Hooker Furnishings Reports Positive Momentum in Fiscal 2023 Second Quarter
Hooker Furnishings Corporation (HOFT) reported consolidated net sales of $152.9 million for Q2 FY2023, down 5.9% year-over-year. Despite a 62% increase in the Domestic Upholstery segment, overall sales decreased due to $28.3 million decline in Home Meridian segment, attributed to inventory rationalization by customers. Net income was $5.5 million ($0.46 per share), down from $7.5 million in the prior year. The company anticipates growth in upcoming quarters, driven by improved inventory and strong demand in the fall season. A quarterly cash dividend of $0.20 per share was also declared.
- Domestic Upholstery segment generated a 62% increase in sales, marking six consecutive quarters of double-digit growth.
- Inventory levels increased by $33 million compared to the previous year, indicating improved supply chain dynamics.
- The company anticipates strong sales growth for the second half of the fiscal year due to robust backlogs and increasing production capacity.
- Consolidated net sales decreased by $9.6 million (5.9%) year-over-year, reflecting broader industry challenges.
- Net income fell to $5.5 million, a 26.7% decline from the prior year's $7.5 million.
- Home Meridian segment reported a 32.4% sales decrease due to inventory rationalization by retailers.
Fiscal 2023 Second Quarter Overview:
- Factory production at our Asian suppliers ramped up to near full capacity, recovering from Covid-related factory shutdowns that significantly reduced inventories through the first quarter.
- Improved inventory flows enhanced shipments, enabling Hooker Furnishings to exceed our internal expectations for the quarter and report higher sales in our Hooker Branded and Domestic Upholstery segments.
- The Domestic Upholstery Segment marked the sixth consecutive quarter of double-digit sales gains with a
62% increase, reflecting organic growth at all divisions and the addition of Sunset West’s sales. - The Home Meridian Segment reported a sales decrease of
$28.3 million as its customers rationalized inventory levels and we exited the unprofitable Clubs channel.
MARTINSVILLE, Va., Sept. 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hooker Furnishings Corporation (NASDAQ-GS: HOFT) today reported consolidated net sales of
Consolidated net income for the quarter was
For the fiscal 2023 first half, consolidated net sales were
“We are in a much better position for the second half than a year ago when factories overseas closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Jeremy R. Hoff, chief executive officer and director. “Strong backlogs, full production capacity and optimum inventory levels position us to grow sales across all three segments as the second half progresses.”
“While consolidated sales were down modestly from a year ago, they improved from last quarter, and we expect an even more positive trajectory going forward,” he said. “As factory production in Asia ramped up to near full capacity, consolidated sales and earnings exceeded our internal expectations, and we reported sales increases in 2 of our 3 segments.”
“We believe that overstocked retailer inventories have contributed heavily to the reduction in orders throughout the industry we’ve seen so far this fiscal year. We believe retail business will remain solid as retailers rebalance their inventories and prepare for the fall and holiday selling seasons, a historically brisk time of year in the furniture industry,” Hoff said.
Segment Reporting: Hooker Branded
The Hooker Branded segment’s net sales increased by
As Asian suppliers resumed production and shipments earlier this year from Covid shutdowns, inventory receipts at our U.S. warehouses increased each month, allowing us to fulfill orders and reduce backlogs. “At the end of the quarter, inventory levels increased by
Incoming orders in the Hooker Branded segment decreased as compared to the prior year quarter when home furnishings benefitted from dramatic post-COVID demand. Quarter-end backlog was at a comparable level to the prior year second quarter end but was
Segment Reporting: Home Meridian
The Home Meridian segment’s net sales decreased by
“Having mostly recovered from the factory shutdowns in the second half of last year, we anticipate that HMI will achieve sales growth in the second half of this fiscal year as they exit unprofitable channels to focus on building a more diverse, sustainable and consistent core business,” said Hoff. “We are looking forward to the upcoming introduction of “Portfolio,” a new focus on additional channels of distribution through a warehouse stocking program out of the new Savannah, Georgia warehouse. The program encompasses an assortment of over 1,000 ready-to-ship SKUs across four of HMI’s brands with no order minimums. Launching during the October 2022 High Point Market, the rollout of Portfolio will enable us to further diversify our customer base and distribution channels for HMI, allowing us to reach a vast network of independent retailers and interior designers,” Hoff said. “Servicing the new Portfolio program required an inventory mix change and not an overall increase in our inventory.”
Incoming orders and backlogs decreased as compared to last year when demand was exceptionally strong, and orders were not converting to shipments as quickly as expected. Additionally, mass merchants continue to rationalize their inventories to match current demand levels. At quarter-end, HMI’s backlog levels are similar to levels at the same time in calendar 2019.
