EX-99 2 a06-11784_1ex99.htm EX-99

Exhibit 99

 

 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Contacts: Susan Kahn (investor)

 

 

(612) 761-6735

 

 

 

 

 

Cathy Wright (financial media)

 

 

(612) 761-6627 or (847) 615-1538

 

TARGET  CORPORATION  FIRST QUARTER

 

EARNINGS PER SHARE $0.63

 

MINNEAPOLIS, May 15, 2006 -- Target Corporation today reported net earnings for the first quarter ended April 29, 2006 of $554 million, or 63 cents per share, compared with $494 million, or 55 cents per share in the first quarter ended April 30, 2005. All earnings per share figures refer to diluted earnings per share.

“We are pleased with our first quarter results,” said Bob Ulrich, chairman and chief executive officer of Target Corporation, “and believe they reflect our continued success in delighting our guests with the right combination of innovation, design and value. Our performance underlies our confidence that we will continue to generate profitable market share growth and reinforces our belief in our ability to achieve a mid-teen percentage increase in EPS for the full year 2006.”

Total revenues in the first quarter increased 12.1 percent to $12.863 billion from $11.477 billion in 2005, driven by a 5.1 percent increase in comparable store sales combined with the contribution from new store expansion and our credit card operations. (Total revenues include retail sales and net credit card revenues. Comparable-store sales are sales from stores open longer than one year.)

Earnings before interest and income taxes (EBIT) in the first quarter of 2006 increased 12.2 percent, in line with revenue growth, to $1.017 billion, compared with $907 million in the first quarter a year ago. Key contributors to this EBIT growth included more rapid profit growth in our credit card operations and the benefit of a non-recurring $28 million pre-tax adjustment to depreciation and amortization, partially offset by unfavorable expense rate performance. The company’s gross margin rate was also slightly unfavorable to the prior year. (Gross margin rate represents sales less cost of sales expressed as a percentage of sales. Expense rate represents selling, general and administrative expenses expressed as a percentage of sales.)

Net interest expense for the quarter increased $20 million compared with first quarter 2005 primarily due to higher average debt balances.

The contribution from the company’s credit card operations to first quarter earnings before taxes (EBT), net of the allocated interest expense to fund our average accounts receivable, was $162 million, an increase of $60 million, or 59.5 percent, from the same period in 2005. This favorability is attributable to strong growth in net interest income and the near-term benefit to our bad debt expense of the 2005 federal bankruptcy legislation.

 

--more --


 

TARGET CORPORATION

Page 2

 

 

Other Factors

The company’s effective income tax rate for the first quarter was 37.5 percent in 2006 compared with 37.9 percent in 2005. For the full year, the effective income tax rate is expected to be between 38.0 and 38.5 percent.

In June 2004, the company announced a $3 billion share repurchase program, and in November 2005, the Board increased the share repurchase authorization by $2 billion to an aggregate $5 billion program. Under this program, the company repurchased $350 million of its common stock during the first quarter of 2006, acquiring 6.6 million shares at an average price of $53.11 per share. Program to-date, the company has acquired 58.1 million shares of its common stock at an average price per share of $48.54, reflecting a total investment of approximately $2.82 billion. The company expects to continue to execute this program primarily in open market transactions, subject to market conditions, and expects to complete the total program by year-end 2008, or sooner.

 

 

Miscellaneous

Target Corporation will webcast its first quarter earnings conference call at 9:30am CDT today. Investors and the media are invited to listen to the call through the company’s website at www.target.com/investors (click on “webcasts”). A telephone replay of the call will be available beginning at approximately 11:30am CDT today through the end of business on May 16, 2005. The replay number is (800) 642-1687 (passcode: 1291501).

Forward-looking statements in this release should be read in conjunction with the cautionary statements in Exhibit (99)C to the company’s 2005 Form 10-K.

Target Corporation’s continuing operations include large, general merchandise discount stores, as well as an on-line business called Target.com. At quarter-end, the company operated 1,418 Target stores in 47 states.

Target Corporation news releases are available at www.target.com.

 

###

 

(Tables Follow)


 

 

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

 

 

 

Thirteen Weeks Ended

 

(Millions, except per share data)

 

April 29

,

April 30

,

%

 

(Unaudited)

 

2006

 

2005

 

Change

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sales

 

$

12,493

 

$

11,171

 

11.8

%

Net credit card revenues

 

370

 

306

 

21.0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total revenues

 

12,863

 

11,477

 

12.1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cost of sales

 

8,473

 

7,556

 

12.1

 

Selling, general and administrative expenses

 

2,879

 

2,495

 

15.3

 

Credit card expenses

 

160

 

179

 

(10.2

)

Depreciation and amortization

 

334

 

340

 

(1.6

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Earnings before interest expense and income taxes

 

1,017

 

907

 

12.2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net interest expense

 

131

 

111

 

18.7

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Earnings before income taxes

 

886

 

796

 

11.3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Provision for income taxes

 

332

 

302

 

10.1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net earnings

 

$

554

 

$

494

 

12.0

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic earnings per share

 

$

0.64

 

$

0.56

 

14.1

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Diluted earnings per share

 

$

0.63

 

$

0.55

 

14.0

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weighted average common shares outstanding

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic

 

870.7

 

887.0

 

 

 

Diluted

 

877.6

 

893.5

 

 

 

 

PR-1


 

 

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL POSITION

 

SUBJECT TO RECLASSIFICATION

(Millions)

 

April 29

,

April 30

,

(Unaudited)

 

2006

 

2005

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ASSETS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents

 

$

989

 

