Ollie's Bargain Outlet Delivers Q2 Earnings Beat Amid Tough Macro Environment, BofA Securities Says

11:02 AM EDT, 09/03/2026 (MT Newswires) -- Ollie's Bargain Outlet (OLLI) reported fiscal Q2 earnings above consensus, but the outlook remains cautious given a tougher macro environment and the fading benefit of tariff refunds, BofA Securities said in a note Thursday. The company's fiscal Q2 beat was driven by gross margin expansion from tariff refunds, which helped offset weaker sales, analysts said. Sales were pressured by smaller baskets, while transactions were flat. Unfavorable weather hurt traffic and spending early in the quarter, but both improved as the quarter progressed, according to the note. Analysts said they are raising their fiscal 2026 EPS estimate by 2% to $4.62 to reflect the Q2 beat, partly offset by lower sales and margin outlook for H2. They lowered their fiscal 2027 EPS estimate by 2% to $4.98 because Ollie's will no longer benefit from tariff refunds. "As inflation persists, we think that Ollie's will benefit from trade-down and become more important to its core customer looking to stretch a dollar," analysts said. BofA lowered its price target on Ollie's Bargain Outlet to $105 from $115, while reiterating its buy rating. Shares of the company were down more than 3% in Thursday trading. Price: 71.36, Change: -2.52, Percent Change: -3.40