Orders Rebound, Earnings Increase During Hooker Furniture’s Second Quarter
Hooker Furniture Corporation (HOFT) reported consolidated net sales of $130.5 million and net income of $5.8 million for Q2 fiscal 2021, despite a 14.3% decline in sales year-over-year. Earnings per diluted share rose to $0.48, up 37.1%. Orders surged 34% in July, and backlogs increased 35%, indicating strong demand driven by a robust housing market. The operating income increased 30.2% from the previous year, reflecting effective cost-cutting measures. However, first-half net loss reached $29 million due to a significant non-cash impairment charge.
- Earnings per diluted share increased by 37.1% to $0.48.
- Consolidated operating income rose by 30.2%, indicating improved profitability.
- July incoming orders increased by 34% compared to the previous year.
- Backlogs were up 35%, showing strong future demand.
- Consolidated net sales decreased by 14.3% year-over-year.
- First-half net loss of $29 million driven by a $44 million non-cash impairment charge.
MARTINSVILLE, Va., Sept. 03, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hooker Furniture Corporation (NASDAQ-GS: HOFT) today reported consolidated net sales of
Net sales decreased by
“While the COVID-19 pandemic continued to impact the economy and our operations, our business began to rebound in mid-May and hasn’t let up since,” said Paul B. Toms Jr. chairman and chief executive officer. “Fiscal July consolidated incoming orders were up
“Some HFC divisions were able to capitalize on the surge in demand sooner than others,” Toms said. “We were able to better capitalize on the exceptional demand for our products in those divisions that ship stock from our warehouses, including Hooker Branded Casegoods and Upholstery and some Home Meridian (HMI) divisions such as Accentrics Home,” he said. The positive impact of higher demand was not felt as immediately in the Domestic Upholstery segment and in the HMI units that service customers via direct container. “After our upholstery factories shut down for four weeks in the spring, production slowly ramped up during the summer to near capacity by the end of Q2,” Toms said. “Sales will also lag demand in our container-direct businesses at HMI. Container-direct orders cancelled by large customers in March and April were reinstated in the summer months and will have more of a positive impact on revenues in the second half of our fiscal year as production begins to flow through the pipeline,” Toms said.
Consolidated operating income increased by
“Reduction of spending in response to the economic shutdown had a significant positive impact on profitability in the quarter, as did lower costs of goods sold, as we have steadily shifted offshore production to non-tariff countries since last year,” Toms said. ”Year to date, approximately
“Some of our cost-cutting was temporary, such as furloughs and reductions in executives’ salaries and directors’ fees, which have now been reinstated. Other cuts will stay in place until higher volume warrants more spending. The flexibility of our variable cost model has been proven again during this crisis by our ability to scale our business correctly to demand,” Toms said.
For the fiscal 2021 first-half, consolidated net sales were
The items driving the net loss for the 2021 first half occurred in the first quarter at the depth of the COVID economic contraction, and nearly
During the fiscal 2021 second quarter, Home Meridian segment net sales decreased by
Segment Reporting: Hooker Branded
“Q2 incoming orders increased by nearly
“Because of the disruption of the industry’s product introduction cycle due to the cancellation of Spring High Point Market, our team has developed creative ways to keep interest high in new products and stay top-of-mind with customers,” Hoff said. “We have done this through digital marketing with upscale photography and 360-degree videos in a virtual showroom on our website showcasing four new collections. We also participated in a 3-day ‘Mini-Market’ held in High Point showrooms during June. We were gratified to receive solid orders on the collections and expect to begin shipping them to retail stores by October,” he said.
The dynamics of the interrupted product introduction cycle, along with pent-up retailer and consumer demand for new furniture styles, has significantly increased the importance of the upcoming mid-September High Point Premarket, Hoff said. “While we typically see around 40 retail customers at Premarket, we expect to see over 100 this time,” he said. According to industry reports, approximately 235 exhibitors plan to show at the market preview, compared to the approximately 25 exhibitors typical in past years. “We intend to introduce a major home office program at Premarket in response to the surge in demand for multi-functional furniture that facilitates more home-based work,” Hoff said, adding that Hooker Casegoods will also display the four new collections, first introduced virtually, at the upcoming Premarket.
Segment Reporting: Home Meridian
During the quarter, HMI sales were
“Our profitability for the quarter benefitted from cost cuts and spending reductions that were implemented in Q1 to combat the effects of the pandemic,” said Lee Boone, co-president of HMI. “In addition, most of the significant unusual charges we experienced in the prior year did not reoccur.”
