Casey's Finishes Year Strong with Record Results

ANKENY, Iowa--()--Casey’s General Stores, Inc., ("Casey's" or the "Company") (Nasdaq: CASY) one of the leading convenience store chains in the United States, today announced financial results for the three months and year ended April 30, 2021.

Fourth Quarter 2021 Key Highlights

  • Diluted EPS of $1.12.
  • Fuel margin of 33.0 cents per gallon. Fuel same-store gallons sold up 6.4%.
  • Inside same-store sales were up 12.8% as inside guest counts steadily improved. Inside margin improved 100 basis points to 39.9% as compared to prior year.

Fiscal Year 2021 Key Highlights

  • Closed fiscal 2021 with Diluted EPS of $8.38, an all-time high.
  • Casey's generated strong cash flow and ended the year with a healthy balance sheet.
  • Annual digital sales increased 96% compared to prior year with 3.6 million Casey’s Rewards members at fiscal year-end.
  • Casey's recently closed on the Buchanan Energy acquisition and anticipates closing on the previously disclosed Circle K acquisition in June.

Casey’s achieved remarkable results throughout the year in one of the most difficult retail environments of our lifetime," said Darren Rebelez, President and CEO. “The entire Casey’s team proved themselves resilient in spite of these challenges, and made excellent progress on our long-term strategic plan while keeping our people and communities safe. We have great momentum behind our digital engagement efforts, our private brand products have resonated with our guests, our prepared foods business is regaining traction, and we are in the process of welcoming two large acquisitions to the Casey's family. We are now poised to emerge from the pandemic an even stronger company.”

Earnings

 

Three Months Ended April 30,

 

Twelve Months Ended April 30,

 

2021

 

2020

 

2021

 

2020

Net income (in thousands)

$

41,698

 

 

$

62,091

 

 

$

312,900

 

 

$

263,846

 

Diluted earnings per share

$

1.12

 

 

$

1.67

 

 

$

8.38

 

 

$

7.10

 

Adjusted EBITDA (in thousands)

$

140,556

 

 

$

158,961

 

 

$

728,924

 

 

$

650,136

 

Net income, Diluted EPS, and Adjusted EBITDA (reconciled later in the document) in the fourth quarter were down as compared to the prior year due primarily to lower fuel margin and higher operating expenses, partially offset by higher inside gross profit.

Fuel

 

Three Months Ended April 30,

 

Twelve Months Ended April 30,

 

2021

 

2020

 

 

2021

 

 

2020

 

Fuel gallons sold (in thousands)

535,274

 

 

487,708

 

 

 

2,180,772

 

 

 

2,293,609

 

 

Same-store gallons sold

6.4

%

 

(14.7

)

%

 

(8.1

)

%

 

(5.1

)

%

Fuel gross profit (in thousands)

$

176,664

 

 

$

198,803

 

 

 

$

761,247

 

 

 

$

614,847

 

 

Fuel margin (cents per gallon, excluding credit card fees)

33.0

¢

 

40.8

 

¢

 

34.9

 

¢

 

26.8

 

¢

 

Same-store gallons sold were up significantly in the back half of the quarter due to the favorable comparison to the start of the pandemic a year ago. The Company’s overall fuel gross profit was down 11% primarily due to the unusually high fuel margin achieved last year via supply and demand shocks from COVID-19 and macroeconomic conditions in the oil industry. The centralized fuel team coupled with procurement improvements contributed to the Company's fuel margin of 33.0 cents per gallon. The Company did not sell RINs during the fourth quarter, as compared to selling $2.6 million in the prior year.

Inside

 

Three Months Ended April 30,

 

Twelve Months Ended April 30,

 

2021

 

2020

 

2021

 

2020

Inside sales (in thousands)

$

913,364

 

 

$

797,933

 

 

$

3,811,521

 

 

$

3,596,173

 

Inside same-store sales

12.8

%

 

(5.6)

%

 

4.0

%

 

0.8

%

Grocery and other merchandise same-store sales increase

12.5

%

 

(2.0)

%

 

6.6

%

 

1.9

%

Prepared food and fountain same-store sales (decrease) increase

13.4

%

 

(13.5)

%

 

(2.1)

%

 

(1.5)

%

Inside gross profit (in thousands)

$

364,872

 

 

$

310,695

 

 

$

1,526,262

 

 

$

1,468,232

 

Inside margin

39.9

%

 

38.9

%

 

40.0

%

 

40.8

%

Grocery and other merchandise margin

31.8

%

 

30.4

%

 

32.0

%

 

32.0

%

Prepared food and fountain margin

60.1

%

 

60.0

%

 

60.1

%

 

60.9

%

Inside same-store sales were driven by a resurgence in pizza slices, dispensed beverage, and bakery as Casey’s began lapping COVID-19 related traffic disruption. Whole pizza pie sales remained strong throughout the quarter as well. Inside margins improved primarily due to strategic sourcing initiatives and previous merchandise resets, along with a favorable mix shift of private brands, packaged beverage, and prepared foods.

