Culp reports Q1 EPS (27c), two estimates (35c)

Reports Q1 revenue $56.7M, two estimates $60.11M. Commenting on the results, Iv Culp, president and chief executive officer of Culp, Inc., said, “We are pleased to report better than expected improvement in our operating performance for the first quarter, as we are continuing our aggressive business transformation. As expected, our top-line performance was impacted by the difficult macro-economic environment that continues to pressure the industries we service. However, our operating performance improved despite this pressure on sales, driven by internal improvements in both businesses. In our mattress fabrics segment, we continue to gain market position with the roll out of new fabric and sewn cover placements that are priced in line with current costs. This segment also achieved a 52 percent improvement in its operating results as compared to the prior-year period, and a 45 percent improvement as compared sequentially to the prior quarter. These gains were driven by our ongoing focus on operational efficiencies and cost reduction initiatives across our locations. For the upholstery fabrics segment, we saw operational improvements and fixed cost savings, along with solid demand in our hospitality/contract business, including improvement for Read Window. However, sales in our residential fabrics business were lower as compared to the first quarter of last fiscal year, which was a strong quarter, due to the ongoing demand softness affecting the home furnishings industry.”