Casey's Announces Third Quarter Results

via Business Wire

Casey’s General Stores, Inc. ("Casey's" or the "Company") (Nasdaq: CASY) one of the leading convenience store chains in the United States, today announced financial results for the three and nine months ended January 31, 2026.

Third Quarter Key Highlights

  • Diluted EPS of $3.49 up 49.8% from the same period a year ago. Net income was $130.1 million, up 49.3% from the prior year, and EBITDA1 was $308.9 million, up 27.5%, from the same period a year ago.
  • Inside same-store sales increased 4.0% compared to prior year, and 7.9% on a two-year stack basis, with an inside margin of 42.2%. Total inside gross profit increased 8.9% to $624.0 million compared to the prior year.
  • Same-store fuel gallons were up 0.4% compared to prior year with a fuel margin of 41.0 cents per gallon. Total fuel gross profit increased 15.3% to $348.2 million compared to the prior year.
  • During the quarter, Casey's Rewards surpassed 10 million members.

"Casey's achieved another successful quarter as strong sales and margin expansion drove performance,” said Darren Rebelez, Chairman, President and CEO. “Our high quality inside offering, along with a compelling value proposition, continues to attract guests to our stores. On the fuel side, the team had another sound quarter, expanding fuel margin while reporting positive same-store gallon growth. All of this was anchored by our store level operations team, who continue to meet our guests’ needs in an efficient manner."

Earnings

 

Three Months Ended January 31,

 

Nine Months Ended January 31,

 

 

2026

 

 

 

2025

 

 

 

2026

 

 

 

2025

 

Net income (in thousands)

$

130,073

 

 

$

87,097

 

 

$

551,764

 

 

$

448,213

 

Diluted earnings per share

$

3.49

 

$

2.33

 

$

14.79

 

$

12.01

EBITDA (in thousands)

$

308,912

 

 

$

242,368

 

 

$

1,133,281

 

 

$

937,030

 

For the quarter, net income, diluted EPS, and EBITDA increased compared to the same period a year ago due to higher inside and fuel gross profit, partially offset by higher operating expenses.

 

1EBITDA is reconciled to net income below.

Inside

 

Three Months Ended January 31,

 

Nine Months Ended January 31,

 

 

2026

 

 

 

2025

 

 

 

2026

 

 

 

2025

 

Inside sales (in thousands)

$

1,480,203

 

 

$

1,400,425

 

 

$

4,822,459

 

 

$

4,342,056

 

Inside same-store sales

 

4.0

%

 

 

3.7

%

 

 

3.8

%

 

 

3.1

%

Grocery and general merchandise same-store sales

 

4.0

%

 

 

3.3

%

 

 

3.4

%

 

 

2.6

%

Prepared food and dispensed beverage same-store sales

 

4.3

%

 

 

4.7

%

 

 

4.8

%

 

 

4.4

%

Inside gross profit (in thousands)

$

624,034

 

 

$

573,079

 

 

$

2,032,923

 

 

$

1,807,052

 

Inside margin

 

42.2

%

 

 

40.9

%

 

 

42.2

%

 

 

41.6

%

Grocery and general merchandise margin

 

35.7

%

 

 

34.2

%

 

 

35.9

%

 

 

35.1

%

Prepared food and dispensed beverage margin

 

58.3

%

 

 

57.8

%

 

 

58.3

%

 

 

58.3

%

Total inside sales for the quarter were up 5.7% compared to the prior year. Prepared food and dispensed beverage same-store sales were led by whole pizzas and hot sandwiches while grocery and general merchandise same-store sales had excellent performance in non-alcoholic beverages. Inside margin was up approximately 130 basis points compared to the same quarter a year ago, benefitting from cost of goods management and a favorable product mix shift.

Fuel2

 

Three Months Ended January 31,

 

Nine Months Ended January 31,

 

 

2026

 

 

 

2025

 

 

 

2026

 

 

 

2025

 

Fuel gallons sold (in thousands)

 

848,434

 

 

 

829,761

 

 

 

2,666,866

 

 

 

2,378,211

 

Same-store gallons sold

 

0.4

%

 

 

1.8

%

 

 

1.1

%

 

 

0.3

%

Fuel gross profit (in thousands)

$

348,226

 

 

$

302,058

 

 

$

1,099,146

 

 

$

928,858

 

Fuel margin (cents per gallon, excluding credit card fees)

 

41.0

¢

 

 

36.4

¢

 

 

41.2

¢

 

 

39.1

¢

For the quarter, total fuel gallons sold increased 2.3% compared to the prior year due to the store count increase as well as the same-store gallons increase. The Company’s total fuel gross profit was up 15.3% versus the prior year, due to an increase in gallons sold as well as fuel margin. The Company sold $6.3 million in renewable fuel credits (RINs) in the quarter, an increase of $3.7 million from the same quarter in the prior year.

Operating Expenses

 

Three Months Ended January 31,

 

Nine Months Ended January 31,

 

 

2026

 

 

 

2025

 

 

 

2026

 

 

 

2025

 

Operating expenses (in thousands)

$

697,640

 

 

$

670,200

 

 

$

2,107,403

 

 

$

1,889,353

 

Credit card fees (in thousands)

$

63,632

 

 

$

61,234

 

 

$

206,830

 

 

$

187,318

 

Same-store operating expenses excluding credit card fees

 

4.6

%

 

 

3.2

%

 

 

3.9

%

 

 

1.8

%

Operating expenses increased 4.1% during the third quarter. The total operating expense comparison benefitted from $13 million in one-time deal and integration costs that were incurred in the prior year, related to the acquisition of Fikes. Operating 31 more stores than prior year accounted for approximately 1% of the increase. Same-store employee expense contributed to approximately 1.5% of the increase, due to increases in labor rates, partially offset by a reduction in same-store labor hours. Snow removal due to unfavorable weather contributed approximately 1% of the increase. Approximately 1.5% of the change is related to an increase in accrued costs for variable incentive compensation and charitable contributions.

 

2 Fuel category does not include wholesale fuel or terminal activity, which is included in Other.

Expansion

 

Store Count

April 30, 2025

2,904

 

New store construction

27

 

Acquisitions

27

 

Acquisitions not opened

(1

)

Prior acquisitions opened

1

 

Closed or divested

(34

)

January 31, 2026

2,924

 

Liquidity

At January 31, 2026, the Company had approximately $1.4 billion in available liquidity, consisting of approximately $465 million in cash and cash equivalents on hand and approximately $900 million in available borrowing capacity on existing lines of credit.

Share Repurchase

During the quarter, the Company repurchased approximately $76 million of shares. The Company has approximately $157 million remaining under its existing share repurchase authorization.

Dividend

At its March meeting, the Board of Directors approved a quarterly dividend of $0.57 per share. The dividend is payable May 15, 2026, to shareholders of record on May 1, 2026.

Fiscal 2026 Outlook

As a result of the strong financial performance year-to-date, fiscal 2026 EBITDA is expected to increase 18% to 20%. The Company now expects inside same-store sales to increase 3.5% to 4.5% and an inside margin of approximately 41.5% to 42.5%. Total operating expenses are now expected to increase approximately 10%. The tax rate is now expected to be 23.5% to 24.5% for the fiscal year. Net interest expense is expected to be approximately $100 million.

The Company is not updating its outlook for the following metrics. The Company expects same-store fuel gallons sold to be negative 1% to positive 1%. The Company expects to open at least 80 stores in fiscal 2026, through a mix of M&A and new store construction, bringing the three-year strategic plan period total to approximately 500 stores. Depreciation and amortization is expected to be approximately $450 million. The purchase of property and equipment is expected to be approximately $600 million.

Casey’s General Stores, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income

(Amounts in thousands, except share and per share amounts)

(Unaudited)

 

 

Three Months Ended January 31,

 

Nine Months Ended January 31,

 

 

2026

 

 

 

2025

 

 

 

2026

 

 

 

2025

 

Total revenue

$

3,916,132

 

 

$

3,903,633

 

 

$

12,989,322

 

 

$

11,948,141

 

Cost of goods sold (exclusive of depreciation and amortization, shown separately below)

 

2,909,580

 

 

 

2,991,065

 

 

 

9,748,638

 

 

 

9,121,758

 

Operating expenses

 

697,640

 

 

 

670,200

 

 

 

2,107,403

 

 

 

1,889,353

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

114,084

 

 

105,203

 

 

334,463

 

 

296,204

Interest, net

 

23,381

 

 

 

29,415

 

 

 

74,921

 

 

 

56,035

 

Income before income taxes

 

171,447

 

 

 

107,750

 

 

 

723,897

 

 

 

584,791

 

Federal and state income taxes

 

41,374

 

 

 

20,653

 

 

 

172,133

 

 

 

136,578

 

Net income

$

130,073

 

 

$

87,097

 

 

$

551,764

 

 

$

448,213

 

Net income per common share

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic

$

3.51

 

 

$

2.35

 

 

$

14.87

 

 

$

12.08

 

Diluted

$

3.49

 

 

$

2.33

 

 

$

14.79

 

 

$

12.01

 

Basic weighted average shares

 

