CBRL Group, Inc. Announces Increase in Diluted Income Per Share from Continuing Operations for Fiscal 2007 Third Quarter and Year to Date.Provides Fourth Quarter Fiscal 2007 Outlook LEBANON, Tenn. -- CBRL CBRL CBRL Group, Inc (stock symbol) CBRL Council for British Research in the Levant (UK) Group, Inc. ("CBRL" or the "Company") (Nasdaq: CBRL) today announced results for the third quarter ended April 27, 2007, reporting diluted di·lute tr.v. di·lut·ed, di·lut·ing, di·lutes 1. To make thinner or less concentrated by adding a liquid such as water. 2. To lessen the force, strength, purity, or brilliance of, especially by admixture. income per share from continuing operations continuing operations Parts of a business that are expected to be maintained as an ongoing segment of an overall business operation. Income and losses from continuing operations are reported separately if any segments have been discontinued during the of $0.44, compared with $0.37 from continuing operations in the third quarter of fiscal 2006, an increase of 18.9%. After-tax income from continuing operations was $12.1 million, compared with $18.3 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2006, with the reduction primarily reflecting the higher interest expense associated with the Company's recapitalization Recapitalization Restructuring a company's debt and equity mixture often with the aim of making a company's capital structure more stable. Notes: Companies often want to diversify their debt-to-equity ratio to improve liquidity. initiative that it began in 2006, which was more than offset on a per share basis by the associated reduction in shares outstanding. Highlights of the fiscal 2007 third-quarter include: * Comparable store restaurant sales for the third quarter were flat with the third quarter fiscal 2006 for Cracker Barrel This article is about the restaurant-and-store chain. For the unrelated company marketing cheeses bearing the "Cracker Barrel" trademark, see Kraft Foods. Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. Old Country Store([R]) ("Cracker Barrel"), while comparable store retail sales were down 0.9%. * Total revenue from continuing operations for the third quarter of $549.1 million was up 2.8% from the prior-year period. * Operating income Operating Income The profit realized from a business' own operations. Notes: This would not include income from things such as investments in other firms. Also referred to as operating profit or recurring profit. margin from continuing operations in the third quarter was 5.5% of total revenue compared with 5.7% in the year-ago quarter. * After-tax income and diluted income per share, both from continuing operations, for the third quarter were $12.1 million and $0.44, respectively, compared with $18.3 million and $0.37, respectively, in the prior-year comparable period. The third quarter of fiscal 2007 benefited from the Company's recapitalization initiatives which it began in 2006. One of the results was a reduction in the number of shares outstanding which led to higher earnings per share, despite lower net income due to higher associated interest costs. * Under a previously announced 10b5-1 plan to repurchase re·pur·chase tr.v. re·pur·chased, re·pur·chas·ing, re·pur·chas·es To buy (something) again. n. The act of buying something that one previously sold or owned. Noun 1. $100 million of shares, $91.1 million, or approximately 1.9 million shares, were repurchased in the third quarter. The remaining $8.9 million in purchases were completed in the first week of the fourth quarter. On December 6, 2006, the Company announced that it had closed the sale of its subsidiary, Logan's Roadhouse Logan's Roadhouse is a chain of restaurants that was founded in 1991, and in 1999 became a wholly owned subsidiary of the publicly held CBRL Group, Inc (which also owns Cracker Barrel). ([R]) Inc. ("Logan's"). Logan's results and the related gain and expenses are classified as discontinued operations Discontinued operations Divisions of a business that have been sold or written off and that no longer are maintained by the business. . Third-Quarter Fiscal 2007 Results Revenue from continuing operations Total revenue from continuing operations for the third quarter of $549.1 million increased 2.8% from the third quarter of fiscal 2006. Comparable store restaurant sales for the period were flat including a 1.4% higher average check, while guest traffic declined 1.4%. Cracker Barrel's average menu price increase for the quarter was approximately 1.5% compared with last year. Comparable store retail sales declined 0.9% for the quarter. During the quarter, the Company opened five new Cracker Barrel Old Country Store units, bringing the total year-to-date openings to 14. Income from continuing operations Operating income from continuing operations of $30.1 million was 5.5% of total revenue during the third quarter of fiscal 2007 compared with $30.3 million, or 5.7% of total revenue, in the third quarter of fiscal 2006. Operating income from continuing operations for the third quarter of fiscal 2007 compared with the third quarter of fiscal 2006 benefited from non-recurrence of certain unusual expenses in the prior year period as well as certain unusual credits in the current year. In the prior year, the Company incurred in continuing operations approximately $3.2 million of impairment Impairment 1. A reduction in a company's stated capital. 2. The total capital that is less than the par value of the company's capital stock. Notes: 1. This is usually reduced because of poorly estimated losses or gains. 