Ecolab Inc. (NYSE: ECL):
2009 FOURTH QUARTER
HIGHLIGHTS:
- Record reported diluted EPS
$0.48, +45%
- Adjusted EPS $0.55, +22%,
excluding special gains and charges and discrete tax items
- Record sales +5% to $1.6
billion; fixed currency sales +2%
- U.S. Kay and Healthcare
report double-digit sales gains; Canada and Asia Pacific strong,
more than offset lower Europe and U.S. Other Services
sales
- New account sales, pricing,
cost-saving actions and favorable raw material comparisons more
than offset the effects of global recession
- Distributor program change,
as expected, benefited both reported and adjusted EPS by
approximately $0.03
(unaudited) Fourth Quarter % Full Year
%
2009
2008
change
2009
2008
change
(Millions, except per share) Net Sales $ 1,564.5 $ 1,483.3 5 % $
5,900.6 $ 6,137.5 -4 % Operating Income 195.8 140.2 40 %
681.3 712.8 -4 % Pretax Income 180.7 124.7 45 % 620.1 651.2
-5 % Taxes 64.4 44.3 45 % 201.4 202.8 -1 % Net Income Attributable
to Ecolab
$ 115.8 $
80.0 45 % $
417.3 $ 448.1
-7 % Diluted Earnings Per Share $
0.48 $ 0.33 45 % $ 1.74 $ 1.80 -3 % Diluted Average Shares
Outstanding 241.3 242.9 -1 % 239.9 249.3 -4 %
Ecolab Inc. reported strong fourth quarter earnings as results
were led by new account gains, pricing, cost-savings actions and
favorable raw material comparisons.
Ecolab's reported net sales increased 5% to $1.6 billion in the
fourth quarter of 2009; measured in fixed currencies, sales rose
2%. Excluding the impact of a change in distributor incentive
programs and acquisitions and divestitures, fixed currency sales
increased 1%. Net income increased 45% to $116 million. Reported
diluted earnings per share increased 45% to $0.48.
Fourth quarter 2009 and 2008 results included special gains and
charges and discrete tax items. Excluding those items, adjusted
fourth quarter 2009 diluted earnings per share were $0.55, a 22%
increase over adjusted fourth quarter 2008 diluted earnings per
share of $0.45. The fourth quarter 2009 also included the effects
of a change in distributor incentive programs made earlier in the
year; this reversed a reduction in sales and earnings in the first
quarter 2009 and increased fourth quarter earnings by approximately
$0.03 per share.
Segment review
Fourth quarter 2009 sales for Ecolab's U.S. Cleaning &
Sanitizing operations rose 4% to $676 million, led by double-digit
gains from Kay and Healthcare. Ecolab's U.S. Cleaning &
Sanitizing operating income rose 29% to $125 million. Excluding the
impact of the change in the Institutional distributor incentive
program, U.S. Cleaning & Sanitizing sales increased 2% and
operating income grew 19%.
U.S. Other Services sales declined 3% to $109 million in the
fourth quarter. However, operating income increased 14% to $16
million.
Sales of Ecolab's International operations, when measured in
fixed currencies, rose 1% to $701 million in the fourth quarter.
Canada and Asia Pacific enjoyed strong sales growth. Fixed currency
operating income increased 5% to $64 million. When measured at
public currency rates, International sales increased 8% and
operating income grew 13%. Currency translation had a favorable
impact on net income growth of approximately $3 million for the
fourth quarter of 2009.
The reported income tax rate for the fourth quarter 2009 was
35.6% compared to the reported tax rate of 35.5% for the fourth
quarter 2008. Excluding the tax rate impact of special gains and
charges and discrete tax items from both periods, the adjusted
effective income tax rate for the fourth quarter 2009 was 31.9%
compared with 30.5% in the fourth quarter 2008. The increase in the
adjusted fourth quarter effective tax rate was primarily due to
lower tax benefits derived from our international operations. The
adjusted effective tax rate for the full year 2009, excluding the
impact of special gains and charges and discrete tax items, was
31.7% and comparable to our 31.6% tax rate in 2008.
The Corporate segment includes special gains and charges, which
are reported as a separate line item in the income statement.
