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Best Buy Co., Inc.: Q3 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q3 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 25 November 2025: press release. Guidance figures: 4 raised, 2 new, 3 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Enterprise comparable sales rose 2.7%: Enterprise comparable sales rose 2.7%, after a 2.9% decline a year earlier. Management attributed the growth to computing, gaming and mobile phones. Source
  • Diluted EPS below adjusted EPS: Diluted EPS was $0.66, against $1.26 a year earlier. Adjusted diluted EPS was $1.40, against $1.26; the gap reflects impairment and restructuring adjustments. Source
  • Four full-year guidance lines raised: Management raised full-year revenue, comparable sales, tax rate and adjusted EPS guidance, and kept the operating rate and capital expenditure lines. Source
  • Domestic online sales grew faster: Domestic online revenue was $2.82 billion, up 3.5% on a comparable basis. Online was 31.8% of Domestic revenue, against 31.4% a year earlier. Source
  • Domestic gross profit rate fell: Domestic gross profit rate was 23.3%, against 23.6%. Lower product margin rates drove the decline, partly offset by services rate improvement. Source
  • Best Buy Health impairments of $192 million: Impairments were $171 million of goodwill and intangible assets and $21 million of long-lived assets, all related to Best Buy Health. Source

“We are flexing the unique strength of our model as customers need to upgrade or replace their consumer electronics”

Corie Barry, Best Buy CEO

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Revenue SourceFY26$41.65 billion to $41.95 billionRaised from $41.1 billion to $41.9 billion
Comparable sales SourceFY260.5% to 1.2%Raised from (1.0%) to 1.0%
Adjusted operating income rate SourceFY26approximately 4.2%Kept
Adjusted effective income tax rate SourceFY26approximately 25.4%Raised from approximately 25.0%
Adjusted diluted EPS SourceFY26$6.25 to $6.35Raised from $6.15 to $6.30
Capital expenditures SourceFY26approximately $700 millionKept
Share repurchases SourceFY26approximately $300 millionKept
Comparable sales SourceQ4 FY26(1.0%) to 1.0%New
Adjusted operating income rate SourceQ4 FY264.8% to 4.9%New

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance raised: Full-year comparable sales guidance range raised to 0.5% to 1.2%, from (1.0%) to 1.0%. Source
  • Guidance raised: Full-year revenue, adjusted effective tax rate and adjusted diluted EPS guidance also raised. Source
  • New guidance: First guidance given for fourth-quarter comparable sales and adjusted operating income rate. Source
  • Guidance kept: Full-year adjusted operating income rate and capital expenditure guidance kept. Source
  • New: Q3 pre-tax non-cash impairments of $192 million recorded for Best Buy Health. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Enterprise comparable sales rose 2.7%: Enterprise comparable sales rose 2.7%, after a 2.9% decline a year earlier. Management attributed the growth to computing, gaming and mobile phones. Source
  • Diluted EPS below adjusted EPS: Diluted EPS was $0.66, against $1.26 a year earlier. Adjusted diluted EPS was $1.40, against $1.26; the gap reflects impairment and restructuring adjustments. Source
  • Adjusted operating margin rose: Adjusted operating income was 4.0% of revenue, against 3.7% a year earlier. GAAP operating income was 2.0% of revenue, against 3.7%. Source
  • Four full-year guidance lines raised: Management raised full-year revenue, comparable sales, tax rate and adjusted EPS guidance, and kept the operating rate and capital expenditure lines. Source
  • Adjusted measures exclude impairments: Adjusted results exclude Best Buy Health impairments, intangible amortization and restructuring items, which the company says it has historically excluded and expects to keep excluding. Source

Segments and regions

  • Domestic comparable sales rose 2.4%: Domestic revenue rose 2.1% to $8.88 billion. Domestic adjusted operating income was $360 million, 4.1% of revenue, against $338 million and 3.9%. Source
  • Domestic online sales grew faster: Domestic online revenue was $2.82 billion, up 3.5% on a comparable basis. Online was 31.8% of Domestic revenue, against 31.4% a year earlier. Source
  • International comparable sales up 6.3%: International revenue rose 6.1% to $794 million on comparable sales growth of 6.3%. Best Buy Express revenue outside comparable sales was included, while foreign exchange had a negative effect. Source
  • International operating income increased: International adjusted operating income was $28 million, or 3.5% of revenue, against $13 million and 1.7% a year earlier. Source

“We delivered sales growth across both online and stores, saw continued improvements in customer experience ratings and launched our Best Buy Marketplace.”

