A. H. Belo Corporation Announces First Quarter 2021 Financial Results
A. H. Belo Corporation (NYSE: AHC) reported a first quarter 2021 net loss of $2.8 million, or $(0.13) per share, compared to a net loss of $1.6 million in Q1 2020. Total revenue decreased by 8.7% to $36.8 million, largely due to a 13.2% decline in advertising revenue impacted by COVID-19. While adjusted operating loss improved by 14.4% to $2.4 million, total operating expenses rose slightly on a non-GAAP basis. The company initiated a voluntary severance offer to realign its operations for cost savings and reported stable growth in digital subscriptions.
- Adjusted operating loss improved by 14.4% to $2.4 million.
- Digital-only subscription revenue increased by 46.5%.
- Initiated a voluntary severance offer to reduce costs.
- Net loss increased to $2.8 million from $1.6 million year-over-year.
- Total revenue decreased by $3.5 million or 8.7%.
- Advertising revenue decreased by 13.2%, mainly due to COVID-19.
DALLAS, April 26, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A. H. Belo Corporation (NYSE: AHC) today reported a first quarter 2021 net loss of
For the first quarter of 2021, on a non-GAAP basis, A. H. Belo reported an operating loss adjusted for certain items (“adjusted operating loss”) of
Robert W. Decherd, chairman, president and Chief Executive Officer, said, “We are encouraged that operating conditions have settled to some extent during the first part of 2021. However, it is obviously important to remain focused on revenue generation across all platforms while shaping the Company’s expense structure to reflect the smaller enterprise A. H. Belo has become. On April 15 we announced a voluntary severance offer (“VSO”) for eligible employees in select departments, which is an important step in this process. The VSO should help accelerate the realignment of administrative, back office and production activities, and result in meaningful ongoing savings.
“The Dallas Morning News continues to provide superior, unduplicated local and regional news, information and commentary. The impact is seen in The News’ growth in digital memberships and the relative stability of its print member base. The Board’s commitment to investing in this growth is the best pathway to becoming a sustainably profitable digital newspaper enterprise.”
First Quarter Results
Total revenue was
Revenue from advertising and marketing services, including print and digital revenues, was
Circulation revenue was
Printing, distribution and other revenue decreased
Total consolidated operating expense in the first quarter of 2021, on a GAAP basis, was
In the first quarter of 2021, on a non-GAAP basis, adjusted operating expense was
As of March 31, 2021, the Company had 713 employees, a decrease of 75 or 9.5 percent when compared to the prior year period. Cash and cash equivalents were
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
Reconciliations of operating loss to adjusted operating loss, total net operating revenue to adjusted operating revenue, and total operating costs and expense to adjusted operating expense are included in the exhibits to this release.
Financial Results Conference Call
A. H. Belo Corporation will conduct a conference call on Tuesday, April 27, 2021, at 9:00 a.m. CDT to discuss financial results. The conference call will be available via webcast by accessing the Company’s website at www.ahbelo.com/invest. An archive of the webcast will be available at www.ahbelo.com in the Investor Relations section.
To access the listen-only conference call, dial 1-877-226-8189 and enter the following access code when prompted: 5840199. A replay line will be available at 1-866-207-1041 from 12:00 p.m. CDT on April 27, 2021 until 11:59 p.m. CDT on May 3, 2021. The access code for the replay is 8305657.
About A. H. Belo Corporation
A. H. Belo Corporation is the leading local news and information publishing company in Texas. The Company has a growing presence in emerging media and digital marketing, and maintains capabilities related to commercial printing, distribution and direct mail. A. H. Belo delivers news and information in innovative ways to a broad range of audiences with diverse interests and lifestyles. For additional information, visit www.ahbelo.com or email invest@ahbelo.com.
Statements in this communication concerning A. H. Belo Corporation’s business outlook or future economic performance, revenues, expenses, and other financial and non-financial items that are not historical facts, including statements of the Company’s expectations relating to its plans to regain NYSE compliance, are “forward-looking statements” as the term is defined under applicable federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those statements. Such risks, trends and uncertainties are, in most instances, beyond the Company’s control, and include changes in advertising demand and other economic conditions; consumers’ tastes; newsprint prices; program costs; labor relations; cybersecurity incidents; technological obsolescence; and the current and future impacts of the COVID-19 public health crisis. Among other risks, there can be no guarantee that the board of directors will approve a quarterly dividend in future quarters; as well as other risks described in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and in the Company’s other public disclosures and filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements, which are as of the date of this filing, are not updated to reflect events or circumstances after the date of the statement.
