Earnings release
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Culp Announces First Quarter Fiscal 2027 Results September 9, 2026 Plan Execution Drives Above-Market Sales Growth and Improved Profitability Significantly Enhanced Balance Sheet from Over 70% Net Debt Reduction HIGH POINT, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep. 9, 2026-- Culp, Inc. (NASDAQ: CULP), a leading provider of fabrics for bedding and upholstery fabrics for residential, commercial, and hospitality furniture and other applications, today reported financial and operating results for its first fiscal quarter ended August 2, 2026. Fiscal 2027 First Quarter Financial Highlights Year-over-year sales growth of 6.5%, while also overcoming one less selling week in the quarter, with consolidated net sales of $54.0 million compared to $50.7 million in the prior-year period and double-digit sales growth of 13.2% in the bedding segment. Consolidated gross profit was $15.4 million, or 28.5% of sales, compared with $7.2 million, or 14.3% of sales, in the prior-year period. Excluding the impact of IEEPA tariff recoveries in the quarter associated with previously incurred costs, adjusted gross profit was $8.4 million, or 15.6% of sales, an approximately 17% increase from the prior-year period driven primarily by higher sales and operational improvements (see reconciliation table on page 10). Operating income of $6.7 million, or 12.4% of sales, compared to the prior year period’s operating income of $1.6 million, or 3.2% of sales. Excluding the impacts of the above- referenced tariff-related recoveries, adjusted operating loss was $271 thousand compared to the prior-year period’s adjusted operating loss of $1.9 million (see reconciliation table on page 10). Net income of $6.0 million, or $.47 per diluted share, compared to a net loss of $231 thousand, or $(.02) per diluted share, in the prior-year period. Adjusted EBITDA of $566 thousand, which does not include the benefit of tariff recoveries, compared to negative $(938) thousand in the prior-year period (see reconciliation table on page 11), reflecting much improved operating performance during the quarter. An over 70% reduction in net debt, to $3.1 million, compared to net debt at 2026 fiscal year end of $10.9 million (see reconciliation table on page 9), with the Company maintaining $10.2 million in total cash, $13.3 million in total debt, and total liquidity of $29.4 million at first quarter end. Cash flow from operations increased to $8.1 million compared to cash used in operations of ($695) thousand in the prior year period, and free cash flow increased to $7.8 million from negative $(874) thousand in the prior-year period. Adjusted for capital expenditures of $314 thousand and other items, free cash flow increased to $8.0 million from $311 thousand in the prior year period (see reconciliation table on page 9). Management Commentary Iv Culp, President and Chief Executive Officer, commented, “We are pleased with our first quarter results, namely our ability to increase sales and margins and to exceed our profitability expectations irrespective of the one-time tariff recoveries. We look at our first quarter results as more proof- of-concept that all of our work to integrate, restructure and optimize our platform is generating growth and profitability even in challenging conditions like those we continue to see across home furnishings. This is a clear testament to the CULP team’s successful execution of our strategic plans over the last two years. “Our bedding business grew its topline by over 13% in a low-unit market environment and with one less shipping week this quarter compared to last year. We believe our bedding sales trend is significantly exceeding industry norms and provides a good indication that our commercial strategies should provide continued revenue growth, especially once we see the industry replacement cycle that many believe is overdue. Our enhanced U.S. operations combined with flexible nearshore and offshore options are elevating our already strong customer relationships and driving our success in this business.
