Citi Trends (CTRN)
NASDAQ:CTRN
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Earnings Data
Report Date
Aug 25, 2026Before Open (Confirmed)
Period Ending
2026 (Q2)Consensus EPS Forecast
-0.35Last Year’s EPS
-0.82Same Quarter Last Year
Moderate Buy
Based on 2 Analysts Ratings
Earnings Call Summary
Earnings Call Sentiment|Positive
The call presented a strongly positive operating and financial result for Q1 FY26 with meaningful top-line growth, margin improvement, and a significant increase in adjusted EBITDA. Management highlighted broad-based category performance, improved inventory productivity, AI-driven improvements, and a clean balance sheet. Key near-term headwinds are increased freight/fuel surcharges (which reduced earlier margin expansion expectations) and higher absolute SG&A and incentive accruals tied to improved performance. Store growth cadence in 2026 is still being re-established, though new stores and remodels are performing above expectations and management provided upgraded full-year guidance. On balance, the operational momentum and upgraded outlook outweigh the manageable headwinds.Company Guidance
Strong Top-Line Growth
Total sales of $231.0M in Q1 FY26, up 14.4% year-over-year; comparable store sales increased 13.9% with a 2-year stack of +23.8%, marking 20–21 consecutive months of comp growth.
Material EBITDA Improvement
Adjusted EBITDA of $13.9M in Q1 (vs. $6.4M prior year), a $7.5M increase and more than doubling year-over-year; adjusted EBITDA margin expanded to 6.0%, up ~280 basis points.
Gross Margin Expansion and Margin Drivers
Gross margin rate improved to 40.0%, up 40 basis points year-over-year, driven by improved merchandise margin from investments in allocation and loss-prevention systems and better markdown management.
Operating Leverage and Expense Discipline
Adjusted SG&A of $78.3M (up in absolute dollars due to higher sales and bonus accruals) but SG&A as a percent of sales leveraged 250 basis points to 33.9%, reflecting improved operating discipline and fixed-cost leverage.
Inventory and Balance Sheet Strength
Quarter-end inventory up only 4.8% year-over-year while comps were +13.9%, indicating improved inventory productivity; cash balance of $81.1M, no debt, and $0 drawn on $75M revolver.
Executional Wins Across Merchandising Categories
Broad-based sales increases across product divisions and store climates: strong results in family footwear, men's (young men's trend), children's, and women's accessories; improvements in basket size and traffic (nearly half of sales increase driven by transactions).
Operational and Technology Advancements
AI-driven allocation and analytics improving inventory productivity and store/site selection (management cited ~90% accuracy in sales prediction for site analytics); completed ~51 remodels (25 in Q1 + 26 in early Q2) and see new stores performing above expectations.
Upgraded FY26 Guidance
Updated full-year guidance: comparable store sales +8%–10%; total sales +9%–11%; gross margin expansion of 50–70 bps vs FY25; adjusted EBITDA guidance raised to $35M–$40M (expected ~200 bps margin expansion); plan to open ~25 stores, remodel ~50, and capex $35M–$40M.
Customer & Marketing Initiatives
Launching Insiders Club CRM in July to drive loyalty and frequency; successful customer-driven marketing (jingle contest) produced strong engagement and incremental store traffic.
CTRN Earnings History
The table shows recent earnings report dates and whether the forecast was beat or missed. See the change in forecast and EPS from the previous year.
Beat
Missed
CTRN Earnings-Related Price Changes
Report Date | Price 1 Day Before | Price 1 Day After | Percentage Change |
|---|---|---|---|
Jun 02, 2026 | $44.28 | $46.11 | +4.13% |
Mar 17, 2026 | $44.17 | $51.66 | +16.96% |
Dec 02, 2025 | $44.07 | $43.47 | -1.36% |
Aug 26, 2025 | $34.03 | $33.95 | -0.24% |
Earnings announcements can affect a stock’s price. This table shows the stock's price the day before and the day after recent earnings reports, including the percentage change.
FAQ
When does Citi Trends (CTRN) report earnings?
Citi Trends (CTRN) is schdueled to report earning on Aug 25, 2026, Before Open (Confirmed).
What is Citi Trends (CTRN) earnings time?
Citi Trends (CTRN) earnings time is at Aug 25, 2026, Before Open (Confirmed).
Where can I see when companies are reporting earnings?
You can see which companies are reporting today on our designated earnings calendar.
What companies are reporting earnings today?
You can see a list of the companies which are reporting today on TipRanks earnings calendar.
What is CTRN EPS forecast?
CTRN EPS forecast for the fiscal quarter 2026 (Q2) is -0.35.