Thank what billion, increase a our communities. of total many, face customers was people, took the Ted, and am I of of proud $X.X In care In our an including we year. our associates, XX.X% the billion of morning, for many year for from quarter, actions $XX.X take of fourth our or and the last to sales were you, everyone. good difficult
well with XX in double-digit Mexico November, comps XX.X% in XX.X% and December Canada November, XX.X% XX.X% for in in as as January. local Our XX% total the U.S. in posted quarter in positive in of of positive for comps in and of company positive XX.X% the positive XX.X% December Comps currency. comps and XX.X% were positive U.S. comps January. quarter the with All our regions were
billion, sales year, billion of our sales fiscal growth the record $XXX.X For totaled $XX.X versus XXXX. with a
impacted XX.X%, last In year. For sales margin our comp a U.S. from the from gross and approximately year, XX.X%. in transportation negatively by basis total company and XX.X%, negatively pressure margin impacted the fourth XX costs. was lumber comp product quarter. Mix XX margin quarter, pressure sales including fourth several alone points increased of by factors, rising increased shrink from decrease quarter points Gross gross the the during mix, approximately basis was
year, the our gross XX%. margin For was
approximately expenses of representing compared operating quarter, XX.X% year. fourth approximately of points last the During sales, increase were to an XX basis
comment on a me of few Let moment expense take items. to our a
basis of the we incurred First, related approximately expense acquisition $XXX million Supply approximately expense HD non-recurring to of XX the deleverage. of operating creating points completion
support of resulting the Second, during which in response compensation support quarter. XXX we COVID-XX benefits continued permanent programs the totaled to These our enhanced quarter, expenses and quarter, $XXX enhancements, transitioned deleverage. approximately temporary last basis to we with during fourth in to our approximately points million associates announced expense
XX Included quarter, approximately strong XXX for leverage. second of expense leverage primarily management our and basis outperformance field-based stores, cleaning we areas our $XXX half. business COVID-related expense pressure operational million including equipment related store- million of our customers $XX Third, recorded of approximately the plan is driven store enhanced basis expense of in and our bonus strategic and XX approximately finally, basis sharing to protective basis of Fourth, showed we points an $XX success of operating we the program expenses associates XXX deleverage. our in of to And points this resulting the fourth compared during to accrued expense bonuses and points investment of control approximately for last drove by million, approximately for year. increase and incurred expenses, biannual in of related other personal approximately points
Our for was approximately XX.X%. the XX.X% quarter fourth was year approximately operating for margin the and
higher for to quarter, long-term million compared for $XXX associated and the rate In primarily Supply fourth and XX.X%. million of was one year. operating due fiscal tax levels with other for Excluding the XXXX was fourth one-time our acquisition, fourth year effective the expense the and margin quarter the our XX% $XX grew Interest would completion the HD quarter XX.X% to to been ago. by have for expense debt the XX.X%,
share Our fourth share $XXX negatively XX% per per earnings approximately to an of Supply XXXX. were XXXX approximately of of increase acquisition by to diluted were earnings million compared impacted XXXX. related $X.XX. diluted fiscal quarter XX.X% Diluted $XX.XX, $X.XX, quarter increase the the the earnings our completion for an the fourth fiscal quarter fourth per approximately share for to The of one-time of compared HD expenses
During the square feet. X,XXX. and XXX of square approximately was a count ended with selling year, the new we million year Retail store opened footage two stores
retail the merchandise end same highest and last the per in fiscal year. inventories company's from of $XXX, square the were sales our For period the history. year, turns the year, billion, of $XX.X billion X.Xx, were $X.X X.Xx inventory an At and versus foot were total increase last quarter, up from
to capital changed. how our Moving for not have deploying allocation, long-term capital think about we principles on
will to a in to approach We through repurchases. the the business. balanced is cash investing a in of dividend return it shareholders healthy business, our invest After intent continue to through and paying excess share
fiscal our capital in the $X.X billion XXXX, into invested form of back we During expenditures. approximately business
acquisition billion the sales accelerated Supply highly fragmented our $X growth and in also We of enhance capabilities invested a We on acquisition space. MRO drive December to completed HD this XX. approximately in
Prior position. of look earnings. outstanding we X.X mid-March, part steps approximately Craig, our the that stock our to our to fiscal to in or And In year, grow million XXXX. took million dividends our we of liquidity several every strong repurchases enhance $XXX dividend as we XX%. repurchased grow announced our we shares share we you by as to Directors today, further suspended suspension, as approximately quarterly dividend heard During year of from our increased shareholders. paid of $X.X We we billion Board