Segment Reporting: Domestic Upholstery
The Domestic Upholstery segment achieved the sixth consecutive quarter of double-digit sales gains, with net revenues increasing by
“Although we experienced some disruptions of the delivery of raw materials for production, all three divisions were operating near full capacity with shipments exceeding prior year periods and our internal goals,” Huckfeldt said. “However, gross margins decreased in the fiscal 2023 second quarter due to significantly increased raw material costs, partially offset by overhead absorption on higher sales volume.”
Incoming orders decreased due to current lead times and high backlogs. Quarter-end backlog was at the same level as the prior-year quarter but was
Cash, Debt and Inventory
Cash and cash equivalents stood at
“With the near-record amounts of in-transit inventory, our cash levels have dropped temporarily,” said Huckfeldt. “Because a high percentage of the in-transit inventory is sold, we expect to quickly convert the inventory to shipments and for cash balances to improve later in the fiscal year. However, we have
Outlook
“We are closely monitoring economic disrupters like inflation, rising interest rates, and a slowing housing market,” said Hoff. “At the same time, we see many reasons for optimism as the U.S. enjoys strong levels of employment, rising household incomes, continuing strength in consumer spending and watching as another sizeable generation enters into their prime furniture purchasing years.”
“While incoming orders are down, we have substantial backlogs to ship and we believe the reduction of incoming orders from retailers is temporary, and more a result of right-sizing their inventories than a significant decline in normalized consumer demand,” Hoff continued.
“Based on what we have heard from our retail partners, we expect that the fall and holiday seasons will align more closely with pre-pandemic ordering environment. We’re preparing for a strong second half of the year, and based on our backlogs and solid inventory position, we are on track to increase sales in all three segments.
“We believe organic growth will be buoyed by several new strategic initiatives including our recent entry into outdoor furniture, expansion of our presence in the interior design channel in all segments along with the post pandemic recovery within the hospitality and contract businesses. HMI’s portfolio program launches at the upcoming October High Point market which should accelerate the expansion of our Home Meridian customer base, as we roll the program out,” Hoff said.
Dividends
On September 7, 2022 the Company’s Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of
Conference Call Details
Hooker Furnishings will present its fiscal 2023 second quarter financial results via teleconference and live internet web cast on Thursday morning, September 8, 2022 at 9:00 AM Eastern Time. A live webcast of the call will be available on the Investor Relations page of the Company’s website at https://investors.hookerfurnishings.com/events and archived for replay. To access the call by phone, participants should go to this link (registration link) and you will be provided with dial in details. To avoid delays, participants are encouraged to dial into the conference call fifteen minutes ahead of the scheduled start time.
Hooker Furnishings Corporation, in its 98th year of business, is a designer, marketer and importer of casegoods (wooden and metal furniture), leather furniture, and fabric-upholstered furniture for the residential, hospitality and contract markets. The Company also domestically manufactures premium residential custom leather and custom fabric-upholstered furniture and outdoor furniture. Major casegoods product categories include home entertainment, home office, accent, dining, and bedroom furniture in the upper-medium price points sold under the Hooker Furniture brand. Hooker’s residential upholstered seating product lines include Bradington-Young, a specialist in upscale motion and stationary leather furniture, Sam Moore Furniture, a specialist in upscale occasional chairs, settees, sofas and sectional seating with an emphasis on cover-to-frame customization, Hooker Upholstery, imported upholstered furniture targeted at the upper-medium price-range and Shenandoah Furniture, an upscale upholstered furniture company specializing in private label sectionals, modulars, sofas, chairs, ottomans, benches, beds and dining chairs in the upper-medium price points for lifestyle specialty retailers. The H Contract product line supplies upholstered seating and casegoods to upscale senior living facilities. The Home Meridian division addresses more moderate price points and channels of distribution not currently served by other Hooker Furnishings divisions or brands. Home Meridian’s brands include Accentrics Home, home furnishings centered around an eclectic mix of unique pieces and materials that offer a fresh take on home fashion, Pulaski Furniture, casegoods covering the complete design spectrum in a wide range of bedroom, dining room, accent and display cabinets at medium price points, Pulaski Upholstery, stationary and motion upholstery collections available in fabric and leather covering the complete design spectrum at medium price points, Samuel Lawrence Furniture, value-conscious offerings in bedroom, dining room, home office and youth furnishings, Prime Resources, value-conscious imported leather upholstered furniture, and Samuel Lawrence Hospitality, a designer and supplier of hotel furnishings. The Sunset West division is a designer and manufacturer of comfortable, stylish and high-quality outdoor furniture. Hooker Furnishings Corporation’s corporate offices and upholstery manufacturing facilities are located in Virginia and North Carolina, with showrooms in High Point, N.C., Las Vegas, N.V., and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The company operates distribution centers in Virginia, Georgia, China and Vietnam. Please visit our websites hookerfurnishings.com, hookerfurniture.com, bradington-young.com, sammoore.com, hcontractfurniture.com, homemeridian.com, pulaskifurniture.com, accentricshome.com, slh-co.com, and sunsetwestusa.com.