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“We are also encouraged to see sales in our upholstery business nearly comp the prior-year quarter despite a shorter selling period, and we are pleased with placement rates within our largest upholstery end market, residential furniture. In addition, we saw growth on the hospitality and contract side of our upholstery business and are excited about the potential to further grow those verticals. “Our emphasis on the balance sheet and cash flow management was well reflected in our first quarter results. Through the success of our inventory reduction initiatives and management systems, together with our use of the tariff-proceeds received during the quarter, we reduced net debt down to $3 million from $11 million at the end of last fiscal year, and we are focused on moving to a net cash position. “Overall, we are optimistic about the momentum we see across our business entering the second quarter and believe our lower cost structure and global footprint position us for continued success in this low-demand environment and accelerating profitability as conditions improve.” Financial Outlook Due to macro-economic uncertainty and the fluid global trade and tariff environment, the Company is providing only limited forward guidance at this time, with such guidance based on information available at the time of this press release and reflecting certain assumptions by management regarding the Company’s business, market and industry conditions. The Company expects consistent sequential sales volumes in the second quarter, with some growth over the prior-year quarter, and to continue to outpace bedding industry revenue trends in what it anticipates to remain a pressured demand environment for home furnishings. The Company expects the operational benefits of its recent integration and platform optimization initiatives, along with recent pricing and strategic actions, to drive break-even operating income for the second quarter, which would be a significant improvement from the comparable prior-year period in what remains a challenging market environment. The Company also expects accelerating adjusted EBITDA results for the second quarter. The Company will continue to prioritize debt reduction and free cash flow generation, and expects to continue improving its net debt position throughout the second quarter while maintaining some strategic borrowings under its China credit facilities to both maintain flexibility and leverage preferred interest rates. Fiscal 2027 First Quarter Business Segment Highlights Bedding Sales in this segment were $31.8 million for the first quarter, up 13.2% compared with the prior-year period despite there being one less week in the first quarter. Gross profit (excluding the impact of the tariff-related recoveries) in the bedding segment was $4.3 million, or 13.6% of sales, a significant improvement from the prior-year period’s gross profit of $2.9 million, or 10.5% of sales, driven primarily by higher revenue and enhanced operating efficiencies. Upholstery Sales in this segment were $22.2 million for the first quarter, generally flat to prior-year period sales of $22.7 million despite the shorter selling period. Gross profit (excluding the impact of the tariff-related recoveries) was $4.1 million, or 18.6% of sales, compared to $4.3 million, or 18.9% of sales, in the prior-year period, reflecting consistent operating margins. Conference Call Culp, Inc. will hold a conference call to discuss financial results for the first quarter of its fiscal year 2027 on Thursday, September 10, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time. A live webcast of this call can be accessed on the “Upcoming Events” section on the “Investor Relations” page of the Company’s website, www.culp.com. A replay of the webcast will be available for 30 days under the “Past Events” section on the “Investor Relations” page of the Company’s website. About the Company Culp, Inc. is one of the largest marketers of mattress fabrics for bedding and upholstery fabrics for residential, commercial, and hospitality furniture and other applications in North America. The Company markets a variety of fabrics to its global customer base of leading bedding and furniture companies, including fabrics produced at Culp’s manufacturing facilities and fabrics sourced through other suppliers. Culp has manufacturing and sourcing capabilities located in the United States, China, Haiti, Turkey, and Vietnam. Forward Looking Statements
