Pre-Recorded Earnings Call Webcast Available on Investor Relations Website

Announces Comprehensive, Operational Transformation Plan to Drive Growth and Cost Savings

LAS VEGAS, Nov. 09, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HF Foods Group Inc. (NASDAQ: HFFG) (“HF Foods”, or the “Company”), a leading food distributor to Asian restaurants across the United States, reported financial results for the third quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2023.

Third Quarter 2023 Financial Results

  • Net revenue decreased 6.4% to $281.5 million compared to $300.7 million in the prior year.
  • Gross profit decreased 1.1% to $50.9 million, or 18.1% gross profit margin compared to $51.5 million, or 17.1% gross profit margin in the prior year.
  • Net income (loss) increased to net income of $2.0 million compared to net loss of $3.9 million in the prior year.
  • Adjusted EBITDA increased 151.0% to $10.0 million compared to $4.0 million in the prior year.

Nine Months 2023 Financial Results

  • Net revenue decreased 1.2% to $867.6 million compared to $878.6 million in the prior year.
  • Gross profit decreased 2.0% to $151.8 million, or 17.5% gross profit margin compared to $154.8 million, or 17.6% gross profit margin in the prior year.
  • Net (loss) income decreased to a net loss of $5.4 million compared to net income of $3.7 million in the prior year.
  • Adjusted EBITDA decreased 32.9% to $24.0 million compared to $35.8 million in the prior year.

Management Commentary

“In the third quarter we made significant progress in enhancing our profitability, as our investments in people and processes began to bear fruit. Building on that momentum, we are very pleased to announce our comprehensive operational transformation plan, which began earlier this year, that we believe will have a significant, positive impact on both our growth and profitability for years to come,” said Peter Zhang, Chief Executive Officer of HF Foods. “We have a unique opportunity ahead of us as we are the only scaled, nationwide operator serving the growing Asian foodservice market, and because of the truly personal experience we provide Asian restaurant owners in the U.S., which has led to consistent, long-term relationships. Over the past year, we have meticulously analyzed every aspect of our business. We believe that our resulting transformation initiative, which aims to drive sales and cost efficiencies, will allow us to improve our service and variety of offerings to customers and deliver value to all stakeholders.”

Revenue by Product Category

  Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,
($ in thousands)  2023   2022   2023   2022 
Seafood $87,475 31% $94,077 32% $271,748 32% $262,280 30%
Asian Specialty  74,384 26%  73,380 24%  228,545 26%  223,393 25%
Meat and Poultry  54,787 19%  63,647 21%  162,848 19%  187,671 22%
Fresh Produce  29,578 11%  31,260 10%  93,425 11%  92,215 10%
Packaging and Other  17,342 6%  20,867 7%  54,775 6%  64,176 7%
Commodity  17,887 7%  17,480 6%  56,279 6%  48,833 6%
Total $281,453 100% $300,711 100% $867,620 100% $878,568 100%


Third Quarter 2023 Results

Net revenue was $281.5 million for the third quarter of 2023 compared to $300.7 million in the prior year period, a decrease of $19.3 million, or 6.4%. The decline was primarily attributable to decreases of $8.9 million in Meat and Poultry revenue and $6.6 million in Seafood revenue, driven by deflationary pricing of poultry and shrimp. During the three months ended September 30, 2022, we benefited from the significant inflation experienced in poultry pricing, which created a tough year-over-year revenue compare.

Gross profit was $50.9 million compared to $51.5 million in the prior year period, a decrease of $0.6 million, or 1.1%. Gross profit margin increased to 18.1% from 17.1% in the prior year period. The increase was primarily attributable to improved Seafood margins due to a mix shift of higher gross margin shrimp and other frozen food sales realized by the centralized purchasing program and the exit of the lower margin chicken processing business, partially offset by the deflationary pressure in Meat and Poultry.

Distribution, selling and administrative expenses decreased by $5.7 million to $48.8 million, primarily due to decreases of $3.9 million in professional fees and $0.8 million in delivery related costs, partially offset by higher payroll and related labor costs. Distribution, selling and administrative expenses as a percentage of net revenue decreased to 17.4% from 18.2% in the prior year period primarily due to lower professional fees offset by increased headcount.

Net income (loss) increased to net income of $2.0 million compared to a net loss of $3.9 million in the prior year period. The increase was primarily attributable to the decreased distribution, selling and administrative costs and the $1.7 million change in the fair value of interest rate swaps, partially offset by a $0.4 million increase in lower gross profit, higher interest expense, and decreased tax benefit.