Operating Expenses

 

Three Months Ended April 30,

 

Twelve Months Ended April 30,

 

2021

 

2020

 

2021

 

2020

Operating expenses (in thousands)

$

426,308

 

 

$

367,489

 

 

$

1,637,191

 

 

$

1,498,043

 

Credit card fees (in thousands)

$

38,981

 

 

$

30,509

 

 

$

147,366

 

 

$

145,165

 

Same-store operating expense excluding credit card fees

6.5

%

 

0.0

%

 

3.0

%

 

2.9

%

Operating expenses for the fourth quarter were up primarily due to increased store-level operating hours and costs as we lapped COVID-19 related shutdowns from the same time a year ago. Also contributing to the increase were $8 million in incremental incentive compensation expense due to strong financial performance, higher credit card fees due to the rising retail price of fuel and increased volume, and operating 36 more stores than this time last year.

Expansion

 

Store Count

Stores at April 30, 2020

2,207

New store construction

40

Acquisitions

5

Acquisitions not opened

(3)

Prior acquisitions opened

5

Closed

(11)

Stores at April 30, 2021

2,243

Liquidity

At April 30, the Company had approximately $810 million in available liquidity, consisting of approximately $335 million in cash and cash equivalents on hand and $475 million in undrawn borrowing capacity on existing lines of credit.

Share Repurchase

The Company has $300 million remaining under its existing share repurchase program which expires in April 2022. There were no repurchases made against that authorization in the fourth quarter.

Dividend

At its June meeting, the Board of Directors voted to pay a quarterly dividend of $0.34 per share. The dividend is payable August 16, 2021 to shareholders of record on August 2, 2021.

Buchanan Energy Transaction

On May 13, 2021, Casey's closed on the Buchanan Energy acquisition. The transaction was financed with a $300 million draw on a bank term loan and cash. Buchanan Energy is expected to add approximately $45 million in annual EBITDA contribution in fiscal 2022, but will be dilutive in the first quarter due to the related transaction costs.

Fiscal 2022 Outlook

Casey's expects to build on the momentum of fiscal 2021, however, uncertainty remains regarding the timing of recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The Company expects same-store fuel and inside sales to increase by mid-single digit percentages. Total operating expenses are expected to increase by mid-teen percentages, driven primarily by adding approximately 200 units during fiscal 2022, as well as expenses related to adding back operating hours to the stores and expected wage pressures. Depreciation and amortization is expected to be approximately $300 million, interest expense is expected to be approximately $50 million, and the tax rate is expected to be approximately 26.0%. The Company is also expecting to add approximately $500 million in property and equipment in the fiscal year, including acquisition remodels. As a reminder, with the exception of same-store sales, the estimates in this paragraph include the impact of the Buchanan Energy and Circle K acquisitions. 

 

Casey’s General Stores, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income

(Dollars in thousands, except share and per share amounts)

(Unaudited)

 

 

Three Months Ended April 30,

 

Twelve Months Ended April 30,

 

2021

 

2020

 

2021

 

2020

Total revenue

$

2,378,236

 

 

$

1,812,883

 

 

$

8,707,189

 

 

$

9,175,296

 

Cost of goods sold (exclusive of depreciation and amortization, shown separately below)

1,817,244

 

 

1,287,813

 

 

6,350,754

 

 

7,030,612

 

Operating expenses

426,308

 

 

367,489

 

 

1,637,191

 

 

1,498,043

 

Depreciation and amortization

69,897

 

 

65,193

 

 

265,195

 

 

251,174

 

Interest, net

11,168

 

 

13,806

 

 

46,679

 

 

53,419

 

Income before income taxes

53,619

 

 

78,582

 

 

407,370

 

 

342,048

 

Federal and state income taxes

11,921

 

 

16,491

 

 

94,470

 

 

78,202

 

Net income

$

41,698

 

 

$

62,091

 

 

$

312,900

 

 

$

263,846

 

Net income per common share

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic

$

1.12

 

 

$

1.68

 

 

$

8.44

 

 

$

7.14

 

Diluted

$

1.12

 

 

$

1.67

 

 

$

8.38

 

 

$

7.10

 

