The J. M. Smucker Company Announces Fiscal 2013 Second Quarter Results and Updates Full Year Guidance

ORRVILLE, Ohio, Nov. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The J. M. Smucker Company (NYSE: SJM) today announced results for the second quarter ended October 31, 2012, of its 2013 fiscal year.  Results for the quarter and six months ended October 31, 2012, include the operations of the North American foodservice coffee and hot beverage business acquired from Sara Lee Corporation ("Sara Lee foodservice business") since the completion of the acquisition on January 3, 2012.

Executive Summary

• The acquired Sara Lee foodservice business contributed $90.7 million and $177.5 million to net sales for the three and six months ended October 31, 2012, respectively.
• Operating income and net income excluding the impact of restructuring, merger and integration, and certain pension settlement costs ("special project costs") each increased 8 percent in the second quarter.  Included in these amounts for the second quarter last year was a pre-tax loss on divestiture of approximately $11.3 million.
• Second quarter net income excluding special project costs per diluted share increased 12 percent, which includes the benefit from the Company's share repurchase activities over the past year.

"We delivered another strong quarter of solid sales and earnings growth," commented Richard Smucker, Chief Executive Officer.  "Our long-term strategy continues to serve us well in consistently delivering results.  Our iconic brands are trusted and have demonstrated their strength and resilience.  We have a team of highly talented employees that are fully committed to our culture and to implementing our strategy.  All of which point to our Company being well-positioned for continued profitable growth."

"Overall consumer spending appears to be on the upswing which is welcome news for the industry," added Vince Byrd, President and Chief Operating Officer.  "The tactical adjustments we made to address market conditions are working.  We have optimized price points, closed price gaps, and strengthened merchandising.  Consumers continue to respond positively to these actions and to our brand-building initiatives, product innovations, and new brand additions.  We are well-poised for the holiday season and another year of growth."   

Net Sales

Net sales increased 8 percent in the second quarter of 2013, compared to the second quarter of 2012, due to the impact of the acquired Sara Lee foodservice business and favorable sales mix.  Overall net price realization was slightly lower as price declines on coffee offset increases taken on peanut butter over the past year.  Volume gains realized in Folgers® coffee, Robin Hood® and Five Roses® flour in Canada, and Dunkin' Donuts® packaged coffee were offset by decreases in Pillsbury® baking mixes, Crisco® shortening and oils, Jif® peanut butter, and Smucker's® fruit spreads.  Overall volume, based on weight and excluding acquisition, decreased 2 percent in the second quarter of 2013, compared to the second quarter of 2012.  Favorable sales mix in the quarter was driven by volume growth in the Company's coffee brands, including K-Cups®, which are higher priced per pound, compared to other products within the Company's portfolio.

Margins  

Gross profit increased $43.2 million, or 9 percent, in the second quarter of 2013, compared to 2012.  Excluding special project costs, gross profit increased $33.0 million, or 6 percent, driven by the acquired Sara Lee foodservice business and strong coffee growth.  Gross margin was 33.4 percent in the second quarter of 2013, compared to 33.8 percent in the second quarter of 2012, excluding special project costs.

Overall commodity costs were slightly lower during the second quarter of 2013, compared to the second quarter of 2012, as lower green coffee costs offset higher costs for peanuts and certain other commodities.  However, the benefit to gross profit of overall lower costs was mostly offset by lower overall net price realization.  Unrealized mark-to-market adjustments on derivative contracts did not contribute to the change in year-over-year gross profit and were a loss of $10.3 million in the second quarter of 2013, compared to a loss of $10.2 million in the second quarter of 2012. 

Selling, distribution, and administrative expenses increased 9 percent in the second quarter of 2013, compared to the second quarter of 2012, driven in part by the acquired Sara Lee foodservice business, and increased as a percentage of net sales from 15.6 percent to 15.8 percent.    Marketing, selling, and general and administrative expenses increased 11 percent, 10 percent, and 9 percent, respectively.