Corie Barry, Best Buy CEO

Products and customers

  • Computing, gaming and phones led: The largest weighted drivers of Domestic comparable sales were computing, gaming and mobile phones. Home theater and appliances partly offset the increase. Source
  • Category comparable sales diverged: Domestic computing and mobile phones comparable sales rose 7.6% and entertainment rose 14.0%. Consumer electronics fell 2.9% and appliances fell 8.4%. Source
  • Domestic services comparable sales declined: Domestic services were 7% of revenue, with comparable sales of (1.0%), against 6.0% a year earlier. Source

Costs, margins and pricing

  • Domestic gross profit rate fell: Domestic gross profit rate was 23.3%, against 23.6%. Lower product margin rates drove the decline, partly offset by services rate improvement. Source
  • Domestic SG&A rate improved: Domestic adjusted SG&A was $1.71 billion, or 19.2% of revenue, against 19.7%. Lower Best Buy Health expense was largely offset by higher incentive compensation. Source
  • International margin and costs improved: International gross profit rate rose to 22.8% from 22.5%, on favorable supply chain costs. International adjusted SG&A fell to 19.3% of revenue from 20.7%. Source

“Today we are raising our full year forecast to reflect the strong Q3 results and our current outlook for Q4”

Matt Bilunas, Best Buy CFO

Best Buy Health impairment and tax

  • Best Buy Health impairments of $192 million: Impairments were $171 million of goodwill and intangible assets and $21 million of long-lived assets, all related to Best Buy Health. Source
  • Impairment review covered all assets: A change in the Best Buy Health customer base led to a review of all its assets. Longer-term projections were revised down. Source
  • GAAP tax rate rose: Effective tax rate was 31.5%, against 23.9%, due to the nondeductible goodwill impairment. Adjusted effective tax rate was 24.6%, against 23.8%. Source

Cash, balance sheet and shareholder returns

  • Quarter returns of $234 million: Q3 shareholder returns were $234 million, with dividends of $199 million and repurchases of $35 million. Year-to-date returns were $802 million. Source
  • Nine-month operating cash flow rose: Nine-month cash from operations was $684 million, against $561 million. Cash and cash equivalents were $923 million, against $643 million a year earlier. Source
  • Inventory and payables both rose: Merchandise inventories were $7,993 million, against $7,806 million. Accounts payable was $7,319 million, against $7,145 million. Source
  • Quarterly dividend declared at $0.95: The board authorized a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.95 per common share, announced with these results. Source

Coming up, as management said on 25 November 2025

  • Quarterly dividend payment date: The $0.95 quarterly dividend is payable on January 6, 2026, to holders of record on December 16, 2025. Source
  • Holiday season ahead: Management said the company is set up well for an exciting holiday season. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Comparable sales, enterprise Source2.7%
Comparable sales, Domestic Source2.4%
Comparable sales, International Source6.3%
Comparable online sales, Domestic Source3.5%
E-commerce share of Domestic revenue Source31.8%
Merchandise inventories Source$7,993 million
Gross margin, enterprise Source23.2% (23.5% a year earlier)

Risks management discussed

  • External: Pressures in the Medicaid and Medicare Advantage markets contributed to lower longer-term Best Buy Health projections. Source
  • Financial: Lower product margin rates pressured Domestic gross profit, partly offset by services rate improvement. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Ahead: Management says Q3 sales and adjusted operating income rate exceeded its expectations. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.