Press Release: Leslie's, Inc. Announces Record Results for First Quarter of Fiscal 2021; Raises Full Year Outlook

· 02/04/2021 16:05

Current Outlook Prior Outlook -------------------------- ------------------------ ------------------------ Sales $1,175 to $1,195 million $1,155 to $1,175 million -------------------------- ------------------------ ------------------------ GAAP net income $82 to $92 million $82 to $92 million -------------------------- ------------------------ ------------------------ Adjusted net income $106 to $116 million $96 to $106 million -------------------------- ------------------------ ------------------------ Adjusted EBITDA $202 to $208 million $192 to $198 million -------------------------- ------------------------ ------------------------ Adjusted net income per share $0.55 to $0.60 $0.50 to $0.55 -------------------------- ------------------------ ------------------------ Diluted share count 193 million 193 million -------------------------- ------------------------ -------------------------- Cash and cash equivalents totaled $104.1 million and we had no borrowings on our revolver at the end of the first quarter of Fiscal 2021 compared to cash and cash equivalents of $1.9 million and revolver borrowings of $6.3 million at the end of the first quarter of Fiscal 2020 -- Inventory totaled $174.5 million at the end of the first quarter of Fiscal 2021 compared to $185.1 million at the end of the first quarter of Fiscal 2020 -- Net cash used in operating activities totaled $119.3 million in the first quarter of Fiscal 2021 compared to $81.3 million in the first quarter of Fiscal 2020 -- Capital expenditures totaled $2.7 million in the first quarter of Fiscal 2021 compared to $5.7 million in the first quarter of Fiscal 2020-- Sales increased 17.9% to $145.0 million from $123.0 million in the first quarter of Fiscal 2020. Comparable sales on an unshifted basis increased 15.7% for the thirteen-week period ended January 2, 2021 compared to the thirteen week period ended December 28, 2019. On a shifted basis, using a realigned period in 2020 for comparability given the 53rd week in Fiscal 2020, comparable sales increased 25.7% -- Gross profit increased 25.9% to $51.7 million from $41.1 million in the first quarter of Fiscal 2020 and gross margin was 35.7% compared to 33.4% in the prior year quarter, an increase of 225 basis points -- SG&A increased to $77.5 million from $59.7 million in the first quarter of Fiscal 2020, or an increase of $17.8 million. During the quarter, we recorded an increase in non-cash equity-based compensation costs of $11.6 million and certain one-time payments of contractual amounts of $8.2 million. These amounts were primarily incurred in connection with our Initial Public Offering -- Operating loss was $(25.8) million compared to $(18.6) million in the first quarter of Fiscal 2020 -- Net loss was $(30.3) million compared to $(26.2) million in the first quarter of Fiscal 2020. Adjusted net loss improved by $13.7 million to $(10.6) million from $(24.3) million in the prior year -- Loss per common share remained flat at $(0.17) when compared to the prior year. Adjusted loss per common share improved by $0.10 to $(0.06) from $(0.16) in the first quarter of Fiscal 2020 -- Adjusted EBITDA improved by $8.8 million to $(0.2) million from $(9.0) million in the prior year quarter-- Record first quarter sales of $145.0 million, an increase of 17.9% over the prior year quarter; comparable sales growth of 15.7% on a reported basis and 25.7% on a shifted basis as a result of the 53rd week in Fiscal 2020 -- GAAP net loss of $(30.3) million compared to $(26.2) million in the prior year; Adjusted net loss of $(10.6) million compared to $(24.3) million in the prior year, an improvement of $13.7 million -- Adjusted EBITDA of $(0.2) million compared to $(9.0) million in the prior year, an improvement of $8.8 million -- Raises Fiscal 2021 sales outlook by $20 million, Adjusted EBITDA by $10 million, and Adjusted net income per share by $0.05

Leslie's, Inc. Announces Record Results for First Quarter of Fiscal 2021; Raises Full Year Outlook

PHOENIX, Feb. 04, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Leslie's, Inc. ("Leslie's" or the "Company"; NASDAQ: LESL), the largest and most trusted direct-to-consumer brand in the U.S. pool and spa care industry, today announced its financial results for the first quarter of Fiscal 2021 ended January 2, 2021.

