WILMINGTON, Mass., June 26, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- UniFirst Corporation (NYSE: UNF) (the “Company”) today reported results for its third fiscal quarter ended May 25, 2019 as compared to the corresponding period in last fiscal year:
Q3 2019 Financial Highlights
- Consolidated revenues for the quarter increased 6.2% to $453.7 million.
- Operating income was $60.2 million, an increase of 27.9%.
- The effective tax rate for the quarter decreased to 23.5% from 23.9%.
- Net income in the quarter increased to $47.2 million from $36.4 million, or 29.9%.
- Diluted earnings per share was $2.46 and increased 33.0%.
Steven Sintros, UniFirst President and Chief Executive Officer, said, “We are pleased with our third quarter results as our performance exceeded our expectations. A solid selling environment and improved pricing allowed us to deliver record quarterly revenues off improved organic growth. In addition, moderating costs as a percent of revenues as well as certain items that trended favorably in the quarter resulted in strong bottom line results. As always, I would like to thank our thousands of employee Team Partners for their efforts as well as their continued focus as we strive to provide the highest quality service to our customers.”
Segment Reporting Highlights
Core Laundry Operations
- Revenues for the quarter increased 5.5% to $399.8 million.
- Organic growth, which excludes the estimated effect of acquisitions as well as fluctuations in the Canadian dollar, was 5.8%.
- Operating margin increased to 13.4% from 10.5%. This increase was primarily due to larger than anticipated benefits from lower healthcare claims, lower production payroll costs as a percentage of revenues and the capitalization of sales commission costs due to the adoption of new revenue accounting guidance in the first quarter of fiscal 2019. In addition, several other operating and administrative expenses trended favorably and were positive contributors to the margin improvement. These items were partially offset by higher merchandise amortization as a percentage of revenues.
Specialty Garments
- Revenues for the quarter were $37.3 million, an increase of 9.6%. This increase was primarily due to acquisitions in fiscal 2018 that increased revenues by 7.6%.
- Operating margin decreased to 14.4% from 16.4%. This decrease was due to higher costs related to 2018 acquisitions as well as higher merchandise amortization as a percentage of revenues.
- Specialty Garments consists of nuclear decontamination and cleanroom operations and its results can vary significantly due to seasonality and the timing of reactor outages and projects.
Capital Allocation
- Cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments totaled $349.4 million as of May 25, 2019.
- The Company has no long-term debt outstanding as of May 25, 2019.
- Under its previously announced stock repurchase program, the Company repurchased 99,500 common shares at an average share price of $147.47 for a total of $14.7 million during its third fiscal quarter of 2019. As of May 25, 2019, the Company had repurchased a total of 144,500 common shares at an average price of $145.01 for $21.0 million under the program.
- Weighted average shares outstanding – Diluted decreased 2.6% to 19.2 million shares.
Financial Outlook
Mr. Sintros continued, “Although we are encouraged by the third quarter results which reflect certain positive trends in our operations, we do want to caution that our profits were favorably impacted by a number of items that may not provide the same benefit going forward.”
The Company now expects its fiscal 2019 revenues will be between $1.802 billion and $1.809 billion and full year diluted EPS to be between $8.75 and $8.85. This guidance for fiscal 2019 assumes the current level of outstanding common shares and includes one extra week of operations compared to fiscal 2018 due to the timing of the Company’s fiscal calendar.
Conference Call Information
UniFirst will hold a conference call today at 9:00 a.m. (ET) to discuss its quarterly financial results, business highlights and outlook. A simultaneous live webcast of the call will be available over the Internet and can be accessed at www.unifirst.com.
About UniFirst Corporation
Headquartered in Wilmington, Mass., UniFirst Corporation (NYSE: UNF) is a North American leader in the supply and servicing of uniform and workwear programs, as well as the delivery of facility service programs. Together with its subsidiaries, the Company also provides first aid and safety products, and manages specialized garment programs for the cleanroom and nuclear industries. UniFirst manufactures its own branded workwear, protective clothing, and floorcare products, and with more than 250 service locations, over 300,000 customer locations, and 14,000-plus employee Team Partners, the Company outfits nearly 2 million workers each business day. UniFirst is a publicly held company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol UNF and is a component of the Standard & Poor's 600 Small Cap Index. For more information, contact UniFirst at 800.455.7654 or visit www.unifirst.com.
