Clearfield Reports Second Quarter 2024 Results

  • Revenue of $36.9 million and net loss per share of $(0.40) - both above the high end of their respective guidance ranges
  • Backlog increased sequentially driven by strength in Community Broadband
  • Board of Directors increased share repurchase program authorization from $40 million to $65 million

MINNEAPOLIS, May 02, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clearfield, Inc. (NASDAQ: CLFD), a leader in fiber connectivity, reported results for the fiscal second quarter 2024.  

Fiscal Q2 2024 Financial Summary  
(in millions except per share data and percentages) Q2 2024 vs. Q2 2023 Change  Change (%)
Net Sales $ 36.9   $ 71.8   $ (34.9)   -49 %
         
Gross Profit ($) $ 2.8   $ 23.6   $ (20.7)   -88 %
Gross Profit (%)   7.7%     32.8%     -25.1%   -77 %
         
Income (Loss) from Operations $ (9.7)   $ 12.1   $ (21.8)   -181 %
Income Tax Expense (Benefit) $ (2.1)   $ 3.0   $ (5.1)   -170 %
         
Net Income (Loss) $ (5.9)   $ 10.4   $ (16.3)   -157 %
Net Income (Loss) per Diluted Share $ (0.40)   $ 0.67   $ (1.07)   -160 %
         


Fiscal Q2 YTD 2024 Financial Summary  
(in millions except per share data and percentages) 2024 YTD vs. 2023 YTD Change  Change (%)
Net Sales $ 71.1   $ 157.8   $ (86.6)   -55 %
         
Gross Profit ($) $ 7.5   $ 54.2   $ (46.7)   -86 %
Gross Profit (%)   10.6%     34.4%     -23.8%   -69 %
         
Income (Loss) from Operations $ (17.9)   $ 29.9   $ (47.8)   -160 %
Income Tax Expense (Benefit) $ (3.0)   $ 6.7   $ (9.7)   -145 %
         
Net Income (Loss) $ (11.2)   $ 24.6   $ (35.8)   -145 %
Net Income (Loss) per Diluted Share $ (0.75)   $ 1.67   $ (2.42)   -145 %
         

Management Commentary

“We are encouraged by our second quarter fiscal 2024 performance with our sales exceeding the high end of our guidance range driven by higher-than-expected sales to our Community Broadband customers. We believe that the quarter ended March 31, 2024 represents the beginning of a gradual recovery as broadband service providers continue to deploy equipment and long-term demand remains robust. While we anticipate continued inventory-related impacts in our Large Regional and MSO markets, we're encouraged by increased quoting activity across all markets in the second quarter, aligning with the traditional build season. As we navigate this gradual recovery, we remain focused on positioning Clearfield to take share when ordering patterns return to a more normalized cadence," said Company President and Chief Executive Officer, Cheri Beranek. “Our confidence in both our company and the industry is reinforced by our conviction in the future growth in fiber deployment. We maintain our confidence that the value proposition Clearfield brings to the market is stronger than ever,” said Beranek.

“As we transition into the build season, we anticipate a gradual uptick in orders, more closely aligning with traditional ordering patterns. Despite ongoing challenges related to industry-wide elevated inventory levels, we interpret the sequential increase in backlog as a positive indicator of normalization in ordering behaviors. Our ongoing collaboration with customers to align orders with deployment schedules underscores our proactive approach to navigating industry uncertainties,” said Chief Financial Officer Dan Herzog. “Our $15.5 million in share repurchases during the quarter underscores our confidence in our company’s value and market opportunity, as evidenced by the size and scale of our buyback program. Consequently, our Board of Directors has increased our share buyback authorization from $40 million to $65 million, providing us with $30.4 million available for additional repurchases when added to the $5.4 million repurchase amount remaining on March 31, 2024.”

Financial Results for the Three Months Ended March 31, 2024

Net sales for the second quarter of fiscal 2024 decreased 48.6% to $36.9 million from $71.8 million in the same year-ago quarter.

