EX-99.1 2 v394808_ex99-1.htm EXHIBIT 99.1

Exhibit 99.1

 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

 

THE CHILDREN’S PLACE REPORTS THIRD QUARTER 2014 RESULTS

 

Reaffirms Fiscal 2014 Earnings Guidance

Delivers Earnings per Share at the High End of Guidance

Board Declares Quarterly Dividend

 

 

Secaucus, New Jersey – November 20, 2014 – The Children’s Place, Inc. (Nasdaq: PLCE), the largest pure-play children’s specialty apparel retailer in North America, today announced financial results for the thirteen weeks ended November 1, 2014.

 

“We delivered earnings at the high end of our guidance range for the third quarter and continue to make significant progress on our strategic initiatives. We are well positioned to compete effectively in the fourth quarter and we are confirming our full year guidance,” commented Jane Elfers, President and Chief Executive Officer.

 

Ms. Elfers continued, “We are focused on the successful execution of our key strategic initiatives: E-Commerce growth, the expansion of our wholesale and international businesses, investments in seamless retail, state of the art planning and allocation systems, and fleet rationalization. In addition, our strong cash flow provides us with the financial flexibility to continue to return capital to our shareholders.”

 

Third Quarter 2014 Results

Net sales were $487.3 million in the third quarter of 2014. The quarter included the negative impact of approximately $3.9 million from currency exchange rate fluctuations. This compares to net sales of $492.7 million for the third quarter of 2013. Comparable retail sales increased 0.2% for the third quarter 2014.

 

Net income was $36.9 million, or $1.70 per diluted share, in the third quarter of 2014, compared to a net income of $41.7 million, or $1.84 per diluted share, the previous year. Adjusted net income was $39.5 million, or $1.82 per diluted share, compared to $42.7 million, or $1.89 per diluted share, in the third quarter last year.

 

Gross profit in the third quarter of 2014 was $190.1 million, compared to $201.8 million in the third quarter of 2013. Adjusted gross profit was $190.3 million this year, compared to $202.9 million last year, and declined 220 basis points to 39.0% of sales as a result of merchandise margin deleverage and higher supply chain costs compared to the prior year.

 

Selling, general and administrative expenses were $116.1 million compared to $123.5 million in the third quarter of 2013, as a result of strong expense management. Adjusted SG&A was $115.0 million compared to adjusted SG&A of $123.2 million last year, $8.2 million lower than a year ago, and leveraged 140 basis points to 23.6% of sales.

 

Operating income was $55.8 million, compared to $61.6 million in the third quarter of 2013. Adjusted operating income in the third quarter of 2014 was $60.1 million compared to adjusted operating income of $63.2 million last year, and de-leveraged 50 basis points to 12.3% of sales.

 

 
 

 

During the third quarter, the Company recorded charges of $4.3 million for unusual items, which primarily consisted of asset impairment charges as a result of the Company’s fleet optimization initiative and severance associated with corporate restructuring.

 

Adjusted net income, adjusted gross profit, adjusted SG&A, and adjusted operating income are non-GAAP measures, and are not intended to replace GAAP financial information. The Company believes the excluded items are not indicative of the performance of its core business and that by providing this supplemental disclosure to investors it will facilitate comparisons of its past and present performance. A reconciliation to GAAP financial information is provided at the end of this release.

 

Store Openings and Closures

The Company opened 10 stores and closed 6 during the third quarter of 2014. The Company ended the quarter with 1,117 stores and square footage of 5.223 million, a decrease of 1.6% compared to the prior year. The Company’s international franchise partners opened 13 stores in the third quarter, and the Company ended the quarter with 67 international franchise stores open.

 

Fiscal 2014 Year-to-Date

Net sales declined 1.2% to $1,282.1 million, compared to $1,298.3 million in the thirty-nine weeks of the prior year. Comparable retail sales declined 0.8%. Year to date sales include the negative impact of approximately $10.2 million from currency exchange rate fluctuations.

 

Net income for the year to date 2014 period was $39.9 million, or $1.81 per diluted share, compared to net income of $37.4 million, or $1.63 per diluted share in the prior year period. Adjusted net income was $46.7 million, or $2.12 per diluted share, compared to $52.6 million, or $2.30 per diluted share in the prior year period.

 

Gross profit decreased 6.9% to $457.5 million. Adjusted gross profit was $457.8 million and de-leveraged 220 basis points compared to adjusted gross profit of $492.3 million for the same period in fiscal 2013.

 

Selling, general and administrative expenses decreased 5.4% to $347.0 million. Adjusted SG&A decreased 6.0% to $342.5 million and leveraged 140 basis points compared to the prior year period.

 

Operating income was $59.4 million, compared to operating income of $54.4 million in 2013. Adjusted operating income was $70.3 million, compared to $79.1 million the previous year and de-leveraged 60 basis points to 5.5% of sales.

