EX-99.1 2 dex991.htm PRESS RELEASE Press release

Exhibit 99.1

 

    Distribution and Retailing
   

[SUPERVALU Logo]

   

PO Box 990

Minneapolis, MN 55440

952 828 4000

    News Release

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

SUPERVALU REPORTS RECORD FIRST QUARTER RESULTS AND REAFFIRMS

EARNINGS PER SHARE GUIDANCE FOR FISCAL 2005 OF $2.75 TO $2.90

 

COMPANY RECORDS FIRST QUARTER NET GAIN FROM SALE OF MINORITY

INTEREST IN WINCO FOODS, INC.

 

MINNEAPOLIS - July 22, 2004 - SUPERVALU INC. (NYSE: SVU) today reported results for the first quarter of fiscal 2005, which ended June 19, 2004. The company reported net sales of $5.9 billion compared to $5.8 billion last year, net earnings of $149.4 million compared to $73.7 million last year, and diluted earnings per share of $1.09 compared to $0.55 last year. First quarter results included a net after-tax gain on the sale of the company’s minority interest in Winco Foods, Inc. (WinCo) of $68.3 million, or $0.50 diluted earnings per share. Also included in first quarter results is a $0.03 diluted earnings per share redemption premium charge associated with the May 2004 early retirement of $250 million of debt.

 

Jeff Noddle, SUPERVALU chairman and chief executive officer said, “We are pleased with our results during the first quarter, especially retail’s comparable store sales performance of 1.8 percent and the continued strength in distribution operating margins. Our earnings for the quarter achieved record levels even when the gain on WinCo is excluded. We are also reaffirming our earnings per share guidance for fiscal 2005. Our sound business strategies combined with SUPERVALU’s strong balance sheet and cash flow continue to support our growth initiatives in grocery retailing and the food logistics industry.”

 

Segment Results

 

Retail Food Segment - First quarter retail net sales were $3.1 billion, an increase of 5.9 percent compared to last year’s first quarter reflecting new-store growth and growth in comparable store


sales. Comparable store sales growth for the quarter was 1.8 percent and was broad-based across the SUPERVALU retail network, including continued positive comparable store sales at Save-A-Lot. Comparable stores sales improvement reflected merchandising activity, remodels and modest product inflation. Total retail square footage, including licensed stores, increased by approximately 4.0 percent from last year’s first quarter.

 

New store activity since last year’s first quarter, including licensed stores, resulted in 71 net new stores, opened and acquired, including a net 69 Save-A-Lot combination stores (grocery and general merchandise) and a net two regional banner stores. Store activity does not include the 17 acquired Texas locations intended for conversion to Save-A-Lot licensed stores during the year. As of June 19, 2004, Save-A-Lot operated 1,239 stores, of which 322 stores were combination stores compared to 57 combination stores at the end of last year’s first quarter.

 

Reported retail operating earnings for the first quarter were $128.8 million compared to $123.6 million in last year’s first quarter, an increase of 4.2 percent. Reported operating earnings as a percent of sales were 4.1 percent compared to 4.2 percent in last year’s first quarter. Operating margins benefited from strong merchandising efforts that were more than offset by double-digit increases in employee related benefit costs and the absence of non-cash earnings from WinCo.

 

Food Distribution Segment - First quarter distribution net sales were $2.8 billion, a decrease of 3.4 percent compared to last year’s first quarter, reflecting last year’s asset exchange with C&S of the Fleming Midwest business for Supervalu’s New England operations, the exit of the Denver operation and normal customer attrition, which more than offset new business growth.

 

Reported distribution operating earnings for the first quarter were $62.9 million compared to $58.2 million in last year’s first quarter, an increase of 8.1 percent. Reported operating earnings as a percent of sales were 2.3 percent compared to 2.0 percent in last year’s first quarter. Operating results reflect the benefits of last year’s asset exchange and efficiency initiatives that more than offset continued increases in employee benefit related costs.

 

Outlook

 

SUPERVALU reaffirmed its earnings per share in the range of $2.75 to $2.90 for the fiscal year ending February 26, 2005. This range includes the $0.50 diluted earnings per share impact from the net after-tax gain on the sale of the company’s minority interest in WinCo and $0.03 diluted earnings per share impact from the early retirement of debt, both of which occurred in the first quarter.


Noddle added, “We remain committed to the rapid expansion of our Save-A-Lot extreme value combo format, the focus on local merchandising excellence across our regional retail banners and the delivery of best-in-class supply chain services across the grocery retail channel.”

 

SUPERVALU’s outlook for fiscal 2005 includes general business assumptions, including:

 

  A moderately healthy economy, modest inflation, double-digit increases in employee-related costs including health and welfare and pension costs, and no work stoppages from strikes.

