Abercrombie & Fitch Co. Reports Third Quarter Results

Abercrombie brands deliver highest third quarter net sales since 2014

NEW ALBANY, Ohio, Nov. 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (NYSE: ANF) today announced results for the third quarter ended October 29, 2022. These compare to results for the third quarter ended October 30, 2021. Descriptions of the use of non-GAAP financial measures and reconciliations of GAAP and non-GAAP financial measures accompany this release.

Fran Horowitz, Chief Executive Officer, said “We were pleased to see year-over-year sales trends improve across brands in light of the global macroeconomic environment. While net sales were down 3% as compared to last year on a reported basis, net sales were flat on a constant currency basis. Results were driven by Abercrombie brands where we delivered the highest Q3 net sales since 2014 and the tenth consecutive quarter of average unit retail growth.

We are cautiously optimistic as the holiday season kicks into high gear. While the environment remains dynamic, we are focused on what we can control. We have strategically adjusted our inventory receipts for holiday and early-2023, and unlike last year, we have the inventory on hand to fulfill holiday demand in the peak Black Friday to Christmas period. Additionally, we have reduced controllable spend where appropriate. At the same time, we are leveraging our strong financial position to advance the long-term, strategic investments necessary to achieve our 2025 Always Forward Plan.”

Details related to reported net (loss) income per diluted share and adjusted net income per diluted share for the third quarter are as follows:

A summary of results for the third quarter ended October 29, 2022 as compared to the third quarter ended October 30, 2021:

• Net sales of $880 million, down 3% as compared to last year on a reported basis and approximately flat on a constant currency basis.
• Gross profit rate of 59.2%, down approximately 450 basis points as compared to last year. The year-over-year decrease was primarily driven by 370 basis points of higher freight and raw material costs and 60 basis points from the adverse impact of exchange rates.
• Operating expense, excluding other operating income, net, approximately flat compared to last year, with decreases in marketing and incentive-based compensation, offset by higher inflation and digital fulfillment expenses. Operating expense as a percentage of sales increased to 57.2% from 55.8% last year.
• Operating income of $18 million and $21 million on a reported and adjusted non-GAAP basis, respectively, as compared to operating income of $73 million and $79 million last year, on a reported and adjusted non-GAAP basis, respectively.
• Net loss per diluted share of $0.04 on a reported basis and net income per diluted share $0.01 on an adjusted non-GAAP basis, as compared to net income per diluted share last year of $0.77 and $0.86 on a reported and adjusted non-GAAP basis, respectively.
  

Net sales by brand and region for the third quarter are as follows:

As of October 29, 2022 the company had:

• Cash and equivalents of $257 million. This compares to cash and equivalents of $823 million and $866 million as of January 29, 2022 and October 30, 2021, respectively.
• Inventories of $742 million, an increase of 36% to Q3 2021. Approximately 92% of the inventory is current, defined as current season, long-lived, or future set. The third quarter lapped the lowest Q3 on hand inventory levels since the mid-2000s and the lowest total inventory in over a decade, driven by shipping delays and production shutdowns in Vietnam, where the company had outsized exposure relative to industry average. Low on-hand inventories in 2021 led to missed sales opportunity in the back half. This year, inventory deliveries were proactively pulled forward to ensure product is in stock for the holiday season.
• Long-term gross borrowings under the company’s senior secured notes of $300 million (the “Senior Secured Notes”) which mature in July 2025 and bear interest at a rate of 8.75% per annum.
• Borrowing available under the senior-secured asset-based revolving credit facility (the “ABL Facility”) of $359 million.
• Liquidity, comprised of cash and equivalents and borrowing available under the ABL Facility, of approximately $617 million. This compares to liquidity of $1.1 billion and $1.1 billion as of January 29, 2022 and October 30, 2021, respectively.
  

Details related to the company’s cash flows for the year-to-date period ended October 29, 2022 are as follows:

• Net cash used for operating activities of $301 million.
• Net cash used for investing activities of $96 million.
• Net cash used for financing activities of $155 million.
  

During the 2022 third quarter, the company purchased $8 million of its senior secured notes on the open market. In addition, in the 2022 third quarter, the company repurchased 510,000 shares for approximately $8 million. For the year-to-date period ended October 29, 2022, the company repurchased approximately 4.8 million shares for $126 million. The company has $232 million remaining on the share repurchase authorization established in November 2021.

Depreciation and amortization was $98 million for the year-to-date period ended October 29, 2022.

The following outlook replaces all previous full year guidance. For fiscal 2022, the company now expects:

• Net sales to be down in the range of 2 to 3% from $3.7 billion in 2021. This compares to the previous outlook of down mid-single-digits. The outlook includes an estimated adverse impact of approximately 250 basis points from foreign currency up from an estimated 200 basis points last quarter.
• Operating margin in the range of 2 to 3%, compared to the previous outlook of 1 to 3%.
• Capital expenditures of approximately $170 million.
  

For the fourth quarter of fiscal 2022, the company expects:

• Net sales to be down in the range of 2 to 4% to fiscal fourth quarter 2021 level of $1.2 billion. The level assumes an estimated adverse impact of approximately 300 basis points from foreign currency.
• Operating margin to be in the range of 5 to 7%.
• Effective tax rate in the mid-to-high 40s with the rate sensitive to earnings levels by geography.
  

