Academy Sports And Outdoors, Inc.NASDAQ: ASO

Academy Sports + Outdoors Reports Second Quarter Fiscal 2026 Results

· Issued by Academy Sports And Outdoors, Inc. via GlobeNewswire

Second Quarter Sales Growth of 3.0%; Comparable Sales of (0.4)%

eCommerce Sales Increase of 12.8%

New Stores Comp Positive Mid Single Digits

Second Quarter Diluted GAAP EPS of $2.17; up 17.3%; Adjusted EPS of $2.31; up 19.1%
(Net Tariff Refund Impact to EPS of $0.06, including reinvestments)

Opened Three New Stores Across Pennsylvania and Tennessee

Company Affirms Sales and Raises EPS Guidance

KATY, Texas, Sept. 09, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. (Nasdaq: ASO) ("Academy"   or the "Company" ) today announced its financial results for the second quarter ended August 1, 2026.

"We delivered another quarter of profitable growth, with net sales increasing 3.0%. While consumer spending remains pressured, particularly among lower-income households, our team has continued to execute at a high level by focusing on the key events and categories that matter most to our customers," said Steve Lawrence, Chief Executive Officer. "We are reinvesting tariff-related benefits into value, expanding compelling new brands and categories, and accelerating initiatives across stores, omni-channel and loyalty. These actions are helping us gain market share, strengthen customer engagement and reinforce our confidence in achieving our fiscal 2026 sales and earnings objectives."

Second Quarter Operating Results
($ in millions, except per share data)

Thirteen Weeks Ended

Change

August 1, 2026

August 2, 2025

%

Net sales

$

1,647.3

$

1,599.8

3.0%

Comparable sales

(0.4) 

%

0.2

%

Income before income tax

$

178.4

$

164.8

8.3%

Net income

$

137.9

$

125.4

10.0%

Adjusted net income (1)

$

146.5

$

131.3

11.6%

Earnings per common share, diluted

$

2.17

$

1.85

17.3%

Adjusted earnings per common share, diluted (1)

$

2.31

$

1.94

19.1%

(1) Adjusted net income and adjusted earnings per common share (EPS), diluted are non-GAAP measures. See "Non-GAAP Measures" and "Reconciliations of GAAP to Non-GAAP Financial Measures" below for reconciliations of non-GAAP financial measures to their most directly comparable GAAP financial measures.

Year-to-Date Operating Results($ in millions, except per share data)

Twenty-Six Weeks Ended

Change

August 1, 2026

August 2, 2025

%

Net sales

$

3,089.3

$

2,951.2

4.7%

Comparable sales

1.1

%

(1.7) 

%

Income before income tax

$

247.3

$

227.9

8.5%

Net Income

$

190.6

$

171.5

11.1%

Adjusted net income (1)

$

207.7

$

182.9

13.6%

Earnings per common share, diluted

$

2.94

$

2.52

16.7%

Adjusted earnings per common share, diluted (1)

$

3.20

$

2.69

19.0%

(1) Adjusted net income and Adjusted earnings per common share, diluted, are non-GAAP measures. See "Non-GAAP Measures" and "Reconciliations of GAAP to Non-GAAP Financial Measures" below for reconciliations of non-GAAP financial measures to their most directly comparable GAAP financial measures.

Twenty-Six Weeks Ended

Change

Balance Sheet ($ in millions)

August 1, 2026

August 2, 2025

%

Cash and cash equivalents

$

298.2

$

300.9

(0.9)%

Merchandise inventories, net (1)

$

1,657.4

$

1,587.6

4.4%

Long-term debt, net

$

494.2

$

481.7

2.6%

(1) As of August 1, 2026 inventory per store was down 5.6% in units and down 2.3% in dollars.

Twenty-Six Weeks Ended

Change

Capital Allocation ($ in millions)

August 1, 2026

August 2, 2025

%

Share repurchases (1)

$

182.1

$

99.9

82.3%

Dividends paid

$

19.0

$

17.4

9.2%

(1) Includes excise tax fees of $1.6 million for the twenty-six weeks ended August 1, 2026 and $0.9 million for the twenty-six weeks ended August 2, 2025.