Mike Egeck, Chief Executive Officer, commented, "Our record fiscal Q1 results exceeded our internal expectations on both the top and the bottom line. This strong performance continues to be driven by the three unique pillars that make our business so compelling, namely; the recurring and non-discretionary nature of demand in our industry, the competitive advantages of our integrated ecosystem of physical and digital assets, and the significant whitespace opportunities we are addressing with our multi-pronged growth strategy."

"The first quarter is seasonally our lowest volume period, and although we are very pleased with the strong start to the year, as evidenced by the increase in our full year outlook, our entire organization remains focused on the execution of our growth initiatives for pool season 2021 and delivering on our financial and operational goals," Mr. Egeck concluded.

First Quarter Highlights

Balance Sheet and Cash Flow Highlights

Fiscal 2021 Outlook

The Company raised guidance for the full year Fiscal 2021, a 52 week year. Fiscal 2020 included a 53rd week, which added approximately $18.0 million in sales, $1.5 million in net income, and $3.0 million in adjusted EBITDA.

Conference Call Details

A conference call to discuss the first quarter of Fiscal 2021 financial results is scheduled for today, February 4, 2021 at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time. Investors and analysts interested in participating in the call are invited to dial 877-407-0784 (international callers please dial 1-201-689-8560) approximately 10 minutes prior to the start of the call. A live audio webcast of the conference call will be available online at https://ir.lesliespool.com/.

A recorded replay of the conference call will be available within approximately three hours of the conclusion of the call and can be accessed online at https://ir.lesliespool.com/ for 90 days.

About Leslie's

Founded in 1963, Leslie's is the largest direct-to-consumer brand in the U.S. pool and spa care industry, serving residential, professional, and commercial consumers. Leslie's markets its products through more than 900 physical locations and multiple digital platforms. The company employs more than 5,000 associates, pool and spa care experts, and certified technicians who are passionate about empowering consumers with the knowledge, products, and solutions necessary to confidently maintain and enjoy their pools and spas.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

In addition to reporting financial results in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States ("GAAP"), the Company uses certain non-GAAP financial measures, including comparable sales growth and adjusted EBITDA, adjusted net income, and adjusted net income per share, to evaluate the effectiveness of its business strategies, to make budgeting decisions, and to compare its performance against that of other peer companies using similar measures. These non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered in isolation or as substitutes for the Company's results as reported under GAAP. In addition, these non-GAAP financial measures are not calculated in the same manner by all companies, and accordingly, are not necessarily comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies and may not be appropriate measures for performance relative to other companies.

Comparable Sales Growth

We measure comparable sales growth as the increase or decrease in sales recorded by the comparable base in any reporting period, compared to sales recorded by the comparable base in the prior reporting period. The comparable base includes sales through our locations and through our e-commerce websites and third-party marketplaces. Comparable sales is a key measure used by management and our board of directors to assess our financial performance.

Adjusted EBITDA

Adjusted EBITDA is a key measure used by management and our board of directors to assess our financial performance. Adjusted EBITDA is also frequently used by analysts, investors, and other interested parties to evaluate companies in our industry, when considered alongside other GAAP measures.

Adjusted EBITDA is defined as earnings before interest (including amortization of debt costs), taxes, depreciation, amortization, loss (gain) on disposition of assets, management fees, equity-based compensation expense, mark-to-market on interest rate cap, and special items. Adjusted EBITDA is not a recognized measure of financial performance under GAAP but is used by some investors to determine a company's ability to service or incur indebtedness. Adjusted EBITDA should not be construed as an indicator of a company's operating performance in isolation from, or as a substitute for, net income, cash flows from operations or cash flow data, all of which are prepared in accordance with GAAP. We have presented adjusted EBITDA solely as supplemental disclosure because we believe it allows for a more complete analysis of results of operations. Adjusted EBITDA is not intended to represent, and should not be considered more meaningful than, or as an alternative to, measures of operating performance as determined in accordance with GAAP. In the future, we may incur expenses or charges such as those added back to calculate adjusted EBITDA.

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February 04, 2021 16:05 ET (21:05 GMT)