Oil-Dri Announces Second Quarter and Six-Month Results

CHICAGO, IL--(Marketwire - Mar 11, 2013) - Oil-Dri Corporation of America (NYSE: ODC) today announced net sales of $61,122,000 for the second quarter ended January 31, 2013, a 2% increase compared with net sales of $60,203,000 in the same quarter one year ago. Net income for the second quarter was $2,146,000, or $0.31 per diluted share, down 31% from net income of $3,239,000, or $0.45 per diluted share, for the same quarter one year ago.

Net sales for the six-month period were $122,539,000, a 2% increase compared with net sales of $119,785,000 in the same period one year ago. Net income for the six-month period was $6,598,000, or $0.94 per diluted share, up 57% from net income of $4,314,000, or $0.60 per diluted share, in the same period one year ago.

Business Review

President and Chief Executive Officer Daniel S. Jaffee said, "We are pleased to report a significant increase in earnings for the first six-months. However, due to anticipated increased advertising and promotional spending for Cat's Pride Fresh & Light in the Retail and Wholesale segment, quarterly earnings per share were down substantially from last year's second quarter.

"We are encouraged by the repeat purchases of our Cat's Pride Fresh & Light and are focusing our efforts on obtaining consumer trial and expanded distribution."

Segment Review

Business to Business
Products

Three Months Ended January 31,

Change

Fiscal 2013

Fiscal 2012

Net Sales

$21,715,000

$21,303,000

2%

Segment Income

$7,101,000

$6,427,000

10%

Business to Business
Products

Six Months Ended January 31,

Change

Fiscal 2013

Fiscal 2012

Net Sales

$43,497,000

$42,237,000

3%

Segment Income

$14,624,000

$13,867,000

5%

Net sales for the Company's Business to Business segment for the second quarter were up $412,000 or 2% while segment income was up $674,000 or 10% from the prior year period. The increase was due to volume growth of bleaching clays and animal health products. Market conditions in the global production and processing of agricultural products continued to be favorable in the quarter. Sales of our animal health products grew in volume and dollars. Net sales of co-packaged coarse cat litters were also up during the quarter. Sales declined for products used as agricultural chemical carriers sold to corn rootworm producers and products used in other horticultural applications.

Net sales of Business to Business products for the six-month period were $43,497,000, a 3% increase compared with net sales of $42,237,000 in the same period one year ago. Segment income for the six-month period was $14,624,000, a 5% increase from the same period one year ago. The increase was due to an increase in volume of bleaching clays and animal health products, offset by decreased volume in the recycled oil and agricultural chemical markets.

Retail and Wholesale
Products

Three Months ended Jan 31,

Change

Fiscal 2013

Fiscal 2012

Net Sales

$39,407,000

$38,900,000

1%

Segment Income

$1,936,000

$3,058,000

-37%

Retail and Wholesale
Products

Six Months Ended January 31,

Change

Fiscal 2013

Fiscal 2012

Net Sales

$79,042,000

$77,548,000

2%

Segment Income

$6,460,000

$1,839,000

251%

Net sales for the company's Retail and Wholesale Products for the second quarter were up 1% while segment income was down $1,122,000 or 37% from the prior year period. The decrease in income was due to increased costs incurred to encourage consumer trial and expanded distribution of Cat's Pride Fresh & Light cat litter introduced in 2011. Net sales of industrial and automotive products were down while sales by our foreign subsidiaries were up from the same quarter one year ago.

Net sales of Retail and Wholesale products for the six-month period were $79,042,000, a 2% increase compared with net sales of $77,548,000 in the same period one year ago due to lower trade spending. Segment income for the six-month period was $6,460,000, a 251% increase from the same period one year ago. The increase was due to more sales, better product mix, lower packaging costs and lower natural gas costs compared to last year.

Financial Review

On December 4, 2012, Oil-Dri's Board of Directors declared a one-time accelerated cash dividend of $0.36 per share of outstanding Common Stock and $0.27 per share of outstanding Class B Stock, which reflect dividends normally paid in third and fourth quarters. The dividends were paid on December 28, 2012 to stockholders of record at the close of business on December 14, 2012. The Company has paid cash dividends continuously since 1974 and has increased dividends annually for the past nine years.

