HF Foods Reports Third Quarter 2023 Financial Results
- The company's net income increased from a loss to a profit for the third quarter.
- Adjusted EBITDA increased significantly for the third quarter, indicating improved operational efficiency.
- The comprehensive transformation plan addresses key areas such as centralized purchasing, fleet and transportation, digital transformation, and facility upgrades, which could lead to long-term growth and cost savings.
- Net revenue decreased for both the third quarter and the first nine months of 2023, indicating a decline in sales.
- Adjusted EBITDA decreased by 32.9% for the first nine months, which may raise concerns about long-term profitability.
- The company's net loss increased for the first nine months of 2023, indicating a decrease in overall profitability.
Pre-Recorded Earnings Call Webcast Available on Investor Relations Website
Announces Comprehensive, Operational Transformation Plan to Drive Growth and Cost Savings
LAS VEGAS, Nov. 09, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HF Foods Group Inc. (NASDAQ: HFFG) (“HF Foods”, or the “Company”), a leading food distributor to Asian restaurants across the United States, reported financial results for the third quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2023.
Third Quarter 2023 Financial Results
- Net revenue decreased
6.4% to$281.5 million compared to$300.7 million in the prior year. - Gross profit decreased
1.1% to$50.9 million , or18.1% gross profit margin compared to$51.5 million , or17.1% gross profit margin in the prior year. - Net income (loss) increased to net income of
$2.0 million compared to net loss of$3.9 million in the prior year. - Adjusted EBITDA increased
151.0% to$10.0 million compared to$4.0 million in the prior year.
Nine Months 2023 Financial Results
- Net revenue decreased
1.2% to$867.6 million compared to$878.6 million in the prior year. - Gross profit decreased
2.0% to$151.8 million , or17.5% gross profit margin compared to$154.8 million , or17.6% gross profit margin in the prior year. - Net (loss) income decreased to a net loss of
$5.4 million compared to net income of$3.7 million in the prior year. - Adjusted EBITDA decreased
32.9% to$24.0 million compared to$35.8 million in the prior year.
Management Commentary
“In the third quarter we made significant progress in enhancing our profitability, as our investments in people and processes began to bear fruit. Building on that momentum, we are very pleased to announce our comprehensive operational transformation plan, which began earlier this year, that we believe will have a significant, positive impact on both our growth and profitability for years to come,” said Peter Zhang, Chief Executive Officer of HF Foods. “We have a unique opportunity ahead of us as we are the only scaled, nationwide operator serving the growing Asian foodservice market, and because of the truly personal experience we provide Asian restaurant owners in the U.S., which has led to consistent, long-term relationships. Over the past year, we have meticulously analyzed every aspect of our business. We believe that our resulting transformation initiative, which aims to drive sales and cost efficiencies, will allow us to improve our service and variety of offerings to customers and deliver value to all stakeholders.”
Revenue by Product Category
Three Months Ended September 30, | Nine Months Ended September 30, | |||||||||||||||||||||||
($ in thousands) | 2023 | 2022 | 2023 | 2022 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Seafood | $ | 87,475 | 31 | % | $ | 94,077 | 32 | % | $ | 271,748 | 32 | % | $ | 262,280 | 30 | % | ||||||||
Asian Specialty | 74,384 | 26 | % | 73,380 | 24 | % | 228,545 | 26 | % | 223,393 | 25 | % | ||||||||||||
Meat and Poultry | 54,787 | 19 | % | 63,647 | 21 | % | 162,848 | 19 | % | 187,671 | 22 | % | ||||||||||||
Fresh Produce | 29,578 | 11 | % | 31,260 | 10 | % | 93,425 | 11 | % | 92,215 | 10 | % | ||||||||||||
Packaging and Other | 17,342 | 6 | % | 20,867 | 7 | % | 54,775 | 6 | % | 64,176 | 7 | % | ||||||||||||
Commodity | 17,887 | 7 | % | 17,480 | 6 | % | 56,279 | 6 | % | 48,833 | 6 | % | ||||||||||||
Total | $ | 281,453 | 100 | % | $ | 300,711 | 100 | % | $ | 867,620 | 100 | % | $ | 878,568 | 100 | % |
Third Quarter 2023 Results
Net revenue was
Gross profit was
Distribution, selling and administrative expenses decreased by
Net income (loss) increased to net income of
Adjusted EBITDA increased
Nine Months 2023 Results
Net revenue was
Gross profit was
Distribution, selling and administrative expenses increased by
Net (loss) income decreased to a net loss of
Adjusted EBITDA decreased
Cash Flow and Liquidity
Cash flow from operating activities increased to
Transformation Plan
To position the business for long-term success, HF Foods has initiated a comprehensive, operational transformation plan in an effort to drive growth and cost savings. The transformation is focused on four key areas, each of which the Company expects will positively impact future growth or cost savings. The components of the transformation are as follows:
- Centralized Purchasing: The Company will formalize its national category purchases and welcome new vendors into its ecosystem. This will allow the Company to unlock synergies from its prior acquisitions, and deliver savings in its largest categories.