Special gains and charges for the fourth quarter 2009 of $13
million included a restructuring charge of $11 million ($8 million
after tax) for actions announced in January 2009 that were taken
primarily to optimize our workforce as well as other costs to
optimize our business structure. Special gains and charges for the
fourth quarter 2008 included a charge of $19 million for the write
down of investments in an energy management business and the
closure of two small non-strategic businesses. The Corporate
segment also includes investments in the development of business
systems and other corporate investments we are making as part of
our ongoing effort to improve our efficiency and returns.
Ecolab reacquired 1.2 million shares of its common stock during
the fourth quarter under its share repurchase program.
CEO comment
Commenting on the quarter, Douglas M. Baker, Jr., Ecolab’s
Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer said, “We are proud
of our accomplishments in 2009. The severe global recession had a
significant impact on our foodservice and hospitality markets and
customers, and made it one of the toughest years in memory for all
of us. We took aggressive actions in response, working closely with
our customers to provide them with effective cost-saving solutions
for their cleaning and sanitizing needs, driving hard to win new
accounts, reducing our costs and streamlining our processes. These
actions were effective as we strengthened our customer
relationships and grew our business, and made the right investments
to accelerate our growth. My thanks to our many customers for their
business, and to our outstanding team of Ecolab associates who
worked hard to achieve these results.
“While we do not expect a significant rebound in our end markets
in 2010, we have seen a clear bottoming. We have moved fully onto
offense and will drive to achieve superior results for our
customers and shareholders. We are focused on delivering
double-digit earnings per share growth in 2010. We plan to build
momentum through the year by driving share in our core markets;
continuing the recent acceleration in future growth investments,
including our healthcare, water and waste management, China and
Latin America businesses; making significant investments in our
sales and service team and field technology; and continuing our
approach to doing what is right for our business. We also know our
opportunity remains abundant. We are the leader in a huge global
market, with tremendous growth opportunities in every one of our
businesses. We have a rich technology base from which we will
deliver more innovative solutions to customer needs. And we have a
terrific team of associates whose creative and bold approach to
solving problems continues to fuel our long term growth. The year
before us will have its challenges, but we have the right tools,
the right people and the right plans to deliver another year of
superior service to our customers and superior returns to our
shareholders.”
Business
Outlook
2010 – Full Year
Ecolab expects adjusted earnings per share, which exclude
special gains and charges and discrete tax items, for the full year
ending December 31, 2010 to be in the $2.17 to $2.25 range.
Currently quantifiable special gains and charges for 2010 are
expected to be approximately $0.03 per share unfavorable, including
$0.02 per share related to the devaluation of the Venezuelan
currency in the first quarter. Ecolab expects additional charges
may be incurred during the year reflecting efforts to be undertaken
to drive efficiencies in the business, though 2010 special gains
and charges are expected to be dramatically lower than the $0.24
per share unfavorable reported in 2009. Amounts related to discrete
tax items for 2010, if any, are not currently quantifiable.
2010 – First Quarter
Ecolab expects modest sales growth in the first quarter 2010
over the first quarter 2009; currency translation is expected to
have a favorable effect on reported sales. Gross margins are
projected to expand as we recover from the high raw material cost
increases in prior years. The SG&A ratio will reflect
investments we are making in people and systems for future growth
and compare against significant cost reductions and restructuring
actions made in last year’s quarter. The tax rate is expected to
decline versus the prior year because of increased tax benefits
from our international operations and U.S. tax law changes. Our
outlook for the first quarter of 2010, excluding special gains and
charges and discrete tax items, is as follows:
Gross margin approx. 50% SG&A % of sales 39% -
40% Interest expense, net approx. $15 million Effective tax rate
30% - 31%
Adjusted EPS, excluding special
gains and charges and discrete tax items
$0.36 - $0.40 Special gains and charges approx. ($0.02)
First quarter 2009 results included special charges and discrete
tax items of an unfavorable $0.09 per share. Excluding those items,
adjusted first quarter 2009 diluted earnings per share were
$0.33.
Ecolab Inc. (NYSE: ECL) is the global leader in cleaning,
sanitizing, food safety and infection prevention products and
services. Ecolab delivers comprehensive programs and services to
the foodservice, food and beverage processing, healthcare, and
hospitality markets in more than 160 countries. More news and
information is available at www.ecolab.com.
