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BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc.: Q2 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q2 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 21 August 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 1 raised, 2 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Comparable club sales rose 11.9%: Total comparable club sales rose 11.9% in the second quarter and 9.2% in the first six months. Net sales rose 15.9% to $6.09 billion in the quarter. Source
  • Excluding gasoline, comparable sales rose 3.1%: Comparable club sales excluding gasoline rose 3.1% in the second quarter and 2.3% in the first six months, compared with 11.9% including gasoline. Source
  • Membership fee income up 9.9%: Membership fee income rose 9.9% to $135.6 million in the second quarter. Member count reached a record 8.5 million members. Source
  • Merchandise margin fell 20 basis points: Merchandise gross margin rate, excluding gasoline and membership fees, decreased about 20 basis points. Management cited continued pricing investments, partly offset by tariff refund benefits. Source
  • SG&A rose on labor and openings: SG&A rose to $851.2 million from $786.4 million, mainly from labor, occupancy and operational costs tied to new openings. A sale-leaseback gain partly offset the increase. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA rose 14.3%: Adjusted EBITDA rose 14.3% to $347.2 million. Net income rose to $173.9 million, and income tax expense rose to $65.4 million. Source
  • Adjusted EPS guidance raised: Adjusted EPS guidance for fiscal 2026 rose to $4.60 to $4.80 from $4.40 to $4.60, while the comparable sales range stayed unchanged. Source

“We remain excited about our strategy and committed to investing in growth for the long term.”

Bob Eddy, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Comparable club sales, excluding gasoline Sourcefiscal 20262.0% to 3.0% year-over-yearKept
Adjusted EPS Sourcefiscal 2026$4.60 to $4.80Raised from $4.40 to $4.60
Capital expenditures Sourcefiscal 2026approximately $800 millionKept

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance raised: Fiscal 2026 adjusted EPS guidance was raised to $4.60 to $4.80 from $4.40 to $4.60. Source
  • Guidance kept: Fiscal 2026 comparable club sales guidance excluding gasoline was maintained at 2.0% to 3.0%. Source
  • New: A gain on a sale-leaseback transaction in the second quarter partly offset the rise in SG&A. Source
  • New: The cash flow statement shows a purchase option assignment with $122.1 million of proceeds and an $80.7 million payment on exercise, with no such lines in the prior-year period. Source

Sales and comparable growth

  • Comparable club sales rose 11.9%: Total comparable club sales rose 11.9% in the second quarter and 9.2% in the first six months. Net sales rose 15.9% to $6.09 billion in the quarter. Source
  • Excluding gasoline, comparable sales rose 3.1%: Comparable club sales excluding gasoline rose 3.1% in the second quarter and 2.3% in the first six months, compared with 11.9% including gasoline. Source
  • Total revenues up 15.7%: Total revenues rose 15.7% to $6.23 billion, including membership fee income. Operating income rose 16.5% to $252.4 million. Source

Membership and digital growth

  • Membership fee income up 9.9%: Membership fee income rose 9.9% to $135.6 million in the second quarter. Member count reached a record 8.5 million members. Source
  • Membership growth drivers named: Management attributed membership fee growth to acquisition, retention and higher-tier membership penetration across new and existing clubs. Source
  • Digital comparable sales up 30%: Digitally enabled comparable sales growth was 30% in the quarter, with two-year stacked comparable growth of 64%. Source

“the momentum we're seeing across our strategic priorities gives us real confidence in the road ahead”

Bob Eddy, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Gas and club footprint

  • Three clubs and one gas station opened: The company opened three new clubs and one new gas station in the quarter. It operated 267 clubs and 206 BJ's Gas locations in 22 states. Source
  • Gas sales outperformed, management said: The CFO said the company outperformed on gas. Total comparable sales growth of 11.9% was well above the 3.1% excluding gasoline. Source

Margin and pricing

  • Merchandise margin fell 20 basis points: Merchandise gross margin rate, excluding gasoline and membership fees, decreased about 20 basis points. Management cited continued pricing investments, partly offset by tariff refund benefits. Source
  • Gross profit rose to $1.11 billion: Gross profit rose to $1.11 billion from $1.01 billion. Over the first six months, merchandise margin fell about 10 basis points on the same drivers. Source

“Our second quarter results reflect strong execution and continued momentum in the business.”

Laura Felice, Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer

Costs, profit and tax

  • SG&A rose on labor and openings: SG&A rose to $851.2 million from $786.4 million, mainly from labor, occupancy and operational costs tied to new openings. A sale-leaseback gain partly offset the increase. Source
  • Owned clubs raised depreciation: Depreciation and amortization was $78.9 million in the second quarter, against $71.9 million a year earlier. Management linked the increase to more owned clubs. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA rose 14.3%: Adjusted EBITDA rose 14.3% to $347.2 million. Net income rose to $173.9 million, and income tax expense rose to $65.4 million. Source
  • Diluted EPS of $1.36: Diluted EPS and adjusted EPS were both $1.36, against $1.14 a year earlier. Diluted weighted-average shares were 127.7 million, down from 132.5 million. Source

Cash flow and balance sheet

  • Operating cash flow of $401.5 million: Net cash provided by operating activities was $401.5 million in the quarter, against $249.9 million a year earlier. Adjusted free cash flow was $265.5 million, against $87.3 million. Source
  • Purchase option assignment and exercise: The company received $122.1 million from assignment of a purchase option and paid $80.7 million on exercise. Additions to property and equipment were $177.3 million in the quarter. Source
  • Net debt at 0.5 times adjusted EBITDA: Net debt was $599.3 million, or 0.5 times LTM adjusted EBITDA of $1,213.1 million. Source

Share repurchases and guidance

  • Buybacks of $124.1 million in quarter: The company repurchased 1,384,278 shares for $124.1 million in the second quarter, and 3,498,278 shares for $330.7 million in the first six months. About $422.1 million remained under the program. Source
  • Adjusted EPS guidance raised: Adjusted EPS guidance for fiscal 2026 rose to $4.60 to $4.80 from $4.40 to $4.60, while the comparable sales range stayed unchanged. Source
  • Capex covers clubs and distribution: Planned capital spending covers new club openings and distribution network enhancements, including the ambient distribution center. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Comparable club sales Source+11.9% total; +3.1% excluding gasoline
Merchandise inventories Source$1,617.0 million, up from $1,520.7 million
Store openings and closings Source3 clubs and 1 gas station opened; no closings stated
Digitally enabled comparable sales growth Source30%
Merchandise gross margin rate Sourcedecreased about 20 basis points

Risks management discussed

  • Operational: Labor, occupancy and operational costs rose with new club and gas station openings, which management named as the driver of higher SG&A. Source
  • Financial: Continued pricing investments weigh on merchandise gross margin, partly offset by tariff refund benefits. Source
  • Financial: Owned clubs add depreciation, which rose year over year as the number of owned clubs grew. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Ahead: Management said sales and profitability came in ahead of its expectations for the quarter. Source
  • Not stated: Management said it is maintaining its full-year comparable sales guidance. 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.