Karat Packaging Reports 2023 Third Quarter Financial Results

- 49% Expansion of Net Income with Continued Success in Growth Strategy Execution -

CHINO, Calif., Nov. 09, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Karat Packaging Inc. (Nasdaq: KRT) (“Karat” or the “Company”), a specialty distributor and manufacturer of environmentally friendly, disposable foodservice products and related items, today announced financial results for its third quarter and nine-months ended September 30, 2023.

Third Quarter 2023 Highlights

• Quarterly net sales of $105.5 million, down 4.1 percent from the prior year quarter.
• Gross profit of $38.9 million, up 14.0 percent from the prior year quarter.
• Gross margin of 36.9 percent versus 31.1 percent in the prior year quarter.
• Net income of $9.1 million, up 48.5 percent from the prior year quarter.
• Net income margin of 8.7 percent versus 5.6 percent in the prior year quarter.
• Adjusted EBITDA of $15.2 million, up $3.5 million, or 29.6 percent from the prior year quarter.
• Adjusted EBITDA margin of 14.4 percent versus 10.7 percent in the prior year quarter.
  

Guidance

• Net sales for the 2023 fourth quarter expected to increase 2 to 5 percent from the prior year quarter.
• Net sales for the 2023 full year expected to decrease by mid-single digit.
• Gross margin goal for the 2023 fourth quarter: 36.0 to 38.0 percent versus 32.0 percent for 2022 fourth quarter.
• Gross margin goal for the 2023 full year: 37.5 to 38.5 percent versus 31.2 percent for 2022.
• Eco-friendly product sales objective for the 2023 full year: 33 to 34 percent of total sales, compared with 27 percent in 2022.
  

“We delivered another strong performance for our third quarter. Sales volume was approximately seven percent higher than the prior year’s quarter, although total revenue again was impacted by unfavorable year-over-year pricing comparison,” said Alan Yu, Chief Executive Officer. “Margin growth continued to benefit from our strategy to scale back manufacturing operations in the U.S. and significant lower ocean freight costs compared with the previous year.”

“Sales of our eco-friendly products continued to improve and represented approximately 33 percent of total sales in the third quarter, versus 27 percent last year. Online channel sales also increased during the third quarter. Our new Chicago and Houston distribution centers, which became fully operational by the end of the quarter, are expected to contribute to new geographical market penetration and to enhance fill rates. We also anticipate doubling the size of our Washington distribution center with the move into a new 100,000 square-foot distribution center later this year. Additionally, as part of our strategic growth plan, we are looking to open smaller satellite warehouses in 2024 in select regions to support online sales growth, as well as deploying AI technologies to further improve operating efficiency.”

“With our strong operating cash flow and balance sheet, our board of directors earlier this week authorized an increase in the quarterly cash dividend payment to $0.20 per share from $0.10 per share. The board’s action reflects its confidence in Karat’s long-term future,” Yu added.

Third Quarter 2023 Financial Results

Net sales for the 2023 third quarter decreased 4.1 percent to $105.5 million, from $110.0 million in the prior year quarter, primarily due to unfavorable year-over-year pricing comparison, as the Company proactively passed on savings from ocean freight and raw material costs to customers, as well as lower logistics services and shipping revenue, partially offset by an increase in volume and change in product mix.

Gross profit for the 2023 third quarter increased 14.0 percent to $38.9 million, from $34.2 million in the prior year quarter.

Gross margin expanded 580 basis points to 36.9 percent in the 2023 third quarter, from 31.1 percent in the prior year quarter. Despite the unfavorable impact from price reductions, gross margin benefited from the Company’s efforts to scale back manufacturing operations in favor of imports, the strong US dollar, as well as a significant decrease in ocean freight costs. Ocean freight cost as a percentage of net sales was 7.9 percent during the 2023 third quarter, down from 14.8 percent in the prior year quarter.

