- Net earnings were $872.4 million,
or $0.85 per diluted share for the
first quarter of fiscal 2023 compared with $764.4 million, or $0.71 per diluted share for the first quarter of
fiscal 2022. Adjusted net earnings1 were
approximately $875.0 million compared
with $758.0 million for the first
quarter of fiscal 2022. Adjusted diluted net earnings per
share1 were $0.85,
representing an increase of 19.7% from $0.71 for the corresponding quarter of last
year.
- Total merchandise and service revenues of $4.1 billion, an increase of 0.1%. Same-store
merchandise revenues increased by 3.5% in the United States, by 2.8% in Europe and other regions1, and
decreased by 1.3% in Canada.
- Merchandise and service gross margin1 decreased by
0.3% in the United States to
33.9%, and increased by 0.5% in Europe and other regions to 38.9%, and by 0.8%
in Canada to 33.1%.
- Same-store road transportation fuel volumes decreased by 4.0%
in the United States, by 3.7% in
Europe and other regions, and
increased by 0.4% in Canada.
- Road transportation fuel gross margin1 of 49.00¢ per
gallon in the United States, an
increase of 12.25¢ per gallon, US 12.26¢ per liter in Europe and other regions, an increase of US
1.94¢ per liter, and CA 14.04¢ per liter in Canada, an increase of CA 3.12¢ per liter.
Fuel margins remained healthy throughout the network, due to
favorable market conditions and the continued work on the
optimization of the supply chain.
- Despite the growth in expenses of 9.4%, the Corporation has
deployed strategic efforts to mitigate costs increases and
inflationary pressures, which is demonstrated by the normalized
growth of expenses1 of 7.3%, remaining below
inflation.
- Sequential improvement of the leverage ratio1 at
1.31 : 1, and of the return on capital employed1 at
15.9%, both driven by strong earnings.
- On April 22, 2022, the
Corporation renewed its share repurchase program which allows it to
repurchase up to 10.0% of the public float. Under the renewed
program, shares for a net amount of $478.0
million were repurchased during the quarter.
- On August 30, 2022, subsequent to
the end of the quarter, the Corporation also announces that,
following satisfaction of closing conditions, it has closed its
proposed acquisition of Cape D'Or Holdings Limited, Barrington
Terminals Limited and other related holding entities in
Atlantic Canada.
|
|
1 Please refer to the "Non-IFRS
Measures" section for additional information on performance
measures not defined by IFRS.
|
LAVAL, QC,
Aug. 30,
2022 /PRNewswire/ - For its first quarter ended
July 17, 2022, Alimentation
Couche-Tard Inc. ("Couche-Tard" or the "Corporation")
(TSX: ATD) announces net earnings of $872.4 million, representing $0.85 per share on a diluted basis. The
results for the first quarter of fiscal 2023 were affected by
pre-tax acquisition costs of $1.2 million, as well as by a pre-tax net
foreign exchange loss of $1.0 million. The results for the comparable
quarter of fiscal 2022 were affected by a pre-tax net foreign
exchange gain of $8.6 million as
well as by pre-tax acquisition costs of $0.8 million. Excluding these items, the
adjusted net earnings1 were approximately
$875.0 million, or $0.85 per share on a diluted basis for the first
quarter of fiscal 2023, compared with $758.0 million, or $0.71 per share on a diluted basis for the first
quarter of fiscal 2022, an increase of 19.7% in the adjusted
diluted net earnings per share1, driven by higher
road transportation fuel gross margins1, by organic
growth in the convenience activities, as well as by the favorable
impact of the share repurchase program, partly offset by higher
expenses. All financial information presented is in
US dollars unless stated otherwise.
"In the face of continued and historic inflationary conditions
and high fuel prices, we are pleased to report strong results this
quarter, especially in convenience where we had healthy same stores
sales in our U.S. market. We also continued to generate robust fuel
margins across all of our platforms. In this period of high
inflation and high prices, we remain focused on delivering a strong
and consistent value to our customers and on maintaining cost
discipline in our operations," said Brian
Hannasch, President and Chief Executive Officer of
Alimentation Couche-Tard.
"We are proud of the progress we made this quarter in our vision
to become the world's preferred destination in convenience and
mobility. With our Fresh Food, Fast priority, we are hitting
key targets in site numbers and seeing very strong growth in our
private label brands as consumers look for value. To enhance the
customer experience at our locations, we are progressing with the
roll out of our innovative, easy-to-use, smart checkout technology
after announcing plans to deploy 10,000 units in 7,000 stores
during the next three years. Also, after a year of record organic
growth in store builds, we added 30 more new sites this quarter,"
concluded Brian Hannasch.
Claude Tessier, Chief Financial
Officer, added: "We delivered another impressive quarter
highlighted by increases of 10.6% in adjusted EBITDA1
and 19.7% in adjusted diluted net earnings per
share2 compared to the first quarter of fiscal
2022, bringing our last four quarters adjusted EBITDA1
to more than $5.4 billion. Our
customary cost discipline, combined with an improving labor market,
have allowed us to limit the normalized growth of
expenses1 to 7.3%, compared to the first quarter of last
year, more than 1% below inflation, which was particularly notable
once again this quarter. Our financial position remains strong,
highlighted by our leverage ratio1 of 1.31, providing us
with opportunities for the future. I am especially proud of our
teams' execution this quarter which resulted in sequential
improvements on both of our key return metrics."
|
|
2 Please refer to the "Non-IFRS
Measures" section for additional information on performance
measures not defined by IFRS.
|
|
Significant Items of the First Quarter of Fiscal
2023
- On April 22, 2022, the Toronto
Stock Exchange approved the renewal of our share repurchase
program, which took effect on April 26,
2022. The renewed share repurchase program allows us to
repurchase up to 79,703,614 shares, representing 10.0% of the
shares comprising the public float as at April 20, 2022, and the share repurchase period
will end no later than April 25,
2023. During the first quarter of fiscal 2023, we
repurchased 10,940,400 shares, for an amount of $478.0 million.