 

  Comparable store sales, reflecting planned in-market store expansion, between one to two percent for the year.

 

  SUPERVALU’s store development plans in fiscal 2005 for 110 to 140 new extreme value food combination stores, approximately 90 conversions to extreme value combination stores, eight to 10 new regional banner stores, and approximately 30 regional banner major remodels.

 

  Annual distribution sales attrition is expected to be slightly above the historical range of two to four percent.

 

  Fiscal 2005 total capital spending between $400 to $425 million, including approximately $60 million in capital leases.

 

Other Items

 

General corporate expense for the first quarter was $20.3 million compared to $18.8 million last year. Net interest expense during the first quarter was $42.3 million compared to $44.4 million last year. Included in this year’s first quarter net interest expense is a $5.7 million redemption premium for the early retirement of $250 million of public notes. SUPERVALU has reduced total debt balances by approximately $400 million in the past twelve months.

 

Cash on hand at the end of the first quarter was $416 million, up from $280 million at fiscal year end, reflecting strong cash flow, working capital management, timing of tax payments and lower than expected capital spending levels. The effective tax rate for first quarter was 37.2 percent.

 

Capital spending during the quarter was $62.2 million, including $8.8 million in capitalized leases, primarily funding retail store expansion, store remodeling, and technology enhancements.


Total debt to capital was 41.6 percent at the end of first quarter compared to 46.7 percent at fiscal 2004 year-end. The total debt to capital ratio is calculated as total debt, which includes notes payable, current debt and obligations under capital leases, long-term debt and obligations under capital leases, divided by the sum of total debt and total stockholders’ equity.

 

The accreted value of the company’s 4½ percent contingently convertible notes is $240 million at June 19, 2004. Under existing accounting rules, if SUPERVALU’s stock price reaches the convertible debentures’ conversion trigger price of $36.93 in the current quarter, the company would be required in the subsequent quarter to include an additional 7.8 million shares in its diluted shares outstanding calculation, along with an appropriate adjustment to earnings for the elimination of the related after-tax interest expense. Diluted weighted average shares outstanding in the quarter were 137.6 million shares. As of June 19, 2004, SUPERVALU had 136.0 million shares outstanding.

 

A conference call to review the first quarter results is scheduled for today at 9:00 a.m. (CDT). A live Web cast of the call will be available at www.supervalu.com. An archive of the call is accessible via telephone by dialing (630) 652-3018 with pass code 9375832 and through the company’s Web site at www.supervalu.com. The conference call archive will be available through August 5, 2004.

 

As of June 19, 2004 SUPERVALU’s retail store network consists of 1,498 stores in 39 states, including 1,239 Save-A-Lot extreme value stores - 275 owned Save-A-Lot stores, 832 licensed Save-A-Lot stores and 132 owned Deals stores; 259 regional banner stores including Cub Foods, Shop ‘n Save, Shoppers Food Warehouse, bigg’s, Farm Fresh, Scott’s Foods and Hornbacher’s stores. SUPERVALU serves as primary supplier to approximately 2,400 stores and SUPERVALU’s own regional banner store network of 259 stores, while serving as secondary supplier to approximately 600 stores.

 

SUPERVALU is one of the largest companies in the United States grocery channel. With annual revenues of more than $20 billion, SUPERVALU holds leading market share positions with its 1,498 retail grocery locations, including licensed Save-A-Lot locations. Through its Save-A-Lot format, the company holds the number one market position in the extreme value grocery retailing sector. In addition, through SUPERVALU’s geographically diverse distribution centers, the company provides distribution and related logistics support services across the nation’s grocery channel. SUPERVALU currently has approximately 55,600 employees.


The statements contained in this news release that are not historical fact are forward-looking statements and are made under the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Certain important factors could cause results to differ materially from those anticipated by such forward-looking statements, including the impact of competition, the nature and extent of the consolidation of the retail food and food distribution industries, the ability to attract and retain customers for the company’s food distribution operations and to control food distribution costs, the ability of the company to grow through acquisitions and assimilate the acquired entities, increases in employee benefit costs, potential work disruptions from labor disputes or national emergencies, the availability of favorable credit and trade terms, food price changes, general economic or political conditions that affect consumer buying habits generally or war-time activities, threats or general acts of terror directed at the food industry that affect consumer behavior, other risk factors inherent in the food distribution and retail businesses, and other factors discussed from time to time in reports filed by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

INVESTORS:
Yolanda Scharton
952-828-4640
yolanda.scharton@supervalu.com
MEDIA:
Lynne High
952-828-4515
lynne.high@supervalu.com


SUPERVALU INC. and Subsidiaries

 

Consolidated Composition of Net Sales and Operating Earnings

 

The following table sets forth the composition of the company’s net sales and earnings.

