TORO REPORTS RECORD SECOND QUARTER SALES AND EARNINGS
Net Earnings Per Share Up 17% On 5% Sales Growth
LIVE CONFERENCE CALL May 25, 10:00 a.m. CT www.thetorocompany.com/invest
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (May 25, 2006) – The Toro Company (NYSE: TTC) today reported record fiscal second quarter net earnings of $70.1 million, or $1.56 per diluted share, on record net sales of $659 million for the quarter ended May 5, 2006. In the comparable fiscal 2005 period, the company reported net earnings of $62 million, or $1.33 per diluted share, on net sales of $628.4 million.
For the six months ended May 5, 2006, Toro reported record net earnings of $84.4 million, or $1.87 per diluted share, on record net sales of $1,028.6 million. In the comparable fiscal 2005 period, the company reported net earnings of $73.1 million, or $1.55 per diluted share, on net sales of $975.4 million.
Michael J. Hoffman, The Toro Company’s chairman and chief executive officer, said that growth in world-wide professional segment sales helped offset slower sales in the residential segment, which were particularly strong last year due to early season shipments to retailers. “With our continued focus on improving operating effectiveness and profitability, we increased our second quarter earnings despite challenges posed by lower residential segment volume and increasing commodity costs,” said Hoffman.
1SEGMENT RESULTS
Segment data are provided in the table following the “Condensed Consolidated Statements of Earnings.”
Professional Professional segment sales for the fiscal 2006 second quarter increased 12.9 percent to $439.1 million. Sales grew in nearly all product categories due to healthy demand for new products, with particularly strong contributions from landscape contractor equipment and international sales. “Ongoing investments to deliver customer-valued and innovative new products continue to drive strong performance and market share growth in our professional businesses,” said Hoffman.
Professional segment earnings for the fiscal 2006 second quarter totaled $104.2 million, up 23.1 percent from $84.6 million in the fiscal 2005 second quarter.
For the year to date, professional segment earnings totaled $145.8 million on a 9.2 percent increase in net sales to $692.7 million compared with earnings of $123.5 million on net sales of $634.3 million in the first half of fiscal 2005.
Residential
Residential segment sales for the fiscal 2006 second quarter totaled $210.3 million, down 7.7 percent compared with the fiscal 2005 second quarter. Domestic sales of riding mowers increased sharply in the quarter due to strong acceptance of new products. However, the growth in riding mower shipments was more than offset by declines in world-wide sales of walk power mowers, primarily due to a large domestic retailer holding less inventory through the first-half of the fiscal year.
Residential segment earnings for the fiscal 2006 second quarter totaled $18.1 million compared with $29 million in the fiscal 2005 second quarter. The decline in residential segment earnings compared to the fiscal 2005 second quarter resulted from lower volumes and the mix of products sold in the 2006 second quarter.
For the year to date, residential segment earnings totaled $23.3 million on net sales of $318.5 million compared with earnings of $33.4 million on net sales of $323.6 million in the first half of fiscal 2005.
REVIEW OF OPERATIONS
Gross margin for the fiscal 2006 second quarter was 34.9 percent, up from 34.5 percent compared with the fiscal 2005 second quarter, primarily due to product mix and the impact of price increases. For the year to date, gross margin improved to 35.2 percent from 34.7 percent in the same period last year.
Selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses as a percentage of net sales showed a slight improvement compared with the prior year’s second quarter at 18.9 percent versus 19 percent in the 2005 second quarter. As a result of the company’s ongoing initiatives to better leverage expenses, the growth in SG&A was held to less than the rate of revenue growth.
Interest expense for the second quarter totaled $5.2 million, up from $4.9 million in the fiscal 2005 second quarter.
The effective tax rate in the 2006 second quarter was 32.1 percent, compared with 33.5 percent in the same period last year, due to tax refunds from prior years’ tax returns.
Accounts receivable at quarter end totaled $546.4 million, up only 1.3 percent on the second quarter’s 4.9 percent increase in net sales.
