Canadian Tire Corporation Reports Record Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2021 Results

Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited released its fourth quarter and full-year results for the period ended January 1, 2022.

• Diluted Earnings Per Share (EPS) in the fourth quarter was up 5% to $8.34; full-year diluted EPS of $18.38, up by almost 50% vs 2020
• Consolidated comparable sales¹ grew 11% in the fourth quarter and 8% for the full year

“Our exceptional results in the fourth quarter capped off an outstanding year for CTC in which we delivered record EPS and remarkable sales growth for the second consecutive year. Our fourth quarter comparable sales increase of 11% in 2021 reflects the continued strength and relevance of our unique multi-category assortment and the success of our strengthened omni-channel capabilities. We welcomed 2.4 million new Triangle Rewards members in 2021, many of whom joined through SportChek and Mark’s and subsequently shopped at Canadian Tire for the first time. Our growth in membership, including more than 380,000 new Triangle credit card holders acquired by Canadian Tire Bank, demonstrates the value of our assets and our ability to meet our customers’ needs, however they choose to shop us,” said Greg Hicks, President and CEO, Canadian Tire Corporation.

“In another challenging year, our teams across CTC, Associate Dealers, and frontline employees continued to step up for our customers and build on the trust they have in our brand. I am proud of their commitment to make life in Canada better for our customers,” added Hicks.

Fourth Quarter Highlights

• Q4 2021 marked the second consecutive year of outstanding comparable sales growth, with consolidated comparable sales, excluding Petroleum , up 11.3%, driven by strong performances across all banners
  • Canadian Tire Retail (CTR) comparable sales¹ grew 9.8% vs 2020, with SportChek and Mark’s up 15.9% and 15.0%, respectively
  • Consolidated revenue, excluding Petroleum¹, was up 2.8%, despite strong comparatives and an extra week in the fourth quarter last year
  • Owned Brands represented 40% of sales¹ across the banners, with Canvas and Noma leading the impressive growth
  • eCommerce sales¹ reached approximately $500 million, with eCommerce penetration rate¹ for retail banners at 9.5%, nearly double pre-pandemic levels
• EPS performance reflected strong retail segment performance
  • Diluted EPS of $8.34 was up 4.6% compared to Q4 2020; normalized diluted EPS of $8.42 was up slightly on the fourth quarter of 2020
  • Retail segment Income before income taxes (IBT) increased $60.2 million, driven by exceptional sales performance and improved gross margins
  • A $52.6 million decrease in Financial Services IBT was mainly driven by increased receivables allowance and credit card acquisition costs
• More than 770,000 members joined the Triangle program in the fourth quarter, up 23%
  • A more digitally-and mobile-engaged age segment (30-49 years old) represented 41% of new members
  • Acquisition of new credit card members was up 36% vs Q4 2020
  • Triangle members shopping cross-banner was at 41%, up more than 92bps

Full-Year Highlights

• 2021 marked a second consecutive year of significant growth in sales (including exceptional growth in eCommerce) and revenue, which drove remarkable growth in earnings
  • Consolidated comparable sales, excluding Petroleum were up 8.2% over prior year and up 18.3% vs 2019
  • eCommerce sales were up 29.9% vs 2020 to more than $2 billion in sales
  • Retail sales, excluding Petroleum, were up 6.7% vs 2020 and 18.5% vs 2019
  • Retail revenue, excluding Petroleum, was up 8.8% vs 2020 and 17.9% vs 2019
• Full-year diluted EPS reached a record level, up 49.3% to $18.38; normalized diluted EPS was $18.91, up 45.5%
  • Outstanding returns on invested capital translated into an increase in Retail ROIC³, from 10.8% at the end of 2020 to 13.6% at the end of 2021
  • Retail segment IBT was up 59.2%, driven by exceptional sales performance and improved gross margins
  • Higher gross margin for the year, primarily attributable to lower net impairment losses, was the main driver of a 32.1% increase in Financial Services IBT
• The Triangle program attracted 2.4 million new members and ended the year with 11 million Triangle members, including 2.2 million active credit cardholders

