Exhibit 99.1

 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Harvey Kamil		Carl Hymans
NBTY, Inc.		G.S. Schwartz & Co.
President and Chief Financial Officer		212-725-4500
631-200-2020		carlh@schwartz.com

 

 

NBTY REPORTS SECOND QUARTER RESULTS

 

RONKONKOMA, N.Y. — April 24, 2008 - NBTY, Inc. (NYSE: NTY) (www.NBTY.com), a leading global manufacturer and marketer of nutritional supplements, today announced results for the fiscal second quarter and first six months ended March 31, 2008.

 

For the fiscal second quarter ended March 31, 2008, net sales were $533 million compared to $508 million for the fiscal second quarter ended March 31, 2007, an increase of $24 million or 5%.

 

Net income for the fiscal second quarter ended March 31, 2008 was $44 million, or $0.67 per diluted share, compared to $57 million, or $0.83 per diluted share, for the fiscal second quarter ended March 31, 2007.  The decrease in net income reflects the decrease in overall gross profit from 53% to 51% and higher advertising and selling, general and administrative costs incurred in the fiscal second quarter.

 

Adjusted EBITDA for the fiscal second quarter ended March 31, 2008 was $84 million compared to $100 million for the prior like quarter.  At March 31, 2008, NBTY had total assets of $1.5 billion and working capital of $494 million.  The Company is committed to using its cash and leverage to increase shareholder value through investments in infrastructure, opportunistic acquisitions and stock repurchases.   During the quarter, $8 million in short term municipal auction rate securities were reclassified into Other Assets to reflect the lack of liquidity.

 

Net sales for the six months ended March 31, 2008 increased 3% to $1.043 billion.

 

 

 

 

 

Net income for the six months ended March 31, 2008 was $90 million, or $1.34 per diluted share, compared to $108 million, or $1.56 per diluted share, for the six months ended March 31, 2007.  The decrease in net income reflects higher advertising and SG&A costs.

 

Adjusted EBITDA for the six months ended March 31, 2008 was $171 million compared to $196 million for the six months ended March 31, 2007.

 

In fiscal year 2008, NBTY repurchased a total of 6.1 million shares of its common stock under an existing publicly announced share repurchase program.  The Company repurchased

 

296 thousand shares in October 2007 for approximately $11 million and 5.8 million shares were repurchased in February 2008 for $160 million.

 

Accordingly, the number of weighted average diluted shares for the quarter ended March 31, 2008 was 66 million and is expected to decline in future quarters to approximately 63 million when reflecting the full impact of the stock repurchase.

 

OPERATIONS FOR THE FISCAL SECOND QUARTER ENDED MARCH 31, 2008

 

Net sales for the Wholesale/US Nutrition division, which markets Nature’s Bounty, Solgar, Osteo Bi-Flex, Rexall, Ester-C and other brands, increased $14 million or 6% to $259 million from $245 million for the prior like quarter.  Gross profit for the Wholesale operation was 41%, compared to 43% for the prior like quarter.  The decrease in gross profit reflects changes in product mix and more promotional programs offered to customers.  This division continues to gain market share.  Information Resources Inc. (IRI) tracks industry-wide sales in the food, drug and mass market sectors.  For the thirteen week period ended March 30, 2008, IRI reported an increase in the category of 7%.  According to IRI, for the same period, the Company’s Wholesale division reported a 23% increase.  The Company is encouraged by this increase.

 

The Wholesale/US Nutrition division utilizes valuable consumer preference sales data generated by the Company’s Vitamin World retail stores and Puritan’s Pride Direct Response/E-Commerce operations to empower its wholesale customers with this latest data.  The Vitamin World stores are used as a laboratory for new ideas and are an effective tool in

 

 

 

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determining and monitoring consumer preferences.  This information, as well as scanned sales data from the Vitamin World stores, is shared on a real time basis with our wholesale customers to give them a competitive advantage.