- Fleet and Transportation: HF Foods will be establishing a national fleet maintenance program. Within this, the Company plans to define new truck specifications, initiate a replacement program for
50% of the current fleet, implement a national fuel savings program to maximize efficiency, and outsource domestic inbound freight logistics to a third-party partner to adopt a cohesive national approach to its supply chain. This is expected to deliver substantial improvements to the Company’s transportation system. - Digital Transformation: HF Foods will be implementing a modern ERP solution across all of its distribution centers. This is expected to deliver enhanced operational efficiency and responsiveness, streamlined processes, and greater data driven decision-making.
- Facility Upgrades: The Company will be reorganizing and upgrading its facilities and distribution centers to efficiently streamline costs, and to capitalize on cross-selling opportunities with both new and existing customers.
Earnings Conference Call and Webcast
A pre-recorded conference call and webcast with HF Foods’ management team discussing the results is now available on the Investor Relations section of the Company’s website at https://investors.hffoodsgroup.com/.
About HF Foods Group Inc.
HF Foods Group Inc. is a leading marketer and distributor of fresh produce, frozen and dry food, and non-food products to primarily Asian/Chinese restaurants and other foodservice customers throughout the United States. HF Foods aims to supply the increasing demand for Asian American restaurant cuisine, leveraging its nationwide network of distribution centers and its strong relations with growers and suppliers of fresh, high-quality specialty restaurant food products and supplies in the US, South America, and China. Headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada, HF Foods trades on Nasdaq under the symbol “HFFG”. For more information, please visit www.hffoodsgroup.com.
Investor Relations Contact:
HFFG Investor Relations
hffoodsgroup@icrinc.com
Forward-Looking Statements
All statements in this news release other than statements of historical facts are forward-looking statements which contain our current expectations about our future results. We have attempted to identify any forward-looking statements by using words such as “believes,” “intends,” and other similar expressions. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in all of our forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Such statements are not guarantees of future performance or events and are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause the Company’s actual results, events or financial positions to differ materially from those included within or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to, statements of assumption underlying any of the foregoing, and other factors disclosed under the caption “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 and other filings with the SEC. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to disclose any revision to these forward-looking statements.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
Discussion of our results includes certain non-GAAP financial measures, including EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA and non-GAAP net income (loss) attributable to HF Foods Group Inc., that we believe provides an additional tool for investors to use in evaluating ongoing operating results and trends and in comparing our financial performance with other companies in the same industry, many of which present similar non-GAAP financial measures to investors. The definitions of EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA and non-GAAP net income (loss) attributable to HF Foods Group Inc. may not be the same as similarly titled measures used by other companies in the industry. EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA and non-GAAP net income (loss) attributable to HF Foods Group Inc. are not defined under GAAP and are subject to important limitations as analytical tools and should not be considered in isolation or as substitutes for analysis of our financial results as reported under GAAP.
