Hooker Furniture Corporation Reports Robust Profitability in Third Quarter
Hooker Furniture Corporation (HOFT) reported Q3 fiscal 2021 net sales of $149.7 million, down 5.4% year-over-year, but net income surged 157.5% to $10 million ($0.84 per diluted share).
Despite supply chain disruptions from COVID-19, incoming orders rose 33.8%, and backlog increased by 87.5%. Operating income rose 161.1% to $13 million. Though there were challenges due to raw material scarcity and shipping issues, the company anticipates improvements in Q4 and is actively hiring to meet demand.
The board declared a 12.5% dividend increase to $0.18 per share, continuing a trend of annual dividend growth.
- Net income increased 157.5% to $10 million in Q3.
- Earnings per diluted share rose 154.5% from $0.33 to $0.84.
- Incoming orders surged 33.8% year-over-year.
- Backlog increased by 87.5% compared to the prior year.
- Operating income rose 161.1% to $13 million.
- Consolidated net sales decreased by 5.4% or $8.5 million compared to the prior year.
- Consolidated net sales for the first nine months dropped 13.7%, leading to a net loss of $19 million.
- Ongoing supply chain disruptions limit order fulfillment speed.
MARTINSVILLE, Va., Dec. 10, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hooker Furniture Corporation (NASDAQ-GS: HOFT) today reported consolidated net sales of
Consolidated net sales decreased by
“Our third quarter financial performance is encouraging on many fronts, as the business rebound that began in mid-May continues to gain momentum,” said Paul B. Toms Jr., chairman and chief executive officer. “Consolidated incoming orders were up
“Although we are still navigating what we believe will be short-term disruptions in the supply chain due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we believe furniture will be an advantaged sector of the economy, benefitting from a renewed consumer focus on the home, a strong housing market and less discretionary spending competition from travel, dining out and entertainment,” Toms said. “We are adding employees at most locations in order to service the robust demand for our products.”
“Supply chain bottlenecks in an environment of surging demand are the greatest business challenge,” Toms said. “Limitations on supply include scarcity of some raw materials and components, limited availability of shipping containers and ocean vessel space, production delays from some import suppliers and the process of getting our domestic upholstery production ramped back up after the factories were temporarily closed during the economic shutdown earlier this year. In addition, we’ve had to work around some COVID-related employee absences, all while keeping employee safety a top priority.”
Regarding the pandemic-related challenges, Toms said, “We are addressing and working through all the supply chain disruptions and making slow, but steady progress. Our overseas vendors are increasing capacity and production each month, and all three of our domestic upholstery divisions were operating at current full capacity at the end of the third quarter. We are in the process of expanding capacity with additional personnel hires.”
“We’re very encouraged by the current historic levels of orders and backlog; however, due to the current supply chain issues, orders are not converting to shipments as quickly as could be expected in the pre-Pandemic environment and we expect that to continue at least into the fiscal 2022 first quarter,” Toms continued. “In a normal environment, we’d expect backlog to be one helpful indicator of sales for the Hooker Branded and Domestic Upholstery segments and All Other for the upcoming 30-day period and for the upcoming 90-day period for Home Meridian. However, the current logistics challenges are slowing order fulfillment, particularly for Home Meridian whose average order sizes tend to be larger and more episodic versus orders for the traditional Hooker businesses, which tend to be smaller and more predictable. Additionally, Home Meridian orders are programmed out and scheduled for delivery to its larger accounts further into the future than usual, which is also contributing to the increased backlog. We expect these headwinds will continue to impact us and our sales in Q4, with steady improvements beginning in mid-February 2021 after the new year holidays in China and Vietnam,” he concluded.
Consolidated operating income increased by
For the fiscal 2021 first nine months, consolidated net sales were
The driver for the net loss for the 2021 first nine months occurred in the first quarter at the depth of the COVID economic contraction. Due to the material impact of COVID-19 on the Company’s financial performance, market valuations and other factors in the 2021 first quarter, the Company determined that an intangibles asset valuation analysis was appropriate when reporting 2021 first quarter results. As a result, the first-nine months loss was driven by a
Segment Reporting: Hooker Branded
Hooker Branded segment net sales increased by
Order backlogs at the end of the quarter were up
“The Hooker Branded Segment has been able to begin to capitalize on exceptional demand due to our ability to secure manufacturing capacity. Rationalizing our overall assortment in order to prioritize our top collections has maximized our ability to ship,” Hoff said. “Despite having disrupted April and October High Point Markets due to Covid-19, we were able to precut, ship and start selling four major new collections. Developing and utilizing new digital marketing strategies enabled us to launch new products successfully.”