 

Net sales for the North American Retail division were $52 million for the fiscal second quarter ended March 31, 2008 compared with $56 million for the prior like quarter.  The North American Retail division and Vitamin World were profitable, although LeNaturiste, the Company’s Canadian retail chain, operated at a loss.

 

Same store sales for North American Retail decreased 4% for the fiscal second quarter of 2008.  The North American Retail division continues to focus on rationalizing SKUs, enhancing visual merchandising and increasing customer traffic.  During the fiscal second quarter of 2008, the North American Retail division closed 7 under-performing stores and added 3 new stores. At the end of the fiscal second quarter, the North American Retail division operated a total of 530 stores consisting of 450 Vitamin World stores in the United States and 80 LeNaturiste stores in Canada.  During the remainder of fiscal 2008, North American Retail anticipates opening 7 stores and closing 7 under-performing stores.

 

European Retail net sales for the fiscal second quarter of 2008 were $158 million compared to $160 million for the prior like period.  European Retail division same store sales in local currency decreased 4% reflecting the continued difficult retail environment.  The European Retail division consists of 516 Holland & Barrett and 31 GNC stores in the UK, 19 Nature’s Way stores in Ireland, and 70 DeTuinen stores in the Netherlands for a total of 636 stores.  During the fiscal second quarter of 2008 the European Retail division opened 2 stores.  During the remainder of fiscal 2008, the European Retail division anticipates opening 19 additional stores.  The European Retail division continues to leverage its premier status, high street locations and brand awareness in a difficult retail environment.

 

Net sales from Direct Response/E-Commerce operations for the fiscal second quarter of 2008 increased $15 million, or 31% to $63 million from $48 million for the fiscal second quarter of 2007.  This division varies its promotional strategy throughout the fiscal year, utilizing highly promotional priced catalogs which are not offered in every quarter.  Direct

 

 

 

 

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Response’s historical results reflect this pattern and should therefore be viewed on an annual and not quarterly basis.

 

The Direct Response operations include catalog and online internet sales.  This division’s strategic plan is to increase internet sales by continuing to incorporate new technologies.  For this fiscal second quarter online sales increased to 45% of total Direct Response/E-Commerce sales compared to 36% for the fiscal second quarter of 2007.  For the six months ended March 31, 2008, this division processed 1.4 million orders, an increase of over 250 thousand orders compared to the prior like period.  NBTY remains the leader in the direct response and e-commerce sectors and continues to increase the number of products available via its catalog and web sites.

 

NBTY Chairman and CEO, Scott Rudolph, said:  “Our continued sales momentum is indicative of NBTY’s ability to develop and implement strategic initiatives to enhance our dominant position as the worldwide leader in the nutritional supplement industry.  We continue to make investments in our infrastructure and remain well positioned to quickly adapt to meet the challenges of industry segment changes and remain committed to increasing long-term profitability and shareholder value.”

 

ABOUT NBTY

 

NBTY is a leading global vertically integrated manufacturer, marketer and distributor of a broad line of high-quality, value-priced nutritional supplements in the United States and throughout the world. Under a number of NBTY and third party brands, the Company offers over 22,000 products, including products marketed by the Company’s Nature’s Bounty® (www.NaturesBounty.com), Vitamin World® (www.VitaminWorld.com), Puritan’s Pride® (www.Puritan.com), Holland & Barrett® (www.HollandAndBarrett.com), Rexall® (www.Rexall.com), Sundown® (www.SundownNutrition.com), MET-Rx® (www.MetRX.com), Worldwide Sport Nutrition® (www.SportNutrition.com), American Health® (www.AmericanHealthUS.com), GNC (UK)® (www.GNC.co.uk), DeTuinen® (www.DeTuinen.nl), LeNaturiste™ (www.LeNaturiste.com), SISU® (www.SISU.com), Solgar® (www.Solgar.com), Good ‘n’ Natural® (www.goodnnatural.com), Home Health™ (www.homehealthus.com) and Ester-C® (www.Ester-C.com) brands.

