Furniture Brands Q2 sales rise 2.3%
St. Louis, Missouri, August 3, 2011 — Furniture Brands International (NYSE: FBN) today announced financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2011.

• Sales were $296.2 million, an increase of 2.3% versus the second quarter of 2010 and almost flat versus the prior quarter

• Gross margin was 24.8% compared to 25.7% in the second quarter of 2010 and 26.0% in the prior quarter

• SG&A expense was $79.3 million compared to $75.2 million in the second quarter of 2010 and $79.6 million in the prior quarter

• Quarter ending cash balance was $35 million and bank facility additional borrowing availability was approximately $54 million
"We are pleased to report a sales increase in the second quarter," said Mr. Ralph Scozzafava, Chairman and CEO. "The initiatives we have implemented to drive our sales are gaining traction, including increasing consumer tested product, new product introductions that are resonating with customers, as well as our brand building initiatives that are serving to drive traffic to our websites and ultimately our stores and those of our dealers."
Net sales of $296.2 million for the second quarter of 2011 increased 2.3% versus net sales of $289.5 million in the second quarter of 2010. On a sequential basis net sales were roughly flat versus the first quarter of 2011. Second-quarter 2011 retail sales at the 66 company-owned stores and showrooms totaled $36.4 million, flat compared with second-quarter 2010 sales at 71 company-owned stores and showrooms. Second-quarter 2011 same-store sales at the 45 Thomasville stores that the company has owned for more than 15 months showed an increase of 8% compared to the second quarter of 2010. This was the sixth consecutive quarter of same-store sales growth.
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Furniture Brands' gross margin for the second quarter of 2011 was 24.8% down from 25.7% in the second quarter of 2010 largely due to increased raw material costs and higher inventory charges. Selling, general and administrative expenses (SG&A) for the second quarter of 2011 totaled $79.3 million up from $75.2 million in the second quarter of 2010 primarily due to increased advertising investments and favorable settlements in 2010 related to certain international tax and trade compliance matters.
The Company had a pretax loss of $6.4 million in the second quarter of 2011 as compared to a pretax loss of $1.0 million in the second quarter of 2010. For the second quarter of 2011, Furniture Brands had a net loss of $6.6 million, or $0.12 per diluted share. This compared to net income of $4.2 million, or $0.09 per diluted share, in the second quarter of 2010 which included a net tax benefit of approximately $5.3 million driven by the utilization of tax loss carrybacks.
Cash of $35 million decreased from the first quarter of 2011 balance of $41 million due primarily to fees related to the refinancing of our bank loan agreement as well as investments in new, offshore manufacturing capacity.
"We are making investment decisions that we believe are critical to the longer-term health of our Company," Mr. Scozzafava added. "These include investing to complete our manufacturing facilities in Indonesia and Mexico, both of which will deliver components and finished product at a lower cost than would otherwise be possible. They also include expenditures related to our 2012 SAP first-phase implementation that will ultimately create centralized information systems, timely access to business information, more rapid read and response time, as well as reduced costs to operate the business. It is our relentless focus on tightly controlling non-revenue generating expenses that is helping fund these investments."
"The elements that are critical to driving our revenues remain a priority. We will continue to make the necessary investments to drive profitable sales and the tough decisions to ensure our cost structure is appropriate, all while keeping our sights firmly set on returning our Company to profitability," Mr. Scozzafava concluded.
Upcoming Investor Event
A conference call will be held to discuss first quarter results at 7:30 a.m. (Central Time) on August 4, 2011. The call can be accessed in the Upcoming Investor Events section of the company's website at furniturebrands.com under "Investor Info". Access to the call and the release will be archived for one year.
About Furniture Brands
Furniture Brands International (NYSE: FBN) is one of the world's leading designers, manufacturers, sourcers, wholesalers, and retailers of home furnishings. We market through a wide range of retail channels, from mass merchant stores to single-branded and independent dealers to specialized interior designers. We serve our customers through some of the best known and most respected brands in the furniture industry, including Broyhill, Lane, Thomasville, Drexel Heritage, Henredon, Hickory Chair, Pearson, Laneventure, Maitland-Smith, and Creative Interiors.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Three Months Ended

 

 

Six Months Ended

 

 

 

June 30,

 

 

June 30,

 

 

June 30,

 

 

June 30,

 

 

 

2011

 

 

2010

 

 

2011

 

 

2010

 

Net sales

 

$

296,225

 

 

$

289,463

 

 

$

594,081

 

 

$

611,854

 

Cost of sales

 

 

222,805

 

 

 

215,072

 

 

 

443,117

 

 

 

453,014

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gross profit

 

 

73,420

 

 

 

74,391

 

 

 

150,964

 

 

 

158,840

 

Selling, general & administrative expenses

 

 

79,256

 

 

 

75,166

 

 

 

158,854

 

 

 

155,030

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Operating earnings (loss)

 

 

(5,836

)

 

 

(775

)

 

 

(7,890

)

 

 

3,810

 

Interest expense

 

 

958

 

 

 

734

 

 

 

1,719

 

 

 

1,578

 

Other income, net

 

 

384

 

 

 

462

 

 

 

895

 

 

 

741

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Earnings (loss) before income tax expense (benefit)

 

 

(6,410

)

 

 

(1,047

)

 

 

(8,714

)

 

 

2,973

 

Income tax expense (benefit)

 

 

239

 

 

 

(5,295

)

 

 

993

 

 

 

(4,772

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net earnings (loss)

 

$

(6,649

)

 

$

4,248

 

 

$

(9,707

)

 

$

7,745

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net earnings (loss) per common share:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic and diluted

 

$

(0.12

)

 

$

0.09

 

 

$

(0.18

)

 

$

0.16

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weighted average common shares outstanding:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic

 

 

54,919

 

 

 

49,350

 

 

 

54,869

 

 

 

48,826

 

Diluted

 

 

54,919

 

 

 

49,414

 

 

 

54,869

 

 

 

48,828

 




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