“The sales decline was partially the result of a near
“Incoming orders were extremely strong in Q2, exceeding prior year orders by
“Order backlog continued to build in the quarter, the result of continuing strong incoming demand from our customers, many of whom are placing orders for product well into the future,” Boone said. “We finished the quarter with backlogs up
Several HMI divisions will participate in the upcoming September High Point Premarket. “While Premarket is normally a small-scale dress rehearsal a month in advance of the international High Point Market, we expect our retail attendance to be up four to five-fold,” Boone said. “We are booking advance appointments, and initial indications are for an exceptionally well-attended event. Our sales teams, samples and showrooms are ready.”
Segment Reporting: Domestic Upholstery
Net sales decreased by
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as reduced orders, Bradington-Young’s and Shenandoah’s manufacturing plants were temporarily closed in April, and Sam Moore operated at reduced capacity. Upholstery production facilities gradually resumed operations during the second quarter and as of early September, all three divisions were operating near capacity as they continue to ramp up from reduced operating schedules. Segment management implemented cost reduction measures earlier in the year to mitigate expected operating inefficiencies and operating results were within
Segment Reporting: All Other
All Other net sales stayed essentially flat versus the prior year period and it reported an operating income of
Cash, Debt and Inventory
The net loss recorded for the six-month period, was driven by impairment charges, which had no impact on cash flow for the year. During the six-month period, the Company generated
“In order to meet the brisk demand for our products following a time of production shutdowns by our vendors and our own upholstery facilities, we have been revisiting our sales forecasts weekly and adjusting production orders based on incoming demand,” said Toms. “We have experienced some stock-outs on bestsellers but expect to remedy that in the next sixty days as our vendors ramp up their production. In transit inventories are already growing. Both HMI and Hooker are in a good position to be prioritized by major vendors, in that we are typically the largest customers to all our major vendors,” he concluded.
Outlook
“Given the robust housing market, strong demand since mid-May, and order backlogs up
“We are concerned about the human and economic toll of COVID, both currently, and the future possibility of additional surges of the virus that may delay re-openings and have adverse effects in certain regions or states. However, we have a very strong team, and are in excellent financial condition. We weathered the disruption of tariffs last year and the pandemic this year. We are well-prepared to face an uncertain future, and well-positioned to benefit from furniture’s current emergence as an advantaged category,” Toms concluded.
Dividends
On September 2, 2020, the Company’s board of directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of
Conference Call Details
Hooker Furniture will present its fiscal 2021 second quarter financial results via teleconference and live internet web cast on Thursday morning, September 3, 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 6511379. 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 U.S. and local economies; our business operations and continuity; the health and productivity of our employees; the impact on our supply chain, the retail environment and our customer base; the possible impairment of our intangible assets as a result of adverse economic or other market conditions; (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 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 | Twenty-Six Weeks Ended | |||||||||||||||
Aug 2, | Aug 4, | Aug 2, | Aug 4, | |||||||||||||
2020 | 2019 | 2020 | 2019 | |||||||||||||
Net sales | $ | 130,537 | $ | 152,248 | $ | 235,134 | $ | 287,766 | ||||||||
Cost of sales | 103,537 | 123,422 | 188,480 | 233,423 | ||||||||||||
Gross profit | 27,000 | 28,826 | 45,654 | 54,343 | ||||||||||||
Selling and administrative expenses | 18,892 | 22,462 | 38,070 | 44,478 | ||||||||||||
Goodwill impairment charges | - | - | 39,568 | - | ||||||||||||
Trade name impairment charges | - | - | 4,750 | - | ||||||||||||
Intangible asset amortization | 596 | 596 | 1,192 | 1,192 | ||||||||||||
