Bunge Reports Fourth Quarter 2005 Earnings of $149 Million
White Plains, NY--Bunge Limited reported fourth quarter 2005 results Feb. 9. The company reported a net income of $149 million, thanks to a $52 million gain from a tax credit.
Bunge also forecast 2006 earnings at $4.29 to $4.45 per share.
Overview
Alberto Weisser, Bunge's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer stated: "2005 was a difficult year for Bunge.
"We faced significant external challenges, and we made some mistakes.
"We have improved our operations however, and while we will not see a return to trend line growth in all areas, we believe that 2006 will be a better year.
"In 2005, our principal problems stemmed from a weak operating environment in Brazil.
"Farm economics deteriorated due to a drought, lower soybean prices and a steadily appreciating Brazilian real.
"Farmers reacted by withholding crop sales and delaying purchases of farm inputs.
"The real appreciation affected Bunge directly, primarily by raising local costs and squeezing margins.
"Fertilizer inventory purchased earlier in the year was sold later at a stronger real-U.S. dollar exchange rate, pressuring dollar margins.
"Had we started the year with a lower level of fertilizer inventory, reduced crushing capacity sooner and improved our foreign exchange risk management program we would have achieved better results.
"The appreciation of the real, and its timing, was perhaps the biggest negative of the year, and we did not anticipate it or react to it quickly enough.
"We hedged our balance sheet exposure but not our local costs, and we could have made better decisions when hedging fertilizer inventories.
"Local costs in dollar terms increased by 19% in 2005 due to foreign exchange.
"The market situation in Brazil will improve more slowly than we had anticipated, largely due to the continued strength of the real.
"Farm economics remain weak, and retail fertilizer volumes will likely be flat for the year.
"We are not waiting for better conditions, however.
"We have taken steps to improve our performance in the current environment and, largely as a result of these changes, expect Bunge to produce better operational results in 2006.
-We have initiated an expanded and refined risk management program that will lower our exposure to the Brazilian real by hedging both the balance sheet and expenses.
-We have liquidated higher-priced fertilizer inventories, which should benefit margins.
We are beginning 2006 with inventory value approximately 20% below levels at the start of 2005.
-We have reduced our workforce in Brazil by approximately 10%, initiated cost savings measures, permanently closed two oilseed processing plants and idled seven fertilizer facilities.
We estimate that these steps will save $60-80 million in 2006.
-We have also reduced our ongoing effective tax rate through a legal restructuring.
"In 2006 we will stay focused on growth and efficiency.
"This year we intend to create a stronger link to customers in China by purchasing a second soybean crushing and refining plant in that country.
"We will bring on-stream two new crushing plants in Spain, replacing less efficient assets.
"We will also expand our phosphate mining capacity in Brazil by over 10% and substitute more fertilizer imports with domestic supply at better margins.
"2006 should see the start of operations at our new grain and fertilizer terminal in Santos, Brazil-one of many logistics projects that help to improve the efficiency of our integrated food production chain-as well as the completion of two new sunseed crushing plants in Eastern Europe.
"By year end, our new Russian plant should supply our domestic bottled oil business at improved margins.
"We are also leveraging the efficiencies of our existing infrastructure to initiate a small sugar origination and marketing business.
"The fundamentals of our industry remain intact, with steady growth in agricultural production and food consumption.
"While we will always experience market fluctuations, these fundamentals should drive long-term growth in our business.
"We will continue to position Bunge to benefit from them."
Fourth Quarter Results
Agribusiness
In the fourth quarter, stronger agribusiness results in the Northern Hemisphere were more than offset by weak results in Brazil.
Volumes were higher than in the fourth quarter of 2004 due primarily to higher international marketing sales and oilseed processing activity in Argentina.
Bunge's U.S. businesses and global softseed operations benefited from solid margins and produced strong results.
In Brazil, slow farmer selling and an appreciating local currency continued to pressure margins and increase local costs when translated into U.S. dollars.
The average real-U.S. dollar exchange rate in the fourth quarter of 2005 was R$2.25, a 19% appreciation over an average rate of R$2.79 in the fourth quarter of 2004.
Freight management results declined from last year primarily due to a decrease in ocean vessel freight rates.
Energy costs increased in the U.S. and Argentina. Selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses declined due to lower variable compensation expenses and reduced bad debt.
Fourth quarter 2005 results included $35 million of impairment charges related to the closure of two oilseed processing plants in Brazil and the impairment of one plant in India, and $10 million of restructuring charges related to operations in Brazil and Europe.
Fourth quarter 2004 results included $10 million of impairment and $7 million of cash restructuring charges related to Bunge's Western European oilseed processing operations.
Fertilizer
Fertilizer results in the quarter were extremely poor despite higher volumes, which rose on increased sales at Fosfertil.