Forward-Looking Statements Disclosure
This public announcement contains forward-looking statements that reflect the Company’s current views with respect to future events and financial performance, including projected revenues and earnings per share. Forward-looking statements contained in this public announcement are subject to the safe harbor created by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and may be identified by words such as “estimates,” “anticipates,” “projects,” “plans,” “expects,” “intends,” “believes,” “seeks,” “could,” “should,” “may,” “will,” “strategy,” “objective,” “assume,” or the negative versions thereof, and similar expressions and by the context in which they are used. Such forward-looking statements are based upon our current expectations and speak only as of the date made. Such statements are highly dependent upon a variety of risks, uncertainties and other important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to, the performance and success of our Chief Executive Officer, uncertainties caused by adverse economic conditions and their impact on our customers’ businesses and workforce levels, uncertainties regarding our ability to consummate and successfully integrate acquired businesses, uncertainties regarding any existing or newly-discovered expenses and liabilities related to environmental compliance and remediation, any adverse outcome of pending or future contingencies or claims, our ability to compete successfully without any significant degradation in our margin rates, seasonal and quarterly fluctuations in business levels, our ability to preserve positive labor relationships and avoid becoming the target of corporate labor unionization campaigns that could disrupt our business, the effect of currency fluctuations on our results of operations and financial condition, our dependence on third parties to supply us with raw materials, any loss of key management or other personnel, increased costs as a result of any changes in federal or state laws, rules and regulations or governmental interpretation of such laws, rules and regulations, uncertainties regarding the impact of the recently passed U.S. tax reform on our business, results of operations and financial condition, uncertainties regarding the price levels of natural gas, electricity, fuel and labor, the negative effect on our business from sharply depressed oil and natural gas prices, the continuing increase in domestic healthcare costs, including the impact of the Affordable Care Act, our ability to retain and grow our customer base, demand and prices for our products and services, fluctuations in our Specialty Garments business, instability in Mexico and Nicaragua where our principal garment manufacturing plants are located, our ability to properly and efficiently design, construct, implement and operate a new customer relationship management (CRM) computer system, interruptions or failures of our information technology systems, including as a result of cyber-attacks, additional professional and internal costs necessary for compliance with any changes in Securities and Exchange Commission, New York Stock Exchange and accounting rules, strikes and unemployment levels, our efforts to evaluate and potentially reduce internal costs, economic and other developments associated with the war on terrorism and its impact on the economy, general economic conditions, our ability to successfully implement our business strategies and processes, including our capital allocation strategies, and other factors described under “Item 1A. Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended August 25, 2018 and in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances arising after the date on which they are made.
Investor Relations Contact
Shane O’Connor, Senior Vice President & CFO
UniFirst Corporation
978-658-8888
shane_oconnor@unifirst.com
UniFirst Corporation and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Statements of Income
(Unaudited)
| (In thousands, except per share data) | | Thirteen
weeks ended
May 25, 2019 | | | Thirteen
weeks ended
May 26, 2018 | | | Thirty-nine
weeks ended
May 25, 2019 | | | Thirty-nine
weeks ended
May 26, 2018 | |
| Revenues | | $ | 453,720 | | | $ | 427,384 | | | $ | 1,329,755 | | | $ | 1,262,426 | |
| Operating expenses: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Cost of revenues (1) | | | 279,900 | | | | 267,146 | | | | 838,621 | | | | 786,196 | |