- On May 9, 2022, we established a
commercial paper program in the United
States on a private placement basis. The commercial paper
program allows us to issue, at our discretion, unsecured commercial
paper notes with maturities not exceeding 397 days. The aggregate
principal amount of unsecured commercial paper notes outstanding at
any one time cannot exceed $2.5
billion and our term revolving unsecured operating credit
facility serves as a liquidity backstop for the repayment of the
unsecured commercial paper notes. As at July
17, 2022, there were no outstanding unsecured commercial
paper notes.
- On April 28, 2022, we exercised
the Series B common share warrants in Fire & Flower for a total
consideration of CA $37.8 million
($29.5 million), which increased our
interests in Fire & Flower to 35.3%.
Changes in our Network during the First Quarter of
Fiscal 2023
- We acquired one company-operated store since the beginning of
the first quarter of fiscal 2023.
- We completed the construction of 23 stores and the relocation
or reconstruction of 7 stores, reaching a total of 30 stores since
the beginning of fiscal 2023. As of July 17,
2022, another 54 stores were under construction and should
open in the upcoming quarters.
- During the first quarter of fiscal 2023, we invested an amount
of $30.1 million in a joint venture
with Musket Corporation, which then acquired four road
transportation fuel terminals located in Florida, Illinois, and North
Carolina, United
States.
- On August 30, 2022, subsequent to
the end of the quarter, we announce that, following satisfaction of
closing conditions, we have closed our proposed acquisition of all
the issued and outstanding shares of Cape D'Or Holdings Limited,
Barrington Terminals Limited, and other related holding entities
which operate an independent convenience store and fuel network in
Atlantic Canada under the Esso,
Go! Store and Wilsons Gas Stops brands (collectively "Wilsons").
The Wilsons network comprises 79 company-owned and operated
convenience retail and fuel locations, 2 company-owned and
dealeroperated locations, 137 dealer-owned and operated locations,
and a fuel terminal in Halifax,
Canada. The transaction was settled for a consideration,
subject to post-closing adjustments including debt repayment, of CA
$346.8 million ($265.9 million), using available cash. In
connection with obtaining the Competition Bureau (Canada) approval for the transaction, we
entered into a consent agreement with the Commissioner of
Competition to divest 34 company-owned and operated convenience
retail and fuel locations, 1 company-owned and dealer-operated
location, and 12 dealer-owned and operated locations in
New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova
Scotia and Prince Edward Island,
Canada.
Summary of changes in our store network
The following table presents certain information regarding
changes in our store network over the 12‑week period ended
July 17, 2022:
|
12‑week period ended
July 17, 2022
|
Type of
site
|
Company-operated
|
|
CODO
|
|
DODO
|
|
Franchised
and
other
affiliated
|
|
Total
|
Number of sites,
beginning of period
|
9,808
|
|
370
|
|
713
|
|
1,275
|
|
12,166
|
Acquisitions
|
1
|
|
—
|
|
—
|
|
—
|
|
1
|
Openings /
constructions / additions
|
23
|
|
2
|
|
1
|
|
24
|
|
50
|
Closures / disposals /
withdrawals
|
(41)
|
|
(2)
|
|
(7)
|
|
(10)
|
|
(60)
|
Store
conversions
|
5
|
|
(1)
|
|
(9)
|
|
5
|
|
—
|
Number of sites, end
of period
|
9,796
|
|
369
|
|
698
|
|
1,294
|
|
12,157
|
Circle K branded sites
under licensing agreements
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,905
|
Total
network
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
14,062
|
Number of automated
fuel stations included in the period-end
figures
|
979
|
|
—
|
|
1
|
|
—
|
|
980
|
Exchange Rate Data
We use the US dollar as our reporting currency, which provides
more relevant information given the predominance of our operations
in the United States.
The following table sets forth information about exchange rates
based upon closing rates expressed as US dollars per comparative
currency unit:
|
12‑week periods
ended
|
|
July 17, 2022
|
July 18, 2021
|
Average for the
period(1)
|
|
|
Canadian
dollar
|
0.7778
|
0.8167
|
Norwegian
krone
|
0.1031
|
0.1188
|
Swedish
krone
|
0.0995
|
0.1187
|
Danish
krone
|
0.1412
|
0.1620
|
Zloty
|
0.2248
|
0.2662
|
Euro
|
1.0503
|
1.2044
|
Ruble
|
Not
Applicable
|
0.0136
|
Hong Kong
dollar
|
0.1274
|
0.1288
|
(1)
Calculated by taking the average of the closing
exchange rates of each day in the applicable period.
|
For the analysis of consolidated results, the impact of the
translation of our foreign currency operations into US dollars
is defined as the impact from the translation of our Canadian,
European and Asian operations into US dollars. Variances of
our foreign currency operations into US dollars are determined as
being the difference between the corresponding period results in
local currencies translated at the current period average exchange
rate and the corresponding period results in local currencies
translated at the corresponding period average exchange rate.
Summary Analysis of Consolidated
Results for the First Quarter of Fiscal 2023
The following table highlights certain information regarding our
operations for the 12-week periods ended July 17, 2022,
and July 18, 2021, and the results analysis in this
section should be read in conjunction with this table. Europe and other regions include the results
from our operations in Asia.
