Manufacturer and distributor of natural and organic products, Hain Celestial Group Inc (NASDAQ: HAIN) reported that its fiscal fourth-quarter earnings soared 82% thanks to increasing sales of its products, including some highly profitable acquisitions.
The company also lifted its fiscal 2013 forecasts, beating analysts’ consensual estimates.
For the fourth quarter, net income stood at $23.4 million, or 50 cents a share compared to $12.8 million or 28 cents a share, in the corresponding period of the last year.
Revenue climbed 22% to $350.8 million, from $286.9 million, in the year earlier quarter.
Gross margin contracted to 26.6% from 28.4% as input costs soared 25% in the quarter.
After omitting onetime expenses (acquisition related charges), the company said that earnings a share would have stood at 47 cents while analysts polled by FactSet research had forecasted earnings of 45 cents a share on revenue of $363.3 million.
For its full fiscal 2012, HAIN posted a net income of $79.2 million, or $1.73 a share, against $55 million, or $1.23 a share of fiscal 2011. Revenue for the full-year came at $1.38 billion, up from $1.11 billion.
Looking ahead at fiscal 2013, the company expects adjusted earnings between $2.10 and $2.20 a share on a revenue between $1.6 billion and $1.625 billion even as analysts’ consensual estimates on adjusted earnings is at $2.08 a share on a revenue of $1.615 billion.
Meanwhile, aiming to expand its global presence, HAIN also announced its plans of acquiring UK-based company Premier Foods Plc’s portfolio of market-leading packaged grocery brands for £200 million or $317.6 million in cash and stock.
According to the deal, HAIN will pay £170 million in cash and £30 million in shares of its common stock to acquire a portfolio of brands that will include: Hartley’s, Sun-Pat, Gale’s, Robertsons’ and Frank Cooper’s.
The deal would bring range of products from jam, peanut butter, chocolate products, honey; besides, it will also provide a manufacturing base in Cambridgeshire, U.K.
Commenting over the acquisition, HAIN’s Chief Executive said “The acquisition of the Premier Foods brands furthers our goal to expand in the United Kingdom and positions the new expanded business in the top 40 of all food and beverage suppliers in the U.K.”
HAIN shares rallied more than 19% on Thursday.
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