URBN Reports Record Q4 Sales and EPS


PHILADELPHIA, March 05, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Urban Outfitters, Inc. (NASDAQ:URBN), a leading lifestyle products and services company which operates a portfolio of global consumer brands comprised of Anthropologie, BHLDN, Free People, Terrain and Urban Outfitters brands and the Food and Beverage division, today announced net income of $86 million and $298 million for the three months and year ended January 31, 2019, respectively. Earnings per diluted share were $0.80 and $2.72 for the three months and year ended January 31, 2019, respectively.

Total Company net sales for the three months ended January 31, 2019, increased 3.7% over the same period last year to a record $1.13 billion. Comparable Retail segment net sales increased 3%, driven by double-digit growth in the digital channel, partially offset by negative retail store sales. By brand, comparable Retail segment net sales increased 4% at Free People, 4% at Urban Outfitters and 2% at the Anthropologie Group. Wholesale segment net sales increased 3%.

For the year ended January 31, 2019, total Company net sales increased to $4.0 billion, or 9.3%, over the prior year. Comparable Retail segment net sales increased 8%, driven by double-digit growth in the digital channel and positive retail store sales. Wholesale segment net sales increased 10%.

“The fourth quarter closed what was an incredibly successful year for URBN and all of our brands,” said Richard A. Hayne, Chief Executive Officer. “I want to thank our associates worldwide for producing a record year and for their dedication, drive and creativity,” finished Mr. Hayne.

Net sales by brand and segment for the three and twelve-month periods were as follows:

 Three Months Ended  Twelve Months Ended 
 January 31,  January 31, 
 2019  2018  2019  2018 
Net sales by brand               
Urban Outfitters$447,525  $433,924  $1,528,717  $1,396,420 
Anthropologie Group 464,609   447,184   1,598,000   1,472,769 
Free People 209,315   201,659   799,205   721,966 
Food and Beverage 7,499   6,352   24,701   24,859 
Total Company$1,128,948  $1,089,119  $3,950,623  $3,616,014 
                
Net sales by segment               
Retail Segment$1,047,710  $1,010,188  $3,604,170  $3,299,714 
Wholesale Segment 81,238   78,931   346,453   316,300 
Total Company$1,128,948  $1,089,119  $3,950,623  $3,616,014 
                


For the three months ended January 31, 2019, the gross profit rate improved by 172 basis points and the adjusted gross profit rate improved by 99 basis points versus the prior year’s comparable period. The increase in adjusted gross profit rate was primarily driven by better maintained margin from lower markdown rates and improved initial mark-ups. Anthropologie delivered the most significant improvement, followed by Urban Outfitters. Store occupancy also leveraged due in part to the positive comparable Retail segment net sales. For the year ended January 31, 2019, the gross profit rate improved by 158 basis points versus the prior year’s comparable period. The improvement in gross profit rate was driven by lower markdowns at all three brands and leverage in store occupancy cost due to Retail segment comparable net sales.

As of January 31, 2019, total inventory increased by $19.1 million, or 5.4%, on a year-over-year basis. Comparable Retail segment inventory increased 3% at cost.

For the three months ended January 31, 2019, selling, general and administrative expenses increased by $8.5 million, or 3.4%, compared to the prior year’s comparable period. For the three months ended January 31, 2019, adjusted selling, general and administrative expenses, increased by $10.5 million, or 4.2%, compared to the prior year’s comparable period and expressed as a percentage of net sales, deleveraged 13 basis points. For the year ended January 31, 2019, selling, general and administrative expenses increased by $49.8 million, or 5.4%, compared to the prior year’s comparable period and expressed as a percentage of net sales, leveraged 88 basis points. The leverage for the year ended January 31, 2019, was primarily driven by the net sales growth and further benefited from continued savings associated with the fiscal 2018 store reorganization project and the nonrecurring store reorganization expenses incurred in the prior year. The dollar growth in selling, general and administrative expenses in both periods was primarily due to increased direct selling and marketing expenses to support and drive the increase in Retail segment net sales and higher bonus and share-based compensation expense.

