Core Insights - Dillard's Inc. reported third-quarter fiscal 2025 results with both earnings and sales exceeding expectations and showing year-over-year growth [1][2][9] Financial Performance - Earnings per share (EPS) reached $8.31, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $6.43, and increased by 7.5% from $7.73 in the same quarter last year [1][9] - Net sales amounted to $1.469 billion, a 2.9% increase from the prior-year quarter, exceeding the consensus estimate of $1.425 billion [2][9] - Total retail sales (excluding CDI Contractors, LLC) rose 3.3% year over year to $1.401 billion, with comparable sales also increasing by 3% [3][9] Category Performance - Strong sales growth was observed in ladies' accessories and lingerie, juniors' and children's apparel, and ladies' apparel, while shoes saw moderate growth [3] - Home and furniture, men's apparel and accessories, and cosmetics experienced slight growth [3] Margin and Expenses - Consolidated gross margin expanded by 80 basis points to 43.4%, with retail gross margin also increasing by 80 basis points to 45.3% [4][9] - Selling, general and administrative expenses (SG&A) as a percentage of sales were 30%, up 60 basis points from the prior year, with total SG&A expenses increasing by 5.1% year over year to $440.4 million [5][9] Cash Flow and Share Repurchase - Dillard's ended the quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $1.149 billion and long-term debt of $225.7 million [7] - The company repurchased 30,000 shares for $107.8 million, averaging $359.16 per share, with $165.2 million remaining under its current share repurchase authorization [8] Future Outlook - For fiscal 2025, Dillard's forecasts capital expenditure of $100 million, a decrease from $105 million in fiscal 2024 [10] - The company expects depreciation and amortization expenses of $180 million and projects interest and debt income of $7 million [11]