Operating income/(loss) | 7,512 | 5,768 | (37,926 | ) | 8,673 | |||||||||||
Other expense, net | 10 | 32 | 51 | 94 | ||||||||||||
Interest expense, net | 118 | 328 | 327 | 669 | ||||||||||||
Income/(loss) before income taxes | 7,384 | 5,408 | (38,304 | ) | 7,910 | |||||||||||
Income tax expense/(benefit) | 1,610 | 1,248 | (9,259 | ) | 1,763 | |||||||||||
Net income/(loss) | $ | 5,774 | $ | 4,160 | $ | (29,045 | ) | $ | 6,147 | |||||||
Earnings/(Loss) per share | ||||||||||||||||
Basic | $ | 0.49 | $ | 0.35 | $ | (2.46 | ) | $ | 0.52 | |||||||
Diluted | $ | 0.48 | $ | 0.35 | $ | (2.46 | ) | $ | 0.52 | |||||||
Weighted average shares outstanding: | ||||||||||||||||
Basic | 11,824 | 11,787 | 11,811 | 11,778 | ||||||||||||
Diluted | 11,853 | 11,810 | 11,811 | 11,811 | ||||||||||||
Cash dividends declared per share | $ | 0.16 | $ | 0.15 | $ | 0.32 | $ | 0.30 | ||||||||
Table II | ||||||||||||||||
HOOKER FURNITURE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES | ||||||||||||||||
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME/(LOSS) | ||||||||||||||||
(In thousands) | ||||||||||||||||
(Unaudited) | ||||||||||||||||
For the | ||||||||||||||||
Thirteen Weeks Ended | Twenty-Six Weeks Ended | |||||||||||||||
Aug 2, | Aug 4, | Aug 2, | Aug 4, | |||||||||||||
2020 | 2019 | 2020 | 2019 | |||||||||||||
Net income/(loss) | $ | 5,774 | $ | 4,160 | $ | (29,045 | ) | $ | 6,147 | |||||||
Other comprehensive income (loss): | ||||||||||||||||
Amortization of actuarial loss | 84 | 37 | 168 | 74 | ||||||||||||
Income tax effect on amortization | (20 | ) | (9 | ) | (40 | ) | (18 | ) | ||||||||
Adjustments to net periodic benefit cost | 64 | 28 | 128 | 56 | ||||||||||||
Total Comprehensive Income/(Loss) | $ | 5,838 | $ | 4,188 | $ | (28,917 | ) | $ | 6,203 | |||||||
Table III | ||||||||
HOOKER FURNITURE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES | ||||||||
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS | ||||||||
(In thousands) | ||||||||
As of | August 2, | February 2, | ||||||
2020 | 2020 | |||||||
(Unaudited) | ||||||||
Assets | ||||||||
Current assets | ||||||||
Cash and cash equivalents | $ | 82,210 | $ | 36,031 | ||||
Trade accounts receivable, net | 67,115 | 87,653 | ||||||
Inventories | 67,707 | 92,813 | ||||||
Income tax recoverable | - | 751 | ||||||
Prepaid expenses and other current assets | 6,331 | 4,719 | ||||||
Total current assets | 223,363 | 221,967 | ||||||
Property, plant and equipment, net | 28,271 | 29,907 | ||||||
Cash surrender value of life insurance policies | 24,904 | 24,888 | ||||||
Deferred taxes | 14,044 | 2,880 | ||||||
Operating leases right-of-use assets | 37,987 | 39,512 | ||||||
Intangible assets, net | 27,429 | 33,371 | ||||||
Goodwill | 490 | 40,058 | ||||||
Other assets | 1,190 | 1,125 | ||||||
Total non-current assets | 134,315 | 171,741 | ||||||
Total assets | $ | 357,678 | $ | 393,708 | ||||
Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity | ||||||||
Current liabilities | ||||||||
Current portion of term loans | $ | 27,200 | $ | 5,834 | ||||
Trade accounts payable | 24,143 | 25,493 | ||||||
Accrued salaries, wages and benefits | 4,206 | 4,933 | ||||||
Income tax payable | 975 | - | ||||||
Customer deposits | 4,328 | 3,351 | ||||||
Current portion of lease liabilities | 6,844 | 6,307 | ||||||
Other accrued expenses | 3,344 | 4,211 | ||||||
Total current liabilities | 71,040 | 50,129 | ||||||
Long term debt | - | 24,282 | ||||||
Deferred compensation | 11,235 | 11,382 | ||||||
Lease liabilities | 32,411 | 33,794 | ||||||
Other long-term liabilities | 538 | - | ||||||
Total long-term liabilities | 44,184 | 69,458 | ||||||
Total liabilities | 115,224 | 119,587 | ||||||
Shareholders’ equity | ||||||||
Common stock, no par value, 20,000 shares authorized, | ||||||||
11,890 and 11,838 shares issued and outstanding on each date | 52,628 | 51,582 | ||||||
Retained earnings | 190,411 | 223,252 | ||||||
Accumulated other comprehensive loss | (585 | ) | (713 | ) | ||||
Total shareholders’ equity | 242,454 | 274,121 | ||||||
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity | $ | 357,678 | $ | 393,708 | ||||
Table IV | ||||||||
HOOKER FURNITURE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES | ||||||||
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS | ||||||||
(In thousands) | ||||||||
(Unaudited) | ||||||||
For the | ||||||||
Twenty-Six Weeks Ended | ||||||||
Aug 2, | Aug 4, | |||||||