Subsequent to the end of the second quarter, Academy announced that its Board of Directors on September 2, 2026 declared a quarterly cash dividend with respect to the quarter ended August 1, 2026, of $0.15 per share of common stock. The dividend is payable on October 14, 2026, to stockholders of record as of the close of business on September 16, 2026.

New Store Openings
Academy opened three new stores during the second quarter, bringing its total to 327 locations. The Company plans to open eleven stores during the third quarter, with the remaining locations to be opened in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026.

Academy Store Footprint Update

Time Frame

Total stores open at
beginning of the
period

Number of stores
opened during the
period

Number of stores
closed during the
period

Total stores open at
end of period

2nd Quarter 2025

303

3

—

306

FY 2025

298

24

—

322

2nd Quarter 2026

324

3

—

327

Time Frame                    

Total gross square
feet open at
beginning of the
period(1)

Gross square feet
for stores opened
during the period(1)

Gross square feet
for stores closed
during the period

Total gross square
feet at the end of
the period(1)

2nd Quarter 2025

20,879

191

21,070

FY 2025

20,604

1,321

—

21,925

2nd Quarter 2026

22,037

154

—

22,191

(1) Figures in thousands

2026 Outlook
"Our second quarter results demonstrate the strength of the business and the discipline of our operating model. We delivered double digit EPS growth, produced strong free cash flow and continued returning capital to shareholders through both share repurchases and dividends. Importantly, we accomplished this while investing in strategic growth initiatives designed to support sustainable long-term growth," said Carl Ford, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. "As we enter the second half of the year, our balance sheet remains strong, our growth drivers are performing well and we are well positioned to deliver within our fiscal 2026 outlook."

Academy is providing the following updated guidance for fiscal 2026 (i.e., year ending January 30, 2027), as compared to the guidance given on June 9, 2026. This guidance takes into account various factors, both internal and external, such as the expected benefits of the Company's growth initiatives, current consumer demand, the competitive environment, and potential impacts from inflation and other economic risks; actual results may differ materially.

Fiscal 2026 Guidance
June 9

Updated Fiscal 2026
Guidance

change
(at midpoint)

(in millions, except per share amounts)

Low end

High end

Low end

High end

2025
Actuals

vs. 2025

Net sales

$6,230

$6,355

$6,230

$6,355

$6,053

4.0

%

Sales Growth

3.0

%

5.0

%

3.0

%

5.0

%

2.0

%

100.0

%

Comparable sales (1)

—

%

2.0

%

—

%

2.0

%

(1.5)

%

166.7

%

Gross margin rate

34.5

%

35.0

%

35.5

%

36.0

%

34.8

%

3.0

%

GAAP net income

$390

$415

$390

$415

$377

6.8

%

Adjusted net income (2)

$420

$445

$420

$445

$393

10.1

%

GAAP earnings per common share, diluted

$5.95

$6.35

$6.05

$6.45

$5.54

12.8

%

Adjusted earnings per common share, diluted (2)

$6.40

$6.80

$6.50

$6.90

$5.78

15.9

%

Diluted weighted average common shares

66

66

64.5

64.5

~68

(5.2)

%

Capital Expenditures

$200

$240

$200

$240

$213

3.3

%

Adjusted free cash flow (2), (3)

$250

$300

$300

$350

$263

23.6

%

The earnings per share estimates do not include any potential future share repurchases and assume a tax rate of approximately 22.0%.

(1) Comparable sales include stores open after thirteen full fiscal months, all e-commerce sales, and credit card revenue.

(2) Adjusted net income, adjusted earnings per common share (EPS), diluted, and adjusted free cash flow are non-GAAP measures. See "Non-GAAP Measures" and "Reconciliations of GAAP to Non-GAAP Financial Measures" below for reconciliations of non-GAAP financial measures to their most directly comparable GAAP financial measures.

