Dollar Tree reported results for its first quarter ended April 30, 2016. Consolidated net sales increased 133.6% to $5.09 billion from $2.18 billion in the prior year's first quarter.
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The $2.91 billion increase included $2.70 billion in sales from Family Dollar stores, sales from new Dollar Tree stores, and a 2.3% same-store sales increase, on a constant currency basis.
Same-store sales, on a constant currency basis, increased 3.4% in the prior-year period. Adjusted for the impact of Canadian currency fluctuations, the same-store sales increase was 2.2%. The positive same-store sales were driven by increases in both customer transactions and average ticket.
Gross profit increased 107.6%, to $1.55 billion in the first quarter compared to $748.9 million in the prior year's first quarter. The $805.7 million increase included $733.8 million of gross profit for Family Dollar, and a 9.6% increase in Dollar Tree's gross profit for the quarter. As a percent of sales, gross margin decreased to 30.6% compared to 34.4% in the prior year.
The primary contributors to the decrease were the impact of the overall lower-margin product mix for the Family Dollar business and $6.3 million for Family Dollar related to the amortization of the stepped up inventory basis. Gross margin for the Dollar Tree segment was flat at 34.4% when compared to the prior year's quarter.
Selling, general and administrative expenses were 22.3% of sales compared to 23.7% of sales in the prior year's first quarter. Excluding $10.4 million in acquisition costs from the prior year's period, selling, general and administrative expenses, as a percent of sales, decreased to 22.3% from 23.2%.
This 90 basis point improvement resulted from lower payroll, operating and corporate expenses, as a percent of sales, partially offset by higher store repair and maintenance expenses and depreciation.
Operating income increased 79.9% to $418.7 million compared with $232.8 million in the same period last year. This increase is the result of $138.0 million of operating income in the Family Dollar segment and a $47.9 million increase in operating income in the Dollar Tree segment.
Dollar Tree's effective tax rate for the quarter was 29.8% compared to 38.6% in the prior year period. The lower effective tax rate was primarily attributable to a one-time benefit related to state tax planning, which contributed $0.09 to earnings per share.
Net income compared to the prior year's first quarter increased $163.2 million to $232.7 million, and diluted earnings per share increased by 188.2% to $0.98.
Excluding the one-time tax benefit, diluted earnings per share for the quarter increased to $0.89. Excluding the current quarter one-time tax benefit and acquisition-related costs from the prior year quarter, diluted earnings per share increased 25.4%, to $0.89 from $0.71.
Dollar Tree estimates consolidated net sales for the second quarter of 2016 to range from $5.03 billion to $5.12 billion, based on a low single-digit increase in same-store sales and year-over-year selling square footage growth of 2.4%. Diluted earnings per share are expected to range from $0.66 to $0.72.
Consolidated net sales for full-year 2016 are now expected to range between $20.79 billion and $21.08 billion compared to the Company's previously expected range of $20.76 billion to $21.11 billion.
This estimate is based on a low single-digit increase in same-store sales, and 4.0% square footage growth. Dollar Tree now anticipates net income per diluted share for full-year 2016 will range between $3.58 and $3.80. This compares to its previous EPS guidance range of $3.35 to $3.65. ■