Certain statements made in this release, other than those based on historical facts, may be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements reflect our reasonable judgment with respect to future events and typically can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “believes,” “expects,” “projects,” “intends,” “plans,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “would,” “could” or “anticipates,” or the negative thereof, or other variations thereon, or comparable terminology, or by discussions of strategy. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Those risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to: (1) risks associated with our reliance on offshore sourcing and the cost of imported goods, including fluctuation in the prices of purchased finished goods, customs issues, ocean freight costs, including the price and availability of shipping containers, ocean vessels and domestic trucking, and warehousing costs and the risk that a disruption in our offshore suppliers or the transportation and handling industries, including labor stoppages, strikes, or slowdowns, could adversely affect our ability to timely fill customer orders; (2) the effect and consequences of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic or future pandemics on a wide range of matters including but not limited to U.S. and local economies; our business operations and continuity; the health and productivity of our employees; and the impact on our global supply chain, inflation, the retail environment and our customer base; (3) general economic or business conditions, both domestically and internationally, and instability in the financial and credit markets, including their potential impact on our (i) sales and operating costs and access to financing or (ii) customers and suppliers and their ability to obtain financing or generate the cash necessary to conduct their respective businesses; (4) adverse political acts or developments in, or affecting, the international markets from which we import products, including duties or tariffs imposed on those products by foreign governments or the U.S. government, such as the prior U.S. administration’s imposition of a
For more information, contact:
Jeremy R. Hoff, Chief Executive Officer and Director
Phone: (276) 632-2133, or
Paul A. Huckfeldt, Senior Vice President, Finance & Accounting & Chief Financial Officer
Phone: (276) 666-3949
Table I | |||||||||||||
HOOKER FURNISHINGS CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES | |||||||||||||
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS | |||||||||||||
(In thousands, except per share data) | |||||||||||||
(Unaudited) | |||||||||||||
For the | |||||||||||||
Thirteen Weeks Ended | Twenty-Six Weeks Ended | ||||||||||||
July 31, | August 1, | July 31, | August 1, | ||||||||||
2022 | 2021 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||||
Net sales | $ | 152,908 | $ | 162,519 | $ | 300,223 | $ | 325,379 | |||||
Cost of sales | 121,853 | 130,802 | 239,709 | 260,080 | |||||||||
Gross profit | 31,055 | 31,717 | 60,514 | 65,299 | |||||||||
Selling and administrative expenses | 22,886 | 21,460 | 47,543 | 42,204 | |||||||||
Intangible asset amortization | 878 | 596 | 1,756 | 1,192 | |||||||||
Operating income | 7,291 | 9,661 | 11,215 | 21,903 | |||||||||
Other (expense)/income, net | (44 | ) | 21 | 234 | 27 | ||||||||
Interest expense, net | 83 | 23 | 111 | 54 | |||||||||
Income before income taxes | 7,164 | 9,659 | 11,338 | 21,876 | |||||||||
Income tax expense | 1,621 | 2,192 | 2,612 | 4,966 | |||||||||
Net income | $ | 5,543 | $ | 7,467 | $ | 8,726 | $ | 16,910 | |||||
Earnings per share | |||||||||||||
Basic | $ | 0.47 | $ | 0.63 | $ | 0.74 | $ | 1.42 | |||||
Diluted | $ | 0.46 | $ | 0.62 | $ | 0.73 | $ | 1.40 | |||||
Weighted average shares outstanding: | |||||||||||||
Basic | 11,876 | 11,850 | 11,871 | 11,842 | |||||||||
Diluted | 11,935 | 11,993 | 11,960 | 11,985 | |||||||||
Cash dividends declared per share | $ | 0.20 | $ | 0.18 | $ | 0.40 | $ | 0.36 | |||||
