| ● | Adjusted net earnings of $42.0 million, or adjusted earnings per diluted share of $1.15, compared to adjusted net earnings of $61.5 million, or adjusted earnings per diluted share of $1.59 in the third quarter of fiscal 2021; |
| ● | Trailing twelve-month adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) of $298.6 million; or 10.1 percent of sales; |
| ● | Inventory was up approximately 19.5 percent, in-line with expectations, and 15.8 percent below the second quarter of 2022 – representing significant sequential progress; |
| ● | Returned $24.1 million to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases. |
Capital Allocation Update
During the third quarter, Caleres continued to strategically invest in value-driving growth opportunities while at the same time returning $24.1 million to shareholders through share repurchases and dividend payments. Specifically, Caleres repurchased 838,025 shares of common stock, at a total cost of $21.6 million and an average share price of $25.72. Year-to-date, the company has repurchased 2.6 million shares, representing approximately 7 percent of shares outstanding, at an average share price of $24.11. In addition to buybacks, Caleres returned $2.5 million to shareholders through its recurring quarterly cash dividend during the third quarter.
Fiscal Year 2022 Outlook:
“Looking ahead, we are confident that Caleres is well-positioned to close 2022 with record-setting earnings,” said Sullivan. “We believe our curated family of brands, powerful platform and robust capabilities in the areas of brand building, production creation, marketing, and logistics will enable us to navigate any market environment. In short, the Caleres team is enthusiastic about its prospects for long-term profitability and confident in our ability to generate strong levels of cash and unlock further value for our shareholders.”
Given the strong execution to date and expectations for the fourth quarter, Caleres is tightening its fiscal year 2022 earnings outlook at the upper end of its previous guidance range.
Specifically, the company expects adjusted earnings per share to be in the range of $4.30 and $4.40, representing another year of record earnings for the organization. In addition, the company is reiterating its full year sales outlook, with the range still expected to be between 4 percent and 6 percent as compared to fiscal year 2021.
The company anticipates continued improvement in its inventory position and expects to end fiscal year 2022 with inventory up mid-single digit percent as compared to fiscal year 2021.
Investor Conference Call
Caleres will host a conference call at 10:00 a.m. ET today, Tuesday, November 22. 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 13734096.
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 historic and estimated future gross profit, operating earnings, net earnings and earnings per diluted share, earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization 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 to both management and investors by excluding certain items that may not be indicative