|
12‑week periods
ended
|
(in millions of US
dollars, unless otherwise stated)
|
July
17,
2022
|
July 18,
2021
|
Variation
%
|
Statement of
Operations Data:
|
|
|
|
Merchandise and service
revenues(1):
|
|
|
|
United
States
|
2,904.9
|
2,829.4
|
2.7
|
Europe and other
regions
|
537.1
|
561.4
|
(4.3)
|
Canada
|
630.5
|
677.2
|
(6.9)
|
Total merchandise and
service revenues
|
4,072.5
|
4,068.0
|
0.1
|
Road transportation
fuel revenues:
|
|
|
|
United
States
|
9,681.4
|
6,463.7
|
49.8
|
Europe and other
regions
|
2,975.9
|
1,793.6
|
65.9
|
Canada
|
1,661.8
|
1,137.9
|
46.0
|
Total road
transportation fuel revenues
|
14,319.1
|
9,395.2
|
52.4
|
Other
revenues(2):
|
|
|
|
United
States
|
9.7
|
10.8
|
(10.2)
|
Europe and other
regions
|
250.5
|
100.0
|
150.5
|
Canada
|
5.9
|
4.9
|
20.4
|
Total other
revenues
|
266.1
|
115.7
|
130.0
|
Total
revenues
|
18,657.7
|
13,578.9
|
37.4
|
Merchandise and service
gross profit(1)(3):
|
|
|
|
United
States
|
985.3
|
967.7
|
1.8
|
Europe and other
regions
|
208.7
|
215.4
|
(3.1)
|
Canada
|
208.9
|
219.0
|
(4.6)
|
Total merchandise and
service gross profit
|
1,402.9
|
1,402.1
|
0.1
|
Road transportation
fuel gross profit(3):
|
|
|
|
United
States
|
1,031.4
|
804.8
|
28.2
|
Europe and other
regions
|
280.7
|
246.7
|
13.8
|
Canada
|
132.4
|
108.0
|
22.6
|
Total road
transportation fuel gross profit
|
1,444.5
|
1,159.5
|
24.6
|
Other revenues gross
profit(2)(3):
|
|
|
|
United
States
|
9.7
|
10.8
|
(10.2)
|
Europe and other
regions
|
19.8
|
22.7
|
(12.8)
|
Canada
|
5.9
|
4.9
|
20.4
|
Total other revenues
gross profit
|
35.4
|
38.4
|
(7.8)
|
Total gross
profit(3)
|
2,882.8
|
2,600.0
|
10.9
|
Operating, selling,
general and administrative expenses
|
1,398.1
|
1,278.1
|
9.4
|
Gain
on disposal of property and equipment and
other assets
|
(13.0)
|
(37.3)
|
(65.1)
|
Depreciation,
amortization and impairment
|
319.2
|
314.3
|
1.6
|
Operating
income
|
1,178.5
|
1,044.9
|
12.8
|
Net financial
expenses
|
67.1
|
74.3
|
(9.7)
|
Net
earnings
|
872.4
|
764.4
|
14.1
|
Per Share
Data:
|
|
|
|
Basic net earnings per
share (dollars per share)
|
0.85
|
0.71
|
19.7
|
Diluted net earnings
per share (dollars per share)
|
0.85
|
0.71
|
19.7
|
Adjusted diluted net
earnings per share (dollars per share)(3)
|
0.85
|
0.71
|
19.7
|
|
|
|
|
|
12‑week periods
ended
|
(in millions of US
dollars, unless otherwise stated)
|
July
17,
2022
|
July 18,
2021
|
Variation
%
|
Other Operating
Data:
|
|
|
|
Merchandise and service
gross margin(1)(3):
|
|
|
|
Consolidated
|
34.4 %
|
34.5 %
|
(0.1)
|
United
States
|
33.9 %
|
34.2 %
|
(0.3)
|
Europe and other
regions
|
38.9 %
|
38.4 %
|
0.5
|
Canada
|
33.1 %
|
32.3 %
|
0.8
|
Growth of (decrease in)
same-store merchandise revenues(4):
|
|
|
|
United
States(5)(6)
|
3.5 %
|
(0.2 %)
|
|
Europe and other
regions(3)
|
2.8 %
|
5.9 %
|
|
Canada(5)(6)
|
(1.3 %)
|
(9.6 %)
|
|
Road transportation
fuel gross margin(3):
|
|
|
|
United States (cents
per gallon)
|
49.00
|
36.75
|
33.3
|
Europe and other
regions (cents per liter)
|
12.26
|
10.32
|
18.8
|
Canada (CA cents per
liter)
|
14.04
|
10.92
|
28.6
|
Total volume of road
transportation fuel sold:
|
|
|
|
United States
(millions of gallons)
|
2,105.0
|
2,189.6
|
(3.9)
|
Europe and other
regions (millions of liters)
|
2,288.8
|
2,391.7
|
(4.3)
|
Canada (millions of
liters)
|
1,212.1
|
1,211.9
|
—
|
Growth of (decrease in)
same-store road transportation fuel
volume(5):
|
|
|
|
United
States
|
(4.0 %)
|
11.8 %
|
|
Europe and other
regions
|
(3.7 %)
|
6.3 %
|
|
Canada
|
0.4 %
|
10.4 %
|
|
|
|
|
|
(in millions of US
dollars, unless otherwise stated)
|
As at
July 17, 2022
|
As at
April 24, 2022
|
Variation
$
|
Balance Sheet
Data:
|
|
|
|
Total
assets
|
29,350.6
|
29,591.6
|
(241.0)
|
Interest-bearing
debt(3)
|
9,299.0
|
9,439.9
|
(140.9)
|
Equity
|
12,418.3
|
12,437.6
|
(19.3)
|
Indebtedness
Ratios(3):
|
|
|
|
Net interest-bearing
debt/total capitalization
|
0.36 : 1
|
0.37 : 1
|
|
Leverage
ratio
|
1.31 : 1
|
1.39 : 1
|
|
Returns(3):
|
|
|
|
Return on
equity
|
22.4 %
|
21.8 %
|
|
Return on capital
employed
|
15.9 %
|
15.4 %
|
|
(1)
|
Includes revenues
derived from franchise fees, royalties, suppliers' rebates on some
purchases made by franchisees and licensees, as well as from
wholesale of merchandise. Franchise fees from international
licensed stores are presented in the United States.
|
(2)
|
Includes revenues from
the rental of assets and from the sale of aviation fuel and energy
for stationary engines.
|
(3)
|
Please refer to the
"Non-IFRS measures" section for additional information on our
capital management measure as well as performance measures not
defined by IFRS.
|
(4)
|
This measure represents
the growth of (decrease in) cumulated merchandise revenues between
the current period and comparative period for those stores that
were open for at least 23 days out of every 28-day period included
in the reported periods. Merchandise revenues are defined as
Merchandise and service revenues excluding service
revenues.
|
(5)
|
For company-operated
stores only.
|
(6)
|
Calculated based on
respective functional currencies.
|
Revenues
Our revenues were $18.7 billion
for the first quarter of fiscal 2023, up by $5.1 billion, an increase of 37.4% compared with
the corresponding quarter of fiscal 2022, mainly attributable to a
higher average road transportation fuel and other fuel products
selling price, organic growth on merchandise and service revenues,
and the contribution from acquisitions while being partly offset by
lower road transportation fuel demand, the impact of the
divestiture of sites following the strategic review of our network
as well as the net negative impact of approximately $336.0 million from the translation of our
foreign currency operations into US dollars.