Segment Reporting: Home Meridian
Home Meridian segment net sales were
“Our Q3 revenue decline was primarily the result of on-going disruptions in our third-party factories and supply chain,” said Lee Boone, president of Home Meridian. “Disrupted supply of raw materials, components, labor and limited availability of shipping containers have all negatively impacted our ability to produce and ship products. Each of these areas are sources of potential cost increases, which we are negotiating with suppliers to minimize.”
“Incoming orders remained very strong in Q3, exceeding prior year orders by
“As expected, customer attendance at the September High Point Premarket and October High Point Market was atypical,” Boone added. “Pre-market attendance was up five-fold, and October market attendance was off about
“We are making meaningful progress developing new designs and marketing plans for the Spring launch of our Scott Brothers licensed collection. Retail acceptance has been very enthusiastic for the new “Scott Living” and “Drew and Jonathan Home” brands. We expect our partnership with Scott Brothers to drive incremental sales and profits across multiple HMI divisions beginning in Q2 of next year.”
“Despite sales decreases, HMI gross profit and operating profit improved significantly both in absolute terms and as a percentage of net sales, as this segment experienced higher than expected chargebacks with a major customer as well as excess tariff and higher warehousing and distribution costs, all during the prior year, which have now mostly been resolved,” Boone said.
Segment Reporting: Domestic Upholstery
Domestic Upholstery net sales increased by
Segment Reporting: All Other
All Other net sales decreased by
Cash, Debt and Inventory
The net loss recorded for the nine-month period was driven by impairment charges and had no impact on cash flow for the year. Despite a sales decline in the nine-month period, the Company generated
The Company is in the process of re-building inventories to fulfill current and expected demand. “Product is flowing from our overseas suppliers, and inventory-in-transit for the Hooker Branded segment is approximately double the rate of a year ago,” said Toms. “Almost immediately upon receipt, incoming products are shipped out to fulfill orders, so we expect that it will be late in the second quarter of fiscal 2022 before we significantly reduce backlogs and actually begin building inventory again,” he said.
Cash and cash equivalents are expected to decline as more inventory is received in the coming months. Along with an aggregate
Outlook
“As we head into the fourth quarter, we are encouraged by our significant backlog and robust demand from all residential channels,” said Toms. “We’re making progress with our supply chain challenges, as our overseas suppliers and own factories ramp up production to allow us to service this additional demand.
We are concerned about the recent surge in COVID infections and hospitalizations but continue to maintain rigorous safety protocols in all workplaces and are proud that we have had essentially no workplace spread in any location thus far. Those employees who can work remotely continue to do so. The safety and health of our employees remains a top priority.
As we look forward to the next two to three quarters, we are optimistic and believe we have the backlog, order velocity and momentum to deliver strong results, despite the on-going challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on our supply chain,” Toms said.
Dividends
On December 2, 2020, the Company’s board of directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of
Conference Call Details
Hooker Furniture will present its fiscal 2021 third quarter financial results via teleconference and live internet web cast on Thursday morning, December 10, 2020 at 9:00 AM Eastern Time. The dial-in number for domestic callers is 877.665.2466 and the number for international callers is 678.894.3031. The conference ID number is 9423979. The call will be simultaneously web cast and archived for replay on the Company's web site at www.hookerfurniture.com in the Investor Relations section.