(In thousands)

 

    

First Quarter (16 weeks) ended

(unaudited)


 
    
     June 19,
2004


    June 14,
2003


 

Net sales

                

Retail Food

   $ 3,130,196     $ 2,956,511  

% of total

     53.0 %     50.7 %

Food Distribution

     2,780,453       2,879,776  

% of total

     47.0 %     49.3 %

Total net sales

   $ 5,910,649     $ 5,836,287  
       100.0 %     100.0 %

Earnings

                

Retail Food operating earnings

   $ 128,797     $ 123,624  

% of sales

     4.1 %     4.2 %

Food Distribution operating earnings

     62,899       58,174  

% of sales

     2.3 %     2.0 %
    


 


Subtotal

     191,696       181,798  

% of sales

     3.2 %     3.1 %

General corporate expense

     (20,335 )     (18,797 )

Gain on sale of WinCo Foods, Inc.

     109,238       —    

Restructure and other charges

     (279 )     (1,171 )
    


 


Total operating earnings

     280,320       161,830  

% of sales

     4.7 %     2.8 %

Interest expense

     (48,451 )     (49,575 )

Interest income

     6,159       5,147  
    


 


Earnings before income taxes

     238,028       117,402  

Income tax expense

     (88,617 )     (43,732 )
    


 


Net earnings

   $ 149,411     $ 73,670  
    


 


NOTE 1:

                

Pretax LIFO expense

   $ 1,800     $ 783  

NOTE 2:

                

Pretax depreciation and amortization

                

Retail Food Segment

   $ 59,025     $ 54,633  

Food Distribution Segment

     33,594       33,687  

General Corporate

     376       520  
    


 


Total Company

   $ 92,995     $ 88,840  
    


 



CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF EARNINGS

 

SUPERVALU INC. and Subsidiaries

(In thousands, except per share data)

 

    

First Quarter (16 weeks) ended

(unaudited)


 
     June 19,
2004


   % of sales

    June 14,
2003


   % of sales

 

Net sales

   $ 5,910,649          $ 5,836,287       

Costs and expenses:

                          

Cost of sales

     5,065,612    85.7 %     5,035,541    86.3 %

Selling and administrative expenses

     673,676    11.4 %     637,745    10.9 %

Gain on sale WinCo Foods, Inc.

     109,238    1.8 %     —      —    

Restructure and other charges

     279    0.0 %     1,171    0.0 %

Interest

                          

Interest expense

     48,451    0.8 %     49,575    0.8 %

Interest income

     6,159    0.1 %     5,147    0.1 %
    

  

 

  

Interest expense, net

     42,292    0.7 %     44,428    0.7 %
    

  

 

  

Total costs and expenses

     5,672,621    96.0 %     5,718,885    98.0 %
    

  

 

  

Earnings before income taxes

     238,028    4.0 %     117,402    2.1 %

Income tax expense

     88,617    1.5 %     43,732    0.8 %
    

  

 

  

Net earnings

   $ 149,411    2.5 %   $ 73,670    1.3 %
    

  

 

  

Net earnings per common share - diluted

   $ 1.09          $ 0.55       

Net earnings per common share - basic

   $ 1.10          $ 0.55       

Weighted average number of common shares outstanding

                          

Diluted

     137,559            134,118       

Basic

     135,244            133,719       

Dividends declared per common share

   $ 0.1450          $ 0.1425       


CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

 

SUPERVALU INC. and Subsidiaries

(In thousands)

 

    

First Quarter

(unaudited)


  

Fiscal

Year End


     June 19,
2004


   February 28,
2004


Assets

             

Current Assets

             

Cash and cash equivalents

   $ 428,560    $ 291,956

Receivables, net

     458,842      447,872

Inventories, net

     1,049,711      1,078,343

Other current assets

     95,173      218,996
    

  

Total current assets

     2,032,286      2,037,167

Long-term receivables, net

     119,667      129,729

Property, plant and equipment, net

     2,106,096      2,134,436

Other Assets

             

Goodwill

     1,557,057      1,557,057

Other

     259,675      294,624
    

  

Total assets

   $ 6,074,781    $ 6,153,013
    

  

Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity

             

Current Liabilities

             

Accounts payable

     1,169,363      1,118,114

Current debt and obligations under capital leases

     74,932      305,944

Other current liabilities

     452,536      459,047
    

  

Total current liabilities

     1,696,831      1,883,105

Long-term debt and obligations under capital leases

     1,611,935      1,633,721

Other liabilities and deferred income taxes

     399,399      426,613

Total stockholders’ equity

     2,366,616      2,209,574
    

  

Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity

   $ 6,074,781    $ 6,153,013