Economic Data Today: Retail Profits Jump to $112.3B in Q2
Census Bureau's Quarterly Financial Report shows retail corporations' after-tax profits at $112.3 billion for the quarter ending July 31, up $47.2 billion.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| After-tax profits, retail corporations ($50M+ assets), not seasonally adjusted | $112.3 billion |
| Period | Q2 2026, three months ending July 31, 2026 |
| Change from Q1 2026 | +$47.2 billion (+/- 0.5) |
| Prior quarter’s change (revised) | +$1.7 billion |
Retail corporations with assets of $50 million and over earned $112.3 billion after taxes in the second quarter of 2026, the Census Bureau reported in its Quarterly Financial Report. The figure is not seasonally adjusted and covers the three months ending July 31, 2026.
The size of the jump
Profits rose $47.2 billion from the first quarter, which ended April 30, 2026. The margin of error attached to that change is $0.5 billion. The revised change in the first quarter was a gain of $1.7 billion, so the second-quarter increase is far larger than the one before it.
Because these figures are not seasonally adjusted, part of a quarter-to-quarter swing can reflect normal calendar patterns in retail. The release also gives a seasonally adjusted series: on that basis profits were likewise $112.3 billion, up $45.1 billion (+/- 0.5) from $67.2 billion in the first quarter and up $51.7 billion from a year earlier, so the jump holds up after the seasonal adjustment.
What the report is
The Quarterly Financial Report has collected and published aggregate statistics on the financial results and position of U.S. corporations for more than sixty years. It is a sample survey that presents estimated income and retained earnings statements, balance sheets, and related financial and operating ratios. The retail trade release is one of two main publications, alongside a release covering manufacturing, mining, wholesale trade and selected service industries.
Methodology change
The Census Bureau announced that all QFR releases beginning with September 8, 2026 (2026Q2) implement disclosure avoidance in compliance with Department of Commerce DAO 216-26. The agency directs questions on methodology to its Manufacturing Surveys Statistical Methods Branch. The page does not say how the change affects individual estimates.
Next on the calendar
The third-quarter 2026 retail report is scheduled for December 7, 2026. This release is the first under the new disclosure rules.
Reading it with other releases
The profits figure is a different kind of data from the retail sales reports that dominate the economic calendar. It measures what retailers kept after taxes, not what shoppers spent. The two can diverge, since costs, taxes and inventory decisions all affect profit. The Census Bureau’s release gives the dollar change without commentary on causes, and so does this report.
Prepared with AI assistance from public sources and reviewed under our editorial policy. Not investment advice.
