EX-99.1 2 dex991.htm PRESS RELEASE Press release

EXHIBIT 99.1

NEWS MEDIA CONTACT:

Sears Holdings Public Relations

(847) 286-8371

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

May 20, 2010

SEARS HOLDINGS REPORTS FIRST QUARTER RESULTS

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. – Sears Holdings Corporation (“Holdings,” “we,” “us,” “our” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: SHLD) today reported its first quarter 2010 results. In summary, we reported:

 

 

Net income attributable to Holdings’ shareholders for the quarter of $16 million, or $0.14 per diluted share, in 2010 and $26 million, or $0.21 per diluted share, in 2009;

 

 

Adjusted earnings per diluted share for the first quarter of $0.16 in 2010 and $0.38 in 2009;

 

 

Adjusted EBITDA for the quarter of $304 million in 2010 and $359 million in 2009; and

 

 

Increases in comparable store sales of 1.7% at Kmart and 1.2% at Sears Domestic.

“Kmart registered a comparable store sales increase for the third consecutive quarter and Sears posted its first quarterly increase in several years as we effectively partnered with state agencies to sell energy-efficient appliances. Sears, however, also experienced lower margin rates during the quarter,” said W. Bruce Johnson, Sears Holdings’ interim chief executive officer and president. “On the other hand, our Kmart format performed very well during the quarter, achieving margin rate improvement on top of its increase in sales and nearly doubling its Adjusted EBITDA. Furthermore, we continued to increase our investment in our multi-channel capabilities and ShopYourWay rewards program, while at the same time reducing our expenses.”

First Quarter Revenues and Comparable Store Sales

Total revenues for the quarter of $10 billion in 2010 were flat with the first quarter in 2009. Total revenue for the quarter benefited from an increase of $187 million due to changes in the Canadian foreign exchange rate and a 1.5% increase in domestic comparable store sales. These increases were offset by the effect of having 63 fewer Kmart and Sears Full-line stores in operation and an increase in deferred revenue related to undelivered sales (as revenue is not recognized on items which require delivery, such as appliances, until the items are physically delivered to customers). The revenue deferral increased this quarter as we saw significant appliance sales volume growth at the end of April as a result of our participation in the Cash for Appliances Program.

The domestic comparable store sales results included an increase at Kmart of 1.7% and an increase at Sears Domestic of 1.2%. The Kmart quarterly increase in comparable store sales was primarily driven by increases in apparel, home and toys categories, partially offset by a decline in the food and consumables category. Increases in sales for the quarter at Sears Domestic were primarily driven by the home appliance category, partially offset by declines in the tools and home electronics categories.

Operating Income

Operating income for the quarter was $98 million in 2010 and $128 million in 2009. The decline in operating income of $30 million was primarily the result of a decline in our gross margin rate of 40 basis points, offset by a reduction in selling and administrative expenses of $18 million. Our selling and administrative expenses were reduced even though we incurred incremental expenses of $36 million related to our continued investment in our multi-channel capabilities and ShopYourWay rewards program and incurred an increase of $49 million due to changes in the Canadian foreign exchange rate. Operating income for the first quarter of 2010 includes expenses of $29 million related to domestic pension plans, store closings and severance. Operating income for the first quarter of 2009 included expenses of $59 million related to domestic pension plans, store closings and severance. See the attached schedule, “Significant Item Impact,” for a reconciliation from GAAP to as adjusted amounts, including adjusted earnings per diluted share.


For the quarter, we generated gross margin of $2.8 billion in fiscal 2010 and $2.9 billion last year. The total decline in gross margin dollars of $43 million includes an increase of $56 million related to the impact of foreign currency exchange rates on gross margin at Sears Canada and was primarily driven by a decrease in gross margin rate at Sears Domestic. Sears Domestic’s gross margin rate declined 110 basis points mainly due to reduced margins in our home appliance category, driven primarily by increased promotional markdowns, as well as reduced margins in the home electronics category, reflecting an earlier transition to newer electronics products in 2010. The decline in Sears Domestic’s gross margin rate was partially offset by an increase in gross margin rate of 40 basis points at Kmart and an increase of 30 basis points at Sears Canada.

Acquisition of Additional Interest in Sears Canada

On April 27, 2010, we completed our purchase of additional interest in Sears Canada by purchasing 18,660,880 common shares of Sears Canada Inc. at a price of C$30.00 per share. This increased our majority interest in Sears Canada to 90.4%, which represents an increase in our ownership of 17.3%.

On May 18, 2010, Sears Canada announced that its Board of Directors declared a cash dividend of C$3.50 per common share, or approximately C$377 million, which will be paid on June 4, 2010 to shareholders of record at the close of business on May 31, 2010.

