Columbia Sportswear sales grow 16% in Q2

“Our first half performance, coupled with the confidence we have in our brands, our line-up of innovative products, and our global team, led us to increase our full year 2014 financial outlook. We believe we are beginning to make meaningful, sustainable progress toward our goal of improving our profitability.”

Second quarter 2014 net loss totaled $6.3 million, or $(0.18) per share, including a net tax benefit of $5.6 million, or $0.16 per share, resulting from the favorable resolution of uncertain tax positions from prior years. During the quarter, the company incurred approximately $3.4 million of non-recurring transaction costs related to the prAna acquisition, and approximately $1.3 million in amortization of certain acquired assets and other integration costs which, combined, equated to $2.9 million net of tax, or $(0.08) per share. Second quarter 2013 net loss totaled $7.1 million, or $(0.21) per share.

The second quarter is the company’s smallest revenue quarter, historically accounting for a mid-teens percentage of annual net sales. As a result, regional, category and brand net sales results often produce large percentage variances in relation to the prior year’s comparable period due to the small base of comparison and shifts in the timing of shipments.

Net sales in the U.S. increased $6.5 million, or 5 percent, to $146.3 million, including $5.5 million of incremental prAna net sales. Latin America/Asia Pacific (LAAP) region net sales increased $14.9 million, or 18 percent, to $96.1 million, including incremental sales from the company’s new China joint venture and a neutral effect of changes in currency exchange rates.

Europe/Middle East/Africa (EMEA) region net sales increased $19.8 million, or 37 percent, to $72.9 million, including a 2 percentage point benefit from changes in currency exchanges rates. Net sales in Canada increased $2.5 million, or 39 percent, to $8.9 million, including a 10 percentage point negative effect from changes in currency exchanges rates.

Apparel, Accessories & Equipment net sales increased $27.3 million, or 12 percent, to $263.0 million. Footwear net sales increased $16.4 million, or 37 percent, to $61.2 million. Columbia brand net sales increased $38.5 million, or 15 percent, to $291.0 million, and the newly-acquired prAna brand contributed $5.5 million of incremental net sales.

During the second quarter, the company completed its previously announced acquisition of prAna Living LLC for $188.5 million, net of acquired cash. The company ended the second quarter with $394.4 million in cash and short-term investments, compared with $430.6 million at June 30, 2013. Approximately 54 percent of cash and short-term investments was held in foreign jurisdictions where a repatriation of those funds to the United States would likely result in a significant tax cost to the company.