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Target Reports Third Quarter Results

November 20, 2018 6:30 AM

MINNEAPOLIS, Nov. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

  • Comparable traffic growth of 5.3 percent and comparable sales growth of 5.1 percent were driven by healthy increases in both stores and digital channels.
  • Third quarter comparable digital channel sales grew 49 percent, contributing 1.9 percentage points to comparable sales.
  • The Company gained market share across all five of its core merchandising categories.
  • GAAP EPS from continuing operations were $1.16, up 33.6 percent from last year. Adjusted EPS1 were $1.09, up 20.2 percent from last year.
  • For additional media materials, please visit: https://corporate.target.com/article/2018/11/q3-2018-earnings

Target Corporation (NYSE: TGT) today announced its third quarter 2018 financial performance, including comparable sales growth of 5.1 percent and comparable traffic growth of 5.3 percent. The Company reported GAAP earnings per share (EPS) from continuing operations of $1.16 in third quarter 2018, up 33.6 percent from $0.87 in third quarter 2017. Third quarter Adjusted EPS were $1.09, up 20.2 percent from $0.90 in third quarter 2017. The attached tables provide a reconciliation of non-GAAP to GAAP measures. All earnings per share figures refer to diluted EPS.

1 Adjusted EPS, a non-GAAP financial measure, excludes the impact of certain discretely managed items. See the tables of this release for additional information about the items that have been excluded from Adjusted EPS.

"Our team delivered another outstanding quarter, driving comparable traffic and sales growth of more than 5 percent and earnings per share growth of more than 20 percent," said Brian Cornell, chairman and chief executive officer of Target Corporation. "We've made significant investments in our team heading into the holidays and they are ready to serve our guests with a comprehensive suite of convenient delivery and pickup options, a wide range of new products and unique gift ideas and a strong emphasis on low prices and great value. We plan to leverage our current momentum into 2019, when we'll achieve greater scale across the full slate of our initiatives - creating efficiencies and cost-savings, further strengthening our guest experience and positioning Target for profitable growth in the years ahead."

Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2018 Guidance

For the fourth quarter, Target expects comparable sales growth of approximately 5 percent, consistent with the Company's year-to-date performance through third quarter 2018. For the full year, the Company continues to expect Adjusted EPS of $5.30 to $5.50 and GAAP EPS of $5.41 to $5.61. The 11-cent difference between expected full-year Adjusted EPS and GAAP EPS is driven by discrete items already reported through third quarter 2018.

The Company announced today that it plans to issue a post-holiday financial update on Thursday, January 10, 2019.

Operating Results

Total revenue of $17.8 billion increased 5.6 percent from $16.9 billion last year, reflecting sales growth of 5.7 percent and other revenue growth of 1.6 percent. Third quarter sales growth included a 5.1 percent increase in comparable sales and a 0.6 percentage point contribution from non-mature stores. Comparable digital channel sales grew 49 percent and contributed 1.9 percentage points of comparable sales growth. Operating income was $819 million in third quarter 2018, down 3.3 percent from $847 million in 2017.

Third quarter operating income margin rate was 4.6 percent, compared with 5.0 percent in 2017. Third quarter gross margin rate was 28.7 percent, compared with 29.6 percent in 2017. This decline reflected higher supply chain costs driven by growth in digital fulfillment costs and other expenses related to the size and timing of holiday-related inventory receipts compared with last year, partially offset by the benefit of merchant initiatives. Third quarter SG&A expense rate was 22.1 percent in 2018, essentially flat to last year. Third quarter SG&A results reflected continued investments in our team, specifically hours, training and wages, which were offset by continued cost discipline across the enterprise.

Interest Expense and Taxes from Continuing Operations

The Company's third quarter 2018 net interest expense was $115 million, down 54.1 percent from $251 million last year, primarily driven by early debt retirement costs recognized in third quarter last year. Third quarter 2018 effective income tax rate from continuing operations was 13.6 percent, compared with 22.2 percent last year. Third quarter 2018 effective income tax rate from continuing operations reflects the net tax effect of the federal tax reform legislation (the Tax Act), including both ongoing and discrete benefits.

