Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. Reports First Quarter Fiscal 2023 Financial Results

• Q1 Net Sales of $84.4 Million
• Q1 Gross Margin of 37.3%; Non-GAAP Gross Profit of 38.8%
• Q1 EPS of $0.07/Share; Q1 Adjusted EBITDAS Margin of 18.5%
• $110.5 Million of Cash on Hand

SPRINGFIELD, Mass., Sept. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ Global Select: SWBI), a U.S.-based leader in firearm manufacturing and design, today announced financial results for the first quarter fiscal year 2023, ended July 31, 2022.

First Quarter Fiscal 2023 Financial Highlights

• Net sales were $84.4 million, a decrease of $190.2 million, or 69.3%, from the comparable quarter last year, and $11.0 million, or 11.6%, lower than the comparable quarter in fiscal 2020.
• Gross margin was 37.3% compared with 47.3% in the comparable quarter last year and 37.3% in the comparable quarter in fiscal 2020.  Excluding relocation costs, gross margin would have been 38.8%.
• GAAP net income was $3.3 million, or $0.07 per diluted share, compared with $76.9 million, or $1.57 per diluted share, for the comparable quarter last year, and with $2.2 million, or $0.04 per diluted share, for the comparable quarter in fiscal 2020.
• Non-GAAP net income was $5.1 million, or $0.11 per diluted share, compared with $77.1 million, or $1.57 per diluted share, for the comparable quarter last year, and with $2.2 million, or $0.04 per diluted share, for the comparable quarter in fiscal 2020. GAAP to non-GAAP adjustments for income exclude costs related to the planned relocation of our headquarters and certain manufacturing and distribution operations to Tennessee, the spin-off of the outdoor products and accessories business in fiscal 2021, COVID-19 related expenses, and other costs. For a detailed reconciliation, see the schedules that follow in this release.
• Non-GAAP Adjusted EBITDAS was $15.7 million, or 18.5% of net sales, compared with $109.6 million, or 39.9% of net sales, for the comparable quarter last year, and with $17.3 million, or 18.2% of net sales, for the comparable quarter in fiscal 2020.

Mark Smith, President and Chief Executive Officer, commented, "As expected, our first quarter results reflected a return to a normal demand pattern at the retail counter for firearms combined with temporary headwinds from inventory corrections within the channel.  Despite a challenging quarter from a top-line perspective, the team delivered impressive profitability, which far exceeded the pre-pandemic comparable quarter in fiscal 2020 – not just in relative percentages but in absolute dollars.  With a pickup in order rates over the past few weeks and a significant drop in unit inventory levels within the channel, we believe the inventory correction should now largely be in the rearview mirror.  We continue to expect strong profitability over the remainder of the year aided by our disciplined approach to cost control and promotional spending."

Deana McPherson, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, commented, "Our financial performance continues to reflect tough year-over-year comparisons due to the return to more normalized levels of demand following the surge.  We were pleased with our gross margin, which was equal to our gross margin in the first quarter of fiscal 2020 in spite of lower sales and 1.5% better when adjusted for the relocation.  Our balance sheet remains strong with $110.5 million of cash and no debt, and we expect to continue generating strong cash flow for the foreseeable future.  Consistent with our capital allocation strategy, our board of directors has authorized a $0.10 per share quarterly dividend, which will be paid to stockholders of record on September 22, 2022 with payment to be made on October 6, 2022."

Conference Call and WebcastThe company will host a conference call and webcast on September 8, 2022 to discuss its first quarter fiscal 2023 financial and operational results. Speakers on the conference call will include Mark Smith, President and Chief Executive Officer, and Deana McPherson, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. The conference call may include forward-looking statements. The conference call and webcast will begin at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time (2:00 p.m. Pacific Time). Those interested in listening to the conference call via telephone should click "here" to pre-register for the conference call and obtain your dial-in number and unique PIN number.  The conference call audio webcast can also be accessed live on the company's website at www.smith-wesson.com, under the Investor Relations section.

Reconciliation of U.S. GAAP to Non-GAAP Financial MeasuresIn this press release, certain non-GAAP financial measures, including "non-GAAP net income," "Adjusted EBITDAS," and "free cash flow" are presented. From time-to-time, we consider and use these supplemental measures of operating performance in order to provide the reader with an improved understanding of underlying performance trends.  We believe it is useful for us and the reader to review, as applicable, both (1) GAAP measures that include (i) interest expense, (ii) income tax expense, (iii) depreciation and amortization, (iv) stock-based compensation expense, (v) COVID-19 expenses, (vi) transition costs, (vii) amortization of acquired intangible assets, (viii) spin related stock compensation, (ix) Relocation expense, and (x) the tax effect of non-GAAP adjustments; and (2) the non-GAAP measures that exclude such information. We present these non-GAAP measures because we consider them an important supplemental measure of our performance. Our definition of these adjusted financial measures may differ from similarly named measures used by others. We believe these measures facilitate operating performance comparisons from period to period by eliminating potential differences caused by the existence and timing of certain expense items that would not otherwise be apparent on a GAAP basis.  These non-GAAP measures have limitations as an analytical tool and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for our GAAP measures.  The principal limitations of these measures are that they do not reflect our actual expenses and may thus have the effect of inflating its financial measures on a GAAP basis.

About Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc.Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ Global Select: SWBI) is a U.S.-based leader in firearm manufacturing and design, delivering a broad portfolio of quality handgun, long gun, and suppressor products to the global consumer and professional markets under the iconic Smith & Wesson®, M&P®, and Gemtech® brands.  The company also provides manufacturing services including forging, machining, and precision plastic injection molding services.  For more information call (800) 331-0852 or visit www.smith-wesson.com.

Safe Harbor Statement Certain statements contained in this press release may be deemed to be forward-looking statements under federal securities laws, and we intend that such forward-looking statements be subject to the safe-harbor created thereby. Such forward-looking statements include, among others, (i) our belief that, with a pickup in order rates over the past few weeks and a significant drop in unit inventory levels within the channel, the inventory correction should now largely be in the rearview mirror, (ii) our expectation of strong profitability over the remainder of the year aided by our disciplined approach to cost control and promotional spending, and (iii) our expectation that we will continue generating strong cash flow for the foreseeable future. We caution that these statements are qualified by important risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others, economic, social, political, legislative, and regulatory factors; the potential for increased regulation of firearms and firearm-related products; actions of social activists that could have an adverse effect on our business; the impact of lawsuits; the demand for our products; the state of the U.S. economy in general and the firearm industry in particular; general economic conditions and consumer spending patterns; our competitive environment; the supply, availability, and costs of raw materials and components; our anticipated growth and growth opportunities; our strategies; our ability to maintain and enhance brand recognition and reputation; our ability to effectively manage and execute the planned relocation of our headquarters and certain of our operations to Tennessee; our ability to introduce new products; the success of new products; the potential for cancellation of orders from our backlog; and other risks detailed from time to time in our reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended April 30, 2022. 

Contact:[email protected](413) 747-3448

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SOURCE Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc.