UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

FORM 8-K

 

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

 

 

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported) June 6, 2012

 

 

 

Oil-Dri Corporation of America

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

Delaware   001-12622   36-2048898
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)   (Commission File Number)   (IRS Employer Identification No.)

 

 

410 North Michigan Avenue

Suite 400

Chicago, Illinois

 

 

60611-4213

(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code (312) 321-1515

 

 

 

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report.)

 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

 

¨Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

¨Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
¨Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
¨Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

 
 

 

 

Item 2.02 Results of Operations and Financial Condition.

 

On June 6, 2012, Oil-Dri Corporation of America (the “Registrant”) issued a press release announcing its results of operations for its third quarter ended April 30, 2012. A copy of the press release is attached as Exhibit 99.1 and the information contained therein is incorporated herein by reference. The information contained in this Item 2.02, including Exhibit 99.1, shall not be deemed “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”), and it shall not be deemed incorporated by reference into any filing under the Exchange Act or the Securities Act of 1933, except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in such filing.

 

Item 8.01 Other Events.

 

On June 6, 2012, the Registrant issued a press release announcing price increases to all classes of trade for both its coarse and scoopable cat litter products. A copy of the press release is attached as Exhibit 99.2 and the information contained therein is incorporated herein by reference.

 

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.

 

(d) Exhibits

 

Exhibit    
Number   Description of Exhibits
     
99.1   Press Release dated June 6, 2012 (Quarterly Earnings)
99.2   Press Release dated June 6, 2012 (Cat Litter Price Increases)

 

 

 
 

SIGNATURES

 

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Exchange Act, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 

 

OIL-DRI CORPORATION OF AMERICA

 

 

 

By: /s/ Douglas A. Graham                                       

Douglas A. Graham

Vice President and General Counsel

 

Date: June 6, 2012 

 

 
 

 

 

Exhibit Index

 

 

Exhibit    
Number   Description of Exhibits
     
99.1   Press Release dated June 6, 2012 (Quarterly Earnings)
99.2   Press Release dated June 6, 2012 (Cat Litter Price Increases)

 

 
 

 

 

 

  Exhibit 99.1

 

    News Release
 
News Announcement For Immediate Release 
   

 

CONTACT

Ronda J. Williams, Investor Relations

Oil-Dri Corporation of America

312/706-3232; ronda.williams@oildri.com

 

Oil-Dri Announces Third Quarter Results

 

CHICAGO – (June 6, 2012) – Oil-Dri Corporation of America (NYSE: ODC) today announced net sales of $59,780,000 for its third quarter ended April 30, 2012, an 8% increase compared with net sales of $55,538,000 in the same quarter one year ago. Net income for the third quarter was $1,892,000, or $0.26 per diluted share, approximately equal to net income of $1,860,000, or $0.26 per diluted share, for the same quarter one year ago.

 

Net sales for the nine-month period were $179,565,000, a 6% increase compared with net sales of $169,024,000 in the same period one year ago. Net income for the nine-month period was $6,206,000, or $0.86 per diluted share, approximately equal to net income of $6,156,000, or $0.86 per diluted share, in the same period one year ago.

 

Third Quarter Business Review

President and Chief Executive Officer Daniel S. Jaffee said, “Third quarter results reflect increased sales for our Business to Business products group, where we continue to see unit volume growth in markets where our products aid in the growing and processing of food and in promoting animal health and nutrition. We also saw sales and unit volume growth of our branded scoopable cat litters, which benefitted from Cat’s Pride Fresh & Light.

 

“During the quarter advertising and promotional expenses were $2,200,000 more than the previous year’s third quarter.  We will spend heavily in the fourth quarter to build brand awareness and expand distribution for Cat¹s Pride Fresh & Light.

 




 

  

 
 

  

“Focus on value added products combined with overall cost management contributed to increased gross margins in the quarter from 21.4% to 24.6% versus prior year. 

Third Quarter Segment Review 

Business to Business Third Quarter
  Fiscal 2012 Fiscal 2011
Net Sales $21,930,000 $18,406,000
Segment Income $7,051,000 $4,819,000

 

Net sales for the Company’s Business to Business products group were up 19% from one year ago driven by an increase in units sold, a favorable product mix and a higher average net selling price. Net sales of products sold as carriers for corn rootworm insecticides, vegetable oil processing and animal health increased, while co-packaged cat litters were down. Segment income was up 46% in the quarter due to product mix and an increase in units sold.

 

Retail and Wholesale Third Quarter
  Fiscal 2012 Fiscal 2011
Net Sales $37,850,000 $37,132,000
Segment Income $440,000 $2,311,000

 

Net sales for the Company’s Retail and Wholesale products group were up 2% from one year ago due to increased sales of branded cat litter primarily driven by Cat’s Pride Fresh & Light. Net sales for branded scoopable cat litter offset sales declines for industrial and automotive and international products. Coarse cat litter sales continued to decline. Segment income was down 81% due to spending for advertising and promotional activities to support Cat’s Pride Fresh & Light, and increased costs for packaging and transportation.

 Financial Review

On March 15, 2012, Oil-Dri’s Board of Directors declared quarterly cash dividends of $0.17 per share of outstanding Common Stock and $0.1275 per share of outstanding Class B Stock. The dividends were payable June 1, 2012 to stockholders of record at the close of business on May 18, 2012. The Company has paid cash dividends continuously since 1974 and has increased dividends annually for the past eight years.

 

 
 

 

At the end of the third quarter, the annualized dividend yield on the Company’s Common Stock was 3.2%, based on the quarter’s stock closing price of $21.16 per share and the latest cash quarterly dividend of $0.17. 

Cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments at April 30, 2012, totaled $34,692,000. Capital expenditures for the nine months totaled $5,452,000, which was $1,488,000 less than the nine-month’s depreciation and amortization of $6,940,000. Cash generated from operating activities was $15,636,000. 

During the third quarter, the Company repurchased 115,810 shares of Common Stock at an average price of $21.43 per share. At the end of the third quarter, the Company’s repurchase authorization had 251,067 shares of Common Stock remaining.  

Looking Forward

Jaffee continued, “Immediately following the end of the third quarter the Company had the opportunity to buy back an additional 161,838 shares of Common Stock at an average price per share of $20.84. We finalized these purchases between May 1-18, 2012. This reduced the total number shares authorized to repurchase to 89,229. 

“On May 30, 2012, we announced the planned relocation of production of our industrial floor absorbent and cat litter products from our facility located in Mounds, Illinois to our plants located in Mississippi. The Mounds location will continue to be a source of our animal health and nutrition products. This decision was made due to the continued declines in the coarse cat litter market and after a comprehensive evaluation of our manufacturing operations and cost structure, including state regulatory requirements. 

“These changes will impact up to 40 employees based in Mounds, some of whom will be considered for a limited number of positions that will be created at the Mississippi locations. Thus, the final number of terminated employees at Mounds will depend on employee relocations.

 

 
 

 

“We expect to incur a pre-tax charge of approximately $1,700,000 related to these actions. This charge includes approximately $1,200,000 for asset write-offs, as well as cash expenditures of approximately $450,000 associated with severance and other employee-related costs and $50,000 for production transfer expenses. These costs are expected to be incurred over two quarters, with a majority taking place in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2012 and a lesser amount occurring in the first quarter of fiscal 2013. 

“We remain optimistic about sales and volume growth of our Cat’s Pride Fresh & Light cat litters. We have increased distribution and continue to receive positive customer feedback on the product’s performance. 

“Through the third quarter we have expanded our gross margins through sales of higher value products and effective cost management. During the early summer months, we anticipate increased freight costs due to high demand for over-the-road transportation. We are implementing strategies to cover these costs that can negatively impact our gross margins, including the price increases to all classes of trade for both our coarse and scoopable cat litter products that we announced earlier today.”

###

 

The Company will offer a live webcast of the third quarter earnings teleconference on Thursday, June 7, 2012 from 10:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., Chicago Time. To listen to the call via the web, please visit www.streetevents.com or www.oildri.com. An archived recording of the call and written transcripts of all teleconferences are posted on the Oil-Dri website.

 

 

Cat’s Pride is a registered trademark of Oil-Dri Corporation of America. Fresh & Light is a trademark of Oil-Dri Corporation of America.

 

Oil-Dri Corporation of America is a leading supplier of specialty sorbent products for agricultural, horticultural, fluids purification, specialty markets, industrial and automotive, and is the world’s largest manufacturer of cat litter.

 

Certain statements in this press release may contain forward-looking statements that are based on our current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about our future performance, our business, our beliefs, and our management’s assumptions. In addition, we, or others on our behalf, may make forward-looking statements in other press releases or written statements, or in our communications and discussions with investors and analysts in the normal course of business through meetings, webcasts, phone calls, and conference calls. Words such as “expect,” “outlook,” “forecast,” “would”, “could,” “should,” “project,” “intend,” “plan,” “continue,” “believe,” “seek,” “estimate,” “anticipate, “may,” “assume,” variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements, which are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

Such statements are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially including, but not limited to, the dependence of our future growth and financial performance on successful new product introductions, intense competition in our markets, volatility of our quarterly results, risks associated with acquisitions, our dependence on a limited number of customers for a large portion of our net sales and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are described in Item 1A (Risk Factors) of our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and other reports we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Should one or more of these or other risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, our actual results may vary materially from those anticipated, intended, expected, believed, estimated, projected or planned. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. Except to the extent required by law, we do not have any intention or obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements after the distribution of this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions, or otherwise.

 
 

 

 

O I L - D R I C O R P O R A T I O N O F A M E R I C A

  

Consolidated Statements of Income

(in thousands, except for per share amounts)

(unaudited) 

 

    Third Quarter Ended April 30,
    2012 % of Sales 2011 % of Sales
Net Sales    $59,780 100.0%  $55,538 100.0%
Cost of Sales    (45,075) 75.4%  (43,631) 78.6%
Gross Profit   14,705 24.6% 11,907 21.4%
Operating Expenses   (11,743) 19.6%  (9,129) 16.4%
           
Operating Income 2,962 5.0% 2,778 5.0%
Interest Expense  (529) 0.9%  (550) 1.0%
Other Income    201 (0.3%)  396 0.7%
           
Income Before Income Taxes 2,634 4.4% 2,624 4.7%
Income Taxes    (742) 1.2%  (764) 1.4%
Net Income    $1,892 3.2%  $1,860 3.3%
           
           
Net Income Per Share:        
  Basic Common  $0.28    $0.28  
  Basic Class B Common  $0.21    $0.22  
  Diluted  $0.26    $0.26  
           
Average Shares Outstanding:        
  Basic Common  5,115    5,069  
  Basic Class B Common  1,938    1,914  
  Diluted  7,117    7,076  
           

 

    Nine Months Ended April 30,
    2012 % of Sales 2011 % of Sales
Net Sales    $179,565 100.0%  $169,024 100.0%
Cost of Sales    (136,103) 75.8%  (131,417) 77.8%
Gross Profit   43,462 24.2% 37,607 22.2%
Operating Expenses  (33,875) 18.9%  (27,953) 16.5%
           
Operating Income 9,587 5.3% 9,654 5.7%
Interest Expense (1,557) 0.9% (1,495) 0.9%
Other Income   356 0.2%  499 0.3%
           
Income Before Income Taxes 8,386 4.7% 8,658 5.1%
Income Taxes   (2,180) 1.2%  (2,502) 1.5%
Net Income    $6,206 3.5%  $6,156 3.6%
           
           
Net Income Per Share:        
  Basic Common  $0.93    $0.93  
  Basic Class B Common  $0.70    $0.72  
  Diluted  $0.86    $0.86  
           
Average Shares Outstanding:        
  Basic Common  5,118    5,079  
  Basic Class B Common  1,932    1,906  
  Diluted  7,116    7,105  

 

 

 
 

 

O I L - D R I C O R P O R A T I O N O F A M E R I C A

 

Consolidated Balance Sheets

(in thousands, except for per share amounts)

(unaudited)

 

        As of April 30,
        2012 2011
           
Current Assets          
  Cash and Cash Equivalents      $25,649  $15,452
  Investment in Short-term Securities   9,043 20,753
  Accounts Receivable, net     30,495 26,269
  Inventories     19,389 18,331
  Prepaid Expenses     7,588 8,711
    Total Current Assets   92,164 89,516
Property, Plant and Equipment     66,378 66,535
Other Assets       13,396 15,308
Total Assets        $171,938  $171,359
           
Current Liabilities        
  Current Maturities of Notes Payable    $3,800  $3,600
  Accounts Payable     6,576 7,612
  Dividends Payable     1,134 1,059
  Accrued Expenses     15,703 15,137
    Total Current Liabilities   27,213 27,408
Long-Term Liabilities        
  Notes Payable     25,900 29,700
  Other Noncurrent Liabilities     22,406 20,857
    Total Long-Term Liabilities   48,306 50,557
Stockholders' Equity     96,419 93,394
Total Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity      $171,938  $171,359
           
