Burlington Stores, Inc. (NYSE:BURL) saw its stock decline 6.5% after the company reported third-quarter revenue that narrowly missed Wall Street expectations, even as it topped earnings forecasts and raised its full-year profit outlook.
For the quarter ended November 1, 2025, the retailer delivered adjusted earnings per share of $1.80, ahead of analysts’ estimates of $1.64. Revenue reached $2.71 billion, slightly under the $2.72 billion consensus. Total sales rose 7% year over year, while comparable store sales increased 1%.
CEO Michael O’Sullivan said the top-line softness was linked to weaker store traffic following the back-to-school season, pointing to “unseasonably warm temperatures in our major markets” as a key driver of the slowdown. He added that comp trends rebounded to mid-single digits by mid-October as cooler weather arrived, with momentum carrying into the first three weeks of November.
Despite the modest revenue shortfall, Burlington delivered stronger profitability. Adjusted EBIT margin expanded by 60 basis points from last year, and adjusted EPS climbed 16%. “Our merchandising and operating teams did an outstanding job mitigating the negative margin impact from tariffs,” O’Sullivan said.
The company raised its full-year adjusted EPS outlook to $9.69–$9.89, above the Street’s expectation of $9.54. For the fourth quarter, Burlington anticipates comparable store sales growth between 0% and 2%.
Merchandise inventories stood at $1.66 billion, up 15% from a year ago, though comparable store inventories fell 2%. Burlington ended the quarter with a solid liquidity position of $1.53 billion.