03 Nov Under Armour Slightly Lowers Full Year Outlook
Under Armour Inc. slightly reduced its EPS and sales guidance for the year despite reporting fiscal second-quarter results that were in line with company expectations and just ahead of Wall Street targets.
Adjusted net income in the second quarter ended September 30 totaled 20 cents a share in the quarter, ahead of Wall Street’s consensus target of 16 cents. Sales reached $1.57 billion, also ahead of Wall Street’s consensus target of $1.55 billion.
“We’re pleased to have delivered second-quarter results that were in line with our expectations,” said Under Armour Interim President and CEO Colin Browne. “While we anticipate the immediate macroeconomic backdrop to stay uncertain – we are taking a balanced approach to mitigate near-term pressures while continuing to focus on the long-term strength of our brand.”
Browne continued, “By leaning into these strengths – performance product innovation, deep consumer connections, and empowering athletes – our team is working tirelessly across multiple growth opportunities. From refining our target consumer to young athletes and creating the space necessary to broaden our product aperture – we’re taking action to pivot to the growth we know the Under Armour brand is capable of over the long term.”
Second Quarter 2023 Review
- Revenue was up 2 percent to $1.6 billion (up 5 percent currency neutral) compared to the prior year.
- Wholesale revenue increased 4 percent to $948 million, and direct-to-consumer revenue decreased 4 percent to $577 million due to a 9 percent decline in owned and operated store revenue partially offset by a 4 percent increase in eCommerce revenue, which represented 36 percent of the total direct-to-consumer business during the quarter.
- North American revenue was down 2 percent compared to the prior year at $1 billion, and international revenue increased 7 percent to $547 million (up 16 percent currency neutral). Within the international business, revenue increased 9 percent in EMEA (up 20 percent currency neutral), rose 7 percent in Asia-Pacific (up 14 percent currency neutral), and increased 3 percent in Latin America (up 4 percent currency neutral).
- Apparel revenue decreased 2 percent to $1 billion. Footwear revenue increased 14 percent to $376 million. Accessories revenue fell 12 percent to $111 million.
- Gross margin declined 560 basis points to 45.4 percent compared to the prior year, driven primarily by higher promotions, elevated freight expenses related to COVID-19 supply chain impacts, unfavorable channel mix, and the negative impact of changes in foreign currency.
- Selling, general & administrative expenses decreased 1 percent to $594 million, including a $10 million legal expense related to ongoing litigation matters.
- Operating income was $119 million. Adjusted operating income was $129 million.
- Net Income was $87 million. Excluding a $10 million legal expense related to ongoing litigation matters and a $5 million benefit from a tax valuation allowance release related to prior-period restructuring, adjusted net income was $92 million.
- Diluted earnings per share was $0.19. Adjusted diluted earnings per share was $0.20.
- Inventory was up 29 percent to $1.1 billion.
- Cash and Cash Equivalents were $854 million at the end of the quarter, and no borrowings were outstanding under the company’s $1.1 billion revolving credit facility.
Share Buyback Update
Under Armour repurchased $25 million of its Class C common stock during the second quarter, reflecting 3.2 million shares retired. As of Sept. 30, 26 million shares for $350 million had been repurchased under its two-year, $500 million program, which the Board of Directors approved in February 2022.
Updated Fiscal 2023 Outlook
As a reminder, Under Armour began its new fiscal year 2023 on April 1, 2022. Accordingly, the comparable baseline period is April 1, 2021, through March 31, 2022. Key points related to Under Armour’s fiscal year 2023 outlook include:
- Revenue is expected to grow at a low single-digit percentage rate compared to the previous expectation of 5 to 7 percent growth due primarily to a more challenging retail environment and additional negative impacts from changes in foreign currency. Currency-neutral revenue is expected to be up at a mid-single-digit percentage rate compared to the previous expectation of 7 to 9 percent growth.
- Gross margin remains unchanged from the previous outlook of a 375 to 425 basis point decline.
- Selling, general & administrative expenses are expected to be down slightly against the prior year as the company manages costs amid uncertain market conditions.
- Operating income is expected to reach $270 to $290 million compared to the previous range of $300 to $325 million. Excluding an expense related to ongoing litigation matters, adjusted operating income is expected to reach $290 to $310 million compared to the previous range of $310 to $335 million.
- Diluted earnings per share is expected to be $0.56 to $0.60 compared to the previous expectation of $0.61 to $0.67. This includes a $0.28 benefit related to a tax valuation allowance release expected to be realized during the fiscal year. Of this $0.28 benefit, $0.16 is related to prior restructuring. Additionally, there is a $0.04 negative impact from a legal expense related to ongoing litigation matters. Excluding these net positive impacts of $0.12, adjusted diluted earnings per share is expected to be $0.44 to $0.48 compared to the previous expectation of $0.47 to $0.53.
- Capital expenditures remain unchanged from an expectation of approximately $225 million.