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Nature's Sunshine Products Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2014 Financial Results

February 25, 2015 4:00 PM

LEHI, Utah, Feb. 25, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nature's Sunshine Products, Inc. (Nasdaq: NATR), a leading natural health and wellness company engaged in the manufacture and direct selling of nutritional and personal care products, today reported its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2014, and declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.10 per share.

"Throughout 2014, we made progress against our strategy to address mega-trend health problems through science-based innovation and to drive distributor adoption, leadership and engagement," commented Gregory L. Probert, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "However, fourth quarter revenues and operating income were adversely affected by significant sales declines in NSP Russia, Central and Eastern Europe, due to heightened political unrest, armed conflict and local currency devaluations. Operating income from our international businesses was also reduced by the strong dollar."

"Positive contributions in the fourth quarter were led by Synergy South Korea, Japan and Europe. Synergy Europe achieved a second consecutive quarter of growth driven by re-engaged leadership and strong execution, and momentum from Synergy's global summit. NSP U.S. and Canada also achieved a second consecutive quarter of net sales growth with new sales programs, increased adoption of IN.FORM and retail sales tools."

Mr. Probert continued, "We have made significant progress in the implementation of our multi-brand, multi-channel go-to-market strategy in China in partnership with Fosun Pharma, one of the country's leading vertically integrated pharmaceutical companies. Paul Noack, the former Managing Director of the Asia Pacific Region for Herbalife, is our new President of China and New Markets, and has recruited a new Managing Director of China and other key experienced direct-selling and consumer products executives. We expect to enter the China market in late 2015."

Mr. Probert concluded, "Looking ahead, we remain committed to delivering products and programs that drive enhanced distributor adoption and engagement. In that respect, we are pleased to announce that our new research and development center and medical clinic will open this month and will serve as a state of the art innovation center for our team of scientists and Medical and Scientific Advisory Board."

For the Fourth Quarter of 2014:

For the Full Year of 2014:

NSP Americas Results for the Fourth Quarter of 2014:

NSP Russia, Central and Eastern Europe Results for the Fourth Quarter of 2014:

Synergy WorldWide Results for the Fourth Quarter of 2014:

China and New Markets Results for the Fourth Quarter of 2014:

Effective Income Tax Rate

The effective income tax rate for the fourth quarter of 2014 was 26.1 percent, compared to 30.0 percent in the fourth quarter of 2013. The current quarter's effective tax rate was lower than the U.S. federal statutory tax rate of 35.0 percent, which is primarily attributable to valuation allowance adjustments relating to deferred tax assets.

The effective income tax rate for 2014 was a benefit of 3.9 percent, compared to a provision of 31.0 percent in 2013. The current year's effective tax rate was lower than the U.S. federal statutory tax rate of 35.0 percent, which is primarily attributable to excess foreign tax credits arising from intercompany dividends paid by foreign subsidiaries to the U.S. Corporation throughout the year that are expected to be realizable in future periods.

Quarterly Cash Dividend and Ongoing Share Repurchase Program

The Company's Board of Directors approved a quarterly cash dividend of $0.10 per share, payable on March 23, 2015, to shareholders of record as of the close of business on March 12, 2015.

In December 2014, the Company completed share repurchases under its previously announced $10 million share repurchase program. In November 2014, the Board of Directors authorized a new $20 million share repurchase program beginning January 1, 2015, to be implemented over two years. Such purchases may be made in the open market, through block trades, in privately negotiated transactions or otherwise. The timing and amount of any shares repurchased will be determined based on the Company's evaluation of market conditions and other factors and the program may be discontinued or suspended at any time.

To enhance the Company's ability to repurchase shares, the Company established a trading plan under Rule 10b5-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. A plan under Rule 10b5-1 allows the Company to repurchase its shares at times when it otherwise might be prevented from doing so under insider trading laws or because of self-imposed trading blackout periods. Repurchases are subject to Securities and Exchange Commission regulations as well as certain price, market volume and timing constraints specified in the agreement.

The quarterly dividend, in addition to the special dividends that were announced in August 2013 and in June 2014, and the on-going share repurchase programs, are enabled by the Company's strong cash flow, healthy cash balance (enhanced by intercompany dividends), and the Board's commitment to return capital to shareholders and confidence in the Company's long-term growth prospects.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

The Company has included information which has not been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), such as information concerning Adjusted EBITDA because management utilizes this information in the evaluation of its operations and believes that these measures are a useful indicator of the Company's ability to fund its business. These non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered as an alternative to, or more meaningful than, U.S. GAAP net income as an indicator of the Company's operating performance. Moreover, these non-GAAP financial measures, as presented by the Company, may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies. Other companies may use the same or similarly named measures, but exclude different items, which may not provide investors with a comparable view of Nature's Sunshine Products' performance in relation to other companies. The Company has included a reconciliation of these non-GAAP measures to reported earnings under GAAP in the attached financial tables.

