Dollar Tree Inc. (DLTR – Analyst Report) came up with better-than-expected results for third-quarter fiscal 2014, wherein both its top and bottom lines beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate and also registered significant year-over-year growth.
The discount variety store operator’s adjusted earnings of 69 cents per share for the quarter were nearly 19% higher than the year-ago comparable quarter’s earnings of 58 cents. Adjusted earnings also surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 65 cents per share.
Dollar Tree, Inc – Earnings Surprise | FindTheBest
Adjusted earnings for the reported quarter exclude a charge of 5 cents per share related to costs associated with the pending acquisition of Family Dollar Stores Inc. (FDO – Analyst Report). Including the same, Dollar Tree’s earnings came in at 65 cents per share, up 12% year over year.
Quarterly Details
Revenues increased 11.2% on a year-over-year basis in the quarter to $2,095.2 million and came ahead of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2,065 million. Comparable-store sales (comps) increased 5.9% compared with a 3.1% increase recorded in the prior-year quarter.
Dollar Tree’s quarterly gross profit rose approximately 9.9% year over year to $725.3 million, while gross margin contracted 40 basis points (bps) to 34.6%. The year-over-year decline in gross margin was mainly due to a rise in freight cost.
Adjusted selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses increased 7.8% to $491.3 million. However, as a percentage of revenues, it contracted 80 bps year over year to 23.4%.The decline in SG&A as a percentage of sales was driven by strong comps growth and efficient expense management that led to lower store operating costs.
Adjusted operating income for the quarter escalated 14.5% to $234 million. As a percentage of sales, it expanded 40 bps to 11.2%, representing a record third-quarter operating margin, primarily due to reduced gross margin, partially offset by lower SG&A expenses as a percentage of revenue.
Balance Sheet and Capex
Dollar Tree ended the quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $407.6 million compared with cash balance of $147.1 million at the end of third-quarter fiscal 2013.
Merchandise inventories were $1,304.9 million compared with $1,237.4 million as of Nov 2, 2013. During the first three quarters of fiscal 2014, the company’s capital expenditure was $254.4 million as against $284.1 in the prior-year period.
Store Update
