Summary
Lowe's Companies, Inc. reported its third quarter and year-to-date results for the period ending October 28, 2011. While net sales saw a modest increase of 2.3% for the quarter ($11.9 billion) and 0.6% for the nine months ($38.6 billion) compared to the prior year, profitability was significantly impacted by restructuring charges. The company announced the closure of 27 underperforming stores and the discontinuation of new store projects, leading to $336 million in charges for the quarter and $401 million for the nine months. These charges included significant long-lived asset impairment losses and exit costs, contributing to a substantial decline in net earnings. Despite the headwinds from restructuring, the company is focusing on core business improvements and technological enhancements, including in-store system upgrades and the rollout of mobile devices for associates. Management is emphasizing value improvement and product differentiation to enhance the customer experience. The company reiterated its outlook for the fourth quarter and fiscal year 2011, anticipating modest sales growth but continued pressure on operating margins due to ongoing strategic initiatives and charges.
Financial Highlights
47 data points| Revenue | $11.85B |
| Cost of Revenue | $7.82B |
| Gross Profit | $4.04B |
| SG&A Expenses | $3.23B |
| Operating Expenses | $3.69B |
| Net Income | $225.00M |
| EPS (Basic) | $0.18 |
| EPS (Diluted) | $0.18 |
| Shares Outstanding (Basic) | 1.25B |
| Shares Outstanding (Diluted) | 1.25B |
Key Highlights
- 1Net sales increased by 2.3% to $11.9 billion for the third quarter, but were up only 0.6% to $38.6 billion for the nine-month period year-over-year.
- 2Significant restructuring charges of $336 million in Q3 and $401 million for the nine months were incurred due to the closure of 27 stores and discontinuation of new store projects.
- 3Net earnings decreased by 44.2% to $225 million in the third quarter and by 12.1% to $1.517 billion for the nine-month period.
- 4Gross margin declined by 99 basis points as a percentage of sales in Q3, impacted by discounts, inflation, and clearance activities.
- 5Selling, General, and Administrative (SG&A) expenses increased significantly as a percentage of sales in Q3, largely due to asset impairment and costs associated with store closings and restructuring.
- 6The company is investing in technology, with over 90% completion in upgrading in-store data capacity and rolling out mobile devices (iPhone-based) to over 60% of stores.
- 7Lowe's extended its credit facility maturity to October 2016, providing $1.75 billion in borrowing capacity, with no outstanding borrowings as of the period end.