ConAgra Foods, Inc., (NYSE: CAG) one of North America�s leading
food companies, today reported results for the fiscal 2009 fourth
quarter ended May 31, 2009. Overall sales grew 8%. Diluted EPS from
continuing operations was $0.39 for the quarter, an increase of
129% from prior-year levels of $0.17. Excluding $0.02 per diluted
share of net expense in the current quarter and $0.01 of net
expense in the year-ago period from items impacting comparability,
diluted EPS from continuing operations in the current quarter was
$0.41, an increase of 128% from $0.18 earned in the same period a
year ago. Items impacting comparability are summarized toward the
end of this release. The company estimates that the extra week this
quarter provided approximately $0.03 of EPS, which enabled
additional marketing and innovation investments; the company
anticipated the benefit of an extra week as it developed its plans
for increased marketing investment for the fourth quarter of fiscal
2009.
Gary Rodkin, ConAgra Foods� chief executive officer, said, �We
posted a very good fourth quarter and delivered full-year EPS in
line with our recent guidance. Consumer Foods made significant
progress in the second half of the year, and I am pleased with the
momentum that is building. Commercial Foods continues to deliver
good results and to navigate the challenges of its markets very
well. The overall health of our business is very good.�
He continued, �Given our strengthening execution, moderating
inflation, and the benefit of innovation, we are in a good position
to deliver healthy EPS growth in fiscal 2010 while increasing
investment in our brands. Our estimate of fiscal 2010 diluted EPS
from continuing operations is $1.63-$1.66 per share, excluding
items impacting comparability. We will provide investors with the
customary updates on our progress and expectations throughout the
fiscal year.�
Subsequent to quarter-end, there was a tragic accident at the
company�s Garner, N.C., Slim Jim manufacturing plant. Since the
event, the company has relied on existing inventories of Slim Jim
to service customer needs, although shipments have been at reduced
levels. The company is in the process of reestablishing production
capacity for the brand. Although service disruptions are likely
during the first quarter of fiscal 2010, the company expects the
business to achieve acceptable service levels during the second
quarter of fiscal 2010 and expects the accident to have no material
impact on long-term brand dynamics.
The company maintains comprehensive property and general
liability insurance policies with very significant loss limits that
it believes will provide substantial and broad coverage for the
currently foreseeable losses arising from this event. The company
anticipates that it will incur modest costs related to deductibles
and co-payment obligations under available insurance policies, as
well as other one-time costs that are not currently expected to be
material. The company currently plans to treat these amounts, as
well as any net gain or loss from insured losses, asset write offs,
and insurance recoveries under these policies, as items impacting
comparability in earnings releases for fiscal 2010, which began on
June 1, 2009.
The company also maintains business interruption insurance with
significant limits that it anticipates will respond to this
situation. For the purposes of providing annual earnings estimates
for fiscal 2010, the company currently expects amounts received
from business interruption insurance to substantially compensate
for any foregone Slim Jim profits from the disruption, and thus
will not treat any business interruption insurance proceeds as
items impacting comparability.
Consumer Foods Segment (63% of
Fiscal 2009 Sales)Branded consumer products sold in retail and
foodservice channels.
The Consumer Foods segment posted sales of $2,138 million and
operating profit of $271 million in the fiscal 2009 fourth quarter,
and $1,878 million of sales and $177 million of operating profit in
the year-ago period.
Fourth-quarter fiscal 2009 Consumer Foods sales growth was 14%,
reflecting 8% contribution from pricing and mix, 7% unit growth,
and -1% impact from unfavorable foreign currency exchange rates.
The company estimates that an extra week this quarter added
approximately 7 percentage points to sales and unit volume growth.
Due to a combination of on-trend new products, significantly
improved marketing, and a strong value-orientation in the company�s
branded portfolio, many brands posted strong sales growth, even
without the benefit of an extra week in the current quarter.
- Recent innovation, along with
other transformational improvements in its frozen foods business
and strong marketing campaigns, produced double-digit sales growth
among major frozen brands such as Healthy Choice, Marie
Callender�s, and Banquet.
