Winmark Q3 EPS $3.21, $4 Special Dividend, and New Ad Fund Mandate for Franchisees
WINA is trading near its 52-week low of $280.045 (3.3% above the low) on light trading volume (0.4× avg).
Summary
Winmark posted Q3 EPS of $3.21 and declared a $4.00 special dividend, while rolling out a new mandatory Ad Fund for franchisees that raises their marketing costs to 2% of sales.
Key Events · Earnings and Guidance · WINA
-
Q3 EPS Rises to $3.21
Net income of $11.8 million, or $3.21 per diluted share, up from $11.1 million, or $3.02 per diluted share, in Q3 2025. Revenue grew 23% to $27.9 million.
-
$4.00 Special Dividend Declared
Board approved a special dividend of $4.00 per share, totaling approximately $14.2 million, payable December 1, 2026 to shareholders of record November 11, 2026. A regular quarterly dividend of $1.02 per share was also declared.
-
New Ad Fund Mandate for Franchisees
Starting July 1, 2026, Plato's Closet franchisees contribute 2% of sales to a North American Advertising Fund. The company recognized $3.8 million of Ad Fund revenue and expense in Q3.
-
New Risk Factor on Franchisee Relations
The 10-Q adds a risk factor warning that the monthly Software Fee and Ad Fund mandates may increase franchisee operating costs and could adversely affect franchisee satisfaction, retention, and system performance.
Analysis · WINA · Trade & Services
Winmark delivered Q3 EPS of $3.21, up from $3.02 a year ago, on 23% revenue growth to $27.9 million. The board declared a $4.00 special dividend (about $14.2 million) payable December 1, alongside the regular $1.02 quarterly dividend. The company also launched a mandatory North American Advertising Fund for Plato's Closet franchisees, contributing 2% of sales, and added a risk factor warning that the new Software Fee and Ad Fund mandates could strain franchisee relationships. The stock trades near its 52-week low of $280, so the special dividend and solid earnings provide a counterweight to the franchisee-cost concerns.
How filings like this one have moved
In the 30 days to Oct 30, 2026, 30.6% of the 1584 measured filings Wiseek scored 7 moved their stock by 5% or more by the next session's close. The median move was -0.02%. These are measured outcomes after filings of this importance, not a forecast for this one.
Measured one observation per ticker per day, after exclusions. Current figures: Filing Impact Tracker · open dataset
At the time of this filing, WINA was trading at $289.16 on NASDAQ in the Trade & Services sector, with a market capitalization of approximately $1B. The 52-week trading range was $280.05 to $488.83. This filing was assessed with neutral market sentiment and an importance score of 7 out of 10.