Conference Call

Nature's Sunshine Products will host a conference call to discuss its fourth quarter and full year 2014 results on February 25, 2015 at 5:30 PM Eastern Time. The toll-free dial-in number for callers in the U.S. and Canada is 1-877-407-0789, conference ID: 13599857. International callers can dial 1-201-689-8562, conference ID: 13599857. A replay will be available from February 25, 2015 at 8:30 PM Eastern Time through March 11, 2015 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time by dialing 1-877-870-5176 (U.S. and Canada) or 1-858-384-5517 (International), replay PIN: 13593968. The call will also be webcast live and will be available on the Investors section of Nature's Sunshine Products' website at www.naturessunshine.com for 90 days.

About Nature's Sunshine Products

Nature's Sunshine Products (Nasdaq: NATR), a leading natural health and wellness company, markets and distributes nutritional and personal care products through a global direct sales force of over 660,000 independent Managers, Distributors and customers in more than 40 countries. Nature's Sunshine manufactures most of its products through its own state-of-the-art facilities to ensure its products continue to set the standard for the highest quality, safety and efficacy on the market today. The Company has four reportable business segments that are divided based on the characteristics of their Distributor base, similarities in compensation plans, as well as the internal organization of NSP's officers and their responsibilities (NSP Americas; NSP Russia, Central and Eastern Europe; Synergy WorldWide; and China and New Markets). The Company also supports health and wellness for children around the world through its partnership with the Sunshine Heroes Foundation. Additional information about the Company can be obtained at its website, www.naturessunshine.com.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain information included or incorporated herein by reference in this report may be deemed to be "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may include, but are not limited to, statements relating to our objectives, plans and strategies. All statements (other than statements of historical fact) that address activities, events or developments that we intend, expect, project, believe or anticipate will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. These statements are often characterized by terminology such as "believe," "hope," "may," "anticipate," "should," "intend," "plan," "will," "expect," "estimate," "project," "positioned," "strategy" and similar expressions, and are based on assumptions and assessments made by management in light of their experience and their perception of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other factors they believe to be appropriate. For example, information appearing under "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" includes forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks and uncertainties.

All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release and are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements included in or incorporated by reference into this press release. Except as is required by law, we expressly disclaim any obligation to publicly release any revisions to forward-looking statements to reflect events after the date of this press release. Throughout this press release, we refer to Nature's Sunshine Products, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, as "we," "us," "our Company" or "the Company."