Quarter-ending inventory totaled $248.1 million, down $8.8 million or 3.4 percent, compared with the end of the fiscal 2005 second quarter.
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BUSINESS OUTLOOK
The company is reaffirming its full year guidance for sales growth of approximately 8 percent for fiscal 2006, assuming the continuation of seasonally normal weather patterns. Despite lower-than-expected sales growth in the first half, Toro is on track to achieve its expectations for earnings growth with a good portion of the retail selling season still ahead.
Given the company’s first half performance and current expectations for second half results, Toro now expects fiscal 2006 earnings per share to increase 14 to 17 percent.
The Toro Company is a leading worldwide provider of outdoor maintenance and beautification products for home, recreation and commercial landscapes.
The Toro Company will conduct a conference call and webcast for investors beginning at 10:00 a.m. Central Time (CST) on May 25, 2006. The webcast will be available atwww.streetevents.com or atwww.thetorocompany.com/invest. Webcast participants will need to complete a brief registration form and should allocate extra time before the webcast begins to register and, if necessary, download and install audio software.
Safe Harbor
Statements made in this news release, which are forward-looking, are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. These uncertainties include factors that affect all businesses operating in a global market as well as matters specific to Toro. Particular risks and uncertainties facing the company’s overall financial position at the present include the threat of further terrorist acts and war, which may result in contraction of the U.S. and worldwide economies; slow growth rate in global and domestic economies, resulting in rising unemployment and weakened consumer confidence; our ability to achieve the goals for the ‘6+8’ growth and profit improvement initiative which is intended to improve our revenue growth and after-tax return on sales; the company’s ability to achieve sales and earnings per share growth in fiscal 2006; our ability to successfully integrate acquisitions and manage alliances; ability of management to manage around unplanned events; unforeseen product quality problems in the development and production of new and existing products; fluctuations in the cost and availability of raw materials, including steel and other commodities; rising cost of transportation; level of growth in the golf market; increased dependence on The Home Depot as a customer for the residential segment; reduced government spending for grounds maintenance equipment due to reduced tax revenue and tighter government budgets; increased competition; elimination of shelf space for our products at retailers; financial viability of distributors and dealers; market acceptance of existing and new products; unforeseen inventory adjustments or changes in purchasing patterns by our customers; the impact of abnormal weather patterns; and the previously disclosed pending litigation against the company and other defendants that challenges the horsepower ratings of lawnmowers, of which the company is currently unable to assess whether the litigation would have a material adverse effect on the company’s consolidated operating results or financial condition, although an adverse result might be material to operating results in a particular reporting period. In addition to the factors set forth in this paragraph, market, economic, financial, competitive, weather, production and other factors identified in Toro’s quarterly and annual reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, could affect the forward-looking statements in this press release. Toro undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements made in this release to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this statement.
