Omega Protein Announces Third Quarter 2015 Financial Results

HOUSTON, Nov. 4, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Omega Protein Corporation (NYSE:OME), a nutritional product company and a leading integrated provider of specialty oils, essential fatty acids and specialty protein products, today reported financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2015.

Third Quarter Highlights

• Revenues:  $112.2 million for the quarter, compared to $70.8 million in the same period a year ago
• Gross profit margin:  31.4% for the quarter, compared to 20.0% in the same period a year ago
• Net income: $10.6 million, or $14.8 million on an adjusted basis for the quarter, compared to $0.7 million, or $4.8 million on an adjusted basis, in the same period a year ago
• Earnings per diluted share: $0.47, or $0.66 on an adjusted basis for the quarter, compared to $0.03, or $0.22 on an adjusted basis, in the same period a year ago
• Adjusted EBITDA:  $28.7 million for the quarter, compared to $13.1 million in the same period a year ago

"We are pleased to report the highest quarterly revenues and Adjusted EBITDA in the Company's history," commented Bret Scholtes, Omega Protein's President and Chief Executive Officer.  "Our solid animal nutrition profitability was fueled by strong season-to-date fish catch and pricing for fish meal and fish oil that remains well above levels seen a few years ago.  In addition, our ongoing efforts to improve results in the human nutrition business resulted in growth in both revenues and gross margin.  Our team remains committed to creating additional value for shareholders through further integration and the disciplined pursuit of organic growth opportunities."

Third Quarter 2015 Results
The Company's revenues increased 59% from $70.8 million in the same period last year to $112.2 million.  This increase was due to growth in human nutrition revenues of $23.4 million and an $18.0 million increase in animal nutrition revenues.  The increase in human nutrition revenues was largely due to the addition of Bioriginal Food & Science Corp. ("Bioriginal"), which was acquired in September 2014.  The increase in animal nutrition revenues was primarily due to increased sales volumes of 38% and 17% for the Company's fish meal and fish oil, respectively, and increased sales prices of 2% and 1% for the Company's fish meal and fish oil, respectively.  The composition of revenues by nutritional product line for the third quarter of 2015 was 44% fish meal, 35% dietary supplements, 20% fish oil, and 1% fish solubles and other. 

Third quarter of 2015 revenues increased 20% from $93.2 million in the second quarter of 2015 to $112.2 million. This increase was due to a $16.3 million increase in animal nutrition revenues and a $2.7 million increase in human nutrition revenues.  The increase in animal nutrition revenues was primarily due to higher fish meal and fish oil volumes of 66% and 14%, respectively, partially offset by lower fish meal and fish oil sales prices of 8% and 15%, respectively. 

The Company reported gross profit of $35.2 million, or 31.4% as a percentage of revenues, for the third quarter of 2015, versus $14.2 million, or 20.0% as a percentage of revenues, in the third quarter of 2014. The increase in gross profit as a percentage of revenues was due to improved results from both the animal and human nutrition segments. Animal nutrition gross profit as a percentage of revenues increased from 25.8% to 39.3%, due primarily to higher fish catch and production in 2015, which led to a decrease in the cost per unit of sales. Human nutrition gross profit (loss) as a percentage of revenues increased from (0.1%) to 16.6% due primarily to the addition of Bioriginal as well as improved results from protein products and other Omega-3 fish oil ingredients.   

Compared to the second quarter of 2015, third quarter gross profit increased from $25.8 million, or 27.7% as a percentage of revenues, to $35.2 million, or 31.4% as a percentage of revenues, due to increases in both segments.  Animal nutrition gross profit as a percentage of revenues increased from 36.7% to 39.3% primarily as a result of decreased cost per unit of sales.  Human nutrition segment gross profit as a percentage of revenues increased from 13.7% to 16.6% due to improved results from Bioriginal, protein products, and other Omega-3 and nutraceutical ingredients.

Selling, general and administrative expense, including research and development expense ("SG&A"), for the third quarter increased $1.6 million to $12.4 million compared to the third quarter of 2014, primarily as a result of the Bioriginal acquisition. SG&A increased $1.6 million from $10.8 million in the second quarter of 2015, due primarily to increased labor, professional services and other business expenses.

The Company recorded impairment expenses in the third quarter of 2015 of $4.0 million related to the goodwill and certain other intangible assets of the InCon and Cyvex reporting unit in the human nutrition segment.  There were no impairment charges recognized in the third quarter of 2014.

In the fourth quarter of 2013, the Company closed its menhaden fish processing plant located in Cameron, Louisiana and re-deployed certain vessels from that facility to the Company's other Gulf Coast facilities.  In conjunction with the closure, the Company incurred charges of $0.6 million and $1.5 million in the third quarters of 2015 and 2014, respectively. 

Loss on foreign currency related to Bioriginal was $0.8 million for the third quarter of 2015 compared to gain on foreign currency of $0.3 million in the third quarter of 2014 and a gain of foreign currency of $0.1 million in the second quarter of 2015.