2. and store closing expenses related to closure of seven Cracker Barrel units. In the current year, the Company realized gains Realized Gain A gain resulting from selling an asset at a price higher than the original purchase price. Notes: There may be tax consequences for a realized profit. on disposition of properties of approximately $1.2 million, and refunds of prior years' workers' compensation workers' compensation, payment by employers for some part of the cost of injuries, or in some cases of occupational diseases, received by employees in the course of their work. and sales taxes sales tax, levy on the sale of goods or services, generally calculated as a percentage of the selling price, and sometimes called a purchase tax. It is usually collected in the form of an extra charge by the retailer, who remits the tax to the government. totaling approximately $1.6 million. Unfavorable expense items affecting third quarter fiscal 2007 results included higher labor costs including wage inflation related to certain state minimum wage increases, higher group health and general insurance, advertising and maintenance costs, and higher bonus accruals Accruals Accounts on a balance sheet that represent liabilities and non-cash-based assets used in accrual-based accounting. These accounts include, among many others, accounts payable, accounts receivable, goodwill, future tax liability and future interest expense. . Offsetting these unfavorable items were higher menu pricing and lower retail cost of goods sold Cost of goods sold The total cost of buying raw materials, and paying for all the factors that go into producing finished goods. cost of goods sold . After-tax income from continuing operations of $12.1 million, or $0.44 per diluted share, for the third quarter of fiscal 2007, was lower than the $18.3 million, or $0.37 per diluted share, for the comparable period of fiscal 2006 due to the higher interest expense related to the Company's recapitalization initiatives partially offset by interest income from substantial cash balances. Diluted income per share from continuing operations reflected fewer shares outstanding compared with the comparable prior-year period as a result of the Company's two successful "Dutch Auction Dutch Auction An auction where the price on an item is lowered until it gets its first bid, and then the item is sold at that price. Notes: The U.S. Treasury (and other countries) uses a Dutch auction when it sells securities. " tender offers and open market share repurchases Share Repurchase A program by which a company buys back its own shares from the marketplace, reducing the number of outstanding shares. This is usually an indication that the company's management thinks the shares are undervalued. in which it repurchased a combined total of 24.1 million shares of the Company's common stock (approximately 51% of the amount previously outstanding) from the fourth quarter of fiscal 2006 through the third quarter of fiscal 2007. Commenting on the third-quarter results, CBRL Group, Inc. Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Michael A. Woodhouse said, "The restaurant and retail industries continue to face pressures from soft consumer demand and high labor costs among other things, resulting in the quarter we reported today not being in line with our objectives. We expect better performance of ourselves, even in the face of unusually severe external pressures. In that regard, we are pleased that our comparable store restaurant traffic, while soft, continues to outperform Outperform An analyst recommendation meaning a stock is expected to do slightly better than the market return. Notes: Exact definitions vary by brokerage, but in general this rating is better than neutral and worse than buy or strong buy. the full-service industry according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Knapp-Track[TM]. And our comparable store retail sales, which softened soft·en v. soft·ened, soft·en·ing, soft·ens v.tr. 1. To make soft or softer. 2. To undermine or reduce the strength, morale, or resistance of. 3. as did those of most retailers in April, which was one of the retail industry's weakest months in decades, would have been positive in the month and quarter except for lower sales in Porch porch Roofed structure, usually open at front and sides, projecting from the face of a building and used to protect an entrance. If colonnaded, it may be called a portico. Sale clearance events. Lower Porch Sales, however, reflect better merchandise selection on our part, which results in less clearance inventory at higher markdowns. Our underlying retail sales strength benefited from more extensive seasonal and holiday merchandise in the stores, and we're achieving stronger retail sales thus far in May. We completed the roll-out of our new billboards in all of our markets early in April and have received positive comments from our customers. As we enter the summer travel season, we will focus on building traffic through our speed-of-service initiatives inside the restaurants and by leveraging the strength of the Cracker Barrel brand to appeal to new customers across multiple generations." Year-to-Date Fiscal 2007 Results Total revenue from continuing operations year-to-date for fiscal 2007 of $1.7 billion increased 3.8% from the year-to-date period in fiscal 2006. Comparable store restaurant sales year-to-date increased 0.6%, including a 1.2% higher check, while guest traffic declined by 0.6%. Comparable store retail sales increased 3.4% year-to-date. In the first nine months of fiscal 2007, the Company opened 14 new Cracker Barrel Old Country Store units. The Company reported year-to-date income from continuing