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A customer heads into Best Buy (RJ Sangosti/Getty Images)

Best Buy slumps after tariffs threaten to upend its return to same-store sales growth

That first round of tariffs on China would subtract about 1 percentage point from same-store sales, Best Buy estimates.

Kelly Cloonan
3/4/25 9:32AM

Best Buy fell 10% in early trading even after sales and earnings topped analysts’ estimates as the company’s recent return to same-store sales growth is being thrown into jeopardy by trade barriers.

The retailer reported $13.95 billion in fourth-quarter revenue before market open on Tuesday, marking a 4.8% fall from the year before and besting consensus estimates of $13.69 billion according to analysts polled by Bloomberg. Adjusted earnings per share of $2.58 also beat consensus estimates of $2.40.

Same-store sales, meanwhile, notched a surprise rise, up 0.5% to trounce analysts’ expectations for a 1.4% decrease and the company’s own forecast of a fall as big as 3%. The figure, led by particularly strong interest in Best Buy’s computing and consumer electronics, marks the retailer’s first rise in comparable sales in a dozen quarters as it has struggled to maintain a pandemic-era boom in home and appliance sales. The stock has suffered as a result, losing over a third of its value since an all-time high in 2021.

Looking forward, Best Buy forecast revenues between $41.4 billion and $42.2 billion this year, with comparable sales in a range of flat to 2% growth after a three-year streak of annual declines.

That nascent return to growth is threatened by trade barriers: CEO Corie Barry called international commerce “critically important” and flagged that China and Mexico are the top two sources for products Best Buy sells. However, the company’s forward-looking estimates don’t include tariff impacts. President Donald Trump imposed an extra 10% tariff on China starting today, adding to the 10% levy that took effect on February 4.

That first round of tariffs on China would subtract about 1 percentage point from same-store sales, Best Buy estimates, if sustained for the full year.

In the past year, shares have gained about 12%, trailing the S&P 500’s 14% gain over the same period.

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More importantly, Six Flags reaffirmed its full-year adjusted EBITDA guidance of $860 million to $910 million, showing confidence that its cost and operations strategy can stay strong for the duration of the year. Riding that wave, Six Flags also said early 2026 season pass unit sales are pacing ahead of last year, and average season pass prices are up about 3%.

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