COLUMBIA, Mo., Sept. 9, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- American Outdoor Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ Global Select: AOUT), an industry leading provider of products and accessories for rugged outdoor enthusiasts, today announced financial results for the first quarter fiscal 2022 ended July 31, 2021.

First Quarter Fiscal 2022 Financial Highlights

• Net sales of $60.8 million for the first quarter of fiscal 2022 grew 20.4% compared with the first quarter of fiscal 2021 and grew 82.9% compared with the first quarter of fiscal 2020, reflecting increased net sales in traditional sales channels and increased international net sales.
   
• Gross margin of 47.7% increased 70 basis points over the comparable quarter last year. 
   
• Net income of $3.5 million, or $0.24 per diluted share, compared with net income of $1.8 million, or $0.13 per diluted share, for the comparable quarter last year. 
   
• Non-GAAP net income of $6.8 million, or $0.48 per diluted share, compared with non-GAAP net income of $5.0 million, or $0.36 per diluted share, for the comparable quarter last year. GAAP to non-GAAP adjustments for net income exclude acquired intangible amortization, stock compensation, transition costs, COVID-19 expenses, technology implementation, and other costs. For a detailed reconciliation, see the schedules that follow in this release.
   
• Adjusted EBITDAS was $9.6 million, or 15.7% of net sales, compared with $8.7 million, or 17.3% of net sales, for the comparable quarter last year. Concurrent with the company's spin-off in fiscal 2021, the accounting treatment of its headquarters facility changed from a finance lease to an operating lease. Excluding that change, Adjusted EBITDAS margins in the first quarter of fiscal 2022 were relatively flat year over year. For a detailed reconciliation, see the schedules that follow in this release.

Brian Murphy, President and CEO, said, "I am extremely pleased with our strong start to the new fiscal year.  We delivered first quarter growth in net sales and profitability, results that reflect our dedication to building authentic, lifestyle brands that help consumers make the most out of the moments that matter.  We believe that quarterly net sales growth of more than 20% over fiscal 2021, and nearly 83% over fiscal 2020, demonstrated the alignment of our brands with strong consumer trends in personal protection and the outdoor lifestyle activities we serve." 

"Our Dock & Unlock™ process continued to fuel innovation and drive future growth.  During the first quarter, we attended ICAST, the fishing industry's premier tradeshow, where we proudly received a best in category award for "Best Cutlery, Hand Pliers and Tools" for our new BUBBA® Pro Series Electric Fillet Knife, and introduced a number of new BUBBA® products, a lifestyle brand known for its high-quality fishing equipment designed for Water to Plate™ anglers.  We also announced BUBBA®'s entry into the $700 million retail market for saltwater fishing rods, reels, and components, and unveiled our first rods featuring the proprietary BUBBA® red grip handle, which we anticipate will be available to consumers in February 2022." 

Murphy concluded, "Our entry into fishing rods is the direct result, and just one example, of employing our Dock & Unlock™ strategy to drive innovation and provide entry into new markets.  With an outdoor industry that has experienced unprecedented levels of consumer participation over the past year, our unique Dock & Unlock™ strategy in place, and a strong first quarter under our belts, we are excited about our opportunities, and we look forward to sharing our progress as we take our brands from Niche to Known^™."

Andrew Fulmer, Chief Financial Officer, said, "Our strong financial performance, combined with our robust balance sheet, allowed us to invest in our business during the first quarter.  Our teams did an outstanding job building up our internal inventory levels over the quarter to support upcoming product launches and to mitigate supply chain risk, particularly for our high-volume products.  Even with this strategic buildup of inventory, which we plan to continue in our second quarter, we ended the first quarter with cash of $56.3 million and no borrowings on our $50.0 million senior secured credit facility, which is expandable by an additional $15.0 million under certain conditions.  This means that we have over $120.0 million in available capital to support our organic growth initiatives and potential future acquisitions.  We believe that our strong balance sheet, combined with a consumer preference for our brands, positions us well for future growth.  Consequently, today we are reaffirming our outlook for fiscal 2022, which, at the midpoint, would represent net sales growth of roughly 4% over fiscal 2021, and net sales growth of nearly 72% over fiscal 2020."

Outlook

The Company is not providing a quantitative reconciliation of non-GAAP Adjusted EBITDAS guidance in reliance on the "unreasonable efforts" exception for forward-looking non-GAAP measures set forth in SEC rules because certain financial information, the probable significance of which cannot be determined, is not available and cannot be reasonably estimated without unreasonable effort and expense. In this regard, the Company does not provide a reconciliation of forward-looking non-GAAP Adjusted EBITDAS to GAAP net income due to the inherent difficulty in forecasting and quantifying certain amounts that are necessary for such reconciliation. Because certain deductions for non-GAAP exclusions used to calculate projected GAAP net income may vary significantly based on actual events, including variations in acquired intangible asset amortization and stock compensation expense, the Company is not able to forecast on a GAAP basis with reasonable certainty all deductions needed in order to provide a GAAP calculation of projected net income at this time. The amounts of these deductions may be material and, therefore, could result in projected GAAP net income being materially less than is indicated by projected non-GAAP Adjusted EBITDAS. 

