Foot Locker Q4 2015 and Full Year Reports

Foot Locker, Inc. (NYSE: FL), the New York-based specialty athletic retailer, today reported financial results for its fourth quarter and full year ended January 30, 2016. Here’s all the information from the presser:

Highlights

• GAAP Fourth Quarter Net Income of $1.14 Per Share, a 13 Percent Increase
• Non-GAAP Earnings Per Share of $1.16 — 16 Percent Above Last Year
• Comparable-Store Sales Increased 7.9 Percent in Fourth Quarter
• Annual Sales and Profit Highest Ever as Athletic Company
• Sixth Consecutive Year With Double-Digit Earnings Per Share Increase

Fourth Quarter Results

The Company reported net income of $158 million for the 13 weeks ended January 30, 2016.  This equates to earnings of $1.14 per share, an increase of 13 percent over earnings per share of $1.01 for the 13-week period ended January 31, 2015.

Fourth quarter comparable-store sales increased 7.9 percent. Total fourth quarter sales increased 5.0 percent, to $2,007 million this year, compared with sales of $1,911 million in 2014.  Excluding the effect of foreign currency fluctuations, total sales for the fourth quarter increased 8.8 percent.

“In 2015, we continued to deliver outstanding financial performance across channels, geographies, banners, and product categories,” said Richard Johnson, President and Chief Executive Officer.  “We began the year by introducing a revised strategic framework and priorities, as well as elevated long-term financial objectives.  I could not be more proud of the progress the team has made developing leadership positions in so many areas of our business.

“Building on those leadership positions, we believe we can continue to elevate our financial performance in 2016 by generating a mid-single digit comparable sales gain and another double digit percentage increase in earnings per share.”

Non-GAAP Adjustments

During the fourth quarter of 2015 the Company recorded a pre-tax charge of $5 million to reflect the impairment of certain Runners Point Group assets. During the same quarter a year ago, the Company realized a gain from the sale of a property and a loss from the writedown of a trade name.  On a non-GAAP basis excluding these one-time items, the Company earned $1.16 per share, a 16 percent increase over the comparable 13-week non-GAAP earnings per share of $1.00 in 2014.  A reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP results is included in the tables below.

Fiscal Year Results

For fiscal year 2015, the Company reported net income of $541 million, or $3.84 per share, compared to net income of $520 million, or $3.56 per share, in 2014.  On a non-GAAP basis, earnings were $4.29 per share in 2015, an increase of 20 percent over the $3.58 per share earned on a comparable basis in 2014.  In 2015 the Company generated its sixth consecutive double-digit percentage increase in annual earnings per share and its fifth consecutive year of record earnings as Foot Locker, Inc.

Total sales increased 3.6 percent in 2015 to $7,412 million, the highest level of sales ever recorded by the Company as Foot Locker, Inc., compared with sales of $7,151 million in 2014.  Comparable-store sales increased 8.5 percent in 2015.

“We recorded many all-time best performances for our Company in 2015, including reaching an adjusted Earnings Before Interest and Taxes rate of 12.8 percent,” stated Lauren Peters, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.  “We remain focused on productivity, boosting our Return On Invested Capital to 15.8 percent and our sales per gross square foot to $504.”

Financial Position

The Company’s merchandise inventory at January 30, 2016 was $1,285 million, which was $35 million, or 2.8 percent, higher than at the end of last year.

At year-end 2015, the Company’s cash and cash equivalents totaled $1,021 million, while the debt on its balance sheet was $130 million.  During the fourth quarter of 2015, the Company repurchased 1.64 million shares of its common stock for $103 million.  For the full year, the Company repurchased approximately 6.7 million shares for $419 million.

“As announced last week, our strong financial position also enabled the Board to authorize another double-digit percentage increase in our quarterly dividend, to 27.5 cents per share, and approve a $297 million capital expenditure program for 2016,” added Ms. Peters.

Store Base Update

The Company opened 111 new stores, remodeled or relocated 209 stores, and closed 151 stores during fiscal 2015.  As of January 30, 2016, the Company operated 3,383 stores in 23 countries in North America, Europe,Australia, and New Zealand.  In addition, 48 franchised Foot Locker stores were operating in the Middle Eastand South Korea, as well as 16 franchised Runners Point stores in Germany.

The Company is hosting a live conference call at 9:00 a.m. (EST) today to discuss these results and provide its initial outlook for 2016, comment on the status of its current initiatives, and discuss trends in its business and the athletic industry.  This conference call may be accessed live by dialing 1-800-909-4145 (U.S. and Canada) or +44 203-300-0086 (International), or via the Investor Relations section of the Foot Locker, Inc. website at Footlocker.com.  Please log on to the website 15 minutes prior to the call in order to download any necessary software.  An archived replay of the conference call can be accessed approximately one hour following the end of the call at 1-800-633-8284 with the passcode 21805411 (U.S. and Canada) or +1 402-977-9140 with passcode 21805411 (International) through March 11, 2016.  A replay of the call will also be available via webcast from the same Investor Relations section of the Foot Locker, Inc. website at Footlocker.com.

Source: PRNewsWire