The third quarter of 2015 effective tax rate was 33.6% compared to 60.6% in the third quarter of 2014 and 36.7% in the second quarter of 2015.  The third quarter of 2014 effective tax rate reflected non-deductible expenses related to the acquisition of Bioriginal.

Net income for the third quarter of 2015 was $10.6 million ($0.47 per diluted share) compared to $0.7 million ($0.03 per diluted share) in the same period last year and $8.8 million ($0.40 per diluted share) in the second quarter of 2015. Excluding adjustments for certain items, adjusted net income for the third quarter of 2015 would have been $14.8 million ($0.66 per diluted share), compared to $4.8 million ($0.22 per diluted share) in the same period last year and $9.6 million ($0.43 per diluted share) for the second quarter of 2015. 

Adjusted EBITDA totaled $28.7 million for the third quarter of 2015, compared to $13.1 million for the same period last year and $21.6 million for the second quarter of 2015.

Nine Month 2015 Results
Revenues in the first nine months of 2015 increased 34% to $277.0 million compared to revenue of $206.2 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2014. The increase in revenues was due to a $79.6 million increase in human nutrition revenues partially offset by an $8.8 million decrease in animal nutrition revenues. The increase in human nutrition revenues was primarily due to the addition of Bioriginal. The decrease in animal nutrition revenues was primarily due to decreased sales volumes of 38% for the Company's fish oil, partially offset by increased sales prices of 25% and 6% for the Company's fish oil and fish meal, respectively.

The Company recorded gross profit of $75.8 million, or 27.4% as a percentage of revenues, for the first nine months of 2015, versus gross profit of $55.1 million, or 26.7% as a percentage of revenues, for the first nine months of 2014.  The increase in gross profit as a percentage of revenues was due to improved results from both the animal and human nutrition segments, partially offset by a decrease in the proportion of revenues attributable to the animal nutrition segment.  Animal segment gross profit as a percentage of revenues increased from 30.2% to 36.0%, and human nutrition gross profit as a percentage of revenues increased from 6.6% to 14.2%.

SG&A for the nine months ended September 30, 2015 increased $8.9 million to $33.4 million compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2014, primarily as a result of the Bioriginal acquisition.

The effective tax rate was 35.2% for the nine months ended September 30, 2015 compared to 37.0% for the nine months ended September 30, 2014.

Net income for the nine months ended September 30, 2015 was $21.0 million ($0.95 per diluted share) compared to $15.3 million ($0.70 per diluted share) for the same period last year.  Excluding adjustments for certain items, adjusted net income for the nine months ended September 30, 2015 would have been $27.0 million ($1.21 per diluted share) compared to $22.1 million ($1.02 per diluted share).

Adjusted EBITDA totaled $60.7 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2015, an increase from $50.4 million for the same period last year.

Balance Sheet
The Company's September 30, 2015 cash balance decreased $0.6 million from December 31, 2014 to $0.8 million.  Total debt decreased $8.7 million from $35.2 million on December 31, 2014 to $26.5 million on September 30, 2015.  Stockholders' equity increased $28.0 million to $293.9 million as of September 30, 2015 compared to $265.9 million as of December 31, 2014. 

Conference Call Information
Omega Protein will host a conference call on its third quarter 2015 financial results at 8:30 a.m., Eastern Time, on Thursday, November 5, 2015. The Company's senior management team will be available to discuss recent financial results and current business trends as well as respond to questions.

Please dial (855) 327-6837 domestically or (631) 891-4304 internationally to join the call. Interested parties may also listen to the webcast live over the Internet at www.omegaprotein.com.

A webcast replay of the conference call and the prepared remarks will be available beginning shortly after the conclusion of the call at www.omegaprotein.com and will be available for 30 days. A telephonic playback will be available from 11:30 a.m. ET, November 5, 2015, through November 19, 2015. Participants can dial (877) 870-5176 in North America, and international listeners may dial (858) 384-5517. The password is 116801.

About Omega Protein Corporation
Omega Protein Corporation (NYSE: OME) is a century old nutritional product company that develops, produces and delivers healthy products throughout the world to improve the nutritional integrity of foods, dietary supplements and animal feeds. Omega Protein's mission is to help people lead healthier lives with better nutrition through sustainably sourced ingredients such as highly-refined specialty oils and essential fatty acids, specialty protein products and nutraceuticals.

The Company operates eight manufacturing facilities located in the United States, Canada and Europe. The Company also operates more than 30 vessels to harvest menhaden, a fish abundantly found in the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico.

For More Information
Visit Omega Protein at www.omegaprotein.com, follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/omegaprotein, or find us on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/omega-protein-inc.