Hooker Furniture Corporation, in its 97th year of business, is a designer, marketer and importer of casegoods (wooden and metal furniture), leather-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. It is ranked among the nation’s largest publicly traded furniture sources, based on 2019 shipments to U.S. retailers, according to a 2020 survey by a leading trade publication. 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 Furniture 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, Samuel Lawrence Furniture, value-conscious offerings in bedroom, dining room, home office and youth furnishings, Prime Resources, value-conscious imported leather upholstered furniture, Samuel Lawrence Hospitality, a designer and supplier of hotel furnishings and HMidea, a 2019 start-up that provides better-quality, ready-to-assemble furniture to mass marketers and e-commerce customers. Hooker Furniture Corporation’s corporate offices and upholstery manufacturing facilities are located in Virginia and North Carolina, with showrooms in High Point, N.C. and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The company operates eight distribution centers in North Carolina, Virginia, California and Vietnam. Please visit our websites hookerfurniture.com, bradington-young.com, sammoore.com, hcontractfurniture.com, homemeridian.com, pulaskifurniture.com, accentricshome.com and slh-co.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) 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, the retail environment and our customer base; (2) 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; (3) 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 current U.S. administration’s imposing a
Table I | ||||||||||||
HOOKER FURNITURE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES | ||||||||||||
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS | ||||||||||||
(In thousands, except per share data) | ||||||||||||
(Unaudited) | ||||||||||||
For the | ||||||||||||
Thirteen Weeks Ended | Thirty-Nine Weeks Ended | |||||||||||
Nov 1, | Nov 3, | Nov 1, | Nov 3, | |||||||||
2020 | 2019 | 2020 | 2019 | |||||||||
Net sales | $ | 149,687 | $ | 158,176 | $ | 384,821 | $ | 445,942 | ||||
Cost of sales | 116,204 | 129,777 | 305,684 | 363,201 | ||||||||
Gross profit | 33,483 | 28,399 | 79,137 | 82,741 | ||||||||
Selling and administrative expenses | 19,850 | 22,810 | 57,920 | 67,286 | ||||||||
Goodwill impairment charges | - | - | 39,568 | - | ||||||||
Trade name impairment charges | - | - | 4,750 | - | ||||||||
Intangible asset amortization | 596 | 596 | 1,788 | 1,788 | ||||||||
Operating income/(loss) | 13,037 | 4,993 | (24,889 | ) | 13,667 | |||||||
Other income, net | 158 | 309 | 107 | 215 | ||||||||
Interest expense, net | 106 | 316 | 433 | 986 | ||||||||
Income/(loss) before income taxes | 13,089 | 4,986 | (25,215 | ) | 12,896 | |||||||
Income tax expense/(benefit) | 2,996 | 1,066 | (6,263 | ) | 2,829 | |||||||
Net income/(loss) | $ | 10,093 | $ | 3,920 | $ | (18,952 | ) | $ | 10,067 | |||
Earnings/(Loss) per share | ||||||||||||
Basic | $ | 0.85 | $ | 0.33 | $ | (1.61 | ) | $ | 0.85 | |||
Diluted | $ | 0.84 | $ | 0.33 | $ | (1.61 | ) | $ | 0.85 | |||
Weighted average shares outstanding: | ||||||||||||
Basic | 11,833 | 11,789 | 11,818 | 11,782 | ||||||||
Diluted | 11,939 | 11,816 | 11,818 | 11,821 | ||||||||
Cash dividends declared per share | $ | 0.16 | $ | 0.15 | $ | 0.48 | $ | 0.45 | ||||
Table II | |||||||||||||||
HOOKER FURNITURE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES | |||||||||||||||
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME/(LOSS) | |||||||||||||||
(In thousands) | |||||||||||||||
(Unaudited) | |||||||||||||||
For the | |||||||||||||||
Thirteen Weeks Ended | Thirty-Nine Weeks Ended | ||||||||||||||
Nov 1, | Nov 3, | Nov 1, | Nov 3, | ||||||||||||
2020 | 2019 | 2020 | 2019 | ||||||||||||
Net income/(loss) | $ | 10,093 | $ | 3,920 | $ | (18,952 | ) | $ | 10,067 | ||||||