(Financial tables follow)
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THE TORO COMPANY AND SUBSIDIARIES Condensed Consolidated Statements of Earnings (Unaudited) (Dollars and shares in thousands, except per-share data)
Three Months Ended
Six Months Ended
May 5,
April 29,
May 5,
April 29,
2006
2005
2006
2005
Net sales
$
659,004
$
628,441
$
1,028,644
$
975,354
Gross profit
230,256
216,643
362,130
338,306
Gross profit percent
34.9
%
34.5
%
35.2
%
34.7
%
Selling, general, and administrative expense
124,309
119,542
231,514
221,781
Earnings from operations
105,947
97,101
130,616
116,525
Interest expense
(5,177
)
(4,873
)
(9,420
)
(8,633
)
Other income, net
2,446
942
3,332
2,083
Earnings before income taxes
103,216
93,170
124,528
109,975
Provision for income taxes
33,134
31,212
40,167
36,841
Net earnings
$
70,082
$
61,958
$
84,361
$
73,134
Basic net earnings per share
$
1.62
$
1.38
$
1.94
$
1.61
Diluted net earnings per share
$
1.56
$
1.33
$
1.87
$
1.55
Weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding – Basic
43,375
44,754
43,494
45,438
Weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding – Dilutive
44,957
46,592
45,000
47,210
4
THE TORO COMPANY AND SUBSIDIARIES Segment Data (Unaudited) (Dollars in thousands)
Three Months Ended
Six Months Ended
May 5,
April 29,
May 5,
April 29,
Segment Net Sales
2006
2005
2006
2005
Professional
$
439,098
$
389,052
$
692,703
$
634,282
Residential
210,293
227,722
318,478
323,598
Other
9,613
11,667
17,463
17,474
Total *
$
659,004
$
628,441
$
1,028,644
$
975,354
* Includes international sales of
$
168,290
$
157,722
$
288,349
$
247,369
Three Months Ended
Six Months Ended
May 5,
April 29,
May 5,
April 29,
Segment Earnings (Loss) Before Income Taxes
2006
2005
2006
2005
Professional
$
104,177
$
84,623
$
145,837
$
123,488
Residential
18,136
28,963
23,285
33,397
Other
(19,097
)
(20,416
)
(44,594
)
(46,910
)
Total
$
103,216
$
93,170
$
124,528
$
109,975
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited) (Dollars in thousands)
May 5,
April 29,
2006
2005
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents
$
27,240
$
14,449
Receivables, net
546,413
539,633
Inventories, net
248,134
256,926
Prepaid expenses and other current assets
18,688
13,476
Deferred income taxes
74,556
56,265
Total current assets
915,031
880,749
Property, plant, and equipment, net
163,729
170,334
Deferred income taxes
—
39
Goodwill and other assets, net
94,876
105,517
Total assets
$
1,173,636
$
1,156,639
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Current portion of long-term debt
$
23
$
45
Short-term debt
121,078
151,137
Accounts payable
126,201
114,915
Accrued liabilities
296,464
293,333
Total current liabilities
543,766
559,430
Long-term debt, less current portion
175,000
175,024
Long-term deferred income taxes
872
3,837
Deferred revenue and other long-term liabilities
9,356
7,827
Stockholders’ equity
444,642
410,521
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity
$
1,173,636
$
1,156,639
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THE TORO COMPANY AND SUBSIDIARIES Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited) (Dollars in thousands)
Six Months Ended
May 5,
April 29,
2006
2005
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net earnings
$
84,361
$
73,134
Adjustments to reconcile net earnings to net cash used in operating activities:
Equity losses from investments
839
302
Provision for depreciation and amortization
21,053
18,592
Gain on disposal of property, plant, and equipment
(11
)
(242
)
Stock-based compensation expense
4,465
4,819
Increase in deferred income taxes
(15,923
)
(3,280
)
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Receivables
(251,863
)
(238,083
)
Inventories
(10,839
)
(20,248
)
Prepaid expenses and other assets
(809
)
4,189
Accounts payable, accrued expenses, and deferred revenue
78,028
72,409
Net cash used in operating activities
(90,699
)
(88,408
)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchases of property, plant, and equipment
(17,155
)
(15,106
)
Proceeds from asset disposals
787
2,351
Increase in investment in affiliates
(371
)
(197
)
Decrease (increase) in other assets
6,192
(538
)
Proceeds from sale of business
—
765
Acquisition, net of cash acquired
—
(35,285
)
Net cash used in investing activities
(10,547
)
(48,010
)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Increase in short-term debt
120,722
150,007
Repayments of long-term debt
(23
)
(22
)
Excess tax benefits from stock-based awards
15,625
4,015
Proceeds from exercise of stock options
7,376
5,631
Purchases of Toro common stock
(49,286
)
(94,029
)
Dividends paid on Toro common stock
(7,842
)
(5,482
)
Net cash provided by financing activities
86,572
60,120
Effect of exchange rates on cash
512
(9
)
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents
(14,162
)
(76,307
)
Cash and cash equivalents as of the beginning of the period
41,402
90,756
Cash and cash equivalents as of the end of the period
$
27,240
$
14,449
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