- Other brands, including Alexia,
Hebrew National, Hunt�s, Orville Redenbacher�s, Peter Pan,
Reddi-wip, and Snack Pack, also posted double-digit sales growth.
Brand details and sub-segment performance can be found in the
financial information and Q&A document accompanying this
release.
Fourth-quarter fiscal 2009 Consumer Foods operating profit
increased 53% to $271 million over the prior-year amount of $177
million. Excluding $17 million of net expense in prior-year amounts
from items impacting comparability, current quarter comparable
operating profit increased 40%. While still significant, input cost
inflation was much less severe than in recent quarters. Inflation
was more than offset by strong supply chain savings as well as
successful selling, general, and administrative expense (SG&A)
focus, resulting in dollar profit and margin percentage
improvement. Marketing expense increased by approximately $16
million, supported by the benefit of the extra week. Changes in
foreign exchange rates negatively impacted profitability by
approximately $11 million.
The company is confident that its innovation, marketing, and
cost-savings initiatives, combined with more manageable input cost
inflation, will result in strong year-over-year operating profit
growth and operating margin expansion for this segment in fiscal
2010.
Commercial Foods Segment (37% of
Fiscal 2009 Sales)Specialty potato products, dehydrated
vegetables, seasonings, blends, flavors, and milled grainproducts
sold to foodservice, retail and commercial channels worldwide.
For the fiscal fourth quarter, sales for the Commercial Foods
segment were $1,160 million, down 2% from year-ago amounts; the
decline reflects lower flour prices due to lower underlying wheat
costs at ConAgra Mills. Despite challenging foodservice industry
conditions, Lamb Weston specialty potato operations posted good
sales results due to favorable mix as well as pricing actions that
followed raw product cost increases. Acquisitions also contributed
to Lamb Weston�s sales growth. The company estimates that the extra
week added approximately 7 percentage points of growth to the
overall segment�s sales.
Segment operating profit was $155 million for the quarter, 35%
above year-ago amounts, reflecting strong sales, efficiencies, and
mix at Lamb Weston, as well as better flour milling margins due to
plant efficiencies, mix, and effective risk management at ConAgra
Mills. Profits for Gilroy Foods and Flavors were below year-ago
amounts given the impact of the weak economy on some
foodservice-related customers. The extra week also benefited
current quarter profit growth for the overall segment.
The company expects this segment�s operating profits in fiscal
2010 to be roughly in line with those of fiscal 2009, largely
reflecting operating efficiencies, as well as challenges for some
restaurant and industrial customers throughout fiscal 2010, along
with a fiscal 2010 forecast for less favorable market conditions
for flour milling.
Hedging Activities � This language primarily relates to
operations other than the company�s milling operations.
The company uses hedging activities to manage the risk in its
plans for the cost of various commodity inputs and, to a lesser
extent, foreign exchange. To improve the transparency of segment
operating results, the company began utilizing a new methodology
for presenting derivative gains and losses in the first quarter of
fiscal 2009. This methodology temporarily classifies mark-to-market
gains and losses as unallocated Corporate expense. The company
later transfers the gains or losses to segment operating profit
when the underlying item being hedged is recognized in cost of
goods sold for the applicable operating segment (with a
corresponding offset in the unallocated Corporate results).
Prior-year amounts utilized a different methodology, which
immediately classified the hedge gain or loss in the segment
operating results regardless of when the underlying item was
expensed. Prior-year fourth-quarter results include $41 million of
net derivative gains ($25 million in Consumer Foods and $16 million
in Commercial Foods other than the milling operations). This change
in methodology was discussed in detail in the company�s
first-quarter fiscal 2009 earnings release dated Sept. 18, 2008. An
example of the new methodology is presented in the written Q&A
document accompanying that release.