Conference Call and Webcast
The Company will host a conference call and webcast today, September 9, 2021, to discuss its first quarter fiscal 2022 financial and operational results. Speakers on the conference call will include Brian Murphy, President and Chief Executive Officer, and Andrew Fulmer, Chief Financial Officer. The conference call may include forward-looking statements and a discussion of non-GAAP financial measures. 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 may call directly at (833) 570-1129 and reference conference identification number 6259758.  No RSVP is necessary.  The conference call audio webcast can also be accessed live on the Company's website at www.aob.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," "non-GAAP income per share diluted," "Adjusted EBITDAS," and "free cash flow" are presented. A reconciliation of these and other non-GAAP financial measures are contained at the end of this press release. A reconciliation of projected non-GAAP income per share diluted and free cash flow are contained under the "Outlook" section of this press release. From time-to-time, the Company considers and uses these non-GAAP financial measures as supplemental measures of operating performance in order to provide the reader with an improved understanding of underlying performance trends.  The Company believes it is useful for itself and the reader to review, as applicable, both (1) GAAP measures that include (i) amortization of acquired intangible assets, (ii) stock compensation, (iii) transition costs, (iv) COVID-19 expenses, (v) technology implementation, (vi) the tax effect of non-GAAP adjustments, (vii) interest expense, (viii) income tax expense, (ix) depreciation and amortization, and (x) related party interest income; and (2) the non-GAAP measures that exclude such information. The Company presents these non-GAAP measures because it considers them an important supplemental measure of its performance and believes the disclosure of such measures provides useful information to investors regarding the Company's financial condition and results of operations. The Company's definition of these adjusted financial measures may differ from similarly named measures used by others. The Company believes 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 the Company's GAAP measures.  The principal limitations of these measures are that they do not reflect the Company's actual expenses and may thus have the effect of inflating its financial measures on a GAAP basis.

About American Outdoor Brands, Inc.
American Outdoor Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ Global Select: AOUT) is an industry leading provider of outdoor products and accessories, including hunting, fishing, camping, shooting, and personal security and defense products, for rugged outdoor enthusiasts.  The company produces innovative, top quality products under its brands Caldwell®; Wheeler®; Tipton®; Frankford Arsenal®; Hooyman®; BOG®; MEAT!; Uncle Henry®; Old Timer®; Imperial®; Crimson Trace®; LaserLyte®; Lockdown®; ust®; BUBBA®; and Schrade®.  For more information about all the brands and products from American Outdoor Brands, Inc., visit www.aob.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. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained or incorporated herein by reference in this press release, including statements regarding our future operating results, future financial position, business strategy, objectives, goals, plans, prospects, markets, and plans and objectives for future operations, are forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "expects," "intends," "targets," "contemplates," "projects," "predicts," "may," "might," "plan," "would," "should," "could," "may," "can," "potential," "continue," "objective," or the negative of those terms, or similar expressions intended to identify forward-looking statements. However, not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Specific forward-looking statements in this press release include our dedication to building authentic, lifestyle brands that help consumers make the most out of the moments that matter; our belief that our quarterly net sales growth demonstrates the alignment of our brands with strong consumer trends in personal protection and the outdoor lifestyle activities we serve; our belief that our Dock & Unlock™ process continues to fuel innovation and drive future growth; our anticipation that the new BUBBA® fishing rods will be available to consumers in the second half of our fiscal year; our initiatives for organic growth and potential for future acquisitions; our anticipated strategic buildup of inventory; our belief that our strong balance sheet, combined with a consumer preference for our brands, positions us well for future growth; our reaffirmation of our outlook for fiscal 2022 and our outlook for fiscal 2022. 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, the effects of the COVID-19, pandemic, including potential disruptions in our ability to source the materials necessary for the production of our products, disruptions and delays in the manufacture of our products, and difficulties encountered by retailers and other components of the distribution channel for our products; economic, social, political, legislative, and regulatory factors; lawsuits and their effect on us; inventory levels, both internally and in the distribution channel, in excess of demand; natural disasters, pandemics, seasonality, news events, political events, and consumer tastes; future investments for capital expenditures; future products and product development; the features, quality, and performance of our products; the success of our strategies and marketing programs; our market share and factors that affect our market share; liquidity and anticipated cash needs and availability; the supply, availability, and costs of materials and components and related tariffs; our ability to maintain and enhance brand recognition and reputation; risks associated with the distribution of our products and overall availability of labor; and, other factors detailed from time to time in our reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended April 30, 2021.

Forward-looking statements included in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update its forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release except as may be required by the federal securities laws.

Contact: 
Liz Sharp, VP, Investor Relations
lsharp@aob.com 
(573) 303-4620

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SOURCE American Outdoor Brands, Inc.