AUSTIN, Texas, July 30, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Whole Foods Market, Inc. (Nasdaq:WFM) today reported results for the 12-week third quarter ended July 6, 2014. For the quarter, total sales increased 10% to a record $3.4 billion. Comparable store sales increased 3.9%, including a positive impact of approximately 60 basis points from Easter shifting from the second quarter last year to the third quarter this year, on top of a 7.5% increase in the prior year. A spread of approximately 40 basis points between comparable store and identical store sales growth was due to three relocations and one expansion. Average weekly sales per store were $736,000, translating to another quarter of sales per gross square foot of over $1,000. Operating income was $243 million, or 7.2% of sales, and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization ("EBITDA") were $331 million, or 9.8% of sales. Net income was $151 million, or 4.4% of sales, diluted earnings per share were $0.41, and return on invested capital was 16.4%. Results reflect a LIFO charge of $11 million, or 31 basis points, and the repurchase of approximately 9.1 million shares of common stock.
"Our business model is producing industry-leading sales per gross square foot, healthy returns on invested capital and strong operating cash flow," said Walter Robb, co-CEO of Whole Foods Market. "We are seeing signs of stability in our sales trends and believe our strategic initiatives will help generate further momentum and produce increasing returns on invested capital over the long term."
During the quarter, the Company produced $240 million in cash flow from operations and invested $204 million in capital expenditures, resulting in free cash flow of $36 million. In addition, the Company returned $44 million in quarterly dividends to shareholders and repurchased $361 million of common stock. The Company ended the quarter with total cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, and investments of approximately $1.1 billion.
The Company's Board of Directors today announced a new share repurchase program with $1 billion in authority through August 1, 2016, and canceled the $322 million in remaining authority under the Company's existing share repurchase program. These changes are effective as of August 1, 2014. The Board's authorization does not obligate the Company to acquire any particular amount of common stock, and the program may be suspended or discontinued at any time at the Company's discretion.
The following table provides the Company's comparable and identical store sales results for the third quarter and for the first three weeks of the fourth quarter through July 27, 2014. Results for the third quarter also are shown excluding the 60 basis point positive Easter shift impact. Sales of a store are deemed to be comparable commencing in the 53rd full week after the store was opened or acquired. Identical store sales exclude sales from relocated and remodeled stores with square footage changes greater than 20%.
|
Comparable Store Sales Growth |
Change in Transactions |
Change in Basket Size |
Identical Store Sales Growth |
|
| Q3 ended July 6, 2014 | 3.9% | 2.0% | 1.9% | 3.5% |
| Excluding Easter shift | 3.3% | 1.7% | 1.6% | 2.9% |
| Q4 through July 27, 2014 | 3.1% | -- | -- | 2.9% |
Additional information on the quarter for comparable stores and all stores is provided in the following table. Comparable store sales growth includes the 60 basis point positive Easter shift impact.
| Comparable Stores | Comps |
ROIC* |
# of Stores |
Average Size |
Total Square Feet |
| > 15 years old (19 years old, s.f. weighted) | 2.0% | 117% | 100 | 28,000 | 2,804,000 |
| 11-15 years old | 1.9% | 100% | 62 | 35,000 | 2,178,000 |
| 8-11 years old | 0.9% | 96% | 49 | 43,000 | 2,087,000 |
| 5-8 years old | 4.9% | 49% | 57 | 55,000 | 3,118,000 |
| 2-5 years old | 7.6% | 35% | 54 | 40,000 | 2,171,000 |
| < 2 years old (including 3 relocations) | 15.8% | 15% | 30 | 36,000 | 1,069,000 |
| All comp stores (9.8 years old, s.f. weighted) | 3.9% | 64% | 352 | 38,000 | 13,428,000 |
| All stores (9.1 years old, s.f. weighted) | 61% | 386 | 38,000 | 14,642,000 | |
| * Defined as annualized store-level income after taxes divided by average invested capital; does not reflect any as-if effect of capitalizing operating leases | |||||
For the quarter, the LIFO charge was $11 million versus a credit of $1 million in the prior year, a negative impact of 33 basis points year over year. Excluding LIFO, gross profit declined 31 basis points to 36.3% of sales due primarily to an increase in cost of goods sold as a percentage of sales. Direct store expenses improved 43 basis points to 25.1% of sales due primarily to leverage in healthcare costs and wages. As a result, store contribution improved 12 basis points to 11.1% of sales.
