Five Below Stock Jumps on News of Strong First Quarter

Five Below stock jumped Friday after the retailer said its stores have been performing better than expected. 

Five Below (FIVE), a chain known for toys and other inexpensive merchandise, will likely report about $967 million in sales for the current quarter—about 4.5% above the upper end of its prior guidance, the company said Friday. Five Below also anticipates first-quarter comparable sales rising 6.7% year over year, rather than the 2% previously expected. Five Below’s fiscal first quarter ends Saturday.

The update comes as analysts and investors try to suss out whether consumers, who have a dimmer economic outlook because of tariffs, will increasingly turn to discount retailers. Walmart (WMT), which has seen its business of upper-income shoppers rise while discount chains have seen shoppers trading down, is slated to release earnings on May 15.

Five Below, which has 1,800 stores, will release its final quarterly figures in early June, according to the company. The company also expects to elevate director Mike Devine to chair in June, it said, a position that has been held by founder Tom Vellios, who plans to stay on in an advisory capacity until the end of 2025. 

Five Below has also moved quicker on its expansion than anticipated. The company believes it will have added 55, rather than 50, locations when the quarter ends, the release said.

Shares of Five Below were recently up 8%, though they’ve still lost more than 40% of their value in the past year.