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United Natural Foods Announces Third Quarter 2009 Diluted EPS of $0.39, a 30% Increase Over Diluted EPS for Third Quarter 2008

June 02, 2009

Third Quarter Highlights

- Net sales increased 0.3% to $889.5 million compared with the third quarter of fiscal 2008

    - Net sales increased 3.3%, excluding the impact of UNFI Specialty

    - Net income totaled $16.8 million

DAYVILLE, Conn., June 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- United Natural Foods, Inc. (Nasdaq: UNFI) today reported net sales for the third quarter of fiscal 2009, ended May 2, 2009, of $889.5 million, an increase of approximately $2.6 million, or 0.3%, from net sales of $887.0 million recorded in the third quarter of fiscal 2008. Excluding the impact in both periods of the UNFI Specialty Distribution Services division ("Specialty"), which the Company acquired in the second quarter of fiscal 2008, net sales increased by approximately $26.5 million, or 3.3%, to $836.2 million.

"Our record earnings in the third quarter reflect our continued focus on cash flow, market share and the further expansion and integration of our specialty business. We continued to benefit from lower diesel fuel costs, while improved operational efficiencies and expense control by all of our associates resulted in earnings that represented a 30% increase over the third quarter of fiscal 2008," said Steven Spinner, President and Chief Executive Officer.

Net income was $16.8 million, or $0.39 per diluted share, for the third quarter of fiscal 2009 compared with net income for the third quarter of fiscal 2008 of $13.0 million, or $0.30 per diluted share.

Gross margin was 19.0% for the third quarter of fiscal 2009, which represents a 27 basis point improvement from gross margin of 18.7% for the third quarter of fiscal 2008, primarily due to higher gross margin within the Specialty division.

Operating expenses as a percentage of net sales decreased by 35 basis points during the third quarter of fiscal 2009 to 15.6% of net sales, or $138.3 million, from 15.9% of net sales, or $141.0 million, for the third quarter of fiscal 2008. Operating expenses were positively impacted by continued expense control programs across all of the Company's divisions, lower diesel fuel prices, and operational improvements in the Company's distribution centers.

"In April, we successfully completed the relocation and expansion of our specialty distribution facility from East Brunswick, New Jersey to our new 675,000 square foot facility in York, Pennsylvania," said Mr. Spinner. "With this move, we now have our first fully integrated facility, which allows us to offer our mid-Atlantic customers a full assortment of natural, organic and specialty foods from a single facility on a common system."

Updates to Fiscal 2009 Guidance

The Company is confirming net sales guidance for fiscal year 2009, ending August 1, 2009, to $3.45 billion to $3.50 billion, which represents a 2.5% to 4.0% increase in total net sales over fiscal 2008, or 4.5% to 6.0% after adjusting for the 53rd week in fiscal 2008.

In addition, the Company is raising its earnings per share guidance for fiscal 2009 to a range of $1.34 to $1.38 per diluted share. The Company had previously announced earnings per share guidance of $1.28 to $1.36 per diluted share. The Company's revised guidance reflects the impact of improved operating efficiencies and cost controls.

The Company is also lowering its anticipated fiscal 2009 capital expenditures guidance to a range of approximately $30 to $35 million. The Company had previously announced anticipated fiscal 2009 capital expenditures guidance of approximately $40 to $45 million.

The Company's guidance is based on a number of assumptions, many of which are outside the Company's control. If any of these assumptions vary, the Company's guidance may change. There can be no assurance that the Company will achieve these results.

Conference Call & Webcast

The Company's third quarter 2009 conference call and audio webcast will be held at 11:00 a.m. EDT on June 2, 2009. The audio webcast of the conference call will be available to the public, on a listen-only basis, via the Internet at www.fulldisclosure.com or at the Investors section of the Company's website at www.unfi.com. The online archive of the webcast will be available on the Company's website for 30 days.

