MIAMI, Aug. 07, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AYR Wellness Inc. (CSE: AYR.A, OTCQX: AYRWF) (“AYR” or the “Company”), a leading vertically integrated U.S. multi-state cannabis operator, is reporting financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2024. Unless otherwise noted, all results are presented in U.S. dollars.

David Goubert, President & CEO of AYR, said, “Our team remains acutely focused on laying the groundwork for AYR’s next phase of growth. This includes advancing the progress made over the last 18 months to improve operations across our markets, continuing to invest in our CPG brands and retail experience, and ensuring that AYR is best positioned to capitalize on the anticipated transition to adult-use in three of our core markets: Ohio, Florida, and Pennsylvania. We continue to believe AYR has more upside from these three markets than any other company in our industry.

“We are also encouraged by the progress made towards the reclassification of cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III, a change which would eliminate the onerous and unjust 280E tax penalty. The recent closure of the comment period was an important step forward for our industry and represented overwhelming support for rescheduling cannabis. This positive momentum underscores the growing acceptance of cannabis in a mainstream sense.

“While we are encouraged by the progress we’ve made in our operations, the second quarter presented challenges due to both internal and external factors including wholesale pricing pressure, tightening consumer wallets from persistent inflation, and margin pressure in select markets where we have recently increased our cultivation and production, but which are not yet optimized. Despite these near-term setbacks, we are well positioned for growth and margin expansion in the second half of 2024 as our adult-use growth catalysts materialize in Ohio along with improved operations in these recently scaled markets.

“Looking beyond 2024, we will continue to focus on enhancing the overall health of the business to seek to ensure that AYR is poised for sustainable and profitable financial growth. We are pleased with the work we have done but remain focused on delivering further progress. By staying committed to our strategic initiatives, focusing on operational excellence, and leveraging our differentiated market position, we believe that AYR will emerge stronger and more resilient as we enter this next phase of accelerated growth in the years ahead.”

Second Quarter Financial Summary

^{1 Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted Gross Profit and Adjusted EBITDA Margin are non-GAAP measures, and accordingly are not standardized measures and may not be comparable to similar measures used by other companies. See Definition and Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Measures below. For a reconciliation of Operating Loss to Adjusted EBITDA as well as Gross Profit to Adjusted Gross Profit, see the reconciliation tables appended to this release.}

Second Quarter and Recent Highlights

• Launched adult-use sales in Ohio across the first tranche of stores approved by the state, with three affiliated AYR stores included. AYR has the future right to ownership of all three dispensaries, subject to regulatory approval.
  
  
• Entered into option agreement that provides AYR with the future ability to acquire 100% of Good Day Dispensary, LLC (“Good Day”), a fourth Ohio dispensary license.
  
  
• Opened its third retail store in Illinois in June with AYR Cannabis Dispensary Hometown, located near Chicago Midway International Airport, and its fourth Illinois retail store in July with AYR Cannabis Dispensary Normal.
  
  
• Secured real estate financing for indoor cultivation in Florida, with plans to redevelop a 98,000 square foot building within the property to serve as a regulated cannabis cultivation facility. The financing was completed with Innovative Industrial Properties (IIP); IIP committed to funding AYR up to $30 million for the construction.
  
  
• In July 2024, appointed Louis Karger as Chairman of the Board following the resignation of prior Executive Chairman Jonathan Sandelman.

Financing and Capital Structure

The Company deployed $3.6 million of capital expenditures in Q2 and remains on target with the Company’s guidance of approximately $20 million for the full year. AYR ended Q2 with aggregate cash, cash equivalents, and a restricted cash balance of $47.5 million.

As of June 30, 2024, the Company had approximately 114.1 million fully diluted shares outstanding based on a treasury method calculation as of that date (excluding 23 million warrants expiring in February 2026 with an exercise price of USD $2.12).

Outlook

For the third quarter, AYR expects revenue growth to be up low to mid-single digits from Q2 based on the timing and ramping of the Ohio Adult Use rollout. AYR also expects to improve Adjusted EBITDA margins from current levels in the second half of 2024 as the Company rebuilds toward its 25% Adjusted EBITDA margin target.

AYR also continues to expect positive GAAP cash flow from operations for calendar 2024, as well as positive free cash flow for calendar 2024 assuming the elimination of 280E tax liabilities.

Conference Call

AYR management will host a conference call, followed by a question-and-answer period.

Date: Wednesday, August 7, 2024
Time: 8:00 a.m. ET
Toll-free dial-in number: (844) 763-8274
International dial-in number: (647) 484-8814
Conference ID: 10190621
Webcast: https://event.choruscall.com/mediaframe/webcast.html?webcastid=bRdrPVJ3

Please dial into the conference call 5-10 minutes prior to the start time. An operator will register your name and organization. If you have any difficulty connecting with the conference call, please contact the Company’s investor relations team at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The conference will be broadcast live and available for replay here.

