directors recently approved its next quarterly dividend, which will be paid on June 28, 2023, to shareholders of record as of June 9, 2023.
Fiscal 2023 Outlook:
“Looking ahead, we are encouraged by the increased financial contribution from the Brand Portfolio and the strong momentum in our lead brands – Sam Edelman, Vionic, Naturalizer and Allen Edmonds,” said Schmidt. “While we expect near-term pressure to persist at Famous Footwear, we are highly confident in our ability to remain the leader in footwear for the family, which we believe plays an essential role in the footwear sector overall.”
As a result of the more challenging operating environment, Caleres has taken several steps to reduce expenses across its business. These actions include eliminating open corporate positions, reducing non-merchandise procurement costs, realizing additional Brand Portfolio synergies, and lowering depreciation expense, and are expected to result in $20 million of in-year savings. The company also anticipates better-than-expected freight costs, which is expected to be an additional $10 million in savings. These cost savings are versus prior guidance assumptions, some of which were realized in the first quarter. Caleres anticipates a one-time cash charge of approximately $4 million in the second quarter of 2023 associated with these actions. Additionally, the company anticipates gross margin strength in the Brand Portfolio segment for the balance of the year.
For fiscal 2023, the company is expecting full year diluted earnings per share of $4.02 to $4.22, inclusive of the $4 million one-time charge associated with expense reduction actions in the second quarter. The company is reiterating its full year diluted adjusted earnings per share range of $4.10 to $4.30 and updating its consolidated net sales range to be down 3 percent to down 5 percent. This topline adjustment reflects the company’s revised sales expectations at Famous Footwear.
In addition, Caleres now expects:
| ● | Consolidated operating margin of 7.3 percent to 7.5 percent, versus previous guidance of 7.1 percent to 7.3 percent; |
| ● | Interest expense of $17 million to $19 million, versus previous guidance of $18 million to $20 million; and |
| ● | Capital expenditures of $55 million to $65 million, versus previous guidance of $60 million to $70 million. |
The company still expects an effective tax rate of about 25 percent and weighted average shares outstanding of 34.3 million.
For second quarter of 2023 the company expects:
| ● | Consolidated net sales down 4 percent to 5 percent; |
| ● | Diluted earnings per share of $0.79 to $0.84; and |
| ● | Adjusted diluted earnings per share of $0.87 to $0.92. |
“As we progress through 2023, we are focused on tightly managing our expenses, investing in value-enhancing opportunities, and maximizing our capabilities to position the organization for growth,” said Schmidt. “We believe we have the right foundation and strategic initiatives in place to consistently deliver annual earnings per share of more than $4.00 as we generate strong levels of free cash flow and create value for our shareholders.”