Steven Madden, Ltd. Announces Second Quarter Results

August 5, 2008 at 7:32 AM EDT
    - Second Quarter Net Income $7.6 Million, or $0.43 Per Diluted Share -

                    - Company Reaffirms Outlook for 2008 -

LONG ISLAND CITY, N.Y., Aug. 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Steven Madden, Ltd. (Nasdaq: SHOO), a leading designer, wholesaler and marketer of fashion footwear and accessories for women, men and children, today announced financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2008.

Second quarter net sales were $109.3 million compared to $108.3 million in the second quarter of 2007. Gross margin decreased slightly to 41.7% compared to 42.0% in the second quarter of the prior year due to a margin decline in the retail division, which was partially offset by a margin increase in the wholesale division. Operating expenses as a percent of sales were 33.5% versus 31.0% in the same period of 2007, due primarily to increased expenses in the retail division for new stores, the write-off of fixed assets related to store closures and remodels, and severance.

Operating income was $12.1 million, or 11.1% of sales, compared with operating income of $17.5 million, or 16.2% of sales, in the second quarter of 2007. This decline was due primarily to higher operating expenses as a percent of sales and a decline in commission income from the private label business versus the prior year period. Net income was $7.6 million, or $0.43 per diluted share, compared to $10.5 million, or $0.49 per diluted share, in the prior year's second quarter.

Revenues from the wholesale business were $79.4 million compared to $78.6 million in the second quarter of 2007 due primarily to the strength of the Madden Girl and Daniel M. Friedman divisions, which offset relative softness in the Steve Madden Women's and Steve Madden Men's divisions during the quarter. Gross margin in the wholesale business increased to 34.7% from 34.2% in last year's second quarter as a result of margin improvement in both the wholesale footwear and Daniel M. Friedman accessories divisions.

Retail revenues were $29.9 million compared to $29.6 million in the second quarter of the prior year due to sales from new stores. Same store sales decreased 3.3%. Retail gross margin decreased to 60.3% from 62.4% in the comparable period of the prior year, due primarily to increased promotional activity due to the challenging retail environment. During the second quarter of 2008, the Company closed two stores.

For the first six months of fiscal 2008, net sales were $209.9 million compared to $214.9 million in the comparable period last year. Net income totaled $9.7 million, or $0.51 per diluted share, for the first six months of fiscal 2008, compared to $20.1 million, or $0.92 per diluted share, in the comparable period last year. Excluding a one-time after-tax charge of $3.0 million in first quarter resulting from the resignation of the Company's former Chief Executive Officer, net income totaled $12.7 million, or $0.67 per diluted share, for the first six months of fiscal 2008.

Edward Rosenfeld, Interim Chief Executive Officer, stated, "In wholesale, Madden Girl and Daniel M. Friedman were bright spots as we generated strong sales increases in these two divisions in the second quarter. We also remain pleased with our wholesale gross margin, which rose modestly and reflects positive trends in both footwear and accessories. While we continue to experience the effects of the challenging macroeconomic environment, we are beginning to see some renewed momentum in our business. We are experiencing a positive response to our merchandise from both our wholesale customers and consumers, and we are encouraged by emerging footwear trends and the current sell-through of our product."

Arvind Dharia, Chief Financial Officer, commented, "We are pleased with our ability to maintain a strong financial position despite the challenging macroeconomic environment. Our balance sheet continues to demonstrate the Company's strength as we ended the quarter with $46.3 million in cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities, no debt, and total stockholders' equity of $184.0 million. We remain confident the Company is well positioned for long-term growth."

Company Outlook

Based on trends to date this year and current visibility, the Company is maintaining its guidance for the full fiscal year. The Company continues to expect 2008 net sales will be flat to an increase of 2% compared to fiscal 2007 and earnings per diluted share will range between $1.55 and $1.65, excluding the previously mentioned impact of the one-time charge recognized in first quarter. Including the impact of the one-time charge, earnings per diluted share are expected to range between $1.39 and $1.49.

