Sonos Reports Record Fiscal Year and Fourth Quarter 2021 Results

Introduces Fiscal 2022 Outlook; Ahead of Schedule Reaching Fiscal 2024 Targets

SANTA BARBARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sonos, Inc. (Nasdaq: SONO) today reported fourth quarter and fiscal 2021 results.

Fiscal 2021 Financial Highlights (unaudited)

• Revenue increased 29% to $1.717 billion; excluding the impact of the 53rd week in fiscal 2020, revenue increased approximately 32%
• Gross margin increased 410 basis points to 47.2%; excluding the effect of tariff duties and refunds, gross margin increased 130 basis points to a record of 46.9%
• GAAP net income increased to $158.6 million from a net loss of ($20.1) million last year; non-GAAP net income excluding stock-based compensation, restructuring, and legal and transaction-related fees increased to $248.3 million from $79.2 million last year
• GAAP diluted earnings per share (EPS) increased to $1.13 from a loss per share of ($0.18) last year; non-GAAP diluted earnings per share (EPS) excluding stock-based compensation, restructuring, and legal and transaction related fees increased to $1.77 from $0.67 last year
• Adjusted EBITDA increased 157% to $278.6 million
• Adjusted EBITDA margin increased 800 basis points to 16.2%
• Cash flows from operating activities increased to $253.2 million compared to $162.0 million last year
• Free cash flow increased to $207.7 million compared to $129.0 million last year

Fourth Quarter 2021 Financial Highlights (unaudited)

• Revenue increased 6% year-over-year to $359.5 million; excluding the impact of the 14th week last year, revenue increased approximately 14% year-over-year
• Gross margin of 46.4% compared to 47.5% last year; excluding the effect of tariff duties and refunds, gross margin was 45.7% compared to 48.3% last year
• GAAP net loss of ($8.7) million compared to net income of $18.4 million last year; non-GAAP net income excluding stock-based compensation, restructuring and legal and transaction related fees of $11.8 million compared to $40.7 million last year
• GAAP diluted loss per share of ($0.07) compared to $0.15 last year; non-GAAP diluted earnings per share (EPS) excluding stock-based compensation, restructuring, and legal and transaction related fees of $0.08 compared to $0.33 last year
• Adjusted EBITDA of $17.1 million compared to $46.4 million last year
• Adjusted EBITDA margin was 4.8% compared to 13.7% last year

Fiscal 2022 Outlook

• Revenue in the range of $1.925 billion to $2.0 billion, representing growth in the range of 12% to 16% from fiscal 2021
• Gross margin in the range of 46% to 47%. Our fiscal 2022 gross margin outlook includes minimal net tariff impact
• Adjusted EBITDA in the range of $280 million to $325 million, representing growth in the range of 1% to 17%
• Adjusted EBITDA margin in the range of 14.5% to 16.2%

New Stock Repurchase Program

• As announced in a separate release today, the company’s Board of Directors has authorized a new common stock repurchase program of up to $150 million
• Under its prior repurchase programs, the company completed $100 million in stock repurchases, representing 5.2 million shares at an average price of $19.30 per share, enabling the company to return capital to shareholders and offset dilution from compensation plans.

Sonos CEO Patrick Spence commented, “We are thrilled to report another record year at Sonos. Our fiscal 2021 results are an illustration of just how much our products have appealed to customers and how powerful and profitable our model is as we execute and scale. Demand for our products remains incredibly robust and, despite continued supply constraints, we delivered a record $1.717 billion in revenue, up nearly 30% from the prior year. We achieved record adjusted EBITDA of $278.6 million, representing a record adjusted EBITDA margin of 16.2%, up 800 basis points from the prior year.”

“As our customers recognize, Sonos products operate seamlessly together, with more products improving the experience. We consistently see our existing customers adding more products to their systems, and with every new household that we add, that flywheel begins. Total households increased 15% to a record 12.6 million in fiscal 2021, while our existing customers once again showed strong repurchase habits, accounting for a record 46% of total product registrations. Total products per household increased to 3.0, underscoring the power of our model and we are poised to drive further increases in customer lifetime value as we continue to innovate and introduce new products and services,” continued Mr. Spence.

