GAP

This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Revenue: $155.5 million, down 9.6% on FY25. EBITDA: Increased 2.5% to $12.3 million, with EBITDA margin expanding to 7.9%. Net Loss After Tax: Improved by $2.3 million to $2.9 million, absorbing costs from the operating model reset and a $3 million largely noncash foreign exchange expense. Operating Cash Flow: Increased from $0.1 million to $21.4 million. Net Cash Position: Finished FY26 with net cash of $4.9 million, compared with net debt of $8.9 million a year earlier. Inventory Reduction: Reduced by $8.6 million. Operating Expenses: Reduced by $7.2 million. Americas Revenue: $64.3 million, down 15%, with EBITDA declining 11% to $13.1 million and EBITDA margin improving to 20.4%. ANZ Revenue: $76.4 million, down 4%, with EBITDA increasing 22% to $11.5 million and EBITDA margin expanding from 11.8% to 15.1%. Developing Markets Revenue: $14.8 million, down 12%, with EBITDA declining 41% to $4.1 million. Americas Cost Savings: Delivered $3.1 million in cash savings during FY26. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 6 Warning Signs with ASX:GAP. Is ASX:GAP fairly valued? Test your thesis with our free DCF calculator. Release Date: August 26, 2026 For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. EBITDA increased 2.5% to $12.3 million with margin expansion to 7.9% despite lower revenue, indicating improved earnings quality. Operating cash flow surged from $0.1 million to $21.4 million, driven by disciplined working capital management and a $8.6 million reduction in inventory. The company returned to a net cash position of $4.9 million, a $13.8 million improvement from net debt of $8.9 million, strengthening the balance sheet. ANZ region delivered a strong performance with EBITDA up 22% to $11.5 million and margin expansion to 15.1%, supported by robust retail and commercial segments. New supply agreements with Menards, Do it Best, and Orgill expand market reach to thousands of additional retail locations in North America, while e-commerce sales nearly doubled. Manufacturing diversification progressed with successful fabric trials in Thailand, reducing supply chain concentration risk. Group operating expenses reduced by $7.2 million through cost discipline and simplification, without materially impacting customer-facing capabilities. Revenue declined 9.6% to $155.5 million, impacted by subdued US consumer demand, Middle East conflict, and moderating grain storage fabric volumes. Net loss after tax was $2.9 million, though improved by $2.3 million, reflecting ongoing profitability challenges. Americas revenue fell 15% to $64.3 million, with EBITDA down 11% to $13.1 million due to softer consumer demand and inventory destocking by retailers. Developing markets revenue dropped 12% to $14.8 million and EBITDA declined 41% to $4.1 million, heavily impacted by Middle East disruption. US consumer confidence remains subdued, expected to continue weighing on discretionary spending, and tariffs may impact consumer prices and demand. Input costs increased due to the Middle East conflict, though stabilizing, with resin prices starting to ease but still a risk. The company absorbed $3 million in largely noncash foreign exchange expenses and costs from the operating model reset, weighing on profitability. Q: How and where will revenue growth be delivered, and what is a reasonable rate of growth to aim for in FY27 and beyond?A: CEO Troy Mortleman stated that growth will be delivered across all strategic priorities, with a strong focus on demand generation and scaling operations in the United States. He identified the commercial segment of the US business as the clearest near-term opportunity for growth, noting that while retail has longer buying cycles, active efforts are underway. He remained realistic about growth rates and indicated that more specific progress updates would be provided at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) in November. Q: Has the change of approach to inventory stocking in the US fully washed through the revenue numbers?A: CEO Troy Mortleman confirmed that the deliberate shift to a more disciplined inventory fulfilment approach impacted US revenue during the peak season. However, retailers have successfully sold through much of their excess inventory over the summer. He expects the negative impact to lessen as the company builds for the next year, and he emphasized that new retail partnerships and a focus on increasing category depth will help mitigate any residual inventory effects. Q: Have input costs stabilized?A: CEO Troy Mortleman explained that input costs increased due to the Middle East conflict, but the company mitigated this through existing inventory and recovered some increases through pricing in key markets. He noted that costs are now starting to stabilize and ease, particularly for resin, the highest-cost raw material, as oil prices soften. He highlighted multiple global sourcing options as a mitigation strategy, though he acknowledged that predictability remains a challenge. Q: Is there an opportunity to continue to grow margins?A: CEO Troy Mortleman affirmed that there is significant opportunity for margin expansion, primarily driven by growing the commercial business, which enjoys higher margins. He also pointed to ongoing operational efficiency measures, particularly in China, and the benefits of a leaner cost base. As the customer and product mix shifts toward commercial segments, he expects margins to improve, with the leaner structure allowing growth to flow directly to the bottom line. Q: How is the recoup of tariffs going, and what is the expected impact of US tariffs going forward?A: CEO Troy Mortleman stated that the company has successfully recouped some tariffs, which has been helpful, and has managed tariff impacts since 2017. He noted that the biggest impact is on consumer spending in the US, which has softened as goods become more expensive. He mentioned that shelf prices have not yet been reduced despite tariff refunds, but the Christmas period will be a key indicator. CFO Dexter Clarke added that tariffs are fully factored into FY27 plans. Q: Will you speak to the most recent demand characteristics?A: CEO Troy Mortleman indicated that the company will provide more detail on early FY27 demand trends at the AGM in November. He noted that the company is only 6 to 7 weeks into the new fiscal year, making it too early to provide a comprehensive update at this time. Q: What were the key drivers behind the significant improvement in operating cash flow and the return to a net cash position?A: The improvement was driven by disciplined working capital management and a material reduction in inventory of $8.6 million. This, combined with a leaner operating model and cost savings, allowed the group to convert earnings into cash more effectively, resulting in a $13.8 million improvement in the balance sheet, moving from net debt of $8.9 million to net cash of $4.9 million. Q: How is the company addressing the challenging consumer demand environment in the United States?A: CEO Troy Mortleman explained that the company has used the period of subdued consumer demand to materially strengthen the Americas business. Actions include simplifying the operating model to deliver $3.1 million in cash savings, adding business development capability in key US markets, and securing new supply agreements with Menards, Do it Best, and Orgill. These partnerships significantly expand market reach, and the company's own e-commerce platform has also gained momentum, with sales nearly doubling. Q: What is the outlook for the Middle East region following the conflict disruption?A: CEO Troy Mortleman noted that while the Middle East conflict significantly disrupted trading in the second half of FY26, demand progressively recovered from April onwards, with revenue returning to prior year levels in the fourth quarter. The company's established presence in Dubai, including local inventory and experienced teams, provided a competitive advantage. He remains encouraged by opportunities in the region, though demand is expected to remain sensitive to geopolitical developments. Q: What are the key strategic priorities for FY27?A: CEO Troy Mortleman outlined four key priorities: accelerating commercial segment growth by expanding business development capability; scaling the US consumer business by replicating the category breadth developed with Bunnings; scaling demand generation across all regions through digital capability and market activation; and continuing operational optimization, including manufacturing diversification and standardizing supply chain processes to support margin improvement and cash generation. For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript.