(3) We have not reconciled guidance for adjusted free cash flow to the most comparable GAAP measure because it is not possible to do so without unreasonable efforts given the uncertainty and potential variability of reconciling items, which are dependent on future events and often outside of management's control and could be significant; therefore, we are unable to provide an estimate of the most closely comparable GAAP measure at this time.

Conference Call Info
Academy will host a conference call today at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time to discuss its financial results and related matters. The call will be webcast at investors.academy.com. The following information is provided for those who would like to participate in the conference call:

U.S. callers 

1-877-407-3982

International callers

1-201-493-6780

Passcode

13762096

A replay of the conference call will be available for approximately 30 days on the Company's website.

About Academy Sports + Outdoors
Academy is a leading full-line sporting goods and outdoor recreation retailer in the United States. Originally founded in 1938 as a family business in Texas, Academy has grown to more than 300 stores across 21 states and counting. Academy's mission is to provide "Fun for All" and Academy fulfills this mission with a localized merchandising strategy and value proposition that strongly connects with a broad range of consumers. Academy's product assortment focuses on key categories of outdoor, apparel, sports & recreation and footwear through both leading national brands and a portfolio of private label brands. For more information, visit www.academy.com.

Non-GAAP Measures
Adjusted EBIT, Adjusted Net Income, Adjusted Earnings per Common Share, and Adjusted Free Cash Flow have been presented in this press release as supplemental measures of financial performance that are not required by, or presented in accordance with, generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP"). The Company believes that the presentation of these non-GAAP measures is useful to investors as they provide additional information on comparisons between periods by excluding certain items that affect overall comparability. The Company uses these non-GAAP financial measures for business planning purposes, to consider underlying trends of its business, and in measuring its performance relative to others in the market, and believes presenting these measures also provides information to investors and others for understanding and evaluating trends in the Company's operating results or measuring performance in the same manner as the Company's management. Non-GAAP financial measures should be considered in addition to, and not as an alternative for, the Company's reported results prepared in accordance with GAAP. The calculation of these non-GAAP financial measures may differ from similar measures reported by other companies and may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures. For additional information on these non-GAAP financial measures, please see our Annual Report for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2026 (the "Annual Report"), filed on March 17, 2026 and our Quarterly Report for the thirteen weeks ended August 1, 2026 to be filed on September 9, 2026 ("the Quarterly Report"), which may be updated from time to time in our periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), which are accessible on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov.

See "Reconciliations of GAAP to Non-GAAP Financial Measures" below for reconciliations of non-GAAP financial measures presented in this press release to their most directly comparable GAAP financial measures.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements are based on Academy's current expectations and are not guarantees of future performance. Forward-looking statements may incorporate words such as "believe," "expect,", "anticipate," "forward," "ahead," "opportunities," "plans," "priorities," "goals," "future," "short/long term," "will," "should," or the negative version of these words or other comparable words. The forward-looking statements in this press release include, among other things, statements regarding the Company's fiscal 2026 outlook under the caption "2026 Outlook," the Company's strategic plans and financial objectives, including the implementation of such plans, the growth of the Company's business and operations, including the opening of new stores and the expansion into new markets, the Company's payment of dividends, including the timing and the amount thereof, share repurchases by the Company, and the Company's expectations regarding its future performance and future financial condition are subject to various risks, uncertainties, assumptions, or changes in circumstances that are all difficult to predict or quantify. Actual results may differ materially from these expectations due to changes in global, regional, or local economic, business, competitive, market, regulatory, environmental, and other factors that could affect overall consumer spending or our industry, including the possible effects of ongoing macroeconomic challenges, inflation and higher interest rates, trade policy changes or additional tariffs, geopolitical tensions, or changes to the financial health of our customers, many of which are beyond Academy's control. These and other important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements are set forth in Academy's filings with the SEC, including the Annual Report, under the caption "Part 1A. Risk Factors," as may be updated from time to time in our periodic filings with the SEC. Any forward-looking statement in this press release speaks only as of the date of this release. Academy undertakes no obligation to publicly update or review any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by any applicable securities laws.