Merchandise and service revenues
Total merchandise and service revenues for the first quarter of
fiscal 2023 were $4.1 billion,
an increase of $4.5 million compared
with the corresponding quarter of fiscal 2022. The translation of
our foreign currency operations into US dollars had a net
negative impact of approximately $78.0 million. The remaining increase of
approximately $82.0 million, or
2.0%, is primarily attributable to organic growth in the United States and Europe and other regions, and to the
contribution from acquisitions which amounted to approximately
$31.0 million, while being
partly offset by the disposal of stores following the strategic
review of our network. Same-store merchandise revenues increased by
3.5% in the United States, by 2.8%1 in Europe and other regions, and decreased by
1.3% in Canada. Same-store
merchandise revenues in Canada
were strongly impacted by increased competition of the illicit
market in the cigarettes category compared with the corresponding
quarter of fiscal 2022.
Road transportation fuel revenues
Total road transportation fuel revenues for the first quarter of
fiscal 2023 were $14.3 billion,
an increase of $4.9 billion compared
with the corresponding quarter of fiscal 2022. The translation
of our foreign currency operations into US dollars had a
net negative impact of approximately $249.0 million. The remaining increase of
approximately $5.2 billion, or
55.1%, is attributable to a higher average road transportation fuel
selling price, which had an impact of approximately $5.5 billion partly offset by the impact of
lower road transportation fuel demand. Same-store road
transportation fuel volumes decreased by 4.0% in the United States and by 3.7% in
Europe and other regions, and
increased by 0.4% in Canada.
During the quarter, road transportation fuel demand remained
unfavorably impacted by the significant rise in retail prices
driven by the increase in crude oil costs, from work from home
trends and the impact from our fuel rebranding activities.
The following table shows the average selling price of road
transportation fuel of our company-operated stores in our various
markets for the last eight quarters. The average selling price of
road transportation fuel consists of the road transportation fuel
revenues divided by the volume of road transportation fuel
sold:
Quarter
|
2nd
|
3rd
|
4th
|
1st
|
Weighted
average
|
52‑week period ended
July 17, 2022
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
United States
(US dollars per gallon)
|
3.08
|
3.28
|
3.94
|
4.61
|
3.69
|
|
Europe and other
regions (US cents per liter)
|
86.29
|
96.66
|
120.84
|
129.11
|
106.91
|
|
Canada (CA cents per
liter)
|
123.00
|
129.39
|
150.30
|
179.15
|
143.78
|
52‑week period ended
July 18, 2021
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
United States
(US dollars per gallon)
|
2.14
|
2.16
|
2.72
|
2.97
|
2.48
|
|
Europe and other
regions (US cents per liter)
|
63.19
|
65.84
|
79.29
|
79.09
|
71.42
|
|
Canada (CA cents per
liter)
|
92.00
|
92.54
|
108.99
|
117.51
|
101.90
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other revenues
Total other revenues for the first quarter of fiscal 2023
were $266.1 million, an increase of
$150.4 million compared with the
corresponding quarter of fiscal 2022. The translation of our
foreign currency operations into US dollars had a net negative
impact of approximately $11.0
million. The remaining increase of approximately
$161.0 million, or 139.2%, is
primarily driven by higher prices and higher demand on our other
fuel products, which had a minimal impact on gross
profit1.
Gross
profit1
|
|
1 Please refer to the "Non-IFRS
Measures" section for additional information on performance
measures not defined by IFRS.
|
Our gross profit was $2.9 billion for the first quarter of
fiscal 2023, up by $282.8
million or 10.9%, compared with the corresponding quarter of
fiscal 2022, mainly attributable to higher road transportation fuel
gross margins and organic growth in our convenience activities,
while being partly offset by the net negative impact of the
translation of our foreign currency operations into US dollars
of approximately $60.0 million.
Merchandise and service gross profit
In the first quarter of fiscal 2023, our merchandise and
service gross profit was $1.4 billion, an increase of
$0.8 million compared with the
corresponding quarter of fiscal 2022. The translation of our
foreign currency operations into US dollars had a net
negative impact of approximately $29.0 million. The remaining increase of
approximately $30.0 million, or
2.1%, is primarily due to organic growth driven by pricing
initiatives. Our gross margin1 decreased by 0.3% in the
United States to 33.9%, while it increased by 0.5% in
Europe and other regions to 38.9%,
and by 0.8% in Canada to
33.1%.
Road transportation fuel gross profit
In the first quarter of fiscal 2023, our road
transportation fuel gross profit was $1.4
billion, an increase of $285.0 million compared with the
corresponding quarter of fiscal 2022. The translation of our
foreign currency operations into US dollars had a net negative
impact of approximately $29.0 million. The remaining increase in our
gross profit was approximately $314.0 million, or 27.1%. In the United States, our road transportation
fuel gross margin1 was 49.00¢ per gallon, an
increase of 12.25¢ per gallon, in Europe and other regions, our road
transportation fuel gross margin1 was US 12.26¢ per
liter, an increase of US 1.94¢ per liter, and in Canada, it was CA 14.04¢ per liter,
an increase of CA 3.12¢ per liter. Fuel margins remained
healthy throughout our network, due to favorable market conditions
and the continued work on the optimization of our supply chain.
The road transportation fuel gross margin1 of our
company-operated stores in the United
States and the impact of expenses related to electronic
payment modes for the last eight quarters, were as follows:
(US cents per
gallon)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Quarter
|
2nd
|
3rd
|
4th
|
1st
|
Weighted
average
|
52‑week period ended
July 17, 2022
|
|
|
|
|
|
Before deduction of
expenses related to electronic payment modes
|
37.68
|
41.02
|
47.55
|
50.95
|
44.01
|
Expenses related to
electronic payment modes(1)
|
5.31
|
5.74
|
6.61
|
7.21
|
6.18
|
After deduction of
expenses related to electronic payment modes
|
32.37
|
35.28
|
40.94
|
43.74
|
37.83
|
52‑week period ended
July 18, 2021
|
|
|
|
|
|
Before deduction of
expenses related to electronic payment modes
|
37.48
|
31.86
|
35.25
|
37.58
|
35.34
|
Expenses related to
electronic payment modes(1)
|
4.79
|
4.66
|
5.10
|
5.38
|
4.96
|
After deduction of
expenses related to electronic payment modes
|
32.69
|
27.20
|
30.15
|
32.20
|
30.38
|
(1)
|
Expenses related to
electronic payment modes are determined by allocating the portion
of total electronic payment modes, which are included in Operating,
selling, general and administrative expenses, deemed related to our
United-States company-operated stores road transportation fuel
transactions.
|
Generally, during normal economic cycles, road transportation
fuel margins in the United States can be volatile from one
quarter to another, while in Europe and other regions and in Canada, fuel margins and expenses related to
electronic payment modes are not as volatile.
