EX-99.2 3 mar23qa.txt ConAgra Foods Q3 FY06 Question & Answer March 23, 2006 1. What were some examples of major brands in the Retail Products segment posting sales growth for the quarter? Chef Boyardee DAVID Egg Beaters Healthy Choice Hebrew National Hunt's Kid Cuisine Marie Callender's Orville Redenbacher Peter Pan Ranch Style Reddi-wip Ro*Tel Snack Pack Van Camp's Retail sales for Banquet and Slim Jim were in line with last year's amounts. 2. What were some examples of major brands in the Retail Products segment posting sales declines for the quarter? ACT II Blue Bonnet LaChoy Manwich Mama Rosa PAM Parkay Rosarita Swiss Miss Wesson Wolf 3. What were unit volume changes for the quarter in the Retail Products and Foodservice Products segments? Retail Products volume increased 4% in the current quarter. Foodservice Products volume increased 1% in the current quarter. 4. How much was total Depreciation and Amortization for the quarter? Approximately $91 million, of which approximately $78 million applied to continuing operations (versus approximately $91 million in Q3 2005, of which approximately $76 million applied to continuing operations). 5. How much was total Depreciation and Amortization for the fiscal year-to-date? Approximately $269 million, of which approximately $226 million applied to continuing operations (versus $265 million through Q3 2005, of which approximately $207 million applied to continuing operations.) 6. How much were Capital Expenditures for the quarter? Approximately $61 million (versus approximately $97 million in Q3 2005), including both continuing operations and discontinued operations. 7. How much were Capital Expenditures for the fiscal year-to-date? Approximately $196 million (versus $353 million through Q3 2005), including both continuing operations and discontinued operations. 8. What was the net interest expense for the quarter? Approximately $62 million. 9. What was the net interest expense for the fiscal year-to-date? Approximately $192 million. 10. What was Corporate Expense for the quarter? Approximately $171 million, which includes approximately $77 million of expense from items that impact comparability with the prior year. 11. What was Corporate Expense for the fiscal year-to-date? Approximately $347 million. 12. How much did the company pay in dividends during the quarter? $141 million 13. How much did the company pay in dividends fiscal year-to-date? $ 424 million 14. What was the weighted average number of diluted shares outstanding for the quarter? 521 million shares 15. What was the approximate effective tax rate for the quarter (rounded) for continuing operations? 27%, including a benefit from changes in estimates related to state income tax liabilities partially offset by the impact of non-deductible equity method investment impairment charges. The lower effective tax rate favorably impacted earnings by approximately $11 million or $0.02 per diluted share. 16. What were the gross margins and operating margins for the quarter ($ amounts in millions, rounded)? Gross Margin = Gross Profit* divided by Net Sales Gross Margin = $715/$2,879 = 24.8% Operating Margin = Segment Operating Profit** divided by Net Sales Operating Margin = $360/$2,879 = 12.5% * Gross Profit = Net Sales - Costs of Goods Sold ($2,879 - $2,164 = $715) **See third-quarter segment operating results for a reconciliation of Operating Profit to Income from continuing operations before income taxes and equity method investment earnings (loss). Income from continuing operations before income taxes and equity method investment earnings (loss), divided by Net Sales = $126/$2,879 = 4.4%. 17. What was the trade working capital position at quarter end, excluding amounts for discontinued operations? Trade working capital is defined as the net position of Accounts Receivable plus Inventory less Current Operating Liabilities (Accounts Payable, Accrued Expenses, and Advances on Sales). Q3 FY06 Q3 FY05 Accounts Receivable $ 1,159 $ 1,353 Inventory $ 2,489 $ 2,408 Less: Accounts Payable $ 892 $ 941 Less: Accrued Expenses $ 1,449 $ 1,596 Less: Advances on Sales $ 137 $ 171 ------- ------- Net Position $ 1,170 $ 1,053 18. What is included in the company's net debt at the end of the quarter (in millions)? Q3 FY06 Q3 FY05 Total Debt* $ 3,842 $ 4,527 Less: Cash On Hand $ 237 $ 9 ------- ------- Total $ 3,605 $ 4,518 * Total debt = notes payable, short-term debt, long-term debt, and subordinated debt. 19. What were the significant changes to debt during the quarter? At the end of the third quarter, interest-bearing debt was approximately $3.8 billion, reflecting the fact that the company repaid approximately $500 million of debt during the quarter. The current portion of long-term debt reflects $400 million of 7.125% senior debt due October 2026 that has been reclassified because of a put option that is exercisable by the holders of the debt from Aug. 1, 2006 to Sept. 1, 2006. Based on current market conditions, the company does not anticipate the holders to exercise the put option, and therefore expects to reclassify the $400 million debt back into senior long-term debt after Sept. 1, 2006 when the put option expires. 20. What is the preliminary estimate of the effective tax rate for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2006 (rounded), excluding any items impacting comparability? Approximately 36%. 21. What are the projected Capital Expenditures for fiscal 2006? No more than $400 million. 22. What is the expected net interest expense for fiscal 2006? Approximately $260-$270 million. 23. Please summarize (in tabular form) the EPS contribution from continuing and discontinued operations as well as the net impact of major items impacting comparability for Q3FY06 and Q3FY05. ---------------------------- -------------------------- -------------------------- -------------------------- EPS, including items Items that Impact EPS, excluding items Q3FY06 Impacting Comparability Comparability* Impacting Comparability ---------------------------- -------------------------- -------------------------- -------------------------- Continuing Operations $0.18 ($0.14) $0.31** Discontinued Operations ($0.24) ($0.30) $0.06 Total ($0.06) $0.43** $0.37** ---------------------------- -------------------------- -------------------------- -------------------------- EPS, including items Items that Impact EPS, excluding items Q3 FY05 Impacting Comparability Comparability* Impacting Comparability ---------------------------- -------------------------- -------------------------- -------------------------- Continuing Operations $0.31 $0.00 (net) $0.31 Discontinued Operations $0.01 $0.03 $0.04 Total $0.32 $0.03 $0.35