 

Capital Return Program

During the third quarter of 2014, the Company repurchased 355,700 shares for approximately $17.7 million. At the end of the third quarter, $56.0 million of the $100 million share repurchase program authorized in March 2014 remained available for future share repurchases.

 

Additionally, the Company’s Board of Directors approved a quarterly dividend of $0.1325 per share, payable on January 16, 2015, to shareholders of record at the close of business on December 26, 2014.

 

Outlook

The Company expects full-year 2014 adjusted net income per diluted share will be in the range of $2.95 to $3.05, consistent with previous guidance. This guidance assumes comparable retail sales for the year will be relatively flat. The Company estimates a $0.09 negative impact from foreign exchange in 2014.

 

The Company is providing initial guidance for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014, and expects an adjusted net income per diluted share between $0.83 and $0.93, assuming positive low single digit comparable retail sales. This compares to an adjusted net income per diluted share of $0.96 in the fourth quarter of 2013. The Company estimates a $0.02 negative impact from foreign exchange in the fourth quarter of 2014.

 

 
 

 

Conference Call Information

The Children’s Place will host a conference call to discuss its third quarter 2014 results today at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time. The call will be broadcast live at http://investor.childrensplace.com. An audio archive will be available on the Company’s website approximately one hour after the conclusion of the call.

 

About The Children’s Place, Inc.

The Children’s Place is the largest pure-play children’s specialty apparel retailer in North America. The Company designs, contracts to manufacture, sells and licenses to sell fashionable, high-quality merchandise at value prices, primarily under the proprietary “The Children’s Place,” “Place” and “Baby Place” brand names. As of November 1, 2014, the Company operated 1,117 stores in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, an online store at www.childrensplace.com, and had 67 international stores open and operated by its franchise partners.

 

Forward Looking Statements

This press release (and the above referenced call) may contain certain forward-looking statements regarding future circumstances, including statements relating to the Company’s strategic initiatives and adjusted net income per diluted share. These forward-looking statements are based upon the Company's current expectations and assumptions and are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and performance to differ materially. Some of these risks and uncertainties are described in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including in the “Risk Factors” section of its annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended February 1, 2014. Included among the risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and performance to differ materially are the risk that the Company will be unsuccessful in gauging fashion trends and changing consumer preferences, the risks resulting from the highly competitive nature of the Company’s business and its dependence on consumer spending patterns, which may be affected by the weakness in the economy that continues to affect the Company’s target customer or by other factors such as an increase in the cost of food, the risk that the Company’s strategic initiatives to increase sales and margin are delayed or do not result in anticipated improvements, the risk that the cost of raw materials or energy prices will increase beyond current expectations or that the Company is unable to offset cost increases through value engineering or price increases, and the uncertainty of weather patterns. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they were made. The Company undertakes no obligation to release publicly any revisions to these forward-looking statements that may be made to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. The inclusion of any statement in this release (or on the above referenced call) does not constitute an admission by the Company or any other person that the events or circumstances described in such statement are material.

 

Contact: Robert Vill, Group Vice President, Finance, (201) 453-6693

 

 

(Tables Follow)

 

 
 

 

THE CHILDREN’S PLACE, INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(In thousands, except per share amounts)

(Unaudited)

 

   Third Quarter Ended   Year-to-Date Ended 
   November 1,   November 2,   November 1,   November 2, 
   2014   2013   2014   2013 
Net sales  $487,304   $492,680   $1,282,081   $1,298,292 
Cost of sales   297,193    290,919    824,591    807,081 
Gross profit   190,111    201,761    457,490    491,211 
Selling, general and administrative expenses   116,120    123,521    346,951    366,937 
Asset impairment charges   3,306    -    6,351    21,766 
Other costs (income)   (286)   200    (153)   (762)
Depreciation and amortization   15,168    16,473    44,952    48,890 
Operating income   55,803    61,567    59,389    54,380 
Interest income (expense), net   (82)   82    (123)   142 
Income before taxes   55,721    61,649    59,266    54,522 
Provision for income taxes   18,779    19,910    19,415    17,147 
Net income  $36,942   $41,739   $39,851   $37,375 
                     
Earnings per common share                    
Basic  $1.71   $1.87   $1.82   $1.65 
Diluted  $1.70   $1.84   $1.81   $1.63 
                     
Weighted average common shares outstanding                    
Basic   21,541    22,337    21,843    22,632 
Diluted   21,756    22,628    22,062    22,896 

 

 
 

 

THE CHILDREN’S PLACE, INC.

