Core Insights - Urban Outfitters, Inc. (URBN) reported strong second-quarter fiscal 2026 results, with both earnings and sales exceeding expectations and showing year-over-year improvement [1][3][10] Financial Performance - Earnings per share reached $1.58, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.44, marking a 27.4% increase from the prior year [3][10] - Total net sales increased by 11.3% year over year to $1,504.8 million, exceeding the consensus estimate of $1,476 million [3][10] Segment Performance - Retail segment net sales rose 7.8%, with comparable net sales increasing 5.6%, driven by gains in both retail store and digital channel sales [4] - Wholesale segment net sales grew 18.1%, primarily due to a 19.5% increase in Free People's wholesale sales [5] - Nuuly, a women's apparel subscription service, saw a significant 53.2% increase in net sales, supported by a 48.1% rise in average active subscribers [5] Margin and Cost Insights - Gross profit increased by 14.8% year over year to $566.2 million, with gross margin expanding 113 basis points to 37.6% [6] - Selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses rose 12.5% year over year to $391.8 million, primarily due to higher marketing and payroll costs [7] Operating Income - Operating income was reported at $174.4 million, up 20.2% from $145.1 million in the prior year, with an operating margin increase of 90 basis points to 11.6% [8] Store Update - In the fiscal second quarter, the company opened 14 retail locations and closed 2 Free People stores, bringing the total to 257 Urban Outfitters stores, 243 Anthropologie Group stores, and 247 Free People stores [11][12] Financial Health - As of July 31, 2025, URBN had cash and cash equivalents of $332.2 million and total shareholders' equity of $2.58 billion [13] - Total inventory increased by 15.1% year over year, driven by higher sales and planned early merchandise receipts [13] Future Outlook - For the fiscal third quarter of 2026, total company sales are expected to grow in the high single digits, with mid-single-digit growth projected for the Retail segment [15] - Gross profit margin is anticipated to remain flat year over year, with SG&A expenses expected to rise faster than sales due to increased marketing investments [16] - For the full fiscal year 2026, gross margins are expected to improve by approximately 100 basis points, despite tariff pressures [19][20] Capital Expenditures - Projected capital expenditures for fiscal 2026 are approximately $270 million, with allocations for retail store expansion, technology investments, and home office facility expansion [22] Store Expansion Plans - Urban Outfitters plans to open approximately 69 new stores and close 17 in fiscal 2026, with a focus on FP Movement, Free People, and Anthropologie [23] Stock Performance - Shares of URBN have gained 7.6% in the past three months, outperforming the industry growth of 1.5% [23]

Core Insights - Urban Outfitters, Inc. (URBN) reported strong first-quarter fiscal 2026 results, with both earnings and sales exceeding expectations, leading to a 17.5% increase in share price during after-market trading [1][5]. Financial Performance - Earnings per share reached $1.16, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 81 cents, marking a 78.5% increase year-over-year [5]. - Total net sales increased by 10.7% year-over-year to $1,329.5 million, exceeding the consensus estimate of $1,286 million [5]. - The Retail segment's comparable sales grew by 4.8%, with notable increases in sales from both digital and physical stores [6]. Segment Performance - The Wholesale segment saw a significant 24.2% year-over-year growth in net sales, driven by a 25.6% increase in Free People's wholesale sales [7]. - Nuuly, the women's apparel subscription rental service, experienced a 59.5% increase in net sales, attributed to a 52.9% rise in average active subscribers [7]. Margin and Cost Insights - Gross profit rose by 19.8% year-over-year to $489.1 million, with gross margin expanding by 278 basis points to 36.8% [8][9]. - Selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses increased by 8.1% year-over-year to $360.8 million, primarily due to higher marketing costs and store payroll expenses [10]. Operational Highlights - Operating income increased by 71.8% to $128.2 million, with the operating margin rising by 340 basis points to 9.6% [11]. - The company opened 13 retail locations during the quarter, including two Urban Outfitters and two Anthropologie stores [12]. Financial Health - As of April 30, 2025, URBN had cash and cash equivalents of $189.4 million and total shareholders' equity of $2.43 billion [14]. - The total inventory grew by 14.6% year-over-year, with the Retail segment's inventory increasing by 13.2% [14]. Future Outlook - For the fiscal second quarter, Urban Outfitters anticipates total company sales growth in the high-single-digit range, with the Retail segment expected to see mid-single-digit growth [18]. - The company plans to open 64 stores and close 17 in fiscal 2026, with a capital expenditure of $240 million [21].