Operating expenses in the 2023 third quarter were $27.6 million, or 26.1 percent of net sales, compared with $26.3 million, or 23.9 percent of net sales, in the prior year quarter. The increase was primarily due to workforce expansion and the shift towards imports as we reduced production but increased warehouse headcount, higher marketing expense to support online sales growth, higher professional expenses in connection with the secondary offering completed during the quarter, and higher rental expense from the additional leased warehouses. The increase in operating expenses was partially offset by a decrease in shipping and transportation costs due to lower shipping rates.

Operating income in the 2023 third quarter increased 43.9 percent to $11.4 million, or 10.8 percent of net sales, from $7.9 million, or 7.2 percent of net sales, in the prior year quarter.

Other income, net totaled $0.7 million for the 2023 third quarter, compared with $0.1 million in the prior year quarter, primarily due to an increase in interest income of $0.5 million.

The effective tax rate for the 2023 third quarter was 24.1 percent, compared with 23.6 percent for the prior year quarter.

Net income for the 2023 third quarter increased 48.5 percent to $9.1 million, from $6.2 million for the prior year quarter. Net income margin rose to 8.7 percent in the 2023 third quarter, from 5.6 percent in the prior year quarter.

Net income attributable to Karat for the 2023 third quarter advanced to $9.1 million, or $0.45 per diluted share, from $6.1 million, or $0.31 per diluted share, in the prior year quarter.

Adjusted EBITDA, a non-GAAP measure defined below, increased to $15.2 million in the 2023 third quarter, from $11.7 million in the prior year quarter. Adjusted EBITDA margin, a non-GAAP measure defined below, rose to 14.4 percent of net sales, from 10.7 percent in the prior year quarter.

Adjusted diluted earnings per common share, a non-GAAP measure defined below, rose to $0.47 per share, from $0.33 per share in the prior year quarter.

Nine Month 2023 Financial Results

Net sales for the first nine months of 2023 decreased 6.1 percent to $310.1 million, from $330.3 million in the same period last year.

Gross profit for the first nine months of 2023 increased 16.1 percent to $118.9 million, from $102.4 million in the same period last year. Gross margin for the first nine months of 2023 of 38.4 percent included a 60-basis-point impact from the write-off of raw materials associated with the disposal of certain machinery in the second quarter. The 740-basis-points improvement in gross margin from 31.0 percent in the same period last year was primarily due to the Company’s efforts to scale back manufacturing operations in favor of imports, the strong US dollar, and a significant decrease in ocean freight costs. Ocean freight cost as a percentage of net sales was 6.7 percent during the first nine months of 2023, down from 15.8 percent for the same period in 2022.

Operating expenses were $81.5 million for the nine months of 2023, or 26.3 percent of net sales, compared with $77.2 million or 23.4 percent of net sales in the same period last year. The increase was primarily due to the impairment expense and loss, net, on disposal of machinery due to the Company’s scaling back manufacturing in the U.S., workforce expansion and the shift towards import, higher marketing expense to support online sales growth, and higher rental expense from the additional leased warehouses partially offset by reduced shipping and transportation costs due to lower shipping rates.

Operating income increased 48.6 percent to $37.5 million for the first nine months of 2023, or 12.1 percent of net sales, compared with $25.2 million, or 7.6 percent of net sales, in the same period last year.

Other income, net was $0.6 million in the first nine months of 2023, compared with $2.4 million in the same period last year, which consisted primarily of gains associated with an interest rate swap.

Net income increased 36.2 percent to $29.0 million for the first nine months of 2023, from $21.3 million in the same period last year. Net income margin increased to 9.4 percent in the first nine months of 2023, compared with 6.4 percent in the same period last year. Net income attributable to Karat was $28.6 million, or $1.43 per diluted share, for the first nine months of 2023, compared with $19.1 million, or $0.96 per diluted share, in the same period last year.

Adjusted EBITDA, a non-GAAP measure defined below, increased to $51.6 million in the first nine months of 2023, compared with $36.6 million in the same period last year. Adjusted EBITDA margin, a non-GAAP measure defined below, increased to 16.6 percent in the 2023 year-to-date period, compared with 11.1 percent in the same period last year.