operations of $47.8 million, or $1.50 per diluted share, compared with income from continuing operations of $67.1 million, or $1.34 per diluted share, for the same period in fiscal 2006. Year-to-date net cash flow provided by operating activities was $100.0 million, compared with $77.9 million in the comparable period in fiscal 2006, and exceeded cash used for purchase of property and equipment (capital expenditures), net of insurance recoveries, of $66.6 million. Update on Strategic Initiatives The Company's ongoing strategic initiatives that it began in 2006 continued throughout the third quarter, during which time, the Company commenced an offer to exchange its outstanding Liquid Yield Option Notes Liquid yield option note (LYON) Zero-coupon, callable, putable, convertible bond developed by Merrill Lynch & Co. due 2032 ("Old Notes") for a new issue of Zero Coupon Senior Convertible Notes due 2032 ("New Notes"). The purpose of the exchange offer was to issue, in exchange for Old Notes, New Notes with a "net share settlement" feature. The net share settlement feature of the New Notes allows the Company, upon conversion of a New Note, to satisfy a portion of its obligation due upon conversion of the New Notes in cash rather than with the issuance of shares of its common stock. This will reduce the share dilution Dilution A reduction in earnings per share of common stock that occurs through the issuance of additional shares or the conversion of convertible securities. Notes: Adding to the number of shares outstanding reduces the value of holdings of existing shareholders. associated with the conversion of the New Notes. As a result of the exchange offer, which expired on April 30, 2007, there now are outstanding $46,099,000 aggregate principal amount at maturity of Old Notes and $375,931,000 aggregate principal amount at maturity of New Notes. The Company has previously announced that it will redeem redeem v. to buy back, as when an owner who had mortgaged his/her real property pays off the debt. The term also refers to paying the amount due and all charges after a foreclosure (due to failure to make payments when due) has begun. all of the Old Notes and the New Notes on June 4, 2007 (the "Redemption Date Redemption date The date on which a bond matures or is redeemed. redemption date The date on which a debt security is scheduled to be redeemed by the issuer. The redemption date is the scheduled maturity date or, if applicable, a call date. "). The redemption price Redemption price See: Call price redemption price 1. The price at which an open-end investment company will buy back its shares from the owners. In most cases, the redemption price is the net asset value per share. 2. of both the Old Notes and the New Notes is $477.41 per $1,000 in principal amount at maturity, which is the accreted principal amount of both the Old Notes and New Notes on the Redemption Date. The aggregate redemption price of the Old Notes and the New Notes, collectively, will be approximately $201 million, assuming that no holders of either Old Notes or New Notes convert their notes into common stock. At any time up to two business days prior to the Redemption Date, holders of Old Notes and New Notes can convert either Old Notes or New Notes, as the case may be. The Old Notes are convertible into 10.8584 shares of the Company's common stock per $1,000 in principal amount at maturity. The New Notes may also be converted, and their value will be measured at the same rate, i.e., 10.8584 shares per $1,000 in principal amount at maturity. Common stock will be issued upon conversion of the New Notes only to the extent that the conversion value exceeds the accreted principal amount of the New Notes. The conversion value generally will exceed the accreted principal amount of the notes if the Company's common stock trades at a price in excess of $43.97 per share. The Company has also previously announced its intention to repurchase, through open market purchases, that number of shares of common stock that are issued in connection with the conversion of either the Old Notes or New Notes. The Company will pay the redemption price of the Old Notes and New Notes as well as the purchase price for any shares of common stock through a draw on its existing delayed-draw term loan facility and cash on hand. In connection with those expected purchases, the Company announced today that it expects to adopt a written trading plan under Rule 10b5-1 of the Securities and Exchange Commission to facilitate repurchases of that number of shares that are issued in connection with the conversion of either the Old Notes or New Notes. In the first week of the fourth quarter of fiscal 2007, the Company completed the remaining balance of the repurchase of $100 million of shares, or 2.12 million shares, pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan announced on March 8, 2007. The $100 million repurchase authorization The right or permission to use a system resource; the process of granting access. See access control. was in addition to management's authority to purchase 821,081 shares that remains from a 2005 repurchase authorization and in addition to the repurchase of that number of shares that might be issued in connection with a conversion of either the Old Notes or New Notes. Fourth-Quarter Fiscal 2007 Outlook The Company urges caution in considering its current trends and the outlook disclosed in this press release. The restaurant industry is highly competitive, and trends and guidance are subject to numerous factors, risks and influences, some of which are discussed in the cautionary language at the end of this press