Casey's General Stores had a strong fiscal 2026, the company reported in its latest June 10 earnings call, and it plans to open at least 120 new stores in the next fiscal year through a mix of mergers and acquisitions and new openings.
Casey's stock price soared with the announcement June 10, to a 52-week high of $917.47. The Ankeny-based convenience chain saw large growth across a variety of financial performance indicators in 2026, including a 31% increase in both diluted earnings per share and net income, which reached $714 million.
It also became a member of the S&P 500 in April, joining Des Moines-based Principal Financial as the only Iowa companies on the prestigious stock index.
Casey's fiscal year ended April 30.
"The majority of stores in the industry are owned by small players and a lot of those are under significant operational pressure," he said. He added that Casey's is having more conversations than ever with potential purchase targets.
Casey's added 80 stores in fiscal 2026, with an even mix of new construction and acquisitions. That represented a slowdown from previous years as it focused on converting 50 CEFCO convenience stores into Casey's, CEO and President Darren Rebelez said. The stores were part of a nearly 200-store purchase in November 2024, the largest in Casey's history, that brought it stores across Texas and in Alabama.
With 2,900 Casey's in operation in 19 states, the chain is the third-largest in the U.S. after 7-Eleven and Circle K and expects to surpass 3,000 stores in its next fiscal year.
“I would probably envision us, from a store development standpoint, moving more north and west towards the core footprint of our geography as opposed to south and east towards the heart of Florida,” Rebelez said. “We feel very confident in our ability to compete in whatever geography we’re operating in.”
Rebelez said the wings eventually could rival Casey's most popular food offering.
"We think this has the potential to be the size of the pizza business, frankly," Rebelez said. "Now, it took us 40 years to get to where we are today in pizza. So it's going to take us some time to continue to build that credibility."
Next up for Casey's is its announcement of a new three-year strategic plan on June 24 during a presentation in New York. Casey's news release on its fourth-quarter results is available at investor.caseys.com.
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Casey's stock price soared with the announcement June 10, to a 52-week high of $917.47. The Ankeny-based convenience chain saw large growth across a variety of financial performance indicators in 2026, including a 31% increase in both diluted earnings per share and net income, which reached $714 million.
It also became a member of the S&P 500 in April, joining Des Moines-based Principal Financial as the only Iowa companies on the prestigious stock index.
Casey's fiscal year ended April 30.
Where will Casey's be adding stores?
Stephen Bramlage, senior vice president and chief financial officer, said he's "very bullish" on the mergers and acquisitions market."The majority of stores in the industry are owned by small players and a lot of those are under significant operational pressure," he said. He added that Casey's is having more conversations than ever with potential purchase targets.
Casey's added 80 stores in fiscal 2026, with an even mix of new construction and acquisitions. That represented a slowdown from previous years as it focused on converting 50 CEFCO convenience stores into Casey's, CEO and President Darren Rebelez said. The stores were part of a nearly 200-store purchase in November 2024, the largest in Casey's history, that brought it stores across Texas and in Alabama.
With 2,900 Casey's in operation in 19 states, the chain is the third-largest in the U.S. after 7-Eleven and Circle K and expects to surpass 3,000 stores in its next fiscal year.
“I would probably envision us, from a store development standpoint, moving more north and west towards the core footprint of our geography as opposed to south and east towards the heart of Florida,” Rebelez said. “We feel very confident in our ability to compete in whatever geography we’re operating in.”
Could a new entry challenge pizza as Casey's dominant food offering?
Also in Casey's plans for its next year is the expansion of its chicken wings line, which it rolled out in the Des Moines metro in January 2025. The new offering was available in 850 stores by the end of the fiscal year.Rebelez said the wings eventually could rival Casey's most popular food offering.
"We think this has the potential to be the size of the pizza business, frankly," Rebelez said. "Now, it took us 40 years to get to where we are today in pizza. So it's going to take us some time to continue to build that credibility."
Next up for Casey's is its announcement of a new three-year strategic plan on June 24 during a presentation in New York. Casey's news release on its fourth-quarter results is available at investor.caseys.com.
As Casey's earnings soar, chain announces plan for 120-store expansion
Casey's General Stores had a strong fiscal 2026 and it plans to open at least 120 new stores in the next fiscal year through a mix of mergers and openings.
