Furniture Brands International Sales Up 3%

Furniture World Magazine

Furniture Brands International announced its financial results for the first quarter of 2006. Operating Results – First Quarter Net sales for the first quarter of 2006 were $661.4 million, compared with $641.6 million in the first quarter of 2005, an increase of 3%. Net earnings for the first quarter were $30.2 million, up from $24.8 million in the first quarter of last year. Net earnings per diluted common share were $0.61, as compared to $0.46 in the first quarter of last year ($0.45 pro forma for $1.1 million of net stock option expense). Included in the 2006 first quarter net earnings was $5.4 million ($0.11 per diluted common share) from the recognition of an accounting gain on interest rate swaps as a result of the refinancing of the company’s revolving credit facility, which occurred early in the second quarter. Also included in the 2006 first quarter net earnings were restructuring, asset impairment and severance charges totaling $0.5 million ($0.8 million before income tax benefits) or $0.01 per diluted common share. The 2005 first quarter net earnings were negatively impacted by restructuring, asset impairment and severance charges totaling $2.5 million ($3.8 million before income tax benefits) or $0.05 per diluted common share. Management Comments W. G. (Mickey) Holliman, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, commented: “We were generally pleased with the results of the quarter. We continue to see mixed results between our Brands, with weakness in one being offset by strength in another. As a whole, however, the stronger performing Brands – particularly Thomasville and Lane – drove meaningful year over year improvements. “In the longer-term, we continue to pursue the strategies that will drive both growth and profitability across the company. Our senior leadership team is focused on building our Brands through aggressive service initiatives, product development and consumer research. Our logistics and supply chain, sourcing, and retail development processes are being streamlined across all our Brands to support these initiatives. “During the first quarter we repurchased 1.0 million shares of our common stock.” Outlook Mr. Holliman concluded, “With respect to the second quarter, we currently expect net sales to be up in the low single digits versus the second quarter of last year and net earnings per diluted common share to be in the $0.29 to $0.33 range. This includes the effect of $0.03 in previously disclosed restructuring, asset impairment and severance charges. This also includes the effect of $0.03 in increased interest expense due to the upfront recognition of the accounting gain on a cash flow hedge. As is our practice, we will provide an update on our second quarter expectations in early June.” Furniture Brands International is one of America’s largest residential furniture companies. The company produces, sources and markets its products under six of the best-known brand names in the industry – Broyhill, Lane, Thomasville, Henredon, Drexel Heritage and Maitland-Smith.