JOHNSON OUTDOORS INC quarterly report, Q2 FY2021

Johnson Outdoors Inc. — Q2 FY2021 Form 10-Q

Reporting period: Three and six months ended April 2, 2021; comparisons are to the periods ended March 27, 2020. Amounts are in thousands, except per-share data. Johnson Outdoors makes branded products for fishing, camping, watercraft recreation and diving. Results are seasonal, and management cautions that interim results may not indicate full-year performance.

Financial performance

MetricQ2 FY2021Q2 FY2020Six months FY2021Six months FY2020
Net sales$206.2 million$163.1 million$371.8 million$291.1 million
Gross profit$93.3 million$75.1 million$168.3 million$128.7 million
Gross margin45.2%46.1%45.3%44.2%
Operating profit$36.0 million$31.8 million$59.6 million$38.6 million
Net income$27.8 million$20.4 million$47.7 million$26.8 million
Diluted EPS$2.74$2.02$4.70$2.66

Q2 revenue rose 26% and six-month revenue rose 28% year over year. Q2 gross margin declined 0.9 percentage point, while six-month margin improved 1.1 points. Management attributed the year-to-date margin gain to pricing and volume efficiencies, partly offset by tariffs. Q2 operating expenses rose to $57.2 million from $43.3 million; the company reported higher volume-related costs and deferred-compensation expense, offset by gains on related plan assets in other income. Six-month operating cash flow remained negative at $12.0 million, improving from negative $29.0 million. Capital expenditures were $9.8 million; cash dividends paid were $4.2 million.

Segments and material changes

  • Fishing: Q2 sales increased 19% to $160.0 million; six-month sales increased 23% to $287.0 million. Higher outdoor participation and customer restocking drove growth.
  • Camping: Q2 sales increased 61% to $14.2 million; six-month sales increased 62% to $26.4 million.
  • Watercraft Recreation: Q2 sales increased 193% to $17.8 million; six-month sales increased 178% to $30.2 million. Comparisons were affected by COVID-related production shutdowns and weaker demand in the prior-year period.
  • Diving: Q2 sales were approximately flat at $14.2 million; six-month sales decreased 8% to $28.3 million, reflecting travel and tourism disruption.

Liquidity, debt and outlook

Cash and cash equivalents were $186.9 million at April 2, 2021, versus $212.4 million at October 2, 2020 and $131.3 million a year earlier. Current assets were $450.8 million and current liabilities $123.5 million. The company had no debt outstanding. It maintained a $75 million unsecured revolver, with a lender-approved accordion feature of up to $50 million; the facility expires November 15, 2022 and is subject to financial covenants. Cash declined $25.5 million during the first half, as operating, investing and financing activities used cash.

Management said strong outdoor-recreation demand continued into the first half and expected demand to remain strong, while emphasizing that supply-chain execution and product availability would be important. The filing does not provide a consolidated revenue or earnings forecast. Management estimated a full-year FY2021 negative gross-profit impact of approximately $9 million from China-related Section 301 tariffs, net of mitigation, versus approximately $3.5 million in FY2020.

Risks, contingencies and unusual items

  • COVID-19’s future effects are uncertain; elevated demand may strain supply, limit materials and components, delay deliveries, and increase purchasing and expedited-freight costs. Q2 included $1.4 million of additional tariff costs versus the prior-year quarter, as well as increased air freight costs.
  • Management began actions to terminate both defined-benefit pension plans. Termination and related payouts, subject to conditions, are estimated to reduce net income by approximately $4–$5 million when recognized.
  • Operating expenses included higher deferred-compensation expense, which management said was entirely offset by mark-to-market gains in other income. Six-month other income was $3.6 million, compared with expense of $2.7 million in the prior-year period.
  • Foreign exchange, raw-material costs, customer payment ability, weather, discretionary spending, and market volatility are among disclosed risks. The company reported no material expected adverse effect from pending litigation.
  • Operating lease liabilities totaled $44.4 million. A facility lease amendment is expected to add approximately $14 million of rental payments from fiscal 2022 through June 2039, not included in the reported lease commitment table.

Most important facts for investors to verify

  • Whether unusually strong demand and customer restocking persist, and whether the company can fulfill orders amid supply constraints.
  • Actual tariff, freight and input-cost impacts versus management’s approximately $9 million full-year tariff estimate, and the effect on margins.
  • How much reported earnings growth depends on deferred-compensation mark-to-market gains and related expenses.
  • Timing and final cost of pension-plan termination, including the estimated $4–$5 million net-income impact.
  • Working-capital and cash-flow trends as receivables and inventory rise with seasonal sales; the filing reports negative operating cash flow for the first half.