The Company’s effective tax rate for the three months ended January 31, 2019, was 25.1% compared to 98.6% in the prior year period. The effective tax rate for the year ended January 31, 2019, was 22.7% compared to 58.6% in the prior year comparable period. The decrease in the effective tax rate for the three months and year ended January 31, 2019, was primarily due to a one-time tax expense of $64.7 million related to the comprehensive United States tax legislation commonly referred to as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“Tax Act”) in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2018. This non-recurring tax expense was due to the deemed repatriation transition tax on our unremitted foreign earnings and the revaluation of our net U.S. deferred tax assets as a result of the lower federal rate enacted as part of the Tax Act.

Net income for the three months and year ended January 31, 2019, was $86 million and $298 million, respectively, and earnings per diluted share was $0.80 and $2.72, respectively.

On August 22, 2017, the Company’s Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of 20 million common shares under a share repurchase program, of which 14.4 million common shares were remaining as of January 31, 2019. During the year ended January 31, 2019, the Company repurchased and subsequently retired 3.5 million common shares for approximately $121 million under this program. During the year ended January 31, 2018, the Company repurchased and subsequently retired 2.1 million common shares for approximately $46 million under this program. Additionally, during the year ended January 31, 2018, the Company repurchased and subsequently retired 6.0 million common shares for approximately $111 million under a share repurchase program authorized by the Company’s Board of Directors on February 23, 2015, completing such share repurchase program in August 2017.

During the year ended January 31, 2019, the Company opened a total of 18 new retail locations including: 6 Free People stores, 5 Urban Outfitters stores, 4 Anthropologie Group stores and 3 Food and Beverage restaurants; and closed 11 retail locations including: 5 Urban Outfitters stores, 3 Anthropologie Group stores and 3 Free People stores. During the year ended January 31, 2019, 5 franchisee-owned stores were opened including: 4 Urban Outfitters stores and 1 Free People store.

Urban Outfitters, Inc., offers lifestyle-oriented general merchandise and consumer products and services through a portfolio of global consumer brands comprised of 245 Urban Outfitters stores in the United States, Canada and Europe and websites; 227 Anthropologie Group stores in the United States, Canada and Europe, catalogs and websites; 135 Free People stores in the United States, Canada and Europe, catalogs and websites, 13 Food and Beverage restaurants, 4 Urban Outfitters franchisee-owned stores and 1 Free People franchisee-owned store, as of January 31, 2019. Free People, Anthropologie Group and Urban Outfitters wholesale sell their products through approximately 2,200 department and specialty stores worldwide, digital businesses and the Company’s Retail segment.

A conference call will be held today to discuss fourth quarter results and will be webcast at 5:00 pm. ET at: https://edge.media-server.com/m6/p/njvoyf8x

This news release is being made pursuant to the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Certain matters contained in this release may constitute forward-looking statements. When used in this release, the words “project,” “believe,” “plan,” “will,” “anticipate,” “expect” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Any one, or all, of the following factors could cause actual financial results to differ materially from those financial results mentioned in the forward-looking statements: the difficulty in predicting and responding to shifts in fashion trends, changes in the level of competitive pricing and promotional activity and other industry factors, overall economic and market conditions and worldwide political events and the resultant impact on consumer spending patterns, the effects of the implementation of the United Kingdom's referendum to withdraw membership from the European Union (commonly referred to as “Brexit”), including currency fluctuations, economic conditions, and legal or regulatory changes, any effects of war, terrorism and civil unrest, natural disasters or severe or unseasonable weather conditions, increases in labor costs, increases in raw material costs, availability of suitable retail space for expansion, timing of store openings, risks associated with international expansion, seasonal fluctuations in gross sales, the departure of one or more key senior executives, import risks, changes to U.S. and foreign trade policies, including the enactment of tariffs, border adjustment taxes or increases in duties or quotas, the closing or disruption of, or any damage to, any of our distribution centers, our ability to protect our intellectual property rights, risks associated with digital sales, our ability to maintain and expand our digital sales channels, response to new store concepts, our ability to integrate acquisitions, failure of our manufacturers and third-party vendors to comply with our social compliance program, changes in our effective income tax rate, the impact of the U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, changes in accounting standards and subjective assumptions, regulatory changes and legal matters and other risks identified in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update forward-looking statements even if experience or future changes make it clear that actual results may differ materially from any projected results expressed or implied therein.

