Target on Wednesday posted quarterly earnings that were boosted by tariff refunds and raised its full-year guidance, as the retailer shows more signs its turnaround is taking hold.
The company said net sales climbed 5.3% from the year prior. Comparable sales grew 3.8%, topping Wall Street estimates of 2.4%, according to StreetAccount. Target added in its release that it saw "broad-based" strength across categories.
"We're encouraged by the progress made so far, and we're also clear-eyed about the important work still ahead," CEO Michael Fiddelke said on a call with reporters. "Q2 is an important step forward in the plan we laid out earlier this year to open a new chapter of growth for Target. What you saw from us this quarter reflects the level of change we knew would be needed to put our strategy in motion."
Target's fiscal second-quarter results also included a $752 million boost to net earnings, or $1.65 per share, from tariff refunds. The company said its second-quarter gross margin and operating income included a $994 million pretax benefit from that repayment.
Target hiked its full fiscal-year outlook, due to both stronger sales trends and the one-time boost to its bottom line. The retailer raised its full-year net sales growth guidance to about 5%, up by 1 percentage point.
It expects full-year EPS, including the tariff refunds, to be between $9.90 and $10.90. Excluding the repayment, that range would be $8.25 to $9.25 per share, compared with its previous outlook of $7.50 to $8.50 per share.
Though Target has posted promising results for two straight quarters, Fiddelke said he remains cautious on the company's turnaround.
"To be clear, we have much more work to do," he told reporters. "The combination of stronger execution and improving guest feedback provides a firm foundation on which to build as we continue advancing our strategy."
Target shares rose 4% on Wednesday.
Here's what the retailer reported for its fiscal second quarter compared with what Wall Street expected, based on a survey of analysts by LSEG:
Earnings per share: $2.46 adjusted vs. $2.33 expected
Revenue: $26.54 billion vs. $26.14 billion expected
For the three-month period ended Aug. 1, Target reported net income of $1.88 billion, or $4.11 per share, compared with $935 million, or $2.05 per share, the year prior. That comparison includes the boon Target received from collecting its tariff refunds.
"Two strong quarters is not the goal," Fiddelke told reporters. "Sustained, durable top- and bottom-line growth over time is what we're after."
Digital comparable sales jumped 8.7% in the quarter, as same-day delivery grew more than 25%, according to the company.
Target said it saw strength across its food and beauty businesses, as all six of its major categories grew. However, its apparel and home categories lagged behind other segments, a discrepancy company executives said they're intent on fixing.
"We knew a category like home was going to be a multiyear journey, and we're encouraged by the guest response where we've made changes in a category like home," Fiddelke told reporters. "We changed 75% of our decorative accessories assortment, and we've seen strong [comparable sales] follow that change. Frankly, we need a lot more of that type of improvement in those two categories."
Target also said it has lowered prices on more than 10,000 items, with more reductions in the pipeline, in an effort to get customers back into its stores. It opened 17 new stores in the second quarter.
The company has been trying to prove to investors that it's on the right path toward returning to consistent growth and reattracting its core customer. The earnings come as many consumers continue to spend less, pressured by macroeconomic conditions.
Last quarter, Target reported its first positive same-store sales number in five quarters, jumping 5.6%.
Target's stock is up more than 55% this year.