“Demand for our products remains stronger than ever, and we are entering fiscal 2022 with a significant backlog due to the continued industry-wide supply constraints. Despite these supply constraints, we expect to deliver another strong year in fiscal 2022, including 16% revenue growth and 17% adjusted EBITDA growth at the high end of our outlook. The powerful momentum we are experiencing in our business puts us ahead of schedule for reaching the fiscal 2024 financial targets introduced at our investor event last March. As we look forward, we are confident in our ability to deliver an approximately 13% revenue CAGR, 45% to 47% gross margin, and 15% to 18% adjusted EBITDA margin through fiscal 2024. We have an exciting product roadmap ahead, are extremely well positioned for the long-term, and expect to deliver significant free cash flow and increased shareholder value over time as we continue on our quest to be the world’s leading sound experience company,” Mr. Spence concluded.

Fiscal 2021 Company Highlights (unaudited)

Key Metrics:

• Total households increased 15% to 12.6 million in fiscal 2021
• Existing households accounted for 46% of new product registrations in fiscal 2021
• Average number of registered products per household of 3.0 in fiscal 2021 vs 2.9 last year
• Listening hours increased 19% year-over-year
• Direct-to-consumer revenue increased nearly 47% and represented 24% of total revenue

Strategic Initiatives:

• Expansion of our Offerings:
  • Introduced Sonos Radio HD in November 2020 - an ad-free, high-definition streaming tier of Sonos Radio featuring even more exclusive content directly in the Sonos app, now in lossless, CD-quality audio.
  • Launched Roam in April 2021 ($179 MSRP) - the ultra-portable smart speaker built to deliver great sound at home and on any adventure.
  • Announced first-ever automotive audio partnership with Audi in April 2021- featuring a Sonos-tuned premium sound experience in the Audi Q4 e-tron and future models including the A1, Q2 and Q3.
  • Introduced new partner products with IKEA in June and September 2021 - including the SYMFONISK picture frame and updated lamp.

• Expansion of our Brand:
  • Named one of Fast Company’s Brands that Matter in 2021 - The list captures brands who are inspiring all of us whether it be leading in pop culture or responding meaningfully to current events
  • Entered into first-ever sports team partnership with Liverpool Football Club - a multi-year partnership naming Sonos the Official Sound Partner of Liverpool FC and creating immersive sound experiences within Anfield stadium
  • Teamed up with ESPN as an Official Sponsor of ESPN College Football
  • Announced multi-faceted partnership with the North Face and Sonos Radio in celebration of the launch of Roam
  • Launched new, exclusive programming on Sonos Radio, in partnership with artists such as Brian Eno, Erkyah Badu, M.I.A and more, and grew Radio HD with geo expansion to five new countries - Austria, Canada, France, Germany and The Netherlands. Listening hours doubled during the past year.

• Delivering Operational Excellence and Other Highlights
  • Continued strong execution, delivering record fiscal 2021 revenue, gross margin, adjusted EBITDA and free cash flow in a challenging supply chain and logistics environment.
  • Included in Inc. Magazine first ever list of the 250 Best-Led Companies - coming in at #13. The list highlights America's thriving midsize companies that are the unsung heroes of the US economy and the standout CEOs that are setting the gold standard for leadership.
  • Published our annual Listen Better report, highlighting the work we have done to improve our efforts as a responsible company. In 2021, we developed our first climate action plan, which we will be sharing alongside our annual Listen Better report in December.

Supplemental Earnings Presentation

The Company has posted a supplemental earnings presentation accompanying its fourth quarter and fiscal 2021 results to the Earnings Reports section of its investor relations website at https://investors.sonos.com/reports-and-filings/default.aspx#section=earningsreports.

Conference Call, Webcast and Transcript

The Company will host a webcast of its conference call and Q&A related to its fourth quarter and fiscal 2021 results on November 17, 2021 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time (2:00 p.m. Pacific Time). Participants may access the live webcast in listen-only mode on the Sonos investor relations website at https://investors.sonos.com/news-and-events/default.aspx.

