Universal Corporation Reports Nine Month Results

RICHMOND, Va., Feb. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- George C. Freeman, III, Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Universal Corporation (NYSE: UVV), reported net income for the nine months ended December 31, 2019, of $56.1 million, or $2.23 per diluted share, compared with $72.8 million, or $2.87 per diluted share, for the same period of the prior fiscal year. Excluding certain non-recurring items, detailed in Other Items below, net income and diluted earnings per share declined by $20.0 million and $0.78, respectively, for the nine months ended December 31, 2019, compared to the same period of the prior year. Operating income of $94.8 million for the nine months ended December 31, 2019, decreased by $5.6 million, compared to operating income of $100.4 million for the nine months ended December 31, 2018.

For the third fiscal quarter, ended December 31, 2019, net income was $26.0 million, or $1.04 per diluted share, compared with net income of $28.1 million, or $1.11 per diluted share, for the prior year's third fiscal quarter. Excluding certain non-recurring items, detailed in Other Items below, net income and diluted earnings per share declined by $17.0 million and $0.65, respectively, for the quarter ended December 31, 2019, compared to the same quarter of the prior year. Operating income for the third quarter of fiscal year 2020 increased to $44.1 million compared with $37.7 million for the three months ended December 31, 2018.

Segment operating income was $97.1 million for the nine months ended December 31, 2019, a decrease of $28.2 million, and for the quarter ended December 31, 2019, was $44.0 million, a decrease of $18.6 million, both compared to the same periods last fiscal year. Results reflected earnings declines in the North America and Other Regions segments, partially offset by earnings improvements in the Other Tobacco Operations segment for the nine months ended December 31, 2019, both compared to the same period in the prior fiscal year. For the quarter ended December 31, 2019, results declined for all segments compared to the quarter ended December 31, 2018. Consolidated revenues decreased by $277.5 million to $1.3 billion for the nine months ended December 31, 2019, and by $131.1 million to $505.0 million for the three months ended December 31, 2019, compared to the same periods in fiscal year 2019, on lower sales volumes and prices.

Mr. Freeman stated, "Consistent with results reported for the first half of our current fiscal year, results through the third quarter of fiscal year 2020 continue to reflect unfavorable variances to the same period in fiscal year 2019, when we benefited from large carryover crop sales volumes, mainly in North America and Africa. Flue-cured oversupply conditions this year have also created a selective market environment that has pressured volumes and margins. In addition, customer mandated shipping instructions in the second half of fiscal year 2020 are heavily weighted to our fourth quarter.

"We have also remained focused on solidifying our position as the leading global leaf tobacco supplier. We continue to see and develop opportunities in our leaf tobacco business to gain market share and increase operating efficiencies whether it be by realignment of processing capacity, such as recent steps taken in Malawi; optimization of our sourcing footprint; or by focusing on our leadership in supplying sustainable, compliant crops.

"At the same time, we are progressing in our previously announced plans to invest in non-tobacco growth opportunities and announced the completion of our first such acquisition, FruitSmart, Inc. ("FruitSmart"), in early January 2020. We are very excited about our initial non-tobacco acquisition, offering potential for growth in adjacent markets. We believe that FruitSmart, as an established value-added fruit and vegetable ingredient processor with a business-to-business customer base in an agricultural niche market, is a good fit for our company. As we have stated, FruitSmart represents a foundational step in our building a broader agri-products service platform. We continue to work on our pipeline and are working to provide resources necessary to develop this new segment of our business in support of our long-term shareholder value objectives."

FLUE-CURED AND BURLEY LEAF TOBACCO OPERATIONS:

OTHER REGIONS:

Operating income for the Other Regions segment decreased by $28.7 million to $68.1 million for the nine months and by $13.9 million to $39.4 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2019, compared with the same periods for fiscal year 2019. In both periods, volumes decreased in Africa, mainly from lower carryover crop sales and later customer mandated shipment timing. In Brazil, sales volumes were up in the nine months ended December 31, 2019, on higher carryover sales and earlier current crop shipments, but down in the quarter ended December 31, 2019, on lower current crop shipments, both compared to the same periods in the prior fiscal year. Results for Europe were down in the nine months and quarter ended December 31, 2019, on lower processing and sales volumes, compared to the same periods in the prior year. Results for Asia were up for the nine months ended December 31, 2019, on higher trading volumes, but declined in the quarter ended December 31, 2019. Selling, general, and administrative costs for the segment were lower for the nine months ended December 31, 2019, largely on favorable foreign currency comparisons and lower customer claim costs partially offset by lower net recoveries on advances to suppliers, compared with the same period in the prior fiscal year. For the quarter ended December 31, 2019, selling, general, and administrative costs were lower than those in the quarter ended December 31, 2018, on favorable currency comparisons, mainly in Mozambique and Brazil. Revenues for the Other Regions segment of $944.1 million for the nine months and $386.3 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2019, were down $145.1 million and $96.9 million, respectively, compared to the same period last year, on lower volumes and sales prices.

