American Vanguard Reports Second Quarter and Mid-Year 2018 Results - American Vanguard (NYSE:AVD)

2017 Product and Business Acquisitions Drive Growth

American Vanguard Corporation AVD, today announced financial results for the second quarter and 6-month period that ended June 30, 2018.

Financial Highlights: 2018 Second Quarter – versus 2017 Second Quarter

Net sales of $107.0 million in 2018, compared with $77.9 million in 2017
Net income of $5.6 million in 2018, compared with $4.3 million in 2017
EBITDA¹ of $14.0 million in 2018, compared to $11.9 million in 2017
Earnings per diluted share of $0.19 in 2018, compared with $0.15 in 2017

Financial Highlights: First 6-Months of 2018 – versus First 6-Months of 2017

Net sales of $211.2 million in 2018, compared to $148.6 million in 2017
Net income of $10.3 million in 2018, compared to $7.8 million in 2017
EBITDA¹ of $27.3 million in 2018, compared to $22.4 million in 2017
Earnings per diluted share of $0.34 in 2018, compared to $0.26 in 2017

Eric Wintemute, Chairman and CEO of American Vanguard commented, "Our overall financial performance for this year's second quarter and first half improved at both the top and bottom lines. Quarterly net sales rose 37%, and first-half net sales rose 42% due, in both periods, to the addition of new product lines from acquisitions that we completed in 2017. Net sales of pre-existing product lines were mixed during both periods. For example, while we recorded stronger sales from soil fumigants, bromacil (for high value fruits), Folex (for cotton), Impact herbicide (for corn) and Dacthal herbicide (for fruits and vegetables), we saw decreases in net sales of Bidrin (in light of high channel inventory and reduced pest pressure), Aztec® corn soil insecticide and Thimet (in light of reduced peanut acres)."

Mr. Wintemute continued, "Our manufacturing performance during the quarter was one of the best in recent history with factory activity fully absorbing manufacturing costs and yielding a net benefit during the period. We achieved a gross margin percentage of 40% in both the second quarter and first half of 2018, due to higher volume sales of lower margin, newly-acquired products. Further, while our operating expenses rose on an absolute basis, they declined as a percentage of net sales, due in part to improved economies of scale across our businesses and in part to a G&A benefit from our quarterly revaluation of acquisition liabilities. Throughout the course of 2018, we have continued to integrate newly-acquired businesses, launch new products, maintain the regulatory defense of important products, and advance the development of our SIMPAS precision application technology. With modest interest expense and a reduced tax rate, our net income increased by 30% for the quarter and 32% for the first half. Also EBITDA² increased during the quarter and half-year by 17% and 22%, respectively."

Mr. Wintemute concluded, "During the balance of 2018, we anticipate strong performance from a number of key components of our business, including seasonally higher sales of soil fumigants and our cotton defoliant Folex. Also, our Central American region and non-crop business are both primed to deliver improved sales in next two quarters. Further, we anticipate continued demand for our products in fruit and vegetables, strong sales of our Dibrom® mosquito adulticide and stable demand for our corn products leading into the 2019 spring planting season. Taken together, these factors should enable us to generate annual net sales within the range of $450 - $470 million for 2018 with little or no change in gross margin. We will provide additional detail on our financial performance and business prospects during the earnings call."

Conference Call

Eric Wintemute, Chairman & CEO, Bob Trogele EVP & COO and David T. Johnson, VP & CFO, will conduct a conference call focusing on the financial results at 4:30 pm ET / 1:30 pm PT on Monday, August 6, 2018. Interested parties may participate in the call by dialing (201) 493-6744 – please dial in 10 minutes before the call is scheduled to begin, and ask for the American Vanguard call. The conference call will also be webcast live via the News and Media section of the Company's web site at www.american-vanguard.com. To listen to the live webcast, go to the web site at least 15 minutes early to register, download and install any necessary audio software. If you are unable to listen live, the conference call will be archived on the Company's web site.

About American Vanguard

American Vanguard Corporation is a diversified specialty and agricultural products company that develops and markets products for crop protection and management, turf and ornamentals management and public and animal health. American Vanguard is included on the Russell 2000® and Russell 3000® Indexes and the Standard & Poor's Small Cap 600 Index. To learn more about American Vanguard, please reference the Company's web site at www.american-vanguard.com.

The Company, from time to time, may discuss forward-looking information. Except for the historical information contained in this release, all forward-looking statements are estimates by the Company's management and are subject to various risks and uncertainties that may cause results to differ from management's current expectations. Such factors include weather conditions, changes in regulatory policy and other risks as detailed from time-to-time in the Company's SEC reports and filings. All forward-looking statements, if any, in this release represent the Company's judgment as of the date of this release.