As of March 31, 2024, order backlog (defined as purchase orders received but not yet fulfilled) was $47.2 million, an increase of $3.7 million, or 8.6%, compared to $43.5 million as of December 31, 2023, and a decrease of $60.4 million, or 56.1%, from March 31, 2023.

Gross margin for the second quarter of fiscal 2024 was 7.7%, compared to 32.8% in the second quarter of fiscal 2023. Gross margin was negatively affected by excess production capacity and an increase in reserves for excess inventory primarily resulting from the lull in demand as customers digest previously purchased products.

Operating expenses for the second quarter of fiscal 2024 increased 9.3% to $12.6 million, or 34.1% of net sales, from $11.5 million, or 16.0% of net sales, in the same year-ago quarter.

Net loss for the second quarter of fiscal 2024 totaled $5.9 million, or ($0.40) per diluted share, compared to net income of $10.4 million, or $0.67 per diluted share, in the same year-ago quarter. In the quarter, we repurchased approximately $15.5 million in shares under our Share Repurchase Program, leaving an additional $5.4 million remaining for future repurchases as of March 31, 2024, and $30.4 million remaining for repurchase after the additional authorization. 

Outlook
At this time and after considering the current state of the industry, the Company expects net sales for the third quarter of fiscal 2024 to be in the range of $40 million to $44 million and net loss per share to be in the range of $0.31 to $0.38. This loss per share range is based on the number of shares outstanding at the end of the second quarter and does not reflect share repurchases completed in the third quarter.

Conference Call
Management will hold a conference call today, May 2, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time (4:00 p.m. Central Time) to discuss these results and provide an update on business conditions.

Clearfield’s President and Chief Executive Officer, Cheri Beranek, and Chief Financial Officer, Dan Herzog, will host the presentation, followed by a question-and-answer period.

U.S. dial-in: 1-877-407-0792
International dial-in: 1-201-689-8263
Conference ID: 13745310

The live webcast of the call can be accessed at the Clearfield Investor Relations website along with the company's earnings press release and presentation.

A replay of the call will be available after 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the same day through May 16, 2024, while an archived version of the webcast will be available on the Investor Relations website for 90 days.

U.S. replay dial-in: 1-844-512-2921
International replay dial-in: 1-412-317-6671
Replay ID: 13745310