In the fiscal 2009 fourth quarter, $31 million of previously
reported mark-to-market losses held as unallocated Corporate
expense was reclassified as operating segment expense: $18 million
to the Consumer Foods segment and $13 million to the Commercial
Foods segment. Separately, unallocated Corporate expense decreased
by $9 million due to additional mark-to-market gains during the
quarter, temporarily classified as part of unallocated Corporate
results until reclassification to operating segments at a later
date. This quarter�s $40 million benefit to unallocated Corporate
expense ($31 million of benefit from reclassifying mark-to-market
losses to other segments and $9 million of additional
mark-to-market gains remaining as unallocated Corporate) is listed
as an item impacting comparability.
Other Items
- Corporate expense was $115
million for the fiscal fourth quarter and $114 million in the
year-ago period. Current-year fourth-quarter amounts reflect a net
benefit of $40 million, reflecting the mark-to-market adjustment
described above, and a $50 million pre-tax charge related to the
early retirement of debt (described in Capital Items below), while
prior-year fourth-quarter amounts include $5 million of
restructuring charges. Excluding those amounts, unallocated
Corporate expense was $105 million in the current quarter versus
$109 million last year.
- Equity method investments
generated $10 million of profit for the fiscal fourth quarter, up
from $7 million in the year-ago period, reflecting improving cost
dynamics for an international potato joint venture.
- Net interest expense was $51
million in the fiscal fourth quarter and $70 million in the
year-ago period. Current-year fourth-quarter amounts include
approximately $21 million of interest income from notes receivable
held in connection with the June 2008 divestiture of the company�s
Trading & Merchandising operations.
- The effective tax rate for
continuing operations for the quarter was 35%.
Capital Items
- As part of refinancing actions
taken during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2009, the company:
- Issued $1 billion aggregate
principal amount of senior notes maturing in 2014 and 2019, with an
average blended interest rate of approximately 6.4%.
- Repaid approximately $900
million aggregate principal amount of senior notes and, in the
process, paid $50 million of premium and transaction fees related
to the repayment. The $50 million of pre-tax premium and
transaction fees ($31 million after tax) equated to $0.07 of net
EPS impact in the quarter, identified as an item impacting
comparability.
- Contributed $100 million to its
pension plans.
- Due to the accelerated share
repurchase program in place for most of this fiscal year, the
company received an additional 5.6 million shares of its common
stock during the fiscal fourth quarter. This reduced the company�s
nominal share balance by 5.6 million without the deployment of
additional cash.
- Dividends paid during the fourth
quarter of fiscal 2009 totaled $85 million versus $93 million in
the year-ago period, reflecting fewer shares outstanding.
- For the quarter, capital
expenditures from continuing operations for property, plant, and
equipment were $121 million, compared with $128 million in the
year-ago period. Depreciation and amortization expense from
continuing operations was approximately $82 million for the
quarter, which compares with a total of $76 million in the year-ago
period.
Discontinued Operations
During the quarter, the company reclassified the results of some
small Consumer Foods foodservice brands as discontinued operations
given the pending sale of the operations. Historical results now
reflect this minor change.
Outlook
The company expects fiscal 2010 diluted EPS from continuing
operations to be $1.63-$1.66, excluding items impacting
comparability. In determining this range, the company anticipates
that business interruption insurance proceeds will substantially
compensate for foregone Slim Jim profits during the period of
disruption following the recent Garner, N.C., plant accident. The
company will provide customary updates to its fiscal 2010 outlook
throughout the year.
Major Items Affecting Fourth-quarter Fiscal 2009 EPS
Comparability
Included in the $0.39 diluted EPS* from continuing operations
for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2009(EPS amounts rounded and after
tax):
- Approximately $0.07 per diluted
share of expense related to early retirement of debt; this is
classified as $50 million of (pre-tax) unallocated Corporate
expense.
- Approximately $0.05 per diluted
share of net benefit to unallocated Corporate expense resulting
from:
- Reclassifying $31 million of net
losses on derivatives from unallocated Corporate expense to the
operating segments, and
- An additional $9 million of gain
on derivatives used to hedge input costs. This additional $9
million gain is currently classified within unallocated Corporate
expense and will be reclassified to the operating segments at a
later date.
*The company estimates a benefit of approximately $0.03 per
diluted share due to the extra week in the fourth quarter of fiscal
2009, which enabled additional marketing and innovation
investments.