Ecolab will host a live webcast to review the fourth quarter
earnings announcement today at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The webcast,
along with related presentation slides, will be available to the
public on Ecolab's website at www.ecolab.com/investor. A replay of
the webcast and related materials will be available at that
site.
Listening to the webcast requires Internet access, the Windows
Media Player, Real Player or other compatible streaming media
player.
This news release and certain of the accompanying tables include
financial measures that have not been calculated in accordance with
accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. (GAAP). These
Non-GAAP financial measures include fixed currency sales, fixed
currency sales excluding the impact of a change in distributor
incentive programs and acquisitions and divestitures, fixed
currency operating income, adjusted effective tax rate excluding
the tax rate impact of special gains and charges and discrete tax
items, and adjusted diluted earnings per share excluding special
gains and charges and discrete tax items. We provide these measures
as additional information regarding our operating results. We use
these Non-GAAP measures internally to evaluate our performance and
in making financial and operational decisions, including with
respect to incentive compensation. We believe that our presentation
of these measures provides investors with greater transparency with
respect to our results of operations and that these measures are
useful for period-to-period comparison of results.
We evaluate the performance of our International operations
based on fixed currency rates of foreign exchange. Fixed currency
sales and fixed currency operating income measures eliminate the
impact of exchange rate fluctuations on our international sales and
operating income, respectively, and promote a better understanding
of our sales and operating income trends from underlying business
performance. Fixed currency amounts included in this release are
based on translation into U.S. dollars at the fixed foreign
currency exchange rates established by management at the beginning
of 2009.
The adjusted effective tax rate measure promotes
period-to-period comparability of the underlying effective tax rate
because the amounts excluded do not necessarily reflect costs
associated with historical trends or expected future costs.
We include in special gains and charges items that are either
unusual in nature or significant in amount and important to an
understanding of underlying business performance. In order to
better allow investors to compare underlying business performance
period-to-period, we provide adjusted diluted earnings per share,
which excludes special gains and charges and discrete tax
items.
These Non-GAAP financial measures are not in accordance with, or
an alternative to, GAAP, and may be different from Non-GAAP
measures used by other companies. Investors should not rely on any
single financial measure when evaluating our business. We recommend
that investors view these measures in conjunction with the GAAP
measures included in this news release.
This news release contains various “Forward-Looking Statements”
within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
of 1995. These include statements concerning our 2010 first quarter
and full year financial and business prospects, including estimated
sales, gross margins, selling, general and administrative expense,
growth investments, interest expense, special gains and charges,
effective tax rates, currency translation, end-market economic
activity, and adjusted diluted earnings per share. These
statements, which represent Ecolab’s expectations or beliefs
concerning various future events, are based on current expectations
that involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause
actual results to differ materially from those of such
Forward-Looking Statements. We caution that undue reliance should
not be placed on Forward-Looking Statements, which speak only as of
the date made.
Risks and uncertainties that may affect operating results and
business performance are set forth under Item 1A of our most recent
Form 10-Q and include the vitality of the markets we serve; the
impact of worldwide economic factors such as the worldwide economy,
credit markets, interest rates and foreign currency risk;
fluctuations in raw material and delivered product costs; our
ability to develop competitive advantages through innovation;
restraints on pricing flexibility due to contractual obligations;
pressure on operations from consolidation of customers, vendors or
competitors; the ability to acquire complementary businesses and to
effectively integrate such businesses; the impact of investments to
develop business systems or to optimize our business structure; the
costs and effects of complying with laws and regulations relating
to the environment and to the manufacture, storage, distribution,
sale and use of our products; changes in laws, regulations or
accounting standards; public health epidemics; the occurrence of
litigation or claims, acts of war, terrorism, severe weather or
natural or man-made disasters; the loss or insolvency of a major
customer, supplier or distributor; our ability to attract and
retain high caliber management talent; and other uncertainties or
risks reported from time to time in our reports to the Securities
and Exchange Commission.
Except as may be required under applicable law, we undertake no
duty to update our Forward-Looking Statements.