Forward Looking Statements
SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS: The statements contained in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking information may be based on projections, predictions and estimates. Some statements in this press release may be forward-looking and use words like "may," "may not," "believes," "do not believe," "expects," "do not expect," "anticipates," "do not anticipate," "see," "do not see," "should," or other similar expressions. The actual results of future events described in any of these forward-looking statements could differ materially from those stated in the forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to be materially different from those forward-looking statements include, among others: (1) the Company's ability to meet its raw material requirements through its annual menhaden harvest, which is subject to fluctuations due to natural conditions over which the Company has no control, such as varying fish population, fish oil yields, adverse weather conditions, natural and other disasters and disease; (2) the impact of laws and regulations that may be enacted that may restrict the Company's operations or the sale of the Company's products or increase the cost of compliance; (3) the impact of worldwide supply and demand relationships on prices for the Company's products; (4) the Company's expectations regarding demand and pricing for its products proving to be incorrect, and the effect of forward sales of products on the Company's financial results; (5) fluctuations in the Company's quarterly operating results due to the seasonality of the Company's business, estimates of standard cost for inventory and subsequent adjustments to such costs, and the Company's deferral of inventory sales based on worldwide prices for competing products; (6) the Company's ability to realize the anticipated benefits from its acquisitions in the human nutrition business, and specifically, to integrate successfully its acquisitions in the human nutrition segment; (7) the Company's expectations regarding Nutegrity or Bioriginal, their future prospects and the dietary supplement market or the human health and wellness segment generally, proving to be incorrect; (8) increase in the price and shortage of key raw materials that could adversely affect Bioriginal's and Nutegrity's businesses; and (9) the cost of compliance or potential restrictions on sales caused by laws and regulations regarding fish meal or oil importation into foreign jurisdictions.  Other factors are described in further detail in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its reports on Form 10-K, Form 10-Q and Form 8-K.  Except as required by law, the Company expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to revise or update any forward-looking information whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

The tables below present information about reported segments for the three months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014 (in thousands).  All cash and cash equivalent balances have been included in the identifiable assets of the unallocated segment. 

The tables below present information about reported segments for the nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014 (in thousands).

Adjusted EBITDA to Net Income Reconciliation

The following table (in thousands) provides a reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA, a non-GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) financial measure, to net income, the most directly comparable financial measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP, for the three months ended September 30, 2015, June 30, 2015 and September 30, 2014 and the nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014:

Adjusted EBITDA represents net income before interest expense, income tax, depreciation and amortization, impairment of intangible assets, loss related to plant closure, acquisition post-closing consideration, acquisition costs and inventory adjustment and loss on disposal of assets. The Company has reported Adjusted EBITDA because it believes Adjusted EBITDA is a measure commonly reported and widely used by investors as an indicator of a Company's operating performance. The Company believes Adjusted EBITDA assists such investors in comparing a company's performance on a consistent basis. Adjusted EBITDA is not a calculation based on GAAP and should not be considered an alternative to net income in measuring our performance or used as an exclusive measure of cash flow because it does not consider the impact of working capital changes, capital expenditures, debt principal reductions and other sources and uses of cash which are disclosed in our consolidated statements of cash flows. Investors should carefully consider the specific items included in our computation of Adjusted EBITDA. While Adjusted EBITDA has been disclosed herein to permit a more complete comparative analysis of our operating performance relative to other companies, investors should be cautioned that Adjusted EBITDA as reported by us may not be comparable in all instances to Adjusted EBITDA as reported by us or by other companies. Adjusted EBITDA amounts may not be fully available for management's discretionary use, due to certain requirements to conserve funds for capital expenditures, debt service and other commitments, and therefore management relies primarily on our GAAP results. Adjusted EBITDA is not intended to represent net income as defined by GAAP and such information should not be considered as an alternative to net income, cash flow from operations or any other measure of performance prescribed by GAAP in the United States.

Adjusted Net Income and Diluted Earnings Per Share to Net Income Reconciliation
The following table (in thousands, except per share amounts) provides a reconciliation of Adjusted Net Income and Diluted Earnings Per Share, non-GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) financial measures, to net income, the most directly comparable financial measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP, for the three months ended September 30, 2015 June 30, 2015 and September 30, 2014 and the nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014:

Adjusted net income and Adjusted diluted earnings per share represent net income and diluted earnings per share without impairment of intangible assets, loss related to plant closure, acquisition post-closing consideration, acquisition costs and inventory adjustment and loss on disposal of assets and taxes associated with these items. The Company has reported Adjusted net income and Adjusted diluted earnings per share because it believes these measures are widely used by investors as an indicator of a Company's operating performance. The Company believes Adjusted net income and Adjusted diluted earnings per share assist investors in comparing a company's performance on a consistent basis.  Adjusted net income and Adjusted diluted earnings per share are not calculations based on GAAP and should not be considered alternatives to net income or diluted earnings per share in measuring our performance. Investors should carefully consider the specific items included in our computation of Adjusted net income and Adjusted diluted earnings per share. While Adjusted net income and Adjusted diluted earnings per share have been disclosed herein to permit a more complete comparative analysis of our operating performance across time periods and relative to other companies, investors should be cautioned that these measures as reported by us may not be comparable in all instances to Adjusted net income and Adjusted diluted earnings per share as reported by us or by other companies. Adjusted net income and Adjusted diluted earnings per share are not intended to represent net income or diluted earnings per share as defined by GAAP and such information should not be considered as an alternative to net income, diluted earnings per share or any other measure of performance prescribed by GAAP in the United States.

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