Image source: The Motley Fool. Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026 at 5 p.m. ET Senior Director of Investor Relations - Shirley Martin Chief Executive Officer - Richard Dickson Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer - Katrina O'Connell Operator: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. I would like to welcome everyone to the Gap Inc. Second Quarter 2026 Earnings Conference Call. [Operator Instructions] I would now like to introduce your host, Shirley Martin, Senior Director of Investor Relations. Shirley Martin: Good afternoon, everyone. Welcome to Gap Inc.'s Second Quarter Fiscal 2026 Earnings Conference Call. Before we begin, I'd like to remind you that the information made available on this conference call contains forward-looking statements that are subject to risks that could cause our actual results to be materially different. For information on factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from any forward-looking statements, please refer to the cautionary statements contained in our latest earnings release. The risk factors described in the company's annual report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 17, 2026, and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, all of which are available on gapinc.com. These forward-looking statements are based on information as of today, August 27, 2026, and we assume no obligation to publicly update or revise our forward-looking statements. Our latest earnings release and the accompanying materials available on gapinc.com also include descriptions and where available reconciliations of financial measures not consistent with generally accepted accounting principles. All market data referenced today will be from Circana's U.S. apparel consumer service for the 12 months ending July 2026, unless otherwise stated. Joining me on the call today are our Chief Executive Officer, Richard Dickson; and Chief Financial Officer, Katrina O'Connell. With that, I'll turn the call over to Richard. Richard Dickson: Thanks, Shirley, and good afternoon, everyone. In the second quarter, while the company exceeded our profit expectations, we delivered a net sales decline of 2% with mixed performance on the top line across the portfolio. While not the revenue outcome we wanted, continued operational and financial rigor contributed to gross margin strength. We also maintained market share, reflecting the continued resonance of our brand portfolio. The Gap brand delivered another exceptional quarter with comparable sales increasing 10% and Banana Republic continued to build momentum, posting its fifth consecutive quarter of positive comps. Athleta's top line remained pressured, though we saw encouraging improvements in inventory productivity. At Old Navy, as we previewed on last quarter's call, seasonal categories continued to weigh on performance. While we took actions to address this as the quarter progressed, we also experienced a slowdown in traffic, which led to a modest miss versus our expectations. While this is disappointing, I have confidence in our plans to improve performance in the second half. Over the past quarter, Katrina and I have been deeply involved with the Old Navy team in conducting a thorough review of the business. We have a clear understanding of where our execution fell short and have moved quickly to strengthen our plans, the details of which I will get into in a few minutes. Based on August trends, we are also encouraged by the improvement we are seeing, and we're focused on delivering for the second half. Beyond our near-term priorities, we continue to make long-term investments to advance our next phase of growth. We continue to expand beauty and accessories while building our Fashiontainment and technology platforms to deepen customer engagement, strengthen our brands and enhance our operations. We also demonstrated our commitment to shareholder returns, through our dividend and meaningful share repurchases in the quarter, reflecting both the strength of our balance sheet and our confidence in the long-term opportunity. As we factor in our second quarter performance, we are narrowing our full year revenue outlook. At the same time, we are raising our margin and EPS outlook, as Katrina will share shortly. We are confident in the road map we have put in place for the second half and remain focused on disciplined execution and delivering further improvement. Turning now to our detailed second quarter results by brand, starting with Old Navy. In the second quarter, Old Navy's comparable sales declined 4%. As we previewed last quarter, we expected the women's summer seasonal assortment to pressure performance, and that played out largely as anticipated, accounting for approximately 3 points of the comp pressure in the quarter. In particular, we experienced declines in dresses, shorts and swim, where we made some assortment and pricing decisions that impacted our value equation. What we did not anticipate was the degree to which our marketing would fall short in driving traffic. We are not satisfied with this result and have responded quickly. As we move into the third quarter the headwind from summer categories becomes much less significant. This gives us a clear runway for improvement as key categories like denim, active, sweaters and knits drive the business. Additionally, as we sharpen fashion content and pricing, we believe our fall assortment will provide an improved value equation. In denim, we are solidly positioned as the third largest denim brand in the country with great quality denim for the whole family at highly attractive price points. We are building Old Navy as a denim destination. Following strong first half performance, denim will grow in importance during the second half as we build on the momentum we are seeing in newer silhouettes like low rise and baggy while introducing more fashion and choice, all at great value. In knits, legacy franchises remain healthy while we chase into untapped growth in newer franchises like Hug and Heavyweight. In active, Old Navy is the fifth largest brand in the country. With the success we've had and continued innovation, this fall, we are amplifying our presence in the category with the introduction of Old Navy Sport, beginning with an elevated merchandising experience, including approximately 40 shop-in-shops in select stores and storytelling centered on technical innovation and style at an incredible value. Old Navy Sport will become Old Navy's active brand. In beauty, building on our successful pilot last fall, this week, we launched our Old Navy Beauty Co. collection nationwide expanding Old Navy into a destination for everyday essentials from style to beauty. And next month, we are expanding our partnership with Fanatics bringing our first exclusive collection of licensed sports merchandise to customers at Old Navy's Signature value, enabling us to capitalize on key moments in the sports calendar beginning with football season. In addition to product, we have rewired our marketing strategy to improve traffic trends. Our fall denim campaign featuring music artists and television personality Cardi B, launched earlier this month and is off to a good start, driving improvement in traffic. Building on its success this week, we launched Cardi's cardi extending the reach and relevance of the campaign into knits. In addition, as we build excitement and momentum for back-to-school, we have partnered with leading digital creator, MrBeast, on a multipart content series highlighting the incredible style, expression and value in Old Navy's back-to-school collection. With improved execution in August, we have seen the business pick up, reinforcing our confidence in the actions we are taking. We are clear on the path forward, and we believe we can drive stronger results from here. As we execute on our fall plans, we are separately announcing this afternoon that we are advancing a planned leadership transition with the appointment of Michael Francis as Old Navy's new Brand President and CEO, succeeding Haio Barbeito, effective Monday, November 2. Haio is working closely with Michael in an advisory capacity to ensure a smooth transition. I want to thank Haio for his leadership and contributions to Old Navy in strengthening the foundation of the brand, scaling our strategic categories and positioning the business for a new phase of growth. Since the beginning of our transformation, Old Navy has grown its annual revenue by nearly $0.5 billion, further strengthening its position as the #1 specialty apparel brand and retailer in the U.S. As we look ahead to the brand's next phase, Michael's deep experience in customer-centric brand building and track record of strong commercial execution will be instrumental in unlocking the brand's full potential, and I am confident that now is the right time for him to step into this role. Michael has a proven ability to connect creativity, culture and commerce in ways that will energize the business. I've seen this firsthand as we have worked closely together to develop our plans for the second half and position Old Navy to capture the significant opportunity we see ahead. Now moving on to Gap. Gap delivered another excellent quarter. Comparable sales increased 10%, marking its 11th consecutive quarter of positive comps. As we continue to strengthen product and storytelling through big ideas and culturally relevant narratives, we are deepening customer engagement and further strengthening the brand. That momentum is reflected in the continued expansion of our customer file and yet another quarter of lower discounting. We also posted another quarter of market share gains. Importantly, Gap's momentum continues to be broad-based. Women's led performance in the quarter, while men's also delivered solid results. Kids and baby also accelerated as customers continue to respond positively to our more elevated product aesthetic. By category, denim and fleece once again drove the business, underscoring the continued strength of our destination categories. Gap continues to solidify its cultural relevance with customers, connecting fashion and creativity through compelling collaborations and partnerships. In the second quarter, we teamed up with Hailey Bieber, 1 of fashion's most influential tastemakers, to reimagine 2 of Gap's signature denim silhouettes for a new generation. The Hailey Jean sold out quickly while driving strong traffic and a meaningful halo across the broader business. This was a great start, and there's more to come. As we look ahead, we are building on our success in elevating core categories while also now investing in growth accelerators to expand Gap's relevance across more aspects of consumers' lifestyles. We