Adjusted diluted earnings per common share, a non-GAAP measure defined below, rose to $1.62 per share in the first nine months of 2023, from $1.03 per share in the same period last year.

Investor Conference Call

The Company will host an investor conference call today, November 9, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time (5:00 p.m. Eastern Time) to discuss its 2023 third quarter results.

About Karat Packaging Inc.
Karat Packaging Inc. is a specialty distributor and manufacturer of a wide range of disposable foodservice products and related items, primarily used by national and regional restaurants and in foodservice settings throughout the United States. Its products include food and take-out containers, bags, tableware, cups, lids, cutlery, straws, specialty beverage ingredients, equipment, gloves and other products. The company’s eco-friendly Karat Earth® line offers quality, sustainably focused products that are made from renewable resources. Karat Packaging also offers customized solutions, including new product development and design, printing, and logistics services. To learn more about Karat Packaging, please visit the company’s website at www.karatpackaging.com.

Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
Statements made in this release that are not statements of historical or current facts are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We caution readers that forward-looking statements are predictions based on our current expectations about future events. These forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, achieving our financial guidance, are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Our actual results, performance, or achievements could differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements as a result of a number of factors, including the risks discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” discussed under the caption “Item 1A. Risk Factors” in Part I of our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and any updates discussed under the caption “Item 1A. Risk Factors” in Part II of our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise that occur after that date, except as required by law.

Investor Relations and Media Contacts:

PondelWilkinson Inc.
Judy Lin Sfetcu/Roger Pondel
310-279-5980
ir@karatpackaging.com

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RECONCILIATION OF GAAP TO NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES (UNAUDITED)

(1) The write-off of inventory and impairment expense and (gain) loss, net, on disposal of machinery represent costs incurred in connection with the scaling back of production in the U.S. As part of the execution of this strategy, certain machinery and equipment was disposed of or impaired, and raw materials associated with those machinery and equipment were written-off.

(2) Secondary offering transaction costs represent legal and professional fees incurred in connection with the completion of the secondary offering, which were directly related to the offering and were incremental to our normal operating expenses.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

Karat utilizes certain financial measures and key performance indicators that are not defined by, or calculated in accordance with, GAAP to assess our financial and operating performance. A non-GAAP financial measure is defined as a numerical measure of a company’s financial performance that (i) excludes amounts, or is subject to adjustments that have the effect of excluding amounts, that are included in the comparable measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP in the statement of operations; or (ii) includes amounts, or is subject to adjustments that have the effect of including amounts, that are excluded from the comparable GAAP measure so calculated and presented. The following non-GAAP measures are presented in this press release:

• Adjusted EBITDA is calculated as net income before interest income and interest expense, provision for income taxes, depreciation and amortization, stock-based compensation expense, secondary offering transaction costs, write-off of certain inventory items outside the normal course of business, and impairment expense and (gain) loss, net, on disposal of machinery outside the normal course of business.
• Adjusted EBITDA margin is calculated by dividing Adjusted EBITDA by net sales.
• Adjusted diluted earnings per common share is calculated as diluted earnings per common share, plus the per share impact of stock-based compensation, secondary offering transaction costs, write-off of certain inventory items outside the normal course of business, impairment expense and (gain) loss, net, on disposal of machinery outside the normal course of business, and adjusted for the related tax effects of these adjustments.
  

We believe the above-mentioned non-GAAP measures, which are used by management to assess the core performance of Karat, provide useful information and additional clarity of our operating results to our investors in their own evaluation of the core performance of Karat and facilitate a comparison of such performance from period to period. These are not measurements of financial performance or liquidity under GAAP and should not be considered in isolation or construed as substitutes for net income or other cash flow data prepared in accordance with GAAP for purposes of analyzing our profitability or liquidity. These measures should be considered in addition to, and not as a substitute for, revenue, net income, earnings per share, cash flows or other measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with GAAP. In addition, these non-GAAP financial measures may not provide information that is directly comparable to that provided by other companies, as other companies may calculate such financial results differently.

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