EX-99.1 2 a10-1189_3ex99d1.htm EX-99.1

Exhibit 99.1

 

FERRELLGAS PARTNERS REPORTS RECORD SECOND-QUARTER

ADJUSTED EBITDA, GROSS PROFIT AND DISTRIBUTABLE CASH FLOW;

SALES VOLUMES GROW NEARLY 13%

 

OVERLAND PARK, KAN., March 10, 2010/PR Newswire-First Call — Ferrellgas Partners, L.P. (NYSE:FGP), one of the largest distributors of propane, today reported record results for several key metrics for the fiscal second quarter ended January 31.

 

Adjusted EBITDA was up 7% to $130.1 million over the year-ago record $121.6 million.  Gross profit totaled $248.7 million compared with $243.5 million the year before, while distributable cash flow increased 12% to $104.3 million from $93.1 million.  Second-quarter net earnings rose 11% to $77.9 million from $70.4 million a year earlier.

 

President and Chief Executive Officer Steve Wambold explained, “We are quite pleased with our second-quarter results, especially in light of the ongoing challenging economic environment and weather that was warmer than a year ago.  Particularly encouraging was the strong propane volume, which continued to outpace the industry’s performance.  Retail propane gallon sales increased 10%, while wholesale volume climbed more than 23%, resulting in a total volume gain of nearly 13% on temperatures in our service locations that were 5% warmer than in the prior year.”

 

“We also benefited from our discipline of keeping a tight rein on costs.  We’re especially gratified by a slight decline in operating expenses though sales volumes were up, both in absolute dollars and cents per gallon delivered.”  He noted that general and administrative expense also decreased modestly, while equipment lease expense was down sharply, nearly 35%.

 

Looking ahead, Wambold commented, “We expect the second-quarter’s positive momentum to carry over into the second half of the fiscal year, as we remain focused on our strategy of profitable growth.  Therefore, we expect improved performance that should lead to record Adjusted EBITDA for fiscal 2010.”  Ferrellgas reported record Adjusted EDITDA of $251.1 million for fiscal 2009.

 

-more-

 



 

Ferrellgas Partners, L.P., through its operating partnership, Ferrellgas, L.P., serves approximately one million customers in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.  Ferrellgas employees indirectly own more than 20 million common units of the partnership through an employee stock ownership plan.  More information about the partnership can be found online at www.ferrellgas.com.

 

Statements in this release concerning expectations for the future are forward-looking statements.  A variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could cause results, performance and expectations to differ materially from anticipated results, performance and expectations.  These risks, uncertainties and other factors are discussed in the Form 10-K of Ferrellgas Partners, L.P., Ferrellgas Partners Finance Corp., Ferrellgas, L.P., and Ferrellgas Finance Corp. for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2009, and other documents filed from time to time by these entities with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

On September 28, 2009 Ferrellgas Partners, L.P. filed its annual report for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2009 on Form 10-K with the SEC. This annual report is available to security holders and other interested parties at no charge on our website at www.ferrellgas.com and is also available in print to any security holder or other interested parties who requests it from our investor relations department free of charge.

 

Contact:

Tom Colvin, Investor Relations, (913) 661-1530

Jim Saladin, Media Relations, (913) 661-1833

 

# # #

 



 

FERRELLGAS PARTNERS, L.P.  AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(in thousands, except unit data)

(unaudited)

 

 

 

January 31, 2010

 

July 31, 2009

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ASSETS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Current Assets:

 

 

 

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents

 

$

25,904

 

$

7,066

 

Accounts and notes receivable, net

 

213,428

 

106,910

 

Inventories

 

143,976

 

129,808

 

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

 

26,426

 

15,031

 

Total Current Assets

 

409,734

 

258,815

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Property, plant and equipment, net

 

671,125

 

666,535

 

Goodwill

 

248,939

 

248,939

 

Intangible assets, net

 

231,757

 

212,037

 

Other assets, net

 

33,990

 

18,651

 

Total Assets

 

$

1,595,545

 

$

1,404,977

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LIABILITIES AND PARTNERS’ CAPITAL

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Current Liabilities:

 

 

 

 

 

Accounts payable

 

$

124,211

 

$

49,337

 

Short term borrowings

 

97,150

 

66,159

 

Other current liabilities (a)

 

108,479

 

108,763

 

Total Current Liabilities

 

329,840

 

224,259

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Long-term debt (a)

 

1,080,074

 

1,010,073

 

Other liabilities

 

19,803

 

19,300

 

Contingencies and commitments

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Partners’ Capital:

 

 

 

 

 

Common unitholders (69,450,318 and 68,236,755 units outstanding at 2010 and 2009, respectively)

 

211,604

 

206,255

 

General partner unitholder (701,518 and 689,260 units outstanding at 2010 and 2009, respectively)

 

(57,935

)

(57,988

)

Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)

 

7,739

 

(1,194

)

Total Ferrellgas Partners, L.P. Partners’ Capital

 

161,408

 

147,073

 

Noncontrolling Interest

 

4,420

 

4,272

 

Total Partners’ Capital

 

165,828

 

151,345

 

Total Liabilities and Partners’ Capital

 

$

1,595,545

 

$

1,404,977

 

 


(a) The principal difference between the Ferrellgas Partners, L.P. balance sheet and that of Ferrellgas, L.P., is $268 million of 8 3/4% notes which are liabilities of Ferrellgas Partners, L.P. and not of Ferrellgas, L.P.

