The TJX Companies, Inc. (NYSE: TJX), headquartered in Framingham, Massachusetts, is a leading off-price retailer of apparel and home fashions, operating globally through well-known banners including TJ Maxx, Marshalls, HomeGoods, and Homesense. For the first quarter of Fiscal 2026, which concluded on May 3, 2025, TJX reported a consolidated net sales increase of 5% year-over-year, amounting to $13.1 billion. Comparable sales grew 3%, driven by an increase in customer transactions across all divisions in the U.S. and internationally.

The company appears to be in a stable condition, maintaining profitability and achieving sales growth. The first quarter’s pretax profit margin was 10.3%, down from 11.1% in the same quarter last year, while diluted earnings per share stood at $0.92 compared to $0.93 in the prior year. The company’s inventory levels rose significantly, with total inventory up 15% and a 7% increase in inventory per store compared to the prior year.

For the outlook of Fiscal 2026, TJX has maintained its guidance, projecting full-year comp sales growth of 2% to 3%. The company expects total consolidated sales to range between $58.1 billion and $58.6 billion. The planned pretax profit margin for the full year is projected to be between 11.3% and 11.4%, reflecting a slight decline from the prior year’s margin of 11.5%. Diluted earnings per share are expected to range from $4.34 to $4.43, indicating a 2% to 4% increase over the last year.

Looking specifically at the second quarter, TJX forecasts a comparable sales growth of 2% to 3% with estimated consolidated sales between $13.9 billion and $14 billion. The pretax profit margin for the second quarter is expected to be in the range of 10.4% to 10.5%, down from the last year’s 10.9%. The gross margin is projected to be around 30%, a decline of about 40 basis points from the previous year’s 30.4%. The projected diluted earnings per share for the second quarter is between $0.97 and $1.00, marking a 1% to 4% increase compared to the prior year’s $0.96.

In terms of capital allocation, TJX returned $1.0 billion to shareholders during the first quarter through share repurchases and dividends, repurchasing 5.1 million shares at a cost of $613 million while paying $420 million in dividends. The company continues to execute on its buyback program with plans to allocate approximately $2.0 billion to $2.5 billion for share repurchases in Fiscal 2026.

This overall financial performance and guidance underline a measured but optimistic approach as TJX adapts to the prevailing macroeconomic conditions while maintaining a strong focus on delivering value to customers.