We use non-GAAP financial measures to supplement our GAAP financial results. Management uses EBITDA, defined as net income (loss) before interest expense, interest income, income taxes, and depreciation and amortization to measure operating performance. In addition, management uses Adjusted EBITDA, defined as net income (loss) before interest expense, interest income, income taxes, and depreciation and amortization, further adjusted to exclude certain unusual, non-cash, or non-recurring expenses. We believe that Adjusted EBITDA is less susceptible to variances in actual performance resulting from non-recurring expenses, and other non-cash charges, provides useful information for our investors and is more reflective of other factors that affect our operating performance.
We believe non-GAAP net income (loss) attributable to HF Foods Group Inc. is a useful measure of operating performance because it excludes certain items not reflective of our core operating performance. Non-GAAP net income (loss) attributable to HF Foods Group Inc. is defined as net income (loss) attributable to HF Foods Group Inc. adjusted for amortization of intangibles, change in fair value of interest rate swaps, stock based compensation, transaction related costs, transformational project costs and certain unusual, non-cash, or non-recurring expenses. We believe that non-GAAP net income (loss) attributable to HF Foods Group Inc. facilitates period-over-period comparisons and provides additional clarity for investors to better evaluate our operating results. We present EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA, non-GAAP net income (loss) attributable to HF Foods Group Inc. in order to provide supplemental information that we consider relevant for the readers of our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in its reports filed with the SEC, including its current Quarterly Report on Form 10Q, and such information is not meant to replace or supersede U.S. GAAP measures. Reconciliations of the non-GAAP financial measures to their most comparable GAAP financial measures are included in the schedules attached to this press release.
HF FOODS GROUP INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (In thousands) (Unaudited) | |||||||
September 30, 2023 | December 31, 2022 | ||||||
ASSETS | |||||||
CURRENT ASSETS: | |||||||
Cash | $ | 14,300 | $ | 24,289 | |||
Accounts receivable, net | 43,461 | 44,399 | |||||
Inventories | 115,942 | 120,291 | |||||
Other current assets | 23,611 | 8,937 | |||||
TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS | 197,314 | 197,916 | |||||
Property and equipment, net | 135,350 | 140,330 | |||||
Operating lease right-of-use assets | 12,520 | 14,164 | |||||
Long-term investments | 2,401 | 2,679 | |||||
Customer relationships, net | 149,823 | 157,748 | |||||
Trademarks and other intangibles, net | 32,055 | 36,343 | |||||
Goodwill | 85,118 | 85,118 | |||||
Other long-term assets | 8,203 | 3,231 | |||||
TOTAL ASSETS | $ | 622,784 | $ | 637,529 | |||
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY | |||||||
CURRENT LIABILITIES: | |||||||
Checks issued not presented for payment | $ | 6,888 | $ | 21,946 | |||
Line of credit | 47,648 | 53,056 | |||||
Accounts payable | 78,623 | 57,044 | |||||
Current portion of long-term debt, net | 5,868 | 6,266 | |||||
Current portion of obligations under finance leases | 1,832 | 2,254 | |||||
Current portion of obligations under operating leases | 3,609 | 3,676 | |||||
Accrued expenses and other liabilities | 17,157 | 19,648 | |||||
TOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES | 161,625 | 163,890 | |||||
