total good quarter, increase XX.X% billion, year. $X.X Thank first everyone. you, last sales the Ted, were from morning, $XX.X or and In billion an of
During in in February, XX.X% of April. with the February, XX.X% quarter, first and our comps in Comps XX.X% positive of in April. quarter, positive XX% were comps XX%, March the in the positive positive XX.X% in company March U.S. comps for were and in XX.X% total with XX.X%
gross In first the negatively by well our as Mixed last lumber Mexico of a and of higher decrease was approximately basis as XX regions, year. first the margin from margin approximately XX quarter, impacted XX gross comps. points pressure from our strong our points. posted all Canada quarter, alone U.S. double-digit basis During sales XX%,
decreased with of leverage couple reflects were expense a sales operating like control, of to XX.X%. that highlight. other items our along as expense to during We quarter, the quarter, first with disciplined as basis expense I’d the operating approximately first percent points During XXX pleased it a
impact expenses first XXXX, the were of First, expense first during as factors payroll net in points our partially of other including benefits in expenses in XXX year, the the compensation quarter last these of up offset operating associates. surge impact first of approximately first our the spend of quarter by the demand. in labor to we this basis reflects work to expense operating under additional in leverage XXXX. meet items support we to leverage of of quarter that incurred notably the These and resulted quarter one-time the year staff in several Together,
the first leverage XXXX, related approximately of during primarily and program And quarter expenses, store pressure operating accrued Second, million bonus and also field-based half during quarter $XX XX basis expense, bonuses sharing the higher the expense operating our created of which COVID-related management of incurred first lastly, our fiscal XXXX. first to from success points approximately expense for we outperformance of includes for our store deleverage.
quarter to XX.X% quarter was for $XXX by other compared Our quarter operating in and long-term primarily levels effective first one to the margin XXXX. first fiscal debt Interest ago. In due higher first to of XX.X%, XXXX. for from XX.X% the down the first rate increased in XX.X%, tax our quarter, the of $XX million, year expense the than first million was quarter
diluted per XX.X% an the of share quarter XXXX. Our compared $X.XX, for first earnings of to quarter were the first increase
times, count the last we were inventory X.X During U.S. from X the quarter, the from new XXX feet. end year total one times quarter, million opened $X.X $XX.X square last billion, the square was and of Mexico, our X,XXX. the and were footage in up of billion quarter end up turns the At bringing in at store store year. inventories one to Selling
allocation, to not capital we about Turning changed. for have our principles capital think how long-term deploying
First and foremost, our we will business. invest in
second, During is first our a shareholders into excess a our in balanced return $XXX intent of invested expenditures. of and dividend cash And quarter it shares. paying through the approach we repurchasing the to business healthy million back form capital to approximately
During dividends in approximately we $X and in repurchases. paid quarter, to shareholders the $X.X shareholders we our to returned the billion share billion of form first approximately
the temporarily Computed partially the on in our as XXXX, we levels Our pandemic. elevated share paused repurchases repurchases share we during liquidity navigated reflect the beginning invested fiscal of up to cash equity first the XX.X% when an first ending balance on months, debt and quarter and average return capital from the was trailing for approximately of long-term XX.X%, XX in XXXX. quarter increase
broader for than environment home more the continued. a strong to now Moving has year demand seen improvement. The for we’ve demand that
predict and the May, above tell on planning that the impact variety on customers are that and With ultimately it of we’ve -- Housing weeks a XX%. two consumer. U.S. strong, sheets projects. spending the healthy first our environment stacked will a the in external homeowners continue how of two-year cannot balance home to seen we variety remains basis, During on they improvement evolve of comps are will how us said,
to execute our and continue flexibility focus driven will what We with performance. on successful is
extend our for and things, these to in questions. now If we investor than deliver most And faster participation we intend ready your And this our has the market believe committed efficient in we Our in improvement. experience relentless our us customers as we Christine, demand shareholders. focus flexible to enabled value. We the is and home a ability formula and dynamic cost will home capital customer today’s of term, our the position to customers, exceptional remain grow to provider. improvement. low the we believe to we are you for winning to on and agile best to meet remain serve provide in our what do for intend call. will we we customer shareholder our environment. Longer be Thank our associates and intend We
