Kimball International, Inc. (NASDAQ:KBAL) today announced the following results for the quarter and fiscal year ended June 30, 2017:

Fourth quarter revenue was $172.0 million, an increase of 4% over the prior year. Annually, net sales of $669.9 million increased 5% over the prior year, falling within our mid-term outlook of revenue growth in the mid-single digits.
Fourth quarter operating income was $15.4 million, or 9.0% of net sales. Annually, GAAP operating income as a percent of net sales was 8.5%, and excluding a restructuring gain was 8.2%, falling within our mid-term outlook of 8% to 9%.
Fourth quarter net income was $10.6 million, a 68% increase over the prior year fourth quarter GAAP net income, or a 48% increase over prior year adjusted net income excluding restructuring.
Quarterly diluted earnings per share was $0.28
Quarterly return on capital equaled 23.0%, the best in the industry, where public data is available.

Bob Schneider, Chairman and CEO, stated, “Our performance during the fourth quarter and fiscal year was at the high end of our expectations, with strong sales growth and improving operating income that reflect our customers' continued confidence in Kimball International. This marks the 16th consecutive quarter of year-over-year sales growth, with a significant portion of that growth being in new products with better margins. A 48% increase in adjusted net income on a 4% sales increase is incredible, and a testament to the hard work and dedication of our employees to improve results. We are entering fiscal year 2018 with a solid foundation to execute our strategies and take advantage of the many opportunities before us.”

Overview

The increase in net sales was driven by double digit increases in several vertical markets, including the finance vertical (up 37%) from an increased strategic focus on this market, the government vertical (up 29%) from new business activity in both federal and state governments, and the education vertical (up 18%) from a strong push during the peak educational buying season. Partially offsetting these increases were declines in the hospitality vertical (down 13%) due to a very strong prior year fourth quarter, and the healthcare vertical (down 9%) due to political uncertainty around replacement of the Affordable Care Act.
Sales from new office furniture products introduced in the last three years increased 14% over the prior year fourth quarter. New product sales approximated 29% of total office furniture sales in both the current and prior year fourth quarters.
Orders received during the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2017 were flat with the prior year fourth quarter, with increases in the education vertical (up 18%), the government vertical (up 11%), the finance vertical (up 9%), offsetting declines in the healthcare vertical (down 13%) and the commercial vertical (down 12%). Excluding the hospitality vertical, orders received by office furniture verticals declined 1% compared to the prior year fourth quarter. One of the Company’s brands implemented a price increase effective April 1st, which the Company believes had the effect of pulling orders into the third quarter that would have otherwise been received in the fourth quarter of the current year. Excluding the estimated effect of the price increase, orders increased approximately 4% over the prior year fourth quarter, both on a consolidated basis and for the office furniture vertical markets.
Fourth quarter gross profit as a percent of net sales improved 100 basis points over the prior year fourth quarter, due to leverage on higher sales volumes and cost savings initiatives, including operational productivity improvements and benefits from the Company's restructuring plan involving the transfer of metal fabrication production from Idaho into facilities in Indiana.
Selling and administrative expenses in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2017 decreased 150 basis points as a percent of net sales and decreased 1% in absolute dollars compared to the prior year fourth quarter. The decrease in selling and administrative expense was primarily driven by gains on the sale of land, reversal of bad debt reserves upon successful collection of notes, partially offset by increases in incentive compensation as a result of higher earnings levels.
As a result of completing restructuring activities during the first quarter, including the sale of the Post Falls, Idaho facility and land, no restructuring costs were incurred during the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2017. Pre-tax restructuring expenses in the prior year fourth quarter were $1.4 million.
Operating cash flow for the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2017 was $15.1 million compared to operating cash flow of $9.3 million in the fourth quarter of the prior year, an increase of $5.8 million. The increase was primarily driven by improved earnings during the current year quarter.
The Company's balance in cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments was $98.6 million at June 30, 2017, compared to June 30, 2016 cash and cash equivalents of $47.6 million. The increase was primarily driven by current year profitability, proceeds from the sale of the Post Falls building and land in August 2016 and other properties during the fiscal year, and improved conversion of working capital to cash, and was partially offset by the return of capital to share owners in the form of share repurchases and dividends totaling $15.4 million during fiscal year 2017.

Fiscal year 2017 net sales of $669.9 million increased 5% from fiscal year 2016 net sales of $635.1 million. Fiscal year 2017 operating income of $56.7 million increased 69% compared to fiscal year 2016 operating income of $33.5 million. Excluding restructuring, adjusted operating income for fiscal year 2017 was $54.8 million, an increase of 34% over fiscal year 2016 adjusted operating income of $40.8 million. Net Income for fiscal year 2017 was $37.5 million, or $0.99 per diluted share, compared to net income for fiscal year 2016 of $21.2 million, or $0.56 per diluted share. Excluding restructuring, adjusted net income for fiscal year 2017 was $36.4 million, or $0.96 per share, and adjusted net income for fiscal year 2016 was $25.7 million, or $0.68 per share.

Financial Targets
Mr. Schneider stated, “Since the spin-off of Electronics several years ago, we have set intermediate targets for improvement and have hit each of them. We are now updating our financial targets to reflect our latest strategies. Our sales growth target over the next two fiscal years is organic growth in the mid-single digits annually, which we estimate will enable us to reach operating income as a percent of sales between 9.5% and 10.5% in fiscal year 2019. This target compares to fiscal year 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017 adjusted pro forma operating income as a percent of sales, respectively, of 1.6%, 4.8%, 6.4%, and 8.2%. We expect our projected return on capital to continue to exceed 20%, which is among the best in the office furniture industry.”

The Company's financial targets assume that economic conditions do not significantly worsen, negatively affecting the industries which it serves. It also does not include any potential impact to sales and earnings related to acquisitions or the government's review of our subcontract reporting process.