Dean Foods Up 15% After Beating Earnings Estimates

Shares of Dean Foods

are up nearly 15% after the company beat earnings estimates. “2011 was a year of transition for Dean Foods, and we exited the year much stronger than we entered it,” said Gregg Engles, Chairman and CEO. “After two years of significant pressure on the fluid milk business, our continued efforts to reduce costs and the stabilization of milk costs led to a return to year-over-year profit growth in the fourth quarter at Fresh Dairy Direct. WhiteWave-Alpro posted another quarter and year of solid top and bottom-line growth, driven by strong brands, marketing and innovation in growing categories. Excluding the estimated impact of our divestiture of our private label yogurt business, our Morningstar segment delivered fourth quarter results on par with a year ago, closing out a solid year of growth. On a consolidated basis, results improved as the year progressed and we finished the year with strong fourth quarter consolidated adjusted operating income growth.” For the fourth quarter of 2011, the Company recorded a loss of $0.05 per diluted share, compared to a fourth quarter 2010 loss of $0.11 per diluted share. On an adjusted basis, fourth quarter 2011 diluted earnings per share were $0.27, an 80% increase from the $0.15 per diluted share earned in the prior year's fourth quarter. For the fourth quarter of 2011, the net loss attributable to Dean Foods totaled $10 million, compared to a net loss of $21 million in the prior year's fourth quarter. Adjusted net income for the fourth quarter was $51 million, an 89% increase from $27 million in the fourth quarter of 2010.