 



 

FERRELLGAS PARTNERS, L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF EARNINGS

FOR THE THREE, SIX AND TWELVE MONTHS ENDED JANUARY 31, 2010 AND 2009

(in thousands, except per unit data)

(unaudited)

 

 

 

Three months ended

 

Six months ended

 

Twelve months ended

 

 

 

January 31

 

January 31

 

January 31,

 

 

 

2010

 

2009

 

2010

 

2009

 

2010

 

2009

 

Revenues:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Propane and other gas liquids sales

 

$

724,348

 

$

647,536

 

$

1,052,014

 

$

1,084,424

 

$

1,797,243

 

$

2,096,314

 

Other

 

53,504

 

68,089

 

77,908

 

111,275

 

206,502

 

231,190

 

Total revenues

 

777,852

 

715,625

 

1,129,922

 

1,195,699

 

2,003,745

 

2,327,504

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cost of product sold:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Propane and other gas liquids sales

 

503,980

 

428,527

 

704,900

 

746,272

 

1,165,996

 

1,481,147

 

Other

 

25,208

 

43,625

 

31,388

 

60,439

 

123,802

 

137,535

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gross profit

 

248,664

 

243,473

 

393,634

 

388,988

 

713,947

 

708,822

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Operating expense

 

104,550

 

105,710

 

201,440

 

201,927

 

400,248

 

392,526

 

Depreciation and amortization expense

 

20,647

 

20,219

 

41,174

 

41,535

 

82,133

 

84,616

 

General and administrative expense

 

11,346

 

11,761

 

25,124

 

20,847

 

45,659

 

43,551

 

Equipment lease expense

 

3,127

 

4,781

 

6,901

 

10,136

 

15,171

 

22,120

 

Employee stock ownership plan compensation charge

 

2,261

 

1,656

 

4,263

 

3,405

 

7,613

 

9,572

 

Loss on disposal of assets and other

 

1,122

 

4,019

 

2,784

 

6,601

 

9,225

 

11,784

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Operating income

 

105,611

 

95,327

 

111,948

 

104,537

 

153,898

 

144,653

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interest expense

 

(26,216

)

(23,393

)

(48,911

)

(47,063

)

(91,367

)

(88,638

)

Debt prepayment premiums

 

 

 

(17,308

)

 

(17,308

)

 

Other income (expense), net

 

(863

)

(343

)

(556

)

(1,161

)

(716

)

(1,120

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Earnings before income taxes

 

78,532

 

71,591

 

45,173

 

56,313

 

44,507

 

54,895

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Income tax expense

 

674

 

1,167

 

252

 

866

 

1,678

 

2,972

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net earnings

 

77,858

 

70,424

 

44,921

 

55,447

 

42,829

 

51,923

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interest (a)

 

847

 

772

 

575

 

682

 

676

 

767

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net earnings attributable to Ferrellgas Partners, L.P.

 

77,011

 

69,652

 

44,346

 

54,765

 

42,153

 

51,156

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Less: General partner’s interest in net earnings

 

12,614

 

11,633

 

443

 

548

 

421

 

512

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Common unitholders’ interest in net earnings

 

$

64,397

 

$

58,019

 

$

43,903

 

$

54,217

 

$

41,732

 

$

50,644

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Earnings Per Unit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic and diluted net earnings available per common unit

 

$

0.93

 

$

0.92

 

$

0.64

 

$

0.86

 

$

0.64

 

$

0.80

 

Dilutive effect of two-class method (b)

 

0.17

 

0.18

 

 

 

 

 

Adjusted net earnings per unit available to unitholders

 

$

1.10

 

$

1.10

 

$

0.64

 

$

0.86

 

$

0.64

 

$

0.80

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weighted average common units outstanding

 

69,450.3

 

63,192.5

 

68,979.1

 

63,122.3

 

65,540.7

 

63,041.7

 

 



 

Supplemental Data and Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Items:

 

 

 

Three months ended

 

Six months ended

 

Twelve months ended

 

 

 

January 31

 

January 31

 

January 31,

 

 

 

2010

 

2009

 

2010

 

2009

 

2010

 

2009

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net earnings attributable to Ferrellgas Partners, L.P.