Mr. Rosenfeld concluded, "While we are maintaining a conservative approach to managing our business this year due to the challenging retail environment, we are encouraged by our recent performance and believe we are well-positioned as we move into the latter half of fiscal 2008. The Company has a solid foundation for long-term success based on the increasing diversification of our business, the strength of our design team and our strong focus on execution."

Conference Call Information

Interested shareholders are invited to listen to the second quarter earnings conference call scheduled for today, Tuesday, August 5, 2008, at 10 a.m. Eastern Time. The call will be broadcast live over the Internet and can be accessed by logging onto http://www.stevemadden.com. An online archive of the broadcast will be available within one hour of the conclusion of the call and will be accessible until August 19, 2008. Additionally, a replay of the call can be accessed by dialing 800-642-1687, passcode 56721800, and will be available until August 12, 2008.

Steven Madden, Ltd. designs and markets fashion-forward footwear and accessories for women, men and children. The shoes and accessories are sold through company-owned retail stores, department stores, apparel and footwear specialty stores, and online at www.stevemadden.com. The Company has several licensees for its brands, including for outerwear, cold weather accessories, eyewear, and hosiery and owns and operates 99 retail stores, including its online store. Through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Daniel M. Friedman & Associates, the Company is the licensee for handbags and belts for Betsey Johnson, Daisy Fuentes and Tracy Reese.

Statements in this press release that are not statements of historical or current fact constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other unknown factors that could cause the actual results of the Company to be materially different from the historical results or from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. In addition to statements which explicitly describe such risks and uncertainties readers are urged to consider statements labeled with the terms "believes", "belief", "expects", "intends", "anticipates" or "plans" to be uncertain and forward-looking. The forward looking statements contained herein are also subject generally to other risks and uncertainties that are described from time to time in the Company's reports and registration statements filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.



    STEVEN MADDEN LTD
    CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
    (In thousands, except per share data) - Unaudited

                                    Three Months Ended     Six Months Ended
    Consolidated:                    Jun 30,   Jun 30,     Jun 30,   Jun 30,
                                      2008      2007        2008      2007

    Net Sales                       $109,317  $108,256    $209,856  $214,910
    Cost of Sales                     63,780    62,836     124,104   127,296
    Gross Profit                      45,537    45,420      85,752    87,614
    Commission and licensing fee
     income                            3,203     5,669       6,559    11,115
    Operating Expenses                36,593    33,599      77,327    65,570
    Income from Operations            12,147    17,490      14,984    33,159
    Interest and other Income, Net       368       803         894     1,713
    Income Before provision for
     Income Taxes                     12,515    18,293      15,878    34,872
    Provision for Income Tax           4,881     7,775       6,192    14,821
    Net Income                        $7,634   $10,518      $9,686   $20,051


    Basic income per share             $0.43     $0.51       $0.51     $0.96
    Diluted income per share           $0.43     $0.49       $0.51     $0.92

    Weighted average common shares
     outstanding - Basic              17,662    20,659      18,839    20,809

    Weighted average common shares
     outstanding - Diluted            17,810    21,626      19,023    21,793



                           BALANCE SHEET HIGHLIGHTS

                                           Jun 30,      Dec 31,      Jun 30,
                                            2008         2007         2007
                                       Consolidated Consolidated Consolidated
                                        (Unaudited)               (Unaudited)

    Cash and cash equivalents              $18,849      $29,446      $23,933
    Investment Securities                   27,462       80,411       69,973
    Total Current Assets                   158,198      168,855      195,875
    Total Assets                           227,498      266,521      266,670
    Total Current Liabilities               38,968       47,717       36,524
    Total Stockholder Equity               184,032      215,334      226,839

SOURCE Steven Madden, Ltd.

CONTACT: Investors: Cara O'Brien, or Leigh Parrish, Media: Diane Zappas,
all of FD, for Steven Madden, Ltd., 1-212-850-5600
Web site: http://www.stevemadden.com
(SHOO)