Adjusted EBITDA increased 151.0% to $10.0 million compared to $4.0 million in the prior year.

Nine Months 2023 Results

Net revenue was $867.6 million for the first nine months of 2023 compared to $878.6 million in the prior year period. The decline was primarily attributable to the $24.8 million decrease in Meat and Poultry revenue, driven by deflationary pricing in poultry as well as a $9.4 million decrease in Packaging and Other due to lower volume, partially offset by an increase of $7.4 million in Commodity revenue due to higher volume as well as the Seafood revenue generated due to the Sealand Food, Inc. acquisition (the “Sealand Acquisition”).

Gross profit was $151.8 million compared to $154.8 million in the prior year period. The decline was primarily attributable to decreases in Meat and Poultry, Packaging and Other and Commodity revenue, partially offset by the additional Seafood revenue generated due to the Sealand Acquisition. Notably, poultry pricing decreased from the elevated levels we benefited from in the prior year period. Gross profit margin remained relatively flat at 17.5%.

Distribution, selling and administrative expenses increased by $13.2 million to $154.0 million primarily due to an increase of $5.1 million in payroll and related labor costs, inclusive of the additional costs due to the Sealand Acquisition, and an increase of $1.9 million in insurance related costs. Professional fees increased to $18.7 million, from $17.1 million in the prior year period. In addition, the Company recognized asset impairment of $1.2 million related to the exit of the chicken processing facility. Distribution, selling and administrative expenses as a percentage of net revenue increased to 17.8% from 16.0% in the prior year period, primarily due to increased headcount and the higher costs described above.

Net (loss) income decreased to a net loss of $5.4 million compared to net income of $3.7 million in the prior year period. The decrease was primarily attributable to the increased distribution, selling and administrative costs and lower gross profit, as well as a $3.3 million increase in interest expense, partially offset by the decrease of $6.1 million in lease guarantee expense and the $1.2 million change in the fair value of interest rate swaps.

Adjusted EBITDA decreased 32.9% to $24.0 million compared to $35.8 million in the prior year.

Cash Flow and Liquidity

Cash flow from operating activities increased to $20.6 million for the first nine months of 2023, compared to $6.9 million in the prior year period. The increase in cash flow from operating activities was primarily due to the timing of working capital outlays. As of September 30, 2023, the Company had a cash balance of $14.3 million and access to approximately $48.6 million in additional funds through its $100.0 million line of credit, subject to a borrowing base calculation.

Transformation Plan

To position the business for long-term success, HF Foods has initiated a comprehensive, operational transformation plan in an effort to drive growth and cost savings. The transformation is focused on four key areas, each of which the Company expects will positively impact future growth or cost savings. The components of the transformation are as follows:

  • Centralized Purchasing: The Company will formalize its national category purchases and welcome new vendors into its ecosystem. This will allow the Company to unlock synergies from its prior acquisitions, and deliver savings in its largest categories.
  • Fleet and Transportation: HF Foods will be establishing a national fleet maintenance program. Within this, the Company plans to define new truck specifications, initiate a replacement program for 50% of the current fleet, implement a national fuel savings program to maximize efficiency, and outsource domestic inbound freight logistics to a third-party partner to adopt a cohesive national approach to its supply chain. This is expected to deliver substantial improvements to the Company’s transportation system.
  • Digital Transformation: HF Foods will be implementing a modern ERP solution across all of its distribution centers. This is expected to deliver enhanced operational efficiency and responsiveness, streamlined processes, and greater data driven decision-making.
  • Facility Upgrades: The Company will be reorganizing and upgrading its facilities and distribution centers to efficiently streamline costs, and to capitalize on cross-selling opportunities with both new and existing customers.

Earnings Conference Call and Webcast

A pre-recorded conference call and webcast with HF Foods’ management team discussing the results is now available on the Investor Relations section of the Company’s website at https://investors.hffoodsgroup.com/.

About HF Foods Group Inc.

HF Foods Group Inc. is a leading marketer and distributor of fresh produce, frozen and dry food, and non-food products to primarily Asian/Chinese restaurants and other foodservice customers throughout the United States. HF Foods aims to supply the increasing demand for Asian American restaurant cuisine, leveraging its nationwide network of distribution centers and its strong relations with growers and suppliers of fresh, high-quality specialty restaurant food products and supplies in the US, South America, and China. Headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada, HF Foods trades on Nasdaq under the symbol “HFFG”. For more information, please visit www.hffoodsgroup.com.