Included in the $0.17 diluted EPS from continuing operations for
the fourth quarter of fiscal 2008 (EPS amounts rounded and after
tax):
- Expense of $0.03 per diluted
share, or $22 million pre-tax, for restructuring charges related to
programs designed to reduce the company�s ongoing operating costs.
These costs are reflected within the Consumer Foods segment (Cost
of goods sold of $1 million and SG&A expense of $16 million)
and unallocated Corporate expense of $5 million.
- Benefit of $0.02 per diluted
share due to a lower-than-planned tax rate.
Discussion of Results
ConAgra Foods will host a conference call at 9:30 a.m. EDT to
discuss these results. Following the company�s remarks, the call
will include a question-and-answer session with the investment
community. Domestic and international participants may access the
conference call toll-free by dialing 1-888-205-6439 and
1-913-312-1494, respectively. No confirmation or pass code is
needed. This conference call also can be accessed live on the
Internet at http://investor.conagrafoods.com.
A rebroadcast of the conference call will be available after 1
p.m. EDT. To access the digital replay, a pass code number will be
required. Domestic participants should dial 1-888-203-1112, and
international participants should dial 1-719-457-0820 and enter
pass code 6243915. A rebroadcast also will be available on the
company�s Web site.
In addition, the company has posted a question-and-answer
supplement relating to this release at
http://investor.conagrafoods.com. To view recent company news,
please visit http://media.conagrafoods.com.
ConAgra Foods, Inc., (NYSE: CAG) is one of North America�s
leading food companies, with brands in 97 percent of America�s
households. Consumers find Banquet, Chef Boyardee, Egg Beaters,
Healthy Choice, Hebrew National, Hunt�s, Marie Callender�s, Orville
Redenbacher�s, PAM, Peter Pan, Reddi-wip and many other ConAgra
Foods brands in grocery, convenience, mass merchandise, and club
stores. ConAgra Foods also has a strong business-to-business
presence, supplying potato, other vegetable, spice and grain
products to a variety of well-known restaurants, foodservice
operators and commercial customers. For more information, please
visit us at www.conagrafoods.com.
Note on Forward-looking Statements
This release contains forward-looking statements. These
statements are based on management�s current views and assumptions
of future events and financial performance and are subject to
uncertainty and changes in circumstances. The company undertakes no
responsibility for updating these statements. Readers of this
release should understand that these statements are not guarantees
of performance or results. Many factors could affect the company�s
actual financial results and cause them to vary materially from the
expectations contained in the forward-looking statements. These
factors include, among other things, availability and prices of raw
materials; the impact of the accident at the Garner manufacturing
facility, including the ultimate costs incurred and the amounts
received under insurance policies; product pricing; future economic
circumstances; industry conditions; the company�s ability to
execute its operating plans; the success of the company�s
innovation, marketing, and cost-savings initiatives; the
competitive environment and related market conditions; operating
efficiencies; the ultimate impact of the company�s recalls; access
to capital; actions of governments and regulatory factors affecting
the company�s businesses and other risks described in the company�s
reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The
company cautions readers not to place undue reliance on any
forward-looking statements included in this release, which speak
only as of the date made.