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This release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934). Such statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual events and results to differ materially from such statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that include projections, expectations, or beliefs about future events or results or otherwise are not statements of historical fact. Such statements are often but not always characterized by qualifying words such as “expect,” “believe,” “will,” “may,” “should,” “could,” “potential,” “continue,” “target,” “predict,” “seek,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “project,” and their derivatives, and include but are not limited to statements about expectations, projections, or trends for our future operations, expectations with respect to tariffs, strategic initiatives and plans, restructuring and integration actions, production levels, new product launches, sales, profit margins, profitability, operating (loss) income, capital expenditures, working capital levels, cost savings (including, without limitation, anticipated cost savings from restructuring and integration actions), income taxes, SG&A or other expenses, pre-tax (loss) income, earnings, cash flow, and other performance or liquidity measures, as well as any statements regarding dividends, share repurchases, liquidity, use of cash and cash requirements, ending cash balances and cash positions, borrowing capacity, investments, potential acquisitions, cash and non-cash restructuring and restructuring-related charges, expenses, and/or credits, net proceeds from restructuring related asset dispositions, future economic or industry trends, public health epidemics, or other future developments. There can be no assurance that we will realize these expectations or meet our guidance, or that these beliefs will prove correct. Factors that could influence the matters discussed in such statements include the level of housing starts and sales of existing homes, demand for home furnishings products, consumer confidence, trends in disposable income, and general economic conditions. Decreases in these economic indicators could have a negative effect on our business and prospects. Likewise, increases in interest rates, particularly home mortgage rates, and increases in consumer debt or the general rate of inflation, could affect us adversely. Changes in consumer tastes or preferences toward products not produced by us could erode demand for our products. Changes in tariffs or trade policy, including changes in U.S. trade enforcement priorities, or changes in the value of the U.S. dollar versus other currencies, could affect our financial results because a significant portion of our operations are located outside the United States. Relatedly, litigation is ongoing as to whether businesses that paid tariffs that were invalidated by the U.S. Supreme Court in February 2026 may receive or retain refunds for those tariffs, which could be significant. Also, economic or political instability in international areas could affect our operations or sources of goods in those areas, as well as demand for our products in international markets. The future performance of our business depends in part on our success in conducting and finalizing acquisition negotiations and integrating acquired businesses into our existing operations. The impact of public health emergencies or epidemics on employees, customers, suppliers, and the global economy could also adversely affect our operations and financial performance. In addition, the impact of potential asset impairments, including impairments of property, plant, and equipment, inventory, or intangible assets, as well as the impact of valuation allowances applied against our net deferred income tax assets, could affect our financial results. Increases in freight costs, labor costs, and raw material prices, including increases in market prices for petrochemical products, can also significantly affect the prices we pay for shipping, labor, and raw materials, respectively, and in turn, increase our operating costs and decrease our profitability. Also, our success in diversifying our supply chain with reliable partners to effectively service our global platform could affect our operations and adversely affect our financial results. Finally, the future performance of our business also depends on our ability to successfully restructure our bedding operations, integrate our bedding and upholstery segments and realize the expected benefits of that integration effort, which may not meet our expectations. Further information about these factors, as well as other factors that could affect our future operations or financial results and the matters discussed in forward-looking statements, is included in Item 1A “Risk Factors” in our most recent Form 10-K report filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Many of these factors are macroeconomic in nature and are, therefore, beyond our control. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, our actual results, performance or achievements may vary materially from those described in this release as anticipated, believed, estimated, expected, intended, planned or projected. The forward-looking statements included in this release are made only as of the date of this release. Unless required by United States federal securities laws, we neither intend nor assume any obligation to update these forward-looking statements for any reason after the date of this release to conform these statements to actual results or to changes in our expectations. A forward-looking statement is neither a prediction nor a guarantee of future events or circumstances, and those future events or circumstances may not occur. Additional risks and uncertainties that we do not presently know about or that we currently consider to be immaterial may also affect our business operations or financial results. CULP, INC. CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF NET INCOME (LOSS) FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED AUGUST 2, 2026 AND AUGUST 3, 2025 Unaudited (Amounts in Thousands, Except for Per Share Data) THREE MONTHS ENDED Amount Percent of Sales August 2, August 3, % Over August 2, August 3, 2026 2025 (Under) 2026 2025 Net sales $ 53,973 $ 50,691 6.5% 100.0% 100.0% Cost of sales (38,595) (43,463) (11.2)% 71.5% 85.7% Gross profit 15,378 7,228 112.8% 28.5% 14.3% Selling, general and administrative expenses (8,709) (9,119) (4.5)% 16.1% 18.0% Restructuring credit $ — 3,508 (100.0)% 0.0% 6.9% Income from operations 6,669 1,617 312.4% 12.4% 3.2% Interest expense (155) (183) (15.3)% 0.3% 0.4% Interest income 134 235 (43.0)% 0.2% 0.5% Other income (expense) (1) 201 (531) N.M 0.4% (1.0)% Income before income taxes 6,849 1,138 501.8% 12.7% 2.2% Income tax expense (2) (868) (1,369) (36.6)% 12.7% 120.3% Net income (loss) $ 5,981 $ (231) N.M 11.1% (0.5)% Net income (loss) per share - basic $ 0.47 $ (0.02) N.M. Net income (loss) per share - diluted $ 0.47 $ (0.02) N.M. Average shares outstanding-basic 12,673 12,570 0.8%
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Average shares outstanding-diluted 12,821 12,570 2.0% Notes (1) Other income includes $814,000 related to insurance proceeds in connection with the resolution of a legal matter. (2) The percent of sales column for income tax expense is calculated as a percent of income before income taxes. CULP, INC. CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS AUGUST 2, 2026, AUGUST 3, 2025, AND MAY 3, 2026 Unaudited (Amounts in Thousands) Amounts (Condensed) (Condensed) (Condensed) August 2, August 3, * May 3, 2026 2025 2026 Current assets Cash and cash equivalents $ 10,235 $ 11,094 $ 8,273 Short-term investments - rabbi trust 1,524 1,395 1,477 Accounts receivable, net 20,275 18,382 20,369 Inventories 42,253 50,109 47,494 Short-term notes receivable 328 5,104 297 Current income taxes receivable — — 142 Assets held for sale — 40 — Other current assets 4,138 2,767 2,645 Total current assets 78,753 88,891 80,697 Property, plant & equipment, net 20,188 23,552 21,013 Right of use assets 2,642 5,162 2,984 Intangible assets 323 865 355 Long-term investments - rabbi trust 4,757 5,715 4,991 Long-term notes receivable 788 1,078 885 Deferred income taxes 507 475 503 Other assets 528 676 562 Total assets $ 108,486 $ 126,414 $ 111,990 Current liabilities Lines of credit - current $ 13,324 11,120 12,129 Accounts payable - trade 22,488 24,319 25,730 Accounts payable - capital expenditures 8 8 236 Operating lease liability - current 765 2,209 956 Deferred compensation - current 1,524 1,395 1,477 Deferred revenue 203 485 281 Accrued expenses 4,946 5,850 4,103 Accrued restructuring 10 105 47 Income taxes payable - current 209 2,412 — Total current liabilities 43,477 47,903 44,959 Line of credit - long-term — 7,025 7,000 Operating lease liability - long-term 916 1,995 1,027 Income taxes payable - long-term 1,048 841 983 Deferred income taxes 4,044 5,302 4,883 Deferred compensation - long-term 4,800 5,701 4,991 Total liabilities 54,285 68,767 63,843 Shareholders' equity 54,201 57,647 48,147 Total liabilities and shareholders' equity $ 108,486 $ 126,414 $ 111,990 Shares outstanding 12,720 12,605 12,663 * Derived from audited financial statements. CULP, INC. CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED AUGUST 2, 2026 AND AUGUST 3, 2025 Unaudited (Amounts in Thousands)
