Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. (NYSE:RGR) announced today that for the first quarter of 2015 the Company reported net sales of $137.0 million and fully diluted earnings of 81¢ per share, compared with net sales of $169.9 million and fully diluted earnings of $1.22 per share in the first quarter of 2014.

The Company also announced today that its Board of Directors declared a dividend of 32¢ per share for the first quarter for stockholders of record as of May 15, 2015, payable on May 29, 2015. This dividend varies every quarter because the Company pays a percent of earnings rather than a fixed amount per share. This dividend is approximately 40% of net income.

Chief Executive Officer Michael O. Fifer made the following observations related to the Company’s 2015 first quarter performance:

  • Demand for the Company’s firearms in the first quarter of 2015 increased from the fourth quarter of 2014 due to the successful annual sales promotions in effect during the first quarter of 2015, coupled with a reduction in the aggressive price discounting by many of our competitors that was prevalent in the latter half of 2014.
  • In the first quarter of 2015, net sales and the estimated sell-through of the Company’s products from the independent distributors to retailers increased 12% and 15%, respectively, from the fourth quarter of 2014. The National Instant Criminal Background Check System background checks (as adjusted by the National Shooting Sports Foundation) decreased 15% during the same period.
  • Inventory of the Company’s products at the independent distributors decreased by 64,700 units during the first quarter of 2015 and the Company’s finished goods inventory decreased by 53,100 units during the same period.
  • Earnings in the first quarter of 2015 increased 53% from the fourth quarter of 2014, excluding the expense related to the termination and settlement of the defined benefit pension plans in 2014.
  • New products, including the AR-556 modern sporting rifle and the LC9s pistol, represented $22.8 million or 17% of firearm sales in the first quarter of 2015. New product sales include only major new products that were introduced in the past two years.
  • Cash generated from operations during the first quarter of 2015 was $32.8 million. At March 28, 2015, our cash totaled $30.8 million. Our current ratio is 2.1 to 1 and we have no debt.
  • In the first quarter of 2015, capital expenditures totaled $4.3 million. We expect our 2015 capital expenditures to total approximately $30 million.
  • In the first quarter of 2015, the Company returned $6.0 million to its shareholders through:
  • the payment of $3.2 million of dividends, and
  • the repurchase of 82,100 shares of our common stock in the open market at an average price of $34.57 per share, for a total of $2.8 million.
  • At March 28, 2015, stockholders’ equity was $195.4 million, which equates to a book value of $10.46 per share.

Today, the Company filed its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. The financial statements included in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q are attached to this press release.

Tomorrow, May 5, 2015, Sturm, Ruger will host a webcast of its Annual Meeting of Stockholders at 9:00 a.m. ET. Interested parties can access the webcast at www.ruger.com/corporate or by dialing 855-871-7398, participant code 32494149.

The Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q is available on the SEC website at www.sec.gov and the Ruger website at www.ruger.com/corporate. Investors are urged to read the complete Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q to ensure that they have adequate information to make informed investment judgments.

About Sturm, Ruger

Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc. is one of the nation’s leading manufacturers of rugged, reliable firearms for the commercial sporting market. The only full-line manufacturer of American-made firearms, Ruger offers consumers over 400 variations of more than 30 product lines. For more than 60 years, Ruger has been a model of corporate and community responsibility. Our motto, “Arms Makers for Responsible Citizens,” echoes the importance of these principles as we work hard to deliver quality and innovative firearms.

The Company may, from time to time, make forward-looking statements and projections concerning future expectations. Such statements are based on current expectations and are subject to certain qualifying risks and uncertainties, such as market demand, sales levels of firearms, anticipated castings sales and earnings, the need for external financing for operations or capital expenditures, the results of pending litigation against the Company, the impact of future firearms control and environmental legislation, and accounting estimates, any one or more of which could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. The Company undertakes no obligation to publish revised forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date such forward-looking statements are made or to reflect the occurrence of subsequent unanticipated events.

 

STURM, RUGER & COMPANY, INC.

   

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets

(Dollars in thousands)

 
    March 28, 2015   December 31,2014
 
Assets
 
Current Assets
Cash $ 30,800 $ 8,901
Trade receivables, net 63,031 49,735
 
Gross inventories 73,261 89,017
Less LIFO reserve (41,041 ) (40,578 )
Less excess and obsolescence reserve     (2,928 )     (3,750 )
Net inventories     29,292       44,689  
 
Deferred income taxes 7,975 7,246
Prepaid expenses and other current assets     2,518       7,603  
Total Current Assets 133,616 118,174
 
Property, plant and equipment 292,321 288,236
Less allowances for depreciation     (186,181 )     (177,575 )
Net property, plant and equipment     106,140       110,661  
 
Other assets     27,887       25,547  
Total Assets   $ 267,643     $ 254,382  
 

   
STURM, RUGER & COMPANY, INC.
 