Other revenues gross profit
In the first quarter of fiscal 2023, other revenues gross
profit was $35.4 million, a decrease
of $3.0 million compared with the
corresponding period of fiscal 2022. The translation of
our foreign currency operations into US dollars had a net
negative impact of approximately $2.0
million.
Operating, selling, general and
administrative expenses ("expenses")
For the first quarter of fiscal 2023, expenses increased by 9.4%
compared with the corresponding period of fiscal 2022. Normalized
growth of expenses1 was 7.3%, as shown in the table
below:
|
|
1 Please refer
to the "Non-IFRS Measures" section for additional information on
performance measures not defined by IFRS.
|
|
12‑week periods
ended
|
|
July 17, 2022
|
July 18, 2021
|
Growth of expenses,
as reported
|
9.4 %
|
11.3 %
|
Adjusted
for:
|
|
|
Increase from higher
electronic payment fees, excluding acquisitions
|
(3.7 %)
|
(2.4 %)
|
Decrease (increase)
from the net impact of foreign exchange translation
|
2.5 %
|
(3.4 %)
|
Increase from
incremental expenses related to acquisitions
|
(0.9 %)
|
(2.2 %)
|
Decrease from changes
in acquisition costs recognized to earnings
|
— %
|
0.2 %
|
Normalized growth of
expenses1
|
7.3 %
|
3.5 %
|
For the first quarter of fiscal 2023, we have continued to
deploy strategic efforts in order to mitigate the impact of a
higher inflation level and continued pressure on wages, which is
demonstrated by our normalized growth of expenses1 of
7.3%, which is below inflation, despite the challenging market
conditions. The normalized growth of expenses1 in the
first quarter was mainly driven by inflationary pressures, most
notably on higher occupancy costs, higher costs from rising minimum
wages, as well as by incremental investments in our stores to
support our strategic initiatives partly offset by the impact of
lower pressure in the employment market.
Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization
and impairment ("EBITDA1") and adjusted
EBITDA1
|
|
1 Please refer to the "Non-IFRS Measures" section
for additional information on performance measures not defined by
IFRS.
|
|
During the first quarter of fiscal 2023, EBITDA stood at
$1.5 billion, an increase of
10.6% compared with the corresponding quarter of fiscal 2022.
Adjusted EBITDA for the first quarter of fiscal 2023 increased
by $144.4 million, or 10.6%,
compared with the corresponding quarter of fiscal 2022, mainly
due to higher road transportation fuel margins, and organic growth
in our convenience operations, partly offset by higher expenses.
The translation of our foreign currency operations into US
dollars had a net negative impact of approximately $28.0 million.
Depreciation, amortization and
impairment ("depreciation")
For the first quarter of fiscal 2023, our depreciation
expense increased by $4.9 million compared with the first quarter
of fiscal 2022. The translation of our foreign currency
operations into US dollars had a net favorable impact of
approximately $9.0 million. The
remaining increase of approximately $14.0 million, or 4.5%, is mainly driven
by the replacement of equipment, the ongoing improvement of
our network and the impact from investments made through
acquisitions.
Net financial expenses
Net financial expenses for the first quarter of fiscal 2023
were $67.1 million, a decrease
of $7.2 million compared with
the corresponding period of fiscal 2022. A portion of the decrease
is explained by certain items that are not considered indicative of
future trends, as shown in the table below:
|
12‑week periods
ended
|
(in millions of US
dollars)
|
July 17,
2022
|
July 18,
2021
|
Variation
|
Net financial
expenses, as reported
|
67.1
|
74.3
|
(7.2)
|
Explained
by:
|
|
|
|
Change in fair value
of financial instruments and amortization of deferred
differences
|
0.9
|
(10.1)
|
11.0
|
Net foreign exchange
(loss) gain
|
(1.0)
|
8.6
|
(9.6)
|
Remaining
variation
|
67.0
|
72.8
|
(5.8)
|
The remaining variation is mainly driven by the reduction of
long-term debt compared with the corresponding period of
fiscal 2022.
Income taxes
The income tax rate for the first quarter of fiscal 2023
was 21.9% compared with 21.3% for the corresponding quarter of
fiscal 2022. The increase is mainly stemming from the impact
of a different mix in our earnings across the various jurisdictions
in which we operate.
Net earnings and adjusted net
earnings1
Net earnings for the first quarter of fiscal 2023 were
$872.4 million, compared with
$764.4 million for the first
quarter of the previous fiscal year, an increase of $108.0 million, or 14.1%. Diluted net
earnings per share stood at $0.85,
compared with $0.71 for the
corresponding quarter of the previous fiscal year. The translation
of revenues and expenses from our foreign currency
operations into US dollars had a net negative impact of
approximately $20.0 million on
net earnings of the first quarter of fiscal 2023.
Adjusted net earnings for the first quarter of fiscal 2023
were approximately $875.0 million, compared with $758.0 million for the first quarter of
fiscal 2022, an increase of $117.0 million, or 15.4%. Adjusted diluted
net earnings per share were $0.85 for
the first quarter of fiscal 2023, compared with $0.71 for the corresponding quarter of fiscal
2022, an increase of 19.7%.
Dividends
During its August 30, 2022 meeting, the Board of
Directors declared a quarterly dividend of CA 11.0¢ per
share for the first quarter of fiscal 2023 to shareholders on
record as at September 8, 2022, and approved its payment
effective September 22, 2022. This is an eligible
dividend within the meaning of the Income Tax Act
(Canada).