G&A improved eight basis points to 3.0% of sales due primarily to leverage in wages at the Company's regional and global offices, which was partially offset by investments in technology.
Fiscal Year Results
For the 40-week period ended July 6, 2014, total sales increased 10% to a record $10.9 billion. Comparable store sales increased 4.6% on top of a 7.2% increase in the prior year. Year to date, a spread of approximately 50 basis points between comparable store and identical store sales growth was due to six relocations and one expansion. Average weekly sales per store were $731,000, translating to sales per gross square foot of approximately $1,000. Operating income was $729 million, or 6.7% of sales, and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization ("EBITDA") were $1.0 billion, or 9.3% of sales. Net income was $451 million, or 4.1% of sales, diluted earnings per share were $1.21, and return on invested capital was 14.8%. Results reflect a LIFO charge of $11 million, or 10 basis points, and the repurchase of approximately 11.2 million shares of common stock.
Year to date, the Company has produced $859 million in cash flow from operations and invested $566 million in capital expenditures, resulting in free cash flow of $293 million. In addition, the Company has returned $126 million in quarterly dividends to shareholders and repurchased $478 million of common stock.
Growth and Development
In the third quarter, the Company opened eight new stores and completed its acquisition of four New Frontiers Natural Marketplace stores, expanding into eight new markets. So far in the fourth quarter, the Company has opened two new stores and expects to open 11 additional stores. The Company currently has 388 stores totaling approximately 14.7 million square feet and expects to cross the 500-store mark in 2017. Longer term, the Company sees demand for 1,200 Whole Foods Market stores in the United States.
The Company recently signed 11 new leases, including two relocations. These leases include five new markets and are located in Montgomery, AL; Irvine, CA; Los Angeles, CA; Sacramento, CA; Bloomington, IN; Shrewsbury, MA; Cary, NC; Bedford, NH; Eugene, OR; Houston, TX; and Richardson, TX.
The following table provides additional information about the Company's new and acquired stores in fiscal years 2013 and 2014 year to date; leases currently tendered but unopened; and total development pipeline (including leases currently tendered) for stores scheduled to open through fiscal year 2018.
| New Store Information | FY13 | FY14 YTD |
Current Leases Tendered |
Current Leases Signed |
| Number of stores (including relocations) | 32 | 27 | 31 | 116 |
| Relocations | 5 | 1 | 5 | 14 |
| Lease acquisitions, ground leases and owned properties | 6 | 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Percentage in new markets | 31% | 56% | 23% | 19% |
| Average store size (gross square feet) | 36,000 | 36,000 | 41,000 | 41,000 |
| Total square footage | 1,137,000 | 968,000 | 1,286,000 | 4,707,000 |
| Average tender period in months | 8.7 | |||
| Average pre-opening expense per store (including rent) | $1.7 mil | |||
| Average pre-opening rent per store | $0.6 mil |
Outlook for Fiscal Year 2014
The Company is reaffirming its diluted earnings per share outlook for fiscal year 2014 as shown in the following table. The Company notes the fourth quarter is seasonally its weakest quarter of the year in terms of average weekly sales and store contribution. In addition, store openings in the quarter will be back-end loaded. The Company's outlook does not include potential future share repurchases.
