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S&W Seed Company announces results for the first quarter of fiscal year 2014


Five Points, California, USA
November 14, 2013

S&W Seed Company (Nasdaq: SANW) today announced financial results for its first quarter of fiscal 2014 ended September 30, 2013.

First Quarter Highlights:

  • First quarter revenues increase 84% to $12.4 million, compared to $6.7 million in the comparable quarter of fiscal 2013;
  • Gross margins improved to 18.6% during the first quarter compared to 16.0% for the first quarter of the prior fiscal year;
  • First quarter Adjusted EBITDA totaled $695,000 an improvement of $379,000 or 120% compared to the first quarter of last year;
  • Net income per basic and diluted share of $0.00 for the first quarter compared to $0.01 in the first quarter of fiscal 2013;
  • Company reaffirms production and sourcing estimates of 18 to 19 million pounds.

Quarterly Results
For the first fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2013, S&W reported revenues of $12.4 million versus $6.7 million in the comparable period of the prior year, an increase of 84%. Revenues during the quarter were driven by contributions from the company’s SGI and IVS operations which were acquired subsequent to Q1 of the prior year, offset by a year-over-year decrease in the company’s S&W proprietary operations.

Gross margins were 18.6% during the first quarter compared to 16.0% in the first quarter of fiscal year 2013 reflecting improved gross margin contribution from the company’s proprietary varieties compared to last year, partially offset by contributions from the company’s non-proprietary IVS business which inherently have lower margins. IVS was acquired on October 1, 2012 and, therefore, not included in the prior year’s first quarter results.

Selling, general and administrative expenses (“SG&A”) for the first quarter totaled $1,594,000 compared to $750,000 for the comparable period of the prior year. The increase in SG&A expense versus the prior year was primarily due to the acquisitions of SGI and IVS. In addition, non-cash stock-based compensation totaled $215,000 in the current quarter versus $91,000 in the comparable period in the prior year. SG&A expenses decreased considerably from the $2,366,000 (excluding acquisition costs) incurred in the most recent fourth quarter of fiscal 2013. As a percentage of revenue, SG&A expenses were 13% in the current period compared to 11% in the comparable period of the prior year, and compared to 19% in the most recent fourth quarter of fiscal 2013.

Net income for the first quarter of fiscal 2014 was $41,000, or $0.00 per basic and diluted share, compared to a net income of $89,000, or $0.01 per basic and diluted share, in the first quarter of fiscal 2013.

Adjusted EBITDA, a non-GAAP metric (see Table A), for the first quarter of fiscal 2014 was $695,000 compared to $315,000 in the first quarter of fiscal 2013. This was an improvement of $379,000 or 120% compared to the first quarter of last year.

First Quarter Operations
The company’s S&W proprietary operations were affected by minimal carry-over of elite proprietary varieties suited for the Middle East market and delays in cleaning and shipping seed from the recent California harvest. Sales through distributors into Mexico were strong. SGI’s operations were somewhat impacted during the first quarter by uncertainty in select markets as certain customers had anticipated an oversupply of seed in the global supply chain following a strong Australian harvest and elected to hold orders.

The company believes that current market conditions, which include the impact of a poor harvest in the Imperial Valley region of California, as stated by trade journals, point to a tight supply market. It is the company’s expectation that upon the conclusion of the recent and short term market uncertainty, strong demand and pricing should commence throughout the remainder of the fiscal year.

The company reiterates that it will continue to be able to secure between 18 and 19 million pounds during the spring and fall 2013 harvest cycles from its production and sourcing capabilities.

Outlook
Based on current seed inventory on hand, estimated new production and seed sourcing inventory expectations prior to the company’s fiscal year end, our current outlook of market demand, the ability to obtain seed pricing within our expected ranges, and dependent on any decisions to carry over inventory to the following fiscal year, the Company would expect annual revenues to be in the range of $50 to $65 million.

While the company may see quarter to quarter fluctuations as to the timing of the revenue recognition based on a variety of factors, it is making the decision to attempt to capture the most value for its seed inventory it believes is possible by most likely selling the large majority of its seed in the second half of the company’s fiscal year (January through June). If supply remains tight and the company can continue to optimize the value of its seed, it may hold over a portion of its inventory into the first quarter of fiscal 2015 as well.

As a result of the decisions the company is making above, management expects revenues for the second quarter of fiscal year 2014 to be in the range of $11 to $13 million.

There are a number of risks that could change our outlook, including: the ability to source the expected levels of seed that are traditionally a part of the IVS business model; changes in seed market pricing that may allow for us to exceed or fall short of these expectations; the level of production from the spring 2014 Australian harvest; general market demand for our seed; as well as numerous factors that are detailed in our Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2013, and in other filings made by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Management Discussion

Mark Grewal, president and chief executive officer of S&W Seed Company, commented, “We are focused on executing on a long-term strategic plan that revolves around the expansion of our superior, proprietary alfalfa seed genetics to drive sales growth while improving our overall gross margins. Our seed inventories are highly valuable assets and our goal is to obtain the greatest return possible. From time to time, there are factors that have an effect on which quarterly bucket our revenues are filled in. Given the fact that our inventories due not perish and actually improves with age, our desire is to maximize the value of our seed inventories, which are by nature finite in any given period.”

Mr. Grewal expanded, “Following a good crop in Australia, there became the impression with certain buyers that the global supply would be strong amongst certain SGI customers and therefore they held orders. Subsequently, the California harvest has been negatively impacted and we, and many in the industry, now believe the opposite effect is currently at play. These macro factors, coupled with labor force issues in Saudi Arabia, created a bit of a standoff during the quarter due to these factors. Also, due to the late timing of the California harvest, we were unable to ship certain requested S&W varieties in time to meet the needs of certain customers. Again, due to the inherent long-term capabilities of our inventory, we expect to ship these quantities in the coming quarters, and hopefully at higher prices.”

Matthew Szot, chief financial officer of S&W Seed Company, commented, “There will continue to be quarterly fluctuations in gross profit margins based on revenue mix, but we expect to obtain stable or increased sales pricing for the fiscal year 2014 and anticipate that we will improve gross margins in our core business in fiscal year 2014 compared to fiscal year 2013. Gross margins improved compared to the previous year’s first quarter, increasing from 16.0% to 18.6%. Our optimization program has commenced, and while there was limited contribution during the first quarter, we expect it to increase throughout the remainder of the year. We will stay focused on delivering improved results and managing the business efficiently. SG&A totaled $1.6 million during the first quarter, a significant improvement compared to the fourth quarter of last year, and below what our previous guidance of $1.7 to $1.8 million for each quarter during fiscal year 2014.”

Mr. Grewal concluded, “While there are nuances that are always at play within the alfalfa seed industry, we are positioning S&W Seed Company to be a leader in the alfalfa seed business for the long term, looking to benefit from a world that continues to see population increases, and demands a diet with higher levels of protein. With a strong set of ‘non-dormant’ alfalfa seed assets, and a pipeline of opportunities that include ‘biotech’ genetics, ‘dormant’ genetics, and ‘tropical’ genetics, we believe that we are positioning S&W to be the leader in this industry for years to come.”

 



More news from: S&W Seed Company


Website: http://www.swseedco.com/

Published: November 14, 2013

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