Long-term debt, net of current portion | 111,220 | 115,443 | |||||
Obligations under finance leases, non-current | 11,174 | 11,441 | |||||
Obligations under operating leases, non-current | 9,171 | 10,591 | |||||
Deferred tax liabilities | 31,976 | 34,443 | |||||
Other long-term liabilities | 5,262 | 5,472 | |||||
TOTAL LIABILITIES | 330,428 | 341,280 | |||||
Commitments and contingencies | |||||||
SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY: | |||||||
Preferred Stock | — | — | |||||
Common Stock | 5 | 5 | |||||
Additional paid-in capital | 600,696 | 598,322 | |||||
Accumulated deficit | (311,413 | ) | (306,514 | ) | |||
TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY ATTRIBUTABLE TO HF FOODS GROUP INC. | 289,288 | 291,813 | |||||
Noncontrolling interests | 3,068 | 4,436 | |||||
TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY | 292,356 | 296,249 | |||||
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY | $ | 622,784 | $ | 637,529 |
HF FOODS GROUP INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (In thousands, except share and per share data) (Unaudited) | |||||||||||||||
Three Months Ended September 30, | Nine Months Ended September 30, | ||||||||||||||
2023 | 2022 | 2023 | 2022 | ||||||||||||
Net revenue | $ | 281,453 | $ | 300,711 | $ | 867,620 | $ | 878,568 | |||||||
Cost of revenue | 230,528 | 249,218 | 715,857 | 723,778 | |||||||||||
Gross profit | 50,925 | 51,493 | 151,763 | 154,790 | |||||||||||
Distribution, selling and administrative expenses | 48,841 | 54,589 | 154,013 | 140,840 | |||||||||||
Income (loss) from operations | 2,084 | (3,096 | ) | (2,250 | ) | 13,950 | |||||||||
Other (income) expenses: | |||||||||||||||
Interest expense | 2,715 | 2,274 | 8,430 | 5,101 | |||||||||||
Other income | (490 | ) | (462 | ) | (845 | ) | (1,401 | ) | |||||||
Change in fair value of interest rate swap contracts | (1,984 | ) | (284 | ) | (2,094 | ) | (850 | ) | |||||||
Lease guarantee expense | (95 | ) | (58 | ) | (305 | ) | 5,831 | ||||||||
Total Other expenses, net | 146 | 1,470 | 5,186 | 8,681 | |||||||||||
Income (loss) before income taxes | 1,938 | (4,566 | ) | (7,436 | ) | 5,269 | |||||||||
Income tax (benefit) expense | (36 | ) | (672 | ) | (2,053 | ) | 1,529 | ||||||||
Net income (loss) | 1,974 | (3,894 | ) | (5,383 | ) | 3,740 | |||||||||
Less: net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests | 90 | (30 | ) | (484 | ) | (74 | ) | ||||||||
Net income (loss) attributable to HF Foods Group Inc. | $ | 1,884 | $ | (3,864 | ) | $ | (4,899 | ) | $ | 3,814 | |||||
Earnings (loss) per common share - basic | $ | 0.03 | $ | (0.07 | ) | $ | (0.09 | ) | $ | 0.07 | |||||
Earnings (loss) per common share - diluted | $ | 0.03 | $ | (0.07 | ) | $ | (0.09 | ) | $ | 0.07 | |||||
Weighted average shares - basic | 54,142,396 | 53,798,131 | 54,005,010 | 53,716,464 | |||||||||||
Weighted average shares - diluted | 54,513,314 | 53,798,131 | 54,005,010 | 53,981,687 |
HF FOODS GROUP INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (In thousands), (Unaudited) | |||||||
Nine Months Ended September 30, | |||||||
2023 | 2022 | ||||||
Cash flows from operating activities: | |||||||
Net (loss) income | $ | (5,383 | ) | $ | 3,740 | ||
Adjustments to reconcile net (loss) income to net cash provided by operating activities: | |||||||
Depreciation and amortization expense | 19,551 | 18,245 | |||||
Asset impairment charges | 1,200 | 422 | |||||
Gain from disposal of property and equipment | (278 | ) | (1,327 | ) | |||
Provision for credit losses | 56 | 226 | |||||
Deferred tax benefit | (2,467 | ) | (3,391 | ) | |||
Change in fair value of interest rate swap contracts | (2,094 | ) | (849 | ) | |||
