KSS Stock Soars Pre-Market After Turnaround Efforts Lift Profit Forecast

• The company now expects comparable sales to decline between 2.5% and 3%, down from its prior expectation of a 4% to 5% decline.
• On Monday, Kohl’s named Michael Bender as the department store’s CEO. 
• The company’s third-quarter net sales fell 2.8% to $3.41 billion, with comparable sales down 1.7%. 

Kohl’s (KSS) stock surged nearly 22% before the bell on Tuesday as the department store chain raised its annual profit forecast and expects a smaller drop in full-year comparable sales, benefiting from its efforts to introduce a fresh lineup of products.

The department store chain is in the midst of a turnaround to revive its fortunes by closing underperforming stores, introducing a better product lineup, and offering affordable private-label products.

Kohl’s now expects annual adjusted earnings per share in the range of $1.25 to $1.45, compared with the previous forecast of $0.50 to $0.80. The company now expects comparable sales to decline between 2.5% and 3%, down from its prior expectation of a 4% to 5% decline.

CEO View

“We are pleased with Kohl’s third quarter results, marking a third consecutive quarter of delivering top-line and bottom-line performance ahead of our expectations,” CEO Michael Bender said.

“These results are a direct reflection of the progress we are making against our 2025 initiatives, reinforcing our confidence as we continue to move in the right direction,” he added.

On Monday, Kohl’s named Michael Bender as the department store’s CEO. Bender has been serving as interim CEO since May 1, 2025, following the termination of Ashley Buchanan, after an investigation by outside counsel, overseen by the Board’s Audit Committee, found that he violated company policies.

Kohl’s Q3 Results

The company’s third-quarter net sales fell 2.8% to $3.41 billion, with comparable sales down 1.7%. This compares to Wall Street expectations of $3.37 billion, according to data from Fiscal AI.

Kohl’s quarterly adjusted earnings per share came in at $0.10, compared with expectations of a loss of $0.17.

Kohl’s was one of the top trending tickers on Stocktwits. Retail sentiment on Kohl’s jumped to ‘extremely bullish’ from ‘neutral’ territory compared to a day ago, with message volumes at ‘extremely high’ levels, according to data from Stocktwits.

Shares of Kohl’s have gained over 12% this year and have jumped 3% in the last 12 months. 

For updates and corrections, email newsroom[at]stocktwits[dot]com.

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