Bath & Body Works vs Five Below: why the prices moved differently

Weekly · monthly · quarterly news summaries, side by side in time

Bath & Body Works Inc. (BBWI)

Q3 202623 Jun – 26 Aug 2026

▲2▼1

BBWI beats on tariff refunds, raises outlook, but store traffic still weak

Ulta Beauty partnership expands distribution Bath & Body Works will sell candles, soaps and body care in over 600 Ulta Beauty stores and online from July 2026. This puts products in front of new shoppers, which can lift sales over time and is a real reason the stock rose.
It is the period's main new growth driver and explains the June share jump.
Goldman Sachs downgrade warns of cannibalization Goldman cut BBWI to Sell, saying weaker consumer sentiment and softer appeal to younger shoppers could hurt, and that selling through Ulta might steal sales from its own stores. The stock fell about 4% on that warning, a real counterweight to the Ulta optimism.
It is the main bearish force in the period and offsets the partnership story.
Q2 profit beat, but mostly from tariff refunds Second-quarter earnings of $0.62 a share crushed the $0.24 estimate, yet about $80 million came from one-time tariff refunds; without that, profit was $0.31. Sales fell 2.3% to $1.51 billion. The beat looks better than the underlying business.
It is the period's biggest earnings event and shows the quality of the beat.
Full-year outlook raised, but third-quarter guidance misses BBWI lifted full-year earnings guidance to $2.60-$2.80 a share, yet third-quarter profit guidance of 7-12 cents badly missed the 26-cent consensus, and sales are expected to fall 2.5%-5%. Online sales grew 3% and international rose nearly 25%, but declining store traffic remains the drag.
It captures the mixed forward picture that pushed shares lower despite the raised year outlook.

July 202623 Jun – 26 Aug 2026

▲2▼1

BBWI beats on tariff refunds, raises outlook, but store traffic still weak

Ulta Beauty partnership expands distribution Bath & Body Works will sell candles, soaps and body care in over 600 Ulta Beauty stores and online from July 2026. This puts products in front of new shoppers, which can lift sales over time and is a real reason the stock rose.
It is the period's main new growth driver and explains the June share jump.
Goldman Sachs downgrade warns of cannibalization Goldman cut BBWI to Sell, saying weaker consumer sentiment and softer appeal to younger shoppers could hurt, and that selling through Ulta might steal sales from its own stores. The stock fell about 4% on that warning, a real counterweight to the Ulta optimism.
It is the main bearish force in the period and offsets the partnership story.
Q2 profit beat, but mostly from tariff refunds Second-quarter earnings of $0.62 a share crushed the $0.24 estimate, yet about $80 million came from one-time tariff refunds; without that, profit was $0.31. Sales fell 2.3% to $1.51 billion. The beat looks better than the underlying business.
It is the period's biggest earnings event and shows the quality of the beat.
Full-year outlook raised, but third-quarter guidance misses BBWI lifted full-year earnings guidance to $2.60-$2.80 a share, yet third-quarter profit guidance of 7-12 cents badly missed the 26-cent consensus, and sales are expected to fall 2.5%-5%. Online sales grew 3% and international rose nearly 25%, but declining store traffic remains the drag.
It captures the mixed forward picture that pushed shares lower despite the raised year outlook.

Latest23 Jun – 26 Aug 2026

▲2▼1

BBWI beats on tariff refunds, raises outlook, but store traffic still weak

Ulta Beauty partnership expands distribution Bath & Body Works will sell candles, soaps and body care in over 600 Ulta Beauty stores and online from July 2026. This puts products in front of new shoppers, which can lift sales over time and is a real reason the stock rose.
It is the period's main new growth driver and explains the June share jump.
Goldman Sachs downgrade warns of cannibalization Goldman cut BBWI to Sell, saying weaker consumer sentiment and softer appeal to younger shoppers could hurt, and that selling through Ulta might steal sales from its own stores. The stock fell about 4% on that warning, a real counterweight to the Ulta optimism.
It is the main bearish force in the period and offsets the partnership story.
Q2 profit beat, but mostly from tariff refunds Second-quarter earnings of $0.62 a share crushed the $0.24 estimate, yet about $80 million came from one-time tariff refunds; without that, profit was $0.31. Sales fell 2.3% to $1.51 billion. The beat looks better than the underlying business.
It is the period's biggest earnings event and shows the quality of the beat.
Full-year outlook raised, but third-quarter guidance misses BBWI lifted full-year earnings guidance to $2.60-$2.80 a share, yet third-quarter profit guidance of 7-12 cents badly missed the 26-cent consensus, and sales are expected to fall 2.5%-5%. Online sales grew 3% and international rose nearly 25%, but declining store traffic remains the drag.
It captures the mixed forward picture that pushed shares lower despite the raised year outlook.