|
FY14 Prior Outlook |
FY14 Current Outlook |
Q3 YTD Actual |
Q4 Outlook |
|
| Sales growth | 10.5% - 11.0% | 9.6% - 9.9% | 10% | 8.5% - 9.5% |
| Comparable store sales growth | 5.0% - 5.5% | 4.1% - 4.4% | 4.6% | 2.5% - 3.5% |
| Two-year comps | 11.9% - 12.4% | 11.0% - 11.3% | 11.9% | 8.4% - 9.4% |
| Number of new and acquired stores | 36 - 39 | 38 | 25 | 13 |
| % of sales from new and acquired stores | 6.0% - 6.5% | 6.2% | 6.1% | 6.7% |
| Ending square footage growth | 9% - 10% | 10% | 10% | 10% |
| LIFO charge | -- | $20 - $22 mil | $11 mil | $9 - $11 mil |
| G&A expenses | 3.1% | 3.1% | 3.1% | 3.2% |
| Pre-opening and relocation costs | $75 - $78 mil | $75 - $77 mil | $54 mil | $21 - $23 mil |
| EBITDA | $1.29 - $1.32 bil | $1.29 - $1.30 bil | $1.02 bil | $270 - $284 mil |
| EBITDA margin | 9.0% - 9.2% | 9.1% - 9.2% | 9.3% | 8.4% - 8.7% |
| Operating margin | 6.5% - 6.6% | 6.4% - 6.5% | 6.7% | 5.6% - 5.9% |
| Operating margin excluding LIFO | 6.5% - 6.6% | 6.5% - 6.6% | 6.8% | 5.9% - 6.2% |
| Tax rate | 39.0% | 38.8% - 39.0% | 39.0% | 38.0% - 39.0% |
| Diluted EPS | $1.52 - $1.56 | $1.52 - $1.54 | $1.21 | $0.31 - $0.33 |
| EPS growth | 3% - 6% | 3% - 4% | 5% | (4%) - 2% |
| Capital expenditures | $675 - $725 mil | $725 - $750 mil | $566 mil | $159 - $184 mil |
About Whole Foods Market
Founded in 1978 in Austin, Texas, Whole Foods Market (www.wholefoodsmarket.com) is the leading retailer of natural and organic foods and America's first national "Certified Organic" grocer. In fiscal year 2013, the Company had sales of approximately $13 billion and currently has 388 stores in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Whole Foods Market employs approximately 86,000 team members and has been ranked for 17 consecutive years as one of the "100 Best Companies to Work For" in America by Fortune magazine.
Forward-looking statements
The following constitutes a "Safe Harbor" statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters discussed in this press release are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, which could cause our actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. These risks include general business conditions, changes in overall economic conditions that impact consumer spending, including fuel prices and housing market trends, the impact of competition and other risks detailed from time to time in the SEC reports of Whole Foods Market, including Whole Foods Market's report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 29, 2013. Whole Foods Market undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements.
The Company will host a conference call today to discuss this earnings announcement at 4:00 p.m. CT. The dial-in number is (866) 952-1906, and the conference ID is "Whole Foods." A simultaneous audio webcast will be available at www.wholefoodsmarket.com.
| Whole Foods Market, Inc. | ||||
| Consolidated Statements of Operations (unaudited) | ||||
| (In millions, except per share amounts) | ||||
| 12 weeks ended | 40 weeks ended | |||
| July 6, 2014 | July 7, 2013 | July 6, 2014 | July 7, 2013 | |
| Sales | $ 3,377 | $ 3,058 | $ 10,938 | $ 9,941 |
| Cost of goods sold and occupancy costs | 2,163 | 1,939 | 7,048 | 6,373 |
| Gross profit | 1,214 | 1,119 | 3,890 | 3,568 |
| Direct store expenses | 849 | 781 | 2,766 | 2,529 |
| Store contribution | 365 | 338 | 1,124 | 1,039 |
| General and administrative expenses | 102 | 95 | 341 | 302 |
| Operating income before pre-opening and store closure | 263 | 243 | 783 | 737 |
| Pre-opening expenses | 18 | 13 | 45 | 37 |
| Relocation, store closure and lease termination costs | 2 | 2 | 9 | 9 |
| Operating income | 243 | 228 | 729 | 691 |
| Investment and other income, net of interest expense | 4 | 2 | 10 | 8 |
| Income before income taxes | 247 | 230 | 739 | 699 |