Stock-based compensation | 2,605 | 673 | |||||
Non-cash lease expense | 2,668 | 2,562 | |||||
Lease guarantee expense | (305 | ) | 5,831 | ||||
Other expense (income) | 446 | 54 | |||||
Changes in operating assets and liabilities (excluding effects of acquisitions): | |||||||
Accounts receivable | 997 | (8,221 | ) | ||||
Accounts receivable - related parties | (115 | ) | (178 | ) | |||
Inventories | 4,349 | (15,988 | ) | ||||
Prepaid expenses and other current assets | (14,074 | ) | (3,769 | ) | |||
Other long-term assets | (2,878 | ) | (593 | ) | |||
Accounts payable | 22,618 | 8,953 | |||||
Accounts payable - related parties | (1,039 | ) | (443 | ) | |||
Operating lease liabilities | (2,511 | ) | (2,530 | ) | |||
Accrued expenses and other liabilities | (2,722 | ) | 3,515 | ||||
Net cash provided by operating activities | 20,624 | 6,932 | |||||
Cash flows from investing activities: | |||||||
Purchase of property and equipment | (3,495 | ) | (5,745 | ) | |||
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment | 900 | 7,805 | |||||
Payment made for acquisition of Sealand | — | (34,849 | ) | ||||
Payment made for acquisition of Great Wall Group | — | (17,445 | ) | ||||
Net cash used in investing activities | (2,595 | ) | (50,234 | ) | |||
Cash flows from financing activities: | |||||||
Checks issued not presented for payment | (15,058 | ) | 682 | ||||
Proceeds from line of credit | 891,510 | 938,251 | |||||
Repayment of line of credit | (896,959 | ) | (922,080 | ) | |||
Proceeds from long-term debt | — | 45,956 | |||||
Repayment of long-term debt | (4,653 | ) | (9,614 | ) | |||
Payment of debt financing costs | — | (556 | ) | ||||
Repayment of obligations under finance leases | (1,974 | ) | (1,876 | ) | |||
Repayment of promissory note payable - related party | — | (4,500 | ) | ||||
Proceeds from noncontrolling interests shareholders | — | 240 | |||||
Cash distribution to shareholders | (884 | ) | (187 | ) | |||
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities | (28,018 | ) | 46,316 | ||||
Net (decrease) increase in cash | (9,989 | ) | 3,014 | ||||
Cash at beginning of the period | 24,289 | 14,792 | |||||
Cash at end of the period | $ | 14,300 | $ | 17,806 |
HF FOODS GROUP INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES RECONCILIATION OF NET (LOSS) INCOME TO EBITDA AND ADJUSTED EBITDA (In thousands) (Unaudited) | ||||||||||||||
Three Months Ended September 30, | Change | |||||||||||||
2023 | 2022 | Amount | % | |||||||||||
Net income (loss) | $ | 1,974 | $ | (3,894 | ) | $ | 5,868 | NM | ||||||
Interest expense | 2,715 | 2,274 | 441 | |||||||||||
Income tax expense | (36 | ) | (672 | ) | 636 | (94.6)% | ||||||||
Depreciation and amortization | 6,422 | 6,386 | 36 | |||||||||||
EBITDA | 11,075 | 4,094 | 6,981 | |||||||||||
Lease guarantee expense | (95 | ) | (58 | ) | (37 | ) | ||||||||
Change in fair value of interest rate swaps | (1,984 | ) | (284 | ) | (1,700 | ) | NM | |||||||
Stock-based compensation expense | 757 | 162 | 595 | NM | ||||||||||
Business transformation costs(1) | 105 | — | 105 | NM | ||||||||||
Acquisition, integration and other costs (2) | 146 | 71 | 75 | |||||||||||
Adjusted EBITDA | $ | 10,004 | $ | 3,985 | $ | 6,019 |
Nine Months Ended September 30, | Change | ||||||||||||
2023 | 2022 | Amount | % | ||||||||||
Net (loss) income | $ | (5,383 | ) | $ | 3,740 | $ | (9,123 | ) | NM | ||||
Interest expense | 8,430 | 5,101 | 3,329 | ||||||||||
Income tax (benefit) expense | (2,053 | ) | 1,529 | (3,582 | ) | NM | |||||||
Depreciation and amortization | 19,551 | 18,245 | 1,306 | ||||||||||