Regulation G Disclosure � � �
Continuing Operations �
Below is a reconciliation of diluted earnings per share exclusive
of items impacting comparability. �
Q4 FY09 EPS from Continuing
Operations Reconciliation for Regulation G Purposes �
Year-over-year % Q4 FY09 Q4 FY08 change
�
Diluted EPS $ 0.39 $ 0.17
129% � Items impacting comparability: � Restructuring
charges - 0.03 * Expense (benefit) related to mark-to-market impact
of derivatives (0.05 ) * - Expense (benefit) related to early
retirement of debt 0.07 * - Benefit of lower-than-normal tax rate �
- � � (0.02 ) * �
Diluted EPS excluding items impacting
comparability $ 0.41 �
$ 0.18 �
128% �
*Items impacting comparability are each rounded to
the nearest penny �
Consumer Foods Segment � Below is a
reconciliation of segment operating profit exclusive of items
impacting comparability. �
Consumer Foods Segment
Reconciliation (impacted by rounding) � (Dollars in
millions)
Year-over-year %
��Q4 FY09��
��Q4 FY08��
change �
Consumer Foods Segment Operating Profit
$ 271 $ 177 53% Restructuring
charges � - � � 17 � �
Consumer Foods Segment Adjusted Operating
Profit $ 271 �
$ 194 �
40%
ConAgra Foods, Inc. � � � Segment Operating Results (in millions)
FOURTH QUARTER �
�14 Weeks Ended�
�13 Weeks Ended�
May 31, 2009
May 25, 2008
�Percent Change�
SALES
Consumer Foods $ 2,137.6 $ 1,877.8 13.8 % Commercial Foods �
1,160.4 � � 1,188.8 � (2.4 )% Total � 3,298.0 � � 3,066.6 � 7.5 % �
OPERATING PROFIT
Consumer Foods $ 270.5 $ 177.1 52.7 % Commercial Foods � 155.2 � �
114.7 � 35.3 % Total operating profit for segments 425.7 291.8 45.9
% �
Reconciliation of total
operating profit to income fromcontinuing operations before
income taxes and equity method investment earnings
Items excluded from segment operating profit: General corporate
expense (114.5 ) (113.6 ) 0.8 % Interest expense, net � (51.4 ) �
(69.6 ) (26.1 )%
Income from continuing operations
before income taxes�and equity method investment earnings
$ 259.8 � $ 108.6 � 139.2 %
Segment operating profit excludes general corporate expense,
equity method investment earnings, and net interest expense.
Management believes such amounts are not directly associated with
segment performance results for the period. Management believes the
presentation of total operating profit for segments facilitates
period-to-period comparison of results of segment operations.
ConAgra Foods, Inc. � Segment Operating Results
(in millions)
� YEAR-TO-DATE � �
�53 Weeks Ended�
�52 Weeks Ended�
May 31, 2009
May 25, 2008
�Percent Change�
SALES
Consumer Foods $ 8,031.3 $ 7,435.4 8.0 % Commercial Foods � 4,699.9
� � 4,128.1 � 13.9 % Total � 12,731.2 � � 11,563.5 � 10.1 %
�
OPERATING PROFIT
Consumer Foods $ 956.5 $ 830.4 15.2 % Commercial Foods � 583.6 � �
511.7 � 14.1 % Total operating profit for segments 1,540.1 1,342.1
14.8 % �
Reconciliation of total
operating profit to income from continuing operations before
income taxes and equity method investment earnings
Items excluded from segment operating profit: General corporate
expense (394.3 ) (392.3 ) 0.5 % Interest expense, net � (186.2 ) �
(253.3 ) (26.5 )%
Income from continuing operations
before income taxes�and equity method investment earnings
$ 959.6 � $ 696.5 � 37.8 %
Segment operating profit excludes general corporate expense,
equity method investment earnings, and net interest expense.
Management believes such amounts are not directly associated with
segment performance results for the period. Management believes the
presentation of total operating profit for segments facilitates
period-to-period comparison of results of segment operations.