(ECL-E)
ECOLAB INC. CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF INCOME
FOURTH QUARTER ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2009 (unaudited)
Fourth Quarter Ended Year Ended
December 31 % December 31 % (millions, except per share)
2009 2008
Change 2009 2008
Change Net sales
$ 1,564.5 $
1,483.3 5 %
$ 5,900.6 $ 6,137.5 -4 % Cost of
sales (1)
781.1 770.2 1 %
2,978.0 3,141.6 -5 %
Selling, general and administrative expenses
577.4 541.4 7 %
2,174.2 2,257.2 -4 % Special (gains) and charges (1)
10.2 31.5
67.1 25.9
Operating income
195.8 140.2 40 %
681.3 712.8 -4 %
Interest expense, net
15.1 15.5 -3 %
61.2 61.6 -1 % Income before income
taxes
180.7 124.7 45 %
620.1 651.2 -5 %
Provision for income taxes
64.4 44.3 45 %
201.4 202.8 -1 % Net income including
noncontrolling interest
116.3 80.4 45 %
418.7 448.4
-7 % Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling
interest
0.5 0.4
1.4 0.3
Net income attributable to Ecolab
$ 115.8 $
80.0 45 %
$ 417.3 $ 448.1 -7 % Earnings
attributable to Ecolab per common share Basic
$ 0.49
$ 0.33 48 %
$ 1.76 $ 1.83 -4 % Diluted
$
0.48 $ 0.33 45 %
$ 1.74 $ 1.80 -3 %
Weighted-average common shares outstanding Basic
237.1 239.9
-1 %
236.7 245.4 -4 % Diluted
241.3 242.9 -1 %
239.9 249.3 -4 % (1) Amounts include the following special
gains and charges: Fourth Quarter Ended Year
Ended (millions) December 31 December 31
2009 2008
2009 2008 Cost of sales Restructuring
$
3.2 $ -
$ 12.6 $ - Subtotal cost of
sales
3.2 -
12.6 - Special (gains) and charges
Restructuring
7.3 -
59.9 - Business write-down and
closures
2.4 19.1
2.4 19.1 Business structure and
optimization
0.5 11.3
2.8 25.6 Gain on the sale of
plant
- -
- (24.0 ) Gain on the sale of businesses
- -
- (1.7 ) Other items
- 1.1
2.0 6.9 Subtotal special (gains) and
charges
10.2 31.5
67.1 25.9
Total
$ 13.4 $ 31.5
$ 79.7 $
25.9
ECOLAB INC. OPERATING SEGMENT INFORMATION
FOURTH QUARTER AND YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2009 (unaudited)
Fourth Quarter Ended Year
Ended December 31 % December 31 % (millions)
2009 2008
Change 2009 2008
Change Net
Sales United States Cleaning & Sanitizing
$ 676.1
$ 648.2 4 %
$ 2,663.3 $ 2,660.8 0 % Other Services
109.4 113.3 -3 %
449.4 469.3 -4 % Total
785.5
761.5 3 %
3,112.7 3,130.1 -1 % International
701.5 697.4 1 %
2,674.9
2,650.7 1 % Subtotal at fixed currency rates
1,487.0 1,458.9 2 %
5,787.6 5,780.8 0 % Effect of
foreign currency translation
77.5 24.4
113.0 356.7 Consolidated
$ 1,564.5 $ 1,483.3 5 %
$
5,900.6 $ 6,137.5 -4 % Operating Income
United States Cleaning & Sanitizing
$ 125.2 $
97.4 29 %
$ 495.2 $ 430.2 15 % Other Services
15.8 13.9 14 %
65.7
51.8 27 % Total
141.0 111.3 27 %
560.9 482.0 16 % International
64.5
61.5 5 %
209.0 236.2
-12 % Subtotal at fixed currency rates
205.5 172.8 19
%
769.9 718.2 7 % Corporate
(19.9 ) (38.8 )
(103.9 ) (55.1 ) Effect of foreign currency
translation
10.2 6.2
15.3 49.7 Consolidated
$
195.8 $ 140.2 40 %
$ 681.3
$ 712.8 -4 %
Note: The Corporate segment includes special gains and charges
reported on the Consolidated Statement of Income as well as
investments in the development of business systems and other
business efficiency investments.
