Academy Sports and Outdoors Inc
Q4 2026 Earnings
Market Reaction
S&P 500 over the same 30 days: +5.87%.
Did ASO Beat Earnings? Q4 2026 Results
Academy Sports & Outdoors delivered a softer-than-expected fourth quarter for fiscal 2025, with adjusted diluted EPS of $1.97 missing the $2.05 consensus estimate by 4.04% and revenue of $1.72 billion coming in 2.05% below the $1.75 billion Wall Street had anticipated, even as sales grew 2.5% year over year. The shortfall came despite notable operational bright spots, including gross margin expansion of 140 basis points to 33.6%, but higher SG&A expenses of $406.46 million weighed on the bottom line and offset much of that progress. Comparable sales declined 1.6%, though that represented an improvement from the prior year's 3.0% comp decline, and e-commerce growth of 13.6% for the full year underscored the company's ongoing omnichannel push. Jefferies maintained a Buy rating on the stock while trimming its price target to $61 following the results. Looking ahead, management guided fiscal 2026 net sales of $6.18 billion to $6.36 billion and adjusted EPS of $6.10 to $6.60, citing new store openings, loyalty program momentum, and international sporting events as key growth catalysts, while acknowledging persistent consumer financial pressure and potential tariff headwinds.
- Gross margin expansion of 140 basis points to 33.6% in Q4
- E-commerce segment grew 13.6% for full year
- New store openings: 24 stores in fiscal 2025, 5 in Q4
- Comparable sales decline improved to -1.6% from -3.0% year-over-year
- High-income households (>$100K) now largest and fastest growing customer segment
- In-stock optimization improved 500 basis points via assortment rationalization and RFID
“This past year marked an inflection point for Academy as we continued to gain market share and moved back to topline growth. During 2025, we put in place many foundational building blocks that helped drive sales and will continue to pay dividends in 2026 and beyond.”
Academy Sports & Outdoors CEO, on the earnings call
Forward Guidance & Outlook
For fiscal 2026 (year ending January 30, 2027), Academy guides net sales of $6.175B to $6.355B (2-5% growth), comparable sales of -1.0% to +2.0%, gross margin rate of 34.5% to 35.0%, GAAP net income of $380M to $415M, GAAP diluted EPS of $5.65 to $6.15, adjusted diluted EPS of $6.10 to $6.60, capital expenditures of $200M to $240M, and adjusted free cash flow of $250M to $300M. The company plans to open 20-25 new stores. Guidance assumes a tax rate of 22.0% to 23.0% and excludes potential future share repurchases. Management expects tailwinds from new store growth, omnichannel expansion, increased tax refunds, international sporting events, and America's 250th anniversary, but acknowledges persistent consumer financial pressure and macroeconomic headwinds.
ASO YoY Financials
Figures from SEC filings and company reports. Not investment advice.