Investor Relations Contact:

HFFG Investor Relations

hffoodsgroup@icrinc.com

Forward-Looking Statements

All statements in this news release other than statements of historical facts are forward-looking statements which contain our current expectations about our future results. We have attempted to identify any forward-looking statements by using words such as “believes,” “intends,” and other similar expressions. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in all of our forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Such statements are not guarantees of future performance or events and are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause the Company’s actual results, events or financial positions to differ materially from those included within or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to, statements of assumption underlying any of the foregoing, and other factors disclosed under the caption “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 and other filings with the SEC. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to disclose any revision to these forward-looking statements.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

Discussion of our results includes certain non-GAAP financial measures, including EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA and non-GAAP net income (loss) attributable to HF Foods Group Inc., that we believe provides an additional tool for investors to use in evaluating ongoing operating results and trends and in comparing our financial performance with other companies in the same industry, many of which present similar non-GAAP financial measures to investors. The definitions of EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA and non-GAAP net income (loss) attributable to HF Foods Group Inc. may not be the same as similarly titled measures used by other companies in the industry. EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA and non-GAAP net income (loss) attributable to HF Foods Group Inc. are not defined under GAAP and are subject to important limitations as analytical tools and should not be considered in isolation or as substitutes for analysis of our financial results as reported under GAAP.

We use non-GAAP financial measures to supplement our GAAP financial results. Management uses EBITDA, defined as net income (loss) before interest expense, interest income, income taxes, and depreciation and amortization to measure operating performance. In addition, management uses Adjusted EBITDA, defined as net income (loss) before interest expense, interest income, income taxes, and depreciation and amortization, further adjusted to exclude certain unusual, non-cash, or non-recurring expenses. We believe that Adjusted EBITDA is less susceptible to variances in actual performance resulting from non-recurring expenses, and other non-cash charges, provides useful information for our investors and is more reflective of other factors that affect our operating performance.

We believe non-GAAP net income (loss) attributable to HF Foods Group Inc. is a useful measure of operating performance because it excludes certain items not reflective of our core operating performance. Non-GAAP net income (loss) attributable to HF Foods Group Inc. is defined as net income (loss) attributable to HF Foods Group Inc. adjusted for amortization of intangibles, change in fair value of interest rate swaps, stock based compensation, transaction related costs, transformational project costs and certain unusual, non-cash, or non-recurring expenses. We believe that non-GAAP net income (loss) attributable to HF Foods Group Inc. facilitates period-over-period comparisons and provides additional clarity for investors to better evaluate our operating results. We present EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA, non-GAAP net income (loss) attributable to HF Foods Group Inc. in order to provide supplemental information that we consider relevant for the readers of our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in its reports filed with the SEC, including its current Quarterly Report on Form 10Q, and such information is not meant to replace or supersede U.S. GAAP measures. Reconciliations of the non-GAAP financial measures to their most comparable GAAP financial measures are included in the schedules attached to this press release.


HF FOODS GROUP INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(In thousands)
(Unaudited)
 
 September 30, 2023 December 31, 2022
ASSETS   
CURRENT ASSETS:   
Cash$14,300  $24,289 
Accounts receivable, net 43,461   44,399 
Inventories 115,942   120,291 
Other current assets 23,611   8,937 
TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS 197,314   197,916 
Property and equipment, net 135,350   140,330 
Operating lease right-of-use assets 12,520   14,164 
Long-term investments 2,401   2,679 
Customer relationships, net 149,823   157,748 
Trademarks and other intangibles, net 32,055   36,343 
Goodwill 85,118   85,118 
Other long-term assets 8,203   3,231 
TOTAL ASSETS$622,784  $637,529 
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY   
CURRENT LIABILITIES:   
Checks issued not presented for payment$6,888  $21,946 
Line of credit 47,648   53,056 
Accounts payable 78,623   57,044 
Current portion of long-term debt, net 5,868   6,266 
Current portion of obligations under finance leases 1,832   2,254 
Current portion of obligations under operating leases 3,609   3,676 
Accrued expenses and other liabilities 17,157   19,648 
TOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES 161,625   163,890 
Long-term debt, net of current portion 111,220   115,443 
Obligations under finance leases, non-current 11,174   11,441 
Obligations under operating leases, non-current 9,171   10,591 
Deferred tax liabilities 31,976   34,443 
Other long-term liabilities 5,262   5,472 
TOTAL LIABILITIES 330,428   341,280 
Commitments and contingencies   
SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY:   
Preferred Stock —   — 
Common Stock 5   5 
Additional paid-in capital 600,696   598,322 
Accumulated deficit (311,413)  (306,514)
TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY ATTRIBUTABLE TO HF FOODS GROUP INC. 289,288   291,813 
Noncontrolling interests 3,068   4,436 
TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY 292,356   296,249 
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY$622,784  $637,529 



