 in 2024, representing a growth of 14.7%[33] - EBITDA for the twelve months ended April 30, 2025, reached $1,200,047,000, compared to $1,059,398,000 in 2024, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 13.3%[33] - Revenue for the twelve months ended April 30, 2025, reached $15,940,899 thousand, up from $14,862,913 thousand in 2024, marking a growth of 7.2%[23] Sales and Profitability - Inside same-store sales increased by 2.6% for the fiscal year, with total inside gross profit rising 12.5% to $582.4 million[6] - Fuel gross profit increased by 21.4% to $307.8 million, with total fuel gallons sold rising 17.8% year-over-year[8] - Gross profit margin for Prepared Food & Dispensed Beverage was 58.2% for the fiscal year 2025, slightly down from 58.7% in 2024[24] - Same-store sales margin for Prepared Food & Dispensed Beverage decreased to 3.5% in fiscal year 2025 from 6.8% in fiscal year 2024[24] - Fuel gallons sold increased to 3,196,852 for the twelve months ended April 30, 2025, compared to 2,828,669 in 2024, reflecting a growth of 13.0%[23] Store Expansion and Customer Engagement - The company opened or acquired 270 stores during the fiscal year, the highest in its history, including the acquisition of Fikes Wholesale and its 198 CEFCO convenience stores[6] - Casey's Rewards membership grew to over 9 million by year-end, indicating strong customer engagement[6] Financial Position and Liquidity - The company maintained a strong balance sheet, finishing the year with a debt-to-EBITDA ratio of 1.9x[6] - Available liquidity at April 30, 2025, was approximately $1.2 billion, consisting of $327 million in cash and $900 million in undrawn borrowing capacity[12] - Total assets increased to $8,208,118 thousand as of April 30, 2025, up from $6,347,433 thousand in the previous year, representing a growth of 29.2%[19] - Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the period were $326,662 thousand, up from $206,482 thousand, indicating a 58.0% increase[21] Investments and Acquisitions - The company invested $1,239,249 thousand in acquisitions during the fiscal year 2025, compared to $330,032 thousand in 2024, representing a substantial increase of 275.5%[21] - The company has outlined potential growth opportunities and strategic plans, including the integration and financial performance of acquired stores[34] Operating Expenses and Other Financial Metrics - Operating expenses for the fourth quarter increased by 14.5%, primarily due to operating 246 additional stores compared to the prior year[9] - Interest expenses for the three months ended April 30, 2025, were $27,916,000, up from $14,494,000 in 2024, indicating an increase of 92.9%[33] - Federal and state income taxes for the twelve months ended April 30, 2025, totaled $165,929,000, compared to $154,188,000 in 2024, marking an increase of 7.6%[33] - Depreciation and amortization for the three months ended April 30, 2025, was $107,443,000, up from $92,344,000 in 2024, which is an increase of 16.4%[33] Future Outlook - The company expects EBITDA to increase by 10% to 12% in fiscal 2026, with inside same-store sales projected to rise by 2% to 5%[15] - The company emphasizes that forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations[34] Dividends and Shareholder Returns - A quarterly dividend of $0.57 per share was announced, marking a 14% increase and the 26th consecutive annual increase[14] Investor Relations - The earnings conference call is scheduled for June 10, 2025, at 7:30 a.m. CDT, and will be accessible via the company's investor relations website[35] - Investor relations and media contacts are available for further inquiries, with specific contact details provided[36]

Benzinga readers can access the latest analyst ratings on the Analyst Stock Ratings page. Readers can sort by stock ticker, company name, analyst firm, rating change or other variables. Casey's General Stores, Inc. CASY will release its fourth-quarter financial results after the closing bell on Monday, June 9. Analysts expect the company to report quarterly earnings at $1.95 per share, down from $2.34 per share in the year-ago period. Casey's projects quarterly revenue of $3.95 billion, compared to $3.6 bil ...