About Clearfield, Inc.
Clearfield, Inc. (NASDAQ: CLFD) designs, manufactures, and distributes fiber optic management, protection, and delivery products for communications networks. Our “fiber to anywhere” platform serves the unique requirements of leading incumbent local exchange carriers (traditional carriers), competitive local exchange carriers (alternative carriers), and MSO/cable TV companies, while also catering to the broadband needs of the utility/municipality, enterprise, and data center markets. Headquartered in Minneapolis, MN, Clearfield deploys more than a million fiber ports each year. For more information, visit www.SeeClearfield.com.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information
Forward-looking statements contained herein and in any related presentation or in the related Earnings Presentation are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as “may,” “plan,” “expect,” “aim,” “believe,” “project,” “target,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “estimate,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “outlook,” or “continue” or comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such forward looking statements include, for example, statements about the Company’s future revenue and operating performance, expected customer ordering patterns, anticipated shipping on backlog and future lead times, future availability of components and materials from the Company’s supply chain, future availability of labor impacting our customers’ network builds, the impact of the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment Program (BEAD), Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) or other government programs on the demand for the Company’s products or timing of customer orders, the Company’s ability to match capacity to meet demand, expansion into new markets and trends in and growth of the FTTx markets, market segments or customer purchases and other statements that are not historical facts. These statements are based upon the Company's current expectations and judgments about future developments in the Company's business. Certain important factors could have a material impact on the Company's performance, including, without limitation: inflationary price pressures and uncertain availability of components, raw materials, labor and logistics used by us and our suppliers could negatively impact our profitability; we rely on single-source suppliers, which could cause delays, increase costs or prevent us from completing customer orders; we depend on the availability of sufficient supply of certain materials and global disruptions in the supply chain for these materials could prevent us from meeting customer demand for our products; a significant percentage of our sales in the last three fiscal years have been made to a small number of customers, and the loss of these major customers could adversely affect us; further consolidation among our customers may result in the loss of some customers and may reduce sales during the pendency of business combinations and related integration activities; we may be subject to risks associated with acquisitions, and the risks could adversely affect future operating results; we have exposure to movements in foreign currency exchange rates; adverse global economic conditions and geopolitical issues could have a negative effect on our business, and results of operations and financial condition; growth may strain our business infrastructure, which could adversely affect our operations and financial condition; product defects or the failure of our products to meet specifications could cause us to lose customers and sales or to incur unexpected expenses; we are dependent on key personnel; cyber-security incidents, including ransomware, data breaches or computer viruses, could disrupt our business operations, damage our reputation, result in increased expense, and potentially lead to legal proceedings; our business is dependent on interdependent management information systems; natural disasters, extreme weather conditions or other catastrophic events could negatively affect our business, financial condition, and operating results; pandemics and other health crises, including COVID-19, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and operating results; to compete effectively, we must continually improve existing products and introduce new products that achieve market acceptance; if the telecommunications market does not continue to expand, our business may not grow as fast as we expect, which could adversely impact our business, financial condition and operating results; changes in U.S. government funding programs may cause our customers and prospective customers to delay, reduce, or accelerate purchases, leading to unpredictable and irregular purchase cycles; intense competition in our industry may result in price reductions, lower gross profits and loss of market share; our success depends upon adequate protection of our patent and intellectual property rights; we face risks associated with expanding our sales outside of the United States; expectations relating to environmental, social and governance matters may increase our cost of doing business and expose us to reputational harm and potential liability; our operating results may fluctuate significantly from quarter to quarter, which may make budgeting for expenses difficult and may negatively affect the market price of our common stock; our stock price has been volatile historically and may continue to be volatile - the price of our common stock may fluctuate significantly; anti-takeover provisions in our organizational documents, Minnesota law and other agreements could prevent or delay a change in control of our Company; and other factors set forth in Part I, Item IA. Risk Factors of Clearfield's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2023 as well as other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these statements to reflect actual events unless required by law.

Investor Relations Contact:
Greg McNiff
The Blueshirt Group
773-485-7191
clearfield@blueshirtgroup.com

 
CLEARFIELD, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(UNAUDITED)
(IN THOUSANDS, EXCEPT SHARE DATA)
  Three Months Ended   Six Months Ended
  March 31,   March 31,
    2024       2023       2024       2023  
                       
Net sales $ 36,910     $ 71,809     $ 71,140     $ 157,751  
                       
Cost of sales   34,078       48,246       63,611       103,539  
                       
Gross profit   2,832       23,563       7,529       54,212  
                       
Operating expenses                      
Selling, general and                      
administrative   12,573       11,508       25,432       24,266  
(Loss) Income from operations   (9,741 )     12,055       (17,903 )     29,946  
                       
Net investment income   1,849       1,395       3,918       1,698  
Interest expense   (102 )     (112 )     (228 )     (356 )
(Loss) Income before income taxes   (7,994 )     13,338       (14,213 )     31,288  
                       
Income tax (benefit) expense   (2,083 )     2,974       (3,034 )     6,669  
                       
Net (loss) income $ (5,911 )   $ 10,364     $ (11,179 )   $ 24,619  
                       
Net (loss) income per share:                      
Basic $ (0.40 )   $ 0.67     $ (0.75 )   $ 1.68  
Diluted $ (0.40 )   $ 0.67     $ (0.75 )   $ 1.67  
                       
Weighted average shares outstanding:                    
Basic   14,629,489       15,233,848       14,922,811       14,693,829  
Diluted   14,629,489       15,260,769       14,922,811       14,766,938  
                       


