DALLAS, Feb. 27, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Dean Foods Company (NYSE: DF) today reported fourth quarter and full year 2018 results.
Highlights
- Full year free cash flow from operations and capex in-line with expectations
- Non-cash goodwill impairment charge resulted in Q4 net loss from continuing operations of $2.88 per share; Adjusted net loss from continuing operations of $0.50 per share
- Full year net loss from continuing operations of $3.63 per share and adjusted net loss from continuing operations of $0.47 per share
- Reviewing strategic alternatives to accelerate business transformation
- Successfully refinanced credit facilities and suspended dividend to enhance financial flexibility
Chief Executive Officer Ralph Scozzafava said, "Our 2018 financial results reflect volume deleverage from certain customers exiting our business coupled with significant inflation in fuel, freight and resin costs. While we made significant progress executing our enterprise-wide cost productivity plan, the cost savings were mitigated by incremental transitory costs associated with a recent comprehensive plant consolidation. Despite these challenges, we continued to generate positive free cash flow from operations in 2018."
"Dean Foods is one of the nation's largest dairy providers and we have an opportunity to leverage our scale and substantial assets to deliver value for our shareholders. With our large domestic footprint and direct-to-store delivery network, along with our national brands and strong private label capability, we have a solid foundation to drive improved financial and operational results. We are taking important actions to reshape the company to be more agile and more competitive in the marketplace. In tandem, to enhance shareholder value and accelerate our business transformation, we have initiated a review of strategic alternatives. We have also successfully refinanced our credit facilities to provide enhanced financial flexibility. We are working diligently to transform our company and are confident we are taking the right steps to more effectively compete and win in 2019 and beyond," concluded Scozzafava.
Business Updates
Review of Strategic Alternatives
On February 26, 2019, the Company announced that it has commenced a review of strategic alternatives to enhance shareholder value. These alternatives could include, among others, the continued execution of the Company's business plan including an increased focus on certain standalone strategic initiatives, the disposition of certain assets, the formation of a joint venture, a strategic business combination, a transaction that results in private ownership or a sale of the Company, or some combination of these. As Dean Foods continues to focus on ways to accelerate its business transformation and simultaneously evaluate other strategic alternatives, the Company is suspending financial guidance.
Enhancing Financial Flexibility
Dean Foods is implementing important measures to enhance the Company's balance sheet and provide further flexibility. These steps include:
- Successfully refinancing the Company's debt capital structure to include a multi-year revolving facility, secured by the Company's real estate and other assets, and an amended receivables securitization facility, each of which will allow for covenant flexibility and extended maturities.
- The suspension of the Company's quarterly dividend.
Cash Flow
Net cash provided by continuing operations for the twelve months ended December 31, 2018, totaled $153 million. Free cash flow provided by continuing operations, which is defined as net cash provided by operating activities less capital expenditures, was $38 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2018, flat as compared to the prior year period. Capital expenditures totaled $47 million for the fourth quarter of 2018 and $115 million for the full year 2018.
Debt
Total outstanding debt at December 31, 2018, net of $24 million cash on hand, was approximately $887 million.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
In addition to the results prepared in accordance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ("GAAP"), we have presented certain non-GAAP financial measures, including adjusted gross profit, adjusted selling and distribution expenses, adjusted general and administrative expenses, adjusted total operating costs and expenses, adjusted operating income (loss), adjusted interest expense, adjusted income (loss) from continuing operations, adjusted net income (loss), adjusted earnings (loss) from continuing operations per diluted share, adjusted earnings (loss) per diluted share, adjusted EBITDA and Free Cash Flow, each as described below.
This non-GAAP financial information is provided as supplemental information for investors and is not in accordance with, or an alternative to, GAAP. Additionally, these non-GAAP measures may be different than similar measures used by other companies.
We believe that the presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures, when considered together with our GAAP financial measures and the reconciliations to the corresponding GAAP financial measures, provides investors with a more complete understanding of the factors and trends affecting our business than could be obtained without these disclosures. Our management uses these non-GAAP financial measures when evaluating our performance, when making decisions regarding the allocation of resources, in determining incentive compensation for management, and in determining earnings estimates.
A full reconciliation of these non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP measures for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2018 and 2017 is set forth in the tables herein.
Adjusted Operating Results
We have supplemented the presentation of our reported GAAP gross profit, selling and distribution expenses, general and administrative expenses, total operating costs and expenses, operating income (loss), interest expense, income (loss) from continuing operations, net income (loss) and income (loss) per diluted share from continuing operations, with non-GAAP measures that adjust the GAAP measures to exclude the impact of the following (as applicable): asset impairment charges; incremental non-cash trademark amortization triggered by the launch of a national fresh white milk brand; closed deal costs; facility closing, reorganization and realignment costs; debt issuance costs; costs associated with the early retirement of long-term debt; gains (losses) on the mark-to-market of our derivative contracts; costs associated with our enterprise-wide cost productivity plan; separation costs; gains or losses related to step-acquisitions, discontinued operations and divestitures; operating income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interest; litigation settlements (including any related interest accretion); income tax impacts of the foregoing adjustments; one-time impacts of U.S. income tax reform; and adjustments to normalize our income tax expense at a rate of 26.5%.