Higher amortization expense was recognized in the second quarter of 2013, compared to 2012, primarily related to the intangible assets associated with the Sara Lee foodservice business acquisition. 

Operating income increased $35.9 million in the second quarter of 2013, compared to 2012.  Excluding special project costs in both periods, operating income increased $19.9 million, or 8 percent, and increased from 16.0 percent of net sales in 2012 to 16.1 percent in 2013.  Both operating income measures include a loss on divestiture of $11.3 million in 2012.

Interest and Income Taxes

Interest expense increased $4.8 million in the second quarter of 2013, compared to 2012, primarily representing the cost of higher average debt outstanding, due to the Company's October 2011 public debt issuance. 

Income taxes increased $9.4 million, or 14 percent, in the second quarter of 2013, compared to 2012, reflecting an increase in income before income taxes offset slightly by a lower effective tax rate.  The effective tax rate was 33.6 percent in the second quarter of 2013, compared to 34.1 percent in 2012.  

Segment Performance  

U.S. Retail Coffee

The U.S. Retail Coffee segment net sales increased 1 percent in the second quarter of 2013, compared to the second quarter of 2012, as increased volume and favorable sales mix driven primarily by K-Cups® offset the impact of price declines taken since the second quarter of 2012.  Segment volume increased 6 percent in the second quarter of 2013, compared to the second quarter of 2012, as the Folgers® brand increased 6 percent and Dunkin' Donuts® packaged coffee increased 11 percent.  Net sales of Folgers Gourmet Selections® and Millstone® K-Cups® remained strong and increased $36.4 million, compared to the second quarter of 2012.  K-Cups® represented 6 percentage points of segment net sales growth, while contributing only 1 percentage point growth to volume.

The U.S. Retail Coffee segment profit increased $18.3 million, or 13 percent, in the second quarter of 2013, compared to the second quarter of 2012, as favorable mix and volume growth exceeded a significant increase in marketing expenses.  The impact of lower green coffee costs was more than offset by price declines but did not significantly impact segment profit.  Unrealized mark-to-market adjustments, which represented a loss of $4.5 million in the second quarter of 2013, compared to a loss of $10.1 million in the second quarter of 2012, contributed $5.6 million to the segment profit increase. 

U.S. Retail Consumer Foods

The U.S. Retail Consumer Foods segment net sales also increased 1 percent in the second quarter of 2013, compared to 2012, as the impact of higher net price realization offset a 6 percent decline in segment volume and unfavorable sales mix.  Jif® brand net sales increased 20 percent in the second quarter of 2013, compared to 2012, primarily reflecting price increases taken since the second quarter of 2012.  Volume of the Jif® brand decreased 6 percent compared to the strong quarter last year which benefited from early consumer buy-in in advance of a 30 percent price increase in the third quarter of 2012.  Smucker's® fruit spreads net sales and volume were down 11 percent during the same period.  Net sales and volume of Smucker's® Uncrustables® frozen sandwiches increased 13 percent and 11 percent, respectively, in the second quarter of 2013, compared to 2012, benefiting from new distribution at certain retailers.

Crisco® brand net sales and volume decreased 12 percent and 8 percent, respectively, in the second quarter of 2013, compared to 2012, resulting from declines at a key retailer.  For the same period, net sales for the Pillsbury® brand increased 2 percent, while volume decreased 5 percent mostly reflecting the tonnage impact of the previously announced cake mix downsizing.  Canned milk net sales and volume increased 2 percent and 5 percent, respectively, during the second quarter of 2013, compared to 2012. 

The U.S. Retail Consumer Foods segment profit decreased $4.8 million, or 4 percent, in the second quarter of 2013, compared to the second quarter of 2012. Unrealized mark-to-market adjustments, which were a loss of $5.0 million in the second quarter of 2013, compared to a loss of $0.4 million in the second quarter of 2012, represented $4.6 million of the segment profit decrease.  Overall raw material costs recognized were higher in the quarter most significantly for peanuts but were essentially offset by higher net price realization, and a decrease in marketing and other support costs.  A portion of planned marketing expenditures in the second quarter of 2013 was redirected to promotional spending, and contributed to the decrease in marketing expense. 

