CHS posts fiscal 2015 earnings of $781 million

ST. PAUL, Minn., Nov. 23, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- CHS Inc. (NASDAQ: CHSCP), the nation's leading farmer-owned cooperative and a global energy, grains and foods company, today announced earnings for fiscal 2015 of $781 million.

CHS earnings for fiscal 2015 (Sept. 1, 2014 – Aug. 31, 2015) of $781 million were down 28 percent from more than $1.1 billion for fiscal 2014, reflecting singular events as well as lower margins across CHS energy and agriculture businesses. Revenues for the year were $34.6 billion, down 19 percent from $42.7 billion for fiscal 2014, primarily due to lower values for the commodity energy and grains products it handles.

"Our core businesses of agriculture and energy have entered a global down cycle which affected both earnings and revenues for fiscal 2015," said Carl Casale, president and chief executive officer. "Nonetheless, we continue to fulfill our commitment to our owners by making significant investments in the future of our businesses; providing direct economic returns and maintaining a strong financial foundation for the future."

Year-over-year earnings for the CHS Energy segment declined primarily due to significantly reduced refining margins resulting from major maintenance turnarounds at its Laurel, Mont., and McPherson, Kan., refineries. Earnings for the company's propane business also declined due to lower margins and demand for both fall 2014 crop drying and winter 2014-15 heating use. CHS lubricants business reported record earnings.

CHS Ag segment earnings for fiscal 2015 also declined overall, driven primarily by a $116.5 million impairment associated with the decision to cease development of a nitrogen fertilizer plant at Spiritwood, N.D. In addition, grain marketing earnings decreased primarily as a result of robust logistical performance in fiscal 2014 which did not reoccur in fiscal 2015, as well as growth-related expenses and foreign exchange losses which were partially offset by increased margins. Within the company's Country Operations local retail, animal nutrition and sunflower businesses, earnings declined due to lower retail agronomy margins and growth expenses, but were partially offset by higher grain volumes and margins. CHS wholesale crop nutrients earnings increased in fiscal 2015 compared to fiscal 2014 due to increased margins partially offset by decreased volumes.

CHS renewable fuels marketing and production operations earnings also declined, primarily due to lower ethanol market prices and corresponding lower marketing commissions; this decrease was partially offset by additional production earnings from the company's two Illinois ethanol plants. CHS Processing and Food Ingredients fiscal 2015 earnings increased when compared with fiscal 2014; fiscal 2014 earnings included an impairment related to its CHS Israel assets.

CHS reports results for its Business Solutions operations and two food processing-related joint ventures under the Corporate and Other heading. Overall earnings for fiscal 2015 declined when compared with fiscal 2014; fiscal 2014 included a gain of $109.2 million associated with the formation of the Ardent Mills milling joint venture. Combined earnings for CHS Insurance, CHS Hedging and CHS Capital increased slightly in fiscal 2015.

In fiscal 2015, based on fiscal 2014 earnings, CHS returned $533.8 million to its owners in cash patronage, equity redemptions, preferred stock and dividends on preferred stock to its owners.

CHS Inc. (www.chsinc.com) is a leading global agribusiness owned by farmers, ranchers and cooperatives across the United States. Diversified in energy, grains and foods, CHS is committed to helping its customers, farmer-owners and other stakeholders grow their businesses through its domestic and global operations. CHS, a Fortune 100 company, supplies energy, crop nutrients, grain marketing services, animal feed, food and food ingredients, along with business solutions including insurance, financial and risk management services. The company operates petroleum refineries/pipelines and manufactures, markets and distributes Cenex^® brand refined fuels, lubricants, propane and renewable energy products.

This document and other CHS Inc. publicly available documents contain, and CHS officers and representatives may from time to time make, "forward–looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Report Act of 1995. Forward–looking statements can be identified by words such as "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "goal," "seek," "believe," "project," "estimate," "expect," "strategy," "future," "likely," "may," "should," "will" and similar references to future periods. Forward–looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based only on CHS current beliefs, expectations and assumptions regarding the future of its businesses, future plans and strategies, projections, anticipated events and trends, the economy and other future conditions. Because forward–looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of CHS control. CHS actual results and financial condition may differ materially from those indicated in the forward–looking statements. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward–looking statements. Important factors that could cause CHS actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in the forward–looking statements are discussed or identified in CHS public filings made with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including in the "Risk Factors" discussion in Item 1A of CHS Annual Report on Form 10–K for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2015. Any forward–looking statements made by CHS in this document are based only on information currently available to CHS and speak only as of the date on which the statement is made. CHS undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward–looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

SOURCE CHS Inc.

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