Margins were pressured by higher average inventory costs, higher industrial costs and the liquidation of excess inventories.
Fertilizer raw material inventory purchased earlier in the year in anticipation of good demand was sold at a stronger real-U.S. dollar exchange rate later in the year, pressuring dollar margins.
Due to a stronger real relative to the same period last year, local costs were higher when translated into U.S. dollars.
Fourth quarter 2005 results included a $2 million cash restructuring charge.
Edible Oil Products
Edible oil results declined primarily due to weaker performance in Europe.
Improved results in Ukraine and Hungary were more than offset by lower volumes and margins in Romania, higher advertising expenses for a new margarine brand in Poland, and higher SG&A in Russia.
In North America, strong demand for canola oil and trans fatty acid replacement products benefited results.
Energy and transport costs rose in the U.S. In Brazil, stronger performance in margarine and specialty oil was offset by lower margins and volumes in packaged oil.
Costs rose due to the appreciation of the Brazilian real and higher marketing expenses for a repositioned margarine brand.
Fourth quarter 2005 results included a $2 million cash restructuring charge related to operations in Brazil and Europe.
Fourth quarter 2004 results included a $4 million non-cash impairment charge related to Bunge's Brazilian packaged oil operations.
Milling Products
Wheat milling results benefited from higher volumes and improved product mix, but were offset by margin declines in corn milling.
Financial Costs
Interest income decreased primarily due to lower average balances of invested cash.
Interest expense increased primarily due to higher average borrowings funding operating working capital and increases in short-term interest rates.
Foreign exchange losses in the fourth quarter of 2005 resulted from the effects of the devaluation of the Brazilian real at year end compared to the U.S. dollar on the net U.S. dollar-denominated monetary liability position of Bunge's Brazilian subsidiaries.
In the fourth quarter of 2004, the Brazilian real and the euro appreciated against the U.S. dollar which resulted in foreign exchange gains on the net U.S. dollar-denominated monetary liability position of Bunge's Brazilian and European subsidiaries.
Income Taxes
In the fourth quarter of 2005, Bunge received a favorable U.S. tax ruling with respect to the unremitted earnings of a foreign subsidiary holding company.
As a result, Bunge liquidated this foreign subsidiary, reduced the associated deferred tax liability and recognized a $77 million one-time, non-cash tax benefit.
Additionally, Bunge decreased its deferred tax valuation allowance by $36 million, primarily as a result of projected increased taxable income in subsidiaries with previously reserved net operating losses.
Minority Interest
Minority interest decreased when compared to 2004 due to lower earnings at Fosfertil.
Cash Flow and Net Financial Debt(3)
Net financial debt at December 31, 2005, decreased $52 million from December 31, 2004.
Cash flow provided by operations was $382 million in 2005 compared to $802 million in 2004.
Cash flow from operations declined from last year primarily due to lower segment operating profit.
Cash flow from operations in the fourth quarter of 2005 included approximately $155 million from the sale of accounts receivable through a new securitization facility.
Outlook
Bill Wells, Chief Financial Officer, stated, "The global agribusiness market should experience good conditions in 2006, but will not be free of challenges.
"We see growing demand for our core products, soybean meal and vegetable oil, and strong consumption of biodiesel that should benefit the softseed market, but continued weakness in Brazil and a tougher crushing environment in Argentina.
"North America should have a good year, but a difficult comparison to excellent results in 2004 and 2005.
"We anticipate higher energy costs generally and headwinds in our freight management business.
"Expectations are for flat retail sales in the Brazilian fertilizer market.
Solid demand for vegetable oil and improved results in Ukraine should contribute to improved performance in edible oils.
"Overall, we expect Bunge to produce better operational results in 2006 due to initiatives to improve margins, lower costs, and mitigate exposure to the real.
"Many of these initiatives are already in place and are beginning to produce results.
"Our 2006 guidance is as follows:
-Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization: $300 million to $310 million.
-Capital Expenditures (net of asset dispositions): $490 million to $510 million.
-$195 million to $215 million maintenance, safety and environmental capital expenditures.
-Effective Tax Rate: 18% to 22%.
-Joint Venture Earnings: $40 million to $45 million.
"This guidance assumes the following:
-Stable currencies in South America and Europe.
-Normal 2005/2006 North and South American and European crops.
-Stable international fertilizer prices, and
-Flat Brazilian market retail fertilizer sales when compared to 2005.
"Based on these assumptions, our 2006 net income guidance is $520 million to $540 million, representing $4.29 to $4.45 per share.
"This fully diluted per share guidance is based on an estimated weighted average of 121.3 million shares outstanding, includes $0.05 per share for stock option expense and is a reasonable base for calculating Bunge's five-year, 10-12% average annual EPS growth target."
For more information, call Stewart Lindsay at 914-684-3369.
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