Table II | ||||||||||||||||
HOOKER FURNISHINGS CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES | ||||||||||||||||
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME | ||||||||||||||||
(In thousands) | ||||||||||||||||
(Unaudited) | ||||||||||||||||
For the | ||||||||||||||||
Thirteen Weeks Ended | Twenty-Six Weeks Ended | |||||||||||||||
July 31, | August 1, | July 31, | August 1, | |||||||||||||
2022 | 2021 | 2022 | 2021 | |||||||||||||
Net income | $ | 5,543 | $ | 7,467 | $ | 8,726 | $ | 16,910 | ||||||||
Other comprehensive income: | ||||||||||||||||
Amortization of actuarial loss | 60 | 100 | 42 | 201 | ||||||||||||
Income tax effect on amortization | (14 | ) | (24 | ) | (10 | ) | (48 | ) | ||||||||
Adjustments to net periodic benefit cost | 46 | 76 | 32 | 153 | ||||||||||||
Total comprehensive income | $ | 5,589 | $ | 7,543 | $ | 8,758 | $ | 17,063 | ||||||||
Table III | ||||||||
HOOKER FURNISHINGS CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES | ||||||||
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS | ||||||||
(In thousands) | ||||||||
As of | July 31, | January 30, | ||||||
2022 | 2022 | |||||||
(Unaudited) | ||||||||
Assets | ||||||||
Current assets | ||||||||
Cash and cash equivalents | $ | 11,653 | $ | 69,366 | ||||
Trade accounts receivable, net | 81,662 | 73,727 | ||||||
Inventories | 131,088 | 75,023 | ||||||
Income tax recoverable | 3,574 | 4,361 | ||||||
Prepaid expenses and other current assets | 9,014 | 5,237 | ||||||
Total current assets | 236,991 | 227,714 | ||||||
Property, plant and equipment, net | 27,565 | 28,058 | ||||||
Cash surrender value of life insurance policies | 27,332 | 26,479 | ||||||
Deferred taxes | 9,763 | 11,612 | ||||||
Operating leases right-of-use assets | 54,734 | 51,854 | ||||||
Intangible assets, net | 33,547 | 23,853 | ||||||
Goodwill | 15,591 | 490 | ||||||
Other assets | 7,108 | 4,499 | ||||||
Total non-current assets | 175,640 | 146,845 | ||||||
Total assets | $ | 412,631 | $ | 374,559 | ||||
Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity | ||||||||
Current liabilities | ||||||||
Current portion of long-term debt | $ | 1,393 | $ | - | ||||
Trade accounts payable | 36,628 | 30,916 | ||||||
Accrued salaries, wages and benefits | 5,662 | 7,141 | ||||||
Customer deposits | 10,448 | 7,145 | ||||||
Current portion of lease liabilities | 7,254 | 7,471 | ||||||
Other accrued expenses | 2,969 | 4,264 | ||||||
Total current liabilities | 64,354 | 56,937 | ||||||
Long term debt | 23,570 | - | ||||||
Deferred compensation | 9,599 | 9,924 | ||||||
Operating lease liabilities | 49,514 | 46,570 | ||||||
Other long-term liabilities | 766 | - | ||||||
Total long-term liabilities | 83,449 | 56,494 | ||||||
Total liabilities | 147,803 | 113,431 | ||||||
Shareholders’ equity | ||||||||
Common stock, no par value, 20,000 shares authorized, | ||||||||
11,959 and 11,922 shares issued and outstanding on each date | 53,853 | 53,295 | ||||||
Retained earnings | 210,994 | 207,884 | ||||||
Accumulated other comprehensive loss | (19 | ) | (51 | ) | ||||
Total shareholders’ equity | 264,828 | 261,128 | ||||||
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity | $ | 412,631 | $ | 374,559 | ||||
Table IV | |||||||
HOOKER FURNISHINGS CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES | |||||||
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS | |||||||
(In thousands) | |||||||
(Unaudited) | |||||||
For the Twenty-Six Weeks Ended | |||||||
July 31, | August 1, | ||||||
2022 | 2021 | ||||||
Operating Activities: | |||||||
Net income | $ | 8,726 | $ | 16,910 | |||
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash | |||||||
used in operating activities: | |||||||
Depreciation and amortization | 4,409 | 3,583 | |||||
Deferred income tax expense | 1,839 | 1,621 | |||||
Non-cash restricted stock and performance awards | 873 | 150 | |||||
Provision for doubtful accounts and sales allowances | (1,532 | ) | (340 | ) | |||