Capital Deployment

In third quarter 2018 the Company made capital investments of $1,017 million in property and equipment, and returned $863 million to shareholders, including:

  • Dividends of $337 million, compared with $339 million in third quarter 2017, reflecting a decline in share count partially offset by an increase in the dividend per share.
  • Share repurchases totaling $526 million that retired 6.3 million shares of common stock at an average price of $84.00.

As of the end of the third quarter, the Company had approximately $1.8 billion of remaining capacity under its current $5 billion share repurchase program, reflecting third quarter purchases and an accelerated share repurchase transaction which will settle in the fourth quarter.

For the trailing twelve months through third quarter 2018, after-tax return on invested capital (ROIC) was 15.8 percent, compared with 13.4 percent for the twelve months through third quarter 2017. Excluding the discrete impacts of the Tax Act, ROIC was 13.9 percent for the trailing twelve months ended November 3, 2018. See the tables of this release for additional information about the Company's ROIC calculation.

Conference Call Details

Target will webcast its third quarter earnings conference call at 7:00 a.m. CST today. Investors and the media are invited to listen to the call at investors.target.com (hover over "investors" then click on "events & presentations"). A telephone replay of the call will be available beginning at approximately 10:30 a.m. CST today through the end of business on November 23, 2018. The replay number is 800-331-1949.

Miscellaneous

Statements in this release regarding fourth quarter and full-year 2018 earnings per share and comparable sales guidance and the expected 2019 impact of our initiatives are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties which could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially. The most important risks and uncertainties are described in Item 1A of the Company's Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended Feb. 3, 2018. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement.

About Target

Minneapolis-based Target Corporation (NYSE: TGT) serves guests at more than 1,800 stores and at Target.com. Since 1946, Target has given 5 percent of its profit to communities, which today equals millions of dollars a week. For the latest store count or for more information, visit Target.com/Pressroom. For a behind-the-scenes look at Target, visit Target.com/abullseyeview or follow @TargetNews on Twitter.

TARGET CORPORATION

Consolidated Statements of Operations

Three Months Ended

Nine Months Ended

(millions, except per share data) (unaudited)

November 3, 2018

October 28,

2017

As Adjusted (a)

Change

November 3, 2018

October 28,

2017

As Adjusted (a)

Change

Sales

$

17,590

$

16,647

5.7

%

$

51,699

$

49,052

5.4

%

Other revenue

231

227

1.6

680

679

0.2

Total revenue

17,821

16,874

5.6

52,379

49,731

5.3

Cost of sales

12,535

11,712

7.0

36,400

34,330

6.0

Selling, general and administrative expenses

3,937

3,733

5.5

11,347

10,686

6.2

Depreciation and amortization (exclusive of depreciation included in cost of sales)

530

582

(9.0)

1,639

1,620

1.2

Operating income

819

847

(3.3)

2,993

3,095

(3.3)

Net interest expense

115

251

(54.1)

352

521

(32.6)

Net other (income) / expense

(9)

(15)

(39.9)

(21)

(44)

(53.6)

Earnings from continuing operations before income taxes

713

611

16.7

2,662

2,618

1.7

Provision for income taxes

97

135

(28.5)

530

798

(33.6)

Net earnings from continuing operations

616

476

29.6

2,132

1,820

17.1

Discontinued operations, net of tax

6

2

7

7

Net earnings

$

622

$

478

30.2

%

$

2,139

$

1,827

17.1

%

Basic earnings per share

Continuing operations

$

1.17

$

0.87

34.1

%

$

4.01

$

3.31

20.9

%

Discontinued operations

0.01

0.01

0.01

Net earnings per share

$

1.18

$

0.88

34.8

%

$

4.02

$

3.33

20.9

%

Diluted earnings per share

Continuing operations

$

1.16

$

0.87

33.6

%

$

3.98

$

3.30

20.5

%

Discontinued operations

0.01

0.01

0.01

Net earnings per share

$

1.17

$

0.87

34.2

%

$

3.99

$

3.31

20.5

%

Weighted average common shares outstanding

Basic

525.9

544.5

(3.4)