| Selling and administrative expenses (1) | | | 88,207 | | | | 88,350 | | | | 242,487 | | | | 264,508 | |
| Depreciation and amortization | | | 25,401 | | | | 24,801 | | | | 75,563 | | | | 70,772 | |
| Total operating expenses | | | 393,508 | | | | 380,297 | | | | 1,156,671 | | | | 1,121,476 | |
| Operating income | | | 60,212 | | | | 47,087 | | | | 173,084 | | | | 140,950 | |
| Other (income) expense: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Interest income, net | | | (2,293 | ) | | | (1,189 | ) | | | (6,007 | ) | | | (3,895 | ) |
| Other expense, net | | | 805 | | | | 484 | | | | 2,037 | | | | 452 | |
| Total other income, net | | | (1,488 | ) | | | (705 | ) | | | (3,970 | ) | | | (3,443 | ) |
| Income before income taxes | | | 61,700 | | | | 47,792 | | | | 177,054 | | | | 144,393 | |
| Provision for income taxes | | | 14,480 | | | | 11,433 | | | | 43,908 | | | | 15,450 | |
| Net income | | $ | 47,220 | | | $ | 36,359 | | | $ | 133,146 | | | $ | 128,943 | |
| Income per share – Basic: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Common Stock | | $ | 2.58 | | | $ | 1.94 | | | $ | 7.25 | | | $ | 6.75 | |
| Class B Common Stock | | $ | 2.06 | | | $ | 1.55 | | | $ | 5.80 | | | $ | 5.38 | |
| Income per share – Diluted: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Common Stock | | $ | 2.46 | | | $ | 1.85 | | | $ | 6.93 | | | $ | 6.39 | |
| Income allocated to – Basic: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Common Stock | | $ | 39,563 | | | $ | 30,034 | | | $ | 111,626 | | | $ | 104,324 | |
| Class B Common Stock | | $ | 7,657 | | | $ | 6,325 | | | $ | 21,520 | | | $ | 24,619 | |
| Income allocated to – Diluted: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Common Stock | | $ | 47,220 | | | $ | 36,359 | | | $ | 133,146 | | | $ | 128,943 | |
| Weighted average shares outstanding – Basic: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Common Stock | | | 15,341 | | | | 15,446 | | | | 15,400 | | | | 15,463 | |
| Class B Common Stock | | | 3,710 | | | | 4,087 | | | | 3,710 | | | | 4,573 | |
| Weighted average shares outstanding – Diluted: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Common Stock | | | 19,168 | | | | 19,687 | | | | 19,220 | | | | 20,178 | |
(1) Exclusive of depreciation on the Company’s property, plant and equipment and amortization on its intangible assets.
UniFirst Corporation and Subsidiaries
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
(Unaudited)
| (In thousands) | | May 25, 2019 | | | August 25, 2018 | |
| Assets | | | | | | | | |
| Current assets: | | | | | | | | |
| Cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments | | $ | 349,410 | | | $ | 270,512 | |
| Receivables, net | | | 203,385 | | | | 200,797 | |
| Inventories | | | 94,921 | | | | 90,176 | |
| Rental merchandise in service | | | 181,451 | | | | 174,392 | |
| Prepaid taxes | | | — | | | | 27,024 | |
| Prepaid expenses and other current assets | | | 32,688 | | | | 21,899 | |
| Total current assets | | | 861,855 | | | | 784,800 | |
| Property, plant and equipment, net (1) | | | 565,715 | | | | 547,996 | |
| Goodwill | | | 399,146 | | | | 397,422 | |
| Customer contracts and other intangible assets, net (1) | | | 75,187 | | | | 82,484 | |
| Deferred income taxes | | | 421 | | | | 425 | |
| Other assets | | | 78,977 | | | | 30,259 | |
| | | $ | 1,981,301 | | | $ | 1,843,386 | |
| Liabilities and shareholders’ equity | | | | | | | | |
| Current liabilities: | | | | | | | | |
| Accounts payable | | $ | 66,993 | | | $ | 73,500 | |
| Accrued liabilities | | | 105,711 | | | | 124,225 | |
| Accrued taxes | | | 1,569 | | | | 736 | |
| Total current liabilities | | | 174,273 | | | | 198,461 | |
| Long-term liabilities: | | | | | | | | |
| Accrued liabilities | | | 106,658 | | | | 105,888 | |
| Accrued and deferred income taxes | | | 90,674 | | | | 74,070 | |
| Total long-term liabilities | | | 197,332 | | | | 179,958 | |
| Shareholders’ equity: | | | | | | | | |
| Common Stock | | | 1,531 | | | | 1,543 | |
| Class B Common Stock | | | 371 | | | | 371 | |
| Capital surplus | | | 84,836 | | | | 82,973 | |
| Retained earnings | | | 1,551,475 | | | | 1,405,239 | |
| Accumulated other comprehensive loss | | | (28,517 | ) | | | (25,159 | ) |
| Total shareholders’ equity | | | 1,609,696 | | | | 1,464,967 | |
| | | $ | 1,981,301 | | | $ | 1,843,386 | |
(1) The Company has reclassified $11.6 million of software from property, plant, and equipment to intangible assets as of August 25, 2018, to conform to current year presentation.