EBITDA | 20,545 | 28,615 | (8,070 | ) | (28.2)% | ||||||||
Lease guarantee expense | (305 | ) | 5,831 | (6,136 | ) | NM | |||||||
Change in fair value of interest rate swaps | (2,094 | ) | (849 | ) | (1,245 | ) | |||||||
Stock-based compensation expense | 2,605 | 673 | 1,932 | NM | |||||||||
Business transformation costs (1) | 223 | — | 223 | NM | |||||||||
Acquisition, integration and other costs (2) | 1,850 | 1,130 | 720 | ||||||||||
Asset impairment charges | 1,200 | 422 | 778 | ||||||||||
Adjusted EBITDA | $ | 24,024 | $ | 35,822 | $ | (11,798 | ) | (32.9)% |
____________
NM - Not meaningful | |
(1) | Represents non-recurring expenses prior to the launch of strategic projects including supply chain strategy improvements and technology infrastructure initiatives. |
(2) | Includes contested proxy and related legal and consulting costs for the nine months ended September 30, 2023. During the three months ended September 30, 2023, we identified non-recurring expenses related to our contested proxy and related legal defense which occurred in prior periods. |
HF FOODS GROUP INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES RECONCILIATION OF NET INCOME (LOSS) ATTRIBUTABLE TO HF FOODS GROUP INC. TO NON-GAAP NET INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO HF FOODS GROUP INC. (In thousands) (Unaudited) | ||||||||||||||
Three Months Ended September 30, | Change | |||||||||||||
2023 | 2022 | Amount | % | |||||||||||
Net income (loss) attributable to HF Foods Group Inc. | $ | 1,884 | $ | (3,864 | ) | $ | 5,748 | NM | ||||||
Amortization of intangibles | 4,071 | 4,071 | — | NM | ||||||||||
Lease guarantee income | (95 | ) | (58 | ) | (37 | ) | ||||||||
Change in fair value of interest rate swaps | (1,984 | ) | (284 | ) | (1,700 | ) | NM | |||||||
Stock-based compensation expense | 757 | 162 | 595 | NM | ||||||||||
Business transformation costs (1) | 105 | — | 105 | NM | ||||||||||
Acquisition, integration and other costs (2) | 146 | 71 | 75 | |||||||||||
Aggregate adjustment for income taxes | 137 | (582 | ) | 719 | NM | |||||||||
Non-GAAP net income (loss) attributable to HF Foods Group Inc. | $ | 5,021 | $ | (484 | ) | $ | 5,505 | NM |
Nine Months Ended September 30, | Change | |||||||||||||
2023 | 2022 | Amount | % | |||||||||||
Net (loss) income attributable to HF Foods Group Inc. | $ | (4,899 | ) | $ | 3,814 | $ | (8,713 | ) | NM | |||||
Amortization of intangibles | 12,213 | 11,673 | 540 | |||||||||||
Lease guarantee (income) expense | (305 | ) | 5,831 | (6,136 | ) | NM | ||||||||
Change in fair value of interest rate swaps | (2,094 | ) | (849 | ) | (1,245 | ) | NM | |||||||
Stock-based compensation expense | 2,605 | 673 | 1,932 | NM | ||||||||||
Business transformation costs (1) | 223 | — | 223 | NM | ||||||||||
Acquisition, integration costs and other (2) | 1,850 | 1,130 | 720 | |||||||||||
Asset impairment charges | 1,200 | 422 | 778 | |||||||||||
Aggregate adjustment for income taxes | (4,704 | ) | (5,475 | ) | 771 | (14.1)% | ||||||||
Non-GAAP net income attributable to HF Foods Group Inc. | $ | 6,089 | $ | 17,219 | $ | (11,130 | ) | (64.6)% |
____________
NM - Not meaningful | |
(1) | Represents non-recurring expenses prior to the launch of strategic projects including supply chain strategy improvements and technology infrastructure initiatives. |
(2) | Includes contested proxy and related legal and consulting costs for the nine months ended September 30, 2023. During the three months ended September 30, 2023, we identified non-recurring expenses related to our contested proxy and related legal defense which occurred in prior periods. |
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