Excluding the Lamb Weston RDO pension-related comparability item and the mark-to-market adjustments, equity method investments earnings increased $2.3 million compared to the prior year period, largely driven by Lamb-Weston/Meijer’s increased ownership interest in its Russian joint venture and higher manufacturing costs per pound in the prior year, partially offset by lower frozen potato demand in Europe following government-imposed restrictions on restaurant and other foodservice operations.
Cash Flow and Liquidity
Net cash from operating activities was $553.2 million, down $20.8 million versus the prior year, primarily due to lower earnings and partially offset by lower working capital needs. Capital expenditures, including information technology expenditures, were $161.3 million, down $47.1 million versus the prior year period.
In March 2021, the Company announced the planned construction of a greenfield processing facility in Ulanqab, Inner Mongolia, China with capacity to produce more than 250 million pounds of frozen french fries and other potato products per year. The new facility would add to the Company’s existing in-country production from its facility in Shangdu, Inner Mongolia, China. The new facility is expected to be completed in the first half of fiscal year 2024, and the cost of this investment is expected to be approximately $250 million.
In addition, in July 2021, the Company announced the expansion and modernization of its facility in American Falls, Idaho, including the construction of a new processing line with capacity to produce approximately 350 million pounds of frozen french fries and other potato products per year. The new facility is expected to be completed in the second half of fiscal year 2023, and the cost of this investment is expected to be approximately $415 million.
Capital Returned to Shareholders
In fiscal 2021, the Company returned a total of $161.0 million to shareholders, including $135.3 million in cash dividends and $25.7 million through share repurchases. The average price per share repurchased during fiscal 2021 was $78.19. The Company has approximately $170 million remaining under its existing $250 million share repurchase authorization.
Fiscal 2022 Outlook
The Company expects fiscal 2022 net sales growth will be above its long-term target of low-to-mid single digits. The Company anticipates net sales growth in the first half of fiscal year 2022 will be driven largely by higher volume, reflecting an ongoing recovery in frozen potato demand, as well as a comparison to relatively soft shipments in the prior year. The Company expects net sales growth in the second half of its fiscal year will reflect more of a balance of higher volume and improved price/mix as recent pricing actions are fully implemented in the market, and as sales volumes in higher-margin channels approach pre-pandemic levels.
The Company expects net income and Adjusted EBITDA including unconsolidated joint ventures to be pressured during the first half of fiscal 2022. The Company expects volatility in the broader supply chain as the overall economy continues to recover from the pandemic’s impact, and anticipates significant inflation for key production inputs, packaging and transportation compared to fiscal 2021 levels. In addition, the Company expects continued investments in its manufacturing, supply chain, and commercial operations will increase operating expenses in the near term, but remains confident that these investments will improve its ability to support growth and margin improvement over the long term. While the ongoing impact of the pandemic is uncertain, the Company anticipates that earnings will gradually normalize in the second half of fiscal 2022 as manufacturing and distribution operations stabilize, and as price/mix improves.
The Company believes that its strong balance sheet and ability to generate cash has it well-positioned to expand production capacity to support long-term growth, including its recently announced investments in the U.S. and China, as well as to make strategic investments in its information technology platform, including the second phase of its ERP system. Through its joint venture in Europe, the Company also announced investments to expand capacity in Russia and the Netherlands.