A. H. Belo Corporation and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Statements of Operations
| Three Months Ended March 31, | ||||||||
| In thousands, except share and per share amounts (unaudited) | 2021 | 2020 | ||||||
| Net Operating Revenue: | ||||||||
| Advertising and marketing services | $ | 16,769 | $ | 19,327 | ||||
| Circulation | 16,022 | 16,414 | ||||||
| Printing, distribution and other | 4,024 | 4,602 | ||||||
| Total net operating revenue | 36,815 | 40,343 | ||||||
| Operating Costs and Expense: | ||||||||
| Employee compensation and benefits | 17,947 | 19,016 | ||||||
| Other production, distribution and operating costs | 19,090 | 20,992 | ||||||
| Newsprint, ink and other supplies | 2,341 | 3,271 | ||||||
| Depreciation | 1,074 | 1,765 | ||||||
| Amortization | 64 | 64 | ||||||
| Gain on sale/disposal of assets, net | (1 | ) | (5 | ) | ||||
| Total operating costs and expense | 40,515 | 45,103 | ||||||
| Operating loss | (3,700 | ) | (4,760 | ) | ||||
| Other income, net | 1,254 | 1,352 | ||||||
| Loss Before Income Taxes | (2,446 | ) | (3,408 | ) | ||||
| Income tax provision (benefit) | 319 | (1,787 | ) | |||||
| Net Loss | $ | (2,765 | ) | $ | (1,621 | ) | ||
| Per Share Basis | ||||||||
| Net loss | ||||||||
| Basic and diluted | $ | (0.13 | ) | $ | (0.08 | ) | ||
| Number of common shares used in the per share calculation: | ||||||||
| Basic and diluted | 21,410,423 | 21,410,423 | ||||||
A. H. Belo Corporation and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Balance Sheets
| March 31, | December 31, | |||||
| In thousands (unaudited) | 2021 | 2020 | ||||
| Assets | ||||||
| Current assets: | ||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents | $ | 38,132 | $ | 42,015 | ||
| Accounts receivable, net | 15,503 | 16,562 | ||||
| Notes receivable | 22,775 | 22,775 | ||||
| Other current assets | 8,678 | 6,754 | ||||
| Total current assets | 85,088 | 88,106 | ||||
| Property, plant and equipment, net | 10,932 | 11,959 | ||||
| Operating lease right-of-use assets | 19,764 | 20,406 | ||||
| Intangible assets, net | — | 64 | ||||
| Deferred income taxes, net | 91 | 76 | ||||
| Other assets | 2,213 | 2,604 | ||||
| Total assets | $ | 118,088 | $ | 123,215 | ||
| Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity | ||||||
| Current liabilities: | ||||||
| Accounts payable | $ | 7,381 | $ | 7,759 | ||
| Accrued compensation and other current liabilities | 10,524 | 10,829 | ||||
| Contract liabilities | 13,760 | 12,896 | ||||
| Total current liabilities | 31,665 | 31,484 | ||||
| Long-term pension liabilities | 17,119 | 18,520 | ||||
| Long-term operating lease liabilities | 21,216 | 21,890 | ||||
| Other liabilities | 4,941 | 4,913 | ||||
| Total liabilities | 74,941 | 76,807 | ||||
| Total shareholders' equity | 43,147 | 46,408 | ||||
| Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity | $ | 118,088 | $ | 123,215 | ||
A. H. Belo Corporation - Non-GAAP Financial Measures
Reconciliation of Operating Loss to Adjusted Operating Loss
| Three Months Ended March 31, | ||||||||
| In thousands (unaudited) | 2021 | 2020 | ||||||
| Total net operating revenue | $ | 36,815 | $ | 40,343 | ||||
| Total operating costs and expense | 40,515 | 45,103 | ||||||
| Operating Loss | $ | (3,700 | ) | $ | (4,760 | ) | ||
| Total net operating revenue | $ | 36,815 | $ | 40,343 | ||||
| Addback: | ||||||||
| Advertising contra revenue | 6,078 | 1,454 | ||||||
| Circulation contra revenue | 95 | 38 | ||||||
| Adjusted Operating Revenue | $ | 42,988 | $ | 41,835 | ||||
| Total operating costs and expense | $ | 40,515 | $ | 45,103 | ||||
| Addback: | ||||||||
| Advertising contra expense | 6,078 | 1,454 | ||||||
| Circulation contra expense | 95 | 38 | ||||||
| Less: | ||||||||
| Depreciation | 1,074 | 1,765 | ||||||
| Amortization | 64 | 64 | ||||||
| Severance expense | 208 | 186 | ||||||
| Gain on sale/disposal of assets, net | (1 | ) | (5 | ) | ||||
| Adjusted Operating Expense | $ | 45,343 | $ | 44,585 | ||||
| Adjusted operating revenue | $ | 42,988 | $ | 41,835 | ||||
| Adjusted operating expense | 45,343 | 44,585 | ||||||
| Adjusted Operating Loss | $ | (2,355 | ) | $ | (2,750 | ) | ||
The Company calculates adjusted operating income (loss) by adjusting operating income (loss) to exclude depreciation, amortization, severance expense, (gain) loss on sale/disposal of assets, and asset impairments (“adjusted operating income (loss)”). The Company believes that inclusion of certain noncash expenses and other items in the results makes for more difficult comparisons between years and with peer group companies.
The Company adopted the new revenue guidance (Topic 606) using the modified retrospective approach as of January 1, 2018. While the Company adjusts operating revenue and expense for non-GAAP presentation, these adjustments have no effect on adjusted operating income (loss).
Adjusted operating income (loss) is not a measure of financial performance under generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). Management uses adjusted operating income (loss) and similar measures in internal analyses as supplemental measures of the Company’s financial performance, and for performance comparisons versus its peer group of companies. Management uses this non-GAAP financial measure for the purposes of evaluating consolidated Company performance. The Company therefore believes that the non-GAAP measure presented provides useful information to investors by allowing them to view the Company’s business through the eyes of management and the Board of Directors, facilitating comparison of results across historical periods and providing a focus on the underlying ongoing operating performance of its business. Adjusted operating income (loss) should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for net income (loss), cash flows provided by (used for) operating activities or other comparable measures prepared in accordance with GAAP. Additionally, this non-GAAP measure may not be comparable to similarly-titled measures of other companies.
Contact:
Katy Murray
214-977-8869
FAQ
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