CONSOLIDATED OVERVIEW

Fourth Quarter

• Consolidated retail sales¹ increased $343.8 million in the fourth quarter, or 6.5% over the same period in 2020. Excluding Petroleum, consolidated retail sales were up 4.5% over the same period last year.
• Consolidated revenue increased $263.1 million, or 5.4% in the fourth quarter. Excluding Petroleum, consolidated revenue increased 2.8%.
• Consolidated IBT was $720.0 million, relatively unchanged from last year
• Diluted EPS was $8.34 in the quarter, up $0.37 per share, or 4.6%, compared to the prior year. Normalized diluted EPS in the quarter was $8.42, a slight increase of $0.02 per share or 0.2%
• Refer to the Q4 and Full-Year 2021 MD&A section 4.1.1 for information on normalizing items and for additional details on events that have impacted the Company in the quarter

Full Year

• Consolidated retail sales were $18,264.6 million, up $1,400.2 million or 8.3%, over the prior year. Consolidated retail sales, excluding Petroleum, increased 6.7%.
• Consolidated revenue increased $1,421.1 million to $16,292.1 million for the full year, or 9.6%, over the prior year. Consolidated revenue, excluding Petroleum, increased 7.7%.
• Consolidated IBT was $1,701.9 million, an increase of 45.2%
• Diluted EPS was $18.38, an increase of $6.07 per share, or 49.3%, over the prior year.  Normalized diluted EPS of $18.91 increased $5.91 per share or 45.5%.

RETAIL SEGMENT OVERVIEW

Fourth Quarter

• Retail segment revenue increased $247.8 million, or 5.4%, to $4,830.0 million. Retail segment revenue, excluding Petroleum, increased 2.7%.
• Canadian Tire Retail saw retail sales increase 3.4% and comparable sales were up 9.8%
• SportChek retail sales were up 5.8% and comparable sales were up 15.9%
• Mark’s retail sales increased 9.6% and comparable sales were up 15.0%
• Helly Hansen external revenue in the quarter was $250.4 million, up 27.6%
• Income before income taxes increased $60.2 million to $638.1 million, or 10.4%. Normalized income before income taxes increased $31.4 million or 5.1%.
• Refer to the Q4 and Full-Year 2021 MD&A sections 4.2 and 4.2.1 for information on normalizing items and for additional details on events that have impacted the Company in the quarter

FINANCIAL SERVICES OVERVIEW

Fourth Quarter

• Gross average credit card receivables (GAAR) were up 6.3% in Q4, driven primarily by an increase in active accounts
• Credit card sales¹ grew 24.8% in the quarter
• Gross margin decreased $35.9 million, or 17.4%, compared to the same period in 2020, mainly driven by higher net impairment losses primarily due to a $29.8 million increase in the allowance for loans receivable, driven by the strong growth in receivables
• Income before income taxes was $63.0 million, down 45.5% in the fourth quarter, due to the decrease in gross margin and higher credit card acquisition and marketing costs
• Refer to the Q4 and Full-Year 2021 MD&A sections 4.3 and 4.3.1 for additional details on events that have impacted the Company in the quarter

CT REIT OVERVIEW

Fourth Quarter

• As disclosed in the Q4 and year-end 2021 CT REIT earnings release on February 15, 2022, CT REIT announced four new investments, which will require $71 million to complete and will add over 459,000 square feet of gross leasable area to the portfolio, including the development of a new distribution centre in Calgary, Alberta, built to net zero standards.
• Adjusted Funds from Operations (AFFO) per unit for the fourth quarter on a diluted basis was up 5.8%. Net income was $125.4 million for the fourth quarter.
• Refer to the Q4 and Full-Year 2021 MD&A sections 4.4 and 4.4.1 for additional details on events that have impacted the Company in the quarter

CAPITAL ALLOCATION

Capital Expenditures

• Operating capital expenditures were $669.8 million for the year, an increase of $358.8 million
• Total capital expenditures were $803.9 million for the year, an increase of $351.5 million

Quarterly Dividend

• The Company has declared dividends payable to holders of Class A Non-Voting Shares and Common Shares at a rate of $1.300 per share payable on June 1, 2022 to shareholders of record as of April 30, 2022. The dividend is considered an “eligible dividend” for tax purposes.

Share Purchases

• On November 11, 2021, the Company announced its intention to purchase up to $400 million of its Class A Non-Voting Shares (the “2021-22 Share Purchase Intention”), in excess of the amount required for anti-dilutive purposes by the end of fiscal 2022. To date, the Company has purchased $211.0 million of its Class A Non-Voting Shares in partial fulfilment of its 2021-22 Share Purchase Intention.