International, Foodservice, and Natural Foods

Net sales in the International, Foodservice, and Natural Foods segment increased 38 percent in the second quarter of 2013, compared to 2012, driven by the acquired Sara Lee foodservice business, which contributed $90.7 million, or 32 percentage points, of the net sales growth.  Excluding the impact of acquisition, divestiture, and foreign exchange, segment net sales increased 6 percent over the same period last year.  Volume was up 4 percent with gains realized in the Robin Hood® and Five Roses® Canadian flour brands as well as nonbranded beverages.   

Segment profit increased $19.2 million in the second quarter of 2013, compared to 2012, which included an $11.3 million loss on divestiture.  Excluding this loss, segment profit increased $7.9 million, or 16 percent, primarily due to the contribution of the Sara Lee foodservice business.  Unrealized mark-to-market adjustments were a loss of $2.4 million in the second quarter of 2013, compared to a loss of $0.1 million in the second quarter of 2012.

Other Financial Results and Measures

Cash provided by operating activities increased $64.7 million in the second quarter of 2013, compared to the second quarter of 2012, and resulted in an increase in cash provided by operating activities of $299.7 million for the first six months of 2013, primarily due to a lower amount of cash required to fund inventory during the period, compared to 2012.  Capital expenditures decreased $37.2 million in the first six months of 2013, compared to 2012, and combined with the increase in cash provided by operating activities resulted in a $336.9 million increase in free cash flow over the same period.

During the second quarter of 2013, the Company repurchased 2.0 million common shares for approximately $170.9 million under the Company's August 2012 Rule 10b5-1 trading plan, completing the purchase of shares included under the plan.  At October 31, 2012, the Company had approximately 1.9 million common shares remaining available for repurchase under the Board of Directors' authorization.

Outlook

For fiscal 2013, the Company expects net sales to increase approximately 7 percent, compared to 2012, including an incremental eight-month contribution from the Sara Lee foodservice business.  Non-GAAP net income per diluted share is expected to range from $5.12 to $5.22, excluding special project costs of approximately $0.40 per diluted share.  Previously, the range was $5.00 to $5.10 per diluted share excluding special project costs.

Conference Call

The Company will conduct an earnings conference call and webcast today, Friday, November 16, 2012, at 8:30 a.m. E.T.  The webcast can be accessed from the Company's website at www.smuckers.com.  For those unable to listen to the live webcast, the webcast replay will be available at www.smuckers.com following the call.  An audio replay will also be available following the call until Friday, November 23, 2012, and can be accessed by dialing 888-203-1112 or 719-457-0820, with a pass code of 9289404.

Non-GAAP Measures

The Company uses non-GAAP measures including net sales adjusted for the noncomparable impact of acquisition, divestiture, and foreign exchange rate; gross profit, operating income, net income, and net income per diluted share, excluding special project costs; earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization ("EBITDA"); and free cash flow as key measures for purposes of evaluating performance internally.  These non-GAAP measures are not intended to replace the presentation of financial results in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP").  Rather, the presentation of these non-GAAP measures supplements other metrics used by management to internally evaluate its businesses, and facilitates the comparison of past and present operations.  These non-GAAP measures may not be comparable to similar measures used by other companies and may exclude certain nondiscretionary expenses and cash payments.  A reconciliation of certain non-GAAP measures to the comparable GAAP items for the current and prior year quarter and year-to-date periods is included in the "Unaudited Non-GAAP Measures" table. 