HF FOODS GROUP INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(In thousands, except share and per share data)
(Unaudited)
 
 Three Months Ended
September 30,		 Nine Months Ended
September 30,
  2023   2022   2023   2022 
Net revenue$281,453  $300,711  $867,620  $878,568 
Cost of revenue 230,528   249,218   715,857   723,778 
Gross profit 50,925   51,493   151,763   154,790 
        
Distribution, selling and administrative expenses 48,841   54,589   154,013   140,840 
Income (loss) from operations 2,084   (3,096)  (2,250)  13,950 
        
Other (income) expenses:       
Interest expense 2,715   2,274   8,430   5,101 
Other income (490)  (462)  (845)  (1,401)
Change in fair value of interest rate swap contracts (1,984)  (284)  (2,094)  (850)
Lease guarantee expense (95)  (58)  (305)  5,831 
Total Other expenses, net 146   1,470   5,186   8,681 
Income (loss) before income taxes 1,938   (4,566)  (7,436)  5,269 
        
Income tax (benefit) expense (36)  (672)  (2,053)  1,529 
Net income (loss) 1,974   (3,894)  (5,383)  3,740 
Less: net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests 90   (30)  (484)  (74)
Net income (loss) attributable to HF Foods Group Inc.$1,884  $(3,864) $(4,899) $3,814 
        
Earnings (loss) per common share - basic$0.03  $(0.07) $(0.09) $0.07 
Earnings (loss) per common share - diluted$0.03  $(0.07) $(0.09) $0.07 
        
Weighted average shares - basic 54,142,396   53,798,131   54,005,010   53,716,464 
Weighted average shares - diluted 54,513,314   53,798,131   54,005,010   53,981,687 



HF FOODS GROUP INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(In thousands), (Unaudited)
 
 Nine Months Ended September 30,
  2023   2022 
Cash flows from operating activities:   
Net (loss) income$(5,383) $3,740 
Adjustments to reconcile net (loss) income to net cash provided by operating activities:   
Depreciation and amortization expense 19,551   18,245 
Asset impairment charges 1,200   422 
Gain from disposal of property and equipment (278)  (1,327)
Provision for credit losses 56   226 
Deferred tax benefit (2,467)  (3,391)
Change in fair value of interest rate swap contracts (2,094)  (849)
Stock-based compensation 2,605   673 
Non-cash lease expense 2,668   2,562 
Lease guarantee expense (305)  5,831 
Other expense (income) 446   54 
Changes in operating assets and liabilities (excluding effects of acquisitions):   
Accounts receivable 997   (8,221)
Accounts receivable - related parties (115)  (178)
Inventories 4,349   (15,988)
Prepaid expenses and other current assets (14,074)  (3,769)
Other long-term assets (2,878)  (593)
Accounts payable 22,618   8,953 
Accounts payable - related parties (1,039)  (443)
Operating lease liabilities (2,511)  (2,530)
Accrued expenses and other liabilities (2,722)  3,515 
Net cash provided by operating activities 20,624   6,932 
Cash flows from investing activities:   
Purchase of property and equipment (3,495)  (5,745)
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment 900   7,805 
Payment made for acquisition of Sealand —   (34,849)
Payment made for acquisition of Great Wall Group —   (17,445)
Net cash used in investing activities (2,595)  (50,234)
Cash flows from financing activities:   
Checks issued not presented for payment (15,058)  682 
Proceeds from line of credit 891,510   938,251 
Repayment of line of credit (896,959)  (922,080)
Proceeds from long-term debt —   45,956 
Repayment of long-term debt (4,653)  (9,614)
Payment of debt financing costs —   (556)
Repayment of obligations under finance leases (1,974)  (1,876)
Repayment of promissory note payable - related party —   (4,500)
Proceeds from noncontrolling interests shareholders —   240 
Cash distribution to shareholders (884)  (187)
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities (28,018)  46,316 
Net (decrease) increase in cash (9,989)  3,014 
Cash at beginning of the period 24,289   14,792 
Cash at end of the period$14,300  $17,806 