Non-IFRS Measures
To provide more information for evaluating the Corporation's
performance, the financial information included in our financial
documents contains certain data that are not performance measures
under IFRS ("non-IFRS measures"), which are also calculated on an
adjusted basis to exclude specific items. We believe that providing
those non-IFRS measures is useful to management, investors, and
analysts, as they provide additional information to measure the
performance and financial position of the Corporation.
The following non-IFRS financial measures are used in our
financial disclosures:
- Gross profit;
- Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization and
impairment ("EBITDA") and adjusted EBITDA;
- Adjusted net earnings; and
- Interest-bearing debt;
The following non-IFRS ratios are used in our financial
disclosures:
- Merchandise and service gross margin and Road transportation
fuel gross margin;
- Normalized growth of operating, selling, general and
administrative expenses;
- Growth of same-store merchandise revenues for Europe and other regions;
- Adjusted diluted net earnings per share;
- Leverage ratio; and
- Return on equity and return on capital employed.
The following capital management measure is used in our
financial disclosures:
- Net interest-bearing debt/total capitalization.
Supplementary financial measures are also used in our financial
disclosures and those measures are described where they are
presented.
Non-IFRS financial measures and ratios, as well as the capital
management measure are mainly derived from the consolidated
financial statements, but do not have standardized meanings
prescribed by IFRS. These non-IFRS measures should not be
considered in isolation or as a substitute for financial measures
prepared in accordance with IFRS. In addition, our definitions of
non-IFRS measures may differ from those of other public
corporations. Any such modification or reformulation may be
significant. These measures are also adjusted for the pro
forma impact of our acquisitions and impacts of new accounting
standards, if they are considered to be material.
Gross profit. Gross profit consists of
revenues less the cost of sales, excluding depreciation,
amortization and impairment. This measure is considered useful for
evaluating the underlying performance of our operations.
The table below reconciles revenues and cost of sales, excluding
depreciation, amortization and impairment, as per IFRS, to gross
profit:
|
12‑week periods
ended
|
(in millions of US
dollars)
|
July 17,
2022
|
July 18,
2021
|
Revenues
|
18,657.7
|
13,578.9
|
Cost of sales,
excluding depreciation, amortization and impairment
|
15,774.9
|
10,978.9
|
Gross
profit
|
2,882.8
|
2,600.0
|
Please note that the same reconciliation applies in the
determination of gross profit by category and by geography
presented in the section "Summary Analysis of Consolidated
Results".
Merchandise and service gross margin. Merchandise
and service gross margin consists of Merchandise and service gross
profit divided by Merchandise and service revenues, both measures
are presented in the section ''Summary Analysis of Consolidated
Results''. Merchandise and service gross margin is considered
useful for evaluating how efficiently we generate gross profit by
dollar of revenue.
Road transportation fuel gross margin. Road
transportation fuel gross margin consists of Road transportation
fuel gross profit divided by total volume of road transportation
fuel sold. For the United States
and Europe and other regions, both
measures are presented in the section ''Summary Analysis of
Consolidated Results''. For Canada, this measure is presented in
functional currency and the table below reconciles, for road
transportation fuel, Revenues and Cost of sales, excluding
depreciation, amortization and impairment, as per IFRS, to gross
profit and the resulting road transportation fuel gross margin.
This measure is considered useful for evaluating how efficiently we
generate gross profit by gallon or liter of road transportation
fuel sold.
|
12‑week periods
ended
|
(in millions of
Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)
|
July 17,
2022
|
July 18,
2021
|
Road transportation
fuel revenues
|
2,136.5
|
1,394.1
|
Road transportation
fuel cost of sales, excluding depreciation, amortization and
impairment
|
1,966.3
|
1,261.8
|
Road transportation
fuel gross profit
|
170.2
|
132.3
|
Total road
transportation fuel volume sold
|
1,212.1
|
1,211.9
|
Road transportation
fuel gross margin (CA cents per liter)
|
14.04
|
10.92
|
Normalized growth of operating, selling, general and
administrative expenses ("normalized growth of
expenses"). Normalized growth of expenses consists of the
growth of Operating, selling, general and administrative
expenses adjusted for the impact of the changes in our network, the
impact of more volatile items over which we have limited control,
as well as the impact from changes in accounting policies and
adoption of accounting standards. This measure is considered useful
for evaluating our ability to control our expenses on a comparable
basis.
The tables below reconcile growth of Operating, selling, general
and administrative expenses to normalized growth of expenses:
|
12‑week periods
ended
|
(in millions of US
dollars, unless otherwise noted)
|
July 17,
2022
|
July 18,
2021
|
Variation
|
Operating, selling,
general and administrative expenses, as published
|
1,398.1
|
1,278.1
|
9.4 %
|
Adjusted
for:
|
|
|
|
Increase from higher
electronic payment fees, excluding acquisitions
|
(46.7)
|
—
|
(3.7 %)
|
Decrease from the net
impact of foreign exchange translation
|
31.6
|
—
|
2.5 %
|
Increase from
incremental expenses related to acquisitions
|
(11.1)
|
—
|
(0.9 %)
|
Increase from changes
in acquisition costs recognized to earnings
|
(0.4)
|
—
|
—
|
Normalized growth of
expenses
|
1,371.5
|
1,278.1
|
7.3 %
|
|
|
|
|
|
12‑week periods
ended
|
(in millions of US
dollars, unless otherwise noted)
|
July 18,
2021
|
July 19,
2020
|
Variation
|
Operating, selling,
general and administrative expenses, as published
|
1,278.1
|
1,148.6
|
11.3 %
|
Adjusted
for:
|
|
|
|
Increase from the net
impact of foreign exchange translation
|
(39.6)
|
—
|
(3.4 %)
|
Increase from higher
electronic payment fees, excluding acquisitions
|
(27.5)
|
—
|
(2.4 %)
|
Increase from
incremental expenses related to acquisitions
|
(25.2)
|
—
|
(2.2 %)
|
Decrease from changes
in acquisition costs recognized to earnings
|
2.7
|
—
|
0.2 %
|
Normalized growth of
expenses
|
1,188.5
|
1,148.6
|
3.5 %
|
Growth of same-store merchandise revenues for Europe and other regions. Same-store
merchandise revenues represent cumulated merchandise revenues
between the current period and comparative period for those stores
that were open for at least 23 days out of every 28-day period
included in the reported periods. Merchandise revenues are defined
as Merchandise and service revenues excluding service revenues. For
Europe and other regions, the
growth of same-store merchandise revenues is calculated based on
constant currencies using the respective current period average
exchange rate for both the current and corresponding period. In
Europe and other regions,
same-store merchandise revenues include same-store revenues from
company-operated stores, CODO and DODO stores, as well as Asian
corporate stores prior to their acquisition date of December 21, 2020. These last two items are not
included in our consolidated results. This measure is considered
useful for evaluating our ability to generate organic growth on a
comparable basis in our overall European and other regions store
network.