UniFirst Corporation and Subsidiaries
Detail of Operating Results
(Unaudited)
Revenues
| (In thousands, except percentages) | | Thirteen
weeks ended
May 25, 2019 | | | Thirteen
weeks ended
May 26, 2018 | | | Dollar
Change | | | Percent
Change | |
| Core Laundry Operations | | $ | 399,781 | | | $ | 379,071 | | | $ | 20,710 | | | | 5.5 | % |
| Specialty Garments | | | 37,313 | | | | 34,060 | | | | 3,253 | | | | 9.6 | % |
| First Aid | | | 16,626 | | | | 14,253 | | | | 2,373 | | | | 16.6 | % |
| Consolidated total | | $ | 453,720 | | | $ | 427,384 | | | $ | 26,336 | | | | 6.2 | % |
| (In thousands, except percentages) | | Thirty-nine
weeks ended
May 25, 2019 | | | Thirty-nine
weeks ended
May 26, 2018 | | | Dollar
Change | | | Percent
Change | |
| Core Laundry Operations | | $ | 1,184,666 | | | $ | 1,131,822 | | | $ | 52,844 | | | | 4.7 | % |
| Specialty Garments | | | 101,506 | | | | 89,496 | | | | 12,010 | | | | 13.4 | % |
| First Aid | | | 43,583 | | | | 41,108 | | | | 2,475 | | | | 6.0 | % |
| Consolidated total | | $ | 1,329,755 | | | $ | 1,262,426 | | | $ | 67,329 | | | | 5.3 | % |
Operating Income
| (In thousands, except percentages) | | Thirteen
weeks ended
May 25, 2019 | | | Thirteen
weeks ended
May 26, 2018 | | | Dollar
Change | | | Percent
Change | |
| Core Laundry Operations | | $ | 53,443 | | | $ | 39,973 | | | $ | 13,470 | | | | 33.7 | % |
| Specialty Garments | | | 5,368 | | | | 5,589 | | | | (221 | ) | | | (3.9 | )% |
| First Aid | | | 1,401 | | | | 1,525 | | | | (124 | ) | | | (8.1 | )% |
| Consolidated total | | $ | 60,212 | | | $ | 47,087 | | | $ | 13,125 | | | | 27.9 | % |
| (In thousands, except percentages) | | Thirty-nine
weeks ended
May 25, 2019 | | | Thirty-nine
weeks ended
May 26, 2018 | | | Dollar
Change | | | Percent
Change | |
| Core Laundry Operations | | $ | 157,338 | | | $ | 124,415 | | | $ | 32,923 | | | | 26.5 | % |
| Specialty Garments | | | 12,073 | | | | 12,866 | | | | (793 | ) | | | (6.2 | )% |
| First Aid | | | 3,673 | | | | 3,669 | | | | 4 | | | | 0.1 | % |
| Consolidated total | | $ | 173,084 | | | $ | 140,950 | | | $ | 32,134 | | | | 22.8 | % |
UniFirst Corporation and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
(Unaudited)
| (In thousands) | | Thirty-nine
weeks ended
May 25, 2019 | | | Thirty-nine
weeks ended
May 26, 2018 | |
| Cash flows from operating activities: | | | | | | | | |
| Net income | | $ | 133,146 | | | $ | 128,943 | |
| Adjustments to reconcile net income to cash provided by operating activities: | | | | | | | | |
| Depreciation and amortization | | | 75,563 | | | | 70,772 | |
| Amortization of deferred financing costs | | | 84 | | | | 84 | |
| Forgiveness of a liability | | | (7,346 | ) | | | — | |
| Share-based compensation | | | 4,281 | | | | 3,539 | |
| Accretion on environmental contingencies | | | 566 | | | | 519 | |
| Accretion on asset retirement obligations | | | 647 | | | | 704 | |
| Deferred income taxes | | | 733 | | | | (20,369 | ) |
| Other | | | (953 | ) | | | (225 | ) |
| Changes in assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions: | | | | | | | | |
| Receivables, less reserves | | | (3,117 | ) | | | (7,515 | ) |
| Inventories | | | (4,821 | ) | | | (8,953 | ) |
| Rental merchandise in service | | | (7,606 | ) | | | (11,864 | ) |
| Prepaid expenses and other current assets and Other assets | | | (2,346 | ) | | | (8,500 | ) |
| Accounts payable | | | (5,725 | ) | | | (261 | ) |
| Accrued liabilities | | | (9,931 | ) | | | (4,468 | ) |
| Prepaid and accrued income taxes | | | 26,265 | | | | 24,886 | |
| Net cash provided by operating activities | | | 199,440 | | | | 167,292 | |
| Cash flows from investing activities: | | | | | | | | |
| Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired | | | (2,379 | ) | | | (38,522 | ) |
| Capital expenditures, including capitalization of software costs | | | (88,198 | ) | | | (88,870 | ) |
| Proceeds from sale of assets | | | 238 | | | | 1,713 | |
| Other | | | — | | | | (376 | ) |
| Net cash used in investing activities | | | (90,339 | ) | | | (126,055 | ) |
| Cash flows from financing activities: | | | | | | | | |