The conference call may also be accessed by dialing [phone] with conference ID 1804222. Participants outside the U.S. can access the call by dialing [phone] using the same conference ID.

An archived webcast of the conference call and a transcript of the company’s prepared remarks and Q&A session will also be available at https://investors.sonos.com/reports-and-filings/default.aspx#section=earningsreports following the call.

Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss)
(unaudited, in thousands, except share and per share amounts)
	Three Months Ended						Twelve Months Ended
	October 2, 2021			October 3, 2020			October 2, 2021			October 3, 2020
Revenue	$	359,539		$	339,837		$	1,716,744		$	1,326,328
Cost of revenue	192,608			178,301			906,750			754,372
Gross profit	166,931			161,536			809,994			571,956
Operating expenses
Research and development	65,783			54,783			230,078			214,672
Sales and marketing	73,236			58,338			272,124			263,539
General and administrative	39,457			32,986			152,828			120,978
Total operating expenses	178,476			146,107			655,030			599,189
Operating income (loss)	(11,545		)	15,429			154,964			(27,233		)
Other income (expense), net
Interest income	33			43			146			1,998
Interest expense	(67		)	(300		)	(592		)	(1,487		)
Other income (expense), net	(2,271		)	3,273			2,407			6,639
Total other income (expense), net	(2,305		)	3,016			1,961			7,150
Income (loss) before provision for (benefit from) income taxes	(13,850		)	18,445			156,925			(20,083		)
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes	(5,106		)	34			(1,670		)	32
Net income (loss)	$	(8,744	)	$	18,411		$	158,595		$	(20,115	)
Net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders
Basic	$	(8,744	)	$	18,411		$	158,595		$	(20,115	)
Diluted	$	(8,744	)	$	18,411		$	158,595		$	(20,115	)
Net income (loss) per share attributable to common stockholders
Basic	$	(0.07	)	$	0.17		$	1.30		$	(0.18	)
Diluted	$	(0.07	)	$	0.15		$	1.13		$	(0.18	)
Weighted-average shares used in computing net income (loss) per share attributable to common stockholders
Basic	126,351,433			111,148,110			122,245,212			109,807,154
Diluted	126,351,433			122,598,225			140,309,152			109,807,154
Total comprehensive income (loss)
Net income (loss)	$	(8,744	)	$	18,411		$	158,595		$	(20,115	)
Change in foreign currency translation adjustment	252			(1,095		)	514			(1,826		)
Comprehensive income (loss)	$	(8,492	)	$	17,316		$	159,109		$	(21,941	)

Consolidated Balance Sheets
(unaudited, dollars in thousands, except par values)
	As of
	October 2, 2021			October 3, 2020
Assets
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$	640,101		$	407,100
Restricted cash	—			191
Accounts receivable, net of allowances	100,779			54,935
Inventories	185,130			180,830
Prepaids and other current assets	31,504			17,321
Total current assets	957,514			660,377
Property and equipment, net	71,341			60,784
Operating lease right-of-use assets	33,841			42,342
Goodwill	15,545			15,545
Intangible assets, net	24,450			26,394
Deferred tax assets	10,028			1,800
Other noncurrent assets	26,085			8,809
Total assets	$	1,138,804		$	816,051
Liabilities and stockholders’ equity
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	$	214,996		$	250,328
Accrued expenses	108,029			45,049
Accrued compensation	77,695			44,517
Short-term debt	—			6,667
Deferred revenue, current	35,866			15,304
Other current liabilities	39,544			31,150
Total current liabilities	476,130			393,015
Operating lease liabilities, noncurrent	33,960			50,360
Long-term debt	—			18,251
Deferred revenue, noncurrent	53,632			47,085
Deferred tax liabilities	2,394			2,434
Other noncurrent liabilities	3,646			7,067
Total liabilities	569,762			518,212
Stockholders’ equity:
Common stock, $0.001 par value	129			114
Treasury stock	(50,276		)	(20,886		)
Additional paid-in capital	690,462			548,993
Accumulated deficit	(69,897		)	(228,492		)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(1,376		)	(1,890		)
Total stockholders’ equity	569,042			297,839
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	$	1,138,804		$	816,051