NATURE'S SUNSHINE PRODUCTS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(Amounts in thousands)
(Unaudited)
December 31, 2014 December 31, 2013
Assets
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents $ 58,699 $ 77,247
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $849 and $1,087, respectively 6,732 10,206
Investments available for sale 2,546 2,006
Inventories 40,438 41,910
Deferred income tax assets 4,950 5,711
Prepaid expenses and other 7,884 11,514
Total current assets 121,249 148,594
Property, plant and equipment, net 51,343 32,022
Investment securities 1,038 971
Intangible assets, net 704 853
Deferred income tax assets 14,495 9,928
Other assets 7,970 7,244
$ 196,799 $ 199,612
Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable $ 5,237 $ 5,664
Accrued volume incentives 16,867 19,206
Accrued liabilities 28,957 34,893
Deferred revenue 4,717 4,173
Current installments of long-term debt and revolving credit facility 2,267
Income taxes payable 2,131 2,366
Total current liabilities 57,909 68,569
Liability related to unrecognized tax benefits 6,598 12,402
Long-term debt and revolving credit facility 10,000
Deferred compensation payable 1,038 971
Other liabilities 2,297 2,411
Total liabilities 67,842 94,353
Commitments and Contingencies
Shareholders' equity:
Common stock, no par value, 50,000 shares authorized, 18,662 and 16,179 shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2014, and December 31, 2013, respectively 125,489 83,122
Retained earnings 10,891 36,100
Noncontrolling interests 3,781
Accumulated other comprehensive loss (11,204) (13,963)
Total shareholders' equity 128,957 105,259
$ 196,799 $ 199,612
NATURE'S SUNSHINE PRODUCTS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(Amounts in thousands, except per share information)
(Unaudited)
Three Months Ended December 31,
2014 2013
Net sales revenue $ 86,663 $ 93,264
Cost of sales (23,468) (23,611)
Gross profit 63,195 69,653
Operating expenses:
Volume incentives 31,727 34,293
Selling, general and administrative 30,634 33,020
Operating income 834 2,340
Other income, net 349 249
Income before provision for income taxes 1,183 2,589
Provision for income taxes 309 776
Net income from continuing operations 874 1,813
Income (loss) from discontinued operations (4,964) 30
Net income (4,090) 1,843
Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests (193)
Net income attributable to common shareholders $ (3,897) $ 1,843
Basic and diluted net income per common share attributable to common shareholders
Basic:
Net income from continuing operations $ 0.05 $ 0.11
Income (loss) discontinued operations $ (0.26) $ —
Net income attributable to common shareholders $ (0.21) $ 0.11
Diluted:
Net income from continuing operations $ 0.05 $ 0.11
Income (loss) discontinued operations $ (0.25) $ —
Net income attributable to common shareholders $ (0.20) $ 0.11
Weighted average basic common shares outstanding 18,728 16,196
Weighted average diluted common shares outstanding 19,229 16,550
Dividends declared per common share $ 0.10 $ 0.10
NATURE'S SUNSHINE PRODUCTS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(Amounts in thousands, except per share information)
(Unaudited)
Year Ended December 31,
2014 2013
Net sales revenue $ 366,367 $ 369,826
Cost of sales (91,584) (92,344)
Gross profit 274,783 277,482
Operating expenses:
Volume incentives 135,808 135,516
Selling, general and administrative 119,927 118,383
Operating income 19,048 23,583
Other income (loss), net (34) 1,993
Income before provision for income taxes 19,014 25,576
Provision (benefit) for income taxes (743) 7,923
Net income from continuing operations 19,757 17,653
Income (loss) from discontinued operations (9,957) (44)
Net income 9,800 17,609
Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests (219)
Net income attributable to common shareholders $ 10,019 $ 17,609
Basic and diluted net income per common share attributable to common shareholders
Basic:
Net income from continuing operations $ 1.15 $ 1.10
Income (loss) from discontinued operations $ (0.57) $ —
Net income attributable to common shareholders $ 0.58 $ 1.10
Diluted:
Net income attributable to common shareholders $ 1.12 $ 1.08
Income (loss) from discontinued operations $ (0.56) $ (0.01)
Net income attributable to common shareholders $ 0.56 $ 1.07
Weighted average basic common shares outstanding 17,108 15,997
Weighted average diluted common shares outstanding 17,641 16,390
Dividends declared per common share $ 1.90 $ 1.90
NATURE'S SUNSHINE PRODUCTS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(Amounts in thousands)
(Unaudited)
Year Ended December 31,
2014 2013
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net income $ 9,800 $ 17,609
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Write-off of cumulative translation adjustments 4,135
Impairment of Venezuela property, plant and equipment, net 2,947
Provision for doubtful accounts (121) 535
Depreciation and amortization 4,409 4,466
Share-based compensation expense 3,948 3,389
Tax benefit from stock option exercise (307) (653)
(Gain) loss on sale of property and equipment 132 (128)
Deferred income taxes (3,927) 1,092
Amortization of bond discount 3 1
Purchase of trading investment securities (162) (88)
Proceeds from sale of trading investment securities 151 510
Realized and unrealized gains on investments (56) (122)
Foreign exchange losses (gains) (225) (1,254)
Changes in assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable 3,457 (1,358)
Inventories 748 838
Prepaid expenses and other current assets 3,411 (5,728)
Other assets (1,235) (303)
Accounts payable (359) (552)
Accrued volume incentives (1,905) 1,286
Accrued liabilities (5,513) 7,379
Deferred revenue 544 (138)
Income taxes payable 25 1,071
Liability related to unrecognized tax benefits (5,804) 1,831
Deferred compensation payable (67) (305)
Net cash provided by operating activities 14,182 29,378
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Purchases of property, plant and equipment (26,285) (8,570)
Proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment 85 248
Purchase of investments available for sale (721) (442)
Proceeds from maturity and sale of investments available for sale 247 200
Net cash used in investing activities (26,674) (8,564)
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Payment of cash dividends (35,228) (30,419)
Borrowings of long-term debt and revolving credit facility 10,000
Principal payments of long-term debt and revolving credit facility (12,267) (3,353)
Net proceeds from the issuance of shares to noncontrolling interests 44,795
Investment by noncontrolling interests 4,000
Proceeds from the exercise of stock options 772 4,334
Tax benefit from stock option exercise 307 653
Repurchase of common stock (7,455) (2,546)
Net cash used in financing activities (5,076) (21,331)
Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents (980) (1,477)
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents (18,548) (1,994)
Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the period 77,247 79,241
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the period $ 58,699 $ 77,247
SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURE OF CASH FLOW INFORMATION:
Cash paid for income taxes $ 6,450 $ 10,278
Cash paid for interest 171 128
NATURE'S SUNSHINE PRODUCTS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
RECONCILIATION OF NET INCOME TO ADJUSTED EBITDA
(Amounts in thousands)
(Unaudited)
Three Months Ended December 31,
2014 2013
Net income from continuing operations $ 874 $ 1,813
Adjustments:
Depreciation and amortization 899 1,187
Share-based compensation expense 914 790
Other income (loss), net* (349) (249)
Provision (benefit) for income taxes 309 776
Adjusted EBITDA $ 2,647 $ 4,317
Year Ended December 31,
2014 2013
Net income from continuing operations $ 19,757 $ 17,653
Adjustments:
Depreciation and amortization 4,409 4,466
Share-based compensation expense 3,948 3,389
Other income (loss), net* 34 (1,993)
Provision (benefit) for income taxes (743) 7,923
Adjusted EBITDA $ 27,405 $ 31,438

* Other income (loss), net is primarily comprised of foreign exchange gains (losses), interest income, and interest expense.

CONTACT: Stephen M. Bunker
         Chief Financial Officer
         Nature's Sunshine Products, Inc.
         Lehi, Utah 84043
         (801) 341-7303

Source: Nature's Sunshine Products, Inc.

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