About The J. M. Smucker Company

For more than 110 years, The J. M. Smucker Company has been committed to offering consumers quality products that bring families together to share memorable meals and moments.  Today, Smucker is a leading marketer and manufacturer of fruit spreads, retail packaged coffee, peanut butter, shortening and oils, ice cream toppings, sweetened condensed milk, and health and natural foods beverages in North America. Its family of brands includes Smucker's®, Folgers®, Dunkin' Donuts®, Jif®, Crisco®, Pillsbury®, Eagle Brand®, R.W. Knudsen Family®, Hungry Jack®, Café Bustelo®, Café Pilon®, White Lily® and Martha White® in the United States, along with Robin Hood®, Five Roses®, Carnation® and Bick's® in Canada. The Company remains rooted in the Basic Beliefs of Quality, People, Ethics, Growth and Independence established by its founder and namesake more than a century ago. For more information about the Company, visit www.smuckers.com.

The J. M. Smucker Company is the owner of all trademarks referenced herein, except for the following, which are used under license: Pillsbury® is a trademark of The Pillsbury Company, LLC; Carnation® is a trademark of Societe des Produits Nestle S.A.; and Dunkin' Donuts® is a registered trademark of DD IP Holder, LLC.  

Dunkin' Donuts® brand is licensed to The J. M. Smucker Company for packaged coffee products sold in retail channels such as grocery stores, mass merchandisers, club stores, and drug stores.  This information does not pertain to Dunkin' Donuts® coffee or other products for sale in Dunkin' Donuts® restaurants.  K-Cup® and K-Cups® are trademarks of Keurig, Incorporated. 

The J. M. Smucker Company Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements, such as projected operating results, earnings, and cash flows, that are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by those forward-looking statements.  Readers should understand that the risks, uncertainties, factors, and assumptions listed and discussed in this press release, including the following important factors and assumptions, could affect the future results of the Company and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements:

• volatility of commodity markets from which raw materials, particularly green coffee beans, wheat, soybean oil, milk, peanuts, and sugar, are procured and the related impact on costs;
• risks associated with derivative and purchasing strategies employed by the Company to manage commodity pricing risks, including the risk that such strategies could result in significant losses and adversely impact the Company's liquidity;
• crude oil price trends and their impact on transportation, energy, and packaging costs;
• the ability to successfully implement and realize the full benefit of price changes that are intended to fully recover cost and the competitive, retailer, and consumer response;
• the success and cost of introducing new products and the competitive response;
• the success and cost of marketing and sales programs and strategies intended to promote growth in the Company's businesses;
• general competitive activity in the market, including competitors' pricing practices and promotional spending levels;
• the ability of the Company to successfully integrate acquired and merged businesses in a timely and cost effective manner;
• the successful completion of the Company's restructuring programs and the ability to realize anticipated savings and other potential benefits within the time frames currently contemplated;
• the impact of food security concerns involving either the Company's or its competitors' products;
• the impact of accidents and natural disasters, including crop failures and storm damage;
• the concentration of certain of the Company's businesses with key customers and suppliers, including single-source suppliers of certain raw materials, such as packaging for its most popular Folgers® coffee products, and finished goods, such as K-Cups®, and the ability to manage and maintain key relationships;
• the loss of significant customers, a substantial reduction in orders from these customers, or the bankruptcy of any such customer;
• changes in consumer coffee preferences and other factors affecting the coffee business, which represents a substantial portion of the Company's business;
• a change in outlook or downgrade in the Company's public credit ratings by a rating agency;
• the ability of the Company to obtain any required financing;
• the timing and amount of capital expenditures, share repurchases, and restructuring costs;
• impairments in the carrying value of goodwill, other intangible assets, or other long-lived assets or changes in useful lives of other intangible assets;
• the impact of new or changes to existing governmental laws and regulations and their application;
• the impact of future legal, regulatory, or market measures regarding climate change;
• the outcome of current and future tax examinations, changes in tax laws, and other tax matters, and their related impact on the Company's tax positions;
• foreign currency and interest rate fluctuations;
• political or economic disruption;
• other factors affecting share prices and capital markets generally; and
• risks related to other factors described under "Risk Factors" in other reports and statements filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Readers are cautioned not to unduly rely on such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made, when evaluating the information presented in this press release.  The Company does not undertake any obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements to reflect new events or circumstances.

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SOURCE The J. M. Smucker Company