NEW YORK, Aug. 09, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) Xcel Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ: XELB) (“Xcel” or the “Company”), a consumer products company, today announced its financial results for the second quarter and six months ended June 30, 2018.

Robert W. D'Loren, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Xcel commented, “Our second quarter results saw a marked improvement in operating income from the prior year. While still rationalizing our business model transition process, positive momentum continues to build across our multiple channels of distribution, and I am pleased by our results.”  

Second Quarter 2018 Financial Results

Total revenue for the second quarter of 2018 was $8.5 million, a net increase of $0.1 million over the prior year quarter, primarily driven by our jewelry wholesale and ecommerce business. Net revenue for the second quarter of 2018 decreased $0.1 million to $8.3 million from $8.4 million as higher licensing revenue from our ongoing interactive business was primarily offset by lower revenue associated with the previously reported termination and transition of the C Wonder Brand from QVC, whose sell-off period terminated in January 2018.

GAAP net loss was approximately $(0.1) million for the quarter ended June 30, 2018, or $(0.01) per basic and diluted share, compared with net income of $0.2 million, or $0.01 per basic and diluted share, for the prior year quarter.  After adjusting for certain cash and non-cash items, non-GAAP net income for the quarters ended June 30, 2018 and June 30, 2017, was approximately $1.5 million, or $0.08 per diluted share for each period.

Adjusted EBITDA for the quarter ended June 30, 2018 was approximately $2.2 million, compared to approximately $2.3 million in the prior year quarter, a decrease of $0.1 million from the same quarter in the prior year. 

First Six Months of Fiscal 2018 Financial Results

Total revenue for the six months ended June 30, 2018 was $17.3 million, an increase of $0.5 million or 2.7% over the prior year period.  Total revenue for the six months ended June 30, 2018 was positively affected by the commencement of the wholesale and e-commerce jewelry business. Net revenue for the six months ended June 30, 2018 was in excess of $16.8 million, slightly higher than in the prior year period as higher licensing revenue from our ongoing interactive business and wholesale and department store business were offset by lower revenue associated with the previously noted termination and transition of the C Wonder Brand from QVC.  

GAAP net income was approximately $0.4 million for the six months ended June 30, 2018, or $0.02 per basic and diluted share, an increase of $0.6 million, or $0.03 per basic and diluted share from the prior year six months, representing an increase of more than 300% in GAAP net income and earnings per share from the prior year period.  After adjusting for certain cash and non-cash items, non-GAAP net income for the six months ended June 30, 2018 was approximately $2.9 million, or $0.16 per diluted share, compared with $2.7 million, or $0.14 per diluted share in the prior year six months, representing an increase of 11% and 8%, respectively, from the prior year period.

Adjusted EBITDA for the six months ended June 30, 2018 was approximately $4.4 million, an increase of $0.2 million, or 4% from the prior year period. 

See reconciliation tables below for non-GAAP metrics. These non-GAAP metrics may be inconsistent with similar measures presented by other companies and should only be used in conjunction with our results reported according to U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP"). Any financial measure other than those prepared in accordance with GAAP should not be considered a substitute for, or superior to, measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with GAAP.

The Company's balance sheet at June 30, 2018 remained strong, with stockholders' equity of approximately $98.7 million, cash and cash equivalents of $7.6 million, and working capital of approximately $10.1 million. During the current six months, the Company reduced its term debt by approximately $2.7 million to approximately $19.3 million. 

Conference Call and Webcast 
The Company will host a conference call with members of the executive management team to discuss these results with additional comments and details at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, August 9, 2018. A webcast of the conference call will be available live on the Investor Relations section of Xcel's website at www.xcelbrands.com. Interested parties unable to access the conference call via the webcast may dial 1-855-327-6837. A replay of the conference call will be available on the Company website for 30 days following the event and can be accessed at 844-512-2921 using replay pin number 10005329.

About Xcel Brands
Xcel Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ:XELB) is a consumer products company engaged in the design, production, licensing, marketing, and direct-to-consumer sales of branded apparel, footwear, accessories, jewelry, home goods, and other consumer products, and the acquisition of dynamic consumer lifestyle brands.  Xcel was founded by Robert W. D’Loren in 2011 with a vision to reimagine shopping, entertainment, and social as one. Xcel owns and manages the Isaac Mizrahi, Judith Ripka, H Halston, C. Wonder, and Highline Collective brands, pioneering a ubiquitous sales strategy which includes the promotion and sale of products under its brands through interactive television, internet, bricks and mortar retail, and e-commerce channels. Headquartered in New York City, Xcel Brands is led by an executive team with significant production, merchandising, design, marketing, retailing, and licensing experience, and a proven track record of success in elevating branded consumer products companies. With a team of over 100 professionals focused on design, production, and digital marketing, Xcel maintains control of product quality and promotion across all of its product categories and distribution channels. Xcel differentiates by design.  www.xcelbrands.com

Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact contained in this press release, including statements regarding future events, our future financial performance, business strategy and plans and objectives of management for future operations, are forward-looking statements. We have attempted to identify forward-looking statements by terminology including "anticipates," "believes," "can," "continue," "ongoing," "could," "estimates," "expects," "intends," "may," "appears," "suggests," "future," "likely," "goal," "plans," "potential," "projects," "predicts," "seeks," "should," "would," "guidance," "confident" or "will" or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our anticipated revenue, expenses, profitability, strategic plans and capital needs. These statements are based on information available to us on the date hereof and our current expectations, estimates and projections and are not guarantees of future performance. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors, including, without limitation, the risks discussed in the "Risk Factors" section and elsewhere in the Company's Annual Report on form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017 and its other filings with the SEC, which may cause our or our industry's actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Moreover, we operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks emerge from time to time and it is not possible for us to predict all risk factors, nor can we address the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause our actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. Except as expressly required by the federal securities laws, we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, changed circumstances or any other reason.