NORTH AMERICA:

Operating income for the North America segment of $6.7 million for the nine months ended December 31, 2019, was down by $13.7 million, compared to the same period for the prior fiscal year, primarily on significantly lower carryover crop sales volumes. In the first half of fiscal year 2019, carryover crop sales volumes were higher on shipments that had been delayed due to reduced transportation availability in the United States. In addition, in the nine months ended December 31, 2019, carryover crop sales volumes were down on reduced sales of U.S. burley tobaccos and current crop sales volumes were down in Mexico and Guatemala due to lower sales volumes and smaller crop sizes, compared to the same period in fiscal year 2019. Operating income for the North America segment of $0.4 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2019, was down by $2.8 million, compared to the same period for the prior fiscal year, mainly on lower sales volumes in Guatemala and lower sales and processing volumes in the United States. Selling, general, and administrative costs for the North America segment were down for the nine months, largely on favorable currency comparisons in Mexico, and flat for the quarter ended December 31, 2019, compared to the same periods in the prior fiscal year. Revenues for this segment decreased, by $126.7 million to $134.6 million for the nine months, and by $28.6 million to $49.4 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2019, compared to the same periods in the prior fiscal year, on the lower volumes and sales prices.

OTHER TOBACCO OPERATIONS:

The Other Tobacco Operations segment operating income of $22.3 million increased by $14.2 million for the nine months ended December 31, 2019, compared with the same period last fiscal year. For the quarter ended December 31, 2019, the segment's operating income of $4.3 million declined by $1.9 million compared to the same period last year. In both periods, results for our dark tobacco operations improved from higher wrapper sales volumes, influenced in part by earlier shipment timing in the third fiscal quarter of 2020 compared to the previous fiscal year. Results for our oriental joint venture were down for the nine months and quarter ended December 31, 2019, compared to the same periods in the prior fiscal year, primarily from lower sales volumes, due in part to some customer shipments delayed into the fourth quarter of fiscal 2020, as well as unfavorable currency remeasurement and exchange variances in both periods. Selling, general, and administrative costs for the segment were down in both the nine months and third fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2019 compared with those periods in the prior fiscal year, mostly from favorable comparisons to higher value-added tax charges in the third quarter of fiscal 2019. Revenues for the segment decreased by $5.7 million to $199.2 million for the nine months, and by $5.5 million to $69.4 million for the third quarter ended December 31, 2019, as higher dark tobacco operations revenues were more than offset by lower sales volumes from the timing of shipments of oriental tobaccos into the United States.

OTHER ITEMS:

Cost of goods sold in the nine months and quarter ended December 31, 2019, decreased by 19% and 21% to $1.0 billion and $412.1 million, respectively, both compared with the same periods in the prior fiscal year, consistent with similar percentage decreases in revenues. Selling, general, and administrative costs for the nine months and quarter ended December 31, 2019 decreased by $14.4 million to $152.8 million, and by $9.4 million to $48.9 million, respectively. Reductions in both periods reflected positive foreign currency remeasurement and exchange variances as well as lower value-added tax charges, while the nine-month comparison also benefitted from better customer claim experience and lower incentive compensation costs, offset in part by lower net recoveries on advances to suppliers compared to the same period in the prior fiscal year.

The following tables set forth certain non-recurring items included in reported results:

The Company's consolidated effective tax rates for the nine months and quarter ended December 31, 2019, were approximately 30% and 26%, respectively. Income tax expense for the nine months ended December 31, 2019 included a $2.8 million net tax accrual ($0.11 per diluted share) for an unresolved tax matter at a foreign subsidiary. Without the effect of this item, the consolidated effective tax rate for the nine months ended December 31, 2019, would have been 27%.