ended the second quarter relaunching our iconic Gap fragrance line. Early customer response has been encouraging, reinforcing both our heritage and our confidence in the long-term opportunity in beauty. And we are expanding into Gap accessories, beginning with bags, launching with Fashion Week in September. Marketing continues to resonate playing into Gap's heritage and music with the latest release of Denim On My Own, featuring musical artist, Malcolm Todd in Gap denim in a reinterpretation of Robyn's iconic Dancing On My Own. In addition, we continue to elevate the customer experience. Our store remodel program remains on track with upgraded stores outperforming the rest of the fleet. We expect to complete approximately 35 remodels this year bringing roughly 1/4 of our North America specialty fleet into our latest concept by year-end. I'm incredibly proud of the Gap team and what they continue to accomplish. Quarter after quarter, they have demonstrated that when great product is paired with compelling storytelling and disciplined execution, it creates a powerful flywheel of customer engagement and brand momentum. As we enter the third quarter, we have an exciting pipeline of product innovation, culturally relevant collaborations and brand activations that position Gap to continue its momentum. Moving on to Banana Republic. Banana Republic delivered another quarter of progress with comparable sales increasing 3%, marking the brand's fifth consecutive quarter of positive comparable sales growth. The quarter reflected broad-based strength across both the men's and women's businesses as customers responded positively with categories like outerwear, sweaters and denim as well as our linen fabrications performing well. Throughout the quarter, Banana Republic continued to celebrate its heritage as a brand for the modern explorer through elevated product and travel inspired storytelling. Through our Portugal series and partnership with National Geographic host, Antoni Porowski, we reinforced linen as the season's hero fabric and our curated archive drop successfully introduced Banana Republic's heritage to a younger customer through iconic styles. Banana Republic is demonstrating continued progress while becoming increasingly distinctive in the marketplace. Upgraded stores like Century City and Tysons Corner are delivering a better shopping experience, resulting in customers spending more when they shop with us. As Banana Republic enters its next chapter, we were excited to welcome Donald Kohler as the brand's new President and CEO in July. Since joining, Donald has hit the ground running and his combination of operational excellence, merchandising expertise and brand building instincts gives me great confidence and opportunities ahead. Under his leadership, we believe Banana Republic is well positioned to build on its progress. Now turning to Athleta. Athleta's performance in the second quarter remained challenged with comparable sales declining 12%. During the quarter, we proactively managed inventory tightly while testing and learning selectively with new product launches. This resulted in better inventory productivity with early signs of customer acceptance of newer products like the Journey Travel collection launched last quarter. As we continue to evolve our assortment, our priorities are clear. We are increasing newness, reducing reliance on promotions and seeking to rebuild customer engagement through better product and stronger storytelling. We have also strengthened the organization with new talent across digital and merchandising to improve execution over time. With our turnaround efforts still in the early stages, we are continuing to take a measured and disciplined approach to inventory and marketing investments as we continue to assess customer response in the second half. While this approach may limit top line improvement in the near term, we believe it is important to rebuild the business on a stronger foundation for sustainable growth. Before I turn the call over to Katrina, with August marking 3 years since I took on the role of CEO at Gap Inc., I want to take a moment to reflect on our transformation journey so far. We are pleased with the progress we've made, while recognizing there is more work ahead. We made a choice to perform while we transform. And the metrics that matter reinforce that we have made fundamental improvements in the business. We are on track to deliver our third year of positive sales growth, led by our focus on strategic categories. As a portfolio, we have gained meaningful market share. We are delivering some of our strongest gross margins in 25 years, and we have significantly improved the strength of our balance sheet while returning meaningful cash to our shareholders. I want to thank our team for the progress we made and their commitment to becoming a high-performing company. We built a stronger foundation with greater financial and operational rigor, but we know there is more to unlock. And we have conviction in our ability to do so by executing with greater consistency, agility and discipline as we continue our transformation journey. With that, I'll turn the call over to Katrina to walk you through our financial results and updated outlook for fiscal 2026. Katrina O'Connell: Thank you, Richard, and thanks, everyone, for joining us this afternoon. In the second quarter, we remained focused on performing while we transform. While revenue results were mixed across brands, at the company level, we continue to deliver across several other key metrics. We achieved a strong gross margin result led by disciplined pricing and inventory management. We maintained SG&A rigor while balancing investments in growth accelerators and capabilities to fuel our future. And with the strength of our balance sheet, we opportunistically accelerated share repurchases while maintaining a healthy dividend and continuing to invest capital to support our business. While Old Navy underperformed, we've clearly identified the drivers and have taken targeted action to strengthen execution in the second half. Quarter-to-date, we are encouraged by the improvement we're seeing in the business, which reinforces that we are on the right track. At the same time, we remain highly confident in Gap's momentum and Banana Republic's consistency, while we continue rebuilding Athleta. As we factor in our second quarter performance, we are narrowing our full year revenue outlook, with net sales growth now expected in the range of 1% to 1.5%. At the same time, we are raising our outlook for adjusted operating margin and earnings per share, the details of which I will share shortly. As outlined in this afternoon's earnings release, our second quarter results and full year 2026 outlook for adjusted gross margin and operating margin exclude a cost of goods sold adjustment tied to an expected net recovery of tariffs previously paid under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Our adjusted earnings per share outlook also excludes the related interest impact. Separately, as previously discussed, our full year adjusted SG&A, operating profit and earnings per share outlook exclude the net gain from a legal settlement and the offsetting charitable donation made in the first quarter. Now on to our results. Net sales of $3.7 billion decreased 2% year-over-year with comparable sales down 1%. As I previewed last quarter, the spread between net sales and comparable sales included the impact of lapping revenue recognized last year related to the structure of our credit card agreement. By brand, Gap delivered another outstanding quarter. Net sales up 9%, comparable sales up 10%, driven by culturally relevant storytelling in destination categories like denim, fleece and kids and baby. Old Navy net sales and comparable sales declined 4%. As expected softness in the women's seasonal assortment was compounded by traffic slowing as the quarter progressed. Banana Republic had a solid quarter. Net sales up 1%, comparable sales up 3%, with balanced performance across men's and women's, supported by stronger marketing and brand storytelling. Athleta net sales and comparable sales declined 12%, and we remain focused on disciplined execution as we rebuild the brand profitably. AUR again grew across our brands with Gap brand also delivering positive traffic and unit growth, providing a clear example of the broad-based strength the reinvigoration playbook can deliver. Let's continue to the balance of the P&L. Reported gross margin for the quarter was 52.8%, adjusted gross margin of 41.4% increased 20 basis points versus last year. Adjusted merchandise margin expanded 80 basis points, driven primarily by the Gap brand with a partial offset from Old Navy where we were more promotional. As previewed merchandise margins included approximately 30 basis points of benefit associated with our tariff mitigation actions. We also experienced a slight headwind from the credit card dynamic and higher fuel costs. ROD deleveraged 60 basis points better than expected with timing of certain occupancy expenses shifting into the third quarter. SG&A for the quarter was $1.3 billion or 34.3% of net sales, deleveraging 90 basis points. As previewed, the deleverage to last year was driven by the timing of investments in growth accelerators and capabilities. Second quarter reported operating margin was 18.5%. The adjusted operating margin was 7.1%, down 70 basis points compared to last year as gross margin expansion was primarily offset by the timing of investments, as I just outlined. Reported earnings per share were $1.38. Adjusted earnings per share were $0.52 versus last year's earnings per share of $0.57. Before I move on to the details of our cash flow and balance sheet, I would like to reiterate our capital allocation framework. Our approach remains disciplined, leveraging the strength of our balance sheet and robust cash profile to enhance long-term shareholder value. Our first priority remains investing in the business through high returning capital investments. Second quarter capital expenditures were $154 million, bringing year-to-date investments to $289 million. We continue to expect approximately $650 million for the full year, primarily for new stores and remodels at Gap and Old Navy along with technology and supply chain investments. Our second priority is to pay a growing dividend. We paid $62 million in dividends in the second quarter and the Board has approved a third quarter dividend of $0.175 per share. And our third priority is share repurchases to drive earnings accretion. In addition to completing the previously announced accelerated share repurchase program, we repurchased an additional $200 million of stock in the open market in