$

1,152

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accounts receivable, net

 

5,368

 

4,857

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inventory

 

6,030

 

5,407

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other current assets

 

1,169

 

1,039

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total current assets

 

13,556

 

12,455

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Property and equipment, net

 

19,614

 

17,328

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other non-current assets

 

1,579

 

1,512

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total assets

 

$

34,749

 

$

31,295

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ INVESTMENT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accounts payable

 

$

5,707

 

$

5,110

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Current portion of long-term debt and notes payable

 

1,254

 

4

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other current liabilities

 

2,747

 

2,059

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total current liabilities

 

9,708

 

7,173

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Long-term debt

 

8,596

 

9,005

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Deferred income taxes

 

804

 

973

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other non-current liabilities

 

1,271

 

1,097

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shareholders’ investment

 

14,370

 

13,047

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total liabilities and shareholders’ investment

 

$

34,749

 

$

31,295

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Common shares outstanding

 

868.3

 

883.4

 

 

PR-2


 

 

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

 

SUBJECT TO RECLASSIFICATION

 

Thirteen Weeks Ended

 

(Millions)

 

April 29

,

April 30

,

(Unaudited)

 

2006

 

2005

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OPERATING ACTIVITIES

 

 

 

 

 

Net earnings

 

$

554

 

$

494

 

Reconciliation to cash flow:

 

 

 

 

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

334

 

340

 

Share-based compensation expense

 

20

 

30

 

Deferred income taxes

 

(62

)

-    

 

Bad debt provision

 

88

 

106

 

Loss on disposal of property and equipment, net

 

15

 

6

 

Other non-cash items affecting earnings

 

4

 

13

 

Changes in operating accounts providing/(requiring) cash:

 

 

 

 

 

Accounts receivable originated at Target

 

99

 

90

 

Inventory

 

(192

)

(23

)

Other current assets

 

88

 

151

 

Other non-current assets

 

11

 

(2

)

Accounts payable

 

(561

)

(669

)

Accrued liabilities

 

(61

)

(93

)

Income taxes payable

 

190

 

163

 

Other

 

-    

 

(6

)

Cash flow provided by operations

 

527

 

600

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

INVESTING ACTIVITIES

 

 

 

 

 

Expenditures for property and equipment

 

(884

)

(717

)

Proceeds from disposal of property and equipment

 

5

 

4

 

Change in accounts receivable originated at third parties

 

110

 

16

 

Other

 

(10

)

-    

 

Cash flow required for investing activities

 

(779

)

(697

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

FINANCING ACTIVITIES

 

 

 

 

 

Reductions of long-term debt

 

-    

 

(511

)

Dividends paid

 

(87

)

(71

)

Repurchase of stock

 

(350

)

(450

)

Stock option exercises

 

24

 

36

 

Share-based compensation tax benefit

 

6

 

-    

 

Cash flow required for financing activities

 

(407

)

(996

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents

 

(659

)

(1,093

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period

 

1,648

 

2,245

 

Cash and cash equivalents at end of period

 

$

989

 

$

1,152

 

 

PR-3


 

 

(Millions)

(Unaudited)

 

NUMBER OF STORES, RETAIL SQUARE FEET and COMPARABLE-STORE SALES

Retail square feet in thousands; reflects total square feet less office, distribution center and vacant space.

 

 

 

Number of Stores

 

Retail Square Feet

 

 

 

April 29, 2006

 

April 30, 2005

 

April 29, 2006

 

April 30, 2005

 

% Change

 

Target General Merchandise Stores

 

1,259

 

1,189

 

152,996

 

143,288

 

6.8

%

SuperTarget Stores

 

159

 

141

 

28,117

 

24,936

 

12.8

 

Total

 

1,418

 

1,330

 

181,113

 

168,224

 

7.7

%

 

 

 

Thirteen Weeks Ended

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

April 29, 2006

 

April 30, 2005

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comparable-Store Sales

 

5.1

%

6.2

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CREDIT CARD CONTRIBUTION TO EBT

 

 

Thirteen Weeks Ended

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

April 29, 2006

 

April 30, 2005

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Revenues

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finance charges

 

$

259

 

$

205

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interest expense (a)

 

(63

)

(40

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net interest income

 

196

 

165

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Late fees and other revenues

 

80

 

74

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Merchant fees

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Intracompany

 

15

 

15

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Third-party

 

31

 

27

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Non-interest income

 

126

 

116

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Expenses

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bad debt

 

88

 

106

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Operations and marketing

 

72

 

73

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total expenses

 

160

 

179

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Credit card contribution to EBT

 

$

162

 

$

102

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As a percent of average receivables (annualized)

 

10.9

%

7.6

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net interest margin (annualized) (b)

 

13.2

%

12.4

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RECEIVABLES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Period-end receivables

 

$

5,844

 

$

5,251

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Average receivables

 

$

5,930

 

$

5,322

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accounts with three or more payments past due as a percent of period-end receivables

 

3.0

%

3.0

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ALLOWANCE FOR DOUBTFUL ACCOUNTS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Allowance at beginning of period

 

$

451

 

$

387

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bad debt provision

 

88

 

106

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net write-offs

 

(63

)

(99

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Allowance at end of period

 

$

476

 

$

394

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As a percent of period-end receivables

 

8.1

%

7.5

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net write-offs as a percent of average receivables (annualized)

 

4.3

%

7.4

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(a)  Represents an allocation of consolidated interest expense based on estimated funding costs for average net accounts receivable and other financial services assets.

 

(b)  Net interest income divided by average accounts receivable.

 

PR-4