%

531.5

548.7

(3.1)

%

Dilutive impact of share-based awards

5.3

3.4

4.7

3.1

Diluted

531.2

547.9

(3.0)

%

536.2

551.8

(2.8)

%

Antidilutive shares

4.5

4.1

Dividends declared per share

$

0.64

$

0.62

3.2

%

$

1.90

$

1.84

3.3

%

Note: Per share amounts may not foot due to rounding.

(a)

Beginning with the first quarter 2018, we adopted the new accounting standards for revenue recognition, leases, and pensions. We are presenting prior period results on a basis consistent with the new standards and conformed to the current period presentation. We provided additional information about the impact of the new accounting standards on previously reported financial information in a Form 8-K filed on May 11, 2018.

TARGET CORPORATION

Consolidated Statements of Financial Position

(millions) (unaudited)

November 3, 2018

February 3,

2018

As Adjusted (a)

October 28,

2017

As Adjusted (a)

Assets

Cash and cash equivalents

$

825

$

2,643

$

2,725

Inventory

12,393

8,597

10,517

Other current assets

1,421

1,300

1,444

Total current assets

14,639

12,540

14,686

Property and equipment

Land

6,069

6,095

6,087

Buildings and improvements

29,090

28,131

27,946

Fixtures and equipment

5,784

5,623

5,548

Computer hardware and software

2,660

2,645

2,658

Construction-in-progress

384

440

389

Accumulated depreciation

(18,380)

(18,398)

(17,979)

Property and equipment, net

25,607

24,536

24,649

Operating lease assets

1,997

1,884

1,861

Other noncurrent assets

1,329

1,343

813

Total assets

$

43,572

$

40,303

$

42,009

Liabilities and shareholders' investment

Accounts payable

$

11,959

$

8,677

$

9,986

Accrued and other current liabilities

4,096

4,094

3,875

Current portion of long-term debt and other borrowings

1,535

281

1,366

Total current liabilities

17,590

13,052

15,227

Long-term debt and other borrowings

10,104

11,117

11,090

Noncurrent operating lease liabilities

2,046

1,924

1,901

Deferred income taxes

970

693

915

Other noncurrent liabilities

1,782

1,866

1,784

Total noncurrent liabilities

14,902

15,600

15,690

Shareholders' investment

Common stock

43

45

45

Additional paid-in capital

5,867

5,858

5,762

Retained earnings

5,884

6,495

5,895

Accumulated other comprehensive loss

(714)

(747)

(610)

Total shareholders' investment

11,080

11,651

11,092

Total liabilities and shareholders' investment

$

43,572

$

40,303

$

42,009

Common Stock Authorized 6,000,000,000 shares, $0.0833 par value; 521,810,597, 541,681,670 and 543,913,318 shares issued and outstanding at November 3, 2018, February 3, 2018 and October 28, 2017, respectively.

Preferred Stock Authorized 5,000,000 shares, $0.01 par value; no shares were issued or outstanding during any period presented.

(a) Additional information is provided on page 6.

TARGET CORPORATION

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

Nine Months Ended

(millions) (unaudited)

November 3, 2018

October 28,

2017

As Adjusted (a)

Operating activities

Net earnings

$

2,139

$

1,827

Earnings from discontinued operations, net of tax

7

7

Net earnings from continuing operations

2,132

1,820

Adjustments to reconcile net earnings to cash provided by operations

Depreciation and amortization

1,826

1,809

Share-based compensation expense

106

81

Deferred income taxes

261

33

Loss on debt extinguishment

123

Noncash losses / (gains) and other, net

85

209

Changes in operating accounts

Inventory

(3,796)

(2,277)

Other assets

(140)

(88)

Accounts payable

3,298

2,735

Accrued and other liabilities

(158)

(25)