the quarter, bringing year-to-date repurchases to over $600 million or 26 million shares. Approximately $400 million remains under our current authorization. We ended the quarter with $2.5 billion of cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments on our balance sheet, up slightly to last year. Year-to-date net cash from operating activities was $550 million, and year-to-date free cash flow was $261 million. Inventory discipline remains a priority. Quarter-end inventory at cost was flat year-over-year. On a unit basis, inventory was up 4%, reflecting higher in-transit inventory largely tied to geopolitical disruptions. Now let me turn to our outlook. Our outlook reflects continued disciplined execution as we work towards a third consecutive year of profitable sales growth. As always, we're taking a balanced view factoring in what we currently see in the consumer and macro environment, which is largely unchanged, while remaining mindful of potential volatility ahead in energy prices and U.S. tariffs. Before I get into the details, I want to provide an update on our tariff assumptions. Let me unpack the moving pieces around tariff rates, and then I will walk you through how we are factoring this into our gross margin outlook for the year, which remains largely unchanged. Our prior outlook in May assumed 10% tariff rate from February 24 through July 24, under Section 122 before returning to a high-teens tariff rate for the balance of the year. Following the Section 301 announcement on July 23, 2026, we are now extending that 10% assumption through the end of August, which provides approximately $15 million of incremental net tariff relief to the year, which will be realized primarily in the fourth quarter. If the current rate of 10% holds through the end of the third quarter, we estimate it would provide an additional $35 million benefit to the year. Turning to the specifics of our outlook for fiscal 2026. Starting with revenue. As noted earlier, we now expect full year net sales growth of 1% to 1.5%, with comparable sales roughly in line. By brand, at Old Navy as a result of a slightly more challenging second quarter, we now assume comparable sales are flat to down 1%, with sequential improvement in the second half as our targeted actions take hold. With the momentum we are seeing at Gap brand, we now expect comp growth in the high single to low double-digit range. Banana Republic is expected to post another year of growth with comps in the low single digits. And at Athleta, we are taking a measured approach to inventory buys as we introduce more newness in the back half, allowing us the flexibility to read and react to new product receptivity. While the teams are striving to do better, our outlook for Athleta assumes full year trends remain similar to the first half. Turning to gross margin. We are raising our adjusted gross margin outlook as we incorporate incremental tariff relief from Section 301 as referenced earlier. We now assume our adjusted gross margin will be up slightly versus the prior year. Tariffs are now expected to be a slight benefit incorporating our largely unchanged view of the net impact of IEEPA tariffs, the Section 122 benefit that we have reserved and the more recent Section 301 benefit of approximately 10 basis points that we are flowing through. Outside of this, our margin outlook is unchanged. Merchandise margins are expected to expand year-over-year, reflecting a balanced plan of higher AURs through better sell-throughs and lower discounting, while ROD is expected to deleverage approximately 50 basis points. Moving on to SG&A. We remain committed to delivering $150 million in cost savings this year as part of our ongoing push for efficiency. Part of that will offset inflation with the remainder funding growth initiatives. Consistent with prior guidance, we expect full year adjusted SG&A as a percentage of sales to be roughly flat year-over-year with leverage in the second half as we lap last year's spending on strategic initiatives and elevated incentive compensation, which was weighted toward the third and more heavily fourth quarters last year. Taking this all together, we're pleased to be raising our adjusted operating margin outlook slightly to 7.4% to 7.6% for the full year versus 7.3% last year, reflecting continued rigor and discipline across the P&L in addition to tariff benefits related to Section 301. Adjusted interest income is now expected to be approximately $20 million skewed to the fourth quarter, given the expected tariff refund, and we expect a tax rate in the range of 25% to 26%. Adjusted EPS is now expected to be $2.35 to $2.45, up 10% to 15% versus last year, an increase from our prior outlook, reflecting our improved gross margin outlook and a lower weighted average share count of 367 million shares following second quarter repurchase activity. Now let me turn to our outlook for the third quarter of fiscal 2026. The quarter is off to a good start, supported by a sequential improvement at Old Navy. With this in mind, we expect net sales in the third quarter to increase 1.5% to 2.5% year-over-year with comparable sales underpacing net sales by approximately 50 basis points. Our current trend supports the low end of our outlook, but with a range of outcomes by brand that could deliver better. This assumes continued strength at Gap and growth at Banana Republic with Athleta trending similar to our first half performance. For Old Navy, we expect a comp range of roughly flat to down 1%. Current trends are in line with the range, reflecting meaningful sequential improvement to our second quarter performance as the impact of the challenged summer seasonal product abates and new fall marketing and product resonates more strongly. With peak selling periods still ahead and as newer initiatives like Old Navy Sport, Beauty and Fanatics launch and build through the quarter, we see the potential for further improvement. We expect the third quarter gross margin to be up 25 to 75 basis points compared to last year's gross margin of 42.4%. Tariffs are expected to be an approximately 150 basis point benefit with 50 basis points related to lower tariff rates under Section 122 and the balance driven by our mitigation strategies. Consistent with prior expectations, half of the relief from Section 122 is expected to fund higher fuel costs. With regards to the balance of our merchandise margin profile, we expect the margin to be flat to down modestly as we leverage margin strength in Gap brand in addition to the remaining half of the Section 122 benefit to make assortment and pricing adjustments at Old Navy, to strengthen second half performance. We believe the brand's fall assortment now better reflects the category mix, fashion balance and value proposition that our customers look to us for which is supporting our confidence in a sequential recovery in the second half. ROD is expected to deleverage approximately 60 basis points. Last, we are planning for SG&A as a percentage of net sales to leverage slightly as we continue to exercise expense discipline while lapping slightly higher third quarter incentive compensation last year. In closing, our outlook reflects our best assessment of the business today, and we are focused on disciplined execution. With peak selling periods still ahead and exciting new initiatives building, we're driving for continued improvement in the second half. Across the organization, our teams are operating with urgency and a clear determination to win. I remain confident in our strategy and in our ability to deliver sustainable value for our shareholders. With that, we'll open the line for questions. Operator? Operator: [Operator Instructions] Your first question comes from the line of Dana Telsey with Telsey Group. Dana Telsey: Certainly good to hear about the continued double-digit increase at the Gap brand. On the Old Navy brand where it seems like you've been speedily making enhancements to drive the business, what are the markers that you're looking for to show improvement? Is the women's seasonal? When will you -- when will that category? Are you out of the inventory? Is there still more? And with the lower traffic that you mentioned in the stores, marketing activations, given what you do with the Gap brand, how are you seeing it differently than in the past? Richard Dickson: Thank you, Dana, and good to hear you. First of all, we were excited, as you can imagine, with another standout quarter at Gap, delivering double-digit comps as well as the 11th consecutive quarter of positive comp growth is a really great indication that the playbook is being executed incredibly well, and we're gaining momentum. As it relates to Old Navy, we just didn't execute well on our seasonal assortment. Sales have improved in August as we've set fall product and the seasonal categories are behind us. So it is reinforcing that we're on the right track. When we double-click into Old Navy, we're entering into the third quarter with seasonal product behind us. And the impact that we have in that context, denim, active, sweaters and knits become much more meaningful contributors. Denim was an area of continued strength in the second quarter, and we've been building on this with more fits and fashion at great value. Now in the context of marketing, as the second quarter progressed, the summer marketing was not generating the traffic that we expected. And ultimately, with those learnings, we've rewired our fall marketing campaigns to ensure that we're more connected to our top product ideas. August is already demonstrating really significant improvement. You could see our Cardi B campaign right now is our most viewed campaign in Old Navy's history. But more importantly, we're seeing this translate into improved traffic, strong conversion in women's denim. And we're excited with the results. We've also, in relation to traffic, built a parallel campaign with MrBeast. He is the #1 YouTuber in the world, over 500 million subscribers for our back-to-school campaign, which is resonating. So in sum, I'm very encouraged with the improvement that we're seeing in the business in August. And with the strong products and programs in place moving forward, I feel really good about our plans. Operator: Your next question comes from the line of Alex Straton with Morgan Stanley. Alexandra Straton: Congrats on a nice quarter. I wanted to focus on profitability. It's very strong even with Old Navy doing that more challenged comp. So can you just talk about how you're able to maintain such strong profitability levels despite this more challenging quarter for Old Navy? Maybe just some detail by brand would be helpful. Katrina O'Connell: Alex, this is Katrina. I'm happy to take that. So as you