Franchise Group, Inc. Announces First Quarter 2020 Financial Results

Exceeds Earnings Guidance for the First QuarterIncreases Guidance for 2020VIRGINIA BEACH, Va., June 18, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Franchise Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: FRG) (“Franchise Group” or the “Company”) today announced the results of its first quarter ended March 28, 2020.  For the first quarter of 2020, total reported revenue for Franchise Group was $592.6 million, GAAP Net Income was $61.9 million or $2.51 per share, Proforma Adjusted EBITDA was $112.2 million and Non-GAAP EPS was $2.11 per share.  In calculating GAAP EPS, the Company utilized 23.7 million weighted average fully diluted shares outstanding for the first quarter.  In calculating Non-GAAP EPS and formulating guidance, the Company utilized 35.1 million fully diluted shares outstanding.  The Company ended the quarter with $147 million in cash and outstanding debt of $811.5 million.During the first quarter of 2020, Franchise Group completed the $450 million acquisition of American Freight, closed on a $675 million credit facility, and paid another quarterly dividend of $0.25 per share.  Despite the impacts of Covid-19, the Company was able to exceed its previously announced guidance for the first quarter due to its resilient business model and achievement of operational efficiencies. Brian Kahn, Franchise Group’s President and CEO stated, “We established Franchise Group with the ultimate goal of paying dependable and growing dividends to its shareholders.  We have assembled a mix of franchise and franchisable businesses that provide us balance and resiliency which have allowed us to be successful before, during, and after the recent crisis.  We believe our performance to date validates our strategy and is evidenced by our financial results and updated guidance.”Mr. Kahn continued, “As all of us know, the last few months have been unprecedented in countless ways.  We have been transparent with our stakeholders and have been communicating our operating plans and performance through the pandemic.  I want to reiterate that we have continued to prioritize the health and safety of our employees, customers and communities. I am very grateful for the support and professionalism of our operating management teams throughout this crisis and our successes are a reflection of their strong performance.”  The Company has four reportable segments: American Freight; The Vitamin Shoppe; Liberty Tax and Buddy’s.  The following table summarizes revenue and Proforma Adjusted EBITDA by these segments.  A reconciliation of Proforma Adjusted EBITDA to the most comparable GAAP measure is included below. 
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