Sign Up NowThis Month's Tiny Gems - August 2015

1-800-Flowers.com, Inc. (FLWS)
Cumberland Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (CPIX)
OurPet's Company (OPCO)
Vapor Corp. (VPCO)

 

 

 

1-800-Flowers.com, Inc. (FLWS)

 

1-800-Flowers.com, Inc. (FLWS) is the world's leading florist and gift shop. For nearly four decades, the company has been helping deliver smiles for its customers with gifts for every occasion, ranging from fresh flowers and plants to gift baskets and gourmet foods. Leaning on its industry-leading 100% Smile Guarantee®, FLWS was awarded the 2014 Silver Stevie Award for outstanding customer service. The company's product catalog features a growing collection of premium brands – including The Popcorn Factory®, Cheryl's®, Fannie May®, 1-800-Baskets.com®, FruitBouquets.com, Stock Yards® and, through a recent acquisition, Harry & David®.

 

According to a report by IBISWorld, the domestic online flower shops market accounted for approximately $2 billion in revenue in 2014, with FLWS leading the pack in terms of overall market share. In its fiscal quarter ending March 29, 2015, the company recorded an estimated 1.9 million placed orders, including approximately 815,000 new customers. The company successfully leveraged this market performance to realize a 29.3 percent year-over-year increase in revenues from continuing operations, recording $232.2 million for the period.

 

"During the fiscal third quarter, we saw solid performance across all of our business segments while facing a number of headwinds, most notably the significant seasonality of the Harry & David business," Jim McCann, chief executive officer of FLWS, stated in a news release. "We believe these results reflect the strength of the 1-800-FLOWERS.COM brand and the expansion of our leadership position in the floral gifting space."

 

In addition to its online gift shop, FLWS owns and operates BloomNet®, an international floral wire service. Through this subsidiary, the company maintains a presence in local floral markets around the globe by providing a broad range of quality products and value-added services designed to help professional florists grow their businesses in a profitable manner. In its fiscal third quarter, FLWS's BloomNet subsidiary accounted for approximately $23 million in revenue, representing a 1.7 percent year-over-year increase.

 

In the months to come, the company will look to build on its recent financial growth entering the holiday season. With the inherent seasonality of many of its most popular offerings and its continued progress toward the integration of Harry & David, FLWS is in a favorable position to promote sustainable returns for the foreseeable future.

 

 

 

Cumberland Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (CPIX)

 

Cumberland Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (CPIX) is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the acquisition, development and commercialization of branded prescription products. The company's portfolio currently includes five marketed products – including Acetadote® injection, for the treatment of acetaminophen poisoning; Caldolor® injection, for the treatment of pain and fever; Kristalose®, a prescription laxative; Vaprisol® injection, for the treatment of hyponatremia; and Omeclamox-Pak®, for the treatment of H. pylori infection and duodenal ulcer disease. Additionally, Cumberland is developing Hepatoren® injection, for the treatment of Hepatorenal Syndrome, and Boxaban® oral capsule, for the treatment of aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease. Both candidates are in phase II clinical studies that are expected to be completed by the end of this year.

 

In order to maintain a long-term pipeline of new product candidates, the company also operates Cumberland Emerging Technologies (CET). Through collaboration agreements with the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy, the University of Tennessee Research Foundation and Vanderbilt University, CET evaluates a range of emerging technologies and teams with scientists to develop promising pharmaceutical candidates.

 

In the second quarter of 2015, Cumberland leveraged the marketability of its extensive product portfolio to record adjusted earnings of $1.6 million, adding to its already strong cash position. As of June 30, 2015, the company reported more than $53 million in cash and equivalents and $14.1 million in marketable securities. Moving forward, Cumberland will look to capitalize on its favorable balance sheet in order to maximize returns.

 

"We continued to make progress in the second quarter toward our goal of building a company that offers long-term, sustainable growth," A. J. Kazimi, chief executive officer of Cumberland, stated in a news release. "We are working to maximize the potential of our five commercial products and actively pursuing the addition of new brands to our portfolio."

 

By maintaining worldwide rights to all of its brands, Cumberland is in a strong strategic position to continue building on its recent financial performance. Look for the company to continue capitalizing on its established presence in the U.S. pharmaceutical market, as well as its strategic partnerships in select international markets, while actively pursuing opportunities to make its brands more widely available to patients in underserved markets around the globe.