The Company's consolidated effective tax rates for the nine months and quarter ended December 31, 2018, were approximately 19% and 20%, respectively. Income tax expense for the nine months ended December 31, 2018 included a $7.8 million ($0.30 per diluted share) benefit from reversing a portion of a liability previously recorded for dividend withholding taxes on the cumulative retained earnings of a foreign subsidiary. Without the effect of this item, the consolidated effective tax rate for the nine months ended December 31, 2018, would have been 27%.

The effective tax rates for all periods include the benefit of various tax planning opportunities, as well as the net effect of items accounted for on a discrete basis in the respective reporting periods.

Additional information

Amounts included in the previous discussion are attributable to Universal Corporation and exclude earnings related to non-controlling interests in subsidiaries. In addition, the total for segment operating income (loss) referred to in this discussion is a non-GAAP measure. This measure is not a financial measure calculated in accordance with GAAP and should not be considered as a substitute for net income (loss), operating income (loss), cash from operating activities or any other operating performance measure calculated in accordance with GAAP, and it may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies. A reconciliation of the total for segment operating income (loss) to consolidated operating income (loss) is provided in Note 3. Segment Information, included in this earnings release. The Company evaluates its segment performance excluding certain significant charges or credits. The Company believes this measure, which excludes items that it believes are not indicative of its core operating results, provides investors with important information that is useful in understanding its business results and trends.

This release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The Company cautions readers that any statements contained herein regarding financial condition, results of operation, and future business plans, operations, opportunities, and prospects for its performance are forward-looking statements based upon management's current knowledge and assumptions about future events, and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from any anticipated results, prospects, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, integration of FruitSmart and the impact of the FruitSmart acquisition on future results; product purchased not meeting quality and quantity requirements; reliance on a few large customers; its ability to maintain effective information technology systems and safeguard confidential information; anticipated levels of demand for and supply of its products and services; costs incurred in providing these products and services; timing of shipments to customers; changes in market structure; government regulation; product taxation; industry consolidation and evolution; changes in exchange rates and interest rates; impacts of regulation and litigation on its customers; industry-specific risks related to its food ingredient business; exposure to certain regulatory and financial risks related to climate change; changes in estimates and assumptions underlying its critical accounting policies; the promulgation and adoption of new accounting standards, new government regulations and interpretation of existing standards and regulations; and general economic, political, market, and weather conditions. Actual results, therefore, could vary from those expected. A further list and description of these risks, uncertainties, and other factors can be found in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2019, and in other documents the Company files with the Securities and Exchange Commission. This information should be read in conjunction with the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended March 31, 2019 and the Form 10-Q for the most recently ended fiscal quarter. The Company cautions investors not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements as these statements speak only as of the date when made, and it undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements made.

At 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) on February 4, 2020, the Company will host a conference call to discuss these results. Those wishing to listen to the call may do so by visiting www.universalcorp.com at that time. A replay of the webcast will be available at that site through May 4, 2020. A taped replay of the call will be available through February 18, 2020, by dialing (855) 859-2056. The confirmation number to access the replay is 7190448.

Universal Corporation (NYSE: UVV), headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, sources, processes, and supplies agri-products. Tobacco has been our principal focus since our founding in 1918, and we are the leading global leaf tobacco supplier. We conduct business in more than 30 countries on five continents. Our revenues for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2019, were $2.2 billion. For more information on Universal Corporation, visit our website at www.universalcorp.com.

NOTE 1. BASIS OF PRESENTATION

Universal Corporation, which together with its subsidiaries is referred to herein as "Universal" or the "Company," is the leading global leaf tobacco supplier. Because of the seasonal nature of the Company's business, the results of operations for any fiscal quarter will not necessarily be indicative of results to be expected for other quarters or a full fiscal year. All adjustments necessary to state fairly the results for the period have been included and were of a normal recurring nature. Certain amounts in prior year statements have been reclassified to conform to the current year presentation. This Form 10-Q should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2019.

NOTE 2.   EARNINGS PER SHARE

The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted earnings per share:

NOTE 3. SEGMENT INFORMATION

The principal approach used by management to evaluate the Company's performance is by geographic region, although the dark air-cured and oriental tobacco businesses are each evaluated on the basis of their worldwide operations. The Company evaluates the performance of its segments based on operating income after allocated overhead expenses (excluding significant non-recurring charges or credits), plus equity in the pretax earnings of unconsolidated affiliates.

Operating results for the Company's reportable segments for each period presented in the consolidated statements of income and comprehensive income were as follows:

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SOURCE Universal Corporation