Today at 8:30 AM, ET, the company will conduct a conference call and provide additional details around its quarterly results and its outlook for the fourth quarter. To access the call by phone, participants will need to register at the following URL address to obtain a dial-in number and passcode.

https://event.loopup.com/SelfRegistration/registration.aspx?booking=Rz4niUfMLcA5k2x8N7OoXBTXYIYHw18aMpfHKJOJVEM=&b=2389e96d-457b-46a8-bebb-fec356d5b031

A presentation of third quarter results will be available in the “Investors” section at corporate.abercrombie.com at approximately 7:30 AM, ET, today. Important information may be disseminated initially or exclusively via the website; investors should consult the site to access this information.

This Press Release and related statements by management or spokespeople of Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (A&F) contain forward-looking statements (as such term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995). These statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding our fourth quarter and annual fiscal 2022 results, relate to our current assumptions, projections and expectations about our business and future events. Any such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and are subject to change based on various important factors, many of which may be beyond the company’s control. The inclusion of such information should not be regarded as a representation by the company, or any other person, that the objectives of the company will be achieved. Words such as “estimate,” “project,” “plan,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “should,” “are confident,” “will,” “could,” “outlook,” and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements. Except as may be required by applicable law, we assume no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, including any financial targets or estimates, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Factors that may cause results to differ from those expressed in our forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the factors disclosed in Part I, Item 1A. “Risk Factors” of the company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 29, 2022, and otherwise in our reports and filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as the following factors: risks and uncertainty related to the ongoing COVID‐19 pandemic and any other adverse public health developments; risks related to changes in global economic and financial conditions, and the resulting impact on consumer confidence and consumer spending, as well as other changes in consumer discretionary spending habits; risks related to recent inflationary pressures with respect to labor and raw materials and global supply chain constraints that have, and could continue, to affect freight, transit, and other costs; risks related to geopolitical conflict, including the on-going hostilities in Ukraine, acts of terrorism, mass casualty events, social unrest, civil disturbance or disobedience; risks related to our failure to engage our customers, anticipate customer demand and changing fashion trends, and manage our inventory commensurately; risks related to our failure to operate effectively in a highly competitive and constantly evolving industry; risks related to our ability to execute on our strategic initiatives, including our Always Forward Plan; risks related to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; risks related to fluctuations in our tax obligations and effective tax rate may result in volatility in our results of operations; and risks related to cybersecurity threats and privacy or data security breaches or the potential loss or disruption of our information systems.

This document includes certain adjusted non-GAAP financial measures where management believes it to be helpful in understanding the company’s results of operations or financial position. Additional details about non-GAAP financial measures and a reconciliation of GAAP financial measures to non-GAAP financial measures can be found in the "Reporting and Use of GAAP and Non-GAAP Measures" section. Sub-totals and totals may not foot due to rounding. Net (loss) income and net (loss) income per share financial measures included herein are attributable to Abercrombie & Fitch Co., excluding net income attributable to noncontrolling interests.

As used in this document, unless otherwise defined "Hollister" refers to the company's Hollister, Gilly Hicks, and Social Tourist brands and "Abercrombie" refers to the company's Abercrombie & Fitch and abercrombie kids brands.

Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (NYSE: ANF) is a leading, global, omnichannel specialty retailer of apparel and accessories for men, women and kids through five renowned brands. The iconic Abercrombie & Fitch brand was born in 1892 and aims to make every day feel as exceptional as the start of a long weekend. abercrombie kids sees the world through kids’ eyes, where play is life and every day is an opportunity to be anything and better anything. The Hollister brand believes in liberating the spirit of an endless summer inside everyone and making teens feel celebrated and comfortable in their own skin. Gilly Hicks, offering active lifestyle products, is designed to create happiness through movement. Social Tourist, the creative vision of Hollister and social media personalities, Dixie and Charli D’Amelio, offers trend forward apparel that allows teens to experiment with their style, while exploring the duality of who they are both on social media and in real life.

The brands share a commitment to offering products of enduring quality and exceptional comfort that allow consumers around the world to express their own individuality and style. Abercrombie & Fitch Co. operates approximately 770 stores under these brands across North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, as well as the e-commerce sites www.abercrombie.com, www.abercrombiekids.com, www.hollisterco.com, www.gillyhicks.com and www.socialtourist.com.

Reporting and Use of GAAP and Non-GAAP Measures

The company believes that each of the non-GAAP financial measures presented are useful to investors as they provide a measure of the company’s operating performance excluding the effect of certain items which the company believes do not reflect its future operating outlook, such as asset impairment charges, therefore supplementing investors’ understanding of comparability of operations across periods. Management used these non-GAAP financial measures during the periods presented to assess the company’s performance and to develop expectations for future operating performance. Non-GAAP financial measures should be used supplemental to, and not as an alternative to, the company’s GAAP financial results, and may not be calculated in the same manner as similar measures presented by other companies.

In addition, at times the company provides comparable sales, defined as the percentage year-over-year change in the aggregate of: (1) sales for stores that have been open as the same brand at least one year and whose square footage has not been expanded or reduced by more than 20% within the past year, with prior year’s net sales converted at the current year’s foreign currency exchange rate to remove the impact of foreign currency rate fluctuation, and (2) digital net sales with prior year’s net sales converted at the current year’s foreign currency exchange rate to remove the impact of foreign currency rate fluctuation.

The company also provides certain financial information on a constant currency basis to enhance investors’ understanding of underlying business trends and operating performance, by removing the impact of foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations. The effect from foreign currency, calculated on a constant currency basis, is determined by applying current year average exchange rates to prior year results and is net of the year-over-year impact from hedging. The per diluted share effect from foreign currency is calculated using a 26% tax rate.