We maintain in expect during XXXX. share quarter of the to fiscal also XXXX at fiscal $X of least will an enhanced we resume first billion repurchases position cash and
we the $X.XX invested XX long-term fiscal position, billion equity debt our our down the of March. During partially XX.X%, share capital liquidity XXXX, trailing reflects decrease HD debt primarily in return fund on approximately our temporarily of position, months, approximately long-term the quarter of senior raised from billion including repay enhance Supply to of acquisition of on and ending staggered decision fourth for the approximately maturity, of notes. was average fiscal beginning back repurchases and to enhance $X XXXX. This our Computed suspension the in XX% liquidity and
to turn consistent our into I'll seen over environment the Now February. has months XXXX. outlook demand strong and for The continued past we've nine
home housing customers never Our strong they environment housing driven The increased that important home has single-family been homes for as take that has continue improvement and home to demand tell projects. their more price turnover us on will appreciation. and remains
pandemic, the remains to uncertainty significant spending. ultimately, fiscal of vaccines, how of broader the However, will impact developments these with distribution short-term the consumer respect the policy course and and economy
our Given forecast these the for year, to demand ability uncertainties, it we particularly half. back limited as relates to the in are
fiscal are for we providing reason, this not XXXX. For guidance
would we this imply XXXX, positive by through the this XXXX, not we of it half consumer of calculate are in In will be environment to We the least the seasonality. would XX%. flat adjusting While we historical quarter fiscal fiscal to growth. margin persist if calculate dollar sales able the slightly XXXX were continues to demand XXXX environment, operating demand back throughout at evolve, predict fourth sales our that assuming during comparable how level for spending demand saw fiscal
around a operating the for investments give and more fiscal drivers me color Let of margin little XXXX. our
gross notably and XXXX, mix During pressure shrink. fiscal margin, from product we to experienced
expect we and to continued transportation pressure from higher shrink. costs For margin fiscal our gross XXXX,
cost to out In margin are in Chain continue facilities our that addition, experience associated build with we sold. opening of supply our pressure accounted some as gross One of Supply the goods majority for costs operating chain network. and in Remember will our we the
investments from into frontline spend, in In benefits associates lapping increased the realized annualized quarter, in move the XXXX, transition of XXXX away such to business related our permanent the wage compensation pay of of stores areas approximately strategic we reflect pay fiscal support COVID-related basis. as from that temporary will to year. continuation response permanent XXXX, $X we our our and we billion benefits Last under operating of we for and incurred As hourly last an enhanced impact expense by expenses and the understaffed programs temporary from transitioned away for to approximately and associates. on $X COVID billion our investments,
approximately protective COVID fiscal also enhanced equipment we personal form our addition, for expense in of the during primarily for and to incurred million of our customers stores. XXXX, associates related operational of In costs $XXX and cleaning
$XXX fiscal environment an well COVID-related related additional As basis XXXX, who persists, as leave expect incur extended long million associates primarily by approximately as COVID on operating we as were to cleaning the would of COVID-XX. for directly to for PPE, expenses impacted annualized
XXXX, of During and chose strategic and safety to prioritize the we fiscal capital defer to our some investments, in-store of customers. our expense, both associates
We complete fiscal these to in expect XXXX. investments
investments our look improve experience right we focused to grew the than XXXX back on we believe and that we XXXX, market. our faster customer significantly on areas, As the from
our will level to focus relentless experience in deliver our second, the mind: the further returns of of and by as we to we are objectives and This enhance main strengthen As a first, faster a both and expense forward, in environment; the steadier investment going ahead low-cost result customer than home in on business and with in to forward. two in market driving customer expectations any to with productivity improvement, approach capital in provider stay investing move position further efficiency. growth committed
be on fiscal steadier effective and investments reported estimate adjust investments leverage will sales. We rate in to our fiscal as XXXX we we to preserving fiscal expense make while estimate a cadence our expenditures approximately the drive ability operating is For XXXX. to needed. X% of XXXX, that capital intent to tax of It our similar those what
in well to made believe enabled investments model operating our we've have meet in we in environment. financial customers As our we we've as begin of any that our the as needs flexibility positioned model. our business The ourselves XXXX,
to to are forward, Thank scale growth now As we for today's you ready position invest and questions. what low-cost continue strengthen and we this participation look position in environment may your drive the than of to will market, regardless for like. we And look faster call. extend our the Christine,