We believe these non-GAAP measures provide useful information to investors by excluding expenses, gains or losses that are not indicative of the Company's ongoing operating performance. In addition, we cannot predict the timing and amount of gains or losses associated with certain of these items. We believe these non-GAAP measures provide more accurate comparisons of our ongoing business operations and are better indicators of trends in our underlying business. In addition, these adjustments are consistent with how management views our business. Management uses these non-GAAP financial measures in making financial, operating and planning decisions and evaluating the Company's ongoing performance. Our key performance indicators are brand mix and achieving low cost, which are reflected in gross margin and operating income, respectively.
Adjusted EBITDA
Adjusted EBITDA is defined as net income before interest expense, income tax expense, depreciation and amortization, as further adjusted to exclude the impact of the adjustments discussed under "Adjusted Operating Results" above (other than the adjustments for incremental trademark amortization and interest expense and the normalized income tax rate, as Adjusted EBITDA excludes the full amount of these expenses). This information is provided to assist investors in making meaningful comparisons of our operating performance between periods and to view our business from the same perspective as our management. We believe Adjusted EBITDA is a useful measure for analyzing the performance of our business and is a widely-accepted indicator of our ability to incur and service indebtedness and generate free cash flow. We also believe that EBITDA measures are commonly reported and widely used by investors and other interested parties as measures of a company's operating performance and debt servicing ability because such measures assist in comparing performance on a consistent basis without regard to capital structure, depreciation or amortization (which can vary significantly) and non-operating factors (such as historical cost).
Free Cash Flow
We define Free Cash Flow as net cash provided by operating activities less cash payments for capital expenditures. We believe Free Cash Flow is a meaningful non-GAAP measure that offers supplemental information and insight regarding the liquidity of our operations and our ability to generate sufficient cash flow to, among other things, repay debt and invest in our business. A limitation of Free Cash Flow is that it does not represent the total increase or decrease in the cash balance for the period.
Conference Call/Webcast
A webcast to discuss the Company's financial results and outlook will be held at 9:00 a.m. ET today and may be heard live by clicking the earnings button on the Company's website at http://www.deanfoods.com. A slide presentation will accompany the webcast.
About Dean Foods
Dean Foods is a leading food and beverage company and the largest processor and direct-to-store distributor of fresh fluid milk and other dairy and dairy case products in the United States. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, the Dean Foods portfolio includes DairyPure®, the country's first and largest fresh, national white milk brand, and TruMoo®, the leading national flavored milk brand, along with well-known regional dairy brands such as Alta Dena®, Berkeley Farms®, Country Fresh®, Dean's®, Friendly's®, Garelick Farms®, LAND O LAKES®* milk and cultured products, Lehigh Valley Dairy Farms®, Mayfield®, McArthur®, Meadow Gold®, Oak Farms®, PET®**, T.G. Lee®, Tuscan® and more. Dean Foods also has a joint venture with Organic Valley®, distributing fresh organic products to local retailers. In all, Dean Foods has more than 50 national, regional and local dairy brands as well as private labels. Dean Foods also makes and distributes ice cream, cultured products, juices, teas, and bottled water. Approximately 15,000 employees across the country work every day to make Dean Foods the most admired and trusted provider of wholesome, great-tasting dairy products at every occasion. For more information about Dean Foods and its brands, visit www.deanfoods.com.
*The LAND O LAKES brand is owned by Land O'Lakes, Inc. and is used by license.**PET is a trademark of Eagle Family Foods Group LLC, under license.
Some of the statements made in this press release are "forward-looking" and are made pursuant to the safe harbor provision of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements relating to: (1) our financial forecast, including projected sales (including specific product lines and the Company as a whole), total volume, price realization, profit margins, net income, earnings per share and free cash flow, (2) the Company's regional and national branding and marketing initiatives, (3) the Company's innovation, research and development plans and its ability to successfully launch new products or brands, (4) commodity prices and other inputs and the Company's ability to forecast or predict commodity prices, milk production and milk exports, (5) the Company's enterprise-wide cost productivity plan and other cost-savings initiatives, including plant closures and route reductions, and its ability to achieve expected savings, (6) planned capital expenditures, (7) the status of the Company's litigation matters, (8) the Company's plans related to its capital structure, (9) the Company's dividend policy, (10) possible repurchases of shares of the Company's common stock, (11) potential acquisitions, and (12) the Company's exploration of strategic alternatives and any potential results thereof. These statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause results to differ materially from those set forth in this press release, including the risks disclosed by the Company in its filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Financial projections are based on a number of assumptions. Actual results could be materially different than projected if those assumptions are erroneous. The cost and supply of commodities and other raw materials are determined by market forces over which the Company has limited or no control. Sales, operating income, net income, debt covenant compliance, financial performance and earnings per share can vary based on a variety of economic, governmental and competitive factors, which are identified in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Company's most recent Forms 10-K and 10-Q. The Company's ability to profit from its branding and marketing initiatives depends on a number of factors including consumer acceptance of its products. The declaration and payment of cash dividends under the Company's dividend policy remains at the sole discretion of the Board of Directors and will depend upon its financial results, cash requirements, future prospects, restrictions in its credit agreements and debt covenant compliance, applicable law and other factors that may be deemed relevant by the Board. All forward-looking statements in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release. There are no assurances that the strategic exploration review will result in a transaction or other strategic change or outcome. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any such statements to reflect any change in its expectations with regard thereto or any changes in the events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based except as required by law.