Five Below Inc (FIVE)

Q3 202623 Jun – 3 Sep 2026

▲2▼2

Five Below's strong Q2 beat and raised guidance drive the stock

Q2 beat and raised full-year outlook Five Below reported Q2 sales up 22.9% to $1.26 billion, beating estimates, and adjusted EPS of $1.68 beat by 19.3%. It raised full-year revenue and EPS guidance, with same-store sales up 14.1%. The stock rose 3.8% to $251.55. This shows the business is growing faster than expected, which pushes the stock up.
This is the main new event that directly answers why FIVE is moving: strong results and raised guidance.
Digital and in-store strategy drives customer growth Five Below's customer-focused strategy, including digital engagement and in-store experience, helped comparable sales rise 22.7% with transactions up 19% and average ticket up 4%. The company is using social media, connected TV, and AI content to attract younger shoppers. This supports future sales growth and lifts the stock.
It explains the underlying demand strength that is driving the stock higher, beyond just the earnings beat.
Analyst downgrade on fading Dumpling trend Wolfe Research downgraded Five Below to Peer Perform, citing early signs that the Dumpling product trend is losing momentum and flat store demand. It modeled Q1 2027 same-store sales at -8% versus consensus of -1.3%. This negative analyst view could pressure the stock as investors worry about future sales.
It provides a real counterweight to the positive news, showing a risk that could pull the stock down.
Discount retail peer stock drop despite beats Ross Stores led discount retailers with a strong Q1 beat, but its stock fell 15.2%. Five Below also beat on revenue and raised guidance, yet its stock fell 15.2% at that time. This shows that even good results can be met with selling pressure in the sector, which may weigh on FIVE's stock.
It highlights a sector-wide negative reaction that could affect FIVE's stock, providing context for volatility.

July 202623 Jun – 3 Sep 2026

▲2▼2

Five Below's strong Q2 beat and raised guidance drive the stock

Q2 beat and raised full-year outlook Five Below reported Q2 sales up 22.9% to $1.26 billion, beating estimates, and adjusted EPS of $1.68 beat by 19.3%. It raised full-year revenue and EPS guidance, with same-store sales up 14.1%. The stock rose 3.8% to $251.55. This shows the business is growing faster than expected, which pushes the stock up.
This is the main new event that directly answers why FIVE is moving: strong results and raised guidance.
Digital and in-store strategy drives customer growth Five Below's customer-focused strategy, including digital engagement and in-store experience, helped comparable sales rise 22.7% with transactions up 19% and average ticket up 4%. The company is using social media, connected TV, and AI content to attract younger shoppers. This supports future sales growth and lifts the stock.
It explains the underlying demand strength that is driving the stock higher, beyond just the earnings beat.
Analyst downgrade on fading Dumpling trend Wolfe Research downgraded Five Below to Peer Perform, citing early signs that the Dumpling product trend is losing momentum and flat store demand. It modeled Q1 2027 same-store sales at -8% versus consensus of -1.3%. This negative analyst view could pressure the stock as investors worry about future sales.
It provides a real counterweight to the positive news, showing a risk that could pull the stock down.
Discount retail peer stock drop despite beats Ross Stores led discount retailers with a strong Q1 beat, but its stock fell 15.2%. Five Below also beat on revenue and raised guidance, yet its stock fell 15.2% at that time. This shows that even good results can be met with selling pressure in the sector, which may weigh on FIVE's stock.
It highlights a sector-wide negative reaction that could affect FIVE's stock, providing context for volatility.

Latest23 Jun – 3 Sep 2026

▲2▼2

Five Below's strong Q2 beat and raised guidance drive the stock

Q2 beat and raised full-year outlook Five Below reported Q2 sales up 22.9% to $1.26 billion, beating estimates, and adjusted EPS of $1.68 beat by 19.3%. It raised full-year revenue and EPS guidance, with same-store sales up 14.1%. The stock rose 3.8% to $251.55. This shows the business is growing faster than expected, which pushes the stock up.
This is the main new event that directly answers why FIVE is moving: strong results and raised guidance.
Digital and in-store strategy drives customer growth Five Below's customer-focused strategy, including digital engagement and in-store experience, helped comparable sales rise 22.7% with transactions up 19% and average ticket up 4%. The company is using social media, connected TV, and AI content to attract younger shoppers. This supports future sales growth and lifts the stock.
It explains the underlying demand strength that is driving the stock higher, beyond just the earnings beat.
Analyst downgrade on fading Dumpling trend Wolfe Research downgraded Five Below to Peer Perform, citing early signs that the Dumpling product trend is losing momentum and flat store demand. It modeled Q1 2027 same-store sales at -8% versus consensus of -1.3%. This negative analyst view could pressure the stock as investors worry about future sales.
It provides a real counterweight to the positive news, showing a risk that could pull the stock down.
Discount retail peer stock drop despite beats Ross Stores led discount retailers with a strong Q1 beat, but its stock fell 15.2%. Five Below also beat on revenue and raised guidance, yet its stock fell 15.2% at that time. This shows that even good results can be met with selling pressure in the sector, which may weigh on FIVE's stock.
It highlights a sector-wide negative reaction that could affect FIVE's stock, providing context for volatility.