Smith & Wesson Brands reports Q2 EPS 11c, consensus 17c

Reports Q2 revenue $129.7M, consensus $133.52M. Non-GAAP Adjusted EBITDAS was $18.5 million, or 14.3% of net sales, compared with $19.3 million, or 15.5% of net sales, for the comparable quarter last year. Mark Smith, President and Chief Executive Officer, commented, “Second quarter results came in below our expectations as overall demand for firearms normalized late in the quarter. We believe that the primary driver of the demand pressure continued to be inflation. The consumer cautiousness with discretionary spend that we observed in recent quarters was more pronounced during the second quarter than we anticipated. Despite these headwinds, we continued to outperform the market and believe we gained share, led by our best-in-class innovation – with new products representing 44% of our sales in the period. We are well positioned to navigate this challenging demand environment, as we have many times before. By remaining focused on executing against our flexible manufacturing model, we expect to preserve profitability and a strong balance sheet. Additionally, we expect to maintain and gain share through innovation.” Deana McPherson, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, commented, “Net sales for our second quarter were nearly 4% above the prior year comparable quarter on the strength of our new Bodyguard 380 pistol and lever action rifles. Based on the softer demand trends we have seen across the industry in recent months, we have reduced our expectations for the second half of fiscal 2025, and for our third quarter, we expect our top line to be approximately 10-15% lower than fiscal 2024. During the quarter, our Board authorized a new $50 million share repurchase authorization and we signed a new unsecured $175 million line of credit, which increased our total available borrowings by $75 million and extended the maturity to October 2029. Consistent with our capital allocation strategy, our board of directors has authorized a $0.13 per share quarterly dividend, which will be paid to stockholders of record on December 19, 2024 with payment to be made on January 2, 2025.”