RECONCILIATION OF NON-GAAP FINANCIAL INFORMATION TO GAAP

(In thousands, except per share amounts)

(Unaudited)

 

 

   Third Quarter Ended   Year-to-Date Ended 
   November 1,   November 2,   November 1,   November 2, 
   2014   2013   2014   2013 
                 
Net income  $36,942   $41,739   $39,851   $37,375 
                     
Non-GAAP adjustments:                    
Store disposition   3,469    1,221    6,612    13,874 
Restructuring costs   1,110    170    4,481    1,237 
DC exit costs (income)   (286)   200    (153)   (762)
IT impairment and costs   -    -    -    10,323 
Aggregate impact of non-GAAP adjustments   4,293    1,591    10,940    24,672 
Income tax effect (1)   (1,688)   (596)   (4,112)   (9,448)
Net impact of non-GAAP adjustments   2,605    995    6,828    15,224 
                     
Adjusted net income  $39,547   $42,734   $46,679   $52,599 
                     
GAAP net income per common share  $1.70   $1.84   $1.81   $1.63 
                     
Adjusted net income per common share  $1.82   $1.89   $2.12   $2.30 

 

(1) The tax effects of the non-GAAP items are calculated based on the statutory rate of the jurisdiction in which the discrete item resides.

                                  

Operating income  $55,803   $61,567   $59,389   $54,380 
                     
Non-GAAP adjustments:                    
Store disposition   3,469    1,221    6,612    13,874 
Restructuring costs   1,110    170    4,481    1,237 
DC exit costs (income)   (286)   200    (153)   (762)
IT impairment and costs   -    -    -    10,323 
Aggregate impact of non-GAAP adjustments   4,293    1,591    10,940    24,672 
                     
Adjusted operating income  $60,096   $63,158   $70,329   $79,052 

 

 
 

 

 

 

THE CHILDREN’S PLACE, INC.

RECONCILIATION OF NON-GAAP FINANCIAL INFORMATION TO GAAP

(In thousands, except per share amounts)

(Unaudited) 

 

   Third Quarter Ended   Year-to-Date Ended 
   November 1,   November 2,   November 1,   November 2, 
   2014   2013   2014   2013 
                 
Gross profit  $190,111   $201,761   $457,490   $491,211 
                     
Non-GAAP adjustments:                    
Store disposition   163    1,104    261    1,104 
Aggregate impact of non-GAAP adjustments   163    1,104    261    1,104 
                     
Adjusted gross profit  $190,274   $202,865   $457,751   $492,315 
                     
Selling, general and administrative expenses  $116,120   $123,521   $346,951   $366,937 
                     
Non-GAAP adjustments:                    
Store disposition   -    (117)   -    (117)
Restructuring costs   (1,110)   (178)   (4,481)   (1,190)
IT costs   -    -    -    (1,210)
Aggregate impact of non-GAAP adjustments   (1,110)   (295)   (4,481)   (2,517)
                     
Adjusted selling, general and administrative expenses  $115,010   $123,226   $342,470   $364,420 

 

 
 

 

THE CHILDREN’S PLACE, INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(In thousands)

(Unaudited)

 

   November 1,   February 1,   November 2, 
   2014   2014*   2013 
Assets:               
Cash and cash equivalents  $170,787   $173,997   $141,746 
Short-term investments   39,000    62,500    52,500 
Accounts receivable   28,126    25,960    26,267 
Inventories   342,455    322,422    337,172 
Other current assets   49,423    44,441    48,498 
Total current assets   629,791    629,320    606,183 
                
Property and equipment, net   318,871    312,149    318,021 
Other assets, net   46,759    49,161    50,513 
Total assets  $995,421   $990,630   $974,717 
                
Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity:               
Revolving loan  $19,100   $-   $- 
Accounts payable   150,426    150,652    117,554 
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities   127,609    120,697    134,334 
Total current liabilities   297,135    271,349    251,888 
                
Other liabilities   97,620    102,503    107,294 
Total liabilities   394,755    373,852    359,182 
                
Stockholders' equity   600,666    616,778    615,535 
                
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity  $995,421   $990,630   $974,717 

 

*  Derived from the audited consolidated financial statements included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended February 1, 2014.

 

 
 

 

THE CHILDREN’S PLACE, INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED CASH FLOWS

(In thousands)

(Unaudited)

 

   39 Weeks Ended 
   November 1,   November 2, 
   2014   2013 
         
Net income  $39,851   $37,375 
Non-cash adjustments   49,541    71,655 
Working capital   (20,836)   (9,853)
Net cash provided by operating activities   68,556    99,177 
           
Net cash used in investing activities   (21,120)   (94,653)
           
Net cash used in financing activities   (49,532)   (53,358)
           
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash   (1,114)   (3,548)
           
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents   (3,210)   (52,382)
           
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period   173,997    194,128 
           
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period  $170,787   $141,746