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Continued)

(Dollars in thousands, except share data)

 
    March 28, 2015   December 31,2014
 
 
Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity
 
Current Liabilities
Trade accounts payable and accrued expenses $ 33,071 $ 36,150
Product liability 370 641
Employee compensation and benefits 20,805 18,302
Workers’ compensation 5,522 5,133
Income taxes payable     3,237       156  
Total Current Liabilities 63,005 60,382
 
Product liability 125 204
Deferred income taxes 9,066 8,334
 
Contingent liabilities -- --
 
 
Stockholders’ Equity
Common Stock, non-voting, par value $1:
Authorized shares 50,000; none issued -- --
Common Stock, par value $1:
Authorized shares – 40,000,000
2015 – 23,755,081 issued,
18,692,734 outstanding
2014 – 23,717,321 issued,
18,737,074 outstanding 23,755 23,717
Additional paid-in capital 25,962 25,472
Retained earnings 210,457 198,159
Less: Treasury stock – at cost
2015 – 5,062,347 shares
2014 – 4,980,247 shares     (64,727 )     (61,886 )
Total Stockholders’ Equity     195,447       185,462  
Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity   $ 267,643     $ 254,382  
 
 
STURM, RUGER & COMPANY, INC.
 
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income and Comprehensive Income (Unaudited)

(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)

 
    Three Months Ended
March 28, 2015   March 29, 2014
 
Net firearms sales $ 135,579 $ 169,162
Net castings sales     1,375       722  
Total net sales 136,954 169,884
 
Cost of products sold 95,557 108,761
         
Gross profit     41,397       61,123  
 
Operating expenses:
Selling 10,226 14,421
General and administrative     7,377       8,733  
Total operating expenses     17,603       23,154  
 
Operating income     23,794       37,969  
 
Other income:
Interest expense, net (40 ) (36 )
Other income, net     469       365  
Total other income, net     429       329  
 
Income before income taxes 24,223 38,298
 
Income taxes     8,720       13,979  
 
Net income and comprehensive income   $ 15,503     $ 24,319  
 
Basic earnings per share   $ 0.83     $ 1.26  
 
Fully diluted earnings per share   $ 0.81     $ 1.22  
 
Cash dividends per share   $ 0.17     $ 0.54  
 
 
STURM, RUGER & COMPANY, INC.
 
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited)

(Dollars in thousands)

 
    Three Months Ended  
 

March 28,
2015

 

March 29,
2014

 
 
Operating Activities
Net income $ 15,503 $ 24,319
Adjustments to reconcile net income to cash provided by operating
activities:
Depreciation and amortization 8,957 8,940
Slow moving inventory valuation adjustment (748 ) 157
Stock-based compensation 1,151 1,214
Gain on sale of assets (60 ) -
Deferred income taxes 3 (1,680 )
Impairment of assets 12 -
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Trade receivables (13,296 ) (2,516 )
Inventories 16,145 (6,033 )
Trade accounts payable and accrued expenses (2,690 ) (1,256 )
Employee compensation and benefits 2,476 (14,046 )
Product liability (350 ) 15
Prepaid expenses, other assets and other liabilities 2,599 (6,618 )
Income taxes payable     3,081       13,214  
Cash provided by operating activities     32,783       15,710  
 
Investing Activities
Property, plant and equipment additions (4,302 ) (9,579 )
Proceeds from sale of assets     60      

-

 
Cash used for investing activities     (4,242 )     (9,579 )
 
Financing Activities
Tax benefit from exercise of stock options and vesting of RSU’s 280 1,344
Remittance of taxes withheld from employees related to
share-based compensation (1,000 ) (2,317 )
Proceeds from exercise of stock options 97 23
Repurchase of common stock (2,841 )

-

Dividends paid     (3,178 )     (10,475 )
Cash used for financing activities     (6,642 )     (11,425 )
 
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents 21,899 (5,294 )
 
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period 8,901 55,064
           
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period   $ 30,800     $ 49,770  
 

Non-GAAP Financial Measure

In an effort to provide investors with additional information regarding its financial results, the Company refers to various United States generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) financial measures and EBITDA, a non-GAAP financial measure which management believes provides useful information to investors. This non-GAAP financial measure may not be comparable to similarly titled financial measures being disclosed by other companies. In addition, the Company believes that the non-GAAP financial measure should be considered in addition to, and not in lieu of, GAAP financial measures. The Company believes that this non-GAAP financial measure is useful to understanding its operating results and the ongoing performance of its underlying business, as EBITDA provides information on the Company’s ability to meet its capital expenditure and working capital requirements, and is also an indicator of profitability. The Company uses both GAAP and non-GAAP financial measures to evaluate the Company’s financial performance.

EBITDA is defined as earnings before interest, taxes, and depreciation and amortization. The Company calculates its EBITDA by adding the amount of interest expense, income tax expense, and depreciation and amortization expenses that have been deducted from net income back into net income, and subtracting the amount of interest income that was included in net income from net income.

 
Non-GAAP Reconciliation – EBITDA
 

EBITDA

 

(Unaudited, dollars in thousands)

 
    Three Months Ended  
  March 28, 2015   March 29, 2014  
 
Net income $ 15,503 $ 24,319
 
Income tax expense 8,720 13,979
Depreciation and amortization expense 8,957 8,940
Interest expense, net 40 38
Interest income     -     (2 )  
EBITDA   $ 33,220   $ 47,274