Non-GAAP Reconciliation

    The following table details the non-GAAP measures for the third quarter of
fiscal 2009 and 2008:


    Quarter Ended:                              May 2,     April 26,
                                                 2009        2008
    (in thousands)

    Net sales, excluding UNFI Specialty
     Distribution Services:                    $836,243    $809,728

    UNFI Specialty Distribution Services
     net sales:                                  53,295      77,234

    Net sales, including UNFI Specialty
     Distribution Services:                    $889,538    $886,962

About United Natural Foods

United Natural Foods, Inc. (www.unfi.com) carries and distributes more than 60,000 products to more than 17,000 customers nationwide. The Company serves a wide variety of retail formats including conventional supermarket chains, natural product superstores, independent retail operators and the food service channel. United Natural Foods, Inc. was ranked by Forbes in 2005 as one of the "Best Managed Companies in America," ranked by Fortune in 2006 and 2007 as one of its "Most Admired Companies," ranked by Business Ethics as one of its "100 Best Corporate Citizens for 2006" and winner of the Supermarket News 2008 Sustainability Excellence Award.

For more information on United Natural Foods, Inc., visit the Company's website at www.unfi.com.

"Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Statements in this press release regarding the Company's business that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties. For a discussion of such risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, including but not limited to general business conditions, the impact of competition and our dependence on principal customers, see "Risk Factors" in the Company's quarterly report on Form 10-Q filed with the Commission on March 11, 2009, and its other filings under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Any forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and, as such, speak only as of the date made. The Company is not undertaking to update any information in the foregoing reports until the effective date of its future reports required by applicable laws. Any projections of future results of operations are based on a number of assumptions, many of which are outside the Company's control and should not be construed in any manner as a guarantee that such results will in fact occur. These projections are subject to change and could differ materially from final reported results. The Company may from time to time update these publicly announced projections, but it is not obligated to do so.

                           UNITED NATURAL FOODS, INC.
               CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (Unaudited)
                    (In thousands, except per share data)

                                  Three months ended    Nine months ended
                                   May 2,   April 26,   May 2,   April 26,
                                   2009      2008       2009       2008

    Net sales                    $889,538  $886,962  $2,601,409 $2,454,007
    Cost of sales                 720,787   721,119   2,103,004  1,998,021

        Gross profit              168,751   165,843     498,405    455,986

    Operating expenses            138,327   141,018     417,082    387,384
        Total operating expenses  138,327   141,018     417,082    387,384

        Operating income           30,424    24,825      81,323     68,602

    Other expense (income):
        Interest expense            1,723     4,186       8,333     12,137
        Interest income                11      (140)       (331)      (472)
        Other, net                    134        80         281        154
            Total other expense     1,868     4,126       8,283     11,819

            Income before
             income taxes          28,556    20,699      73,040     56,783

    Provision for income taxes     11,777     7,700      29,393     21,123

            Net income            $16,779   $12,999     $43,647    $35,660

    Basic per share data:
        Net income                  $0.39     $0.30       $1.02      $0.84

        Weighted average basic
         shares of common stock    42,871    42,727      42,827     42,678

    Diluted per share data:
        Net income                  $0.39     $0.30       $1.02      $0.83

        Weighted average diluted
         shares of common stock    42,943    42,847      42,939     42,858



                          UNITED NATURAL FOODS, INC.
                   CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Unaudited)
                   (In thousands, except per share data)

                                                     May 2,      August 2,
                                                      2009          2008
    ASSETS
    Current assets:
        Cash and cash equivalents                     $6,686       $25,333
        Accounts receivable, net                     197,580       179,063
        Notes receivable, trade, net                     606         1,412
        Inventories                                  418,242       394,364
        Prepaid expenses and other current assets     14,626        13,307
        Deferred income taxes                         14,221        14,221
            Total current assets                     651,961       627,700

    Property and equipment, net                      241,186       234,115

    Other assets:
        Goodwill                                     166,471       170,609
        Notes receivable, trade, net                   2,242         2,349
        Intangible assets, net                        39,821        33,689
        Other                                         19,201        16,021
    Total assets                                  $1,120,882    $1,084,483

    LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
    Current liabilities:
        Notes payable                               $248,573      $288,050
        Accounts payable                             176,510       160,418
        Accrued expenses and other current
         liabilities                                  73,485        63,308
        Current portion of long-term debt              4,911         5,027
            Total current liabilities                503,479       516,803

    Long-term debt, excluding current portion         54,875        58,485
    Deferred income taxes                             10,446         9,058
    Other long-term liabilities                       24,456        20,087
            Total liabilities                        593,256       604,433

    Stockholders' equity:
      Preferred stock, $0.01 par value,
       authorized 5,000 shares at May 2, 2009
       and August 2, 2008; none issued and
       outstanding                                         -             -
      Common stock, $0.01 par value, authorized
       100,000 shares; 43,170 issued and 42,942
       outstanding shares at May 2, 2009; 43,100
       issued and 42,871 outstanding shares at
       August 2, 2008                                    432           431
      Additional paid-in capital                     174,166       169,238
      Unallocated shares of Employee Stock
       Ownership Plan                                   (917)       (1,040)
      Treasury stock                                  (6,092)       (6,092)
      Accumulated other comprehensive loss            (1,876)         (753)
      Retained earnings                              361,913       318,266
        Total stockholders' equity                   527,626       480,050

    Total liabilities and stockholders' equity    $1,120,882    $1,084,483



                           UNITED NATURAL FOODS, INC.
               CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (Unaudited)
                                 (In thousands)

                                                    Nine months ended
                                                 May 2,          April 26,
                                                 2009              2008
    CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
    Net income                                  $43,647           $35,660
    Adjustments to reconcile net income to
     net cash provided by (used in)
     operating activities:
        Depreciation and amortization            20,329            15,694
        Share-based compensation                  4,607             3,503
        Provision for doubtful accounts           3,526             1,665
        Loss on disposals of property
         and equipment                              290                 8
        Gain on forgiveness of loan                   -              (157)
    Changes in assets and liabilities,
     net of acquisitions:
        Accounts receivable                     (20,760)          (15,215)
        Inventories                             (21,314)          (77,007)
        Prepaid expenses and other assets        (1,002)           (1,080)
        Notes receivable, trade                     369                69
        Accounts payable                         (1,195)            2,074
        Accrued expenses and other
         current liabilities                     12,194            (1,663)
        Income taxes payable                          -               923
            Net cash provided by (used in)
             operating activities                40,691           (35,526)

    CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
    Capital expenditures                        (25,421)          (32,024)
    Purchases of acquired businesses,
     net of cash acquired                        (4,468)         (107,726)
            Net cash used in
             investing activities               (29,889)         (139,750)

    CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
    Net (repayments) borrowings under
     note payable                               (39,477)          175,000
    Increase in bank overdraft                   17,152             9,482
    Repayments of long-term debt                 (3,726)           (7,754)
    Payments on life insurance policy loans      (3,072)                -
    Capitalized debt issuance costs                (647)                -
    Proceeds from exercise of stock options         188               848
    Tax benefit from exercises of stock options     133               171
            Net cash (used in) provided by
             financing activities               (29,449)          177,747

    NET (DECREASE) INCREASE IN CASH
     AND CASH EQUIVALENTS                       (18,647)            2,471
    Cash and cash equivalents at
     beginning of period                         25,333            17,010
    Cash and cash equivalents at end of period   $6,686           $19,481

    Supplemental disclosures of cash
     flow information:
    Cash paid during the period for:
        Interest, net of amounts capitalized     $7,713           $11,431
        Federal and state income taxes,
         net of refunds                         $29,734           $18,877


SOURCE United Natural Foods, Inc.

CONTACT:
Mark Shamber, Chief Financial Officer,
United Natural Foods, Inc.,
+1-860-779-2800;
or
Joseph Calabrese, General Information,
FINANCIAL RELATIONS BOARD, +1-212-827-3772
Web Site: http://www.unfi.com
(UNFI UNFI)

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