The tables below reconcile Merchandise and service revenues, as
per IFRS, to same-store merchandise revenues for Europe and other regions and the resulting
percentage of growth:
|
12‑week periods
ended
|
(in millions of US
dollars, unless otherwise noted)
|
July 17, 2022
|
July 18, 2021
|
Merchandise and service
revenues for Europe and other regions
|
537.1
|
561.4
|
Adjusted
for:
|
|
|
Service
revenues
|
(39.8)
|
(44.8)
|
Net foreign exchange
impact
|
—
|
(46.7)
|
Merchandise revenues
for stores not meeting the definition of same-store
|
(19.1)
|
(17.8)
|
Same-store merchandise
revenues from stores not included in our consolidated results,
including the impact of store conversions
|
84.9
|
95.7
|
Total Same-store
merchandise revenues for Europe and other regions
|
563.1
|
547.8
|
Growth of same-store
merchandise revenues for Europe and other regions
|
2.8 %
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
12‑week periods
ended
|
(in millions of US
dollars, unless otherwise noted)
|
July 18,
2021
|
July 19,
2020
|
Merchandise and service
revenues for Europe and other regions
|
561.4
|
343.2
|
Adjusted
for:
|
|
|
Service
revenues
|
(44.8)
|
(33.7)
|
Net foreign exchange
impact
|
—
|
35.7
|
Merchandise revenues
for stores not meeting the definition of same-store
|
(8.7)
|
(13.6)
|
Same-store merchandise
revenues from stores not included in our consolidated results,
including the impact of store conversions
|
113.6
|
255.2
|
Total Same-store
merchandise revenues for Europe and other regions
|
621.5
|
586.8
|
Growth of same-store
merchandise revenues for Europe and other regions
|
5.9 %
|
|
Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization
and impairment ("EBITDA") and adjusted
EBITDA. EBITDA represents net earnings plus income taxes,
net financial expenses, and depreciation, amortization and
impairment. Adjusted EBITDA represents the EBITDA adjusted for
acquisition costs and other specific items for which the impact on
consolidated results is not deemed indicative of future
trends. These performance measures are considered useful to
facilitate the evaluation of our ongoing operations and our ability
to generate cash flows to fund our cash requirements, including our
capital expenditures program, share repurchases, and payment of
dividends.
The table below reconciles net earnings, as per IFRS, to EBITDA
and adjusted EBITDA:
|
12‑week periods
ended
|
(in millions of US
dollars)
|
July 17,
2022
|
July 18,
2021
|
Net earnings
|
872.4
|
764.4
|
Add:
|
|
|
Income
taxes
|
244.6
|
206.3
|
Net financial
expenses
|
67.1
|
74.3
|
Depreciation,
amortization and impairment
|
319.2
|
314.3
|
EBITDA
|
1,503.3
|
1,359.3
|
Adjusted
for:
|
|
|
Acquisition
costs
|
1.2
|
0.8
|
Adjusted
EBITDA
|
1,504.5
|
1,360.1
|
Adjusted net earnings and adjusted diluted net earnings per
share. Adjusted net earnings represents net earnings
adjusted for net foreign exchange gains or losses, acquisition
costs and other specific items for which the impact on consolidated
results is not deemed indicative of future trends. These measures
are considered useful for evaluating the underlying performance of
our operations on a comparable basis.
The table below reconciles net earnings, as per IFRS, with
adjusted net earnings and adjusted diluted net earnings per
share:
|
12‑week periods
ended
|
(in millions of US
dollars, except per share amounts, or unless otherwise
noted)
|
July 17, 2022
|
July 18,
2021
|
Net earnings
|
872.4
|
764.4
|
Adjusted
for:
|
|
|
Acquisition
costs
|
1.2
|
0.8
|
Net foreign exchange
loss (gain)
|
1.0
|
(8.6)
|
Tax impact of the
items above and rounding
|
0.4
|
1.4
|
Adjusted net
earnings
|
875.0
|
758.0
|
Weighted average number
of shares - diluted (in millions)
|
1,027.2
|
1,074.4
|
Adjusted diluted net
earnings per share
|
0.85
|
0.71
|
Interest-bearing debt. This measure represents
the sum of the following balance sheet accounts: Current portion of
long-term debt, Long-term debt, Current portion of lease
liabilities and Lease liabilities. This measure is considered
useful to facilitate the understanding of our financial position in
relation with financing obligations. The calculation of this
measure of financial position is detailed in the ''Net
interest-bearing debt/total capitalization'' section
below.
Net interest-bearing debt/total capitalization. This
measure represents the basis for monitoring our capital as well as
a measure of financial condition that is especially used in
financial circles.
The table below presents the calculation of this performance
measure:
(in millions of US
dollars, except ratio data)
|
As at
July 17, 2022
|
As at
April 24, 2022
|
Current portion of
long-term debt
|
1.5
|
1.4
|
Current portion of
lease liabilities
|
414.7
|
425.4
|
Long-term
debt
|
5,864.9
|
5,963.6
|
Lease
liabilities
|
3,017.9
|
3,049.5
|
Interest-bearing
debt
|
9,299.0
|
9,439.9
|
Less: Cash and cash
equivalents
|
2,195.4
|
2,143.9
|
Net interest-bearing
debt
|
7,103.6
|
7,296.0
|
Equity
|
12,418.3
|
12,437.6
|
Net interest-bearing
debt
|
7,103.6
|
7,296.0
|
Total
capitalization
|
19,521.9
|
19,733.6
|
Net interest-bearing
debt to total capitalization ratio
|
0.36 :
1
|
0.37 : 1
|
Leverage ratio. This measure represents a measure of
financial condition that is especially used in financial
circles.