 

This release refers to non-GAAP financial measures, such as Adjusted EBITDA.  “Adjusted EBITDA” is defined as net income, excluding the aggregate amount of all non-cash losses reducing net income, plus interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization.  This non-GAAP financial measure is not prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and may be different from non-GAAP financial measures used by other companies. Non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered as a substitute for, or superior to, measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with GAAP.  A reconciliation of the non-GAAP measure to the comparable GAAP measure is included in the attached financial tables.  Management believes the presentation of Adjusted EBITDA is relevant and useful because Adjusted EBITDA is a measurement industry analysts utilize when evaluating NBTY’s operating performance.  Management also believes Adjusted

 

 

 

 

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EBITDA enhances an investor’s understanding of NBTY’s results of operations because it measures NBTY’s operating performance exclusive of interest and non-cash charges for depreciation and amortization.  Management also provides this non-GAAP measurement as a way to help investors better understand its core operating performance, enhance comparisons of NBTY’s core operating performance from period to period and to allow better comparisons of NBTY’s operating performance to that of its competitors.

 

This release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 with respect to our financial condition, results of operations and business.  These forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of terminology such as “subject to,” “believe,” “expects,” “plan,” “project,” “estimate,” “intend,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “can,” or “anticipates,” or the negative thereof, or variations thereon, or comparable terminology, or by discussions of strategy.   Although all of these forward looking statements are believed to be reasonable, they are inherently uncertain.  Factors which may materially affect such forward-looking statements include: (i) slow or negative growth in the nutritional supplement industry; (ii) interruption of business or negative impact on sales and earnings due to acts of God, acts of war, terrorism, bio-terrorism, civil unrest or disruption of mail service; (iii) adverse publicity regarding nutritional supplements; (iv) inability to retain customers of companies (or mailing lists) recently acquired; (v) increased competition; (vi) increased costs; (vii) loss or retirement of key members of management; (viii) increases in the cost of borrowings and/or unavailability of additional debt or equity capital; (ix) unavailability of, or inability to consummate, advantageous acquisitions in the future, including those that may be subject to bankruptcy approval or the inability of NBTY to integrate acquisitions into the mainstream of its business; (x) changes in general worldwide economic and political conditions in the markets in which NBTY may compete from time to time; (xi) the inability of NBTY to gain and/or hold market share of its wholesale and/or retail customers anywhere in the world; (xii) unavailability of electricity in certain geographical areas; (xiii) the inability of NBTY to obtain and/or renew insurance and/or the costs of the same; (xiv) exposure to and expense of defending and resolving product liability and intellectual property claims and other litigation; (xv) the ability of NBTY to successfully implement its business strategy; (xvi) the inability of NBTY to manage its retail, wholesale, manufacturing and other operations efficiently; (xvii) consumer acceptance of NBTY’s products; (xviii) the inability of NBTY to renew leases for its retail locations; (xix) the inability of NBTY’s retail stores to attain or maintain profitability; (xx) the absence of clinical trials for many of NBTY’s products; (xxi) sales and earnings volatility and/or trends for the Company and its market segments; (xxii) the efficacy of NBTY’s Internet and on-line sales and marketing strategies; (xxiii) fluctuations in foreign currencies, including the British pound, the Euro and the Canadian dollar; (xxiv) import-export controls on sales to foreign countries; (xxv) the inability of NBTY to secure favorable new sites for, and delays in opening, new retail and manufacturing locations; (xxvi) introduction of and compliance with new federal, state, local or foreign legislation or regulation or adverse determinations by regulators anywhere in the world (including the banning of products) and more particularly Good Manufacturing Practices in the United States, the Food Supplements Directive and Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive in Europe and Section 404 requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002; (xxvii) the mix of NBTY’s products and the profit margins thereon; (xxviii) the availability and pricing of raw materials; (xxix) risk factors discussed in NBTY’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission; (xxx) adverse effects on NBTY as a result of increased energy prices and potentially reduced traffic flow to NBTY’s retail locations; (xxxi) adverse tax determinations; (xxxii) the loss of a significant customer of the Company; (xxxiii) potential investment losses as a result of liquidity conditions; and (xxxiv) other factors beyond the Company’s control.

