Monsanto Targets Lower End of Ongoing EPS Guidance of $4.40 to $4.50 per Share for 2009 Fiscal Year; Maintains 20 Percent Growth
May 27 2009 - 7:00AM
PR Newswire (US)
Seeds and traits business continues to deliver against gross profit
targets while Roundup herbicide business faces lower volumes in the
U.S. growing season ST. LOUIS, May 27, 2009 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/
-- Monsanto Company (NYSE: MON) announced that it is on track to
meet the lower end of its previous ongoing earnings guidance for
fiscal year 2009 as it balances continued outstanding performance
from its seeds and traits business against stronger-than-expected
competition for its Roundup agricultural herbicides business. For
fiscal year 2009, Monsanto now expects ongoing earnings per share
(EPS) guidance of approximately $4.40 per share, the lowest point
in its previously announced range of $4.40 to $4.50. The results
would translate to approximately 20 percent growth year over year,
and the company's fifth consecutive year of 20 percent or greater
earnings growth. Monsanto also noted that free cash flow is now
expected to be approximately $1.4 billion for fiscal year 2009,
reflecting $2.4 billion in operating cash and $1 billion in
investing cash. (For a reconciliation of ongoing full year EPS and
free cash flow, see note 1.) Monsanto expects its seeds and traits
segment to deliver gross profit toward the upper end of its prior
guidance of $4.4 billion to $4.5 billion in fiscal year 2009. The
projected increase of more than 15 percent year over year reflects
the combination of greater value, growth in the company's branded
seed businesses and expanded use of Monsanto's trait technologies.
With strong farmer demand for the company's higher-yielding seeds
and trait technologies, Monsanto projects that its corn and soybean
businesses combined could generate $3.5 billion in gross profit in
fiscal year 2009, or an approximate 20 percent increase compared
with the prior year. The company now believes the Roundup and other
glyphosate business will generate approximately $2 billion in gross
profit, down from its previous forecast of $2.4 billion. The
continued strong performance of the company's seeds and traits
business, combined with lower spending for marketing,
administrative functions and incentives are helping to offset the
expected decline in the profitability of Monsanto's Roundup
business and enabling the company to maintain its full-year
guidance. "Even in the face of a $400 million decline in our
expected gross profit from Roundup, we can see a path to our fifth
consecutive year of 20 percent or greater earnings growth and a
lift in gross margins this year of more than three percentage
points for the entire company," said Hugh Grant, Monsanto chairman,
president and chief executive officer. "Regardless of the business
or world area, our strategy is focused on delivering value to
farmers while maximizing share and penetration," Grant said in
prepared remarks at the Sanford Bernstein conference in New York
today. "We've held true to this strategy in one of the most dynamic
and competitive years that we've seen this decade, and this
underscores the value that farmers place on our seeds, our traits
and our continuous investment in delivering new innovation to
them." Because of the faster-than-anticipated decline in Roundup,
the company now expects to deliver third-quarter earnings, both on
an ongoing and as-reported basis, of approximately $1.15 per share.
For the second half of fiscal year 2009, the company expects that
an approximate 10 percent growth in gross profit for its seeds and
traits segment combined with lower spending will offset the
potential 20 percent gross profit decline in Roundup. Weather and
Competition Pressuring Volume for Roundup Business Cooler, wetter
weather in some parts of the U.S. Corn Belt has delayed the
application timing of Roundup and other glyphosate-based herbicides
over the top of Roundup Ready crops this spring. At the same time,
generic and other branded competitors continue to aggressively move
larger-than-expected volumes of lower-priced material into the
marketplace. While Monsanto's supply of Roundup in the distribution
channel is within its historical range, the application of the
product is half that compared with product use at the end of May
2008. Supply of glyphosate is now exceeding demand globally. In the
United States, Monsanto has chosen to focus on protecting the
premium of its high-performance products, which is having the
effect of reducing volumes. The company now anticipates total
volumes sales of approximately 200 million gallons, with a net
average selling price for its approximately 110 million gallons of
branded Roundup globally of more than $20 per gallon. "Farmers' use
of Roundup has made it the keystone for weed control in the Roundup
Ready system. Its extraordinary growth in the last two years has
allowed us to maximize the free cash generated and return that
value to shareowners through a combination of investments,
dividends and share repurchases. It also has allowed us to reinvest
in our seeds and traits pipeline to bring new yield-enhancing
solutions to farmers. We predicted that Roundup was hitting its
peak in terms of gross profit contribution this year, and that
forecast has proven to be accurate, albeit at a lower level than we
originally forecast," Grant added. U.S. Seeds and Traits Business
Remains on Track Despite slower planting rates in parts of the
Midwest, Grant noted that the U.S. seeds and traits business
remains on track to deliver up to one point of market share growth
in each of its DEKALB and American Seeds branded corn seed
businesses, and one point of share growth in its Asgrow soybeans.
