Delivered at High End of Guidance
Management delivered adjusted operating income and EPS at or above the high end of fiscal '26 guidance despite headwinds (tariffs, record gold costs, measured consumer). Fiscal '26 adjusted operating income was $515 million and adjusted diluted EPS grew 7% year-over-year.
Strong Free Cash Flow and Liquidity
Free cash flow for fiscal '26 was approximately $525 million, up 20% year-over-year. Cash ended the quarter at $875 million with total liquidity of roughly $2.0 billion and an undrawn ABL; excess liquidity above $1.5 billion considered available for shareholder returns or investments.
Revenue and Comp Performance for the Year
Full-year comp sales grew 1.3%. Fourth-quarter revenue was $2.3 billion with a quarterly comp down 0.7% (but +1% ex-James Allen and net weather impact). The three largest brands (Kay, Zales, Jared) drove over 3% combined comp sales growth for the year and produced positive comps for the majority of fiscal '26.
Pricing and AUR Strength
Average unit retail (AUR) grew 5% across all categories in the quarter, contributing to sales momentum and offsetting some volume pressure.
Margin and Cost Management Achievements
Full-year gross margin expanded ~30 basis points year-over-year. Management cited successful cost reductions, value engineering, vendor relationship optimization and country-of-origin pivots that supported adjusted operating income growth despite commodity and tariff pressures.
Capital Allocation and Share Repurchases
Repurchased $205 million of stock (more than 3 million shares) in fiscal '26 at an average price of ~$66, representing >7% of shares outstanding for the year. Remaining repurchase authorization at year-end was approximately $518 million and year-to-date repurchases of $45 million through March 17.
Portfolio Simplification and Strategic Investments
Company restructured portfolio from supporting eight independent businesses to four core engines, elevated Blue Nile as a premium natural-diamond brand, will sunset JamesAllen.com over Q2 and move Rocksbox into Kay. Plans include Integrated Diamond Sourcing, a Jewelry Service Network expansion, site redesigns for Kay/Zales/Jared by Q3, and 200+ renovations planned in fiscal '27 (nearly 10% of fleet).