37,034,207

 

 

 

37,125,570

 

 

 

37,105,202

 

 

 

37,112,506

 

Plus dilutive effect of share-based compensation

 

206,830

 

 

 

236,486

 

 

 

205,264

 

 

 

213,474

 

Diluted weighted average shares

 

37,241,037

 

 

 

37,362,056

 

 

 

37,310,466

 

 

 

37,325,980

 

Casey’s General Stores, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets

(Dollars in thousands)

(Unaudited)

 

 

January 31, 2026

 

April 30, 2025

Assets

 

 

 

Current assets

 

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents

$

465,019

 

 

$

326,662

 

Receivables

 

186,756

 

 

 

180,746

 

Inventories

 

440,832

 

 

 

480,034

 

Prepaid and other current assets

 

36,291

 

 

 

24,641

 

Income taxes receivable

 

19,105

 

 

770

Total current assets

 

1,148,003

 

 

 

1,012,853

 

Operating lease right-of-use assets, net

 

436,140

 

 

 

417,046

 

Other assets, net of amortization

 

121,692

 

 

 

120,082

 

Goodwill

 

1,266,489

 

 

 

1,244,893

 

Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation of $3,386,937 at January 31, 2026 and $3,122,203 at April 30, 2025

 

5,613,426

 

 

 

5,413,244

 

Total assets

$

8,585,750

 

 

$

8,208,118

 

Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity

 

 

 

Current liabilities

 

 

 

Current maturities of long-term debt and finance lease obligations

$

101,455

 

 

$

94,925

 

Accounts payable

 

603,347

 

 

 

620,447

 

Accrued expenses and current portion of operating lease liabilities

 

396,893

 

 

 

386,321

 

Total current liabilities

 

1,101,695

 

 

 

1,101,693

 

Long-term debt and finance lease obligations, net of current maturities

 

2,331,744

 

 

 

2,413,620

 

Deferred income taxes

 

729,206

 

 

 

646,905

 

Operating lease liabilities, net of current portion

 

462,522

 

 

 

434,707

 

Insurance accruals, net of current portion

 

33,669

 

 

 

33,143

 

Other long-term liabilities

 

73,429

 

 

 

69,380

 

Total liabilities

 

4,732,265

 

 

 

4,699,448

 

Total shareholders’ equity

 

3,853,485

 

 

 

3,508,670

 

Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity

$

8,585,750

 

 

$

8,208,118

 

Casey’s General Stores, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

(Dollars in thousands)

(Unaudited)

 

 

Nine months ended January 31,

 

 

2026

 

 

 

2025

 

Cash flows from operating activities:

 

 

 

Net income

$

551,764

 

 

$

448,213

 

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

 

 

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

334,463

 

 

 

296,204

 

Amortization of debt issuance costs

 

1,549

 

 

 

1,132

 

Change in excess replacement cost over LIFO inventory valuation

 

17,347

 

 

 

9,358

 

Share-based compensation

 

42,991

 

 

 

35,489

 

Loss on disposal of assets and impairment charges

 

3,507

 

 

 

8,993

 

Deferred income taxes

 

84,083

 

 

 

51,204

 

Changes in assets and liabilities:

 

 

 

Receivables

 

(7,476

)

 

 

12,067

 

Inventories

 

24,936

 

 

 

(8,129

)

Prepaid and other current assets

 

(11,650

)

 

 

(11,287

)

Accounts payable

 

(48,751

)

 

 

(78,246

)

Accrued expenses

 

7,509

 

 

 

(5,617

)

Income taxes

 

(17,907

)

 

 

276

 

Other, net

 

(3,335

)

 

 

(2,661

)

Net cash provided by operating activities

 

979,030

 

 

 

756,996

 

Cash flows from investing activities:

 

 

 

Purchase of property and equipment

 

(464,838

)

 

 

(325,499

)

Payments for acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired

 

(87,892

)

 

 

(1,211,567

)

Proceeds from sales of assets

 

39,789

 

 

 

14,529

 

Net cash used in investing activities

 

(512,941

)

 

 

(1,522,537

)

Cash flows from financing activities:

 

 

 

Proceeds from long-term debt

 

 

 

 

1,100,000

 

Payments of long-term debt and finance lease obligations

 

(81,648

)

 

 

(60,981

)

Payments of debt issuance costs

 

 

 

 

(5,292

)

Payments of cash dividends

 

(62,039

)

 

 

(53,745

)

Repurchase of common stock and payment of related excise taxes

 

(137,258

)

 

 

(734

)

Tax withholdings on employee share-based awards

 

(46,787

)

 

 

(25,374

)

Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities

 

(327,732

)

 

 

953,874

 

 

Net increase in cash and cash equivalents

 

138,357

 

 

188,333

 

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the period

 

326,662

 

 

206,482

 

Cash and cash equivalents at end of the period

$

465,019

 

$

394,815

 

SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURES OF CASH FLOWS INFORMATION

 

Nine months ended January 31,

 

 

2026

 

 

 

2025

 

Cash paid during the period for:

 

 

 

Interest, net of amount capitalized

$

82,186

 

 

$

52,565

 

Income taxes, net

 

104,753

 

 

 

84,506

 

Noncash activities:

 

 

 

Purchased property and equipment in accounts payable

 

78,080

 

 

 

69,299

 

Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for new finance lease liabilities

 

6,992

 

 

12,590

Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for new operating lease liabilities

 

43,026

 

 

 

 

315,124

 

 

 

Summary by Category (Amounts in thousands)

Three Months Ended January 31, 2026

Prepared Food & Dispensed Beverage

 

Grocery & General

Merchandise

 

Fuel

 

Other

 

Total

Revenue

$

422,975

 

 

$

1,057,228

 

 

$

2,309,707

 

 

$

126,222

 

 

$

3,916,132

 

Gross profit

$

246,483

 

 

$

377,551

 

 

$

348,226

 

 

$

34,292

 

 

$

1,006,552

 

 

 

58.3

%

 

 

35.7

%

 

 

15.1

%

 

 

27.2

%

 

 

25.7

%

Fuel gallons sold

 

 

 

 

 

848,434

 

 

 

 

 

Three Months Ended January 31, 2025

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Revenue

$

397,151

 

 

$

1,003,274

 

 

$

2,366,822

 

 

$

136,386

 

 

$

3,903,633

 

Gross profit

$

229,535

 

 

$

343,544

 

 

$

302,058

 

 

$

37,431

 

 

$

912,568

 

 

 

57.8

%

 

 

34.2

%

 

 

12.8

%

 

 

27.4

%

 

 

23.4

%

Fuel gallons sold

 

 

 

 

 

829,761

 

 

 

 

 

Summary by Category (Amounts in thousands)

Nine Months Ended January 31, 2026

Prepared Food & Dispensed Beverage

 

Grocery &

General Merchandise

 

Fuel

 

Other

 

Total

Revenue

$

1,349,208

 

 

$

3,473,251

 

 

$

7,730,655

 

 

$

436,208

 

 

$

12,989,322

 

Gross profit

$

786,710

 

 

$

1,246,213

 

 

$

1,099,146

 

 

$

108,615

 

 

$

3,240,684

 

 

 

58.3

%

 

 

35.9

%

 

 

14.2

%

 

 

24.9

%

 

 

24.9

%

Fuel gallons sold

 

 

 

 

 

2,666,866

 

 

 

 

 

Nine Months Ended January 31, 2025

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Revenue

$

1,220,107

 

 

$

3,121,949

 

 

$

7,337,096

 

 

$

268,989

 

 

$

11,948,141

 

Gross profit

$

711,034

 

 

$

1,096,018

 

 

$

928,858

 

 

$

90,473

 

 

$

2,826,383

 

 

 

58.3

%

 

 

35.1

%

 

 

12.7

%

 

 

33.6

%

 

 

23.7

%

Fuel gallons sold

 

 

 

 

 

2,378,211

 

 

 

 

 

Prepared Food & Dispensed Beverage

 

Prepared Food & Dispensed Beverage

Same-store Sales

Margin

 

Q1

 

Q2

 

Q3

 

Q4

 

Fiscal

Year

 

Q1

 

Q2

 

Q3

 

Q4

 

Fiscal

Year

F2026

5.6

%

 

4.8

%

 

4.3

%

 

 

 

 

F2026

58.0

%

 

58.6

%

 

58.3

%

 

 

 

 

F2025

4.4

 

 

5.2

 

 

4.7

%

 

1.5

%

 

3.5

%

F2025

58.3

 

 

58.7

 

 

57.8

%

 

57.8

%

 

58.2

%

F2024

5.9

 

 

6.1

 

 

7.5

 

 

8.8

 

 

6.8

 

F2024

58.2

 

 

59.0

 

 

59.6

 

 

58.1

 

 

58.7

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grocery & General Merchandise

 

Grocery & General Merchandise

Same-store Sales

Margin

 

Q1

 

Q2

 

Q3

 

Q4

 

Fiscal

Year

 

Q1

 

Q2

 

Q3

 

Q4

 

Fiscal

Year

F2026

3.8

%

 

2.7

%

 

4.0

%

 