At the end of the second quarter, the annualized dividend yield on the Company's Common Stock was 2.6%, based on the quarter's closing stock price of $27.75 per share and an annual cash dividend of $0.72.

Cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments at January 31, 2012, totaled $35,818,000, which was only $506,000 less than last year despite paying $2,368,000 more in dividends than in the first six-months of fiscal 2012. Capital expenditures for the six-month period totaled $5,009,000, which was $534,000 more than depreciation and amortization of $4,475,000. Capital expenditures included improvements to and replacement of machinery at our manufacturing facilities. Capital expenditures were $3,512,000 at this time last year.

Net cash provided by operating activities was $10,811,000 in the second quarter compared to $10,281,000 for the same period one year ago due to the increase in income and changes in working capital.

Looking Forward

Jaffee continued, "In the balance of the fiscal year we will continue to support Cat's Pride Fresh & Light and our other value added products with more advertising and promotional spending than we have historically. We expect that our overall advertising and promotional spending for the fiscal year will remain high, but be less than last fiscal year."

The Company will offer a live webcast of the second quarter earnings teleconference on Wednesday, March 13, 2013 from 10:00 am to 10:30 am, CT. To listen via the web, visit www.streetevents.com or www.oildri.com. An archived recording of the call and written transcripts of all teleconferences are posted on the Oil-Dri website.

Cat's Pride and Fresh & Light are registered trademarks of Oil-Dri Corporation of America.

Oil-Dri Corporation of America is a leading supplier of specialty sorbent products for agricultural, horticultural, fluids purification, specialty markets, industrial and automotive, and is the world's largest manufacturer of cat litter.

Certain statements in this press release may contain forward-looking statements that are based on our current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about our future performance, our business, our beliefs, and our management's assumptions. In addition, we, or others on our behalf, may make forward-looking statements in other press releases or written statements, or in our communications and discussions with investors and analysts in the normal course of business through meetings, webcasts, phone calls, and conference calls. Words such as "expect," "outlook," "forecast," "would," "could," "should," "project," "intend," "plan," "continue," "believe," "seek," "estimate," "anticipate, "may," "assume," variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements, which are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

Such statements are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially including, but not limited to, the dependence of our future growth and financial performance on successful new product introductions, intense competition in our markets, volatility of our quarterly results, risks associated with acquisitions, our dependence on a limited number of customers for a large portion of our net sales and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are described in Item 1A (Risk Factors) of our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and other reports we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Should one or more of these or other risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, our actual results may vary materially from those anticipated, intended, expected, believed, estimated, projected or planned. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. Except to the extent required by law, we do not have any intention or obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements after the distribution of this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions, or otherwise.

Oil-Dri Corporation of America

Consolidated Statements of Income

(in thousands, except for per share amounts)

(unaudited)

Second Quarter Ended January 31,

2013

% of Sales

2012

% of Sales

Net Sales

$

61,122

100.0

%

$

60,203

100.0

%

Cost of Sales

(44,853

)

73.4

%

(45,649

)

75.8

%

Gross Profit

16,269

26.6

%

14,554

24.2

%

Operating Expenses

(12,834

)

21.0

%

(9,725

)

16.2

%

Capacity Rationalization Charges

(50

)

0.1

%

--

0.0

%

Operating Income

3,385

5.5

%

4,829

8.0

%

Interest Expense

(446

)

0.7

%

(504

)

0.8

%

Other Income

92

-0.2

%

(46

)

0.1

%

Income Before Income Taxes

3,031

5.0

%

4,279

7.1

%

Income Taxes

(885

)

1.4

%

(1,040

)

1.7

%

Net Income

$

2,146

3.5

%

$

3,239

5.4

%

Net Income Per Share:

Basic Common

$

0.33

$

0.49

Basic Class B Common

$

0.25

$

0.36

Diluted

$

0.31

$

0.45

Average Shares Outstanding:

Basic Common

4,896

5,124

Basic Class B Common

1,976

1,938

Diluted

6,922

7,128

Six Months Ended January 31,

2013

% of Sales

2012

% of Sales

Net Sales

$

122,539

100.0

%

$

119,785

100.0

%

Cost of Sales

(89,039

)

72.7

%

(91,028

)

76.0

%

Gross Profit

33,500

27.3

%

28,757

24.0

%

Operating Expenses

(23,654

)

19.3

%

(22,132

)

18.5

%

Capacity Rationalization Charges

(62

)

0.1

%

--

0.0

%

Operating Income

9,784

8.0

%

6,625

5.5

%

Interest Expense

(927

)

0.8

%

(1,028

)

0.9

%

Other Income

231

0.2

%

155

0.1

%

Income Before Income Taxes

9,088

7.4

%

5,752

4.8

%

Income Taxes

(2,490

)

2.0

%

(1,438

)

1.2

%

Net Income

$

6,598

5.4

%

$

4,314

3.6

%

Net Income Per Share:

Basic Common

$

1.02

$

0.65

Basic Class B Common

$

0.77

$

0.49

Diluted

$

0.94

$

0.60

Average Shares Outstanding:

Basic Common

4,887

5,119

Basic Class B Common

1,960

1,929

Diluted

6,904

7,114

Oil-Dri Corporation of America

Consolidated Balance Sheets

(in thousands, except for per share amounts)

(unaudited)

As of January 31,

2013

2012

Current Assets

Cash and Cash Equivalents

$

25,430

$

27,359

Investment in Short-term Securities

10,388

8,965

Accounts Receivable, net

31,004

28,907

Inventories

22,186

21,640

Prepaid Expenses

8,169

7,230

97,177

94,101

Property, Plant and Equipment

65,117

66,810

Other Assets

14,124

13,311

Total Assets

$

176,418

$

174,222

Current Liabilities

Current Maturities of Notes Payable

$

5,000

$

3,800

Accounts Payable

6,172

6,034

Dividends Payable

--

1,132

Accrued Expenses

18,223

15,284

Total Current Liabilities

29,395

26,250

Long-Term Liabilities

Notes Payable

22,400

27,400

Other Noncurrent Liabilities

34,782

22,833

Total Long-Term Liabilities

57,182

50,233

Stockholders' Equity

89,841

97,739

Total Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity

$

176,418

$

174,222

Book Value Per Share Outstanding

$

13.12

$

13.87

Acquisitions of

Property, Plant and Equipment

Second Quarter

$

2,852

$

1,901

Year to Date

$

5,009

$

3,512

Depreciation and Amortization Charges

Second Quarter

$

2,220

$

2,289

Year to Date

$

4,475

$

4,634

Oil-Dri Corporation of America

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

(in thousands)

(unaudited)

For the Six Months Ended

January 31,

CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES

2013

2012

Net Income

$

6,598

$

4,314

Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:

Depreciation and Amortization

4,475

4,634

Capacity Rationalization Plan Charges

62

--

(Increase) Decrease in Accounts Receivable

(812

)

265

Increase in Inventories

(2,513

)

(2,410

)

Decrease in Accounts Payable

(168

)

(179

)

Increase (Decrease) in Accrued Expenses

690

(98

)

Increase in Pension and Postretirements benefits

882

952

Other

1,597

2,803

Total Adjustments

4,213

5,967

Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities

10,811

10,281

CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES

Capital Expenditures

(5,009

)

(3,512

)

Net (Purchases) Dispositions of Investment Securities

(1,222

)

6,855

Other

34

23

Net Cash (Used in) Provided by Investing Activities

(6,197

)

3,366

CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES

Principal Payments on Long-Term Debt

(2,300

)

(2,100

)

Dividends Paid

(4,630

)

(2,262

)

Purchase of Treasury Stock

(175

)

--

Other

852

166

Net Cash Used in Financing Activities

(6,253

)

(4,196

)

Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents

(24

)

23

Net (Decrease) Increase in Cash and Cash Equivalents

(1,663

)

9,474

Cash and Cash Equivalents, Beginning of Period

27,093

17,885

Cash and Cash Equivalents, End of Period

$

25,430

$

27,359

Advertisement