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                                  UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM 10-Q

[X]      QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES
         EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the quarterly period ended               August 2, 1997
                              --------------------------------------------------

                                       OR

[ ]      TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES
         EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from                   to
                              -------------------  ------------------

Commission file number                0-3747
                      -------------------------------------

                      THE CATO CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
             -----------------------------------------------------
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

          Delaware                                           56-0484485
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
(State or other jurisdiction                              (I.R.S. Employer
     of incorporation)                                   Identification No.)

             8100 Denmark Road, Charlotte, North Carolina 28273-5975
             -------------------------------------------------------
                    (Address of principal executive offices)
                                   (Zip Code)

                                 (704) 554-8510
              ----------------------------------------------------
              (Registrant's telephone number, including area code)

                                 Not Applicable
              ----------------------------------------------------
              (Former name, former address and former fiscal year,
                          if changed since last report)

         Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports
required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the
registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such
filing requirements for the past 90 days.

Yes  X    No
   -----    -----

As of August 18, 1997, there were 22,595,612 shares of Class A Common Stock and
5,264,317 shares of Class B Common Stock outstanding.
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                              THE CATO CORPORATION

                                    FORM 10-Q

                                 AUGUST 2, 1997


                                TABLE OF CONTENTS



Page No. ---- PART I - FINANCIAL INFORMATION (UNAUDITED) Consolidated Statements of Income 2 Consolidated Balance Sheets 3 Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows 4 Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements 5-6 Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations 7-9 PART II - OTHER INFORMATION 10-11
3 Page 2 PART I FINANCIAL INFORMATION THE CATO CORPORATION UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
Three Months Ended Six Months Ended -------------------- -------------------- August 2, August 3, August 2, August 3, 1997 1996 1997 1996 --------- --------- --------- --------- (In thousands, except per share data) REVENUES Retail sales $120,901 $112,747 $244,152 $232,775 Other income (principally finance and layaway charges) 3,550 3,208 7,799 6,719 -------- -------- -------- -------- Total revenues 124,451 115,955 251,951 239,494 -------- -------- -------- -------- COSTS AND EXPENSES Cost of goods sold, including occupancy, distribution and buying 85,954 80,549 169,010 160,323 Selling, general and administrative 30,949 29,591 61,681 59,246 Depreciation 1,967 2,123 3,908 4,197 Interest 68 66 131 131 -------- -------- -------- -------- Total expenses 118,938 112,329 234,730 223,897 -------- -------- -------- -------- INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES 5,513 3,626 17,221 15,597 Income taxes 1,737 1,287 5,425 5,537 -------- -------- -------- -------- NET INCOME $ 3,776 $ 2,339 $ 11,796 $ 10,060 ======== ======== ======== ======== EARNINGS PER COMMON AND COMMON EQUIVALENT SHARE $ 0.13 $ 0.08 $ 0.41 $ 0.35 ======== ======== ======== ======== DIVIDENDS PER SHARE $ 0.04 $ 0.04 $ 0.08 $ 0.08 ======== ======== ======== ========
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements. 4 Page 3 THE CATO CORPORATION CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
August 2, August 3, February 1, 1997 1996 1997 (Unaudited) (Unaudited) ----------- ----------- ----------- (In thousands) ASSETS Current Assets Cash and cash equivalents $ 24,068 $ 24,815 $ 16,593 Short-term investments 34,739 34,617 33,512 Accounts receivable - net 44,689 35,448 43,192 Merchandise inventories 69,401 69,734 63,968 Deferred income taxes 2,014 1,825 2,014 Prepaid expenses 4,026 4,368 2,181 -------- -------- --------- Total Current Assets 178,937 170,807 161,460 Property and Equipment 50,470 55,504 51,333 Other Assets 5,456 5,261 5,450 -------- -------- --------- Total $234,863 $231,572 $ 218,243 ======== ======== ========= LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY Current Liabilities Accounts payable $ 45,471 $ 46,113 $ 38,276 Accrued expenses 16,729 11,473 16,232 Income taxes 4,616 3,878 1,579 -------- -------- --------- Total Current Liabilities 66,816 61,464 56,087 Deferred Income Taxes 3,851 4,491 3,851 Other Noncurrent Liabilities 6,471 7,667 6,402 Stockholders' Equity: Class A Common Stock, issued 23,395,612 shares, 23,340,519 shares and 23,366,403 shares at August 2, 1997, August 3, 1996 and February 1, 1997, respectively 779 777 778 Convertible Class B Common Stock, issued and outstanding 5,264,317 shares at August 2, 1997, August 3, 1996 and February 1, 1997, respectively 176 176 176 Preferred Stock, none -- -- -- Additional paid-in capital 63,391 63,151 63,272 Retained earnings 98,180 94,069 88,656 -------- -------- --------- 162,526 158,173 152,882 Less Class A Common Stock in treasury, at cost (800,000 shares at August 2, 1997, 40,000 shares at August 3, 1996, and 175,000 shares at February 1, 1997) 4,801 223 979 -------- -------- --------- Total Stockholders' Equity 157,725 157,950 151,903 -------- -------- --------- Total $234,863 $231,572 $ 218,243 ======== ======== =========
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements. 5 Page 4 THE CATO CORPORATION UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
Six Months Ended -------------------------- August 2, August 3, 1997 1996 -------------------------- (In thousands) OPERATING ACTIVITIES Net income $ 11,796 $ 10,060 Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities: Depreciation 3,908 4,197 Amortization of investment premiums 51 114 Changes in operating assets and liabilities which provided (used) cash: Accounts receivable (1,497) 4,344 Merchandise inventories (5,433) (11,294) Other assets (1,851) (2,049) Accrued income taxes 3,037 2,550 Accounts payable and other liabilities 8,073 10,990 -------- -------- Net cash provided by operating activities 18,084 18,912 -------- -------- INVESTING ACTIVITIES Expenditures for property and equipment (3,357) (5,468) Purchases of short-term investments (5,103) (18,711) Sales of short-term investments 3,825 5,691 -------- -------- Net cash used in investing activities (4,635) (18,488) -------- -------- FINANCING ACTIVITIES Dividends paid (2,272) (2,282) Purchase of treasury stock (3,822) -- Proceeds from employee stock purchase plan 114 156 Proceeds from stock options exercised 6 334 -------- -------- Net cash used in financing activities (5,974) (1,792) -------- -------- Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents 7,475 (1,368) Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Year 16,593 26,183 -------- -------- Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Period $ 24,068 $ 24,815 ======== ========
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements. 6 Page 5 THE CATO CORPORATION NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THREE MONTHS AND SIX MONTHS ENDED AUGUST 2, 1997 AND AUGUST 3, 1996 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE 1 - GENERAL: - ----------------- The consolidated financial statements have been prepared from the accounting records of The Cato Corporation (the Company) and all amounts shown at August 2, 1997 and August 3, 1996 are unaudited. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting solely of normal recurring adjustments) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included. The results of the interim period may not be indicative of the entire year. The Company's short-term investments are classified as available for sale securities, and therefore, are carried at fair value, with unrealized gains and losses, net of income taxes, reported as an adjustment to retained earnings. Inventories are stated at the lower of cost (first-in, first-out) or market, determined by the retail inventory method. The provisions for income taxes are based on the Company's estimated annual effective tax rate. NOTE 2 - EARNINGS PER COMMON AND COMMON EQUIVALENT SHARE: - --------------------------------------------------------- Earnings per share is calculated by dividing net income by the weighted average number of Class A and Class B common shares and common stock equivalents outstanding during the respective periods. Common stock equivalents represent the dilutive effect of the assumed exercise of outstanding stock options. The number of shares used in the earnings per common and common equivalent share computations were 28,376,044 shares and 28,440,440 shares for the three months and six months ended August 2, 1997, respectively, and 28,622,744 shares and 28,770,393 shares for the three months and six months ended August 3, 1996, respectively. In February 1997, Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 128, "Earnings per Share" (SFAS 128) was issued to simplify the standards for computing earnings per share (EPS) and make them comparable to international EPS standards. SFAS 128 is effective for periods ending after December 15, 1997 and can not be adopted at an earlier date. SFAS 128 will require dual presentation of basic and diluted EPS on the face of the statement of current earnings and a reconciliation of the components of the basic and diluted EPS calculations in the notes to the financial statements. Basic EPS excludes dilution and is computed by dividing net earnings by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding for the period. Diluted EPS is similar to fully diluted EPS pursuant to Accounting Principles Board (APB) Opinion No. 15. The Company will adopt SFAS 128 in the quarter and year ending January 31, 1998. Had the new standard been applied in the quarter ending August 2, 1997, basic and diluted EPS would have been the same as primary and fully diluted EPS under APB Opinion No. 15. 