Carter's Q3 profit rises as sales dip 0.7%; company updates 2026 outlook
Carter's reported fiscal third-quarter 2026 results, with net sales down 0.7% to $752.5 million and GAAP diluted EPS of $1.00 versus $0.32 a year earlier. The company also updated its full-year 2026 outlook, projecting adjusted diluted EPS of $3.05 to $3.23 versus $3.47 in fiscal 2025, and COO Richard F. Westenberger gave notice that he will step down, while remaining CFO. Shareholders get a mixed picture: profit improved sharply while sales slipped and the outlook implies lower adjusted earnings for the year.
Key points
- Q3 net sales $752.5 million vs $757.8 million a year earlier; GAAP operating income $55.8 million vs $29.1 million
- Adjusted diluted EPS $1.03 vs $0.74 in Q3 2025; GAAP diluted EPS $1.00 vs $0.32
- Fiscal 2026 outlook: net sales $2.91 billion to $2.93 billion; adjusted diluted EPS $3.05 to $3.23 vs $3.47 in fiscal 2025
- Richard F. Westenberger gave notice on October 26, 2026 that he will step down as COO once a successor is appointed
The filing
Written by AI (Anthropic Claude, claude-haiku-5-5) on Nov 7, 2026, 11:17 PM ET, from the text of the filing and its press-release exhibits only.
Briefs are written by AI from the filing text (each brief's own page names the model) and can contain mistakes — open the filing before acting on anything. Impact (1-5) and tone are the model's reading of the filing for shareholders, not a price forecast. Not investment advice.