2020 | 2019 | |||||||
Operating Activities: | ||||||||
Net (loss)/income | $ | (29,045 | ) | $ | 6,147 | |||
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash | ||||||||
provided by operating activities: | ||||||||
Goodwill and intangible asset impairment charges | 44,318 | - | ||||||
Depreciation and amortization | 3,365 | 3,471 | ||||||
Gain on disposal of assets | - | (285 | ) | |||||
Deferred income tax (benefit) / expense | (10,665 | ) | 2,155 | |||||
Noncash restricted stock and performance awards | 1,046 | 558 | ||||||
Provision for doubtful accounts and sales allowances | 3,396 | 1,053 | ||||||
Gain on life insurance policies | (651 | ) | (624 | ) | ||||
Changes in assets and liabilities: | ||||||||
Trade accounts receivable | 17,142 | 25,206 | ||||||
Inventories | 25,106 | (8,389 | ) | |||||
Income tax recoverable | 751 | (3,856 | ) | |||||
Prepaid expenses and other current assets | (1,261 | ) | (3,191 | ) | ||||
Trade accounts payable | (1,391 | ) | (9,058 | ) | ||||
Accrued salaries, wages, and benefits | (726 | ) | (2,856 | ) | ||||
Accrued income taxes | 973 | (3,159 | ) | |||||
Customer deposits | 977 | 2,475 | ||||||
Operating lease liabilities | 678 | 187 | ||||||
Other accrued expenses | (867 | ) | 1,033 | |||||
Deferred compensation | 20 | 145 | ||||||
Net cash provided by operating activities | $ | 53,168 | $ | 11,012 | ||||
Investing Activities: | ||||||||
Purchases of property and equipment | (484 | ) | (3,659 | ) | ||||
Proceeds received on notes from sale of assets | - | 1,459 | ||||||
Premiums paid on life insurance policies | (453 | ) | (489 | ) | ||||
Proceeds received on life insurance policies | 673 | - | ||||||
Net cash used in investing activities | (264 | ) | (2,689 | ) | ||||
Financing Activities: | ||||||||
Payments for long-term debt | (2,929 | ) | (2,928 | ) | ||||
Cash dividends paid | (3,796 | ) | (3,541 | ) | ||||
Cash used in financing activities | (6,725 | ) | (6,469 | ) | ||||
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents | 46,179 | 1,854 | ||||||
Cash and cash equivalents - beginning of year | 36,031 | 11,435 | ||||||
Cash and cash equivalents - end of quarter | $ | 82,210 | $ | 13,289 | ||||
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information: | ||||||||
Cash paid for income taxes | $ | 220 | $ | 6,622 | ||||
Cash paid for interest, net | 295 | 599 | ||||||
Non-cash transactions: | ||||||||
Decrease in lease liabilities arising from obtaining right-of-use assets | $ | 1,987 | $ | 266 | ||||
Increase in property and equipment through accrued purchases | 41 | 49 | ||||||
Table V | ||||||||||||||||||||||
HOOKER FURNITURE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES | ||||||||||||||||||||||
NET SALES AND OPERATING INCOME/(LOSS) BY SEGMENT | ||||||||||||||||||||||
(In thousands) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Unaudited | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Thirteen Weeks Ended | Twenty-Six Weeks Ended | |||||||||||||||||||||
August 2, 2020 | August 4, 2019 | August 2, 2020 | August 4, 2019 | |||||||||||||||||||
% Net | % Net | % Net | % Net | |||||||||||||||||||
Net Sales | Sales | Sales | Sales | Sales | ||||||||||||||||||
Hooker Branded | $ | 38,820 | 29.7 | % | $ | 39,405 | 25.9 | % | $ | 65,982 | 28.1 | % | $ | 79,004 | 27.5 | % | ||||||
Home Meridian | 71,168 | 54.6 | % | 87,188 | 57.3 | % | 128,833 | 54.7 | % | 154,818 | 53.8 | % | ||||||||||
Domestic Upholstery | 17,507 | 13.4 | % | 22,663 | 14.8 | % | 34,290 | 14.6 | % | 47,987 | 16.7 | % | ||||||||||
All Other | 3,042 | 2.3 | % | 2,992 | 2.0 | % | 6,029 | 2.6 | % | 5,957 | 2.0 | % | ||||||||||
Consolidated | $ | 130,537 | 100 | % | $ | 152,248 | 100 | % | $ | 235,134 | 100 | % | $ | 287,766 | 100 | % | ||||||
Operating income/(loss) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Hooker Branded | $ | 6,090 | 15.7 | % | $ | 4,088 | 10.4 | % | $ | 7,423 | 11.2 | % | $ | 9,265 | 11.7 | % | ||||||
Home Meridian | 1,083 | 1.5 | % | (66 | ) | -0.1 | % | (29,265 | ) | -22.7 | % | (5,059 | ) | -3.3 | % | |||||||
Domestic Upholstery | (10 | ) | -0.1 | % | 1,260 | 5.6 | % | (16,820 | ) | -49.1 | % | 3,552 | 7.4 | % | ||||||||
All Other | 349 | 11.5 | % | 486 | 16.3 | % | 736 | 12.2 | % | 915 | 15.4 | % | ||||||||||
Consolidated | $ | 7,512 | 5.8 | % | $ | 5,768 | 3.8 | % | $ | (37,926 | ) | -16.1 | % | $ | 8,673 | 3.0 | % | |||||
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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