Other comprehensive income (loss): | |||||||||||||||
Gain on pension plan settlement | - | (520 | ) | - | (520 | ) | |||||||||
Income tax effect on settlement | - | 124 | - | 124 | |||||||||||
Amortization of actuarial loss | 84 | 37 | 253 | 111 | |||||||||||
Income tax effect on amortization | (20 | ) | (9 | ) | (60 | ) | (27 | ) | |||||||
Adjustments to net periodic benefit cost | 64 | (368 | ) | 193 | (312 | ) | |||||||||
Total Comprehensive Income/(Loss) | $ | 10,157 | $ | 3,552 | $ | (18,759 | ) | $ | 9,755 | ||||||
Table III | |||||||
HOOKER FURNITURE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES | |||||||
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS | |||||||
(In thousands) | |||||||
As of | November 1, | February 2, | |||||
2020 | 2020 | ||||||
(Unaudited) | |||||||
Assets | |||||||
Current assets | |||||||
Cash and cash equivalents | $ | 93,874 | $ | 36,031 | |||
Trade accounts receivable, net | 75,297 | 87,653 | |||||
Inventories | 64,083 | 92,813 | |||||
Income tax recoverable | - | 751 | |||||
Prepaid expenses and other current assets | 4,543 | 4,719 | |||||
Total current assets | 237,797 | 221,967 | |||||
Property, plant and equipment, net | 27,315 | 29,907 | |||||
Cash surrender value of life insurance policies | 25,104 | 24,888 | |||||
Deferred taxes | 14,152 | 2,880 | |||||
Operating leases right-of-use assets | 36,322 | 39,512 | |||||
Intangible assets, net | 26,833 | 33,371 | |||||
Goodwill | 490 | 40,058 | |||||
Other assets | 1,244 | 1,125 | |||||
Total non-current assets | 131,460 | 171,741 | |||||
Total assets | $ | 369,257 | $ | 393,708 | |||
Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity | |||||||
Current liabilities | |||||||
Current portion of term loans | $ | 25,741 | $ | 5,834 | |||
Trade accounts payable | 28,452 | 25,493 | |||||
Accrued salaries, wages and benefits | 4,491 | 4,933 | |||||
Income tax payable | 2,015 | - | |||||
Customer deposits | 4,319 | 3,351 | |||||
Current portion of lease liabilities | 6,772 | 6,307 | |||||
Other accrued expenses | 3,045 | 4,211 | |||||
Total current liabilities | 74,835 | 50,129 | |||||
Long term debt | - | 24,282 | |||||
Deferred compensation | 11,162 | 11,382 | |||||
Lease liabilities | 30,937 | 33,794 | |||||
Other long-term liabilities | 1,187 | - | |||||
Total long-term liabilities | 43,286 | 69,458 | |||||
Total liabilities | 118,121 | 119,587 | |||||
Shareholders’ equity | |||||||
Common stock, no par value, 20,000 shares authorized, 11,887 and 11,838 shares issued and outstanding on each date | 53,055 | 51,582 | |||||
Retained earnings | 198,601 | 223,252 | |||||
Accumulated other comprehensive loss | (520 | ) | (713 | ) | |||
Total shareholders’ equity | 251,136 | 274,121 | |||||
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity | $ | 369,257 | $ | 393,708 | |||
Table IV | |||||||
HOOKER FURNITURE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES | |||||||
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS | |||||||
(In thousands) | |||||||
(Unaudited) | |||||||
For the | |||||||
Thirty-Nine Weeks Ended | |||||||
Nov 1, | Nov 3, | ||||||
2020 | 2019 | ||||||
Operating Activities: | |||||||
Net (loss)/income | $ | (18,952 | ) | $ | 10,067 | ||
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities: | |||||||
Goodwill and intangible asset impairment charges | 44,318 | - | |||||
Depreciation and amortization | 5,052 | 5,260 | |||||
Gain on pension settlement | - | (520 | ) | ||||
Gain on disposal of assets | - | (271 | ) | ||||
Deferred income tax (benefit) / expense | (10,143 | ) | 1,461 | ||||
Noncash restricted stock and performance awards | 1,473 | 891 | |||||
Provision for doubtful accounts and sales allowances | 4,527 | 1,365 | |||||
Gain on life insurance policies | (1,750 | ) | (715 | ) | |||
Changes in assets and liabilities: | |||||||
Trade accounts receivable | 7,829 | 18,589 | |||||