The company's triple-stack mix remains above 70 percent, with an
estimated 32 million acres of triple-stacked corn sold or licensed
by Monsanto in the United States. Overall, corn gross profit is
expected to grow by approximately 20 percent to $2.6 billion for
the full year, with a 1-to-2 percentage point lift in margins to 62
to 63 percent. Soybean gross profit is expected to grow by better
than 20 percent with margins of roughly 62 percent. Cotton and
vegetable seeds are on track to meet their goals of approximately
$300 million and $450 million in gross profit, respectively.
Selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses for the
full year are trending toward 18 percent of sales, while research
and development (R&D) should remain in the area of 10 percent
of sales. The expected corporate tax rate for the full year is 28
to 29 percent. "With the seeds and traits side of the business
accelerating, our management team is focusing on how best to manage
our Roundup operations in a way that optimizes returns at a lower
percentage of overall revenue," Grant said. "That process
inherently will slow our overall growth in 2010 even as farmers
will have access to larger volumes of our new technologies next
year." Grant said that the company will speak more specifically to
the longer-term outlook for Roundup during its third-quarter
earnings call on June 24. About Monsanto Company Monsanto Company
is a leading global provider of technology-based solutions and
agricultural products that improve farm productivity and food
quality. Monsanto remains focused on enabling both small-holder and
large-scale farmers to produce more from their land while
conserving more of our world's natural resources such as water and
energy. To learn more about our business and our commitments,
please visit: http://www.monsanto.com/. Cautionary Statements
Regarding Forward-Looking Information: Certain statements contained
in this release are "forward-looking statements," such as
statements concerning the company's anticipated financial results,
current and future product performance, regulatory approvals,
business and financial plans and other non-historical facts. These
statements are based on current expectations and currently
available information. However, since these statements are based on
factors that involve risks and uncertainties, the company's actual
performance and results may differ materially from those described
or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could
cause or contribute to such differences include, among others:
continued competition in seeds, traits and agricultural chemicals;
the company's exposure to various contingencies, including those
related to intellectual property protection, regulatory compliance
and the speed with which approvals are received, and public
acceptance of biotechnology products; the success of the company's
research and development activities; the outcomes of major
lawsuits; developments related to foreign currencies and economies;
successful operation of recent acquisitions; fluctuations in
commodity prices; compliance with regulations affecting our
manufacturing; the accuracy of the company's estimates related to
distribution inventory levels; the company's ability to fund its
short-term financing needs and to obtain payment for the products
that it sells; the effect of weather conditions, natural disasters
and accidents on the agriculture business or the company's
facilities; and other risks and factors detailed in the company's
most recent reports on Forms 10-Q and 10-K. Undue reliance should
not be placed on these forward-looking statements, which are
current only as of the date of this release. The company disclaims
any current intention or obligation to update any forward-looking
statements or any of the factors that may affect actual results.
Notes to editors: Roundup, Roundup Ready, DeKalb and Asgrow are
trademarks of Monsanto Company and its wholly owned subsidiaries.
References to Roundup herbicides in this release mean Roundup
branded herbicides, excluding lawn-and-garden herbicide products.
Monsanto Company Selected Financial Information (Dollars in
millions) Unaudited 1. Ongoing EPS and Free Cash Flow: The
presentations of ongoing EPS and free cash flow are not intended to
replace net income (loss), cash flows, financial position or
comprehensive income (loss), and they are not measures of financial
performance as determined in accordance with generally accepted
accounting principles (GAAP) in the United States. The following
tables reconcile ongoing EPS and free cash flow to the respective
most directly comparable financial measure calculated in accordance
with GAAP. Reconciliation of EPS to Ongoing EPS: Ongoing EPS is
calculated excluding certain after-tax items which Monsanto does
not consider part of ongoing operations. The following is a
reconciliation of EPS to ongoing EPS for the twelve months ended
Aug. 31, 2009. Fiscal Year 2009 Guidance Diluted Earnings Per Share
$4.23 - $4.33 Income on Discontinued Operations ($0.02) In-Process
R&D Write-Off Related to the Aly Participacoes Ltda.
Acquisition $0.19 Diluted Earnings Per Share from Ongoing $4.40 -
$4.50 Business Reconciliation of Free Cash Flow: Free cash flow
represents the total of cash flows from operating activities and
investing activities. With respect to the fiscal year 2009 free
cash flow guidance, Monsanto does not include any estimates or
projections of Net Cash Provided (Required) by Financing Activities
because in order to prepare any such estimate or projection,
Monsanto would need to rely on market factors and conditions that
are outside of its control. Fiscal Year 2009 Guidance Net Cash
Provided by Operating Activities $ 2,400 Net Cash Required by
Investing Activities (1,000) Free Cash Flow $ 1,400 Net Cash
Required by Financing Activities N/A Effect of Exchange Rate
Changes on Cash and Cash Equivalents N/A Net Increase (Decrease) in
Cash and Cash Equivalents N/A Cash and Cash Equivalents at
Beginning of Period N/A Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Period
N/A Contact: Lee Quarles (314-694-2330) DATASOURCE: Monsanto
Company CONTACT: Lee Quarles, +1-314-694-2330, for Monsanto Company
Web Site: http://www.monsanto.com/
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