Deana McPherson, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, commented, “Our financial performance continues to reflect tough year-over-year comparisons due to the return to more normalized levels of demand following the surge. We were pleased with our gross margin, which was equal to our gross margin in the first quarter of fiscal 2020 in spite of lower sales and 1.5% better when adjusted for the relocation. Our balance sheet remains strong with $110.5 million of cash and no debt, and we expect to continue generating strong cash flow for the foreseeable future. Consistent with our capital allocation strategy, our board of directors has authorized a $0.10 per share quarterly dividend, which will be paid to stockholders of record on September 22, 2022 with payment to be made on October 6, 2022.”
Conference Call and Webcast
The company will host a conference call and webcast on September 8, 2022 to discuss its first quarter fiscal 2023 financial and operational results. Speakers on the conference call will include Mark Smith, President and Chief Executive Officer, and Deana McPherson, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. The conference call may include forward-looking statements. The conference call and webcast will begin at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time (2:00 p.m. Pacific Time). Those interested in listening to the conference call via telephone should click “here” to pre-register for the conference call and obtain your dial-in number and unique PIN number. The conference call audio webcast can also be accessed live on the company’s website at www.smith-wesson.com, under the Investor Relations section.
Reconciliation of U.S. GAAP to Non-GAAP Financial Measures
In this press release, certain non-GAAP financial measures, including “non-GAAP net income,” “Adjusted EBITDAS,” and “free cash flow” are presented. From time-to-time, we consider and use these supplemental measures of operating performance in order to provide the reader with an improved understanding of underlying performance trends. We believe it is useful for us and the reader to review, as applicable, both (1) GAAP measures that include (i) interest expense, (ii) income tax expense, (iii) depreciation and amortization, (iv) stock-based compensation expense, (v) COVID-19 expenses, (vi) transition costs, (vii) amortization of acquired intangible assets, (viii) spin related stock compensation, (ix) Relocation expense, and (x) the tax effect of non-GAAP adjustments; and (2) the non-GAAP measures that exclude such information. We present these non-GAAP measures because we consider them an important supplemental measure of our performance. Our definition of these adjusted financial measures may differ from similarly named measures used by others. We believe these measures facilitate operating performance comparisons from period to period by eliminating potential differences caused by the existence and timing of certain expense items that would not otherwise be apparent on a GAAP basis. These non-GAAP measures have limitations as an analytical tool and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for our GAAP measures. The principal limitations of these measures are that they do not reflect our actual expenses and may thus have the effect of inflating its financial measures on a GAAP basis.
About Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc.
Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ Global Select: SWBI) is a U.S.-based leader in firearm manufacturing and design, delivering a broad portfolio of quality handgun, long gun, and suppressor products to the global consumer and professional markets under the iconic Smith & Wesson®, M&P®, and Gemtech® brands. The company also provides manufacturing services including forging, machining, and precision plastic injection molding services. For more information call (800) 331-0852 or visit www.smith-wesson.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
Certain statements contained in this press release may be deemed to be forward-looking statements under federal securities laws, and we intend that such forward-looking statements be subject to the safe-harbor created thereby. Such forward-looking statements include, among others, (i) our belief that, with a pickup in order rates over the past few weeks and a significant drop in unit inventory levels within the channel, the inventory correction should now largely be in the rearview mirror, (ii) our expectation of strong profitability over the remainder of the year aided by our disciplined approach to cost control and promotional spending, and (iii) our expectation that we will continue generating strong cash flow for the foreseeable future. We caution that these statements are qualified by important risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others, economic, social, political, legislative, and regulatory factors; the potential for increased regulation of firearms and firearm-related products; actions of social activists that could have an adverse effect on our business; the impact of lawsuits; the demand for our products; the state of the U.S. economy in general and the firearm
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