Ennis, Inc. Reports Results for the First Quarter Ended May 31, 2015 and Declares Quarterly Dividend

MIDLOTHIAN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Ennis, Inc. (the "Company"), EBF, today reported financial results for the first quarter ended May 31, 2015. Highlights include:

• Consolidated net sales increased $9.4 million for the quarter, or 6.7%.
• EBITDA, a non GAAP measure, increased 11.5% over the comparable quarter.
• Cash provided by operating activities increased by 130.9%.
• Diluted earnings per share increased 16.1% from $0.31 for the comparable quarter last year to $0.36 for current year quarter.

Financial Overview

The Company's consolidated net sales for the quarter ended May 31, 2015 were $150.6 million compared to $141.2 million for the same quarter last year, an increase of 6.7%. Print sales increased 9.5% from $88.4 million to $96.8 million and apparel sales increased 1.9% from $52.8 million to $53.8 million. Consolidated gross profit margin ("margin") was $37.5 million for the quarter, or 24.9%, compared to $35.4 million, or 25.1% for the same quarter last year. Print margin was 31.0% for the quarter compared to 30.5% for the same quarter last year, while apparel margin was 14.1% for the quarter compared to 16.0% for the comparable quarter last year. Apparel margin was impacted by higher input costs due to lower initial manufacturing efficiencies related to our strategic decision to transition to more non-commodity program business and the continuing competitive selling price pressures in the marketplace on commodity type products. Net earnings for the quarter was $9.2 million, or $0.36 per diluted share as compared to $8.0 million, or $0.31 per diluted share for the same quarter last year, an increase of 16.1%.

Non-GAAP Reconciliations

The Company believes the non-GAAP financial measure of EBITDA (EBITDA is calculated as net earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) provides important supplemental information to both management and investors regarding financial and business trends used in assessing its results of operations. The Company believes adding back the specified items to net earnings provides a more meaningful comparison to the corresponding reported periods and internal budgets and forecasts, provides management with a more relevant measurement of operating performance and yields metrics which are more useful in assessing management performance. In addition, EBITDA is a component of the financial covenants and an interest rate metric in the Company's credit facility. While management believes this non-GAAP financial measure is useful in evaluating Ennis, this information should be considered as supplemental in nature and not as a substitute for, or superior to, the related financial information prepared in accordance with GAAP.

During the quarter, the Company generated $19.2 million in EBITDA compared to $17.3 million for the comparable quarter last year, or an increase of 11.5%.

The following table reconciles EBITDA, a non-GAAP financial measure, to the most comparable GAAP measure, net earnings (dollars in thousands).

		Three months ended
		May 31,
			2015				2014
Net earnings		$	9,171			$	8,032
Income tax expense			5,387				4,717
Interest expense			478				502
Depreciation and amortization			4,210				3,999
EBITDA (non-GAAP)		$	19,246			$	17,250
% of sales			12.8	%			12.2	%

Keith Walters, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President, commented by stating, "The print group continued its strong performance during the quarter, improving margins by 50 basis points. The apparel group continues to be impacted by market dynamics. The discounting that was prevalent in the apparel marketplace for most of last fiscal year is continuing as expected into fiscal 2016. As such, our ability to raise prices to offset any input cost increases has been, and we believe will continue to remain, difficult. Margins will continue to be restrained below historical levels unless relieved from the cost side. We are starting to see some relief on the cotton pricing, which could lead to cost side relief in quarters to come, unless we are forced to concede these savings due to market pressures. While our apparel sales improved during the quarter due to the non-commodity private label programs we entered into as part of our strategic initiative, our cost, as expected, increased some due to manufacturing complexities associated with these programs. These costs should fall back in line now that all the processes have been put into place and the initial learning curve overcome. On the print front, we continue to be pleased with the integration of the latest acquisitions and the margins of our print group as a whole. We were also pleased by the fact that we were able to pay down our debt 20% during the quarter, or $21.0 million, due to the effective management of our receivables and inventories. Overall, while we continue to believe fiscal year 2016 will be challenging, we continue to remain optimistic about its potential and are pleased with the results so far."

In Other News

The company announced today that the Board of Directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend of 17 ½ cents a share on its common stock. The dividend is payable August 7, 2015 to shareholders of record on July 10, 2015.

About Ennis

Ennis, Inc. (www.ennis.com) is primarily engaged in the production and sale of business forms, apparel and other business products. The Company is one of the largest private-label printed business product suppliers in the United States. Headquartered in Midlothian, Texas, the Company has production and distribution facilities strategically located throughout the United States of America, Mexico and Canada, to serve the Company's national network of distributors. The Company, together with its subsidiaries, operates in two business segments: print and apparel. The print segment manufactures and sells business forms, other printed business products, printed and electronic media, presentation products, flex-o-graphic printing, advertising specialties and Post-it® Notes, internal bank forms, plastic cards, secure and negotiable documents, envelopes and other custom products. The apparel segment manufactures T-Shirts and distributes T-Shirts and other active-wear apparel through nine distribution centers located throughout North America.

Safe Harbor under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995

Certain statements contained in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements that involve a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievement expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The words "anticipate," "preliminary," "expect," "believe," "intend" and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a "safe harbor" for such forward-looking statements. In order to comply with the terms of the safe harbor, the Company notes that a variety of factors could cause actual results and experience to differ materially from the anticipated results or other expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to numerous uncertainties, which include, but are not limited to, the Company's ability to effectively manage its business functions while growing its business in a competitive environment, the Company's ability to adapt and expand its services in such an environment and the variability in the prices of cotton, paper and other raw materials. Other important information regarding factors that may affect the Company's future performance is included in the public reports that the Company files with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to, its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ending February 28, 2015. The Company does not undertake, and hereby disclaims, any duty or obligation to update or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this release, or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, although its situation and circumstances may change in the future. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. The inclusion of any statement in this release does not constitute an admission by the Company or any other person that the events or circumstances described in such statement are material.

Ennis, Inc.
Condensed Consolidated Financial Information
(In thousands, except share and per share amounts)
											Three months ended
Condensed Consolidated Operating Results											May 31,
												2015				2014
	Revenues										$	150,576			$	141,186
	Cost of goods sold											113,032				105,798
	Gross profit margin											37,544				35,388
	Operating expenses											22,672				21,794
	Operating income											14,872				13,594
	Other expense											314				845
	Earnings before income taxes											14,558				12,749
	Income tax expense											5,387				4,717
	Net earnings										$	9,171			$	8,032
Weighted average common shares outstanding
	Basic											25,586,596				25,973,227
	Diluted											25,599,055				25,987,377
Earnings per share
	Basic										$	0.36			$	0.31
	Diluted										$	0.36			$	0.31
											May 31,				February 28,
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet Information												2015				2015
Assets
Current assets
	Cash										$	19,047			$	15,346
	Accounts receivable, net											62,174				62,865
	Inventories, net											107,315				119,814
	Other											15,274				18,517
												203,810				216,542
Property, plant & equipment												90,680				92,875
Other												142,153				143,845
											$	436,643			$	453,262
Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity
Current liabilities
	Accounts payable										$	21,286			$	21,275
	Accrued expenses											19,172				18,972
												40,458				40,247
Long-term debt												85,500				106,500
Other non-current liabilities												21,662				21,835
	Total liabilities											147,620				168,582
Shareholders' equity												289,023				284,680
											$	436,643			$	453,262
											Three months ended
											May 31,
Condensed Consolidated Cash Flow Information												2015				2014
Cash provided by operating activities											$	30,732			$	13,312
Cash used in investing activities												(1,203	)			(303	)
Cash used in financing activities												(25,496	)			(5,382	)
Effect of exchange rates on cash												(332	)			323
Change in cash												3,701				7,950
Cash at beginning of period												15,346				5,316
Cash at end of period											$	19,047			$	13,266

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