May 3, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Investor Contact: Mark Warren (205) 298-3220
Media Contact: David Donaldson (205) 298-3220
VULCAN ANNOUNCES FIRST QUARTER RESULTS
Birmingham, Alabama – May 3, 2010 – Vulcan Materials Company (NYSE:VMC), the nation’s largest producer of construction aggregates, announced results today for the first quarter ended March 31, 2010.
First Quarter Summary and Comparisons with the Prior Year
| | · | Net earnings were a loss of $39 million, or $0.31 per diluted share. |
| | · | Aggregates shipments declined 14 percent, reducing earnings $0.18 per diluted share. |
| | · | The average price for aggregates increased 1 percent with wide variations across markets. |
| | · | Unit cost for diesel fuel increased 48 percent, reducing earnings $0.03 per diluted share. |
| | · | Selling, administrative and general (SAG) expenses decreased 3 percent after excluding a $9.2 million charge for the fair market value of donated real estate. |
| | · | The sale of non-strategic operations increased earnings $0.18 per diluted share. |
| | · | Total contract awards for highway construction increased 37 percent in Vulcan-served states. |
Commenting for the Company, Don James, Vulcan’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, stated, “The overall economy is improving. Leading measures of economic activity such as real gross domestic product (GDP), industrial production and single-family housing starts have improved in recent months. Demand for our products recovered in March after a very weak start in January and February reflecting extremely wet weather and record snow falls. Aggregates shipments in March were 4 percent higher than in March of the prior year – the first year-over-year monthly increase in four years. This pattern continued in April as aggregates shipments were 9 percent higher than the prior year’s level, with increases in most key markets.
“We are encouraged by the increased contract award activity and are optimistic that the restoration of regular federal funding for highways through the HIRE Act and the momentum of stimulus-related highway projects in Vulcan-served states will benefit demand for our products in 2010. Contract awards are a leading indicator of future construction activity. Total contract awards for highway construction in Vulcan-served states, including awards for federal, state and local projects, increased 37 percent from the prior year’s first quarter level. This year-over-year increase follows a 13 percent year-over-year increase in Vulcan-served states in the fourth quarter of 2009.
“Throughout the recession, we have managed our business to maximize cash generation. We further reduced inventory levels of aggregates during the first quarter. While this action negatively affected GAAP earnings, it increased cash generation and better positions us to increase production and earnings as demand increases.”
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May 3, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
First Quarter Operating Results Commentary
First quarter aggregates earnings were lower than the prior year’s level due to reduced shipments as well as the negative effects of higher energy costs and lower production levels. Aggregates shipments declined 14 percent from the prior year due to weak demand in private construction and adverse weather in most key markets. Key Vulcan-served markets in the mid-Atlantic, Southeast, Southwest and West regions were hampered by an unusually large amount of snow and rain throughout the quarter, particularly in January and February. Lower aggregates shipments reduced first quarter EBITDA by approximately $28 million versus the prior year. The 1 percent year-over-year increase in the average selling price for aggregates continues to reflect wide variations across Vulcan-served markets. Some major markets realized price improvement from the prior year well above the Company average, while pricing in other markets remained challenging.
Segment earnings in asphalt were lower than the prior year due mostly to lower selling prices, a 27 percent increase in the unit cost for liquid asphalt and the earnings effect of lower volumes. Last year’s first quarter average unit cost of liquid asphalt reflected the cyclical low point following the sharp spike in the fall of 2008 driven by higher energy prices. Selling prices for asphalt mix generally lag increasing liquid asphalt costs and further were held in check due to competitive pressures. Segment earnings in concrete declined due to lower selling prices and reduced volumes. Cement earnings were higher than the prior year’s first quarter due to lower production costs and a 4 percent increase in sales volumes.
Selling, administrative and general expenses in the first quarter included a $9.2 million noncash charge for the fair market value of donated real estate. Excluding the effects of the donated real estate from the current year’s first quarter, SAG expenses declined 3 percent from the prior year.
The $8.4 million difference between the fair value of the donated real estate and the carrying value was recorded as a gain on sale of property, plant & equipment. Additionally, the Company recorded a pretax gain of approximately $39 million, or $0.18 per diluted share, on the sale in March of three non-strategic aggregates facilities in rural Virginia.
All results are unaudited.
Outlook Highlights and Commentary
Commenting on the Company’s outlook, Mr. James stated, “Key drivers of the demand for our products are improving. First, from the perspective of the overall economy, GDP in the U.S. increased in the third and fourth quarters of 2009 and further growth is predicted in 2010. Additionally, every Vulcan-served state but one reported year-over-year growth in gross state product in the third quarter of 2009 – a marked improvement from the first quarter of 2009 when the same states each reported year-over-year declines. In the most recent data for the fourth quarter of 2009, every Vulcan-served state reported growth in gross state product. In past economic cycles, demand for aggregates has improved as GDP has grown during the initial years of economic recovery.