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
(unaudited, dollars in thousands)
	Twelve Months Ended
	October 2, 2021			October 3, 2020
Cash flows from operating activities
Net income (loss)	$	158,595		$	(20,115	)
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by operating activities
Depreciation and amortization	33,882			36,426
Impairment and abandonment charges	3,552			14,174
Stock-based compensation expense	62,127			57,610
Other	1,951			5,710
Deferred income taxes	(8,330		)	(567		)
Foreign currency transaction gain	(1,108		)	(4,143		)
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable, net	(45,697		)	49,593
Inventories	(7,911		)	38,010
Other assets	(30,009		)	(5,749		)
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	26,231			(24,440		)
Accrued compensation	33,447			1,088
Deferred revenue	27,587			4,754
Other liabilities	(1,091		)	9,635
Net cash provided by operating activities	253,226			161,986
Cash flows from investing activities
Purchases of property and equipment, intangible and other assets	(45,531		)	(33,035		)
Cash paid for acquisition, net of acquired cash	—			(36,289		)
Net cash used in investing activities	(45,531		)	(69,324		)
Cash flows from financing activities
Proceeds from exercise of stock options	147,818			42,286
Payments for repurchase of common stock	(50,014		)	(50,015		)
Payments for repurchase of common stock related to shares withheld for tax in connection with vesting of RSUs	(47,837		)	(11,029		)
Repayments of borrowings	(25,000		)	(8,333		)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	24,967			(27,091		)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	148			2,900
Net increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	232,810			68,471
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash
Beginning of period	407,291			338,820
End of period	$	640,101		$	407,291
Supplemental disclosure
Cash paid for interest	$	502		$	1,647
Cash paid for taxes, net of refunds	$	4,114		$	783
Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of lease liabilities	$	18,657		$	17,194
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash investing and financing activities
Purchases of property and equipment, accrued but not paid	$	5,653		$	3,911
Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for lease liabilities	$	2,010		$	77,416

Reconciliation of Net Income (Loss) to Adjusted EBITDA
(unaudited, dollars in thousands)
	Three Months Ended						Twelve Months Ended
	October 2, 2021			October 3, 2020			October 2, 2021			October 3, 2020
Net income (loss)	$	(8,744	)	$	18,411		$	158,595		$	(20,115	)
Add (deduct):
Depreciation and amortization	8,093			8,733			33,882			36,426
Stock-based compensation expense	15,372			15,971			62,127			57,610
Interest income	(33		)	(43		)	(146		)	(1,998		)
Interest expense	67			300			592			1,487
Other (income) expense, net	2,271			(3,273		)	(2,407		)	(6,639		)
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes	(5,106		)	34			(1,670		)	32
Restructuring and related expenses ^(1)	165			125			(2,446		)	26,285
Legal and transaction related costs ^(2)	5,028			6,170			30,058			15,455
Adjusted EBITDA	$	17,113		$	46,428		$	278,585		$	108,543
Revenue	$	359,539		$	339,837		$	1,716,744		$	1,326,328
Adjusted EBITDA margin	4.8		%	13.7		%	16.2		%	8.2		%

(1)

Restructuring and related expenses for the twelve months ended October 2, 2021, include a gain of $2.8 million, related to our negotiation for the early termination of a facility lease that was part of the 2020 restructuring plan. The gain represents the difference between the related operating lease liability and previously accrued restructuring expenses versus the early termination payment. For a description of the 2020 restructuring plan, see “Restructuring and Related Costs” below.

(2)

Legal and transaction related costs consist of expenses related to our intellectual property ("IP") litigation against Alphabet Inc. and Google LLC as well as legal and transaction costs associated with our acquisition activity, which we do not consider representative of our underlying operating performance.

