FGI Industries Ltd. (NASDAQ:FGI) Q1 2024 Earnings Call Transcript

FGI Industries Ltd. (NASDAQ:FGI) Q1 2024 Earnings Call Transcript May 11, 2024

FGI Industries Ltd. isn't one of the 30 most popular stocks among hedge funds at the end of the third quarter (see the details here).

Operator: Good day, and welcome to the FGI Industries, Inc. First Quarter 2024 Results Conference Call. [Operator Instructions] Please note this event is being recorded. I would now like to turn the conference over to Jae Chung, Vice President of FGI Industries. Please go ahead.

Jae Chung: Thank you. Welcome to FGI Industries 2024 first quarter results conference call. Leading the call today are President and CEO, David Bruce; and Chief Financial Officer, Perry Lin. We issued a press release after the market closed yesterday detailing our recent operational and financial results. I would like to remind you that management's commentary and responses to questions on today's conference call may include forward-looking statements, which, by their nature, are uncertain and outside of the company's control. Although these forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations and beliefs, actual results may differ materially. For a discussion of some of the factors that could cause actual results to differ, please refer to the Risk Factors section of our latest filings with the SEC.

Additionally, please note that you can find reconciliations of historical non-GAAP financial measures in the press release issued yesterday and in the appendix of this presentation, which is available on the company's website. Today's call will begin with the performance review and strategic update from Dave Bruce, followed by a financial review from Perry Lin. At the conclusion of these prepared remarks, we will open the line for questions. With that, I’ll turn the call over to Dave.

David Bruce: Thank you, Jae. Good morning, everyone, and thank you for joining our call today. I am delighted to share our positive first quarter results, reflecting the strategic investments we've made in our organic growth initiatives across our brands, products and channels or BPC strategy. While the industry outlook anticipates modest declines in the R&R segment, we remain confident in our ability to outpace market trends through innovative products and programs. During the first quarter, we witnessed growth across most of our businesses, primarily fueled by volume and sustained demand from end markets, alongside gradual normalization of inventory levels. Notably, our Sanitaryware and Shower businesses demonstrated year-over-year growth.

While our Bath Furniture segment faced subdued demand due to a shift towards lower-priced offerings, we are excited about our upcoming Bath Furniture assortment that is more aligned to new market pricing and design trends. Additionally, our Shower Systems business benefited from new customer program introductions while the pro Sanitaryware business rebounded as inventory levels stabilized and order flow improved. We are particularly pleased with our operational performance, reporting a total revenue of $31 million for the quarter, marking a robust 13.2% increase year-over-year. Our gross margin also improved to 27.4%, reflecting our sustained focus on higher-margin products. As we continue to invest in our growth initiatives, we are encouraged by the positive momentum witnessed in the first quarter.

Furthermore, our geographic expansion plans in India and the United Kingdom holds significant promise for driving growth. In India, we are optimistic about leveraging new distribution partners to establish our presence in the burgeoning bath market. We are also excited about the imminent launch of Isla Porter, our high-end custom kitchen cabinetry business based on an innovative digital platform. With its emphasis on premium, trend-setting products and cutting-edge AI software, Isla Porter is poised to redefine cabinetry personalization, convenience and design. Our strategic growth initiatives are progressing well and are expected to fuel above-market organic growth in the future. I commend our FGI team for their dedication to our long-term objectives, positioning the company for success in 2024 and beyond.

With that, I'll hand it over to Perry for a more detailed financial review.

Perry Lin: Thank you, Dave. And good morning, everyone. I will begin by providing additional details on the quarter. Next, I will update you on our current liquidity and balance sheet. Finally, I will conclude with our guidance for the full year 2024. For the first quarter of 2024, revenue totaled $31 million, an increase of 13.2% compared to the first quarter of 2023, driven by continued momentum in our Shower Systems business and a rebound in our pro sanitary business. Our Bath Furniture business continued to be weak, but is showing sign of an improvement. As Dave mentioned, the Bath Furniture market continues to be impacted by weaker demand and a trade down to lower-priced offering. In response, we are launching mid-tier product to better address the current demand environment.

Demand trends in the shower category remains steady. We continue to expect our new program and product to continue driving growth in 2024. Gross profit was $8.4 million in the quarter, an increase of 16.8% year-over-year, driven by growth in our higher-margin products. Gross margin improved to 27.4% in the quarter compared to 26.5% in the prior year. Our operating expense increased to $8.7 million from $7.2 million in the prior year due to the inflation and ongoing investment in our growth initiatives, including marketing spend for Flush Guard, Isla Porter and kitchen cabinetry. GAAP operating income was negative $0.3 million in the quarter, down from breakeven year-over-year. Higher operating expenses due to investing in our growth initiatives accounted for the loss as overall revenue and gross margin were higher in the quarter.

Moving to our balance sheet, at the end of the first quarter, FGI had $17.8 million of total liquidity, which we believe is more than sufficient to fund our growth initiatives. The decline in total liquidity from year-end 2023 was largely driven by an increase in working capital requirements, which is seasonally highest in the first quarter of the year. We are leaving 2024 guidance unchanged, with revenue in the range of $115 million to $128 million, adjusted operating income in the range of $2.8 million to $3.8 million and adjusted net income in the range of $1.2 million to $2 million. Please note that the guidance for adjusted operating income and adjusted net income excludes certain nonrecurring items. That completes our prepared remarks.

Operator, we are now ready for the question-and-answer question of our call.

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