Cash provided by operating activities—continuing operations

3,614

4,420

Cash provided by operating activities—discontinued operations

10

75

Cash provided by operations

3,624

4,495

Investing activities

Expenditures for property and equipment

(2,873)

(2,049)

Proceeds from disposal of property and equipment

39

27

Other investments

15

(62)

Cash required for investing activities

(2,819)

(2,084)

Financing activities

Change in commercial paper, net

490

Additions to long-term debt

739

Reductions of long-term debt

(268)

(1,093)

Dividends paid

(1,001)

(1,001)

Repurchase of stock (b)

(1,485)

(618)

Accelerated share repurchase pending final settlement (b)

(450)

(250)

Stock option exercises

91

25

Cash required for financing activities

(2,623)

(2,198)

Net (decrease) / increase in cash and cash equivalents

(1,818)

213

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period

2,643

2,512

Cash and cash equivalents at end of period

$

825

$

2,725

(a)

Additional information is provided on page 6.

(b)

Prior year amounts have been reclassified to conform with the current year presentation.

TARGET CORPORATION

Operating Results

Three Months Ended

Nine Months Ended

Rate Analysis

(unaudited)

November 3, 2018

October 28, 2017 As Adjusted (a)

November 3, 2018

October 28, 2017 As Adjusted (a)

Gross margin rate (b)

28.7

%

29.6

%

29.6

%

30.0

%

SG&A expense rate (c)

22.1

22.1

21.7

21.5

Depreciation and amortization (exclusive of depreciation included in cost of sales) expense rate (c)

3.0

3.4

3.1

3.3

Operating income margin rate (c)

4.6

5.0

5.7

6.2

(a)

Additional information is provided on page 6.

(b)

Calculated as gross margin (sales less cost of sales) divided by sales.

(c)

Calculated as the applicable amount divided by total revenue. Other revenue includes $169 million and $503 million of profit-sharing income under our credit card program agreement for the three and nine months ended November 3, 2018, respectively, and $170 million and $512 million for the three and nine months ended October 28, 2017, respectively.

Three Months Ended

Nine Months Ended

Comparable Sales

(unaudited)

November 3, 2018

October 28, 2017

November 3, 2018

October 28, 2017

Comparable sales change

5.1

%

0.9

%

4.9

%

0.3

%

Drivers of change in comparable sales

Number of transactions

5.3

1.4

5.1

0.9

Average transaction amount

(0.2)

(0.5)

(0.2)

(0.6)

Note: Amounts may not foot due to rounding.

Contribution to Comparable Sales Change

(unaudited)

Three Months Ended

Nine Months Ended

November 3, 2018

October 28, 2017

November 3, 2018

October 28, 2017

Stores channel comparable sales change

3.2

%

%

3.4

%

(0.6)

%

Digital channel contribution to comparable sales change

1.9

0.8

1.5

0.9

Total comparable sales change

5.1

%

0.9

%

4.9

%

0.3

%

Note: Amounts may not foot due to rounding.

Three Months Ended

Nine Months Ended

Sales by Channel

(unaudited)

November 3, 2018

October 28, 2017 As Adjusted (a)

November 3, 2018

October 28, 2017 As Adjusted (a)

Stores

94.0

%

95.8

%

94.4

%

95.8

%

Digital

6.0

4.2

5.6

4.2

Total

100

%

100

%

100

%

100

%

(a) Additional information is provided on page 6.

Three Months Ended

Nine Months Ended

REDcard Penetration

(unaudited)

November 3, 2018

October 28, 2017

November 3, 2018

October 28, 2017

Target Debit Card

12.9

%

13.0

%

13.1

%

13.3

%

Target Credit Cards

10.8

11.4

10.8

11.3

Total REDcard Penetration

23.7

%

24.4

%

23.9

%

24.6

%

Note: Amounts may not foot due to rounding. In Q1 2018, we refined our calculation of REDcard penetration. The prior period amount has been updated to conform with the current period methodology, resulting in an increase of 0.2 percentage points to the Total REDcard Penetration for both the three and nine months ended October 28, 2017.