Investor Contact

Media Contact

Dan Aldridge

Meredith Klein

VP, Investor Relations

VP, Communications

832-739-4102

346-823-6615

dan.aldridge@academy.com

meredith.klein@academy.com

ACADEMY SPORTS AND OUTDOORS, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME

(Unaudited)

(Amounts in thousands, except per share data)

Thirteen Weeks Ended

August 1, 2026

Percentage of
Sales(1)

August 2, 2025

Percentage of
Sales (1)

Net sales

$

1,647,285

100.0

%

$

1,599,838

100.0

%

Cost of goods sold

981,383

59.6

%

1,023,105

64.0

%

Gross margin

665,902

40.4

%

576,733

36.0

%

Selling, general and administrative expenses

419,539

25.5

%

404,352

25.3

%

Operating income

246,363

15.0

%

172,381

10.8

%

Interest expense, net

8,056

0.5

%

9,028

0.6

%

Loss on early retirement of debt

1,902

0.1

%

—

—

%

Other expense (income), net

58,006

3.5

%

(1,480

)

(0.1)

%

Income before income taxes

178,399

10.8

%

164,833

10.3

%

Income tax expense

40,502

2.5

%

39,399

2.5

%

Net income

$

137,897

8.4

%

$

125,434

7.8

%

Earnings Per Common Share:

Basic

$

2.21

$

1.89

Diluted

$

2.17

$

1.85

Weighted Average Common Shares Outstanding:

Basic

62,292

66,539

Diluted

63,551

67,689

(1) Column may not add due to rounding

ACADEMY SPORTS AND OUTDOORS, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME

(Unaudited)

(Amounts in thousands, except per share data)

Twenty-Six Weeks Ended

August 1, 2026

Percentage of
Sales(1)

August 2, 2025

Percentage of
Sales (1)

Net sales

$

3,089,288

100.0

%

$

2,951,247

100.0

%

Cost of goods sold

1,944,038

62.9

%

1,915,645

64.9

%

Gross margin

1,145,250

37.1

%

1,035,602

35.1

%

Selling, general and administrative expenses

824,232

26.7

%

793,956

26.9

%

Operating income

321,018

10.4

%

241,646

8.2

%

Interest expense, net

17,043

0.6

%

18,072

0.6

%

Loss on early retirement of debt

1,902

0.1

%

—

—

%

Other expense (income), net

54,785

1.8

%

(4,287

)

(0.1)

%

Income before income taxes

247,288

8.0

%

227,861

7.7

%

Income tax expense

56,688

1.8

%

56,343

1.9

%

Net income

$

190,600

6.2

%

$

171,518

5.8

%

Earnings Per Common Share:

Basic

$

3.01

$

2.57

Diluted

$

2.94

$

2.52

Weighted Average Common Shares Outstanding:

Basic

63,362

66,831

Diluted

64,892

68,043

(1) Column may not add due to rounding

ACADEMY SPORTS AND OUTDOORS, INC.

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(Unaudited)

(Amounts in thousands, except per share data)

August 1, 2026

January 31, 2026

August 2, 2025

ASSETS

CURRENT ASSETS:

Cash and cash equivalents

$

298,213

$

330,320

$

300,860

Accounts receivable - less allowance for doubtful accounts of $1,592, $1,792 and $1,874, respectively

22,955

34,755

19,181

Merchandise inventories, net

1,657,442

1,503,756

1,587,624

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

89,897

82,457

78,257

Assets held for sale

2,957

2,957

—

Total current assets

2,071,464

1,954,245

1,985,922

PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT, NET

631,834

584,103

584,045

RIGHT-OF-USE ASSETS

1,292,724

1,234,246

1,206,207

TRADE NAME

579,972

579,766

579,330

GOODWILL

861,920

861,920

861,920

OTHER NONCURRENT ASSETS

70,234

62,756

58,559

Total assets

$

5,508,148

$

5,277,036

$

5,275,983

LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY

CURRENT LIABILITIES:

Accounts payable

$

751,560

$

637,854

$

803,309

Accrued expenses and other current liabilities

302,513

243,908

266,021

Current lease liabilities

134,390

147,491

139,678

Current maturities of long-term debt

—

3,000

3,000

Total current liabilities

1,188,463

1,032,253

1,212,008

LONG-TERM DEBT, NET

494,158

480,793

481,738

LONG-TERM LEASE LIABILITIES

1,340,337

1,261,167

1,217,217

DEFERRED TAX LIABILITIES, NET

285,589

300,654

270,502

OTHER LONG-TERM LIABILITIES

21,168

30,792

19,368

Total liabilities

3,329,715

3,105,659

3,200,833

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY :

Preferred stock, $0.01 par value, authorized 50,000,000 shares; none issued and outstanding

—

—

—

Common stock, $0.01 par value, authorized 300,000,000 shares; 62,028,664; 64,945,953 and 66,625,266 issued and outstanding as of August 1, 2026, January 31, 2026 and August 2, 2025, respectively.

620

649

666

Additional paid-in capital

258,973

256,351

255,517

Retained earnings

1,918,840

1,914,377

1,818,967

Stockholders' equity

2,178,433

2,171,377

2,075,150

Total liabilities and stockholders' equity

$

5,508,148

$

5,277,036

$

5,275,983

ACADEMY SPORTS AND OUTDOORS, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(Unaudited)

(Amounts in thousands)

Twenty-Six Weeks Ended

August 1, 2026

August 2, 2025

CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:

Net income

$

190,600

$

171,518

Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:

Depreciation and amortization

61,205

61,171

Non-cash lease expense

7,591

22,487

Equity compensation

20,419

15,144

Amortization of deferred loan and other costs

1,305

1,292

Deferred income taxes

(15,065

)

13,686

Loss on early retirement of debt

1,902

—

Loss on tariff refund monetization

61,759

—

Changes in assets and liabilities:

Accounts receivable, net

11,799

(2,421

)

Merchandise inventories, net

(153,686

)

(278,784

)

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

(18,995

)

15,311

Other noncurrent assets

(5,205

)

(7,617

)

Accounts payable

116,027

178,381

Accrued expenses and other current liabilities

21,534

29,395

Income taxes payable

46,991

7,526

Other long-term liabilities

841

8,958

Net cash provided by operating activities

349,022

236,047

CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:

Capital expenditures

(111,258

)

(107,576

)

Purchases of intangible assets

(206

)

(323

)

Net cash used in investing activities

(111,464

)

(107,899

)

CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:

Repayment of Term Loan

(85,750

)

(1,500

)

Proceeds from Senior Notes

500,000

—

Repayment of Senior Notes

(400,000

)

—

Debt refinancing fees

(9,364

)

—

Proceeds from exercise of stock options

805

2,646

Proceeds from issuance of common stock under employee stock purchase

2,828

2,781

Taxes paid related to net share settlement of equity awards

(6,499

)

(3,748

)

Repurchase of common stock for retirement

(180,505

)

(99,031

)

Dividends paid

(18,956

)

(17,365

)

Remittance of tariff refund claims

(72,224

)

—

Net cash used in financing activities

(269,665

)

(116,217

)

NET (DECREASE) INCREASE IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS

(32,107

)

11,931

CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS AT BEGINNING OF PERIOD

330,320

288,929

CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS AT END OF PERIOD

$

298,213

$

300,860

ACADEMY SPORTS AND OUTDOORS, INC.
RECONCILIATIONS OF GAAP TO NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES
(Unaudited)
(Amounts in thousands)

Adjusted EBIT

We define "Adjusted EBIT" as net income (loss) before interest expense, net, income tax expense and other adjustments included in the table below. We describe these adjustments reconciling net income (loss) to Adjusted EBIT in the following table (amounts in thousands):

Thirteen Weeks Ended

Twenty-Six Weeks Ended

August 1, 2026

August 2, 2025

August 1, 2026

August 2, 2025

Net income

$

137,897

$

125,434

$

190,600

$

171,518

Interest expense, net

8,056

9,028

17,043

18,072

Income tax expense

40,502

39,399

56,688

56,343

Equity compensation (a)

9,319

7,602

20,419

15,144

Loss on early retirement of debt

1,902

—

1,902

—

Adjusted EBIT

$

197,676

$

181,463

$

286,652

$

261,077

(a)

Represents non-cash charges related to equity based compensation, which vary from period to period depending on certain factors such as the timing and valuation of awards, achievement of performance targets and equity award forfeitures.

Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted Earnings Per Common Share

We define "Adjusted Net Income" as net income (loss) plus other adjustments included in the table below, less the tax effect of these adjustments. We define "Adjusted Earnings per Common Share, Basic" as Adjusted Net Income divided by the basic weighted average common shares outstanding during the period and "Adjusted Earnings per Common Share, Diluted" as Adjusted Net Income divided by the diluted weighted average common shares outstanding during the period. We describe these adjustments reconciling net income (loss) to Adjusted Net Income, and Adjusted Earnings Per Common Share in the following table (amounts in thousands, except per share data):  

Thirteen Weeks Ended

Twenty-Six Weeks Ended

August 1, 2026

August 2, 2025

August 1, 2026

August 2, 2025

Net income

$

137,897

$

125,434

$

190,600

$

171,518

Equity compensation (a)

9,319

7,602

20,419

15,144

Loss on early retirement of debt

1,902

—

1,902

—

Tax effects of these adjustments (b)

(2,612

)

(1,717

)

(5,196

)

(3,745

)

Adjusted Net Income

$

146,506

$

131,319

$

207,725

$

182,917

Earnings per common share:

Basic

$

2.21

$

1.89

$

3.01

$

2.57

Diluted

$

2.17

$

1.85

$

2.94

$

2.52

Adjusted earnings per common share:

Basic

$

2.35

$

1.97

$

3.28

$

2.74

Diluted

$

2.31

$

1.94

$

3.20

$

2.69

Weighted average common shares outstanding:

Basic

62,292

66,539

63,362

66,831

Diluted

63,551

67,689

64,892

68,043

(a)

Represents non-cash charges related to equity based compensation, which vary from period to period depending on certain factors such as the timing and valuation of awards, achievement of performance targets and equity award forfeitures.

(b)

Represents the estimated tax effect of the total adjustments made to arrive at Adjusted Net Income.

Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted Earnings Per Common Share, Diluted, Guidance Reconciliation (amounts in millions, except per share data)

Low Range*

High Range*

Fiscal Year Ending
January 31, 2027

Fiscal Year Ending
January 31, 2027

Net Income

$

390

$

415

Equity compensation (a)

30

30

Adjusted Net Income

$

420

$

445

Earnings Per Common Share, Diluted

$

6.05

$

6.45

Equity compensation (a)

0.45

0.45

Adjusted Earnings Per Common Share, Diluted

$

6.50

$

6.90

*

Amounts presented have been rounded.

(a)

Adjustments include non-cash charges related to equity-based compensation (as defined above), which may vary from period to period. These amounts are also tax affected.

Adjusted Free Cash Flow

We define "Adjusted Free Cash Flow" as net cash provided by (used in) operating activities less net cash used in investing activities. We describe these adjustments reconciling net cash provided by operating activities to adjusted free cash flow in the following table (amounts in thousands): 

Thirteen Weeks Ended

Twenty-Six Weeks Ended

August 1, 2026

August 2, 2025

August 1, 2026

August 2, 2025

Net cash provided by operating activities (a)

$

188,416

$

78,575

$

349,022

$

236,047

Net cash used in investing activities

(72,467

)

(56,911

)

(111,464

)

(107,899

)

Adjusted Free Cash Flow

$

115,949

$

21,664

$

237,558

$

128,148

(a)

Net cash provided by operating activities includes the impact of tariff refunds in the 2026 second quarter.

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