Central Garden & Pet Announces Q1 Fiscal 2022 Results

Central Garden & Pet Company (“Central”), a market leader in the garden and pet industries, today announced financial results for its fiscal 2022 first quarter ended December 25, 2021.

“We delivered another solid quarter thanks to continued demand for our Pet and Garden brands and the perseverance of our employees,” said Tim Cofer, CEO of Central Garden & Pet. “Our recent acquisitions exceeded our expectations for the quarter, and we remain encouraged by the fundamentals of our organic business in light of the extraordinary growth in the prior year. We are confident in our team’s ability to perform as we face the ongoing challenges associated with the pandemic.”

Fiscal 2022 First Quarter Financial Results

Net sales increased 12% to $661 million compared to $592 million a year ago, driven by recent acquisitions, which contributed $70 million to the quarter. Organic sales were in line with the prior year quarter.

Gross margin was 30.0%, an increase of 210 basis points compared to a year ago, driven primarily by pricing and favorable product mix, partially offset by cost inflation in key commodities, freight and labor.

Operating income decreased 3% to $26 million from $27 million a year ago. Operating margin was 4.0% compared to 4.6% in the prior year. The margin decline was largely due to continued inflation and heightened investment spending.

Net interest expense was $14 million compared to $21 million a year ago primarily due to incremental interest expense related to recognizing the impacts of the call premium, unamortized debt issuance cost and double interest on the debt retired during the first quarter a year ago partially offset by higher debt outstanding.

The Company’s net income increased 61% to $9 million from $6 million a year ago. Diluted GAAP earnings per share for the quarter was $0.16, an increase of $0.06 compared to the prior year quarter. Adjusted EBITDA increased 16% to $52 million from $45 million a year ago.

The Company’s effective tax rate was 20.7% compared to 19.7% in the prior year quarter.

Garden Segment Fiscal 2022 First Quarter Results

Net sales for the Garden segment increased 45% to $225 million driven by a $70 million contribution from recent acquisitions offsetting a modest decline in organic sales of 0.3%. Strength in wild bird, chemicals & fertilizer as well as live plants was more than offset by declines in garden distribution and grass seed.

Garden segment operating income increased 30% to $6 million driven by the strong performance of recent acquisitions. Operating margin declined 30 basis points to 2.7%, mainly driven by inflationary pressures and heightened investment spending partially offset by contributions from acquisitions and improved pricing. Garden segment adjusted EBITDA increased 115% to $16 million from $7 million in the prior year quarter.

Pet Segment Fiscal 2022 First Quarter Results

Net sales for the Pet segment were $436 million, in line with the prior year with notable contributions from animal health, dog and cat and the Company’s pet distribution businesses offset by declines in pet beds and small animal and aquatic supplies.

Pet segment operating income increased 4% to $45 million, and operating margin grew 40 basis points to 10.4%. Pet segment adjusted EBITDA increased 4% to $55 million from $53 million a year ago, largely driven by improved pricing and favorable product mix partially offset by inflationary headwinds and heightened investment spending.

Additional Information

The Company’s cash balance at the end of the quarter was $296 million compared to $608 million a year ago. Cash used by operations during the quarter was $92 million compared to $36 million a year ago. The increase in cash used by operations was driven primarily by working capital requirements.

Total debt as of December 25, 2021 was $1.2 billion compared to $789 million at December 26, 2020. The Company’s leverage ratio1) at the end of the first quarter was 2.9x compared to 2.3x at the end of the prior year quarter. The Company repurchased approximately 153,000 shares or $6.7 million of its stock during the quarter.

For the complete press release, click here.

About Central Garden & Pet

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ: CENT) (NASDAQ: CENTA) understands that home is central to life and has proudly nurtured happy and healthy homes for over 40 years. With fiscal 2021 net sales of $3.3 billion, Central is on a mission to lead the future of the pet and garden industries. The Company’s innovative and trusted products are dedicated to helping lawns grow greener, gardens bloom bigger, pets live healthier and communities grow stronger. Central is home to a leading portfolio of more than 65 high-quality brands including Pennington, Nylabone, Kaytee, Amdro and Aqueon, strong manufacturing and distribution capabilities and a passionate, entrepreneurial growth culture. Central Garden & Pet is based in Walnut Creek, California and has over 7,000 employees across North America and Europe. For additional information about Central, please visit the Company’s website at www.central.com.

Contact:

Friederike Edelmann – Investor Relations – (925) 412-6726 – fedelmann@central.com

Source: Central Garden & Pet Company