Burlington Stores, Inc. BURL has reported third-quarter fiscal 2024 results, wherein sales lagged the Zacks Consensus Estimate and earnings beat the same. Also, top and bottom lines grew year over year. 

The company saw strong early third-quarter performance, but warmer weather in mid-September slowed sales momentum, particularly in cold-weather categories. Excluding these, comparable sales showed consistent growth with recent trends. Effective inventory and liquidity management drove improved margins and earnings growth. The company is well-positioned for the holiday season, maintaining a cautious yet optimistic outlook for fourth-quarter sales growth.

More on Burlington Stores’ Q3 Financial Results

Burlington Stores reported adjusted earnings of $1.55 per share, which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.54. The bottom line rose 58.2% from 98 cents in the year-ago quarter. Excluding the acquisition of Bed Bath & Beyond leases, earnings were $1.55 per share compared with $1.10 in the year-ago period.

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Total sales of $2,530.7 million increased 10.5% from the prior-year quarter and missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2,562 million. The company’s comparable store sales jumped 1% from the year-ago period. Net sales were $2,526.2 million and other revenues were $4.5 million.

Insight Into BURL’s Margins

The gross margin was 43.9%, up 70 basis points (bps) from third-quarter fiscal 2023. The merchandise margin expanded 50 bps due to lower markdowns and higher markup. Freight expenses improved 20 bps year over year.

Adjusted selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses rose 9.2% year over year to $680 million. Adjusted SG&A expenses, as a rate of net sales, was 26.9%, down 40 bps from third-quarter fiscal 2023. We estimated adjusted SG&A expenses to grow 11.7% year over year in the third quarter. 

Product sourcing costs were $210 million, up from $200 million in the year-ago quarter. 

Adjusted EBITDA increased 30.3% from the third quarter of fiscal 2023 to $228.8 million. Adjusted EBITDA margin increased 140 bps to 9.1%. Adjusted EBIT was $141.3 million, up 42.1% from $99.5 million in the year-ago quarter. Adjusted EBIT margin was 5.6%, up 120 bps from the year-ago quarter.

BURL’s Financial Snapshot: Cash, Debt & Equity Overview

The company ended the reported quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $857.8 million, long-term debt of $1.54 billion and stockholders’ equity of $1.15 billion. BURL exited the fiscal third quarter with $1.71 billion of liquidity, including $858 million of unrestricted cash and $847 million available under its ABL facility.

Burlington Stores ended the quarter with $1.71 billion of outstanding total debt, comprising $1.24 billion under its term-loan facility, $453 million of convertible notes and no borrowings under the company’s ABL facility.

The company bought back 213,372 shares for $56 million under its share repurchase plan in the fiscal third quarter. As of Nov. 2, 2024, BURL had $325 million remaining under its current share repurchase authorization.

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BURL’s FY24 Guidance

For the fiscal fourth quarter, the company anticipates a 5-7% increase in total sales. This prediction is based on an expected 0-2% increase in comparable store sales from the year-ago quarter. Adjusted EBIT margin is expected to improve 50-80 bps year over year in the fourth quarter. 

Moreover, it forecasts adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $3.55-$3.75, whereas it reported $3.69 in the year-ago period (which excludes $4 million, net of tax, of expenses related to the acquired Bed Bath & Beyond leases).

The company gave its fiscal 2024 predictions, where total sales are expected to increase in the band of 9-10%. Comparable store sales are now expected to grow in the range of 2-4%, an improvement from the previous estimate of 2-3%, indicating stronger expected performance at individual stores. In terms of profitability, adjusted EBIT margin is anticipated to increase in the band of 60-70 bps, which is slightly more favorable than the previous estimated range of 50-70 bps. 

The forecast for adjusted EPS has also been revised upward and is now expected to be in the range of $7.76-$7.96 compared with the earlier estimate of $7.66-$7.96. This indicates stronger overall profitability. Both predictions exclude expenses associated with the acquired Bed Bath & Beyond leases.

In fiscal 2024, management intends a capital expenditure, net of landlord allowances, of $750 million. The company intends to open 101 net new stores in fiscal 2024.

In the past six months, this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company has gained 45.6% compared with the industry's 10.8% growth.

Stocks to Consider

Some better-ranked stocks are Deckers Outdoor Corporation DECK, The Gap, Inc. GAP and Gildan Activewear Inc. GIL.

Deckers is a leading designer, producer and brand manager of innovative, niche footwear and accessories developed for outdoor sports and other lifestyle-related activities. It sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Deckers’ fiscal 2025 earnings and sales indicates growth of 12.6% and 13.6%, respectively, from fiscal 2024 reported levels. DECK has a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 41.1%.

Gap is a premier international specialty retailer offering a diverse range of clothing, accessories and personal care products. It currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). 

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Gap’s fiscal 2025 earnings and sales indicates growth of 37.8% and 1.3%, respectively, from fiscal 2024 reported figures. GAP has a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 101.2%.

Gildan is a manufacturer and marketer of premium quality branded basic activewear for sale principally in the wholesale imprinted activewear segment of North America’s apparel market. It presently carries a Zacks Rank #2. 

The consensus estimate for Gildan’s current financial-year earnings and sales indicates growth of 15.6% and 1.5%, respectively, from figures of 2023. GIL has a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 5.4%.

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