Number of Stores and Retail Square Feet

(unaudited)

Number of Stores

Retail Square Feet (a)

November 3, 2018

February 3, 2018

October 28, 2017

November 3, 2018

February 3, 2018

October 28, 2017

170,000 or more sq. ft.

273

274

276

48,778

48,966

49,326

50,000 to 169,999 sq. ft.

1,505

1,500

1,508

189,496

189,030

190,038

49,999 or less sq. ft.

68

48

44

1,984

1,359

1,268

Total

1,846

1,822

1,828

240,258

239,355

240,632

(a)

In thousands, reflects total square feet less office, distribution center, and vacant space.

TARGET CORPORATION

Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

To provide additional transparency, we have disclosed non-GAAP adjusted diluted earnings per share from continuing operations (Adjusted EPS). This metric excludes certain items presented below. We believe this information is useful in providing period-to-period comparisons of the results of our continuing operations. This measure is not in accordance with, or an alternative for, generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (GAAP). The most comparable GAAP measure is diluted earnings per share from continuing operations (GAAP EPS). Adjusted EPS should not be considered in isolation or as a substitution for analysis of our results as reported under GAAP. Other companies may calculate Adjusted EPS differently, limiting the usefulness of the measure for comparisons with other companies.

Three Months Ended

November 3, 2018

October 28, 2017

As Adjusted (a)

(millions, except per share data) (unaudited)

Pretax

Net ofTax

Per ShareAmounts

Pretax

Net ofTax

Per ShareAmounts

Change

GAAP diluted earnings per share from continuing operations

$

1.16

$

0.87

33.6

%

Adjustments

Tax Act (b)

$

$

(39)

$

(0.07)

$

$

$

Loss on early retirement of debt

123

75

0.14

Income tax matters (c)

(55)

(0.10)

Adjusted diluted earnings per share from continuing operations

$

1.09

$

0.90

20.2

%

Nine Months Ended

November 3, 2018

October 28, 2017

As Adjusted (a)

(millions, except per share data) (unaudited)

Pretax

Net ofTax

Per ShareAmounts

Pretax

Net ofTax

Per ShareAmounts

Change

GAAP diluted earnings per share from continuing operations

$

3.98

$

3.30

20.5

%

Adjustments

Tax Act (b)

$

$

(39)

$

(0.07)

$

$

$

Loss on early retirement of debt

123

75

0.14

Income tax matters (c)

(18)

(0.03)

(56)

(0.10)

Adjusted diluted earnings per share from continuing operations

$

3.87

$

3.33

16.2

%

Note: Amounts may not foot due to rounding.

(a)

Additional information is provided on page 6. Lease standard adoption resulted in a $0.01 reduction in GAAP EPS for the nine months ended October 28, 2017, and in Adjusted EPS for both the three and nine months ended October 28, 2017, and less than $0.01 in GAAP EPS for the three months ended October 28, 2017.

(b)

Represents measurement period adjustments to previously-recorded provisional amounts related to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the Tax Act).

(c)

Represents income from income tax matters not related to current period operations.

Earnings from continuing operations before interest expense and income taxes (EBIT) and earnings before interest expense, income taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) are non-GAAP financial measures which we believe provide meaningful information about our operational efficiency compared to our competitors by excluding the impact of differences in tax jurisdictions and structures, debt levels, and for EBITDA, capital investment. These measures are not in accordance with, or an alternative for, GAAP. The most comparable GAAP measure is net earnings from continuing operations. EBIT and EBITDA should not be considered in isolation or as a substitution for analysis of our results as reported under GAAP. Other companies may calculate EBIT and EBITDA differently, limiting the usefulness of the measure for comparisons with other companies.