release and others that are described in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K Form 10-K A report required by the SEC from exchange-listed companies that provides for annual disclosure of certain financial information. Form 10-K See 10-K. for the fiscal year ended July 28, 2006 and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q Form 10-Q See 10-Q. which can be found on the Securities and Exchange Commission's website, www.sec.gov, and the Company's website, www.cbrlgroup.com. The Company disclaims any obligations to update disclosed information on trends or targets other than in its periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company commented on its outlook for the remainder of fiscal 2007 noting that although it has adopted the practice of providing guidance on full fiscal year targets rather than quarterly expectations or objectives, the present guidance relates to the fourth quarter specifically since it is the only remaining quarter of the fiscal year. The Company also noted that its outlook reflects many assumptions of which the accuracy is not yet known. Based on current trends and operating results, the Company presently expects fiscal 2007 fourth quarter total revenue to increase 12.0 to 12.5% over revenues from continuing operations in the fiscal 2006 fourth quarter, including an additional week because fiscal 2007 is a 53-week year, positive comparable store sales and the opening of five new Cracker Barrel units during the quarter. The benefit of a 53rd week in fiscal 2007 is estimated at $45-50 million in revenues. Fourth quarter comparable store restaurant sales are projected to be flat to up 1%, including approximately 2% of menu pricing, and comparable store retail sales are expected to be up 4 to 5% compared to prior year fourth quarter (both on a comparable week basis). The Company also presently expects fiscal 2007 fourth quarter operating income margins from continuing operations to be approximately 8.5 to 9.0%. Commodity cost inflation in the last quarter of the year, with an estimated 84% of product needs contracted, is expected to be 2 to 2.5%. Interest expense will be affected by higher rates on debt used to replace the convertible notes at the call date of June 4, and shares outstanding will be reduced by the redemption of those notes as well as share repurchases, if any, that the Company might undertake during the fourth quarter, the timing or amounts of which are presently unknown. The Company presently expects full year fiscal 2007 capital expenditures of approximately $90 million. Commenting on the outlook, Mr. Woodhouse said, "As I have said before, fiscal 2007 is a year of transition for CBRL. Having substantially completed the strategic initiatives to achieve the appropriate capital structure, we now operate a single brand that continues to receive top ratings for food, facilities and customer service. Our theme of 'Simplify and Focus' is intended to drive increases in both traffic and retail sales. Finally, we expect the cash flow from Cracker Barrel to remain strong, being more than sufficient to service the higher debt levels and to finance Cracker Barrel's restaurant initiatives and unit expansion. At the same time, we will continue to distribute a portion of our excess cash to our shareholders through dividends and share repurchases." Fiscal 2007 Third-Quarter Conference Call As previously announced, the live broadcast of CBRL Group's quarterly conference call will be available to the public on-line at earnings.com or cbrlgroup.com today beginning at 11:00 a.m. (ET). The on-line replay will be available at 2:00 p.m. (ET) and continue through June 5, 2007. Headquartered in Lebanon, Tennessee
Lebanon is a city in Wilson County, Tennessee, in the United States. The population was 20,235 at the 2000 census. , CBRL Group, Inc. presently operates 559 Cracker Barrel Old Country Store restaurants and gift shops located in 41 states. Except for specific historical information, many of the matters discussed in this press release may express or imply projections of revenues or expenditures, statements of plans and objectives or future operations or statements of future economic performance. These, and similar statements are forward-looking statements forward-looking statement A projected financial statement based on management expectations. A forward-looking statement involves risks with regard to the accuracy of assumptions underlying the projections. concerning matters that involve risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual performance of CBRL Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries to differ materially from those expressed or implied by this discussion. All forward-looking information is provided by the Company pursuant to the safe harbor Safe Harbor 1. A legal provision to reduce or eliminate liability as long as good faith is demonstrated. 2. A form of shark repellent implemented by a target company acquiring a business that is so poorly regulated that the target itself is less attractive. established under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (PSLRA) implemented several significant substantive changes affecting certain cases brought under the federal securities laws, including changes related to pleading, discovery, liability, class representation and awards fees and of 1995 and should be evaluated in the context of these factors. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "trends," "assumptions," "target," "guidance," "outlook," "opportunity," "future," "plans," "goals," "objectives," "expectations," "near-term," "long-term," "projection," "may," "will," "would," "could," "expect," "intend," "estimate," "anticipate," "believe," "potential," "regular," or "continue" (or the negative or other derivatives of each of these terms) or similar terminology. Factors which could materially affect actual results include, but are not limited to: the effects of uncertain consumer confidence, higher costs for energy, consumer debt payments, or general or regional economic weakness, or weather on sales and customer travel, discretionary income Discretionary Income The amount of an individual's income available for spending after the essentials have been taken care of. Notes: Essentials are things like food, clothing, and shelter. or personal expenditure activity of our customers; the ability of the Company to identify, acquire and sell successful new lines of retail merchandise and new menu items at our restaurants; the ability of the Company to sustain or the effects of plans intended to improve operational execution and performance; changes in or implementation of additional governmental or regulatory rules, regulations and interpretations affecting tax, wage and hour matters, health and safety, pensions, insurance or other undeterminable areas; the effects of plans intended to promote or protect the Company's brands and products; commodity price increases including weather effects on supply and the effects of demand for corn for ethanol ethanol (ĕth`ənōl') or ethyl alcohol, CH3CH2OH, a colorless liquid with characteristic odor and taste; commonly called grain alcohol or simply alcohol. production on the costs of animal feed and resulting protein prices; the ability of and cost to the Company to recruit, train, and retain qualified hourly and management employees in an escalating wage environment; the effects of increased competition at Company locations on sales and on labor recruiting, cost, and retention; the availability and cost of suitable sites for restaurant development and our ability to identify those sites; workers compensation, group health and utility price changes; consumer behavior based on negative publicity or concerns over nutritional or safety aspects of the Company's products or restaurant food in general, including concerns about E. coli E. coli: see Escherichia coli. E. coli in full Escherichia coli Species of bacterium that inhabits the stomach and intestines. E. coli can be transmitted by water, milk, food, or flies and other insects. bacteria, hepatitis A Hepatitis A Definition Hepatitis A is an inflammation of the liver caused by a virus, the hepatitis A virus (HAV). It varies in severity, running an acute course, generally starting within two to six weeks after contact with the virus, and lasting no , "mad cow" disease, "foot-and-mouth" disease, and bird flu bird flu: see influenza. bird flu or avian influenza viral respiratory disease, mainly of birds including poultry and waterbirds but also transmissible to humans. , as well as the possible effects of such events on the price or availability of ingredients used in our restaurants; the effects of incurring substantial indebtedness INDEBTEDNESS. The state, of being in debt, without regard to the ability or inability of the party to pay the same. See 1 Story, Eq. 343; 2 Hill. Ab. 421. 2. and associated restrictions on the Company's financial and operating flexibility and ability to execute or pursue its operating plans and objectives; changes in interest rates or capital market conditions affecting the Company's financing costs or ability to obtain financing or execute initiatives; the effects of business trends on the outlook for individual restaurant locations and the effect on the carrying value Carrying Value Also know as "book value," it is a company's total assets minus intangible assets and liabilities, such as debt. Notes: This is different than market value, as it can be higher or lower depending on the circumstances. of those locations; the ability of the Company to retain key personnel; changes in land, building materials Building materials used in the construction industry to create . These categories of materials and products are used by and construction project managers to specify the materials and methods used for . and construction costs; the actual results of pending, future or threatened litigation An action brought in court to enforce a particular right. The act or process of bringing a lawsuit in and of itself; a judicial contest; any dispute. When a person begins a civil lawsuit, the person enters into a process called litigation. or governmental investigations and the costs and effects of negative publicity associated with these activities; practical or psychological effects of natural disasters or terrorist acts or war and military or government responses; disruptions to the Company's restaurant or retail supply chain; changes in foreign exchange rates affecting the Company's future retail inventory purchases; implementation of new or changes in interpretation of existing accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. The name of this country. The United States, now thirty-one in number, are Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, ("GAAP GAAP See: Generally Accepted Accounting Principles GAAP See generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). "); effectiveness of internal controls over financial reporting and disclosure; and other factors described from time to time in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, press releases, and other communications. [TABLE OMITTED] [TABLE OMITTED] [TABLE OMITTED] [TABLE OMITTED] [TABLE OMITTED] CBRL-F |
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