| Provision for income taxes | 96 | 88 | 288 | 269 |
| Net income | $ 151 | $ 142 | $ 451 | $ 430 |
| Basic earnings per share | $ 0.41 | $ 0.38 | $ 1.22 | $ 1.16 |
| Weighted average shares outstanding | 365.0 | 371.4 | 369.9 | 370.9 |
| Diluted earnings per share | $ 0.41 | $ 0.38 | $ 1.21 | $ 1.15 |
| Weighted average shares outstanding, diluted basis | 367.2 | 374.6 | 372.9 | 374.2 |
| Dividends declared per common share | $ 0.12 | $ 0.10 | $ 0.36 | $ 1.30 |
| A reconciliation of the numerators and denominators of the basic and diluted earnings per share calculations follows: | ||||
| 12 weeks ended | 40 weeks ended | |||
| July 6, 2014 | July 7, 2013 | July 6, 2014 | July 7, 2013 | |
| Net income | ||||
| (numerator for basic and diluted earnings per share) | $ 151 | $ 142 | $ 451 | $ 430 |
| Weighted average common shares outstanding | ||||
| (denominator for basic earnings per share) | 365.0 | 371.4 | 369.9 | 370.9 |
| Incremental common shares attributable to dilutive effect of share-based awards | 2.2 | 3.2 | 3.0 | 3.3 |
| Weighted average common shares outstanding and potential additional common shares outstanding | ||||
| (denominator for diluted earnings per share) | 367.2 | 374.6 | 372.9 | 374.2 |
| Basic earnings per share | $ 0.41 | $ 0.38 | $ 1.22 | $ 1.16 |
| Diluted earnings per share | $ 0.41 | $ 0.38 | $ 1.21 | $ 1.15 |
| Whole Foods Market, Inc. | ||||
| Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (unaudited) | ||||
| (In millions) | ||||
| 12 weeks ended | 40 weeks ended | |||
| July 6, 2014 | July 7, 2013 | July 6, 2014 | July 7, 2013 | |
| Net income | $ 151 | $ 142 | $ 451 | $ 430 |
| Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax: | ||||
| Foreign currency translation adjustments | 4 | (6) | 1 | (11) |
| Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax | 4 | (6) | 1 | (11) |
| Comprehensive income | $ 155 | $ 136 | $ 452 | $ 419 |
| Whole Foods Market, Inc. | ||
| Consolidated Balance Sheets (unaudited) | ||
| (In millions) | ||
| Assets | July 6, 2014 | September 29, 2013 |
| Current assets: | ||
| Cash and cash equivalents | $ 264 | $ 290 |
| Short-term investments - available-for-sale securities | 532 | 733 |
| Restricted cash | 109 | 111 |
| Accounts receivable | 230 | 188 |
| Merchandise inventories | 429 | 414 |
| Prepaid expenses and other current assets | 109 | 93 |
| Deferred income taxes | 166 | 151 |
| Total current assets | 1,839 | 1,980 |
| Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation and amortization | 2,827 | 2,428 |
| Long-term investments - available-for-sale securities | 166 | 302 |
| Goodwill | 708 | 679 |
| Intangible assets, net of accumulated amortization | 82 | 65 |
| Deferred income taxes | 87 | 72 |
| Other assets | 25 | 12 |
| Total assets | $ 5,734 | $ 5,538 |
| Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity | ||
| Current liabilities: | ||
| Current installments of capital lease obligations | $ 2 | $ 1 |
| Accounts payable | 269 | 247 |
| Accrued payroll, bonus and other benefits due team members | 395 | 367 |
| Dividends payable | 44 | 37 |
| Other current liabilities | 572 | 436 |
| Total current liabilities | 1,282 | 1,088 |
| Long-term capital lease obligations, less current installments | 60 | 26 |
| Deferred lease liabilities | 538 | 500 |
| Other long-term liabilities | 41 | 46 |
| Total liabilities | 1,921 | 1,660 |
| Commitments and contingencies | ||
| Shareholders' equity: | ||
| Common stock, no par value, 600.0 shares authorized; 377.1 and 375.7 shares issued; and 362.7 and 372.4 shares outstanding | ||
| at 2014 and 2013, respectively | 2,852 | 2,765 |
| Common stock in treasury, at cost, 14.4 and 3.3 shares at 2014 and 2013, respectively | (624) | (153) |
| Accumulated other comprehensive income | 2 | 1 |
| Retained earnings | 1,583 | 1,265 |
