US Stock Market Move | Kohl's Department Stores (KSS.US) rose more than 17% with Q1 comparable sales hitting a four-year high.

On Thursday, Kohl's (KSS.US) surged over 25% in early trading, and as of the time of writing, it was up over 17% at $15.20 per share. The financial report shows that Kohl's Q1 net sales were around $3 billion, a 1.7% decrease year-on-year, slightly higher than the market's expectation of $2.99 billion. Comparable sales decreased by 1.1%, which was lower than the market's expectation of 1.7%, and also lower than the 2.8% decrease in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025. Net loss was $14 million, compared to a net loss of $15 million in the same period last year, with a loss per share of $0.13, better than the market's expected loss per share of $0.19. Kohl's CEO Ben Devereux said in a statement, "We are pleased with the start of 2026. Our key initiatives continue to drive gradual improvement in the business, achieving the best comparable sales performance in over four years. Additionally, we continue to manage the business with a high level of discipline, resulting in strong expense control, healthier inventory levels, and an improved balance sheet." He mentioned that the company reduced borrowing under its revolving credit facility by $545 million, with cash and cash equivalents nearly tripling in size. Kohl's reiterated its full year performance guidance, expecting net sales and comparable sales to be between a 2% decline and flat, with full year net sales between $14.5 billion and $14.8 billion, with the midpoint of $14.65 billion lower than the market's expectation of $14.87 billion. The company also forecasts adjusted earnings per share for the full year to be between $1 and $1.60, with the midpoint of $1.30 lower than the market's expected $1.34.