Basic weighted average shares

37,117,504

 

 

36,978,032

 

 

37,092,273

 

 

36,956,115

 

Plus effect of stock compensation

263,969

 

 

229,229

 

 

263,865

 

 

229,713

 

Diluted weighted average shares

37,381,473

 

 

37,207,261

 

 

37,356,138

 

 

37,185,828

 

 

Casey’s General Stores, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets

(Dollars in thousands)

(Unaudited)

 

 

April 30, 2021

 

April 30, 2020

Assets

 

 

 

Current assets

 

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents

$

336,545

 

 

$

78,275

 

Receivables

79,698

 

 

48,500

 

Inventories

286,598

 

 

236,007

 

Prepaid expenses

11,214

 

 

9,801

 

Income taxes receivable

9,578

 

 

14,667

 

Total current assets

723,633

 

 

387,250

 

Other assets, net of amortization

82,147

 

 

71,766

 

Goodwill

161,075

 

 

161,075

 

Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation of $2,206,405 at April 30, 2021 and $2,037,708 at April 30, 2020

3,493,459

 

 

3,323,801

 

Total assets

$

4,460,314

 

 

$

3,943,892

 

Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity

 

 

 

Current liabilities

 

 

 

Lines of credit

$

 

 

$

120,000

 

Current maturities of long-term debt and finance lease obligations

2,354

 

 

570,280

 

Accounts payable

355,471

 

 

184,800

 

Accrued expenses

254,924

 

 

188,348

 

Total current liabilities

612,749

 

 

1,063,428

 

Long-term debt and finance lease obligations, net of current maturities

1,361,395

 

 

714,502

 

Deferred income taxes

439,721

 

 

435,598

 

Deferred compensation

15,094

 

 

13,604

 

Insurance accruals, net of current portion

26,239

 

 

22,862

 

Other long-term liabilities

72,437

 

 

50,693

 

Total liabilities

2,527,635

 

 

2,300,687

 

Total shareholders’ equity

1,932,679

 

 

1,643,205

 

Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity

$

4,460,314

 

 

$

3,943,892

 

 

Casey’s General Stores, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

(Dollars in thousands)

(Unaudited)

 

 

Twelve months ended April 30,

 

2021

 

2020

Cash flows from operating activities:

 

 

 

Net income

$

312,900

 

 

$

263,846

 

Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:

 

 

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

265,195

 

 

251,174

 

Amortization of debt issuance costs

 

1,603

 

 

 

Stock-based compensation

 

31,986

 

 

18,129

 

Loss on disposal of assets and impairment charges

 

9,680

 

 

3,495

 

Deferred income taxes

 

4,123

 

 

49,810

 

Changes in assets and liabilities:

 

 

 

Receivables

 

(26,278

)

 

(10,644

)

Inventories

 

(50,342

)

 

37,713

 

Prepaid expenses

 

(1,413

)

 

(2,308

)

Accounts payable

 

166,546

 

 

(140,151

)

Accrued expenses

 

65,497

 

 

26,400

 

Income taxes

 

5,714

 

 

15,783

 

Other, net

 

18,877

 

 

(8,933

)

Net cash provided by operating activities

 

804,088

 

 

504,314

 

Cash flows from investing activities:

 

 

 

Purchase of property and equipment

 

(441,252

)

 

(438,977

)

Payments for acquisitions of businesses, net of cash acquired

 

(9,356

)

 

(32,706

)

Proceeds from sales of property and equipment

 

6,268

 

 

5,041

 

Net cash used in investing activities

 

(444,340

)

 

(466,642

)

Cash flows from financing activities:

 

 

 

Proceeds from long-term debt

 

650,000

 

 

 

Repayments of long-term debt

 

(571,661

)

 

(17,476

)

Payments of debt issuance costs

 

(5,525

)

 

 

Net (payments) borrowings of short-term debt

 

(120,000

)

 

45,000

 

Proceeds from exercise of stock options

 

1,784

 

 

2,958

 

Payments of cash dividends

 

(47,971

)

 

(45,951

)

Tax withholdings on employee share-based awards

 

(8,105

)

 

(7,224

)

Net cash used in financing activities

 

(101,478

)

 

(22,693

)

 

Net increase in cash and cash equivalents

 

258,270

14,979

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the period

 

78,275

63,296

Cash and cash equivalents at end of the period

$

336,545

$

78,275

SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURES OF CASH FLOWS INFORMATION

 

Twelve months ended April 30,

 

2021

   

2020

 

Cash paid during the period for:

 

   

 

 

Interest, net of amount capitalized

$

48,508

   

$

54,277

 