Book Value Per Share Outstanding      $13.68  $13.37
           
Acquisitions of          
  Property, Plant and Equipment   Third Quarter  $1,940  $5,437
      Year to Date  $5,452  $10,210
  Depreciation and Amortization Charges Third Quarter  $2,306  $2,130
      Year to Date  $6,940  $6,312

 

 

 
 

 

O I L - D R I C O R P O R A T I O N O F A M E R I C A

 

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

(in thousands)

(unaudited)

 

   For the Nine Months Ended 
   April 30, 
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES  2012   2011 
         
Net Income  $6,206   $6,156 
           
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash          
provided by operating activities:          
    Depreciation and Amortization   6,940    6,312 
    (Increase) Decrease in Accounts Receivable   (1,309)   867 
    (Increase) in Inventories   (159)   (2,308)
    Increase in Accounts Payable   324    1,492 
    Increase (Decrease) in Accrued Expenses   321    (1,629)
    Other   3,313    230 
         Total Adjustments   9,430    4,964 
    Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities   15,636    11,120 
           
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES          
    Capital Expenditures   (5,452)   (10,210)
    Net Dispositions of Investment Securities   6,777    (14,914)
    Other   34    142 
    Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Investing Activities   1,359    (24,982)
           
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES          
    Proceeds from Issuance of Long-Term Debt       18,500 
    Principal Payments on Long-Term Debt   (3,600)   (3,500)
    Dividends Paid   (3,395)   (3,158)
    Purchase of Treasury Stock   (2,481)   (2,474)
    Other   248    1,301 
    Net Cash (Used in) Provided by Financing Activities   (9,228)   10,669 
           
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents   (3)   (117)
           
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents   7,764    (3,310)
Cash and Cash Equivalents, Beginning of Year   17,885    18,762 
Cash and Cash Equivalents, April 30  $25,649   $15,452 

 

 
 

  Exhibit 99.2

 

 

    News Release
 
    News Announcement  For Immediate Release 
   

 

CONTACT

Ronda J. Williams, Investor Relations

Oil-Dri Corporation of America

312/706-3232; ronda.williams@oildri.com

 

Oil-Dri’s Retail and Wholesale Products Group
Announces Price Increases for Cat Litter

 

CHICAGO - (June 6, 2012) - Oil-Dri Corporation of America (NYSE: ODC) today announced price increases to all classes of trade for both coarse and scoopable cat litters effective August 2012.  

The rising cost of transportation for delivered goods has significantly increased for cat litter products. As a result, Oil-Dri is raising prices to recover a portion of the margin it has lost during the past year.   

President and CEO, Daniel S. Jaffee, said, “Our team has done an outstanding job holding the line on costs under our control. Unfortunately, these efforts have been dwarfed by the continuous and increasing rise in transportation costs and other purchased items. We sincerely appreciate our customers’ loyalty to our brands.”

Oil-Dri is committed to continuing its innovation agenda to compete with Purina’s Tidy Cat, Clorox’s Fresh Step and Arm & Hammer cat litters.  

 

###

 

   
Fresh Step is a registered trademark of Clorox. Tidy Cat is a registered trademark of Nestle Purina. Arm & Hammer is a trademark of Church and Dwight Co., Inc.

Oil-Dri Corporation of America is a leading supplier of specialty sorbent products for agricultural, horticultural, fluids purification, specialty markets, industrial and automotive, and is the world's largest manufacturer of cat litter.

Certain statements in this press release may contain forward-looking statements that are based on our current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about our future performance, our business, our beliefs, and our management's assumptions. In addition, we, or others on our behalf, may make forward-looking statements in other press releases or written statements, or in our communications and discussions with investors and analysts in the normal course of business through meetings, webcasts, phone calls, and conference calls. Words such as "expect," "outlook," "forecast," "would", "could," "should," "project," "intend," "plan," "continue," "believe," "seek," "estimate," "anticipate, "may," "assume," variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements, which are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

Such statements are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially including, but not limited to, the dependence of our future growth and financial performance on successful new product introductions, intense competition in our markets, volatility of our quarterly results, risks associated with acquisitions, our dependence on a limited number of customers for a large portion of our net sales and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are described in Item 1A (Risk Factors) of our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and other reports we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Should one or more of these or other risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, our actual results may vary materially from those anticipated, intended, expected, believed, estimated, projected or planned. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. Except to the extent required by law, we do not have any intention or obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements after the distribution of this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions, or otherwise.