ECOLAB INC. CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET
December 31 December 31 (millions)
2009 2008
(unaudited)
Assets Current assets Cash and cash equivalents
$ 73.6 $ 66.7 Accounts receivable, net
1,016.1
971.0 Inventories
493.4 467.2 Deferred income taxes
83.9 94.7 Other current assets
147.2
91.5 Total current assets
1,814.2 1,691.1 Property,
plant and equipment, net
1,176.2 1,135.2 Goodwill, net
1,414.1 1,267.7 Other intangible assets, net
312.5
326.7 Other assets
303.9 336.2 Total
assets
$ 5,020.9 $ 4,756.9
Liabilities and
Equity Current liabilities Short-term debt
$ 98.5
$ 338.9 Accounts payable
360.9 359.6 Compensation and
benefits
302.1 261.1 Income taxes
21.8 46.3 Other
current liabilities
466.9 436.0 Total current
liabilities
1,250.2 1,441.9 Long-term debt
868.8 799.3 Postretirement health care and pension benefits
603.7 680.2 Other liabilities
288.6 256.5
Ecolab shareholders' equity
2,000.9 1,571.6 Noncontrolling
interest
8.7 7.4 Total equity
2,009.6
1,579.0 Total liabilities and equity
$ 5,020.9
$ 4,756.9
ECOLAB INC. SUPPLEMENTAL DILUTED EARNINGS PER
SHARE INFORMATION (unaudited)
The table below provides a
reconciliation of diluted earnings per share, as reported, to the
non-GAAP measure of adjusted diluted earnings per share.
First
Second Six Third Nine Fourth
Quarter Quarter Months Quarter
Months Quarter Year Ended Ended
Ended Ended Ended Ended Ended
March 31 June 30 June 30 Sept. 30
Sept. 30 Dec. 31 Dec. 31 2008
2008 2008 2008 2008 2008
2008 Diluted earnings per share, as reported (U.S. GAAP) $
0.41 $ 0.55 $ 0.96 $ 0.50 $ 1.46 $ 0.33 $ 1.80 Adjustments:
Special (gains) and charges (1) - (0.08 ) (0.08 ) 0.04 (0.04 ) 0.11
0.07 Tax expense (benefits) (2) (0.02 ) - (0.02 ) 0.01 (0.01 ) -
(0.01 ) Adjusted diluted
earnings per share $ 0.39 $ 0.47 $ 0.86
$ 0.55 $ 1.41 $ 0.45 $ 1.86
First Second Six Third
Nine Fourth Quarter Quarter
Months Quarter Months Quarter
Year Ended Ended Ended Ended
Ended Ended Ended March 31 June
30 June 30 Sept. 30 Sept. 30 Dec.
31 Dec. 31 2009 2009 2009
2009 2009 2009 2009 Diluted earnings
per share, as reported (U.S. GAAP) $ 0.24 $ 0.41 $ 0.65 $ 0.60 $
1.26 $ 0.48 $ 1.74 Adjustments: Special (gains) and charges
(3) 0.09 0.08 0.18 0.02 0.20 0.04 0.24 Tax expense (benefits) (4) -
- - (0.02 ) (0.02 ) 0.02 0.00 Adjusted diluted
earnings per share $ 0.33
$ 0.50 $ 0.83 $ 0.61 $ 1.44 $ 0.55 $
1.99
Per share amounts do not necessarily sum due to changes in
shares outstanding and rounding.
(1) Special gains and charges for the second quarter of 2008
include a $24.0 million gain on the sale of a plant in Denmark,
partially offset by other non-recurring business structure costs.
Special gains and charges for the third quarter of 2008 includes
non-recurring business structure costs. Special gains and charges
in the fourth quarter of 2008 includes a $19.1 million charge for
the write-down of investments in an energy management business and
the closure of two small non-strategic healthcare businesses, as
well as business structure and optimization costs.
(2) First quarter 2008 tax benefits include discrete tax impact
of enacted tax legislation and an international rate change. Third
quarter 2008 tax expense includes discrete tax impact of
recognizing adjustments from filing the prior year federal tax
return.
(3) Special gains and charges for 2009 include restructuring
charges of $20.9 million, $18.9 million, $4.4 million and $7.8
million, net of tax, in the first, second, third and fourth
quarter, respectively. Special gains and charges for 2009 also
includes other non-recurring items, net of tax.
(4) Third quarter 2009 tax benefits primarily include discrete
tax benefits related to our 2005 Federal tax return. Fourth quarter
2009 discrete tax expense primarily includes the impact of
international tax costs from optimizing our business structure.
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