*For a presentation of the items affecting comparability, please see the section entitled "Major Items Affecting Third-Quarter Fiscal 2006 Comparability" in the accompanying Q3FY06 earnings release. * *Impacted by rounding. 24. Does the company have any comment on discontinued operations for the year-ago period? Income from discontinued operations in the year-ago period was $0.01 after tax, which includes ($0.03) of loss, including impairment charges, from specialty meats operations, which the company no longer owns; this was more than offset by $0.04 of income from operations yet to be divested, specifically packaged meats, seafood, and cheese. The company considers the ($0.03) to impact comparability because the company no longer owns the operations that generated the ($0.03). The company does not consider the other $0.04 to impact comparability, as those earnings came from operations still owned by the company; as such, results from those operations are included in both current year and prior year amounts. 25. What are the revised historical segment results as a result of the classification change that took place this quarter? Please see the attached tables--one shows segment information and the other shows the entire P/L information. ConAgra Foods, Inc. Segment Operating Results: Q3 FY06 ($USD, in Millions) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ FY 2005 FY 2006 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Q1 FY05 Q2 FY05 Q3 FY05 Q4 FY05 Total Q1 FY06 Q2 FY06 Q3 FY06 YTD FY06 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Segment Sales Retail Products $ 1,518.1 $ 1,866.9 $ 1,607.3 $ 1,630.2 $ 6,622.5 $ 1,503.2 $ 1,752.2 $ 1,661.3 $ 4,916.7 Foodservice Products 535.7 560.0 541.4 571.7 2,208.8 565.6 585.5 561.1 1,712.2 Food Ingredients 576.8 691.3 607.6 794.9 2,670.6 631.4 688.0 656.5 1,975.9 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Total 2,630.6 3,118.2 2,756.3 2,996.8 11,501.9 2,700.2 3,025.7 2,878.9 8,604.8 Segment Operating Profit Retail Products 181.3 314.7 271.5 206.0 973.5 180.9 256.7 248.1 685.7 Foodservice Products 68.2 83.2 57.0 63.6 272.0 74.5 86.7 41.1 202.3 Food Ingredients 60.1 79.1 59.9 64.1 263.2 76.2 53.3 70.7 200.2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Total 309.6 477.0 388.4 333.7 1,508.7 331.6 396.7 359.9 1,088.2 Reconciliation of total operating profit to income from continuing operations before income taxes and equity method investment earnings (loss) Items excluded from segment operating profit: General and corporate expense (63.6) (77.0) (137.8) (123.7) (402.1) (73.0) (103.1) (170.5) (346.6) Gain on sale of Pilgrim's Pride Corporation common stock - - 185.7 - 185.7 329.4 - - 329.4 Interest expense, net (73.4) (85.8) (68.1) (67.7) (295.0) (68.1) (62.3) (61.8) (192.2) Income from continuing operations before income taxes and equity method investment earnings (loss) $ 172.6 $ 314.2 $ 368.2 $ 142.3 $ 997.3 $ 519.9 $ 231.3 $ 127.6 $ 878.8 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Segment operating profit excludes general corporate expense, gain on sale of Pilgrim's Pride Corporation common stock, equity method investment earnings (loss) and net interest expense. Management believes such amounts are not directly associated with segment performance results for the period. Management believes the presentation of total operating profit for segments facilities period-to-period comparison of results of segment operations. CONAGRA FOODS, INC. Income Statement for FY06 YTD, FY05 ($USD, in millions) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ FY 2005 FY 2006 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Q1 FY05 Q2 FY05 Q3 FY05 Q4 FY05 YTD FY 05 Q1 FY06 Q2 FY06 Q3 FY06 YTD FY 06 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Net sales $ 2,630.6 $ 3,118.2 $ 2,756.3 $ 2,996.8 $ 11,501.9 $ 2,700.2 $ 3,025.7 $ 2,878.9 $ 8,604.8 Costs and expenses Costs of goods sold 2,004.1 2,311.3 2,046.1 2,312.9 8,674.4 2,031.5 2,298.5 2,164.1 6,494.1 SG&A expenses 380.5 406.9 459.6 473.9 1,720.9 410.1 433.6 525.4 1,369.1 Interest expenses, net 73.4 85.8 68.1 67.7 295.0 68.1 62.3 61.8 192.2 Gain on sale of Pilgrim's Pride Corporation common stock - - 185.7 - 185.7 329.4 - - 329.4 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2,458.0 2,804.0 2,388.1 2,854.5 10,504.6 2,180.3 2,794.4 2,751.3 7,726.0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Income from continuing operations before income taxes and equity method investment earnings (loss) 172.6 314.2 368.2 142.3 997.3 519.9 231.3 127.6 878.8 Income tax expense (benefit) 70.9 126.1 144.8 68.1 409.9 181.2 86.7 34.3 302.2 Equity method investment earnings 14.0 15.1 (64.0) 10.1 (24.8) (13.9) (16.7) (0.6) (31.2) Income from continuing operations 115.7 203.2 159.4 84.3 562.6 324.8 127.9 92.7 545.4 Income (loss) from discontinued operations 19.0 36.2 5.9 17.7 78.8 27.2 35.3 (124.4) (61.9) Net income $ 134.7 $ 239.4 $ 165.3 $ 102.0 $ 641.4 $ 352.0 $ 163.2 $ (31.7) $ 483.5 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------