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January 28 , 2021 ETHAN ALLEN Ethan Allen Reports Fiscal 2021 Second Quarter Results DANBURY , CT , Jan. 28 , 2021 ( GLOBE NEWSWIRE ) -- Ethan Allen Interiors Inc. ( " Ethan Allen " or the " Company " ) ( NYSE : ETH ) today reported its business and financial results for the fiscal 2021 second quarter ended December 31 , 2020 . Farooq Kathwari , Ethan Allen's Chairman , President and CEO commented , " we performed very well during the second quarter despite the unsettled business environment from the ongoing COVID - 19 pandemic . The increased consumer focus on the home has continued to generate a heightened level of demand for our product offerings and design services . Our fundamentals continue to be strong , with written orders and backlogs from both operating segments reporting double - digit growth . We ended the quarter with a strong balance sheet , including cash on hand of $ 80 million and no outstanding debt , and a major increase in earnings per share through disciplined cost and expense controls . We are also pleased that our January retail written orders continue the upward trend . " FISCAL 2021 SECOND QUARTER HIGHLIGHTS * • Diluted earnings per share ( " EPS ” ) of $ 0.67 ; adjusted EPS of $ 0.69 increased 155.6 % • Consolidated operating margin of 12.6 % compared with 5.3 % ; adjusted operating margin of 13.1 % compared with 5.4 % • Retail segment written order growth of 44.9 % • Wholesale segment written orders increased 28.1 % ; excluding GSA and other government orders , wholesale segment orders grew 39.7 % • Consolidated net sales increased 2.4 % to $ 178.8 million • Consolidated gross margin of 56.7 % ; adjusted gross margin expanded 80 basis points to 56.9 % • Strong cash flow helped end the quarter with cash on hand of $ 80.0 million , up 182.7 % from a year ago , and no debt • Paid regular quarterly cash dividend of $ 5.3 million during the quarter * See reconciliation of U.S. GAAP to adjusted key financial measures in the back of this press release . Comparisons are to the second quarter of fiscal 2020 . Mr. Kathwari continued , " with our well - known and desired Ethan Allen brand strongly resonating with consumers during these uncertain times , we were able to accelerate the pace of written orders , produce double - digit consolidated operating margin and generate cash . We continued to focus on prudent expense management as we navigate the challenging COVID - 19 landscape and remain focused on providing a safe environment for employees and customers . In this stronger - than - expected demand environment , our supply chain team is demonstrating agility and flexibility to increase production capacity and receipt of inventory . Due to the impact of COVID - 19 and its effects on production capacity and our supply chain , we believe it will take the March and June quarters to catch up to the increase in customer demand . "