| Total shareholders' equity | 3,813 | 3,878 |
| Total liabilities and shareholders' equity | $ 5,734 | $ 5,538 |
| Whole Foods Market, Inc. | ||
| Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (unaudited) | ||
| (In millions) | ||
| 40 weeks ended | ||
| July 6, 2014 | July 7, 2013 | |
| Cash flows from operating activities | ||
| Net income | $ 451 | $ 430 |
| Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities: | ||
| Depreciation and amortization | 286 | 257 |
| Share-based payment expense | 51 | 43 |
| LIFO expense | 11 | 2 |
| Deferred income tax benefit | (30) | (24) |
| Excess tax benefit related to exercise of team member stock options | (8) | (30) |
| Accretion of premium/discount on marketable securities | 22 | 23 |
| Deferred lease liabilities | 28 | 36 |
| Other | 8 | 13 |
| Net change in current assets and liabilities: | ||
| Accounts receivable | (46) | 15 |
| Merchandise inventories | (24) | (18) |
| Prepaid expenses and other current assets | (13) | (12) |
| Accounts payable | 22 | (16) |
| Accrued payroll, bonus and other benefits due team members | 28 | 49 |
| Other current liabilities | 76 | 54 |
| Net change in other long-term liabilities | (3) | (4) |
| Net cash provided by operating activities | 859 | 818 |
| Cash flows from investing activities | ||
| Development costs of new locations | (329) | (226) |
| Other property and equipment expenditures | (237) | (151) |
| Purchase of intangible assets | (19) | -- |
| Purchases of available-for-sale securities | (648) | (1,104) |
| Sales and maturities of available-for-sale securities | 959 | 1,393 |
| Decrease (increase) in restricted cash | 2 | (7) |
| Payment for purchase of acquired entities, net of cash acquired | (32) | (22) |
| Other investing activities | (17) | (7) |
| Net cash used in investing activities | (321) | (124) |
| Cash flows from financing activities | ||
| Common stock dividends paid | (126) | (471) |
| Issuance of common stock | 35 | 61 |
| Purchase of treasury stock | (478) | (88) |
| Excess tax benefit related to exercise of team member stock options | 8 | 30 |
| Payments on capital lease obligations | (1) | (1) |
| Net cash used in financing activities | (562) | (469) |
| Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents | (2) | (3) |
| Net change in cash and cash equivalents | (26) | 222 |
| Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period | 290 | 89 |
| Cash and cash equivalents at end of period | $ 264 | $ 311 |
| Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information: | ||
| Federal and state income taxes paid | $ 329 | $ 296 |
| Whole Foods Market, Inc. | ||||
| Non-GAAP Financial Measures (unaudited) | ||||
| (In millions) | ||||
| In addition to reporting financial results in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, or GAAP, the Company provides information regarding Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization ("EBITDA"), Adjusted EBITDA and Free Cash Flow in the press release as additional information about its operating results. These measures are not in accordance with, or an alternative to, GAAP. The Company's management believes that these presentations provide useful information to management, analysts and investors regarding certain additional financial and business trends relating to its results of operations and financial condition. In addition, management uses these measures for reviewing the financial results of the Company as well as a component of incentive compensation. | ||||
| The Company defines Adjusted EBITDA as EBITDA plus non-cash share-based payment expense and deferred rent. The following is a tabular reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measure Adjusted EBITDA to GAAP net income, which the Company believes to be the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure. | ||||
