In Alimentation Couche-Tard’s first quarter of fiscal year 2027, the company reported its fifth consecutive quarter of positive same-store merchandise sales growth in the U.S., supported by continued momentum in food, energy drinks and other nicotine products.
The Laval, Quebec-based owner of Circle K convenience stores held its earnings call Wednesday for the quarter ending July 19.
“We are encouraged by the start to fiscal 2027 and the continued progress we are making through Core + More,” Alex Miller, president and CEO, said in a news release.
Core + More is the company's plan to drive traffic and profitability and amplify its core, which includes fuel, nicotine and thirst.
Miller said the company’s fuel business remained a source of strength, delivering solid profitability and demonstrating the resilience of its network.
“We are also looking forward to welcoming Żabka Group into the Couche-Tard family, which will strengthen our capabilities in food, digital engagement and supply chain and complement our organic growth initiatives while expanding our scale in Central and Eastern Europe,” he said.
- Alimentation Couche-Tard is No. 2 on CSP’s 2026 Top 202 ranking of convenience-store chains by U.S. store count.
Same-store merchandise revenues increased 1.7% in the United States.
Total merchandise and service revenues reached $4.9 billion for the quarter, up 4.1% from the prior year.
Same-store fuel volumes in the United States decreased by 1.6% compared to the first quarter of 2026.
Filipe Da Silva, chief financial officer, said, “The first quarter demonstrates the balance we are achieving across the business, delivering adjusted EBITDA growth of 10.5% and adjusted diluted earnings per share growth of 15.4%, while maintaining normalized expense growth well below inflation. At the same time, we continue to invest in customer value and traffic-driving initiatives, advancing our strategic priorities and focusing on delivering sustainable long-term earnings growth.”
Alimentation Couche-Tard’s net earnings were $828.5 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2027, compared with $782.5 million for the first quarter of fiscal 2026, the company said.
During the first quarter of fiscal 2027, EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) stood at $1.8 billion, an increase of $112.3 million, or 6.7%, compared with the corresponding quarter of fiscal 2026. Adjusted EBITDA for the first quarter of fiscal 2027 increased by $169.3 million, or 10.5%, compared with the corresponding quarter of fiscal 2026, driven by improved road transportation fuel gross margin, as well as by the contribution from acquisitions, which amounted to about $44 million, partly offset by inflationary pressure on expenses, including electronic payment fees from higher fuel prices.
Revenues were $21.7 billion for the first quarter of fiscal 2027, up by $4.4 billion, an increase of 25.1% compared with the corresponding quarter of fiscal 2026, the company said.
Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. owns the Circle K brand. Its network includes more than 7,100 stores in the United States, primarily under the Circle K banner, and about 2,100 in Canada under the Circle K and Couche-Tard banners.
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