noted, we were very pleased to deliver gross margin up 20 basis points year-over-year, and that was higher than the expectation that we had previewed. Merchandise margins were up 80 basis points. Now 30 basis points of that was tariff, and that was largely utilized to fund the fuel headwinds we had in the quarter. But as you say, we were able to really balance the strength of our portfolio, really broad-based strength in gross margin, particularly at Gap, but also at Banana Republic and Athleta to give us the room to do the promotions we needed to do at Old Navy to be able to really successfully clear through the seasonal product. And we've largely gotten that seasonal product behind us. And all of that allowed us to still deliver merch margins up. Within the total margin, as we talked about, ROD deleveraged about 60 basis points. Some of that's timing and some of that is the dynamic we have previewed. So all in all, strong margins. Now as I think about what gives me confidence heading on as we go. As Richard just previewed, Old Navy is off to a good start. That 3-point headwind from seasonal product is already behind us and showing up in the results, which is showing us that our strategies are starting to take hold, and we're seeing much more improved performance as we head into the third quarter. Operator: Your next question comes from the line of Matthew Boss with JPMorgan. Matthew Boss: So Richard, could you speak to the tale of 2 brands between the Gap and Old Navy in the second quarter? And then if you could just elaborate on August. Any change in double-digit strength at the Gap? And maybe just a little more on the time line for stabilization and reacceleration in your view at Old Navy? Richard Dickson: Sure, Matt. So first, Gap's execution of the playbook just continues to drive exceptional results. And this has really been through compelling product with distinctive cultural relevance storytelling. It's notable. This is our 11th consecutive quarter of positive comps. And as you mentioned, it's our second quarter of double-digit comp growth. We've seen great strength across women's, men's, kids and baby. In particular, we strengthened our market position in kids and baby. We rose to the #4 rank from the #6 rank. We've also gained share and rank in fleece, where we're also now the #6 brand. Even more importantly, our customer file continues to grow. And we've been particularly doing a great job attracting the Gen Z customer, while preserving what we'll call the multi-generational appeal that Gap has. We're gaining strength across categories. I think the partnerships that we're bringing, particularly the one with Hailey Bieber most recently was a really strong success. And so as we enter the third quarter, we've got a robust pipeline of product and marketing and we plan on continuing the momentum that the brand has delivered and on track for the rest of the year. Now a tale of two cities, to some extent, but I think it's important recognizing, Navy had 6 consecutive quarters of positive comps leading up to this quarter. Certainly, the quarter wasn't necessarily where we wanted it to be. But as I've shared and we've diagnosed, we missed the mark on our summer seasonal assortment, which we also previewed last quarter. In addition, we've also mentioned that our marketing fell short driving traffic. The good news, as we look in terms of entering the third quarter, we're in a much better place from a product point of view. The impact that we've had on our seasonal categories reduces significantly. Categories like denim, active, sweaters, knits where we have strength become even more meaningful contributors. You could see our current campaign right now with Cardi B is driving not only the most viewed campaign in Old Navy's history, but we're also seeing it translate again into improved traffic and strong conversion in women's denim. I mentioned the back-to-school campaign. We were off to a great start. We have a great partnership with MrBeast, as mentioned as well, it's resonating. So I've been really encouraged with the improvement that I'm seeing in the business into August. And with the strong products and programs that we have in place, I really do feel very good about our plans for the back half. Operator: Your next question comes from the line of Brooke Roach with Goldman Sachs. Brooke Roach: Richard, one of the items you outlined as a contributor to the Old Navy softness was the need to sharpen pricing. Can you tell us a little bit more about what you've learned here for this customer and the changes that you're making? Is that customer more price elastic or price-sensitive than before? And then as a follow-up, Katrina, you had talked about $40 million in reserve for pricing last quarter. It sounds like that's getting deployed at the Old Navy brand. How much of that is being used in 3Q versus 4Q? And do you have additional reserve to take further markdown actions should the competitive environment intensify? Richard Dickson: Okay. Thanks, Brooke. I'll start, and then Katrina can continue. We see value as a perception based on product and pricing. When we deliver the right product at the right price, the customer responds. And we see that in various different places in our business. For example, in denim, the price value equation is extraordinary, and it's showing up in the results. We also see it with Gap as well as Banana Republic in terms of their performance. But in this case with Old Navy, the seasonal categories in the quarter just didn't really deliver the right combination of style, quality and price. Moving forward, we've made those adjustments. We feel very good about our fall assortment. We see it already resonating and we believe it represents the great value that we're known for and that the customer is reacting to. So overall, again, consumers are resilient, granted discerning. But when you get the right product at the right price, they show up and it converts. Katrina O'Connell: And then, Brooke, to answer the balance of your question. So you're absolutely right. We had previewed on the last call that we were holding that $40 million or half the 122 benefit for promotional environment. We are now using that for Old Navy. We went back and looked at the Old Navy assortment for the second half, both looking at the consumer, but also really looking at what we've learned from the front half. And we feel very good that we've made the right changes to the assortment, the category mix, the fashion quotient and the value quotient to allow us to compete well at Old Navy. We've utilized the 122 pretty equally between quarters. But in addition to that, similar to what we just delivered in second quarter, we're also using the strength in lower discounting and better sell-throughs from Gap to be able to use a little bit of that to also deploy towards value at Old Navy. So those 2 levers, the power of our portfolio as well as the 122 benefit are giving us the opportunity to really make sure we have the right assortment at the right value for Old Navy in the second half of the year. Operator: Your next question comes from the line of Jay Sole with UBS. Jay Sole: I want to ask about capital allocation. I think you said you bought back $600 million of stock, somewhat surprising in a good way. But you still have $400 million remaining, $2.5 billion on the balance sheet. Might you continue to buy more stock over the course of this fiscal year? How much? I mean, would there be opportunities to increase the authorization? Have you talked to the Board about that. And just tell us about the timing of when that might play out. Katrina O'Connell: Yes. Thanks, Jay. As you said, we did repurchase year-to-date $600 million or 26 million shares. Our stated goal was to drive slight earnings accretion. And with our year-to-date repurchases, we've actually driven mid-single-digit accretion, which we think does demonstrate real shareholder value. In the EPS raise that we did, $0.05 of that raise was attributable to the share repurchase we did in second quarter. As you say, we have $400 million outstanding on our current authorization. And as always, we and the Board will continue to evaluate the return of capital to our shareholders just to make sure we're maximizing value. Operator: Your next question comes from the line of Bob Drbul with BTIG. Robert Drbul: I was just wondering if you could spend some more time on what you've learned so far with beauty and accessories and just sort of what we should be looking for over the next few quarters with both of those categories and into '27? Richard Dickson: Yes. Sure, Bob. I mentioned driving our continuous improvement in our core apparel business because that is the basis for how we're able to enable and accelerate long-term accelerators like beauty and accessories. So we're just getting started across these emerging growth categories. Specifically in beauty, we did relaunch our heritage Gap fragrance collection in July. We had a really strong customer response, very familiar fragrances in some cases and introducing them to a new generation. Looking ahead, we've got some really great, robust marketing and pipeline with other exciting product drops for Gap that we believe will maintain momentum in the category and continue to grow as we move forward. This week, we also rolled out Old Navy Beauty Co. nationwide which we also believe will be a traffic driver for Old Navy. It will also create a more engaging experience for customers. We've started with a great private label collection as well as over 30 third-party brands that will create great excitement and again, long-term proposition for growth, for the brand. In accessories, we're starting with Gap bags this fall, which will be unveiled during Fashion Week. We could not be more excited about it. Reed Krakoff, who oversees our accessory creative has done an absolutely terrific job translating Gap's brand ethos into a really distinctive collection. The collection itself features silhouettes that really draw the inspiration from iconic Gap products. I will reserve more detail on it because we're really excited to unveil it, but it is going to be fresh and very unexpected. It's early days for both of these categories. So we're not necessarily anticipating any meaningful financial contribution this year, but each represents a meaningful opportunity to drive incremental long-term growth for the company. Operator: Your next question comes from the line of Lorraine Hutchinson, Bank of America. Lorraine Maikis: I wanted to follow up on inventory. It sounds like in total, you're happy with the level. But I wanted to see if you could drill down for us on Old Navy if you've been able to alter the receipts in the way you wanted. Same question on Athleta. And then on the flip side, if at Gap, you're able to chase into the strong demand? Katrina O'Connell: Yes. Thanks, Lorraine. So we did end inventory levels flat. Units were up 4%. But as I said, that's really in transit, and that's as a result of what's going on in the world. So overall, we really do remain disciplined. On Old Navy, we were very purposeful about ensuring that we were clearing through the seasonal product to make sure that we were clean as we headed into the third quarter. And we've also, as I said, really relooked at our fall and holiday assortments to make sure that we feel very good about how we're positioned categorically and with the right quality of fashion and value to compete. As it relates to Athleta, we're largely taking a very conservative approach on inventory at Athleta. What's interesting is that while that's constraining the top line, it's actually really helping us continue to build on their profitability in the near term, while we really read and react, how the customer is reacting to the new fashion product. And so far, that's been quite good. It's just, we're being very careful about how we buy it in the near term. And then maybe lastly, at Gap, yes. We are chasing inventory. The team has developed real nimbleness and agility. And I would say a lot of their success is based on their demonstrated ability to really chase into things that are working and drive these double-digit comps that we've been seeing. So we're pleased overall with the way the portfolio has been managing inventory. Operator: Your next question comes from the line of Mark Altschwager with Baird. Mark Altschwager: I just wanted to ask a bigger picture on Old Navy. You've given us the seasonal diagnosis and talked about the fixes, and you've talked about how Michael helped build the plan for fall. So I take it that the second half doesn't change much here I guess my question is, if he formally steps in, in November, I guess what changes that? And I guess, what level of confidence do you have that Old Navy is back to a consistent low single-digit comp as we move beyond the fall rather than kind of a flat to down 1% that you're now guiding for this year? Richard Dickson: Yes. So first off, speaking about the transition. This was a planned and thoughtful transition. Michael's experience aligns really well with the phase that we're entering for Old Navy. He brings incredible vast experience with some of the largest consumer and retail organizations in the world, Target, Walmart, entertainment companies like DreamWorks, operating in highly complex environments. Michael joined us in May, and I've been working very closely with him on our fall plans. He's already had meaningful impact, including sharpening our product storytelling. The marketing execution you see happening right now, he's had a handprint on. And obviously, as he gets more and more versed for the second half.,, He's going to assume the role officially in November, after which Haio will move into an advisory role. They're working very closely together to ensure a continuous and smooth transition. And I think in relation to the Old Navy back on track, we're maintaining our approach and our strategy going forward. We have the right playbook, which we've got proven points on. This is the first negative quarter for Old Navy in 11 quarters. And we've diagnosed it. It's a very specific execution issue in relation to our seasonal challenges. So we believe that we've got the right product and programs in the back half, a smooth leadership transition and the right playbook and team, and we will execute with an expectation to win in the back half and excited about our future. Operator: Your final question will come from the line of Ike Boruchow with Wells Fargo. Irwin Boruchow: Katrina, a question about the model. When you look at the ROD deleverage in the second quarter and then the guide for the back half to delever 60 basis points in 3Q while you're growing revenue, too, it kind of implies the occupancy dollars per foot are up high single digits. I'm just kind of curious because the store base isn't changing. What are these investments? It just looks like there's more fixed cost in the COGS line than there typically has been. So I'm just curious if you could explain what investments are going on, on why that's happening exactly? Katrina O'Connell: Yes, sure. We have previewed that ROD deleverages this year. It is a new dynamic for us. I think it represents 2 things. First of all, we've largely concluded closing our underperforming stores. The pace of the closures that we were doing when we were closing 350 stores had provided meaningful benefit to ROD. And now we're modestly opening stores. So that does impact the ROD line as the closures abate, and we end up with not that ROD favorability. Now it does help us on the sales line. I think you're seeing that this quarter, we have a 50 basis point spread. And by the end of the year, there's no spread. And then hopefully, we'll get to an opening, which starts to benefit sales. So that's one thing. The second thing is we've been slowly taking up our capital. And this year, capital is expected to grow $650 million. So there is a step-up in depreciation. These are honestly, both short-term and long-term investments, openings, remodels, a lot of the technology work that we're doing around AI to be able to build capability and somewhat in our supply chain. So both of those things come together this year to create the deleverage. The model right now for the year is that ROD will leverage on a mid-single-digit sales growth. Operator: That concludes our question-and-answer session. I will now turn the call back over to Richard Dickson for closing remarks. Richard Dickson: Thank you, operator. As we look ahead, our conviction in the long-term opportunity across our portfolio remains unchanged. Our teams are focused on disciplined execution to strengthen our performance. We remain committed to building a high-performing house of iconic American brands while delivering long-term value for our shareholders. Thank you for joining us today. Operator: Ladies and gentlemen, this concludes today's call. Thank you all for joining. You may now disconnect. Before you buy stock in Gap, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Gap wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $440,710!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,335,252!* Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 978% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 213% for the S&P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of August 31, 2026. This article is a transcript of this conference call produced for The Motley Fool. While we strive for our Foolish Best, there may be errors, omissions, or inaccuracies in this transcript. As with all our articles, The Motley Fool does not assume any responsibility for your use of this content, and we strongly encourage you to do your own research, including listening to the call yourself and reading the company's SEC filings. Please see our Terms and Conditions for additional details, including our Obligatory Capitalized Disclaimers of Liability. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Gap (GAP) Q2 2026 Earnings Call Transcript was originally published by The Motley Fool

The Gap, Inc. GAP reported adjusted earnings of 52 cents per share for the second quarter of fiscal 2026, down 8.8% year over year but came above the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 50 cents. Revenues of $3.65 billion declined 2% year over year and missed the consensus mark of $3.72 billion by 1.9%. Comparable sales fell 1%, while gross margin strength helped the company exceed profit expectations. Gap delivered a 10% comparable-sales increase, while Old Navy declined 4% and Athleta fell 12%. Management highlighted disciplined pricing, inventory management and stronger execution at key brands as drivers of profitability.As a result, Gap’s shares have jumped nearly 15% in after-hours trading yesterday. This Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock has dipped 0.8% in the past three months compared with the industry’s 9.5% decline. Store sales decreased 3%, while online sales declined 1% and represented 35% of total net sales. The Gap brand remained the strongest performer in the portfolio. Net sales reached $844 million, up 9% year over year, while comparable sales increased 10%. Management attributed the performance to culturally relevant storytelling and strength in destination categories such as denim, fleece, and kids and baby. Our model had expected Gap brand's sales of $833.9 million for the reported quarter. The Gap, Inc. price-consensus-chart | The Gap, Inc. Quote Old Navy generated second-quarter net sales of $2.1 billion, down 4% year over year, with comparable sales also declining 4%. Management said weaker women’s seasonal assortments and an unexpected slowdown in traffic pressured results. Banana Republic delivered improvement, with net sales of $478 million, up 1%, and comparable sales up 3%. The brand benefited from stronger assortment, marketing and storytelling, with balanced performance across men’s and women’s categories. Athleta remained under pressure, with second-quarter net sales of $264 million declining 12% and comparable sales falling 12%. Management said the brand is focused on disciplined execution, improving inventory productivity and rebuilding customer engagement through stronger product and storytelling. We had anticipated sales of $2.1 billion for Old Navy, $476.5 million for Banana Republic and $280.5 million for Athleta. Gap reported a gross margin of 52.8%, benefiting from adjustment related to the expected recovery of tariffs previously imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Adjusted gross margin, excluding this benefit, was 41.4%, up 20 basis points year over year. Adjusted merchandise margin expanded 80 basis points, supported by the Gap brand and tariff mitigation strategies. However, higher promotional activity at Old Navy partially offset gains. Adjusted operating margin was 7.1%, while adjusted earnings per share came in at $0.52. Gap ended the quarter with $2.5 billion in cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments, while year-to-date net cash from operating activities totaled $550 million. Free cash flow reached $261 million year to date. The company returned $262 million to shareholders during the quarter through share repurchases and dividends. Year to date, Gap has returned $726 million to shareholders, including $601 million of share repurchases and $125 million of dividends. Gap updated its fiscal 2026 outlook, expecting full-year net sales growth of 1-1.5%, compared with the prior