HF FOODS GROUP INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
RECONCILIATION OF NET (LOSS) INCOME TO EBITDA AND ADJUSTED EBITDA
(In thousands)
(Unaudited)
  Three Months Ended
September 30,		 Change
   2023   2022  Amount %
Net income (loss) $1,974  $(3,894) $5,868  NM
Interest expense  2,715   2,274   441  19.4%
Income tax expense  (36)  (672)  636  (94.6)%
Depreciation and amortization  6,422   6,386   36  0.6%
EBITDA  11,075   4,094   6,981  170.5%
Lease guarantee expense  (95)  (58)  (37) 63.8%
Change in fair value of interest rate swaps  (1,984)  (284)  (1,700) NM
Stock-based compensation expense  757   162   595  NM
Business transformation costs(1)  105   —   105  NM
Acquisition, integration and other costs (2)  146   71   75  105.6%
Adjusted EBITDA $10,004  $3,985  $6,019  151.0%


 Nine Months Ended
September 30,		 Change
  2023   2022  Amount %
Net (loss) income$(5,383) $3,740  $(9,123) NM
Interest expense 8,430   5,101   3,329  65.3%
Income tax (benefit) expense (2,053)  1,529   (3,582) NM
Depreciation and amortization 19,551   18,245   1,306  7.2%
EBITDA 20,545   28,615   (8,070) (28.2)%
Lease guarantee expense (305)  5,831   (6,136) NM
Change in fair value of interest rate swaps (2,094)  (849)  (1,245) 146.6%
Stock-based compensation expense 2,605   673   1,932  NM
Business transformation costs (1) 223   —   223  NM
Acquisition, integration and other costs (2) 1,850   1,130   720  63.7%
Asset impairment charges 1,200   422   778  184.4%
Adjusted EBITDA$24,024  $35,822  $(11,798) (32.9)%

____________

NM - Not meaningful
(1)Represents non-recurring expenses prior to the launch of strategic projects including supply chain strategy improvements and technology infrastructure initiatives.
(2)Includes contested proxy and related legal and consulting costs for the nine months ended September 30, 2023. During the three months ended September 30, 2023, we identified non-recurring expenses related to our contested proxy and related legal defense which occurred in prior periods.



HF FOODS GROUP INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
RECONCILIATION OF NET INCOME (LOSS) ATTRIBUTABLE TO HF FOODS GROUP INC.
TO NON-GAAP NET INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO HF FOODS GROUP INC.
(In thousands)
(Unaudited)
 
  Three Months Ended
September 30,		 Change
   2023   2022  Amount %
Net income (loss) attributable to HF Foods Group Inc. $1,884  $(3,864) $5,748  NM
Amortization of intangibles  4,071   4,071   —  NM
Lease guarantee income  (95)  (58)  (37) 63.8%
Change in fair value of interest rate swaps  (1,984)  (284)  (1,700) NM
Stock-based compensation expense  757   162   595  NM
Business transformation costs (1)  105   —   105  NM
Acquisition, integration and other costs (2)  146   71   75  105.6%
Aggregate adjustment for income taxes  137   (582)  719  NM
Non-GAAP net income (loss) attributable to HF Foods Group Inc. $5,021  $(484) $5,505  NM


  Nine Months Ended
September 30,		 Change
   2023   2022  Amount %
Net (loss) income attributable to HF Foods Group Inc. $(4,899) $3,814  $(8,713) NM
Amortization of intangibles  12,213   11,673   540  4.6%
Lease guarantee (income) expense  (305)  5,831   (6,136) NM
Change in fair value of interest rate swaps  (2,094)  (849)  (1,245) NM
Stock-based compensation expense  2,605   673   1,932  NM
Business transformation costs (1)  223   —   223  NM
Acquisition, integration costs and other (2)  1,850   1,130   720  63.7%
Asset impairment charges  1,200   422   778  184.4%
Aggregate adjustment for income taxes  (4,704)  (5,475)  771  (14.1)%
Non-GAAP net income attributable to HF Foods Group Inc. $6,089  $17,219  $(11,130) (64.6)%

____________

 

NM - Not meaningful
(1)Represents non-recurring expenses prior to the launch of strategic projects including supply chain strategy improvements and technology infrastructure initiatives.
(2)Includes contested proxy and related legal and consulting costs for the nine months ended September 30, 2023. During the three months ended September 30, 2023, we identified non-recurring expenses related to our contested proxy and related legal defense which occurred in prior periods.

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Source: HF Foods Group Inc.

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