A telephonic replay of the conference call will also be available for one month until end of day Saturday, September 7, 2024.

Toll-free replay number: (877) 344-7529
International replay number: (412) 317-0088
Replay ID: 1160951

Financial Statements

Certain financial information reported in this news release is extracted from AYR’s Consolidated Financial Statements and MD&A for the quarter ended June 30, 2024. Ayr files its financial statements and MD&A on SEDAR+ and with the SEC. All financial information contained in this news release is qualified in its entirety by reference to such financial statements and MD&A.

Definition and Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Measures

The Company reports certain non-GAAP measures that are used to evaluate the performance of its businesses and the performance of their respective segments, as well as to manage their capital structures. As non-GAAP measures generally do not have a standardized meaning, they may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. Securities regulators require such measures to be clearly defined and reconciled with their most comparable GAAP measures.

Rather, these are provided as additional information to complement those GAAP measures by providing further understanding of the results of the operations of the Company from management’s perspective. Accordingly, these measures should not be considered in isolation, nor as a substitute for analysis of the Company’s financial information reported under GAAP. Non-GAAP measures used to analyze the performance of the Company’s businesses include “Adjusted EBITDA” and “Adjusted Gross Profit.”

The Company believes that these non-GAAP financial measures provide meaningful supplemental information regarding the Company’s performances and may be useful to investors because they allow for greater transparency with respect to key metrics used by management in its financial and operational decision-making. These financial measures are intended to provide investors with supplemental measures of the Company’s operating performances and thus highlight trends in the Company’s core businesses that may not otherwise be apparent when solely relying on the GAAP measures.

Adjusted EBITDA

“Adjusted EBITDA” represents (loss) income from continuing operations, as reported under GAAP, before interest and tax, adjusted to exclude non-core costs, other non-cash items, including depreciation and amortization and further adjusted to remove non-cash stock-based compensation, impairment expense, the incremental costs to acquire cannabis inventory in a business combination (when applicable; none of which was incurred for any of the periods presented), acquisition and transaction related costs, and start-up costs.

Adjusted Gross Profit

“Adjusted Gross Profit” represents gross profit, as reported under GAAP, adjusted to exclude the incremental costs to acquire cannabis inventory in a business combination (when applicable; none of which was incurred for any of the periods presented), interest, depreciation and amortization, start-up costs and other non-core costs.

A reconciliation of how Ayr calculates Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted Gross Profit is provided in the tables appended below. Additional reconciliations of Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted Gross Profit and other disclosures concerning non-GAAP measures are provided in our MD&A for the three months ended June 30, 2024.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this MD&A are forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including, but not limited to, those statements relating to the Company and its financial capacity and availability of capital and other statements that are not historical facts. These statements are based upon certain material factors, assumptions, and analyses that were applied in drawing a conclusion or making a forecast or projection, including experience of the Company, as applicable, and perception of historical trends, current conditions, and expected future developments, as well as other factors that are believed to be reasonable in the circumstances. Forward-looking statements are provided for the purpose of presenting information about management’s current expectations and plans relating to the future and readers are cautioned that such statements may not be appropriate for other purposes. These statements may include, without limitation, statements regarding the operations, business, financial condition, expected financial results, performance, prospects, opportunities, priorities, targets, goals, ongoing objectives, strategies, and outlook of the Company. Forward-looking statements are often identified by the words “may”, “would”, “could”, “should”, “will”, “intend”, “plan”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “estimate”, “project”, “expect”, “target”, “continue”, “forecast”, “design”, “goal” or negative versions thereof and other similar expressions.

Forward-looking estimates and assumptions involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially. While Ayr believes there is a reasonable basis for these assumptions, such estimates may not be met. These estimates represent forward-looking information. Actual results may vary and differ materially from the estimates.

Assumptions and Risks

Forward-looking information in this release is subject to the assumptions and risks as described in our MD&A for the quarter ended June 30, 2024.

Additional Information

For more information about the Company’s Q2 2024 operations and outlook, please view AYR’s corporate presentation posted in the Investors section of the Company’s website at www.ayrwellness.com.

About AYR Wellness Inc.

AYR Wellness is a vertically integrated, U.S. multi-state cannabis business. The Company operates simultaneously as a retailer with 90+ licensed dispensaries and a house of cannabis CPG brands.

AYR is committed to delivering high-quality cannabis products to its patients and customers while acting as a Force for Good for its team members and the communities that the Company serves. For more information, please visit www.ayrwellness.com.

Company/Media Contact:

Robert Vanisko
VP, Public Engagement
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Company Contact:

Jon DeCourcey
Head of Investor Relations
T: (786) 885-0397
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Investor Relations Contact:

Sean Mansouri, CFA
Elevate IR
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