ConAgra Foods, Inc. Consolidated Statements of Earnings (in
millions, except per share amounts) � FOURTH QUARTER
�14 Weeks Ended�
�
�13 Weeks Ended�
�
��Percent��
May 31, 2009 May 25, 2008 Change Net sales $ 3,298 .0 $ 3,066 .6
7.5% Costs and expenses: Cost of goods sold 2,474 .8 2,419 .7 2.3%
Selling, general and administrative expenses 512 .0 468 .7 9.2%
Interest expense, net � 51 .4 � 69 .6 (26.1)%
Income from continuing operations
before income taxes�and equity method investment earnings
259 .8 108 .6 139.2% Income tax expense 94 .6 30 .0 215.3% Equity
method investment earnings � 10 .1 � 6 .8 48.5% Income from
continuing operations 175 .3 85 .4 105.3% �
Income (loss) from discontinued
operations, net of tax
� (0 .6) � 115 .9 N/A � Net income $ 174 .7 $ 201 .3 (13.2)% �
Earnings per share � basic � Income from continuing operations $ 0
.39 $ 0 .18 116.7%
Income (loss) from discontinued
operations
� - � � 0 .23 (100.0)% Net income $ 0 .39 $ 0 .41 (4.9)% � Weighted
average shares outstanding � 445 .8 � 486 .0 (8.3)% � Earnings per
share � diluted � Income from continuing operations $ 0 .39 $ 0 .17
129.4%
Income (loss) from discontinued
operations
� - � � 0 .24 (100.0)% Net income $ 0 .39 $ 0 .41 (4.9)% �
Weighted average share and share
equivalents�outstanding
� 448 .6 � 489 .3 (8.3)% ConAgra Foods, Inc. Consolidated
Statements of Earnings (in millions, except per share amounts) �
YEAR-TO-DATE
�53 Weeks Ended
�
�52 Weeks Ended
�
��Percent��
�May 31, 2009
�May 25, 2008
��Change�
Net sales $ 12,731 .2 $ 11,563 .5 10.1% Costs and expenses: Cost of
goods sold 9,890 .6 8,849 .4 11.8% Selling, general and
administrative expenses 1,694 .8 1,764 .3 (3.9)% Interest expense,
net � 186 .2 � 253 .3 (26.5)%
Income from continuing operations
before income taxes�and equity method investment earnings
959 .6 696 .5 37.8% Income tax expense 337 .2 227 .3 48.4% Equity
method investment earnings � 24 .0 � 49 .7 (51.7)% Income from
continuing operations 646 .4 518 .9 24.6% � Income from
discontinued operations, net of tax � 332 .0 � 411 .7 19.4% � Net
income $ 978 .4 $ 930 .6 5.1% � Earnings per share � basic � Income
from continuing operations $ 1 .43 $ 1 .06 34.9% Income from
discontinued operations � 0 .73 � 0 .85 (14.1)% Net income $ 2 .16
$ 1 .91 13.1% � Weighted average shares outstanding � 452 .9 � 487
.5 (7.1)% � Earnings per share � diluted � Income from continuing
operations $ 1 .42 $ 1 .06 34.0% Income from discontinued
operations � 0 .73 � 0 .84 (13.1)% Net income $ 2 .15 $ 1 .90 13.2%
�
Weighted average share and share
equivalents�outstanding
� 455 .4 � 490 .9 (7.2)% ConAgra Foods, Inc. � � Consolidated
Balance Sheets (in millions)
�May 31, 2009�
�May 25, 2008�
ASSETS Current assets Cash and cash equivalents $ 243.2 $
140.9 Receivables, less allowance for doubtful accounts of $13.9
and $17.6 781.4 890.6 Inventories 2,025.1 1,926.3 Prepaid expenses
and other current assets 282.0 451.6 Current assets held for sale �
4.9 � � � 2,672.6 � Total current assets (3,336.6 ) (6,082.0 ) �
Property, plant and equipment, net 2,640.4 2,482.3 Goodwill 3,491.3
3,480.1 Brands, trademarks and other intangibles, net 835.3 816.7
Other assets 768.1 553.2 Noncurrent assets held for sale � 1.6 � �
� 268.2 � $ 11,073.3 � � $ 13,682.5 �
LIABILITIES AND
STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY Current liabilities Notes payable $ 3.7 $
599.8 Current installments of long-term debt 24.7 14.9 Accounts
payable 823.8 786.0 Accrued payroll 166.9 374.2 Other accrued
liabilities 555.6 688.3 Current liabilities held for sale � - � � �
1,188.1 � Total current liabilities 1,574.7 3,651.3 � Senior
long-term debt, excluding current installments 3,265.4 3,186.9
Subordinated debt 195.9 200.0 Other noncurrent liabilities 1,316.4
1,293.0 Noncurrent liabilities held for sale - 13.9 Common
stockholders' equity � 4,720.9 � � � 5,337.4 � $ 11,073.3 � � $
13,682.5 �
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