TJX Posts Q1 Comps Growth

The TJX Companies (NYSE:TJX) reported first-quarter fiscal 2026 results on May 21, 2025, featuring a consolidated 3% comparable sales increase, a pretax profit margin of 10.3%, and diluted EPS of $0.92. Management maintained full-year FY2026 guidance for sales and earnings growth, assuming that "the current level of tariffs on imports into the U.S. from China and other countries as of May 21, 2025 will stay in place for the remainder of the year. The Company’s full year Fiscal 2026 guidance assumes that it can offset the significant incremental pressure it has experienced and continues to expect from tariffs."

Key insights below focus on inventory agility, margin levers amidst tariffs and inflation, and strategic demographic positioning.

Inventory Agility Yields Strategic Advantage Despite Global Disruptions

Inventory levels increased 15% on a balance sheet basis and 7% per store year-over-year, indicating that TJX is opportunistically buying amid industry supply chain uncertainty and merchandise volatility. The transcript highlights how management flexibly reallocates assortment between categories and regions depending on real-time vendor dynamics and competitive supply pressures.

"We only see that trend going up in terms of availability as we go to the back half. To your point, when some of the vendors are talking about cutting back or delaying, could we see a category here or there where there's less availability than we traditionally see from the traditional retailers potentially cutting back in advance or the wholesaler cutting back? That could happen. The good thing with our flexibility is we will just take advantage of an adjacent category or something. We'll say, hey, we'll give up on the one category. That might have a little less, and we'll just have a little less of it. We won't, I shouldn't say, give up. We'd have a little less inventory on that. And we'll go after the ones where we think there's more exciting value to put out there."
-- Ernie Herrman, Chief Executive Officer

This structural merchandising flexibility shields TJX from concentrated supply shocks and enables rapid capture of value buys, supporting consistent sales and customer traffic in turbulent macro environments.

Margin Levers Remain Intact Through Tariff and Inflation Volatility

HomeGoods delivered 4% comp sales growth and improved segment margins by 70 basis points, bucking industry home category weakness. Gross margin contraction of 50 basis points and planned Q2 headwinds are attributed to tariff and hedging impacts, not underlying merchandising weakness. Less than 10% of product is direct-sourced, and management's detailed playbook includes real-time retail adjustments and sourcing shifts to defend value perception and margin structure.

"We have other levers. Which is the ability to buy in this environment with all the availability that's out there, buy, really, I would say, more profitably and advantageous. ... Our buyers are trained to not, they do not use a markup wheel. ... our buyers work retail backwards and don't start with the cost and focus on the cost as much as the other merchants do at other retailers."
-- Ernie Herrman, Chief Executive Officer

This buying process significantly cushions the impact of product cost volatility and enables TJX to prioritize margin or volume depending on competitive and consumer conditions, distinguishing its business model from less nimble retailers.

Broad Demographic Reach Drives Transaction Growth and Share Gains

All income demographic bands delivered strong sales, with a slight tilt toward lower-income segments as value-seeking intensifies under economic pressure. Management cites consistent transaction-led comp gains and diversified store marketing as drivers of resilient market share capture.

"Across all our income demographic bands, we saw strong sales in all of those bands leaning slightly towards the lower income demographic. ... When you look at our overall sales driven by, mainly by transactions ... customers are concerned about the economy, you know, many of them are gonna look for value and ... The TJX Companies, Inc. is one of the companies that, you know, we're one of the leaders in offering value to those customers."
-- John Klinger, Chief Financial Officer

Persistent broad-based traffic and sales growth, even as competitors rationalize store counts or struggle with shifting consumer budgets, positions TJX for continued share gains across cycles and reduces dependence on any single cohort or channel.

Looking Ahead

Management reaffirmed full-year FY2026 guidance for comparable sales growth of 2% to 3%, as well as:

• Consolidated sales of $58.1 billion to $58.6 billion (up 3% to 4%) for FY2026.
• Pretax profit margin of 11.3% to 11.4% (down 10–20 basis points).
• EPS (GAAP) of $4.34 to $4.43 (+2% to +4%).

Q2 FY2026 guidance calls for:

• 2% to 3% comparable sales growth.
• $13.9 billion to $14.0 billion in sales.
• EPS of $0.97 to $1.00 (+1% to +4%).

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This article was created using Large Language Models (LLMs) based on The Motley Fool's insights and investing approach. It has been reviewed by our AI quality control systems. Since LLMs cannot (currently) own stocks, it has no positions in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends TJX Companies. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.