Core Viewpoint - Casey's General Stores, Inc. is expected to report a decline in quarterly earnings while projecting an increase in revenue for the fourth quarter [1] Financial Performance - Analysts anticipate quarterly earnings of $1.95 per share, down from $2.34 per share in the same period last year [1] - The company projects quarterly revenue of $3.95 billion, compared to $3.6 billion a year earlier [1] Analyst Coverage - Keybanc analyst Bradley Thomas initiated coverage of Casey's with an Overweight rating and set a price target of $500 [2] Dividend Information - Casey's offers an annual dividend yield of 0.45%, translating to a quarterly dividend of $0.50 per share, or $2.00 annually [2] - To achieve a monthly dividend income of $500, an investor would need to own approximately 3,000 shares, equating to a total investment of about $1,337,070 [4] - For a more conservative monthly income goal of $100, an investor would need 600 shares, requiring an investment of approximately $267,414 [4] Dividend Yield Dynamics - The dividend yield is calculated by dividing the annual dividend payment by the current stock price, which can fluctuate based on stock price changes [5] - An increase in stock price results in a lower dividend yield, while a decrease leads to a higher yield [5] - Changes in the dividend payment itself can also impact the dividend yield, with increases leading to higher yields and decreases resulting in lower yields [6] Stock Performance - Shares of Casey's fell by 0.6% to close at $445.69 on Thursday [6]

Group 1 - Casey's General Stores is expected to report fiscal fourth-quarter earnings on June 9, 2025, with analysts predicting earnings of $1.95 per share and revenue of $3.95 billion, reflecting a 17% decrease in earnings year-over-year and a 10% increase in sales compared to the previous year [2] - In the third quarter, Casey's reported an 11% year-over-year rise in EBITDA, with net income remaining unchanged but projected to have increased by 15% when excluding one-off expenses from a $1.1 billion acquisition [3] - The company has a market capitalization of $17 billion, with total revenue reaching $16 billion over the last twelve months, operational profits of $768 million, and net income of $535 million [3] Group 2 - Historical trends indicate that Casey's stock has dipped 65% of the time after earnings announcements, with a median one-day decline of 2.9% and a maximum drop of 7% [2] - Over the last five years, there have been 20 earnings data points for Casey's, with 7 positive and 13 negative one-day returns, resulting in positive returns approximately 35% of the time [6] - The median of the 7 positive returns is 7.4%, while the median of the 13 negative returns is -2.9% [6]

Core Insights - Analysts expect Casey's General Stores (CASY) to report quarterly earnings of $1.93 per share, reflecting a year-over-year decline of 17.5% [1] - Revenue is projected to be $3.97 billion, indicating a 10.3% increase from the same quarter last year [1] Earnings and Revenue Estimates - The consensus EPS estimate has remained unchanged over the last 30 days, indicating a reevaluation of initial estimates by analysts [1] - Analysts forecast 'Net Sales- Fuel' to reach $2.40 billion, representing a year-over-year increase of 5.3% [3] - The estimate for 'Net Sales- Other' stands at $134.72 million, suggesting a significant year-over-year increase of 104% [4] Sales and Store Metrics - 'Net Sales- Prepared Food & Dispensed Beverage' is estimated at $400.18 million, indicating a 12.1% increase from the prior year [4] - 'Net Sales- Grocery & General Merchandise' is projected to be $1.02 billion, reflecting a year-over-year change of 13.1% [4] - 'Same-store sales - Grocery & General Merchandise' are expected to reach a year-over-year change of 2.0%, down from 4.3% [5] - The 'Number of Stores (EOP)' is predicted to be 2,918, up from 2,658 year-over-year [5] Profit Estimates - 'Gross Profit- Grocery & General Merchandise' is expected to reach $348.35 million, compared to $310.17 million in the same quarter last year [7] - 'Gross Profit- Prepared Food & Dispensed Beverage' is projected at $228.54 million, up from $207.44 million in the same quarter last year [7] - 'Gross Profit- Other' is estimated to be $37.11 million, compared to $26.85 million from the previous year [8] Market Performance - Shares of Casey's have decreased by 6.1% in the past month, contrasting with a 5.2% increase in the Zacks S&P 500 composite [8] - The company holds a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold), suggesting it is expected to perform in line with the overall market in the near future [8]

Core Insights - Casey's General Stores, Inc. (CASY) is expected to report a revenue increase of 10.3% year over year for Q4 fiscal 2025, with projected revenues of $3,969 million [1][9] - Earnings per share (EPS) are anticipated to decline by 17.5% year over year, with a consensus estimate of $1.93 per share [2][9] Revenue Drivers - The company's strong performance is attributed to its resilient business model, enhanced omnichannel capabilities, and exclusive private-label offerings [3] - Significant growth is expected in the prepared food and dispensed beverage segments, with a projected revenue increase of 13.2% [4] - Grocery and general merchandise categories are also expected to see a 12.7% increase in sales, driven by trending items like energy drinks [5] - Inside sales are projected to rise by 12.8%, with same-store sales growing by 2.6%, reflecting strong foodservice innovation and effective promotions [6] Challenges - The anticipated decline in earnings is primarily due to the dilutive impact of the Fikes acquisition, which has led to higher interest expenses and additional integration costs [7][9] - Other factors affecting profitability include the absence of the leap day benefit from the previous year and adverse weather conditions impacting February sales [7][9] - Operating expenses are expected to increase by 14.9% for the quarter [7]

Company Overview - Casey's General Stores, Inc. operates nearly 2900 convenience stores across 20 states in the U.S. [1] - The company differentiates itself by focusing on small towns and emphasizing prepared food offerings [1] Investment Philosophy - The investment philosophy revolves around identifying mispriced securities by understanding the drivers behind a company's financials [1] - A DCF model valuation is often used to reveal the true value of a stock, allowing for a flexible approach to investment that considers all prospects [1]

Core Viewpoint - Casey's General Stores has shown significant growth and potential for future expansion, making it an attractive investment opportunity despite trading near all-time highs [2][4]. Group 1: Company Overview - Casey's General Stores operates over 2,900 locations, making it the third-largest convenience store and fifth-largest pizza chain in the U.S. [3] - The company primarily serves small towns with populations under 20,000, acting as a key community eatery [3]. - Since its IPO in 1983, Casey's has delivered remarkable returns, with a $100 investment now worth $47,380 [3][8]. Group 2: Expansion Opportunities - Casey's has nearly doubled its store count since 2010, with significant growth potential remaining, particularly in states outside its current stronghold of Iowa, Illinois, and Missouri [5]. - Approximately 75% of towns with populations between 500 and 20,000 within its distribution reach still lack a Casey's store, indicating substantial room for growth [6]. - The company is also exploring expansion through mergers and acquisitions into new markets like Texas, Tennessee, and Florida [7]. Group 3: Mergers and Acquisitions Strategy - Casey's M&A team focuses on integrating smaller c-store chains, enhancing kitchen capabilities, which boosts inside sales by 20% and EBITDA by 70% [10][11]. - The high gross margin of 58% on prepared food and beverage sales allows for a 15% return on investment for acquired stores [12]. - Successful integration into larger cities has led to an increase in cash return on invested capital (ROIC) [12][14]. Group 4: Dividend Potential - Despite a current dividend yield of only 0.5%, Casey's has raised its dividend for 25 consecutive years, with payouts using only 13% of net income [15]. - The company could increase its dividend yield significantly while still maintaining a healthy payout ratio, indicating strong future dividend growth potential [16]. - Historical performance shows that long-term investors could achieve a 20% dividend yield based on their original cost basis [16]. Group 5: Valuation and Market Position - Casey's is currently trading at a higher valuation than usual, but this reflects its growth story and a 19% annual increase in net income over the last decade [19]. - The price-to-CFO ratio of 16 is higher than historical averages but remains attractive compared to the broader market, which averages closer to 30 [20][21]. - The company's ongoing expansion and annual dividend increases at a sub-market valuation support the case for continued investment [21].