The table below reconciles net interest-bearing debt and
adjusted EBITDA, for which the calculation methodologies are
described in other tables of this section, with the leverage
ratio:
|
52-week periods
ended
|
(in millions of US
dollars, except ratio data)
|
July 17, 2022
|
April 24, 2022
|
Net interest-bearing
debt
|
7,103.6
|
7,296.0
|
Adjusted
EBITDA
|
5,410.5
|
5,266.1
|
Leverage
ratio
|
1.31 :
1
|
1.39 : 1
|
Return on equity. This measure is used to assess the
relation between our profitability and our net assets. Average
equity is calculated by taking the average of the opening and
closing balance for the 52-week period.
The table below reconciles net earnings, as per IFRS, with the
ratio of return on equity:
|
52-week periods
ended
|
(in millions of US
dollars, unless otherwise noted)
|
July 17, 2022
|
April 24, 2022
|
Net
earnings
|
2,791.3
|
2,683.3
|
Equity - Opening
balance
|
12,461.7
|
12,180.9
|
Equity - Ending
balance
|
12,418.3
|
12,437.6
|
Average
equity
|
12,440.0
|
12,309.3
|
Return on
equity
|
22.4 %
|
21.8 %
|
Return on capital employed. This measure is used to
measure the relation between our profitability and capital
efficiency. Earnings before interest and taxes ("EBIT") represents
net earnings plus income taxes and net financial expenses. Capital
employed represents total assets less short-term liabilities not
bearing interest, which excludes the current portion of long-term
debt and current portion of lease liabilities. Average capital
employed is calculated by taking the average of the beginning and
ending balance of capital employed for the 52-week period.
The table below reconciles net earnings, as per IFRS, to EBIT
with the ratio of return on capital employed:
|
52-week periods
ended
|
(in millions of US
dollars, unless otherwise noted)
|
July 17, 2022
|
April 24, 2022
|
Net earnings
|
2,791.3
|
2,683.3
|
Add:
|
|
|
Income
taxes
|
772.6
|
734.3
|
Net financial
expenses
|
273.8
|
281.0
|
EBIT
|
3,837.7
|
3,698.6
|
Capital employed -
Opening balance(1)
|
24,298.1
|
23,971.5
|
Capital employed -
Ending balance(1)
|
23,860.1
|
24,001.0
|
Average capital
employed
|
24,079.1
|
23,986.3
|
Return on capital
employed
|
15.9 %
|
15.4 %
|
(1)
|
The table below
reconciles balance sheet line items, as per IFRS, to capital
employed:
|
(in millions of US
dollars)
|
As at
July 17, 2022
|
As at
July 18, 2021
|
As at
April 24, 2022
|
As at
April 25, 2021
|
Total Assets
|
29,350.6
|
29,137.3
|
29,591.6
|
28,394.5
|
Less: Current
liabilities
|
(5,906.7)
|
(5,308.5)
|
(6,017.4)
|
(5,949.7)
|
Add: Current portion
of long-term debt
|
1.5
|
62.2
|
1.4
|
1,107.3
|
Add: Current portion
of lease liabilities
|
414.7
|
407.1
|
425.4
|
419.4
|
Capital
employed
|
23,860.1
|
24,298.1
|
24,001.0
|
23,971.5
|
Profile
Couche-Tard is a global leader in convenience and fuel retail,
operating in 24 countries and territories, with close to
14,100 stores, of which approximately 10,700 offer road
transportation fuel. With its well-known Couche-Tard and
Circle K banners, it is one of the largest independent
convenience store operators in the United States and it is a
leader in the convenience store industry and road transportation
fuel retail in Canada,
Scandinavia, the Baltics, as well as in Ireland. It also has an important presence in
Poland and Hong Kong Special
Administrative Region of the People's
Republic of China. Approximately 122,000 people are
employed throughout its network.
For more information on Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc., or to
consult its audited annual Consolidated Financial Statements,
unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements and
Management Discussion and Analysis, please visit:
https://corpo.couche-tard.com.
The statements set forth in this press release, which describes
Couche-Tard's objectives, projections, estimates, expectations, or
forecasts, may constitute forward-looking statements within the
meaning of securities legislation. Positive or negative verbs such
as "believe", "can", "shall", "intend", "expect", "estimate",
"assume", and other related expressions are used to identify such
statements. Couche-Tard would like to point out that, by their very
nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties
such that its results, or the measures it adopts, could differ
materially from those indicated in or underlying these statements,
or could have an impact on the degree of realization of a
particular projection. Major factors that may lead to a material
difference between Couche-Tard's actual results and the projections
or expectations set forth in the forward-looking statements include
the effects of the integration of acquired businesses and the
ability to achieve projected synergies, uncertainty related to the
duration and severity of the current COVID-19 pandemic,
fluctuations in margins on motor fuel sales, competition in the
convenience store and retail motor fuel industries, exchange rate
variations, and such other risks as described in detail from time
to time in the reports filed by Couche-Tard with securities
authorities in Canada and
the United States. Unless
otherwise required by applicable securities laws, Couche-Tard
disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any
forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information,
future events or otherwise. The forward-looking information in this
release is based on information available as of the date of the
release.
Webcast on August 31, 2022, at
8:00 A.M. (EDT)
Couche-Tard invites analysts known to the Corporation to ask
their questions to its management on August 31, 2022, during
the question and answer period of the webcast.
Financial Analysts, Investors, media and any individuals
interested in listening to the webcast on Couche-Tard's results,
which will take place online on August 31, 2022, at 8:00
A.M. (EDT) can do so by either accessing the Corporation's
website at https://corpo.couche-tard.com/en and by clicking in the
"Investors/Events & Presentations" section or by dialing
1-888-390-0549 or the international number 1-416-764-8682, followed
by the access code 35419650#.
Rebroadcast: For individuals who will not be able to
listen to the live webcast, a recording of the webcast will be
available on the Corporation's website for a period of 90 days.
View original content to download
multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/alimentation-couche-tard-announces-its-results-for-its-first-quarter-of-fiscal-year-2023-301615062.html
SOURCE Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.