 

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. NBTY cannot guarantee future results, trends, events, levels of activity, performance or achievements. NBTY does not undertake and specifically declines any obligation to update, republish or revise forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrences of unanticipated events.

 

Consequently, such forward-looking statements should be regarded solely as NBTY’s current plans, estimates and beliefs.

 

 

 

 

 

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(TABLES FOLLOW)

 

 

NBTY, Inc.

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income

 

(Unaudited)

 

(In thousands, except per share amounts)

 

 

 

 

 

 

NBTY, Inc.

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income

(Unaudited)

 

(In thousands, except per share amounts)

 

		For the six months ended March 31,
		2008			2007
Net sales		$	1,043,376		$	1,014,697
Costs and expenses:
Cost of sales		501,615			486,578
Advertising, promotion and catalog		73,176			61,204
Selling, general and administrative		334,531			303,902
		909,322			851,684
Income from operations		134,054			163,013
Other income (expense):
Interest		(7,519		)	(9,217		)
Miscellaneous, net		8,673			3,646
		1,154			(5,571		)
Income before provision for income taxes		135,208			157,442
Provision for income taxes		45,160			49,232
Net income		$	90,048		$	108,210
Net income per share:
Basic		$	1.37		$	1.61
Diluted		$	1.34		$	1.56
Weighted average common shares outstanding:
Basic		65,510			67,242
Diluted		67,313			69,423

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ADJUSTED EBITDA**

Reconciliation of GAAP Measures to Non-GAAP Measures

(Unaudited)

 

(In thousands)

 

 

 

**   SINCE ADJUSTED EBITDA IS NOT A MEASURE OF PERFORMANCE CALCULATED IN ACCORDANCE WITH U.S. GENERALLY ACCEPTED ACCOUNTING PRINCIPLES (“GAAP”), IT SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED IN ISOLATION OF, OR AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR OR SUPERIOR TO, OTHER MEASURES OF FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE PREPARED IN ACCORDANCE WITH GAAP, SUCH AS OPERATING INCOME, NET INCOME AND CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES.  IN ADDITION, THE COMPANY’S DEFINITION OF ADJUSTED EBITDA IS NOT NECESSARILY COMPARABLE TO SIMILARLY TITLED MEASURES REPORTED BY OTHER COMPANIES.

 

 

 

 

 

 

ADJUSTED EBITDA**

Reconciliation of GAAP Measures to Non-GAAP Measures

(Unaudited)

 

(In thousands)

 

 

 

**   SINCE ADJUSTED EBITDA IS NOT A MEASURE OF PERFORMANCE CALCULATED IN ACCORDANCE WITH U.S. GENERALLY ACCEPTED ACCOUNTING PRINCIPLES (“GAAP”), IT SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED IN ISOLATION OF, OR AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR OR SUPERIOR TO, OTHER MEASURES OF FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE PREPARED IN ACCORDANCE WITH GAAP, SUCH AS OPERATING INCOME, NET INCOME AND CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES.  IN ADDITION, THE COMPANY’S DEFINITION OF ADJUSTED EBITDA IS NOT NECESSARILY COMPARABLE TO SIMILARLY TITLED MEASURES REPORTED BY OTHER COMPANIES.

 

 

 

 

NBTY, Inc.

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets

 

(Unaudited)

 

 

(Dollars and shares in thousands, except per share amounts)

 

 

 

 

 

 

NBTY, Inc.

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

(Unaudited)

 

(In thousands)