EBIT and EBITDA

Three Months Ended

Nine Months Ended

(millions) (unaudited)

November 3, 2018

October 28,

2017

As Adjusted (a)

Change

November 3, 2018

October 28,

2017

As Adjusted (a)

Change

Net earnings from continuing operations

$

616

$

476

29.6

%

$

2,132

$

1,820

17.1

%

+ Provision for income taxes

97

135

(28.5)

530

798

(33.6)

+ Net interest expense

115

251

(54.1)

352

521

(32.6)

EBIT (a)

$

828

$

862

(3.9)

%

$

3,014

$

3,139

(4.0)

%

+ Total depreciation and amortization (b)

592

642

(7.8)

1,826

1,809

1.0

EBITDA (a)

$

1,420

$

1,504

(5.6)

%

$

4,840

$

4,948

(2.2)

%

(a)

Additional information is provided on page 6. Adoption of the new accounting standards resulted in a $7 million and $21 million decrease in EBIT and a $2 million and $4 million increase in EBITDA for the three and nine months ended October 28, 2017, respectively.

(b)

Represents total depreciation and amortization, including amounts classified within Depreciation and Amortization and within Cost of Sales on our Consolidated Statements of Operations.

We have also disclosed after-tax return on invested capital from continuing operations (ROIC), which is a ratio based on GAAP information. We believe this metric is useful in assessing the effectiveness of our capital allocation over time. Other companies may calculate ROIC differently, limiting the usefulness of the measure for comparisons with other companies.

After-Tax Return on Invested Capital

Numerator

Trailing Twelve Months

(dollars in millions) (unaudited)

November 3,

2018 (a)

October 28,

2017

As Adjusted (b)

Operating income

$

4,122

$

4,418

+ Net other income / (expense)

35

69

EBIT

4,157

4,487

+ Operating lease interest (c)

83

77

- Income taxes (d)

524

(e)

1,413

Net operating profit after taxes

$

3,716

$

3,151

Denominator

(dollars in millions) (unaudited)

November 3, 2018

October 28,

2017

As Adjusted (b)

October 29,

2016

As Adjusted (b)

Current portion of long-term debt and other borrowings

$

1,535

$

1,366

$

739

+ Noncurrent portion of long-term debt

10,104

11,090

11,939

+ Shareholders' equity

11,080

11,092

11,030

+ Operating lease liabilities (f)

2,208

2,041

1,925

- Cash and cash equivalents

825

2,725

1,231

- Net assets of discontinued operations (g)

4

60

Invested capital

$

24,102

$

22,860

$

24,342

Average invested capital (h)

$

23,481

$

23,601

After-tax return on invested capital (i)

15.8

%

(e)

13.4

%

After-tax return on invested capital excluding discrete impacts of Tax Act

13.9

%

(e)

(a)

Consisted of 53 weeks.

(b)

Additional information is provided on page 6.

(c)

Represents the add-back to operating income driven by the hypothetical interest expense we would incur if the property under our operating leases were owned or accounted for as finance leases. Calculated using the discount rate for each lease and recorded as a component of rent expense within SG&A. Operating lease interest is added back to Operating Income in the ROIC calculation to control for differences in capital structure between us and our competitors.

(d)

Calculated using the effective tax rates for continuing operations, which were 12.3 percent and 31.0 percent for the trailing twelve months ended November 3, 2018, and October 28, 2017, respectively. For the twelve months ended November 3, 2018, and October 28, 2017, includes tax effect of $514 million and $1,389 million, respectively, related to EBIT, and $10 million and $24 million, respectively, related to operating lease interest.

(e)

The effective tax rate for the trailing twelve months ended November 3, 2018, includes discrete tax benefits of $382 million related to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (Tax Act), and the impact of the new lower U.S. corporate income tax rate.

(f)

Total short-term and long-term operating lease liabilities included within Accrued and Other Current Liabilities and Noncurrent Operating Lease Liabilities on the Consolidated Statements of Financial Position.

(g)

Included in Other Assets and Liabilities on the Consolidated Statements of Financial Position.

(h)

Average based on the invested capital at the end of the current period and the invested capital at the end of the comparable prior period.

(i)

Adoption of the new lease standard reduced ROIC by approximately 0.5 percentage points for all periods presented.

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