Best Buy Co. (NYSE: BBY) saw its shares plunge 5.02% in Thursday's trading session, despite reporting better-than-expected second-quarter earnings. The electronics retailer's decision to maintain its annual forecast appears to have disappointed investors, overshadowing the positive quarterly results.
For the quarter ended August 2, Best Buy reported adjusted earnings of $1.28 per share, surpassing analysts' expectations of $1.21. Revenue also exceeded forecasts, coming in at $9.44 billion compared to the anticipated $9.23 billion. The company's comparable sales growth of 1.6% marked its strongest performance in three years.
However, Best Buy's decision to keep its full-year guidance unchanged seems to have sparked concern among investors. The company maintained its fiscal 2026 outlook, projecting revenue between $41.1 billion and $41.9 billion, and adjusted earnings per share in the range of $6.15 to $6.30. This conservative stance, coupled with ongoing challenges in key categories and economic uncertainties, likely contributed to the stock's sharp decline.
CEO Corie Barry highlighted challenges in the home theater and appliance categories, which partially offset growth in gaming, computing, and mobile phones. The company is also navigating the impact of tariffs, with Barry noting that increased product costs are expected to remain lower than the overall effective tariff rates due to various mitigation strategies.
As Best Buy heads into the crucial holiday shopping season, investors appear wary of potential headwinds, including consumer spending pressures and ongoing economic uncertainties. The stock's significant drop reflects these concerns, despite the company's better-than-expected quarterly performance.