Reconciliation of Cash Flows Provided by Operating Activities to Free Cash Flow
(unaudited, dollars in thousands)
	Twelve Months Ended
	October 2, 2021			October 3, 2020
Cash flows provided by operating activities	$	253,226		$	161,986
Less: Purchases of property and equipment, intangible and other assets	(45,531		)	(33,035		)
Free cash flow	$	207,695		$	128,951

Revenue by Product Category
(unaudited, dollars in thousands)
	Three Months Ended				Twelve Months Ended
	October 2, 2021		October 3, 2020		October 2, 2021		October 3, 2020
Sonos speakers	$	273,525	$	254,874	$	1,378,808	$	1,034,813
Sonos system products	67,738		67,901		265,180		218,788
Partner products and other revenue	18,276		17,062		72,756		72,727
Total revenue	$	359,539	$	339,837	$	1,716,744	$	1,326,328

Revenue by Geographical Region
(unaudited, dollars in thousands)
	Three Months Ended				Twelve Months Ended
	October 2, 2021		October 3, 2020		October 2, 2021		October 3, 2020
Americas	$	196,034	$	199,549	$	980,931	$	755,874
Europe, Middle East and Africa ("EMEA")	137,936		117,076		618,476		470,883
Asia Pacific ("APAC")	25,569		23,212		117,337		99,571
Total revenue	$	359,539	$	339,837	$	1,716,744	$	1,326,328

Stock-based Compensation
(unaudited, dollars in thousands)
	Three Months Ended				Twelve Months Ended
	October 2, 2021		October 3, 2020		October 2, 2021		October 3, 2020
Cost of revenue	$	265	$	239	$	988	$	1,106
Research and development	6,008		6,742		25,075		23,439
Sales and marketing	3,253		3,701		13,570		14,359
General and administrative	5,846		5,289		22,494		18,706
Total stock-based compensation expense	$	15,372	$	15,971	$	62,127	$	57,610

Restructuring and Related Costs^(1)
(unaudited, dollars in thousands)
	Three Months Ended				Twelve Months Ended
	October 2, 2021		October 3, 2020		October 2, 2021			October 3, 2020
Research and development	$	—	$	125	$	25		$	5,074
Sales and marketing	165		—		(2,471		)	19,788
General and administrative	—		—		—			1,423
Total restructuring and related costs	$	165	$	125	$	(2,446	)	$	26,285

(1)

On June 23, 2020, we initiated a restructuring plan as part of our efforts to reduce operating expenses and preserve liquidity due to the uncertainty and challenges stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the 2020 restructuring plan, we eliminated approximately 12% of our global headcount and closed our New York retail store and six satellite offices. We believe these initiatives better aligned our resources to provide further operating flexibility and more efficiently position our business for our long-term strategy. Activities under the 2020 restructuring plan were substantially completed in the first quarter of fiscal 2021. In the first quarter of fiscal 2021, we negotiated the early termination of a facility lease that was part of the 2020 restructuring and recorded a gain of $2.8 million, representing the difference between the related operating lease liability and previously accrued restructuring expenses versus the early termination payment. The gain was recognized as a credit in sales and marketing expenses on the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income (loss).