Gain on life insurance policies | (587 | ) | (704 | ) | |||
Changes in assets and liabilities | |||||||
Trade accounts receivable | (4,843 | ) | (14,663 | ) | |||
Inventories | (53,489 | ) | (33,435 | ) | |||
Income tax recoverable | 787 | - | |||||
Prepaid expenses and other current assets | (6,175 | ) | (4,663 | ) | |||
Trade accounts payable | 4,691 | 8,362 | |||||
Accrued salaries, wages and benefits | (1,480 | ) | (158 | ) | |||
Accrued income taxes | - | 417 | |||||
Customer deposits | 27 | 3,302 | |||||
Operating lease liabilities | (151 | ) | 89 | ||||
Other accrued expenses | (1,293 | ) | (507 | ) | |||
Deferred compensation | (283 | ) | (171 | ) | |||
Net cash used in operating activities | (48,481 | ) | (20,207 | ) | |||
Investing Activities: | |||||||
Acquisitions | (25,912 | ) | - | ||||
Purchases of property, plant and equipment | (1,947 | ) | (3,465 | ) | |||
Premiums paid on life insurance policies | (404 | ) | (473 | ) | |||
Net cash used in investing activities | (28,263 | ) | (3,938 | ) | |||
Financing Activities: | |||||||
Proceeds from long-term loans | 25,000 | - | |||||
Proceeds from revolving credit facility | 30,301 | - | |||||
Payments for revolving credit facility | (30,301 | ) | - | ||||
Debt issuance cost | (38 | ) | - | ||||
Purchase and retirement of common stock | (1,137 | ) | - | ||||
Cash dividends paid | (4,794 | ) | (4,285 | ) | |||
Cash provided by/(used in) financing activities | 19,031 | (4,285 | ) | ||||
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents | (57,713 | ) | (28,430 | ) | |||
Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of year | 69,366 | 65,841 | |||||
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of year | $ | 11,653 | $ | 37,411 | |||
Supplemental schedule of cash flow information: | |||||||
Income taxes paid/(refund), net | $ | (14 | ) | $ | 2,929 | ||
Interest paid, net | 55 | 1 | |||||
Supplemental schedule of noncash investing activities: | |||||||
Increase in lease liabilities arising from changes in right-of-use assets | $ | 7,680 | $ | (4,919 | ) | ||
Increase in property and equipment through accrued purchases | 207 | 111 | |||||
Table V | ||||||||||||||||||||
HOOKER FURNISHINGS CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES | ||||||||||||||||||||
NET SALES AND OPERATING INCOME/(LOSS) BY SEGMENT | ||||||||||||||||||||
(In thousands) | ||||||||||||||||||||
(Unaudited) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thirteen Weeks Ended | Twenty-Six Weeks Ended | |||||||||||||||||||
July 31, 2022 | August 1, 2021 | July 31, 2022 | August 1, 2021 | |||||||||||||||||
% Net | % Net | % Net | % Net | |||||||||||||||||
Net sales | Sales | Sales | Sales | Sales | ||||||||||||||||
Hooker Branded | $ | 52,817 | 34.5 | % | $ | 49,929 | 30.7 | % | $ | 95,047 | 31.7 | % | $ | 101,268 | 31.1 | % | ||||
Home Meridian | 59,048 | 38.6 | % | 87,323 | 53.7 | % | 121,133 | 40.3 | % | 171,732 | 52.8 | % | ||||||||
Domestic Upholstery | 38,326 | 25.1 | % | 23,665 | 14.6 | % | 79,546 | 26.5 | % | 49,086 | 15.1 | % | ||||||||
All Other | 2,717 | 1.8 | % | 1,602 | 1.0 | % | 4,497 | 1.5 | % | 3,293 | 1.0 | % | ||||||||
Consolidated | $ | 152,908 | 100 | % | $ | 162,519 | 100 | % | $ | 300,223 | 100 | % | $ | 325,379 | 100 | % | ||||
Operating income/(loss) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Hooker Branded | $ | 6,072 | 11.5 | % | $ | 8,929 | 17.9 | % | $ | 10,214 | 10.7 | % | $ | 18,371 | 18.1 | % | ||||
Home Meridian | (991 | ) | -1.7 | % | 43 | 0.0 | % | (4,085 | ) | -3.4 | % | 908 | 0.5 | % | ||||||
Domestic Upholstery | 1,713 | 4.5 | % | 569 | 2.4 | % | 4,465 | 5.6 | % | 2,300 | 4.7 | % | ||||||||
All Other | 497 | 18.3 | % | 120 | 7.5 | % | 621 | 13.8 | % | 324 | 9.8 | % | ||||||||
Consolidated | $ | 7,291 | 4.8 | % | $ | 9,661 | 5.9 | % | $ | 11,215 | 3.7 | % | $ | 21,903 | 6.7 | % | ||||
FAQ
What are the Q2 FY2023 financial results for Hooker Furnishings (HOFT)?
Why did sales decrease for Hooker Furnishings in Q2 FY2023?
What is the forecast for Hooker Furnishings (HOFT) moving forward?