CV Sciences, Inc. Reports Fiscal Year-End 2019 Financial Results
Record full year revenue
SAN DIEGO, March 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — CV Sciences, Inc. (OTCQB:CVSI) (the “Company”, “CV Sciences”, “our”, “us” or “we”), a preeminent supplier and manufacturer of hemp cannabidiol (CBD) products, today announced its financial results for the year ended December 31, 2019.
Fiscal 2019 and Recent Operating Highlights
- Revenue of $53.7 million for fiscal year 2019;
- Total retail distribution increased to more than 5,500 stores as of December 31, 2019, a 148% increase from December 31, 2018 including new and/or expanded partnerships with national retail chains;
- Broadened retail presence in the food, drug and mass channel (FDM) and in active discussions for further expansion of the PlusCBD™ Oil brand;
- Expanded e-commerce sales to 19% of total net revenue, up from 14% for 2018;
- Launched updated +PlusCBD™ Oil website in January 2020 to enhance customer experience and drive increased e-commerce sales;
- Launched 18 new products during fiscal 2019;
- Gross margin of 65% for fiscal year 2019; and
- Maintained strong total cash balance of $9.6 million at year end.
“During 2019, revenue grew by 11% to $53.7 million driven by our expansion into new sales channels and distributions gains that produced a 148% increase in retail locations, including a strong presence in multiple national retailers. It was a year of significant business development, including distribution and product offering expansions, our first entry into the national food, drug and mass channel and establishing the foundation and infrastructure in anticipation of long-term growth of the hemp-derived CBD market. This past year demonstrated great progress and promise for the hemp CBD industry and CV Sciences, although the industry also faced challenging external forces. In the face of near-term headwinds, including regulatory ambiguities, heightened competition aided by a lack of regulatory clarity, and occasional unfavorable media attention as the regulatory environment develops, CV Sciences managed to achieve the highest annual sales in our company history. We are focused on further strengthening our brand, product offerings and adding new categories as we monitor the ongoing development of the market and position ourselves for future opportunities,” stated Joseph Dowling, Chief Executive Officer of CV Sciences. “We continue to work with the FDA to support market development and ensure CV Sciences is leading the industry in quality and safety. We are confident that FDA regulatory clarity will lead to a ‘flight to quality’ among both retailers and consumers and believe that CV Sciences is best positioned to secure long-term brand loyalty and trust due to our proven track record and relentless focus on quality, safety and regulatory compliance,” Mr. Dowling continued.
As we look towards 2020, we are aggressively adapting to the business environment, working to manage costs while further building distribution and driving innovation. These efforts include a temporary delay of our drug development efforts.
Joseph Dowling, Chief Executive Officer of CV Sciences
We anticipate that the near-term challenges will continue, but we are confident in our ability to navigate the market and align our financial model to the current environment. We remain focused on the long term and are committed to positioning our business to capitalize on the promising future for the hemp-derived CBD market.
Operating Results – Full Year 2019 Compared to Full Year 2018
Sales for 2019 were $53.7 million, an increase of 11% from $48.2 million in 2018. Sales growth reflected the Company’s continued organic expansion into all sales channels, including food drug and mass, natural product retail, specialty retail and direct-to-consumer channels. The second half of 2019 was impacted by increased market competition across all sales channels and the continued impact on retail customers as a result of the uncertain regulatory environment for CBD. The Company’s retail store count increased to 5,567 stores nationwide as of December 31, 2019, up from 2,238 stores as of December 31, 2018.
The Company recognized an operating loss of $17.2 million in 2019, compared to an operating income of $10.2 million in the prior year. The decline in operating income is primarily related to additional stock-based compensation and payroll expense associated with the separation of the Company’s founders of $11.1 million, and additional investment in sales, marketing and R&D activities.
Adjusted EBITDA for 2019 was $0.2 million, compared to $14.0 million in 2018.
Fourth Quarter 2019 – Sales
During the fourth quarter of 2019, sales declined 34% to $9.4 million compared to $14.2 million in the prior year period. Fourth quarter sales were impacted by increased market competition in the natural product category, and the continued impact on retail customers as a result of the uncertain regulatory environment for CBD.
Business Outlook
For the first quarter of fiscal 2020, the Company expects revenue to be in the range of $6 million to $8 million.
Conference Call and Webcast
The Company will host a conference call and webcast to discuss these results today at 4:30 pm EDT/1:30 pm PDT. The webcast of the conference call will be available on the Investor Relations section of the Company’s web site at https://ir.cvsciences.com/news-events and at http://public.viavid.com/index.php?id=138282. Investors interested in participating in the live call can also dial (877) 407-0784 from the U.S., or international callers can dial (201) 689-8560. A telephone replay will be available approximately two hours after the call concludes, and will be available through Monday, March 23, 2020, by dialing (844) 512-2921 from the U.S. or (412) 317-6671 from international locations, and entering confirmation code 13699659.
About CV Sciences, Inc.
CV Sciences, Inc. (CVSI) operates two distinct business segments: a consumer product division focused on manufacturing, marketing and selling plant-based CBD products to a range of market sectors; and a drug development division focused on developing and commercializing CBD-based novel therapeutics utilizing CBD. The Company’s PlusCBD™ Oil products are sold at more than 5,500 retail locations throughout the U.S. and it is the top-selling brand of hemp-derived CBD in the natural product retail market, according to SPINS, the leading provider of syndicated data and insights for the natural, organic and specialty products industry. CV Sciences’ state-of-the-art facility follows all guidelines for Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and the Company’s hemp extracts are processed, produced, and tested throughout the manufacturing process to confirm the cannabinoid content meets strict company standards. With a commitment to science, PlusCBD™ Oil’s benefits in healthy people are supported by human clinical research data, in addition to three published clinical case studies available on PubMed.gov. PlusCBD™ Oil was the first hemp CBD supplement brand to invest in the scientific evidence necessary to receive self-affirmed Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status. CV Sciences, Inc. has primary offices and facilities in San Diego, California. Additional information is available from OTCMarkets.com or by visiting www.cvsciences.com.
Contact Information
Investor Contact:
ICR
Scott Van Winkle
617-956-6736
scott.vanwinkle@icrinc.com
Media Contact:
ICR
Cory Ziskind
646-277-1232
cory.ziskind@icrinc.com
