Home Textiles
Culp reports continued sequential and strong year-on-year operational improvement and a solid financial position for Q2
Fiscal 2024 Second Quarter Financial Summary
• Net sales for the second quarter of fiscal 2024 were $58.7 million, up 0.6 percent compared with the prior-year period, with mattress fabrics sales up 19.6 percent, and upholstery fabrics sales down 14.9 percent.
• Loss from operations was $(2.2) million, compared with a loss from operations of $(11.9) million for the prior-year period (which included $6.7 million relating to certain inventory impairment and other charges and restructuring and related expenses during the period).
• Net loss was $(2.4) million, or $(0.19) per diluted share, compared with a net loss of $(12.2) million, or $(0.99) per diluted share, for the prior-year period. The effective tax rate for the second quarter was negative (27.0) percent, reflecting the company’s mix of taxable income between its U.S. and foreign jurisdictions during the period.
• The company maintained a solid financial position, with its balance sheet reflecting $15.2 million of total cash and no outstanding borrowings as of October 29, 2023. Total liquidity as of October 29, 2023, was $41.4 million (consisting of $15.2 million in cash and $26.2 million in borrowing availability under the company's domestic credit facility).
• Adjusted EBITDA for the period was close to break even at negative $(247,000), as compared to adjusted EBITDA of negative $(8.2) million for the prior-year period.
CEO Commentary
Commenting on the results, Iv Culp, president and chief executive officer of Culp, Inc., said, “We are pleased to report both sequential and year-over-year improvement in our consolidated sales and operating performance for the second quarter, a solid outcome considering the challenging macro environment for furniture and bedding. These results, which were in line with our expectations, reflect the strategic business transformation initiatives underway in both divisions that are focused on driving performance despite ongoing demand softness. In our mattress fabrics segment, we are increasing sales and gaining market position with new fabric and sewn cover placements. This segment also achieved a 90 percent improvement in its operating results as compared to the prior-year period, and a 33 percent improvement as compared sequentially to the prior quarter. This performance was driven by balanced inventory management, higher sales, better pricing and margin, and an ongoing focus by our strengthened leadership team on operational efficiencies across our locations. For our upholstery fabrics segment, as expected, sales for residential fabrics were lower than the prior-year period due to demand softness affecting the home furnishings industry. However, demand remained solid in our hospitality/contract business. The segment also saw a significant improvement in operating performance, driven by better inventory management, fixed cost savings, and other operational improvements.
“Additionally, we continued our focus on prudent financial management, including maintaining a strong balance sheet and ensuring a strategic level of working capital. We ended the quarter with $15.2 million in cash and no outstanding borrowings. We believe we are well positioned, and we are strategically investing in our business, especially within our mattress fabrics segment, to support future profitable sales growth and further improve operating efficiencies.
“As we enter the third quarter, we acknowledge that the various external headwinds and pressures on consumer spending for furniture and bedding products may remain for some time. However, our market position is strong and growing, and we are diligently focused on internal improvement initiatives that will enable us to withstand these industry conditions and position our business for renewed growth and profitability. Regardless of the current demand backdrop, we expect to continue on a path of sequential and year-over-year operating improvement, including a return to positive adjusted EBITDA in the third quarter. We also believe we are poised to return to consolidated operating profitability by the end of the fiscal year. We are well positioned with our innovative product offerings, creative designs, resilient global manufacturing and sourcing platform, strong leadership teams, and focused financial management. These hallmarks of our business will support us into the future, especially when market conditions improve,” added Culp.
Business Segment Highlights
Mattress Fabrics Segment (“CHF”) Summary
• Sales for this segment were $31.4 million for the second quarter, up 19.6 percent compared with sales of $26.2 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2023.
• The higher sales, as compared to the prior-year period, were primarily driven by new fabric and sewn cover placements that are priced in line with current costs. While the domestic mattress industry remains pressured, CHF continues to make gains with customers in a difficult market environment.
