TJX's Q2 Earnings and Sales Beat Estimates, Comparable Sales Up 4%

Core Insights - The TJX Companies, Inc. reported second-quarter fiscal 2026 results with both top and bottom lines exceeding expectations and showing year-over-year growth [1][10] Financial Performance - Earnings per share (EPS) reached $1.10, a 15% increase from the previous year, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.01 [2][10] - Net sales totaled $14.4 billion, reflecting a 7% year-over-year increase and exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $14.1 billion [2][10] Segment Performance - Marmaxx (United States) division net sales were $8,841 million, up 5% year over year [3] - HomeGoods (United States) division net sales amounted to $2,286 million, a 9% increase year over year [3] - TJX Canada reported net sales of $1,381 million, an 11% increase from the prior year [3] - TJX International (Europe & Australia) net sales were $1,893 million, up 13% year over year [3] Comparable Store Sales - Consolidated comparable store sales increased by 4%, driven by higher customer transactions [4] - Comparable store sales rose 3% at Marmaxx (United States), 5% at HomeGoods (United States), 9% at TJX Canada, and 5% at TJX International [4] Profitability Metrics - The pretax profit margin was 11.4%, up 0.5 percentage points from the previous year [5] - Gross profit margin improved to 30.7%, a 0.3 percentage point increase year over year [5] - Selling, general and administrative (SG&A) costs as a percentage of sales decreased to 19.5%, down 0.3 percentage points due to operational efficiencies [5] Financial Health - The company ended the quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $4.6 billion and long-term debt of $2.9 billion [6] - Shareholders received $1 billion through share repurchases and dividends during the quarter [7] Inventory and Market Position - Consolidated inventories per store increased by 10% year over year, indicating strong merchandise availability [8] Future Guidance - For fiscal 2026, the company expects consolidated comparable store sales growth of 3% and EPS between $4.52 and $4.57, reflecting a 6-7% increase from the previous year [11] - For the third quarter of fiscal 2026, management anticipates comparable store sales growth of 2-3% and EPS in the range of $1.17-$1.19, a year-over-year increase of 3-4% [12]