Income taxes, net

80,916

   

9,364

 

Noncash investing and financing activities:

 

   

 

 

Purchased property and equipment in accounts payable

9,204

   

5,328

 

Noncash additions from adoption of ASC 842

   

22,635

 

Summary by Category (Amounts in thousands)

Three months ended April 30, 2021

Fuel

 

Grocery &
Other
Merchandise

 

Prepared Food
& Fountain

 

Other

 

Total

Revenue

$

1,445,119

 

 

$

649,822

 

 

$

263,542

 

 

$

19,753

 

 

$

2,378,236

 

Gross profit

$

176,664

 

 

$

206,480

 

 

$

158,392

 

 

$

19,456

 

 

$

560,992

 

 

12.2

%

 

31.8

%

 

60.1

%

 

98.5

%

 

23.6

%

Fuel gallons sold

535,274

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Three months ended April 30, 2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Revenue

$

999,352

 

 

$

568,080

 

 

$

229,853

 

 

$

15,598

 

 

$

1,812,883

 

Gross profit

$

198,803

 

 

$

172,862

 

 

$

137,833

 

 

$

15,572

 

 

$

525,070

 

 

19.9

%

 

30.4

%

 

60.0

%

 

99.8

%

 

29.0

%

Fuel gallons sold

487,708

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Summary by Category (Amounts in thousands)

Twelve months ended April 30, 2021

Fuel

 

Grocery &
Other

Merchandise

 

Prepared Food
& Fountain

 

Other

 

Total

Revenue

$

4,825,466

 

 

$

2,724,374

 

 

$

1,087,147

 

 

$

70,202

 

 

$

8,707,189

 

Gross profit

$

761,247

 

 

$

872,573

 

 

$

653,689

 

 

$

68,926

 

 

$

2,356,435

 

 

15.8

%

 

32.0

%

 

60.1

%

 

98.2

%

 

27.1

%

Fuel gallons sold

2,180,772

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Twelve months ended April 30, 2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Revenue

$

5,517,412

 

 

$

2,498,966

 

 

$

1,097,207

 

 

$

61,711

 

 

$

9,175,296

 

Gross profit

$

614,847

 

 

$

800,140

 

 

$

668,092

 

 

$

61,605

 

 

$

2,144,684

 

 

11.1

%

 

32.0

%

 

60.9

%

 

99.8

%

 

23.4

%

Fuel gallons sold

2,293,609

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fuel Gallons

 

Fuel Margin

Same-store Sales

(Cents per gallon, excluding credit card fees)

 

Q1

 

Q2

 

Q3

 

Q4

 

Fiscal
Year

 

Q1

 

Q2

 

Q3

 

Q4

 

Fiscal
Year

F2021

(14.6

)

%

 

(8.6

)%

 

(12.1

)%

 

6.4

%

 

(8.1

)%

F2021

38.2

¢

 

35.3

¢

 

32.9

¢

 

33.0

¢

 

34.9

¢

F2020

(2.0

)

 

 

(1.8

)

 

 

(2.0

)

 

 

(14.7

)

 

 

(5.1

)

 

F2020

24.4

 

 

22.9

 

 

21.7

 

 

40.8

 

 

26.8

 

F2019

0.5

 

 

 

(1.1

)

 

 

(3.4

)

 

 

(2.8

)

 

 

(1.7

)

 

F2019

20.5

 

 

20.0

 

 

22.1

 

 

18.6

 

 

20.3

 

Grocery & Other Merchandise

 

Grocery & Other Merchandise

Same-store Sales

Margin

 

Q1

 

Q2

 

Q3

 

Q4

 

Fiscal
Year

 

Q1

 

Q2

 

Q3

 

Q4

 

Fiscal
Year

F2021

3.6

%

 

6.6

%

 

5.4

%

 

12.5

%

 

6.6

%

F2021

32.2

%

 

33.3

%

 

30.7

%

 

31.8

%

 

32.0

%

F2020

3.2

 

 

3.2

 

 

3.5

 

 

(2.0

)

 

 

1.9

 

F2020

31.3

 

 

33.3

 

 

32.9

 

 

30.4

 

 

32.0

 

F2019

3.2

 

 

2.7

 

 

3.4

 

 

5.7

 

 

 

3.6

 

F2019

32.4

 

 

32.4

 

 

31.9

 

 

31.5

 

 

32.1

 

Prepared Food & Fountain

 

Prepared Food & Fountain

Same-store Sales

Margin

 

Q1

 

Q2

 

Q3

 

Q4

 

Fiscal
Year

 

Q1

 

Q2

 