Inventories | 28,730 | 1,589 | |||||
Income tax recoverable | 751 | (2,348 | ) | ||||
Prepaid expenses and other current assets | 620 | (638 | ) | ||||
Trade accounts payable | 2,947 | (13,456 | ) | ||||
Accrued salaries, wages, and benefits | (441 | ) | (2,553 | ) | |||
Accrued income taxes | 2,015 | (3,159 | ) | ||||
Customer deposits | 967 | 10,006 | |||||
Operating lease liabilities | 797 | 536 | |||||
Other accrued expenses | (1,165 | ) | 350 | ||||
Deferred compensation | 32 | 156 | |||||
Net cash provided by operating activities | $ | 67,607 | $ | 26,610 | |||
Investing Activities: | |||||||
Purchases of property and equipment | (642 | ) | (4,745 | ) | |||
Proceeds received on notes from sale of assets | - | 1,465 | |||||
Premiums paid on life insurance policies | (519 | ) | (558 | ) | |||
Proceeds received on life insurance policies | 1,489 | - | |||||
Net cash provided by/(used in) investing activities | 328 | (3,838 | ) | ||||
Financing Activities: | |||||||
Payments for long-term debt | (4,393 | ) | (4,393 | ) | |||
Cash dividends paid | (5,699 | ) | (5,316 | ) | |||
Cash used in financing activities | (10,092 | ) | (9,709 | ) | |||
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents | 57,843 | 13,063 | |||||
Cash and cash equivalents - beginning of year | 36,031 | 11,435 | |||||
Cash and cash equivalents - end of quarter | $ | 93,874 | $ | 24,498 | |||
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information: | |||||||
Cash paid for income taxes | $ | 2,301 | $ | 6,754 | |||
Cash paid for interest, net | 365 | 852 | |||||
Non-cash transactions: | |||||||
Increase in lease liabilities arising from obtaining right-of-use assets | $ | 2,103 | $ | 272 | |||
Increase in property and equipment through accrued purchases | 12 | 25 | |||||
Table V | ||||||||||||||||||||
HOOKER FURNITURE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES | ||||||||||||||||||||
NET SALES AND OPERATING INCOME/(LOSS) BY SEGMENT | ||||||||||||||||||||
(In thousands) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Unaudited | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thirteen Weeks Ended | Thirty-Nine Weeks Ended | |||||||||||||||||||
November 1, 2020 | November 3, 2019 | November 1, 2020 | November 3, 2019 | |||||||||||||||||
% Net | % Net | % Net | % Net | |||||||||||||||||
Net Sales | Sales | Sales | Sales | Sales | ||||||||||||||||
Hooker Branded | $ | 47,287 | 31.6 | % | $ | 43,703 | 27.6 | % | $ | 113,268 | 29.4 | % | $ | 122,707 | 27.5 | % | ||||
Home Meridian | 73,727 | 49.3 | % | 85,776 | 54.2 | % | 202,560 | 52.6 | % | 240,594 | 54.0 | % | ||||||||
Domestic Upholstery | 25,350 | 16.9 | % | 25,029 | 15.9 | % | 59,640 | 15.6 | % | 73,016 | 16.3 | % | ||||||||
All Other | 3,323 | 2.2 | % | 3,668 | 2.3 | % | 9,353 | 2.4 | % | 9,625 | 2.2 | % | ||||||||
Consolidated | $ | 149,687 | 100 | % | $ | 158,176 | 100 | % | $ | 384,821 | 100 | % | $ | 445,942 | 100 | % | ||||
Operating income/(loss) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Hooker Branded | $ | 7,686 | 16.3 | % | $ | 6,188 | 14.2 | % | $ | 15,108 | 13.3 | % | $ | 15,453 | 12.6 | % | ||||
Home Meridian | 2,510 | 3.4 | % | (3,955 | ) | -4.6 | % | (26,754 | ) | -13.2 | % | (9,013 | ) | -3.7 | % | |||||
Domestic Upholstery | 2,421 | 9.6 | % | 2,278 | 9.1 | % | (14,399 | ) | -24.1 | % | 5,830 | 8.0 | % | |||||||
All Other | 420 | 12.6 | % | 482 | 13.2 | % | 1,156 | 12.4 | % | 1,397 | 14.5 | % | ||||||||
Consolidated | $ | 13,037 | 8.7 | % | $ | 4,993 | 3.2 | % | $ | (24,889 | ) | -6.5 | % | $ | 13,667 | 3.1 | % | |||
Prior-Year amounts have been restated to reflect a change in the Company’s reportable segments.
For more information, contact:
Paul B. Toms Jr.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Phone: (276) 632-2133, or
Paul A. Huckfeldt, Senior Vice President, Finance & Accounting & Chief Financial Officer
Phone: (276) 666-3949
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