Financial Position

We had cash balances of $1.8 billion at May 1, 2010 ($500 million domestic and $1.3 billion at Sears Canada), $1.2 billion at May 2, 2009 and $1.7 billion at January 30, 2010. Significant uses of our cash during the first quarter of 2010 include the $560 million purchase of additional interest in Sears Canada, capital expenditures of $95 million, and contributions to our pension and post-retirement benefit plans of $62 million. These uses of cash were funded in part by an increase in short-term borrowings of $744 million.

Total debt (consisting of short-term borrowings, long-term debt and capital lease obligations) was $3.2 billion at May 1, 2010 and $3.0 billion at May 2, 2009. The increase in outstanding debt is due to our recent acquisition of an additional interest in Sears Canada, as the purchase was funded with debt.

Share Repurchase

During the 13-week period ended May 1, 2010, we repurchased common shares at a total cost of $1 million under our share repurchase program. Our repurchases for the 13-week period ended May 1, 2010 were made at an average price of $88.76 per share. As of May 1, 2010, we had remaining authorization to repurchase $581 million of common shares under the share repurchase program. The share repurchases may be implemented using a variety of methods, which may include open market purchases, privately negotiated transactions, block trades, accelerated share repurchase transactions, the purchase of call options, the sale of put options or otherwise, or by any combination of such methods. Timing will be dependent on prevailing market conditions, alternative uses of capital and other factors.

Adjusted EBITDA

For purposes of evaluating operating performance, we use an Adjusted Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization (“Adjusted EBITDA”) measurement computed as operating income (loss) appearing on the statements of operations excluding depreciation and amortization and gains/(losses) on sales of assets. In addition, it is adjusted to exclude certain significant gains/(losses). Our management uses Adjusted EBITDA to evaluate the operating performance of our businesses, as well as executive compensation metrics, for comparable periods. Adjusted EBITDA should not be used by investors or other third parties as the sole basis for formulating investment decisions as it excludes a number of important cash and non-cash recurring items.

 

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While Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP measurement, management believes that it is an important indicator of operating performance because:

 

   

EBITDA excludes the effects of financing and investing activities by eliminating the effects of interest and depreciation costs;

 

   

Management considers gains/(losses) on the sale of assets to result from investing decisions rather than ongoing operations; and

 

   

Other significant items, while periodically affecting our results, may vary significantly from period to period and have a disproportionate effect in a given period, which affects the comparability of results.

Adjusted EBITDA was determined as follows:

 

     Quarters Ended  
     May 1,
2010
    May 2,
2009
 

Operating income per statement of income

   $ 98      $ 128   

Plus depreciation and amortization

     221        226   

Less gain on sales of assets

     (44     (54
                

Before excluded items

     275        300   

Closed store reserve and severance

     3        17   

Domestic pension expense

     26        42   
                

Adjusted EBITDA as defined

   $ 304      $ 359   
                

% to revenues

     3.0     3.6

Adjusted EBITDA for our segments are as follows:

 

     Quarters Ended  
   Adjusted EBITDA    % To Revenues  
     May 1,
2010
   May 2,
2009
   May 1,
2010
    May 2,
2009
 

Kmart

   $ 91    $ 48    2.5   1.3

Sears Domestic

     166      266    3.1   4.8

Sears Canada (1)

     47      45    4.6   5.1
                          

Total Adjusted EBITDA

   $ 304    $ 359    3.0   3.6
                          

 

(1)

First quarter EBITDA in Canadian dollars was $48 million in 2010 and $56 million in 2009.

Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q

For a detailed discussion of the Company’s financial results, please see the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, which will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and posted to the Company’s website at http://www.searsholdings.com on May 21, 2010.

Forward-Looking Statements

Results are preliminary and unaudited. This press release contains forward-looking statements about our expectations for the first quarter of fiscal 2010. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Such statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of our management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements: our ability to offer merchandise and services that our customers want, including our proprietary brand products; our ability to successfully implement initiatives to improve inventory management and other capabilities; competitive conditions in the retail and related services industries; worldwide economic conditions and business

 

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uncertainty, the availability of consumer and commercial credit, changes in consumer confidence, tastes, preferences and spending, and changes in vendor relationships; the impact of seasonal buying patterns, including seasonal fluctuations due to weather conditions, which are difficult to forecast with certainty; our dependence on sources outside the United States for significant amounts of our merchandise; our extensive reliance on computer systems to process transactions, summarize results and manage our business; our reliance on third parties to provide us with services in connection with the administration of certain aspects of our business; impairment charges for goodwill and intangible assets or fixed-asset impairment for long-lived assets; our ability to attract, motivate and retain key executives and other associates; the outcome of pending and/or future legal proceedings, including product liability claims, including proceedings with respect to which the parties have reached a preliminary settlement; and the timing and amount of required pension plan funding. We intend the forward-looking statements to speak only as of the time made and do not undertake to update or revise them as more information becomes available.

About Sears Holdings Corporation

Sears Holdings Corporation is the nation’s fourth largest broadline retailer with approximately 3,900 full-line and specialty retail stores in the United States and Canada. Sears Holdings is the leading home appliance retailer as well as a leader in tools, lawn and garden, home electronics and automotive repair and maintenance. Sears Holdings is the 2010 ENERGY STAR® Retail Partner of the Year. Key proprietary brands include Kenmore, Craftsman and DieHard, and a broad apparel offering, including such well-known labels as Lands’ End, Jaclyn Smith and Joe Boxer, as well as the Apostrophe and Covington brands. It also has the Country Living collection, which is offered by Sears and Kmart. We are the nation’s largest provider of home services, with more than 12 million service calls made annually. Sears Holdings Corporation operates through its subsidiaries, including Sears, Roebuck and Co. and Kmart Corporation. For more information, visit Sears Holdings’ website at www.searsholdings.com.

* * * * *

 

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Sears Holdings Corporation

Consolidated Statements of Income

(Unaudited)

Amounts are Preliminary and Subject to Change

 

     Quarters Ended  
millions, except per share data    May 1,
2010
    May 2,
2009
 

REVENUES

    

Merchandise sales and services

   $ 10,046      $ 10,055   
                

COSTS AND EXPENSES

    

Cost of sales, buying and occupancy

     7,216        7,182   

Gross margin dollars

     2,830        2,873   

Gross margin rate

     28.2     28.6

Selling and administrative

     2,555        2,573   

Selling and administrative expense as a percentage of total revenues

     25.4     25.6

Depreciation and amortization

     221        226   

Gain on sales of assets

     (44     (54
                

Total costs and expenses

     9,948        9,927   
                

Operating income

     98        128   

Interest expense

     (67     (59

Interest and investment income

     15        5   

Other loss

     (14     (16
                

Income before income taxes

     32        58   

Income tax expense

     (15     (24
                

Net income

     17        34   

Income attributable to noncontrolling interest

     (1     (8
                

NET INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO HOLDINGS’ SHAREHOLDERS

   $ 16      $ 26   
                

INCOME PER COMMON SHARE ATTRIBUTABLE TO HOLDINGS’ SHAREHOLDERS

    

Diluted income per share

   $ 0.14      $ 0.21   

Diluted weighted average common shares outstanding

     114.7        121.0   


Sears Holdings Corporation

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets

Amounts are Preliminary and Subject to Change

 

     (Unaudited)
millions    May 1,
2010
   May 2,
2009

ASSETS

     

Current assets

     

Cash and cash equivalents

   $ 1,744    $ 1,141

Restricted cash

     19      108

Receivables

     716      813

Merchandise inventories

     9,316      9,462

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

     410      469
             

Total current assets

     12,205      11,993

Property and equipment, net

     7,591      7,959

Goodwill

     1,392      1,392

Trade names and other intangible assets

     3,191      3,264

Other assets

     1,038      1,140
             

TOTAL ASSETS

   $ 25,417    $ 25,748
             

LIABILITIES

     

Current liabilities

     

Short-term borrowings

   $ 1,069    $ 839

Current portion of long-term debt and capitalized lease obligations

     789      91

Merchandise payables

     3,734      3,467

Unearned revenues

     1,002      1,056

Accrued expenses and other current liabilities

     3,635      3,553
             

Total current liabilities

     10,229      9,006

Long-term debt and capitalized lease obligations

     1,391      2,114

Pension and post-retirement benefits

     2,216      2,044

Other long-term liabilities

     2,638      2,854
             

Total Liabilities

     16,474      16,018
             

Total Equity

     8,943      9,730
             

TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY

   $ 25,417    $ 25,748
             

Total common shares outstanding

     114.9      120.7


Sears Holdings Corporation

Segment Results

(Unaudited)

Amounts are Preliminary and Subject to Change

 

     Quarter Ended May 1, 2010  
millions, except store data    Kmart     Sears
Domestic
    Sears
Canada
    Sears
Holdings
 

Merchandise sales and services

   $ 3,583      $ 5,435      $ 1,028      $ 10,046   
                                

Cost of sales, buying and occupancy

     2,711        3,789        716        7,216   

Gross margin dollars

     872        1,646        312        2,830   

Gross margin rate

     24.3     30.3     30.4     28.2

Selling and administrative

     782        1,508        265        2,555   

Selling and administrative expense as a percentage of total revenues

     21.8     27.7     25.8     25.4

Depreciation and amortization

     36        160        25        221   

Gain on sales of assets

     (5     (39     —          (44
                                

Total costs and expenses

     3,524        5,418        1,006        9,948   
                                

Operating income

   $ 59      $ 17      $ 22      $ 98   
                                

Number of:

        

Kmart Stores

     1,320        —          —          1,320   

Full-Line Stores

     —          907        122        1,029   

Specialty Stores

     —          1,322        294        1,616   
                                

Total Stores

     1,320        2,229        416        3,965   
                                
                                  
     Quarter Ended May 2, 2009  
millions, except store data    Kmart     Sears
Domestic
    Sears
Canada
    Sears
Holdings
 

Merchandise sales and services

   $ 3,593      $ 5,572      $ 890      $ 10,055   
                                

Cost of sales, buying and occupancy

     2,735        3,825        622        7,182   

Gross margin dollars

     858        1,747        268        2,873   

Gross margin rate

     23.9     31.4     30.1     28.6

Selling and administrative

     814        1,528        231        2,573   

Selling and administrative expense as a percentage of total revenues

     22.7     27.4     26.0     25.6

Depreciation and amortization

     36        166        24        226   

Gain on sales of assets

     (9     (1     (44     (54
                                

Total costs and expenses

     3,576        5,518        833        9,927   
                                

Operating income

   $ 17      $ 54      $ 57      $ 128   
                                

Number of:

        

Kmart Stores

     1,364        —          —          1,364   

Full-Line Stores

     —          926        122        1,048   

Specialty Stores

     —          1,274        269        1,543   
                                

Total Stores

     1,364        2,200        391        3,955   
                                


Sears Holdings Corporation

Adjusted EBITDA

Amounts are Preliminary and Subject to Change

 

     Quarters Ended  
millions    May 1, 2010     May 2, 2009  
     Kmart     Sears
Domestic
    Sears
Canada
    Sears
Holdings
    Kmart     Sears
Domestic
    Sears
Canada
    Sears
Holdings
 

Operating income per statement of income

   $ 59      $ 17      $ 22      $ 98      $ 17      $ 54      $ 57      $ 128   

Plus depreciation and amortization

     36        160        25        221        36        166        24        226   

Less gain on sales of assets

     (5     (39     —          (44     (9     (1     (44     (54
                                                                

Before excluded items

     90        138        47        275        44        219        37        300   

Closed store reserve and severance

     1        2        —          3        4        5        8        17   

Domestic pension expense

     —          26        —          26        —          42        —          42   
                                                                

Adjusted EBITDA as defined

   $ 91      $ 166      $ 47      $ 304      $ 48      $ 266      $ 45      $ 359   
                                                                

% to revenues

     2.5     3.1     4.6     3.0     1.3     4.8     5.1     3.6


Sears Holdings Corporation

Significant Item Impact

Amounts are Preliminary and Subject to Change

 

     Quarter Ended May 1, 2010  
millions, except per share data    GAAP     Gain on Sales of
Real Estate
    Mark-to-
Market Losses
    Closed Store
Reserve and
Severance
    Domestic
Pension
Expense
    As Adjusted  

Cost of sales, buying and occupancy impact

   $ 7,216      $ —        $ —        $ (2   $ —        $ 7,214   

Selling and administrative impact

     2,555        —          —          (1     (26     2,528   

Gain on sales of assets impact

     (44     35        —          —          —          (9

Operating income impact

     98        (35     —          3        26        92   

Other loss impact

     (14     —          10        —          —          (4

Income tax expense impact

     (15     13        (3     (1     (10     (16

Noncontrolling interest impact

     (1     —          (1     —          —          (2

After tax and noncontrolling interest impact

     16        (22     6        2        16        18   

Diluted income per share impact

   $ 0.14      $ (0.19   $ 0.05      $ 0.02      $ 0.14      $ 0.16   

 

     Quarter Ended May 2, 2009  
millions, except per share data    GAAP     Gain on Sales of
Real Estate
    Mark-to-
Market Losses
    Closed Store
Reserve and
Severance
    Domestic
Pension
Expense
    As Adjusted  

Selling and administrative impact

   $ 2,573      $ —        $ —        $ (17   $ (42   $ 2,514   

Gain on sales of assets impact

     (54     44        —          —          —          (10

Operating income impact

     128        (44     —          17        42        143   

Other loss impact

     (16     —          14        —          —          (2

Income tax expense impact

     (24     13        (4     (6     (17     (38

Noncontrolling interest impact

     (8     12        (4     (2     —          (2

After tax and noncontrolling interest impact

     26        (19     6        9        25        47   

Diluted income per share impact

   $ 0.21      $ (0.16   $ 0.05      $ 0.08      $ 0.20      $ 0.38