Casey's General Stores (CASY) shares were up early Wednesday as the convenience store operator recorded better-than-expected fiscal fourth-quarter results.
The company posted net income of $4.37 per share for the fiscal fourth quarter late Tuesday, up from $2.63 the year before, surpassing the FactSet-polled consensus of $3.31. Overall revenue improved to $4.57 billion from $3.99 billion, ahead of the Street's view for $4.33 billion.
The stock increased 1.8% in the most recent premarket activity.
Inside same-store sales climbed 5.5%, accelerating from a 1.7% gain in the prior-year quarter, buoyed by robust performance in whole pizzas, as well as appetizers and sides in the prepared food and dispensed beverage category, among other factors, according to Casey's. Grocery and general merchandise same-store sales rose 5.1%.
"Casey's delivered another record fiscal year as our team closed out the three-year strategic plan on an extremely high note," Chief Executive Darren Rebelez said in a statement. "The operations team performed exceptionally well over the course of the year as we reported substantial (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) growth."
For fiscal 2027, Casey's anticipates inside same-store sales to grow between 2% and 5% with an inside margin above 42%. In the previous fiscal year, the metric inclined 4.2%, or 7% on a two-year stack basis, "led by strong performance in prepared foods and non-alcoholic beverages," according to Rebelez.
EBITDA is projected to grow 8% to 10% for the current fiscal year. In fiscal 2026, the metric advanced by 24%.
The company's inside store metrics outperformed peers, reflecting strong execution of strategies aimed at driving traffic and delivering value to consumers, RBC Capital Markets said in a note. The brokerage said the results highlight the company's advantaged positioning in lower-cost geographies and small markets, along with its differentiated in-store offering and increasingly strong fuel positioning.
RBC increased its price target on the stock to $794 from $792.