 

 

 

F2026

35.9

%

 

36.0

%

 

35.7

%

 

 

 

 

F2025

1.6

 

 

3.6

 

 

3.3

%

 

1.8

%

 

2.3

%

F2025

35.4

 

 

35.6

 

 

34.2

%

 

34.8

%

 

35.0

%

F2024

5.2

 

 

1.7

 

 

2.8

 

 

4.3

 

 

3.5

 

F2024

34.1

 

 

34.0

 

 

33.9

 

 

34.4

 

 

34.1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fuel Gallons

 

Fuel Margin

Same-store Sales

(Cents per gallon, excluding credit card fees)

 

Q1

 

Q2

 

Q3

 

Q4

 

Fiscal

Year

 

Q1

 

Q2

 

Q3

 

Q4

 

Fiscal

Year

F2026

1.7

%

 

0.8

%

 

0.4

%

 

 

 

 

F2026

41.0

¢

 

41.6

¢

 

41.0

¢

 

 

 

F2025

0.7

 

 

(0.6

)

 

1.8

%

 

0.1

%

 

0.1

%

F2025

40.7

 

40.2

 

36.4

¢

 

37.6

¢

 

38.7

¢

F2024

0.4

 

 

 

 

(0.4

)

 

0.9

 

 

0.1

 

F2024

41.6

 

 

42.3

 

 

37.3

 

36.5

 

39.5

RECONCILIATION OF NET INCOME TO EBITDA

We define EBITDA as net income before net interest expense, income taxes, and depreciation and amortization. EBITDA is not considered to be a GAAP measure, and should not be considered as a substitute for net income, cash flows from operating activities or other income or cash flow statement data. This measure has limitations as an analytical tool, and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of our results as reported under GAAP. We strongly encourage investors to review our financial statements and publicly filed reports in their entirety and not to rely on any single financial measure.

We believe EBITDA is useful to investors in evaluating our operating performance because securities analysts and other interested parties use this calculation as a measure of financial performance and debt service capabilities, and it is regularly used by management for internal purposes including our capital budgeting process, evaluating acquisition targets, assessing performance, and awarding incentive compensation.

Because non-GAAP financial measures are not standardized, EBITDA, as defined by us, may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies. It therefore may not be possible to compare our use of this non-GAAP financial measure with those used by other companies.

The following table contains a reconciliation of net income to EBITDA for the three and nine months ended January 31, 2026 and 2025:

(in thousands)

Three Months Ended January 31,

 

Nine Months Ended January 31,

 

 

2026

 

 

 

2025

 

 

 

2026

 

 

 

2025

 

Net income

$

130,073

 

 

$

87,097

 

 

$

551,764

 

 

$

448,213

 

Interest, net

 

23,381

 

 

29,415

 

 

74,921

 

 

56,035

Federal and state income taxes

 

41,374

 

 

 

20,653

 

 

 

172,133

 

 

 

136,578

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

114,084

 

 

 

105,203

 

 

 

334,463

 

 

 

296,204

 

EBITDA

$

308,912

 

 

$

242,368

 

 

$

1,133,281

 

 

$

937,030

 

NOTES:

  • Gross profit is defined as revenue less cost of goods sold (exclusive of depreciation and amortization)
  • Inside is defined as the combination of grocery and general merchandise and prepared food and dispensed beverage

This release contains statements that may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including those related to expectations for future periods, possible or assumed future results of operations, financial conditions, liquidity and related sources or needs, business and/or integration strategies, plans and synergies, supply chain, growth opportunities, and performance at our stores. There are a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause our actual results to differ materially from any results expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements, including but not limited to the execution of our strategic plan, the integration and financial performance of acquired stores, wholesale fuel, inventory and ingredient costs, distribution challenges and disruptions, the impact and duration of conflicts in oil producing regions or other geopolitical disruptions, as well as other risks, uncertainties and factors which are described in the Company’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and available on our website. Any forward-looking statements contained in this release represent our current views as of the date of this release with respect to future events, and Casey’s disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements in the release whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

Corporate information is available at this website: https://www.caseys.com. Earnings will be reported during a conference call on March 10, 2026. The call will be broadcast live over the Internet at 7:30 a.m. CDT. To access the call, go to the Events and Presentations section of our website at https://investor.caseys.com/events-presentations. No access code is required. A webcast replay of the call will remain available in an archived format on the Events and Presentations section of our website at https://investor.caseys.com/events-presentations for one year after the call.

CASY-IR

Contacts

Investor Relations Contact:
Brian Johnson (515) 446-6587

Media Relations Contact:
Katie Petru (515) 446-6772