| ● | Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) of $78.8 million, or 10.3 percent of net sales; |
| ● | Inventory was down 14.4 percent compared to third quarter of 2022, due to strategic inventory management – primarily in the Brand Portfolio segment – and improved supply chain flow; and |
| ● | Borrowings under the asset-based revolving credit facility were $222.0 million at the end of the period. |
Capital Allocation Update
Caleres continued to reduce the borrowings under its asset-based revolving credit facility, paying down $22.0 million during the third quarter. At the end of the fiscal third quarter, bank-defined leverage was approximately 0.9x on a debt/EBITDA trailing twelve-month basis and the company had in excess of $300 million in total liquidity. Caleres also invested $20.5 million in capital expenditures and returned $2.5 million to shareholders through its quarterly dividend. Given today’s higher interest rates and the current economic environment, the company believes it’s prudent to continue to reduce debt and maximize liquidity.
Full Year 2023 Outlook
“Looking ahead, we are confident that our leading brand assets, unique One Caleres capabilities and strong balance sheet have set the stage for a third consecutive year of adjusted earnings in excess of our $4.00-per-share baseline,” said Schmidt. “Longer term, we remain sharply focused on the strategies we outlined at our recent Investor Day, and the Caleres team is dedicated and poised to execute on this clear and actionable plan for long-term value creation and growth.”
As a result of the soft consumer demand environment in its Famous Footwear segment, Caleres now expects consolidated net sales to be down 4.5 percent to 5.5 percent, including the impact of the 53rd week, for full year 2023.
In addition, the company is tightening its diluted earnings per share guidance range to $3.96 to $4.06, inclusive of $7 million of restructuring charges associated with expense reduction actions, and adjusted diluted earnings per share range to $4.10 to $4.20.
Caleres now expects:
| ● | Consolidated operating margin of 7.3 percent to 7.5 percent; |
| ● | Interest expense of about $18 million; |
| ● | Effective tax rate of about 25 percent; |
| ● | Weighted average shares outstanding of 34.3 million; and |
| ● | Capital expenditures of about $50 million. |
Investor Conference Call
Caleres will host a conference call at 10:00 a.m. ET today, Tuesday, November 21. The webcast and associated slides will be available at investor.caleres.com/news/events. A live conference call will be available at (877) 704-4453 for North America participants or (201) 389-0920 for international participants, no passcode necessary. A replay will be also available at investor.caleres.com/news/events/archive for a limited period. Investors may also access the replay by dialing (844) 512-2921 in North America or (412) 317-6671 internationally and using the conference pin 13742349.
Definitions
All references in this press release, outside of the condensed consolidated financial statements that follow, unless otherwise noted, related to net earnings attributable to Caleres, Inc. and diluted earnings per common share attributable to Caleres, Inc. shareholders, are presented as net earnings and earnings per diluted share, respectively.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
In this press release, the company’s financial results are provided both in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and using certain non-GAAP financial measures. In particular, the company provides earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, and estimated and future operating earnings, net earnings and earnings per diluted share, adjusted to exclude certain gains, charges, and recoveries, which are non-GAAP financial measures. These results are included as a complement to results provided in accordance with GAAP because management believes these non-GAAP financial measures help identify underlying trends in the company’s business and provide useful information