Use of Non-GAAP Measures

We have provided in this press release financial information that has not been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”), including adjusted EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA margin, revenue excluding the 53rd week, revenue excluding the 14th week, free cash flow, gross margin excluding the effect of tariffs, net income (loss) excluding stock-based compensation, restructuring, and legal and transaction related fees, and diluted earnings per share (EPS) excluding stock-based compensation, restructuring, and legal and transaction related fees. These non-GAAP financial measures are not based on any standardized methodology prescribed by U.S. GAAP and are not necessarily comparable to similarly titled measures presented by other companies. We use these non-GAAP financial measures to evaluate our operating performance and trends and make planning decisions. We believe that these non-GAAP financial measures help identify underlying trends in our business that could otherwise be masked by the effect of the expenses and other items that we exclude in these non-GAAP financial measures. Accordingly, we believe that these non-GAAP financial measures provide useful information to investors and others in understanding and evaluating our operating results, enhancing the overall understanding of our past performance and future prospects, and allowing for greater transparency with respect to a key financial metric used by our management in its financial and operational decision-making. Non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered in isolation of, or as an alternative to, measures prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Investors are encouraged to review the reconciliation of these financial measures to their nearest U.S. GAAP financial equivalents provided in the financial statement tables above. We define adjusted EBITDA as net income (loss) adjusted to exclude the impact of depreciation, stock-based compensation expense, interest income, interest expense, other income (expense), income taxes and other items that we do not consider representative of our underlying operating performance. We define adjusted EBITDA margin as adjusted EBITDA divided by revenue. We define free cash flow as net cash from operations less purchases of property and equipment and intangible assets. We calculate gross margin excluding the effect of tariff duties and refunds as gross profit, less the effect of tariffs imposed on goods imported to the U.S. from China and any tariffs refunds subject to a tariff refund claim approved by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, divided by revenue. We calculate non-GAAP net income (loss) excluding stock-based compensation, restructuring and legal and transaction related fees as net income (loss) less stock-based compensation, restructuring fees and legal and transaction related fees. We calculate non-GAAP diluted earnings per share (EPS) excluding stock-based compensation, restructuring, and legal and transaction related fees as net income (loss) less stock-based compensation, restructuring costs and legal and transaction related fees divided by our number of shares at fiscal year end. We calculate constant currency growth percentages by translating our prior period financial results using the current period average currency exchange rates and comparing these amounts to our current period reported results. We do not provide a reconciliation of forward-looking non-GAAP financial measures to their comparable GAAP financial measures because we cannot do so without unreasonable effort due to unavailability of information needed to calculate reconciling items and due to the variability, complexity and limited visibility of the adjusting items that would be excluded from the non-GAAP financial measures in future periods. When planning, forecasting and analyzing future periods, we do so primarily on a non-GAAP basis without preparing a GAAP analysis as that would require estimates for items such as stock-based compensation, which is inherently difficult to predict with reasonable accuracy. Stock-based compensation expense is difficult to estimate because it depends on our future hiring and retention needs, as well as the future fair market value of our common stock, all of which are difficult to predict and subject to constant change. In addition, for purposes of setting annual guidance, it would be difficult to quantify stock-based compensation expense for the year with reasonable accuracy in the current quarter. As a result, we do not believe that a GAAP reconciliation would provide meaningful supplemental information about our outlook.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements include statements regarding our outlook for the fiscal year ended October 1, 2022, our fiscal 2024 targets, our long-term focus, financial, growth and business strategies and opportunities, growth metrics and targets, our business model, new products, services and partnerships, profitability and gross margins, our direct-to-consumer efforts, our market share, and other factors affecting variability in our financial results. These forward-looking statements are only predictions and may differ materially from actual results due to a variety of factors, including, but not limited to the duration and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and related mitigation efforts on our industry and our supply chain; supply chain challenges, including shipping and logistics challenges and significant limits on component supplies; changes in general economic or market conditions that could affect consumer income and overall consumer spending; our ability to successfully introduce new products and services and maintain or expand the success of our existing products; the success of our efforts to expand our direct-to-consumer channel; the success of our financial, growth and business strategies; our ability to meet product demand and manage any product availability delays; and the other risk factors set forth under the caption “Risk Factors” in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended July 3, 2021 and our other filings filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), copies of which are available free of charge at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov or upon request from our investor relations department. All forward-looking statements herein reflect our opinions only as of the date of this press release, and we undertake no obligation, and expressly disclaim any obligation, to update forward-looking statements herein in light of new information or future events. Sonos and Sonos product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sonos, Inc. All other product names and services may be trademarks or service marks of their respective owners.

About Sonos

Sonos (Nasdaq: SONO) is one of the world’s leading sound experience brands. As the inventor of multi-room wireless home audio, Sonos’ innovation helps the world listen better by giving people access to the content they love and allowing them to control it however they choose. Known for delivering an unparalleled sound experience, thoughtful home design aesthetic, simplicity of use and an open platform, Sonos makes the breadth of audio content available to anyone. Sonos is headquartered in Santa Barbara, California. Learn more at www.sonos.com.