| Proceeds from exercise of share-based awards | | | 49 | | | | 460 | |
| Taxes withheld and paid related to net share settlement of equity awards | | | (1,678 | ) | | | (2,645 | ) |
| Repurchase of Common Stock | | | (20,954 | ) | | | (146,011 | ) |
| Payment of cash dividends | | | (6,204 | ) | | | (2,172 | ) |
| Net cash used in financing activities | | | (28,787 | ) | | | (150,368 | ) |
| Effect of exchange rate changes | | | (1,416 | ) | | | (2,130 | ) |
| Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments | | | 78,898 | | | | (111,261 | ) |
| Cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments at beginning of period | | | 270,512 | | | | 349,752 | |
| Cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments at end of period | | $ | 349,410 | | | $ | 238,491 | |
UniFirst Corporation and Subsidiaries
Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Financial Measures
The Company reports its consolidated financial results in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). To supplement these consolidated financial results, management believes that certain non-GAAP operating results provide a more meaningful measure on which to compare the Company’s results of operations for the periods presented. The Company believes these non-GAAP results provide useful supplemental information regarding the Company’s performance to both management and investors by excluding certain non-recurring amounts that impact the comparability of the results. Supplemental reconciliations of consolidated operating income, net income and earnings per diluted share on a GAAP basis to adjusted operating income, net income and earnings per diluted share on a non-GAAP basis are presented in the following tables. In addition, Core Laundry Operations operating income and operating margin on a GAAP basis to adjusted operating income and adjusted operating margin on a non-GAAP basis are presented in the following tables. Investors are encouraged to review the reconciliations of these non-GAAP measures to their most directly comparable GAAP financial measures, which are provided below.
| | | Thirty-nine weeks ended May 25, 2019 | |
| | | Consolidated | | | Core Laundry Operations | |
| (In thousands, except percentages) | | Revenue | | | Operating
Income | | | Net
Income | | | Diluted
EPS | | | Revenue | | | Operating
Income | | | Operating
Margin | |
| As reported | | $ | 1,329,755 | | | $ | 173,084 | | | $ | 133,146 | | | $ | 6.93 | | | $ | 1,184,666 | | | $ | 157,338 | | | | 13.3 | % |
| CRM Settlement | | | — | | | | (21,127 | ) | | | (15,566 | ) | | | (0.81 | ) | | | — | | | | (21,127 | ) | | | -1.8 | % |
| As adjusted | | $ | 1,329,755 | | | $ | 151,957 | | | $ | 117,580 | | | $ | 6.12 | | | $ | 1,184,666 | | | $ | 136,211 | | | | 11.5 | % |
| | | Thirty-nine weeks ended May 26, 2018 | |
| | | Consolidated | | | Core Laundry Operations | |
| (In thousands, except percentages) | | Revenue | | | Operating
Income | | | Net
Income | | | Diluted
EPS | | | Revenue | | | Operating
Income | | | Operating
Margin | |
| As reported | | $ | 1,262,426 | | | $ | 140,950 | | | $ | 128,943 | | | $ | 6.39 | | | $ | 1,131,822 | | | $ | 124,415 | | | | 11.0 | % |
| Tax Reform Adjustment (a) | | | — | | | | — | | | | (20,138 | ) | | | (1.00 | ) | | | — | | | | — | | | | 0.0 | % |
| As adjusted | | $ | 1,262,426 | | | $ | 140,950 | | | $ | 108,805 | | | $ | 5.39 | | | $ | 1,131,822 | | | $ | 124,415 | | | | 11.0 | % |
(a) The Tax Reform Adjustment, as presented, represents a one-time revaluation of our U.S. net deferred tax liabilities as well as a charge related to a one-time transition tax the Company will be subject to for the deemed repatriation of our foreign earnings. This does not include the benefit associated with the lower U.S. federal corporate income tax rates as of January 1, 2018. Our presentation of the effect of tax reform in our non-GAAP reconciliations of net income and diluted earnings per share for the thirty-nine weeks ended May 26, 2018 contained in our press release dated June 28, 2018 included all of the net benefits associated with lower U.S. federal corporate income tax rates.
