Is This the Turnaround Office Depot Has Been Seeking?

Retail

Published: May 9, 2018 10:15 am

Last Updated: January 11, 2020 11:53 pm

Office Depot Inc. (NASDAQ: ODP) released its first-quarter earnings report before the markets opened on Wednesday.

The office supply retailer said that it had $0.08 in earnings per share (EPS) on $2.83 billion in revenue, which compares with consensus estimates from Thomson Reuters of $0.08 in EPS on revenue $2.72 billion. The same period of last year reportedly had EPS of $0.16 and $2.68 billion in revenue.

In terms of its segments, the company reported as follows:

The Business Solutions Division reported sales were $1.3 billion in the first quarter of 2018, up 1% compared to the first quarter of 2017. Operating income was down slightly from $58 million to $55 million.
Retail Division sales were $1.2 billion. Comparable store sales were down 4% and operating income was $72 million, down from $112 million.
CompuCom Division results are only included in the total results for the first quarter of 2018, as this business was not part of Office Depot in the prior year period. CompuCom had sales of $257 million, with an operating income of $5 million.

Looking ahead to the 2018 full year, the company expects to see sales of roughly $10.8 billion on adjusted operating income of about $360 million. Consensus estimate call for $0.31 in EPS on $10.75 billion in revenue for the year.

The board of directors declared a dividend of $0.025 per share ($0.10 per share on an annualized basis) on the common stock of the company. The dividend is payable on June 15 to shareholders of record at the close of business on May 25.

CEO Gerry Smith commented:

We achieved a major milestone this quarter with the Business Solutions Division reporting positive sales growth for the first time since 2012. This is largely driven by our focus on growing the customer base with our demand generation efforts and successfully expanding our offerings beyond office products. When combined with CompuCom, these business-to-business (B2B) focused divisions represent nearly 60% of total sales. I’m also pleased that our continued focus on working capital management allowed us to generate strong cash flows in the quarter, which further strengthens our liquidity and provides additional capital to strengthen our operations and invest in growth initiatives.

Shares of Office Depot were last seen up 7% at $2.54 on Wednesday. The consensus analyst price target is $3.10, and the 52-week trading range is $2.00 to $6.26.

24/7 Wall St.
Merrill Lynch Makes Big Changes to Top-Performing Growth Portfolio

Are You Still Paying With a Debit Card?

The average American spends $17,274 on debit cards a year, and it’s a HUGE mistake. First, debit cards don’t have the same fraud protections as credit cards. Once your money is gone, it’s gone. But more importantly you can actually get something back from this spending every time you swipe.

Issuers are handing out wild bonuses right now. With some you can earn up to 5% back on every purchase. That’s like getting a 5% discount on everything you buy!

Our top pick is kind of hard to imagine. Not only does it pay up to 5% back, it also includes a $200 cash back reward in the first six months, a 0% intro APR, and…. $0 annual fee. It’s quite literally free money for any one that uses a card regularly. Click here to learn more!

Flywheel Publishing has partnered with CardRatings to provide coverage of credit card products. Flywheel Publishing and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.