| 12 weeks ended | 40 weeks ended | |||
| EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA | July 6, 2014 | July 7, 2013 | July 6, 2014 | July 7, 2013 |
| Net income | $ 151 | $ 142 | $ 451 | $ 430 |
| Provision for income taxes | 96 | 88 | 288 | 269 |
| Investment and other income, net of interest expense | (4) | (2) | (10) | (8) |
| Operating income | 243 | 228 | 729 | 691 |
| Depreciation and amortization | 88 | 78 | 286 | 257 |
| EBITDA | 331 | 306 | 1,015 | 948 |
| Share-based payment expense | 15 | 13 | 51 | 43 |
| Deferred rent | 13 | 9 | 30 | 27 |
| Adjusted EBITDA | $ 359 | $ 328 | $ 1,096 | $ 1,018 |
| The Company defines Free Cash Flow as net cash provided by operating activities less capital expenditures. The following is a tabular reconciliation of the Free Cash Flow non-GAAP financial measure. | ||||
| 12 weeks ended | 40 weeks ended | |||
| Free Cash Flow | July 6, 2014 | July 7, 2013 | July 6, 2014 | July 7, 2013 |
| Net cash provided by operating activities | $ 240 | $ 228 | $ 859 | $ 818 |
| Development costs of new locations | (122) | (69) | (329) | (226) |
| Other property and equipment expenditures | (82) | (44) | (237) | (151) |
| Free Cash Flow | $ 36 | $ 115 | $ 293 | $ 441 |
| Whole Foods Market, Inc. | ||||
| Non-GAAP Financial Measures (unaudited) | ||||
| (In millions) | ||||
| In addition to reporting financial results in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, or GAAP, the Company provides information regarding Return on Invested Capital ("ROIC") as additional information about its operating results. This measure is not in accordance with, or an alternative to, GAAP. The Company's management believes that this presentation provides useful information to management, analysts and investors regarding certain additional financial and business trends relating to its results of operations and financial condition. In addition, management uses this measure for reviewing the financial results of the Company as well as a component of incentive compensation. The Company defines ROIC as annualized adjusted earnings divided by average invested capital. Earnings are annualized on a 52-week basis. Adjustments to earnings are defined in the following tabular reconciliation. Invested capital reflects an average of the trailing four quarters. | ||||
| 12 weeks ended | 40 weeks ended | |||
| ROIC | July 6, 2014 | July 7, 2013 | July 6, 2014 | July 7, 2013 |
| Net income | $ 151 | $ 142 | $ 451 | $ 430 |
| Total rent expense, net of tax1 | 57 | 52 | 182 | 169 |
| Estimated depreciation on capitalized operating leases, net of tax2 | (39) | (35) | (122) | (113) |
| Adjusted earnings, including interest related to operating leases | 169 | 159 | 511 | 486 |
| Annualized earnings | $ 651 | $ 614 | $ 586 | $ 559 |
| Annualized adjusted earnings, including interest related to operating leases | $ 734 | $ 689 | $ 665 | $ 632 |
| Average working capital, excluding current portion of long-term debt | $ 805 | $ 945 | $ 805 | $ 945 |
| Average property and equipment, net | 2,607 | 2,249 | 2,607 | 2,249 |
| Average other assets | 1,119 | 1,033 | 1,119 | 1,033 |
| Average other liabilities | (563) | (511) | (563) | (511) |
| Average invested capital | $ 3,968 | $ 3,716 | $ 3,968 | $ 3,716 |
| Average estimated asset base of capitalized operating leases3 | 3,081 | 2,895 | 3,081 | 2,895 |
| Average invested capital, adjusted for capitalization of operating leases | $ 7,049 | $ 6,611 | $ 7,049 | $ 6,611 |
| ROIC | 16.4% | 16.5% | 14.8% | 15.0% |
| ROIC, adjusted for capitalization of operating leases | 10.4% | 10.4% | 9.4% | 9.6% |
| 1 Total rent includes minimum base rent of all tendered leases | ||||
| 2 Estimated depreciation equals two-thirds of total rent expense | ||||
| 3 Estimated asset base equals eight times total rent expense | ||||