 

$

77,011

 

$

69,652

 

$

44,346

 

$

54,765

 

$

42,153

 

$

51,156

 

Income tax expense

 

674

 

1,167

 

252

 

866

 

1,678

 

2,972

 

Interest expense

 

26,216

 

23,393

 

48,911

 

47,063

 

91,367

 

88,638

 

Debt prepayment premiums

 

 

 

17,308

 

 

17,308

 

 

Depreciation and amortization expense

 

20,647

 

20,219

 

41,174

 

41,535

 

82,133

 

84,616

 

Other income (expense), net

 

863

 

343

 

556

 

1,161

 

716

 

1,120

 

EBITDA

 

125,411

 

114,774

 

152,547

 

145,390

 

235,355

 

228,502

 

Employee stock ownership plan compensation charge

 

2,261

 

1,656

 

4,263

 

3,405

 

7,613

 

9,572

 

Unit and stock-based compensation charge (c)

 

413

 

329

 

3,164

 

657

 

4,819

 

1,573

 

Loss on disposal of assets and other

 

1,122

 

4,019

 

2,784

 

6,601

 

9,225

 

11,784

 

Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interest

 

847

 

772

 

575

 

682

 

676

 

767

 

Adjusted EBITDA (d)

 

130,054

 

121,550

 

163,333

 

156,735

 

257,688

 

252,198

 

Net cash interest expense (e)

 

(25,355

)

(23,170

)

(46,679

)

(46,929

)

(88,665

)

(90,612

)

Maintenance capital expenditures (f)

 

(1,296

)

(7,516

)

(11,409

)

(12,542

)

(20,633

)

(23,668

)

Cash paid for taxes

 

(332

)

(324

)

(332

)

(332

)

(1,512

)

(2,894

)

Proceeds from asset sales

 

1,228

 

2,587

 

3,161

 

4,905

 

6,455

 

9,529

 

Distributable cash flow to equity investors (g)

 

$

104,299

 

$

93,127

 

$

108,074

 

$

101,837

 

$

153,333

 

$

144,553

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Propane gallons sales

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Retail - Sales to End Users

 

269,801

 

245,862

 

402,275

 

372,395

 

682,668

 

666,663

 

Wholesale - Sales to Resellers

 

83,882

 

68,094

 

130,956

 

113,770

 

239,224

 

211,800

 

Total propane gallons sales

 

353,683

 

313,956

 

533,231

 

486,165

 

921,892

 

878,463

 

 


(a)  Amounts allocated to the general partner for its 1.0101% interest in the operating partnership, Ferrellgas, L.P.

(b)  FASB guidance regarding participating securities and the two-class method requires the calculation of net earnings per limited partner unit for each period presented according to distributions declared and participation rights in undistributed earnings, as if all of the earnings for the period had been distributed.  In periods with undistributed earnings above certain levels, the calculation according to the two-class method results in an increased allocation of undistributed earnings to the general partner and a dilution of earnings to the limited partners. Due to the seasonality of the propane business, the dilution effect of the guidance on net earnings per limited partner unit will typically only impact the three months ending January 31. There was not a dilutive effect resulting from this guidance on the six and twelve months ended January 31, 2010 and 2009.

(c)  FASB guidance relating to stock compensation requires that the cost resulting from all share-based payment transactions be recognized in the financial statements. Share-based payment transactions resulted in a non-cash compensation charge of $0.1 million and $0.1 million to operating expense for the three months ended January 31, 2010 and 2009, respectively, $0.9 million and $0.2 million to operating expense for the six months ended January 31, 2010 and 2009, respectively, and $1.5 million and $0.5 million to operating expense for the twelve months ended January 31, 2010 and 2009, respectively. A non-cash compensation charge of $0.3 million and $0.2 million was recorded to general and administrative expense for the three months ended January 31, 2010 and 2009, respectively, $2.3 million and $0.5 million to general and administrative expense for the six months ended January 31, 2010 and 2009, respectively, and $3.3 million and $1.1 million to general and administrative expense for the twelve months ended January 31, 2010 and 2009, respectively.

(d)  Management considers Adjusted EBITDA to be a chief measurement of the partnership’s overall economic performance and return on invested capital. Adjusted EBITDA is calculated as earnings before interest, income taxes, depreciation and amortization, employee stock ownership plan compensation charge, unit and stock-based compensation charge, loss on disposal of assets and other, noncontrolling interest, and other non-cash and non-operating charges. Management believes the presentation of this measure is relevant and useful because it allows investors to view the partnership’s performance in a manner similar to the method management uses, adjusted for items management believes are unusual or non-recurring, and makes it easier to compare its results with other companies that have different financing and capital structures. In addition, management believes this measure is consistent with the manner in which the partnership’s lenders and investors measure its overall performance and liquidity, including its ability to pay quarterly equity distributions, service its long-term debt and other fixed obligations and fund its capital expenditures and working capital requirements. This method of calculating Adjusted EBITDA may not be consistent with that of other companies and should be viewed in conjunction with measurements that are computed in accordance with GAAP.

(e)  Net cash interest expense is the sum of interest expense less non-cash interest expense and other income (expense), net. This amount includes interest expense related to the accounts receivable securitization facility.

(f)  Maintenance capital expenditures include capitalized expenditures for betterment and replacement of property, plant and equipment.

(g)  Management considers distributable cash flow to equity investors a meaningful non-GAAP measure of the partnership’s ability to declare and pay quarterly distributions to common unitholders. Distributable cash flow to equity investors, as management defines it, may not be comparable to distributable cash flow or similarly titled measures used by other entities.