CLEARFIELD, INC.          
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS          
(IN THOUSANDS, EXCEPT SHARE DATA)          
    (Unaudited)      
    March 31,     September 30,
    2024     2023  
Assets          
Current Assets          
Cash and cash equivalents $ 15,818
  $ 37,827  
Short-term investments   127,089
    130,286  
Accounts receivable, net   21,899
    28,392  
Inventories, net   83,985
    98,055  
Other current assets   8,641
    1,695  
Total current assets   257,432
    296,255  
           
Property, plant and equipment, net   22,434     21,527  
           
Other Assets          
Long-term investments   6,523     6,343  
Goodwill   6,568     6,528  
Intangible assets, net   6,219
    6,092  
Right of use lease assets   12,394
    13,861  
Deferred tax asset   2,842
    3,039  
Other   991
    1,872  
Total other assets   35,537
    37,735  
Total Assets $ 315,403
  $ 355,517  
           
Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity          
Current Liabilities          
Current portion of lease liability $ 3,761   $ 3,737  
Current maturities of long-term debt   2,159     2,112  
Accounts payable   5,914
    8,891  
Accrued compensation   5,871
    5,571  
Accrued expenses   2,740
    2,404  
Factoring liability   5,931
    6,289  
Total current liabilities   26,376
    29,004  
           
Other Liabilities          
Long-term portion of lease liability   9,098     10,629  
Deferred tax liability   721
    721  
Total Liabilities   36,195
    40,354  
           
Shareholders' Equity          
Common stock   144     153  
Additional paid-in capital   162,697
    188,218  
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)   130
    (544 )
Retained earnings   116,237
    127,336  
Total Shareholders' Equity   279,208
    315,163  
Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity $ 315,403
  $ 355,517  
           


CLEARFIELD, INC.          
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS          
(UNAUDITED)          
      Six Months Ended     Six Months Ended
      March 31,     March 31,
      2024      2023 
  Cash flows from operating activities          
  Net (loss) income $ (11,179 )   $ 24,619  
  Adjustments to reconcile net (loss) income to cash provided          
  by (used in) operating activities:          
  Depreciation and amortization   3,572       2,822  
  Amortization of discount on investments   (2,196 )     (1,139 )
  Deferred income taxes   (195 )     (35 )
  Stock-based compensation   2,284       1,444  
  Changes in operating assets and liabilities          
  Accounts receivable   6,600       16,353  
  Inventories, net   14,414       (17,243 )
  Other assets   (5,951 )     (2,407 )
  Accounts payable and accrued expenses   (2,752 )     (14,273 )
  Net cash provided by operating activities   4,597       10,141  
             
  Cash flows from investing activities:          
  Purchases of property, plant and equipment and          
  intangible assets   (4,389 )     (4,797 )
  Purchase of investments   (47,748 )     (99,126 )
  Proceeds from sales and maturities of investments   53,293       100,743  
  Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities   1,156       (3,180 )
             
  Cash flows from financing activities:          
  Repayment of long-term debt   -       (16,700 )
  Proceeds from issuance of common stock under   250       299  
  employee stock purchase plan          
  Repurchase of shares for payment of withholding taxes   (240 )     (954 )
  for vested restricted stock grants          
  Tax withholding and proceeds related to exercise of stock options   (9 )     (471 )
  Issuance of stock under equity compensation plans   -       954  
  Net proceeds from issuance of common stock   -       130,262  
  Repurchase of common stock   (27,814 )     -  
  Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities   (27,813 )     113,390  
             
  Effect of exchange rates on cash   51       80  
  (Decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents   (22,009 )     120,431  
  Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period   37,827       16,650  
  Cash and cash equivalents, end of period $ 15,818     $ 137,081  
             
  Supplemental disclosures for cash flow information          
  Cash paid for income taxes $ 157     $ 10,211  
  Cash paid for interest $ 172     $ 266  
             
  Non-cash financing activities          
  Cashless exercise of stock options $ 19     $ 510  
             

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Source: Clearfield, Inc.