Dillard's Inc. (DDS) shares surged 8.52% in pre-market trading on Thursday, following the release of its first-quarter financial results that significantly exceeded Wall Street expectations.

The department store operator reported earnings per share of $16.04 for the quarter, a substantial beat compared to the analyst consensus estimate of $10.37. Revenue also came in above expectations at $1.568 billion, surpassing the estimated $1.555 billion. The company's performance was bolstered by a 3% increase in comparable store sales and an improved retail gross margin of 45.8%.

Notably, Dillard's net income included a pre-tax gain of $104.1 million from a favorable settlement of a long-standing payment card interchange fee lawsuit, which contributed significantly to the earnings beat. CEO William T. Dillard, II commented on the "good start to 2026 with a profitable 3% sales growth," highlighting the company's focus on merchandise assortment.