(Tables follow)

  
URBAN OUTFITTERS, INC.
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income
(amounts in thousands, except share and per share data)
(unaudited)
 
  
 Three Months Ended  Twelve Months Ended 
 January 31,  January 31, 
 2019
  2018   2019   2018  
                
Net sales$1,128,948   $1,089,119   $3,950,623   $3,616,014  
Cost of sales 756,438    748,481    2,603,911    2,440,507  
  Gross profit 372,510    340,638    1,346,712    1,175,507  
Selling, general and administrative expenses 258,302    249,850    965,399    915,615  
  Income from operations 114,208    90,788    381,313    259,892  
Other income, net 1,179    301    4,240    1,474  
  Income before income taxes 115,387    91,089    385,553    261,366  
Income tax expense 28,973    89,771    87,550    153,103  
  Net income$86,414   $1,318   $298,003   $108,263  
                
Net income per common share:               
  Basic$0.81   $0.01   $2.75   $0.97  
  Diluted$0.80   $0.01   $2.72   $0.96  
                
Weighted-average common shares outstanding:               
  Basic 107,119,657    108,248,440    108,303,594    111,887,308  
  Diluted 108,389,723    109,214,592    109,706,007    112,367,924  
                
                
AS A PERCENTAGE OF NET SALES               
Net sales100.0%  100.0%  100.0%  100.0% 
Cost of sales67.0%  68.7%  65.9%  67.5% 
  Gross profit33.0%  31.3%  34.1%  32.5% 
Selling, general and administrative expenses22.9%  23.0%  24.4%  25.3% 
  Income from operations10.1%  8.3%  9.7%  7.2% 
Other income, net0.1%  0.1%  0.1%  0.0% 
  Income before income taxes10.2%  8.4%  9.8%  7.2% 
Income tax expense2.5%  8.3%  2.3%  4.2% 
  Net income7.7%  0.1%  7.5%  3.0% 


  
URBAN OUTFITTERS, INC.
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
(amounts in thousands, except share data)
(unaudited)
 
  
 January 31,  January 31, 
 2019  2018 
ASSETS       
Current assets:       
  Cash and cash equivalents$358,260  $282,220 
  Marketable securities 279,232   165,125 
  Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts       
  of $1,499 and $1,326, respectively 80,461   76,962 
  Inventory 370,507   351,395 
  Prepaid expenses and other current assets 114,296   103,055 
  Total current assets 1,202,756   978,757 
        
Property and equipment, net 796,029   813,768 
Marketable securities 57,292   58,688 
Deferred income taxes and other assets 104,438   101,567 
  Total Assets$2,160,515  $1,952,780 
        
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS EQUITY       
Current liabilities:       
  Accounts payable$144,414  $128,246 
  Accrued expenses, accrued compensation and other current liabilities 242,230   231,968 
  Total current liabilities 386,644   360,214 
Long-term debt     
Deferred rent and other liabilities 284,773   291,663 
  Total Liabilities 671,417   651,877 
        
Shareholders’ equity:       
  Preferred shares; $.0001 par value, 10,000,000 shares authorized,
  none issued
     
  Common shares; $.0001 par value, 200,000,000 shares authorized,       
  105,642,283 and 108,248,568 issued and outstanding,       
  respectively11  11 
  Additional paid-in-capital   684 
  Retained earnings 1,516,190   1,310,859 
  Accumulated other comprehensive loss (27,103)  (10,651)
  Total Shareholders’ Equity 1,489,098   1,300,903 
  Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity$2,160,515  $1,952,780 
        

Important Information Regarding Non-GAAP Financial Measures

                In addition to evaluating the financial condition and results of our operations in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”), from time to time our management evaluates and analyzes results and any impact on the Company of certain events outside of normal, or “core,” business and operations, by considering adjusted financial measures not prepared in accordance with GAAP. Examples of items that we consider non-core include impairment charges, gains or losses on the disposal of our stores or restaurant locations and the nonrecurring impact of the comprehensive United States tax legislation commonly referred to as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. In order to improve the transparency of our disclosures, provide a meaningful presentation of results from our core business operations and improve period-over-period comparability, we have included certain adjusted financial measures that exclude the impact of these non-core business items.