 

 

 

OurPet's Company (OPCO)

 

OurPet's Company (OPCO) designs, produces and markets a broad line of innovative, high-quality toys, accessories, feeding and waste management solutions specially designed to awaken pets' natural instincts. Utilizing a one-of-a-kind design and development process, the company examines the health, behavioral and lifestyle needs of pets and pet parents, allowing it to offer problem-solving solutions to pet owners and highly-marketable products to retailers. This dedication to quality and innovation has helped OPCO build an immense intellectual property portfolio that currently includes more than 160 patents in either issued or pending status.

 

In recent months, OPCO has continued to expand upon its industry-leading product line. At SuperZoo 2015, the company unveiled three exclusive new items – including the Catty Whack®, an electronic toy designed to captivate cats; the Fly By™ Spinner Toy, a battery-operated winged toy with lifelike 'flying' movement; and the Zoom Plume™, a rolling toy with an alluring feather to attract the attention of feline friends. In addition to earning the company the coveted '1st Place Award for New Cat Products' at SuperZoo, these new products continue to expand upon OPCO's commitment to innovation while promoting an improved bond between pets and their parents.

 

"We're excited about our growth opportunities in the second half of this year," Dr. Steven Tsengas, president and chief executive officer of OPCO, stated in a news release. "Several new and exciting proprietary products will be shipped to customers beginning later this month. We also continue to further strengthen our product portfolio through aggressive development of innovative products in each of our key categories: toys/accessories, bowls/feeders and feline waste management."

 

In the second quarter of 2015, OPCO leveraged the marketability of its product portfolio to promote strong financial results. In addition to recording a 4 percent year-over-year increase in revenue, the company achieved a 77 percent increase in net income, recording just over $262,000 for the period. This growth was primarily attributable to OPCO's strong sales in the pet specialty channel.

 

According to a report by the American Pet Products Association, sales in the domestic pet products market totaled more than $58 billion in 2014. In 2015, this figure is expected to grow to $60.59 billion, which would represent an increase of over 4 percent. OPCO, through its established distribution network and proven product portfolio, is in a favorable strategic position to capitalize on this consistent market performance moving forward.

 

 

 

Vapor Corp. (VPCO)

 

Vapor Corp. (VPCO, VPCOU) is a distributor and retailer of vaporizers, e-liquids and electronic cigarettes. The company's innovative technology enables users to inhale nicotine vapor without smoke, tar, ash or carbon monoxide. Leveraging a streamlined supply chain and wide distribution capabilities throughout both the U.S. and Canada, Vapor Corp. markets its products under a collection of industry-leading brands – including VaporX®, Krave®, Hookah Stix® and Vaporin™.

 

Following a recent merger with Vaporin, Inc., the company has shifted much of its focus toward the expansion of its retail brand, 'The Vape Store'. In August, Vapor Corp. secured over $41 million in capital through a public offering, giving the company the financial flexibility to rapidly expand its retail presence in the booming electronic cigarette market moving forward. Currently, the company owns and operates 11 branded locations, and it has announced plans to increase this total to as many as 30 locations before the end of the calendar year.

 

"Vapor Corp.'s competitive differentiator is rooted in our buying power and fast-growing network of retail locations," Greg Brauser, president of Vapor Corp., stated in a news release. "As we continue to acquire stores and expand our brand, our economies of scale and purchasing power will increasingly improve, further enhancing our ability to offer the industry's highest quality e-liquids and vaporizers to customers at reduced prices."

 

In the second quarter of 2015, Vapor Corp. successfully translated this distinct competitive advantage into strong financial growth. In addition to recording a 105 percent year-over-year increase in net sales, the company achieved gross margins of 45.2 percent, up from 25.3 percent in the same quarter of the previous year. As Vapor Corp. continues to make progress toward expanding its direct-to-consumer sales model, it is in a favorable position to build on this growth in the months to come.

 

While the number of traditional cigarettes sold in the United States has dropped nearly 30 percent since 2004, according to Euromonitor International data, sales of e-cigarettes are on the rise. In addition to recording approximately $1.7 billion in sales in 2014, annual industry growth of 24.2 percent is expected through 2018, according to Research and Markets. This strong market performance should provide Vapor Corp. with an opportunity to realize considerable financial growth for the foreseeable future.