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| For Immediate Release
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February 14, 2007 |
Crown Crafts, Inc. Reports Results for Third Quarter of Fiscal Year 2007
Gonzales, Louisiana Crown Crafts, Inc. (the Company) (OTCBB: CRWS) today reported net
income for the third quarter of fiscal year 2007, which ended December 31, 2006, of $0.6 million,
or $0.06 per diluted share, compared to net income of $1.1 million, or $0.05 per diluted share, for
the third quarter of fiscal year 2006. Excluding valuation allowances approximating $550,000
relating to the anticipated closure of Churchill Weavers, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the
Company, net income for the third quarter of fiscal year 2007 would have been $1.2 million, or
$0.11 per diluted share. As a result of the Companys debt refinancing in July 2006, diluted
shares decreased from 21.7 million to 10.3 million for the current year quarter as compared to the
prior year quarter.
Net income for the first nine months of fiscal year 2007 was $6.9 million, or $0.69 per diluted
share, compared to net income of $1.9 million, or $0.09 per diluted share, for the first nine
months of fiscal year 2006. On July 11, 2006 the Company refinanced its credit facilities. In
connection with the refinancing, non-interest bearing subordinated indebtedness was reduced from a
net book value of $7 million to a net book value of $2.9 million. The Company recorded a pre-tax
gain of $4.1 million on the subordinated debt reduction. Only a portion of the gain was subject to
federal income taxes; consequently, the after-tax effect of the gain on net income was $3.7
million, or $0.37 per share. As a result of the removal of a $4.2 million deferred tax valuation
allowance during the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2006, the Companys income tax expense for the
third quarter and first nine months of fiscal year 2007 included federal as well as state and local
income taxes. Income tax expense for the third quarter and first nine months of fiscal year 2006
included only state and local income taxes.
A summary of the Companys comparative year-to-date earnings is as follows:
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Nine Months Ended |
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(in thousands, except percentages) |
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December 31, |
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January 1, |
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2006 |
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2006 |
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$ Change |
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% Change |
Income before income taxes |
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9,162 |
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2,064 |
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7,098 |
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343.9 |
% |
Income before income taxes excluding gain on refinancing |
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5,093 |
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2,064 |
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3,029 |
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146.8 |
% |
Net income |
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6,879 |
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1,946 |
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4,933 |
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253.5 |
% |
Net income before gain on refinancing (net of income taxes) |
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3,183 |
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1,946 |
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1,237 |
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63.6 |
% |
Net sales
for the third quarter of fiscal year 2007 were $16.5 million as compared to net
sales for the third quarter of fiscal year 2006 of $17.9 million. The decrease in net sales for
the third quarter of fiscal year 2007 as compared to the third quarter of fiscal year 2006 resulted
primarily from a $1.1 million decrease in sales of bedding, blankets and accessories and a $0.4
million decrease in sales of bib and bath products.
For the first nine months of fiscal year 2007, the Company had net sales of $54.2 million, up from
$52.8 million in the first nine months of fiscal year 2006. The increase in net sales for the
first nine months of fiscal year 2007 as compared to the third quarter of fiscal year 2006 resulted
primarily from a $1.2 million increase in sales of bedding, blankets and accessories and a $0.2
million increase in sales of bib and bath products.
The majority of the sales shortfall in the third quarter of fiscal year 2007 resulted from pricing
pressures by two retailers. The Company has made a decision to not participate in programs which
cannot be profitable to the Company and, instead, to focus on protecting the bottom line. The
Company is very tenacious in controlling costs and protecting profitability, commented E. Randall
Chestnut, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company. We are pleased that we
were able to improve income before income taxes from $1,076,000 to $1,358,000, or 26%, before the
$550,000
valuation allowances associated with the anticipated closure of Churchill Weavers. In addition,
the balance sheet has improved nicely, and our total debt level was held to $6.5 million, Mr.
Chestnut continued.
The Company will host a teleconference today at 1:00 p.m. Central Standard Time to discuss the
Companys results and answer appropriate questions from stockholders. Interested investors may
join the teleconference by dialing (888) 428-4479. Please refer to confirmation number 861226. The
teleconference can also be accessed in listen-only mode by visiting the Companys website at
www.crowncrafts.com. The financial information to be discussed during the teleconference may be
found prior to the call on the investor relations portion of the Companys website.
A telephone replay of the teleconference will be available from 2:45 p.m. Central Standard Time on
February 14, 2007 through 11:59 p.m. Central Standard Time on February 21, 2007. To access the
replay, dial (800) 475-6701 in the United States or (320) 365-3844 from international locations.
The access code for the replay is 861226.
Crown Crafts, Inc. designs, markets and distributes infant and juvenile consumer products,
including bedding, blankets, bibs, bath items and accessories, and luxury hand-woven home décor.
Its subsidiaries include Hamco, Inc. in Louisiana, Crown Crafts Infant Products, Inc. in
California, and Churchill Weavers, Inc. in Kentucky. Crown Crafts is Americas largest distributor
of infant bedding, bibs and bath items. The Companys products include licensed and branded
collections as well as exclusive private label programs for certain of its customers.
This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933,
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such
statements are based upon managements current expectations, projections, estimates and
assumptions. Words such as expects, believes, anticipates and variations of such words and
similar expressions identify such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve
known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause future results to differ materially from
those suggested by the forward-looking statements. These risks include, among others, general
economic conditions, including changes in interest rates, in the overall level of consumer spending
and in the price of oil, cotton and other raw materials used in the Companys products, changing
competition, changes in the retail environment, the level and pricing of future orders from the
Companys customers, the Companys dependence upon third-party suppliers, including some located in
foreign countries, customer acceptance of both new designs and newly-introduced product lines,
actions of competitors that may impact the Companys business, disruptions to transportation
systems or shipping lanes used by the Company or its suppliers, and the Companys dependence upon
licenses from third parties. Reference is also made to the Companys periodic filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission for additional factors that may impact the Companys results of
operations and financial condition. The Company does not undertake to update the forward-looking
statements contained herein to conform to actual results or changes in our expectations, whether as
a result of new information, future events or otherwise.