                We believe these adjusted financial measures are important indicators of our recurring results of operations because they exclude items that may not be indicative of, or are unrelated to, our underlying results of operations and provide a useful baseline for analyzing trends in our underlying business. Management uses adjusted financial measures for planning, forecasting and evaluating business and financial performance.

                Non-GAAP financial measures should be viewed as supplementing, and not as an alternative or substitute for, the Company’s financial results prepared in accordance with GAAP. Certain of the items that may be excluded or included in non-GAAP financial measures may be significant items that could impact the Company’s financial position, results of operations or cash flows and should therefore be considered in assessing the Company’s actual and future financial condition and performance. These adjusted financial measures are not consistent with GAAP and may not be calculated the same as similarly titled measures used by other companies.

  
URBAN OUTFITTERS, INC.
Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures
(amounts in thousands, except per share data)
(unaudited)
 
  
Reconciliation of Adjusted Gross Profit:  
 Three Months Ended 
 January 31, 
 2019  2018 
 $'s % of Net
Sales
  $'s % of Net
Sales
 
              
Gross profit (GAAP)$372,510  33.0% $340,638  31.3%
Adjustments:             
Impairment charges (a) 3,544      11,410    
Adjusted gross profit (Non-GAAP)$376,054  33.3% $352,048  32.3%
              
Reconciliation of Adjusted Selling, General and Administrative Expenses: 
 Three Months Ended 
 January 31, 
 2019  2018 
 $'s % of Net
Sales
  $'s % of Net
Sales
 
              
Selling, general and administrative expenses (GAAP)$258,302  22.9% $249,850  23.0%
Adjustments:             
Loss on disposal of restaurant (b)       (2,061)   
Adjusted selling, general and administrative expenses (Non-GAAP)$258,302  22.9% $247,789  22.7%
              
Reconciliation of Income from Operations:             
 Three Months Ended 
 January 31, 
 2019  2018 
 $'s % of Net
Sales
  $'s % of Net
Sales
 
              
Income from operations (GAAP)$114,208  10.1% $90,788  8.3%
Adjustments:             
Impairment charges (a) 3,544      11,410    
Loss on disposal of restaurant (b)       2,061    
Adjusted income from operations (Non-GAAP)$117,752  10.4% $104,259  9.6%


  
URBAN OUTFITTERS, INC.
Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures
(amounts in thousands, except per share data)
(unaudited)
 
  
Reconciliation of Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted EPS:  
 Three Months Ended 
 January 31, 
 2019  2018 
 $'s % of Net
Sales
  $'s % of Net
Sales
 
              
Net income (GAAP)$86,414  7.7% $1,318  0.1%
Adjustments:             
Impairment charges (a) 3,544      11,410    
Loss on disposal of restaurant (b)       2,061    
Provision for income taxes on adjustments (c) (920)     (4,450)   
Impact of Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, net (d) 1,197      64,705    
Adjusted net income (Non-GAAP)$90,235  8.0% $75,044  6.9%
              
Diluted EPS (GAAP)$0.80     $0.01    
Adjustments, net of tax 0.03      0.68    
Adjusted diluted EPS (Non-GAAP)$0.83     $0.69    
              
(a) Impairment charges relate to four retail locations during the three months ended January 31, 2019 and ten retail locations during the three months ended January 31, 2018. The Company assessed the current and future performance of its retail locations and it was determined that these locations would not be able to generate sufficient cash flow over the expected remaining lease term to recover the carrying value of the respective assets. 
              
(b) During the three months ended January 31, 2018, the Company disposed of one of the restaurants it previously acquired as part of the purchase of certain assets of the Vetri Family group of restaurants in fiscal 2017. Included in the loss on disposal was a reduction of goodwill of the Food and Beverage division recorded in connection with the purchase of certain assets of the Vetri Family group of restaurants. 
              
(c) The income tax impact of non-GAAP adjustments is calculated using the estimated tax rate in effect for the respective non-GAAP adjustments. 
              
(d) During the three months ended January 31, 2018, the Company recorded one-time charges for the effects of the Tax Act. During the three months ended January 31, 2019, the Company recorded an additional tax expense to adjust its initial provisional estimates for the Tax Act in its provision for income taxes. 

Contact:                                                 
Oona McCullough
Director of Investor Relations
(215) 454-4806