Q3

 

Q4

 

Fiscal
Year

F2021

(9.8

)%

 

(3.6

)%

 

(5.0

)%

 

13.4

%

 

(2.1

)%

F2021

59.7

%

 

60.1

%

 

60.6

%

 

60.1

%

 

60.1

%

F2020

1.6

 

 

 

1.9

 

 

 

2.8

 

 

 

(13.5

)

 

 

(1.5

)

 

F2020

62.2

 

 

60.9

 

 

60.2

 

 

60.0

 

 

60.9

 

F2019

1.7

 

 

 

2.2

 

 

 

1.5

 

 

 

2.0

 

 

 

1.9

 

 

F2019

62.0

 

 

62.4

 

 

62.3

 

 

62.2

 

 

62.2

 

RECONCILIATION OF NET INCOME TO EBITDA AND ADJUSTED EBITDA

We define EBITDA as net income before net interest expense, income taxes, depreciation and amortization. Adjusted EBITDA further adjusts EBITDA by excluding the gain or loss on disposal of assets as well as impairment charges. Neither EBITDA nor Adjusted EBITDA are considered GAAP measures, and should not be considered as a substitute for net income, cash flows from operating activities or other income or cash flow statement data. These measures have limitations as analytical tools, and should not be considered in isolation or as substitutes for analysis of our results as reported under GAAP. We strongly encourage investors to review our financial statements and publicly filed reports in their entirety and not to rely on any single financial measure.

We believe EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are useful to investors in evaluating our operating performance because securities analysts and other interested parties use such calculations as a measure of financial performance and debt service capabilities, and they are regularly used by the Company for internal purposes including our capital budgeting process, evaluating acquisition targets, assessing performance, and awarding incentive compensation.

Because non-GAAP financial measures are not standardized, EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA, as defined by us, may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies. It therefore may not be possible to compare our use of these non-GAAP financial measures with those used by other companies.

The following table contains a reconciliation of net income to EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA for the three and twelve months ended April 30, 2021 and 2020:

(In thousands)

Three Months Ended April 30,

 

Twelve Months Ended April 30,

 

2021

 

2020

 

2021

 

2020

Net income

$

41,698

 

 

$

62,091

 

 

$

312,900

 

 

$

263,846

 

Interest, net

11,168

 

 

13,806

 

 

46,679

 

 

53,419

 

Depreciation and amortization

69,897

 

 

65,193

 

 

265,195

 

 

251,174

 

Federal and state income taxes

11,921

 

 

16,491

 

 

94,470

 

 

78,202

 

EBITDA

$

134,684

 

 

$

157,581

 

 

$

719,244

 

 

$

646,641

 

Loss on disposal of assets and impairment charges

5,872

 

 

1,380

 

 

9,680

 

 

3,495

 

Adjusted EBITDA

$

140,556

 

 

$

158,961

 

 

$

728,924

 

 

$

650,136

 

NOTES:

  • Gross Profit or Margin is defined as revenue less cost of goods sold (exclusive of depreciation and amortization)
  • Inside is defined as the combination of Grocery and Other Merchandise and Prepared Food and Fountain

This release contains statements that may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including those related to the Buchanan Energy and Circle K acquisition, expectations for future periods, possible or assumed future results of operations, financial conditions, liquidity and related sources or needs, business and/or integration strategies, plans and synergies, supply chain, growth opportunities, performance at our stores, and the potential effect of COVID-19. There are a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause our actual results to differ materially from any future results expressed or implied by those forward-looking statements, including but not limited to the timing and integration of the foregoing acquisitions, executing our strategic plan, the impact and duration of COVID-19 and related governmental actions, as well as other risks, uncertainties and factors which are described in the Company’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and available on our website. Any forward-looking statements contained in this release represent our current views as of the date of this release with respect to future events, and Casey’s disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements in the release whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

Corporate information is available at this website: https://www.caseys.com. Earnings will be reported during a conference call on June 9, 2021. The call will be broadcast live over the Internet at 7:30 a.m. CST. To access the call, go to the Events and Presentations section of our website at https://investor.caseys.com/events-and-presentations/default.aspx. No access code is required. A webcast replay of the call will remain available in an archived format on the Events and Presentations section of our website at https://investor.caseys.com/events-and-presentations/default.aspx for one year after the call.

Contacts

Investor Relations Contact:
Brian Johnson (515) 965-6587

Media Relations Contact:
Katie Petru (515) 446-6772

Contacts

Investor Relations Contact:
Brian Johnson (515) 965-6587

Media Relations Contact:
Katie Petru (515) 446-6772