forecast of 1-2%. The company now expects Gap comparable sales growth in the high-single to low-double-digit range and Old Navy comparable sales to be flat to down 1%.The company raised its adjusted operating margin outlook to 7.4-7.6% from 7.3-7.5% previously. Adjusted earnings per share guidance increased to $2.35-$2.45, supported by improved gross margin expectations and a lower weighted average share count following repurchase activity. We have highlighted three better-ranked stocks, namely, Target Corporation TGT, American Eagle Outfitters AEO and Boot Barn Holdings, Inc. BOOT.Target offers guests fashionable, differentiated merchandise and everyday essentials at discounted prices. It currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Target’s current financial-year sales and EPS indicates growth of 4.4% and 11.4%, respectively, from the year-ago reported numbers. TGT delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 10.5%, on average.American Eagle is a specialty retailer of casual apparel, accessories and footwear. The company currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). The consensus estimate for AEO’s current financial-year sales and EPS indicates growth of 5.7% and 17.3%, respectively, from the year-ago reported numbers. AEO delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 48.5%, on average.Boot Barn is a leading lifestyle retailer in the United States, specializing in western and work-related footwear, apparel and accessories. It currently has a Zacks Rank of 2.The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Boot Barn’s current financial-year sales and EPS is expected to rise 15.7% and 22.6%, respectively, from the year-ago reported figures. BOOT delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 11.4%, on average. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report The Gap, Inc. (GAP) : Free Stock Analysis Report Target Corporation (TGT) : Free Stock Analysis Report American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. (AEO) : Free Stock Analysis Report Boot Barn Holdings, Inc. (BOOT) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com). Zacks Investment Research

Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. The Gap, Inc. will release its second-quarter earnings report after the closing bell on Thursday, Aug. 27. Analysts expect the company to report quarterly earnings of 49 cents per share, down from 57 cents per share in the year-ago period. The consensus estimate for Gap’s quarterly revenue is $3.69 billion. It reported $3.73 billion last year, according to Benzinga Pro. Ahead of quarterly earnings, on Aug. 21, Goldman Sachs analyst Brooke Roach maintained a Buy rating on Gap and lowered the price target from $28 to $25. Don’t Miss: Think Your ‘Safe’ Stocks Protect You? You’re Ignoring the Real Growth Triggers — Here’s What to Add Now Caught With Nothing Saved for Retirement? These 5 Game‑Changing Tips Could Still Save You With the recent buzz around Gap, some investors may be eyeing potential gains from the company’s dividends too. As of now, Gap has an annual dividend yield of 3.31%, with a quarterly dividend of 17.5 cents per share (70 cents per year). So, how can investors use its dividend yield to pocket a regular $500 per month? To earn $500 per month or $6,000 annually from dividends alone, you would need an investment of approximately $181,277 or around 8,571 shares. For a more modest $100 per month or $1,200 per year, you would need $36,251 or around 1,714 shares. To calculate: Divide the desired annual income ($6,000 or $1,200) by the dividend ($0.70 in this case). So, $6,000 / $0.70 = 8,571 ($500 per month), and $1,200 / $0.70 = 1,714 shares ($100 per month). Trending: Think you’re saving enough for your kids? You might be dangerously off — see why Note that dividend yield can change on a rolling basis, as the dividend payment and the stock price both fluctuate over time. How that works: The dividend yield is computed by dividing the annual dividend payment by the stock’s current price. For example, if a stock pays an annual dividend of $2 and is currently priced at $50, the dividend yield would be 4% ($2/$50). However, if the stock price increases to $60, the dividend yield drops to 3.33% ($2/$60). Conversely, if the stock price falls to $40, the dividend yield rises to 5% ($2/$40). Similarly, changes in dividend payments can affect the yield. If a company increases its dividend, the yield will also increase, provided the stock price stays the same. Conversely, if the dividend payment decreases, so will the yield. See Also: Still Learning the Market? These 50 Must-Know Terms Can Help You Catch Up Fast Photo via Shutterstock Read Next: A single bad hire can set a startup back years. Here are the 5 hires founders most often misjudge — and why Building a resilient portfolio means thinking beyond a single asset or market trend. Economic cycles shift, sectors rise and fall, and no one investment performs well in every environment. That’s why many investors look to diversify with platforms that provide access to real estate, fixed-income opportunities, precious metals, and even self-directed retirement accounts. By spreading exposure across multiple asset classes, it becomes easier to manage risk, capture steady returns, and create long-term wealth that isn’t tied to the fortunes of just one company or industry. Backed by Jeff Bezos, Arrived Homes makes real estate investing accessible with a low barrier to entry. Investors can buy fractional shares of single-family rentals and vacation homes starting with as little as $100. This allows everyday investors to diversify into real estate, collect rental income, and build long-term wealth without needing to manage properties directly. As electricity demand rises alongside AI, data centers, and renewable energy, long-duration energy storage is becoming increasingly important. Qnetic is developing a kinetic energy storage system designed to provide long-lasting, chemical-free electricity storage, offering investors exposure to the infrastructure supporting a more resilient and reliable power grid. For accredited investors looking beyond stocks and bonds, EquityMultiple provides access to vetted commercial real estate deals starting at $5,000, with only ~5% of opportunities passing their due diligence process. Farmland has historically held its value through market volatility and delivered returns uncorrelated to stocks and bonds. For accredited investors, FarmTogether offers direct access to high-quality U.S. farmland starting at $15,000 — fully managed, with no landlord headaches. Private real estate and private credit can add income and stability to a stock-heavy portfolio. Fundrise offers access to diversified private real estate and credit strategies through an easy-to-use platform, with professionally managed portfolios designed to generate passive income and long-term growth. © 2026 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

Gap (GAP) reported $3.65 billion in revenue for the quarter ended July 2026, representing a year-over-year decline of 2%. EPS of $0.52 for the same period compares to $0.57 a year ago. The reported revenue represents a surprise of -1.86% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.72 billion. With the consensus EPS estimate being $0.50, the EPS surprise was +4%. While investors scrutinize revenue and earnings changes year-over-year and how they compare with Wall Street expectations to determine their next move, some key metrics always offer a more accurate picture of a company's financial health. Since these metrics play a crucial role in driving the top- and bottom-line numbers, comparing them with the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated about them helps investors better project a stock's price performance. Here is how Gap performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts: Comparable Sales - Old Navy - YoY change: -4% versus the four-analyst average estimate of -2%. Number of Store Locations - Gap - Total: 588 versus 589 estimated by four analysts on average. Number of Store Locations - Banana Republic - Total: 391 versus the four-analyst average estimate of 396. Number of Store Locations - Old Navy North America: 1,241 compared to the 1,241 average estimate based on four analysts. Comparable Sales - YoY change: -1% versus 0.4% estimated by four analysts on average. Comparable Sales - Banana Republic - YoY change: 3% compared to the 1.6% average estimate based on four analysts. Comparable Sales - Gap - YoY change: 10% versus 8.3% estimated by four analysts on average. Number of Store Locations - Company-operated stores: 2,471 versus the four-analyst average estimate of 2,477. Square Footage - Banana Republic North America: 2.80 Msq ft versus 2.86 Msq ft estimated by three analysts on average. Net Sales- Gap Global- Total: $844 million versus $843.1 million estimated by four analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +9.3% change. Net Sales- Banana Republic Global- Total: $478 million versus $475.09 million estimated by four analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +0.6% change. Net Sales- Old Navy Global- Total: $2.06 billion compared to the $2.11 billion average estimate based on four analysts. The reported number represents a change of -4.1% year over year. View all Key Company Metrics for Gap here>>> Shares of Gap have returned +4.2% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +3.7% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), indicating that it could perform in line with the broader market in the near term. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report The Gap, Inc. (GAP) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com). Zacks Investment Research

