La-Z-Boy Inc: Impairment Losses and Investments in Start-ups

La-Z-Boy Inc (ticker: LZB), a prominent furniture company, experienced a considerable decrease in its investments from $51.5 million in April 2022 to $24.9 million in April 2023, with $27.2 million committed to start-ups. In total, La-Z-Boy reported an impairment loss of $2.7 million on its investments in privately held start-ups, included in its other income (expense) on the consolidated statement of income. This article dives into the financial position of La-Z-Boy and its investment strategies during the past year.

Investment Details

The company’s short-term investments include marketable securities valued at $5 million in April 2023, down from $16 million the previous year, while long-term investments saw a decrease from $34.2 million to $18.5 million. La-Z-Boy allocates its investments to enhance returns on cash ($11.6 million in April 2023), fund compensation and retirement plans ($13.3 million), and other investments ($10.1 million) in 2022.

A summary of unrealized gains and losses on the company’s investments shows a net decrease of $175,000 within one year, with gross unrealized gains amounting to $2.6 million and gross unrealized losses reaching $723,000.

Fixed Income Marketable Securities

In terms of fixed income marketable securities, the company held $14 million in April 2023, distributed among various maturity dates. The maturity distribution included $5 million within one year, $6.6 million within two to five years, $674,000 within six to ten years, and $1.7 million thereafter.

Debt Management

Concerning debt, the company entered into a new five-year $200 million unsecured revolving credit facility in October 2021. The credit facility’s purpose is to be used for general corporate purposes, and it will mature on October 15, 2026. As of April 2023, no outstanding borrowings were made under the credit facility. The credit facility contains certain restrictive loan covenants, which La-Z-Boy complied with in April 2023.

Employee Benefits

Employee benefits accounted for a significant portion of La-Z-Boy’s expenses, with costs associated with 401(k) retirement plans amounting to $12.9 million in April 2023. The Performance Compensation Retirement Plan amounted to $160,000, while the Deferred Compensation Plan reached $202,000. The Non-Qualified Defined Benefit Retirement Plan related to interest cost was at $748,000 during the same period.

Product Warranty Liabilities

Furthermore, La-Z-Boy accrued a liability for product warranties of $30.9 million in April 2023, an increase from $27 million in the previous year. This increase was mainly due to additional accruals during the year, reflecting new warranties issued in the respective periods.

Conclusion

In conclusion, La-Z-Boy Inc experienced a significant decrease in its investments in fiscal 2023, alongside impairment losses of $2.7 million on start-up investments. The company continues to allocate funds to enhance returns on cash and fund employee benefit programs while managing its debt through a new credit facility. With various investment strategies in place, La-Z-Boy remains committed to maintaining a strong financial position and overcoming challenges as they arise in the future.

