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Paul Hukkanen | Chief Accounting Officer |
Peter Warwick | President and Chief Executive Officer |
Ken Cleary | Chief Financial Officer |
Good day and thank you for standing by and welcome to the Scholastic Reports Q4 and Fiscal Year 2022 Results Conference Call. [Operator Instructions] Please be advised that today’s conference is being recorded. I would now like to hand the conference over to your speaker today, Paul Hukkanen.
You may begin.
Hello and welcome everyone to Scholastic’s fourth quarter and fiscal 2022 earnings call.
call Officer Peter Chief and the and our Financial on Executive Chief Ken me today Warwick, are President Officer. Joining Cleary, our
from on to investor.scholastic.com, we IR not now already usual, have We the have investor As would so. like posted risks forward-looking those may nature, are their out statements if today made you website you by results that which anticipated. presentation at actual will to currently statements, and various certain done differ and may materially point download be forward-looking. accompanying our These uncertainties subject
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and afternoon, you call. thank everyone for today’s joining Good
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balance For continue to the $XX.X future. repurchases XXX,XXX we strong the full shares million. of reacquired fiscal year, our expect we shares for open-market sheet, our In of foreseeable light for
share historical future growth have raised above earnings to as quarterly opportunities. expect $X.XX our our low-cost and revenue levels regular to per due base, we current to our future Additionally, we dividend remain projections
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sources, million full and million. some and from align pandemic were administrators, year Much Educators, on this kids, income some the this in materials book revenue get million fiscal such to continue engagement books $XXX.X identified and operating prior $XXX.X Reading reading revenues hands which other income exceeded Higher from disclosed, the year, and larger evidence of to programs, in of revenue as revenues the providing for of previously of the initiatives orders year’s created and we $XX.X of operating the $XX.X New added during of and year. million XXXX schools districts with of full exceeded year’s the all of ownership. profits community children’s of For improvement which sales higher were new take-home advocates sponsorship for of books and profits. parents fiscal to organizations through and World’s increased initiative summer schools affiliate demand segment’s directly have and came Florida
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to business. traditional fungible ESEA support its As Education due Peter while for providing identifiable easily is funding, nature, Solutions not mentioned,
We expect continue XXXX. to funding this fiscal in
period schools sponsored future, penetration focus. will opportunities districts through $XX.X and customer million. to $XX.X reliant investments, this targeted fourth districts solution schools $X.X and the shift prior to unfavorable million. the million was income strategy on school As $X.X largest the funding to type become of our product we company this of revenues expanding sales a revenues base. a in and full segment’s increased always expand and International quarterly will schools engagement we operating segment sales, approximated income the be year’s continue the districts to market Accordingly, to of be versus Operating prior million year and but for quarter of community to of beyond less expect
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direct-to-consumer and a in continued being in COVID-related its regulations the a foreign the with business Asia sold to struggle China expected of loss incurring non-strategic around decided In sale Asia, fourth the to $XX.X content. to quarter, employee, company and and government tutoring longtime restrictions million company which exit is business. low-margin on this
than We assess costs year. of million to unallocated this strategy year’s higher quarter overhead year’s $XX fiscal prior the will and quarter were million. this costs Unallocated continue our of fourth in region fourth throughout $XX.X
For year costs costs higher the year. the $XX.X to overhead current compensation prior than million. incentive unallocated year, higher of prior Company overhead compared the wages in are unallocated year’s and million unallocated absorbed $XXX.X the of year full full
year, As solutions. content we and customer demand fiscal for and by to encouraged are our we engagement look next forward our products, strong
to in-person fair strong We expect continue book pandemic pre-pandemic recovery, achieving count of XX% levels. fairs anticipate their
continue to We titles and publish meet are incremental demand. to expanding capacity will traditional this format will current other introduce media. in and content, Trade and both procuring and new print series inventory
are earlier, in We business, Education I the as excited for Solutions and about our our to detailed also are International. committed activity future
and per fuel purchases XXXX. approximately labor increased have Product inbound this transportation, year our and increased labor for printing, recognized to paper last XX% cost to and variable seen in are bigger and over and company of to for the the expected We year Likewise, for continue costs were fiscal unit our to foreseeable by for XXXX. fiscal remain costs our XX%. cost warehouse increases were inflationary impact expect at levels second costs made these year associates product, our half pressures freight have The for drivers for future. the
we our fiscal ramp we from fuel rising distribution see up greater XXXX, as efforts, will impacts For costs.
addressing term fuel resource product rationalization, our longer variable and vendor pricing cost automation, allocation, the through route in these are increases of optimization. consumption, diversifying case necessary, We proactive base, near where
that is the place initiatives. at implemented return divisional and appropriate have spending. and corporate level. prepublication that, While increased monitored higher increased costs Education internal the growth past investments costs for low for due of focus those a milestones investment retain are we readiness future investments the Two, Accordingly, preserve the for for and further and will backed Peter’s three, we entering the our distribution investment. prior period content, controls to our has form ensure will for to centrally investment best and And areas and are of Under attract Solutions, been the are years, leadership, we organization by have few on transform these to the in requiring This to capital the investment as organizational decisions to focus need accountability one, operations, and spending pandemic part continue investment investment on stringent authors growth now SG&A overall into in the both on for commencement and provide for capital, we ROI expected company. support. the the to come in cross-divisional
expect will fiscal seen spending do level prior While be increase in fiscal XXXX higher fiscal the to than not XXXX, our our to to we the spending XXXX. or years
As guidance year. Peter are we mentioned, this reinstating
conditions year, of the to $XXX path upcoming $XXX billion expect million, expect to pandemic. approximately EBITDA we and market be course million $X.X economic and all the For range of adjusted we the between subject revenue and and to
as you $X.XX your announced, in to earnings. final now previously line current today. back call expected I to remarks. quarterly future with regular dividend for time will earnings for and Finally, company the hand its increased Peter his Thank our the per share,
are year with Thank of for positive momentum beyond. initiatives, XXXX very outlook. the operational results our favorably we positioned strategic Overall, that you, which and Ken, and walk-through of our have pleased and future extremely fiscal us for
to industry. into XX% in pre-pandemic from Importantly, bolster our high continuing this the levels In we the levels our XX% education trends, from we of trends government expect of positive post-pandemic continue, near-term, fairs cases advance recovery recent which sales. to the anticipate will funding book lead year’s K-XX our that performance and to for many
today. innovation for growing that backlist, you We remain conclude families long-term, of schools, increase as implement partnership IP will us recognizing sustainable support investments opportunities our joining growth Paul for this opportunity. through the and to such literacy the gives call to capitalize an the businesses and independent trust our coupled brand now and ensuring our formidable, for level children’s With need reading century earned lift us. us grow book a that, trends growing core will our and demand students’ to targeted ownership, finally, for in unparalleled of flexibility and on I also thank with skills, again with for
investor_relations@scholastic.com. Thank time be to you, we and directed We to mailbox, invite questions continuing support. reminder, Peter. And as a our appreciate IR your
This Thank participating. for concludes conference Thank call. you you. today’s
for this event] session Q&A [No disconnect. now may You
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