• Operating loss was $(936,000) for the second quarter, a 90 percent improvement compared to the $(9.0) million operating loss in the prior-year period (which included $5.0 million relating to certain inventory impairment charges and losses from inventory close out sales). This substantial reduction in losses was driven by balanced inventory management, higher sales, better pricing and margins, and improvement in operating efficiencies. These factors were partially offset by higher SG&A business investments during the period.
Upholstery Fabrics Segment (“CUF”) Summary
• Sales for this segment were $27.3 million for the second quarter, down 14.9 percent compared with sales of $32.2 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2023.
• Sales for CUF's residential fabric business were affected by ongoing softness in the residential home furnishings industry, where demand remains pressured by a challenging macro-economic environment. Demand remained solid for CUF’s hospitality/contract business, with sales for this business accounting for approximately 33 percent of CUF's total sales.
• Operating income was $1.4 million for the second quarter, up significantly compared with $262,000 in the second quarter of fiscal 2023 (which included approximately $1.0 million in higher-than-normal inventory markdowns). Operating margin for the second quarter was 5.1 percent, again a significant improvement compared to the prior-year period. Operating performance for the second quarter was positively affected by better inventory management; lower fixed costs resulting from the previous restructuring of CUF's cut and sew platforms; lower freight costs; and a more favorable foreign exchange rate associated with CUF's operations in China. These factors were partially offset by lower residential fabric sales and higher SG&A business investments during the period.
Balance Sheet, Cash Flow, and Liquidity
• As of October 29, 2023, the company reported $15.2 million in total cash and no outstanding debt.
• Cash flow from operations and free cash flow were negative $(4.5) million and negative $(5.6) million, respectively, for the first six months of fiscal 2024. (See reconciliation table at the back of this press release.) As expected, the company’s cash flow from operations and free cash flow during the period were affected by operating losses and planned strategic investments in capital expenditures mostly related to the CHF transformation plan.
• Capital expenditures for the first six months of fiscal 2024 were $2.0 million. The company continues to manage capital investments, focusing on projects that will increase efficiencies and improve quality, especially for the CHF segment.
• As of October 29, 2023, the company had approximately $41.4 million in liquidity, consisting of $15.2 million in total cash and $26.2 million in borrowing availability under the company's domestic credit facility.
Share Repurchases
The company did not repurchase any shares during the second quarter of fiscal 2024, leaving approximately $3.2 million available under the current share repurchase program as of October 29, 2023. Despite the current share repurchase authorization, the company does not expect to repurchase any shares during the third quarter of fiscal 2024.
Financial Outlook
• CULP achieved sequential and year-over-year improvement in its sales and operating results for the second quarter of fiscal 2024. While the current macroeconomic conditions affecting consumer spending and demand trends are likely to continue for some period, the company remains well positioned, especially with the transformation strategy underway in its mattress fabrics division.
• Due to the uncertainty in the macro-environment, the company is only providing financial guidance for the third quarter of fiscal 2024. The company’s consolidated net sales for the third quarter are expected to be sequentially comparable to second quarter of fiscal 2024 and moderately higher as compared to the third quarter of fiscal 2023, even in the face of ongoing demand headwinds. The company expects a consolidated operating loss (loss from operations) for the third quarter of fiscal 2024 that is in the range of $(1.2) to $(1.6) million, sequentially improved from the previous quarter's results, and a significant improvement compared to the $(7.8) million operating loss for the prior-year period (which included $711,000 in restructuring expense).
• The company’s expectations are based on information available at the time of this press release and reflect certain assumptions by management regarding the company’s business and trends and the projected impact of the ongoing headwinds.
Conference Call
Culp, Inc. will hold a conference call to discuss financial results for the second quarter of fiscal 2024 on December 5, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time. A live webcast of this call can be accessed on the “Upcoming Events” section on the investor relations page of the company’s website, www.culp.com. A replay of the webcast will be available for 30 days under the “Past Events” section on the investor relations page of the company’s website, beginning at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time on December 5, 2023.