Core Insights - Urban Outfitters Inc. (URBN) reported record first-quarter sales of $1.33 billion for fiscal 2026, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 10.7% with all five brands achieving positive comparable sales [1][9] - The company's operating profit surged by 71.8% to $128.2 million, moving closer to its long-term goal of a 10% operating margin [1] Sales Performance - Free People led the sales growth with an 11% increase, driven by retail and wholesale gains, including a 3.1% rise in retail comparable sales and a 25.6% increase in wholesale revenue [2] - Nuuly, the apparel rental subscription service, added over 110,000 subscribers year-over-year, surpassing 380,000 subscribers, resulting in a 59.5% revenue increase for the brand [4] - Anthropologie achieved its 10th consecutive quarter of double-digit operating profit growth, supported by a 6.9% retail comparable sales increase [6] Brand Developments - The Urban Outfitters brand recorded a 2.1% global retail comparable sales increase, with a notable 14% gain in Europe, which offset a 4% decline in North America [7] - The company opened 43 new locations under Free People and FP Movement over the past year, with expectations of mid-single-digit retail comparable gains in the upcoming fiscal quarter [3] Financial Outlook - URBN projects high-single-digit sales growth for the fiscal second quarter, with an anticipated gross margin improvement of 50-100 basis points for the year [8] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for URBN's earnings has been revised upward, indicating year-over-year growth of 22.2% for the current fiscal year and 9.9% for the next fiscal year [16] Stock Performance - URBN shares have rallied 40% in the past three months, outperforming the Zacks Retail-Apparel and Shoes industry's growth of 18.9% [10] - The stock is currently trading 6.8% below its 52-week high, with technical indicators suggesting a continued uptrend [11] Valuation Metrics - URBN is considered a compelling value play, trading at a forward 12-month price-to-sales ratio of 1.02, below the industry average of 1.77 [12]