Normal Course Issuer Bid

• The Company announced its intention to make a normal course issuer bid (the “2022-23 NCIB”) to purchase from March 2, 2022 to March 1, 2023 up to 5.3 million Class A Non-Voting Shares (the “Shares”), which represents approximately 9.9% of the 53.7 million approximate public float of Shares issued and outstanding as at February 16, 2022.
• The Company intends to purchase Shares under the 2022-23 NCIB for two purposes: (i) to fulfill the remainder of the 2021-22 Share Purchase Intention as part of its capital management plan; and (ii) to offset the dilutive effect of the issuance of Shares pursuant to its dividend reinvestment and stock option plans, consistent with the Company’s policy.
• Purchases of Shares pursuant to the 2022-23 NCIB will be made by means of open market transactions through the facilities of the TSX and/or alternative Canadian trading systems, if eligible, at the market price of the Shares at the time of purchase or as otherwise permitted under the rules of the TSX and applicable securities laws. Purchases may also be made by way of private agreements or share repurchase programs under issuer bid exemption orders issued by securities regulatory authorities. Any private purchase made under an exemption order issued by a securities regulatory authority will generally be at a discount to the prevailing market price.
• For open market transactions, the Company will be subject to a daily purchase limit of 46,726 Shares, which represents 25% of 186,905, the average daily trading volume of the Shares on the TSX, net of purchases made by the Company through the TSX, for the six months ended January 31, 2022. The Shares purchased by the Company pursuant to the 2022-23 NCIB will be restored to the status of authorized but unissued shares.
• The Company’s proposed 2022-23 NCIB is subject to regulatory approval.
• Under the Company’s normal course issuer bid which began on March 2, 2021 and expires on March 1, 2022 (the “2021-22 NCIB”), the Company received approval to purchase up to 5.4 million Shares. To date, the Company has purchased a total of 1,261,715 Shares by means of open market transactions through the facilities of the TSX and alternative Canadian trading systems under the Company’s 2021-22 NCIB, at the volume weighted average price of $178.97.

Automatic Securities Purchase Plan

• The Company announced that it will enter into an automatic securities purchase plan (the “ASPP”) with a designated broker to facilitate purchases of Class A Shares under its 2022-23 NCIB at times when the Company would ordinarily not be permitted to purchase its securities due to regulatory restrictions and customary self-imposed black-out periods. Purchases made pursuant to the ASPP will be made by the Company’s designated broker based upon the parameters prescribed by the TSX, applicable Canadian securities laws and the terms of the written agreement between the Company and its designated broker. The ASPP will commence on March 2, 2022 and will terminate on the earliest of the date on which: (i) the purchase limit under the 2022-23 NCIB has been reached; (ii) the 2022-23 NCIB expires; and (iii) the Company terminates the ASPP in accordance with its terms. The ASPP constitutes an “automatic securities purchase plan” under applicable Canadian securities laws. The Company’s proposed ASPP is subject to regulatory approval.

For the complete press release, click here.

About Canadian Tire Corporation

Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited, (TSX: CTC.A) (TSX: CTC) or “CTC”, is a group of companies that includes a Retail segment, a Financial Services division and CT REIT. Our retail business is led by Canadian Tire, which was founded in 1922 and provides Canadians with products for life in Canada across its Living, Playing, Fixing, Automotive and Seasonal & Gardening divisions. Party City, PartSource and Gas+ are key parts of the Canadian Tire network. The Retail segment also includes Mark’s, a leading source for casual and industrial wear; Pro Hockey Life, a hockey specialty store catering to elite players; and SportChek, Hockey Experts, Sports Experts and Atmosphere, which offer the best active wear brands. The more than 1,700 retail and gasoline outlets are supported and strengthened by CTC’s Financial Services division and the tens of thousands of people employed across Canada and around the world by CTC and its local dealers, franchisees and petroleum retailers. In addition, CTC owns and operates Helly Hansen, a leading technical outdoor brand based in Oslo, Norway. For more information, visit Corp.CanadianTire.ca.

Contact:

Jane Shaw – Media Contact – jane.shaw@cantire.com – (416) 480-8581

Source: Canadian Tire Corporation Limited