Five Below shares declined during extended trading, after the company’s second-quarter revenue missed analysts' expectations.
For the quarter ended Aug. 3, Five Below’s net sales increased +20% year-over-year to $417.4 million, falling short of analysts’ estimates of $421.1 million. Comparable-store sales rose +1.4% for the quarter.
However, the discount retail company’s diluted earnings per share of 51 cents surpassed analysts’ expectations of 50 cents. It was also higher compared to the year-ago quarter’s 45 cents.
CEO Joel Anderson mentioned that Five Below had a slower start to summer which affected sales of the company’s seasonal items.
But Anderson also emphasized on Five Below’s strong results from new stores. Anderson said the company opened 44 new stores in 21 states, and is on track to finish the year with 150 new stores.
Looking ahead, Five Below has forecasted third-quarter net sales to range between $369 million and $374 million based on opening 55 new stores and assuming a 2% to 3% increase in comparable sales. Net income is expected to range between $7.6 million and $9.8 million (i.e. diluted EPS of 14 cents to 17 cents) in the third quarter.