Delta Apparel, Inc. (DLA) swung to a net loss for the quarter ended Dec. 31, 2016. The company has made a net loss of $0.61 million, or $ 0.08 a share in the quarter, against a net profit of $0.68 million, or $0.09 a share in the last year period.

Revenue during the quarter dropped 5.36 percent to $85.34 million from $90.17 million in the previous year period. Gross margin for the quarter contracted 36 basis points over the previous year period to 20.58 percent. Total expenses were 99.45 percent of quarterly revenues, up from 97.53 percent for the same period last year. That has resulted in a contraction of 192 basis points in operating margin to 0.55 percent.

Operating income for the quarter was $0.47 million, compared with $2.23 million in the previous year period.

Robert W. Humphreys, Delta Apparel, Inc.'s chairman and chief executive officer commented that while sales were down year-over-year, they remain on track with expectations. "A few things that were out of our control hampered sales in our first quarter - Hurricane Matthew, atypically warm weather and The Sports Authority closure, to name a few. These should not, however, have a lasting effect on the future growth of Delta Apparel. We remain focused on those activities that have a continuing positive impact on our top and bottom lines, and on measures that will improve efficiency and service for our customers while expanding our gross margins. The results of our efforts are already becoming apparent."