Delta Apparel Reports Fourth Quarter and Year-End Results

Delta Apparel Inc., the apparel supplier from Greenville, S.C., reported record revenue for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012. This is the ninth consecutive year in which Delta Apparel's revenues have reached record levels.

Net sales for the 2012 fiscal year increased approximately 3.0 percent to $489.9 million from $475.2 million in fiscal 2011. Fiscal 2012 includes the second quarter $16.2 million inventory markdown in the basics segment, which resulted in a net loss for the year of $2.4 million or $0.29 per diluted share. This compares with net income for fiscal 2011 of $17.3 million or $1.98 per diluted share.

Gains in net sales for the year, which occurred in both of Delta Apparel's business segments, were driven primarily by record revenues in The Game, Junkfood, FunTees and Art Gun businesses. This was somewhat offset by Delta's catalog business, which continued to feel the effects of cotton price volatility and customer destocking. While net income continued to recover in the 2012 fourth quarter, it wasn't enough to offset the affects of Delta Apparel's second quarter inventory markdown which was necessitated by unprecedented increases in cotton prices.

For the fiscal 2012 fourth quarter, net sales were $135.4 million, compared with $137.6 million in the 2011 fourth quarter. Net income for the 2012 fourth quarter was $4.8 million or $0.55 per diluted share, compared to $8.5 million or $0.97 per diluted share in the fourth quarter of 2011.

While cotton prices continued their return to more normal levels in the fourth quarter, some residual affects still remained. Increased retail prices, reflecting the high cost of cotton earlier in the year, hampered sell-through, and department store inventories have not reduced as rapidly as expected. Therefore, replenishment orders were lower than anticipated, primarily in the Company's Soffe product line.