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THREE MONTHS ENDED Amounts August 2, August 3, 2026 2025 Cash flows from operating activities: Net income (loss) $ 5,981 $ (231) Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities: Depreciation 911 1,111 Non-cash inventory charge (credit) 745 (67) Amortization 29 95 Stock-based compensation 150 156 Deferred income taxes (843) 309 Realized gain on sale of investments (rabbi trust) (9) — Gain on sale of equipment — (9) Non-cash restructuring credit — (3,664) Foreign currency exchange loss 360 122 Changes in assets and liabilities: Accounts receivable 113 3,482 Inventories 4,542 (683) Other current assets (1,485) 212 Other assets 13 13 Accounts payable - trade (3,400) (3,126) Deferred revenue (78) 63 Accrued restructuring (37) (506) Accrued expenses and deferred compensation 724 1,016 Income taxes 386 1,012 Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities 8,102 (695) Cash flows from investing activities: Capital expenditures (314) (179) Proceeds from the sale of property, plant and equipment — 966 Proceeds from notes receivable 90 120 Proceeds from the sale of investments (rabbi trust) 313 237 Purchase of investments (rabbi trust) (91) (158) Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities (2) 986 Cash flows from financing activities: Proceeds from lines of credit 6,122 5,886 Payments on lines of credit (12,085) (552) Payment of debt issuance costs — (120) Common stock surrendered for withholding taxes payable (103) (60) Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities (6,066) 5,154 Effect of foreign currency exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents (72) 20 Increase in cash and cash equivalents 1,962 5,465 Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year 8,273 5,629 Cash and cash equivalents at end of period $ 10,235 $ 11,094 CULP, INC. STATEMENTS OF NET SALES AND GROSS PROFIT BY SEGMENT FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED AUGUST 2, 2026 AND AUGUST 3, 2025 Unaudited (Amounts in Thousands) THREE MONTHS ENDED Amounts Percent of Total Sales August 2, August 3, % Over August 2, August 3, Net Sales by Segment 2026 2025 (Under) 2026 2025 Bedding $ 31,750 $ 28,046 13.2% 58.8% 55.3% Upholstery 22,223 22,645 (1.9)% 41.2% 44.7% Net Sales $ 53,973 $ 50,691 6.5% 100.0% 100.0% Gross Profit by Segment Gross Margin Bedding $ 4,308 $ 2,942 46.4% 13.6% 10.5% Upholstery 4,130 4,286 (3.6)% 18.6% 18.9% Total Segment Gross Profit 8,438 7,228 16.7% 15.6% 14.3% Tariff Refunds (1) 6,940 — 100.0% 12.9% —
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Gross Profit $ 15,378 $ 7,228 112.8% 28.5% 14.3% Notes (1) During the three-month period ended August 2, 2026, the company received tariff refunds from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency. The $6.9 million, excluding interest, was recorded within cost of sales in the first quarter fiscal 2027 Consolidated Statement of Net Income. CULP, INC. RECONCILIATIONS OF NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES Unaudited (Amounts in Thousands) RECONCILIATION OF NET DEBT Amounts August 2, August 3, * May 3, 2026 2025 2026 Cash: Cash and cash equivalents $ 10,235 $ 11,094 $ 8,273 Debt: Lines of credit - current 13,324 11,120 12,129 Line of credit - long-term — 7,025 7,000 Total debt $ 13,324 $ 18,145 $ 19,129 Net debt position $ (3,089) $ (7,051) $ (10,856) * Derived from audited financial statements RECONCILIATION OF ADJUSTED FREE CASH FLOW THREE MONTHS ENDED Amounts August 2, August 3, 2026 2025 Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities $ 8,102 $ (695) Minus: Capital expenditures (314) (179) Free Cash Flow 7,788 (874) Plus: Proceeds from the sale of property, plant, and equipment — 966 Plus: Proceeds from notes receivable 90 120 Plus: Proceeds from the sale of investments (rabbi trust) 313 237 Minus: Purchase of investments (rabbi trust) (91) (158) Effects of foreign currency exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents (72) 20 Adjusted Free Cash Flow $ 8,028 $ 311 CULP, INC. RECONCILIATIONS OF NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES (CONTINUED) Unaudited (Amounts in Thousands) RECONCILIATION OF SELECTED INCOME STATEMENT INFORMATION TO ADJUSTED RESULTS Three months ended August 2, 2026 As Reported Adjusted Results August 2, August 2, 2026 Adjustments 2026 Net sales $ 53,973 — $ 53,973 Cost of sales (1) (38,595) (6,940) (45,535) Gross profit 15,378 (6,940) 8,438 Selling, general and administrative expenses (8,709) — (8,709) Income (loss) from operations $ 6,669 (6,940) $ (271) Notes (1) During the three-month period ended August 2, 2026, the $6.9 million represents cash proceeds regarding final approval from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency regarding our tariff refund claims. The $6.9 million excludes interest and was recorded within cost of sales in the first quarter fiscal 2027 Consolidated Statement of Net Income. Three months ended August 3, 2025 As Reported Adjusted Results
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August 3, August 3, 2025 Adjustments 2025 Net sales $ 50,691 — $ 50,691 Cost of sales (43,463) — (43,463) Gross profit 7,228 — 7,228 Selling, general and administrative expenses (9,119) — (9,119) Restructuring credit (1) 3,508 (3,508) — Income (loss) from operations $ 1,617 (3,508) $ (1,891) Notes (1) During the three-month period ended August 3, 2025, restructuring credit mostly represented a gain from the sale of the manufacturing facility located in Quebec, Canada totaling $4.0 million, partially offset by charges related to our activities to transform our operating model and reduce fixed costs. CULP, INC. RECONCILIATIONS OF NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES (CONTINUED) Unaudited (Amounts in Thousands) RECONCILIATION OF ADJUSTED EBITDA Quarter Ended Quarter Ended Quarter Ended Quarter Ended Trailing 12 Months November 2, February 1, May 3, August 2, August 2, 2025 2026 2026 2026 2026 Net loss (income) $ (4,306) $ (3,432) $ (2,242) $ 5,981 $ (3,999) Income tax expense 207 292 58 868 1,425 Interest (income) expense, net (50) (192) (19) 21 (240) Depreciation expense 1,057 974 963 911 3,905 Amortization expense 97 96 33 29 255 EBITDA (2,995) (2,262) (1,207) 7,810 1,346 Restructuring expense 499 584 102 — 1,185 Restructuring related charge 931 — — — 931 Resolution of legal matter — (1,000) — (814) (1,814) Tariff Refunds — — — (6,940) (6,940) Stock based compensation 177 129 163 150 619 Foreign currency exchange loss (1) 396 369 382 360 1,507 Adjusted EBITDA $ (992) $ (2,180) $ (560) $ 566 $ (3,166) % Net Sales (1.9)% (4.5)% (1.1)% 1.0% (1.5)% Quarter Ended Quarter Ended Quarter Ended Quarter Ended Trailing 12 Months October 27, January 26, April 27, August 3, August 3, 2024 2025 2025 2025 2025 Net loss $ (5,644) $ (4,126) $ (2,073) $ (231) $ (12,074) Income tax (benefit) expense (50) 446 (243) 1,369 1,522 Interest income, net (214) (192) (44) (52) (502) Depreciation expense 1,496 1,211 1,152 1,111 4,970 Amortization expense 101 101 104 95 401 EBITDA (4,311) (2,560) (1,104) 2,292 (5,683) Restructuring expense (credit) 2,031 1,655 1,422 (3,508) 1,600 Restructuring related charge 769 624 113 — 1,506 Stock based compensation 188 158 128 156 630 Foreign currency exchange loss (gain) 192 (334) (48) 122 (68) Adjusted EBITDA $ (1,131) $ (457) $ 511 $ (938) $ (2,015) % Net Sales (2.0)% (0.9)% 1.0% (1.9)% (1.0)% % Over (Under) (12.3)% 377.0% (209.6)% (160.3)% 57.1% Notes (1) Represents non-cash foreign currency exchange loss (gain) related to the remeasurement of assets and liabilities denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Beginning in the quarter ended November 2, 2025, we modified our presentation of adjusted EBITDA to exclude this measure. We believe this change enhances investor insight into our operational performance by excluding the non-cash impact of changes in foreign currency exchange rates. In order to facilitate comparisons among periods, we have applied this modified definition of adjusted EBITDA to
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all periods presented. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260909368242/en/ Investor Relations Contact Ken Bowling, Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, and Treasurer: (336) 881-5630 krbowling@culp.com Source: Culp, Inc.