total $XX.X and year. Thank $XXX million, good last you, or fourth increase quarter, In Jeff, X.X% sales of the billion, an morning from everyone. approximately were
company comps for at During were X.X% negative quarter. total flat the fourth essentially quarter, the our
X.X% mentioned, and positive and Jeff lumber in positive basis of quarter X.X% negative prices January. negative X.X% December, and with in the points. in impacted November, X.X% X.X% in negative were negative As X.X% the by in of comps XX negatively US sales We negative January. quarter, in comp for the in X.X% in comps X.X% approximately Comps December, had November,
record $XXX.X or For growth the $X.X of versus XXXX. fiscal billion, sales totaled a sales year, with billion X.X% our
last gross US increased basis our company XX.X%, an comp X.X% In the from fourth increase year. increased X.X%. and comp approximately of quarter, total year, For the sales margin was seven points sales
For capabilities. was supply approximately reflecting decrease margin year. we the chain year, XX with points from last as was our we in of gross year, pressures the Throughout our basis in cost back Gross advocate for this planned our investments product a half XX.X%, our line margin while and transportation customer's and position as shrink value. during as significant well did offset increased successfully to continued the maintaining the from the of pressure year expectations,
operating approximately increase expenses last the quarter, from of XX% During were year. basis XX fourth an sales, points representing of
expense operating by storm-related California deleverage fire Our in litigation to our an largely unique the charges unfortunate to in one is driven of expenses related quarter stores. and
of the XX.X% XXXX. operating approximately from year, decrease representing points a XX For fiscal expenses of were sales basis
$XXX for ago. Our fourth was the one XX.X%, XX.X%. by other operating quarter higher the primarily approximately due levels for was expense quarter million debt to $XX and for and approximately fourth margin Interest year million to the year long-term increased than
was effective was fourth the XX.X%. tax quarter, our In fiscal for and XXXX rate XX.X%
to per fourth $XX.XX, compared for per earnings earnings an increase quarter fourth share X.X%, share were compared XXXX XXXX. X.X% to diluted for fiscal of were Our an of of quarter XXXX. Diluted $X.XX, fiscal the the increase
we due count opened stores X,XXX the lost and California bringing fire of to six in year, end XXXX. at a the to our a new store During store fiscal
$XX.X square Retail were selling was in annual At times, inventory from footage XXXX, approximately of our and times versus of fiscal billion inventories approximately $XXX were end history. year turns the XXX per Total of the retail the at X.X year. were foot the figure the quarter, company's merchandise square down an fiscal same highest end feet billion, increase last last million XXXX. sales in period from $X.X X.X square
allocation. capital to Moving
the in capital This of expenditures. back fourth for $XXX capital the fiscal billion. million business $X.X invested approximately our to brings XXXX total form During expenditures into we quarter,
to grow the year, our dividend increased today, dividend Ted approximately dividends And of our of our During equates dividend earnings. to annual our share. Directors mentioned billion paid $X.XX an we which share, to of we as XX% announced per quarterly We we year look $X.X grow by shareholders. as every per to $X.XX Board
the approximately billion and invested the beginning quarter ending to form our in repurchases for to finally, debt $X.X $X.X compared return in shareholders And of share the on the during trailing months, fiscal capital billion end XX.X% XXXX. fiscal of fourth Computed quarter. we XXXX, was including returned XX.X% the long-term of of on at fourth equity and XX average the
Now, I'll outlook our on for XXXX. comment
sales XXXX. back rate we As our From compound we about helpful on might we to by XXXX a unfold, performance annual through how of think XXXX look think XXXX, it's since grew XX.X%. $XX.X billion,
sales projects, transaction quarters their five During that homes homes of from time ticket the driven XXXX period first on more spent increase first and This more factors period. by saw quarter quarter and to of improvement, in the as homeowners over the this first growth significantly through of were growth. as in unique reflects XXXX, significant took their value our home they
XXXX, the continuing during spending also XXXX market The quarter consumer the towards growth services outpaced as by earnings back home XXXX improvement reported into from consumer's levels back on economy wallet, share period. of of strong and quarter through of in goods a driven the and on second spending transactions the while steadily services. ticket we captured broader normalized greater as fourth and shifted the Beginning sales goods
time, During to report continued quarter up in sales this every growth to positive present. we
As to past influence our three year. three we of us that set consider factors the performance XXXX, this targets years the for will likely context led
our assumed assumption is and setting flat we like target spending for our point starting see growth the that consumer real in will spending. regarding economic We've First, XXXX. this economists consumer year many
improvement would gradually have Second, pace, normalize shift from if believe services. seen market to the low-single down We as shifted home has at this quarters, our spending that digits. we be its over the current continues seven consumer transactions goods last
an to as this we continue pressure, to capture to third, market share. plan offset And
targeting associates advantages, years for and we our competitive Our to sales share approximately XXXX. growth are the we account, into take and Taking us many factors us the unique investments environment. have in orange-blooded advantage flat over made our competition over these comp that position sales give any
impact Further, of XX approximately compensation reflects we basis operating margin target today. points announced from our investment XX.X% the of
approximately targeted is Our effective XX.X%. rate tax at
per decline a targeted earnings is diluted share, mid-single-digit percentage. to Our by
levels approximately would of Outside equate comp target an sales setting, pressure current our fiscal first remain current pressure in prices remainder the XXX to the than half At to at for that this if rest today's basis impact insignificant the points price, and lumber of to year. this of year would more imply earnings. in of the
sales intent our shareholders form in our repurchases. have we to X% to investing After annual continue our our in approximately positioned of plan basis. that believe ourselves of excess meet We of customers it's dividend, CapEx an of investing the and the cash to We our to with in in business return any on share environment. paying business needs
our investments our model. in agility made enabled have business The in we've operating
with we low-cost and we continue and market than faster invest shareholder will to As look the forward, value. position scale drive customers, to our strengthen position our deliver growth to leverage
in ready Christine, Thank your for now participation are you call. questions. And today's we for