Gap (GAP) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.52 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.5 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.57 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items. This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of +4.00%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this clothing chain would post earnings of $0.39 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.38, delivering a surprise of -2.56%. Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates two times. Gap, which belongs to the Zacks Retail - Apparel and Shoes industry, posted revenues of $3.65 billion for the quarter ended July 2026, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 1.86%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $3.73 billion. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates just once over the last four quarters. The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call. Gap shares have lost about 17.4% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 12.1%. While Gap has underperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock? There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately. Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions. Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for Gap was mixed. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to perform in line with the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and the current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $0.77 on $4.01 billion in revenues for the coming quarter and $2.33 on $15.54 billion in revenues for the current fiscal year. Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Retail - Apparel and Shoes is currently in the top 36% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1. Another stock from the same industry, Victoria's Secret (VSXY), has yet to report results for the quarter ended July 2026. The results are expected to be released on September 3. This retailer of lingerie, pajamas and beauty products is expected to post quarterly earnings of $0.77 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +133.3%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has remained unchanged over the last 30 days. Victoria's Secret's revenues are expected to be $1.62 billion, up 11.2% from the year-ago quarter. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report The Gap, Inc. (GAP) : Free Stock Analysis Report Victoria's Secret & Co. (VSXY) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com). Zacks Investment Research

Interested in The Gap, Inc.? Here are five stocks we like better. Gap Inc.’s second-quarter sales fell 2% to $3.7 billion, while comparable sales declined 1%, but pricing discipline, inventory control and gross-margin strength helped the company exceed profit expectations. Brand performance was mixed: Gap’s comparable sales rose 10% and Banana Republic’s increased 3%, while Old Navy declined 4% amid seasonal assortment and traffic issues, and Athleta fell 12% as it remains in turnaround mode. Gap narrowed its full-year sales outlook to 1%–1.5% growth but raised adjusted operating-margin guidance to 7.4%–7.6% and adjusted EPS guidance to $2.35–$2.45, supported by expected tariff relief and share repurchases. Abercrombie’s Comeback Is a Work in Progress Gap Inc. (NYSE:GAP) reported second-quarter fiscal 2026 net sales of $3.7 billion, down 2% from a year earlier, while comparable sales declined 1%. The retailer said it exceeded its profit expectations through pricing discipline, inventory management and gross-margin strength, even as performance varied sharply among its brands. Chief Executive Officer Richard Dickson said Gap’s namesake brand and Banana Republic continued to gain momentum, while Old Navy faced seasonal assortment and traffic challenges and Athleta remained in a turnaround phase. The company narrowed its full-year sales outlook but raised its adjusted operating-margin and earnings-per-share forecasts. → Quantum Computing Is Raising the Stakes for Cybersecurity: 5 Stocks to Watch American Eagle’s Q1 Beat Leaves Investors With a Bigger Question The Gap brand posted a 10% increase in comparable sales and a 9% rise in net sales, marking its 11th consecutive quarter of positive comparable sales growth. Dickson said women’s led the quarter, with solid results in men’s and accelerating sales in kids and baby. Denim and fleece remained key destination categories. Gap also gained market share, according to the company, while its customer file expanded and discounting declined. The retailer cited collaborations and marketing efforts, including a partnership with Hailey Bieber that reimagined two denim silhouettes. Dickson said the Hailey Jean sold out quickly and created a “meaningful halo” across the broader business. → NVIDIA Reveals $21 Billion SpaceX Stake: Signal of Confidence or Circular Financing? Gap Inc. Cuts Sales Outlook After Q1 Miss, Shares Drop 17% Gap relaunched its fragrance line at the end of the quarter and plans to launch bags during Fashion Week in September as it expands into accessories. The company expects to complete about 35 Gap store remodels this year, bringing roughly one-quarter of its North American specialty fleet into its latest store concept by year-end. Old Navy, however, reported a 4% decline in both net sales and comparable sales. Dickson said women’s summer seasonal products accounted for about 3 percentage points of the comparable-sales pressure, with dresses, shorts and swim affected by assortment and pricing decisions that weakened the brand’s value proposition. → Berkshire Boosts Its Bet: This AI Hyperscaler Is Now a Top-3 Holding The company also experienced an unexpected slowdown in traffic as the quarter progressed. Dickson said Old Navy’s summer marketing did not generate the traffic management expected, prompting changes to fall marketing and product plans. “We see value as a perception based on product and pricing,” Dickson said during the question-and-answer session. “When we deliver the right product at the right price, the customer responds.” Old Navy’s fall assortment emphasizes denim, activewear, sweaters and knits, categories management said should become more meaningful as the summer seasonal headwind subsides. The retailer launched a denim campaign featuring Cardi B, which Dickson said was Old Navy’s most-viewed campaign in its history and was helping improve traffic and women’s-denim conversion in August. The brand also partnered with digital creator MrBeast for back-to-school content. Old Navy launched its Beauty Co. collection nationwide and plans to introduce an exclusive licensed sports merchandise collection with Fanatics beginning with football season. Its activewear category will be marketed under the new Old Navy Sport brand, including about 40 shop-in-shops in select stores. Gap announced that Michael Francis will become Old Navy brand president and CEO effective Nov. 2, succeeding Haio Barbeito. Barbeito will serve in an advisory capacity during the transition. Dickson said Francis joined the company in May and has already worked with leadership on Old Navy’s fall plans and marketing execution. Banana Republic recorded a 3% comparable-sales increase and a 1% net-sales increase, its fifth consecutive quarter of positive comparable-sales growth. Management cited balanced strength in men’s and women’s, with outerwear, sweaters, denim and linen performing well. The company said recently upgraded Banana Republic stores, including locations at Century City and Tysons Corner, are producing higher customer spending. Donald Kohler joined the brand as president and CEO in July. Athleta’s net sales and comparable sales each declined 12%. The company said it tightly managed inventory while selectively testing new products, including the Journey Travel collection. Management is taking a conservative approach to inventory and marketing investment as it evaluates customer response to new merchandise. Dickson said Athleta is focused on increasing newness, reducing its reliance on promotions and rebuilding customer engagement through better product and storytelling. While the approach could limit near-term sales improvement, the company said it is intended to rebuild the brand on a more sustainable and profitable foundation. Second-quarter reported gross margin was 52.8%, while adjusted gross margin was 41.4%, up 20 basis points year over year. The adjusted measure excluded a cost-of-goods-sold adjustment related to an expected net recovery of tariffs previously paid under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Chief Financial Officer Katrina O’Connell said adjusted merchandise margin expanded 80 basis points, aided by Gap brand performance and partially offset by higher promotions at Old Navy. The company used promotional activity to clear seasonal Old Navy inventory, which O’Connell said is now largely behind it. Adjusted operating margin was 7.1%, down 70 basis points from a year earlier, while adjusted earnings per share fell to $0.52 from $0.57. The company reported earnings per share of $1.38 on a reported basis. Second-quarter capital expenditures were $154 million, bringing year-to-date spending to $289 million. Gap expects about $650 million in capital expenditures for the full year, largely for store openings and remodels, technology and supply-chain investments. The company paid $62 million in dividends during the quarter, and its board approved a third-quarter dividend of $0.175 per share. Gap repurchased an additional $200 million of stock in the quarter, bringing year-to-date repurchases to more than $600 million, or 26 million shares. About $400 million remains under its authorization. Quarter-end inventory at cost was flat from a year earlier, while units increased 4% because of higher in-transit inventory tied largely to geopolitical disruptions. For fiscal 2026, Gap now expects net sales growth of 1% to 1.5%, with comparable sales roughly in line. It forecasts Old Navy comparable sales to range from flat to down 1%, Gap comparable-sales growth in the high-single-digit to low-double-digit range, low-single-digit growth at Banana Republic, and Athleta trends similar to the first half. The company raised its adjusted operating-margin forecast to 7.4% to 7.6%, compared with 7.3% last year, and expects adjusted EPS of $2.35 to $2.45, up 10% to 15% year over year. The higher outlook reflects an improved gross-margin view, including expected tariff relief, and a lower weighted-average share count following repurchases. For the third quarter, Gap expects net sales growth of 1.5% to 2.5%, with comparable sales trailing net sales by about 50 basis points. Management said the quarter has started positively, supported by sequential improvement at Old Navy, although peak selling periods and the rollout of newer initiatives are still ahead. Gap Inc is a global specialty retailer renowned for its portfolio of apparel and accessories brands, including Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy and Athleta. The company designs, sources and markets clothing across a broad price range and style spectrum, catering to men, women and children. Its offerings extend from everyday wardrobe essentials such as denim, tees and outerwear to performance and lifestyle pieces, reflecting each brand's distinct identity and price point. Founded in San Francisco in 1969 by Donald and Doris Fisher, Gap Inc has grown into one of the world's largest apparel companies. This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to [email protected]. The article "GAP Q2 Earnings Call Highlights" was originally published by MarketBeat. View MarketBeat's top stocks for August 2026.