“Leading indicators of future demand such as contract awards for residential and highway construction have continued to improve in recent months – both supported by and benefiting from federal stimulus spending. Through March 2010, the Federal Highway Administration reported approximately $20 billion of stimulus-related highway projects under construction with another $6 billion of funds obligated but not yet under construction. During this same time period, only 26 percent of the total stimulus funds obligated for highways have been spent – which bodes well for increased construction activity from federal stimulus spending in 2010 and 2011. Initially, Vulcan-served states lagged the rest of the country in obligating and awarding stimulus-related highway projects. From March to the end of September 2009, contract awards for highways in Vulcan-served states were up 7 percent versus 26 percent for the remaining states. In the six months ended March 2010, contract awards for highways were up 26 percent in Vulcan-served states versus 23 percent for other states. The above-average increase in our states during the six months ended March 2010 provides encouragement that construction activity in our states should improve in 2010.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
“Overall, our outlook for aggregates demand in 2010 continues to reflect an increase in highway and other public infrastructure-related construction activity due primarily to stimulus-related funding and the restoration of regular federal funding for highways through the HIRE Act signed into law in March 2010. As expected, regular federal funding for highways and contract authority was restored through the end of 2010 to an annualized level consistent with fiscal year 2009 under SAFETEA-LU, the federal transportation bill that expired September 30, 2009. Additionally, residential construction contract awards in the first quarter increased 41 percent from the prior year in Vulcan-served states, albeit from low levels. Continued weakness is expected in private nonresidential construction. Due mostly to the level of contract awards for highway construction in our states, we expect aggregates shipments in the remaining three quarters of 2010 to be 4 to 10 percent higher than the prior year. As a result, full year aggregates volumes are expected to be flat to up 5 percent from 2009 levels on a same store basis. For the full year 2010, we expect aggregates pricing to be flat to up 2 percent from the prior year.
“In our asphalt business, we expect sales volumes in the remaining nine months of 2010 to increase from the prior year, offsetting the 9 percent decline reported in the first quarter. As a result, full year asphalt volumes in 2010 are expected to be flat with the prior year. Pricing for asphalt mix is expected to be flat compared with 2009 levels while unit costs for liquid asphalt are projected to continue to increase from current levels. As a result, we expect lower material margins for the full year in asphalt when compared with the prior year. In concrete, we expect sales volumes to remain flat with the prior year and pricing to decline modestly, reflecting continued weakness in private nonresidential construction. In our cement business, we expect earnings to improve modestly from a slight loss in the prior year.
“Our employees have effectively managed the business during this downturn to maximize cash flows. These efforts have not only included minimizing costs but have also included management of working capital. Total inventory at the end of the first quarter was reduced $32 million, or 9 percent, from the prior year. Accounts receivable, measured in days sales outstanding, remained in-line with the prior year’s first quarter.
“Debt reduction and achieving target debt ratios remain a priority use of cash flows. Notwithstanding lower earnings in the first quarter, total debt was reduced during the quarter. For the full year, we expect capital spending of approximately $125 million, up from $110 million spent in 2009 but down sharply from the $353 million spent in 2008.
“Our available production capacity positions Vulcan to participate efficiently and effectively in the $50 to $60 billion of stimulus-related construction, including significant remaining portions of the $27 billion for highways and bridges. We expect approximately 75 percent of stimulus-related highway demand for our products to occur during 2010 and 2011. By that time, we expect demand from private construction activity to be improving, accelerating the earnings leverage of the company.”
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May 3, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Conference Call
Vulcan will host a conference call at 9:00 a.m. CDT on May 4, 2010. Investors and other interested parties in the U.S. may access the teleconference live by calling 866.761.0749 approximately 10 minutes before the scheduled start. International participants can dial 617.614.2707. The access code is 90136698. A live webcast will be available via the Internet through Vulcan's home page at www.vulcanmaterials.com. The conference call will be recorded and available for replay approximately two hours after the call through May 11, 2010.
Vulcan Materials Company, a member of the S&P 500 Index, is the nation's largest producer of construction aggregates, a major producer of asphalt mix and concrete and a leading producer of cement in Florida.
Certain matters discussed in this release, including expectations regarding future performance, contain forward-looking statements that are subject to assumptions, risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. These assumptions, risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those associated with general economic and business conditions; changes in interest rates; the timing and amount of federal, state and local funding for infrastructure; changes in the level of private spending for residential and nonresidential construction; the highly competitive nature of the construction materials industry; the impact of future regulatory or legislative actions; the outcome of pending legal proceedings; pricing for our products; weather and other natural phenomena; energy costs; costs of hydrocarbon-based raw materials; healthcare costs; the amount of long-term debt and interest expense incurred by the Company; volatility in pension plan asset values which may require cash contributions to the pension plans; the timing and amount of any future payments to be received under the 5CP earn-out contained in the agreement for the divestiture of the Company's Chemicals business; the impact of environmental clean-up costs and other liabilities relating to previously divested businesses; the Company’s ability to secure and permit aggregates reserves in strategically located areas; the Company’s ability to manage and successfully integrate acquisitions; the impact of the global economic recession on our business and financial condition and access to the capital markets; the potential impact of future legislation or regulations relating to climate change or greenhouse gas emissions; and other assumptions, risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in the Company’s SEC reports, including the report on Form 10-K for the year. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof, and Vulcan assumes no obligation to publicly update such statements.