7 Page 6 THE CATO CORPORATION NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THREE MONTHS AND SIX MONTHS ENDED AUGUST 2, 1997 AND AUGUST 3, 1996 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE 3 - SUPPLEMENTAL CASH FLOW INFORMATION: - -------------------------------------------- Interest paid during the six months ended August 2, 1997 and August 3, 1996 was $83,000 and $122,000, respectively. Income tax payments, net of refunds received, for the six months ended August 2, 1997 and August 3, 1996 were $2,359,000 and $2,975,000, respectively. NOTE 4 - FINANCING ARRANGEMENTS: - -------------------------------- In February 1996, the Company entered into a new unsecured revolving credit agreement which provides for borrowings of up to $20 million and an additional letter of credit facility of $15 million. The revolving credit agreement is committed until May 1999 and the letter of credit facility is renewable annually. The revolving credit agreement contains various financial covenants, including the maintenance of specific financial ratios. The agreement replaced an unsecured revolving credit and term loan agreement, which was committed until May 1998, and provided $35 million of available borrowings and a $15 million letter of credit facility. In May 1997, the unsecured revolving credit agreement was extended until May 2000 and the letter of credit facility renewed for an additional year. 8 Page 7 THE CATO CORPORATION MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- RESULTS OF OPERATIONS - --------------------- The following table sets forth, for the periods indicated, certain items in the Company's Unaudited Consolidated Statements of Income as percentages of total retail sales:
Three Months Ended Six Months Ended ------------------------- ------------------------- August 2, August 3, August 2, August 3, 1997 1996 1997 1996 --------- --------- --------- --------- Total retail sales 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% Total revenues 102.9 102.8 103.2 102.9 Cost of goods sold, including occupancy, distribution and buying 71.1 71.4 69.2 68.9 Selling, general and administrative 25.6 26.2 25.3 25.4 Income before income taxes 4.5 3.2 7.0 6.7 Net income 3.1 2.1 4.8 4.3
Comparison of Second Quarter and First Six Months of 1997 with 1996. OPERATING RESULTS - ----------------- Total retail sales for the second quarter were $120.9 million compared to last year's second quarter sales of $112.7 million, a 7% increase. Same-store sales increased 8% in this year's second quarter. For the six months ended August 2, 1997, total retail sales increased 5% over the prior year's first six months, and same-store sales increased 5% for the comparable six month period. The increase in retail sales for the first six months of 1997 resulted from the Company's store development activity, an improved customer offering and commitments to key item basic product at everyday competitive prices. The Company operated 677 stores at August 2, 1997 compared to 688 stores at the end of last year's second quarter. Other income for the second quarter and first six months of 1997 increased 11% and 16%, respectively, over the prior year's comparable periods. The increase in the current year resulted primarily from increased finance charge income on the Company's customer accounts receivable and by increased earnings from cash equivalents and short-term investments. Cost of goods sold, including occupancy, distribution and buying expenses were 71.1% and 69.2% of total retail sales for the second quarter and first six months of 1997, respectively, compared to 71.4% and 68.9% for last year's comparable three and six month periods. The increase in cost of goods sold as a percent of retail sales resulted primarily from a planned decrease in initial mark-up. 9 Page 8 THE CATO CORPORATION MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OPERATING RESULTS - CONTINUED - ----------------------------- Selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses were $30.9 million and $61.7 million for the second quarter and first six months of this year, respectively, compared to $29.6 million and $59.2 million for last year's comparable three and six month periods, respectively. Expenses remained well controlled and were under planned levels. LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES - ------------------------------- At August 2, 1997, the Company had working capital of $112.1 million, compared to $109.3 million at August 3, 1996 and $105.4 million at February 1, 1997. Cash provided from operating activities was $18.1 million for the six months ended August 2, 1997, compared to $18.9 million for last year's comparable six month period. The Company had no borrowings under its revolving credit agreement at August 2, 1997 or August 3, 1996. At August 2, 1997, the Company had cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments of $58.8 million, compared to $59.4 million at August 3, 1996 and $50.1 million at February 1, 1997. In February 1996, the Company entered into a new unsecured revolving credit agreement which provides for borrowings of up to $20 million and an additional letter of credit facility of $15 million. The revolving credit agreement is committed until May 1999 and the letter of credit facility is renewable annually. The revolving credit agreement contains various financial covenants, including the maintenance of specific financial ratios. The agreement replaced an unsecured revolving credit and term loan agreement, which was committed until May 1998, and provided $35 million of available borrowings and a $15 million letter of credit facility. In May 1997, the unsecured revolving credit agreement was extended until May 2000 and the letter of credit facility renewed for an additional year. Expenditures for property and equipment totaled $3.4 million for the six months ended August 2, 1997, compared to $5.5 million of expenditures in last year's first six months. The Company expects total capital expenditures to be approximately $9.2 million for the current fiscal year. The Company intends to open approximately 60 new stores and to relocate or expand 20 stores during the current fiscal year. For the six months ended August 2, 1997, the Company had opened 31 new stores, relocated or expanded 9 stores, and closed 9 stores. The Company believes that its cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments, together with cash flow from operations and borrowings available under its revolving credit agreement, will be adequate to fund the Company's proposed capital expenditures and other operating requirements. 10 Page 9 THE CATO CORPORATION MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES - CONTINUED - ------------------------------------------- Form 10-Q includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. All statements other than statements of historical facts included in the Form 10-Q and located elsewhere herein regarding the Company's financial position and business strategy may constitute forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. 11 Page 10 PART II OTHER INFORMATION THE CATO CORPORATION ITEM 1. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS - ------------------------- None ITEM 2. CHANGES IN THE RIGHTS OF THE COMPANY'S SECURITY HOLDERS - --------------------------------------------------------------- None ITEM 3. DEFAULTS BY THE COMPANY ON ITS SENIOR SECURITIES - -------------------------------------------------------- Not Applicable ITEM 4. RESULT OF VOTES OF SECURITY HOLDERS - ------------------------------------------- Following are the results of the matters voted upon at the Company's Annual Meeting which was held on May 22, 1997. Election of Directors: ---------------------- Mr. John P. Derham Cato - For 72,625,876 ; Abstaining 264,893 Mr. Alan E. Wiley - For 72,625,876 ; Abstaining 264,893 Ms. Clarice Cato Goodyear - For 72,625,780 ; Abstaining 264,989 Mr. Paul Fulton - For 72,680,637 ; Abstaining 210,132 Mr. James H. Shaw - For 72,680,637 ; Abstaining 210,132
Ratification of Deloitte & Touche LLP as Independent Auditors ------------------------------------------------------------- For 72,865,948 ; Abstaining 13,127 ; Against 11,694 ITEM 5. OTHER INFORMATION - ------------------------- None ITEM 6. EXHIBITS AND REPORTS ON FORM 8-K - ---------------------------------------- (A) Exhibit 27 - FDS (for SEC use only). (B) No Reports on Form 8-K were filed during the quarter ended August 2, 1997. 12 Page 11 PART II OTHER INFORMATION (CONTINUED) THE CATO CORPORATION Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized. THE CATO CORPORATION September 10, 1997 /s/ Wayland H. Cato, Jr. - -------------------- ------------------------------------------- Date Wayland H. Cato, Jr. Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer September 10, 1997 /s/ Alan E. Wiley - -------------------- ------------------------------------------- Date Alan E. Wiley Senior Executive Vice President-Secretary, Chief Financial and Administrative Officer
 

5 THIS SCHEDULE CONTAINS SUMMARY FINANCIAL INFORMATION EXTRACTED FROM THE BALANCE SHEET AND INCOME STATEMENT AND IS QUALIFIED IN ITS ENTIRETY BY REFERENCE TO SUCH FINANCIAL STATEMENTS. 1,000 6-MOS JAN-31-1998 AUG-02-1997 24,068 34,739 49,050 4,361 69,401 178,937 94,551 44,081 234,863 66,816 0 0 0 955 156,770 234,863 244,152 251,951 169,010 169,010 0 1,787 131 17,221 5,425 11,796 0 0 0 11,796 0.41 0