Income Statement

Financials in millions USD. Fiscal year is May – April. source

Year 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 – 1997
0 Revenue 2349.43 2356.81 1734.24 1703.98 1745.4 1583.95 1520.06 1525.4 1425.4 1357.32 Upgrade
1 Revenue Growth (YoY) -0.31% 35.90% 1.78% -2.37% 10.19% 4.20% -0.35% 7.02% 5.02% 6.55% Upgrade
2 Cost of Revenue 1340.73 1440.84 993.98 982.54 1042.83 961.2 910.76 940.42 920.9 892.86 Upgrade
3 Gross Profit 1008.7 915.97 740.26 721.45 702.57 622.75 609.3 584.98 504.49 464.45 Upgrade
4 Selling, General & Admin 797.26 709.21 603.52 575.82 572.9 493.38 475.96 459.65 401.33 375.16 Upgrade
5 Other Operating Expenses 0 0 0 26.86 0 0 2.51 0 0 0 Upgrade
6 Operating Expenses 797.26 709.21 603.52 602.68 572.9 493.38 478.47 459.65 401.33 375.16 Upgrade
7 Operating Income 211.44 206.76 136.74 118.76 129.67 129.37 130.83 125.33 103.17 89.3 Upgrade
8 Interest Expense / Income 0.54 0.9 1.39 1.29 1.54 0.54 1.07 0.49 0.52 0.55 Upgrade
9 Other Expense / Income 6.39 2.68 -9.5 3.81 34.37 0.67 0.08 1.51 -5.09 2.31 Upgrade
10 Pretax Income 204.51 203.18 144.85 113.66 93.76 128.16 129.68 123.33 107.73 86.44 Upgrade
11 Income Tax 53.85 53.16 38.38 36.19 25.19 47.3 43.76 44.08 36.95 31.38 Upgrade
12 Net Income 150.66 150.02 106.46 77.47 68.57 80.87 85.92 79.25 70.77 55.06 Upgrade
13 Net Income Growth 0.43% 40.91% 37.42% 12.97% -15.20% -5.88% 8.42% 11.98% 28.55% 18.68% Upgrade
14 Shares Outstanding (Basic) 43 44 46 46 47 48 49 50 52 52 Upgrade
15 Shares Outstanding (Diluted) 43 44 46 47 47 48 49 51 52 54 Upgrade
16 Shares Change -2.38% -4.47% -0.79% -1.26% -1.67% -2.70% -2.55% -3.02% -2.76% 0.27% Upgrade
17 EPS (Basic) 3.49 3.41 2.31 1.67 1.46 1.69 1.75 1.57 1.36 1.04 Upgrade
18 EPS (Diluted) 3.48 3.39 2.30 1.66 1.44 1.67 1.73 1.55 1.34 1.02 Upgrade
19 EPS Growth 2.65% 47.39% 38.55% 15.28% -13.77% -3.47% 11.61% 15.67% 31.37% 20.00% Upgrade
20 Free Cash Flow Per Share 3.16 0.06 5.91 2.55 2.19 1.67 2.61 1.79 0.32 1.09 Upgrade
21 Dividend Per Share 0.693 0.630 0.360 0.540 0.500 0.460 0.420 0.360 0.280 0.200 Upgrade
22 Dividend Growth 10.00% 75.00% -33.33% 8.00% 8.70% 9.52% 16.67% 28.57% 40.00% 150.00% Upgrade
23 Gross Margin 42.93% 38.86% 42.68% 42.34% 40.25% 39.32% 40.08% 38.35% 35.39% 34.22% Upgrade
24 Operating Margin 9.00% 8.77% 7.88% 6.97% 7.43% 8.17% 8.61% 8.22% 7.24% 6.58% Upgrade
25 Profit Margin 6.41% 6.37% 6.14% 4.55% 3.93% 5.11% 5.65% 5.20% 4.97% 4.06% Upgrade
26 Free Cash Flow Margin 5.80% 0.10% 15.68% 6.94% 5.86% 5.01% 8.40% 5.89% 1.15% 4.21% Upgrade
27 Effective Tax Rate 26.33% 26.17% 26.50% 31.84% 26.86% 36.90% 33.74% 35.74% 34.30% 36.31% Upgrade
28 EBITDA 321.75 316.79 244.83 213.81 126.45 160.47 159.88 150.34 130.53 110.17 Upgrade
29 EBITDA Margin 13.69% 13.44% 14.12% 12.55% 7.24% 10.13% 10.52% 9.86% 9.16% 8.12% Upgrade
30 Depreciation & Amortization 116.7 112.71 98.59 98.87 31.15 31.77 29.13 26.52 22.28 23.18 Upgrade
31 EBIT 205.05 204.08 146.24 114.95 95.3 128.7 130.75 123.82 108.25 86.99 Upgrade
32 EBIT Margin 8.73% 8.66% 8.43% 6.75% 5.46% 8.13% 8.60% 8.12% 7.59% 6.41% Upgrade

Note that we may hold securities mentioned in this article. All data is based on recent SEC filings. Even though we have implemented various manual and automatic fact-checking and data acquisition processes, some incorrect information may have slipped through (false positive). Let us know if you find any inconsistencies!