______________________________

¹		Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. EBITDA is not a financial measure calculated and presented in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and should not be considered as an alternative to net income (loss), operating income (loss) or any other financial measure so calculated and presented, nor as an alternative to cash flow from operating activities as a measure of liquidity. The items excluded from EBITDA are detailed in the reconciliation attached to this news release. Other companies (including the Company's competitors) may define EBITDA differently.
²		The Company believes that the use of EBITDA is useful to investors in that it is one of the primary bases upon which borrowing capacity is calculated under the Company's senior credit facility, it gives investors a sense of the Company's financial conditions and results of operation without giving effect to the cost of increased acquisition activity in 2017 and it is commonly used by investors and others as a basis for supporting overall business valuations. Nevertheless, investors should not consider EBITDA in isolation or a substitute for analysis of the Company's results as reported in accordance with GAAP.


AMERICAN VANGUARD CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(In thousands, except share data)
(Unaudited)
ASSETS

	June 30, 2018			Dec. 31, 2017
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$	7,099		$	11,337
Receivables:
Trade, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $259 and $46, respectively		94,933			102,534
Other		12,011			7,071
Total receivables, net		106,944			109,605
Inventories		163,180			123,124
Prepaid expenses		11,290			10,817
Total current assets		288,513			254,883
Property, plant and equipment, net		48,399			49,321
Intangible assets, net of applicable amortization		177,512			180,950
Goodwill		21,837			22,184
Other assets		25,753			28,254
Total assets	$	562,014		$	535,592

LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
Current liabilities:
Current installments of other liabilities	$	3,534		$	5,395
Accounts payable		64,842			53,748
Deferred revenue		7,320			14,574
Accrued Program costs		54,093			39,054
Accrued expenses and other payables		9,786			12,061
Income taxes payable		1,085			1,370
Total current liabilities		140,660			126,202
Long-term debt, net of deferred loan fees		74,258			77,486
Other liabilities, excluding current installments		9,641			10,306
Deferred income tax liabilities		17,224			16,284
Total liabilities		241,783			230,278
Commitments and contingent liabilities
Stockholders' equity:
Preferred stock, $.10 par value per share; authorized 400,000 shares; none issued		—			—
Common stock, $.10 par value per share; authorized 40,000,000 shares; issued 32,743,504 shares at June 30, 2018 and 32,241,866 shares at December 31, 2017		3,275			3,225
Additional paid-in capital		79,721			75,658
Accumulated other comprehensive loss		(4,733	)		(4,507	)
Retained earnings		250,068			238,953
		328,331			313,329
Less treasury stock at cost, 2,450,634 shares at June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017		(8,269	)		(8,269	)
American Vanguard Corporation stockholders' equity		320,062			305,060
Non-controlling interest		169			254
Total stockholders' equity		320,231			305,314
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	$	562,014		$	535,592


AMERICAN VANGUARD CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(In thousands, except per share data)
(Unaudited)

	For the Three Months Ended June 30,					For the Six Months Ended June 30,
	2018		2017			2018		2017
Net sales	$	107,046	$	77,905		$	211,154	$	148,578
Cost of sales		63,749		43,570			126,806		84,159
Gross profit		43,297		34,335			84,348		64,419
Operating expenses		34,718		27,654			68,418		52,605
Operating income		8,579		6,681			15,930		11,814
Interest expense, net		966		400			1,803		698
Income before provision for income taxes and loss on equity method investments		7,613		6,281			14,127		11,116
Income tax expense		1,748		1,681			3,440		3,061
Income before loss on equity method investments		5,865		4,600			10,687		8,055
Loss from equity method investments		301		69			518		111
Net income		5,564		4,531			10,169		7,944
Net loss (income) attributable to non-controlling interest		35		(227	)		85		(188	)
Net income attributable to American Vanguard	$	5,599	$	4,304		$	10,254	$	7,756
Earnings per common share—basic	$	.19	$	.15		$	.35	$	.27
Earnings per common share—assuming dilution	$	.19	$	.15		$	.34	$	.26
Weighted average shares outstanding—basic		29,330		29,050			29,309		28,999
Weighted average shares outstanding—assuming dilution		30,190		29,605			30,113		29,561


ANALYSIS OF SALES
For the three and six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017
(In thousands)
(Unaudited)

	Three Months Ended June 30,				Six Months Ended June 30,
	2018		2017		2018		2017
Net sales:
Crop:
Insecticides	$	32,665	$	39,442	$	73,958	$	77,384
Herbicides/soil fumigants/fungicides		31,401		16,045		63,586		36,066
Other, including plant growth regulators		30,377		10,096		48,217		13,488
Total crop:		94,443		65,583		185,761		126,938
Non-crop		12,603		12,322		25,393		21,640
Total net sales:	$	107,046	$	77,905	$	211,154	$	148,578
Net sales:
US	$	64,363	$	55,760	$	134,178	$	108,004
International		42,683		22,145		76,976		40,574
Total net sales:	$	107,046	$	77,905	$	211,154	$	148,578


AMERICAN VANGUARD CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(In thousands)
(Unaudited)

	For the Six Months Ended June 30,
	2018			2017
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	$	10,169		$	7,944
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization of fixed and intangible assets		9,516			8,094
Amortization of other long term assets		2,313			2,777
Amortization of discounted liabilities		202			13
Stock-based compensation		2,778			2,322
Change in deferred income taxes		(26	)		7
Loss from equity method investments		518			111
Changes in assets and liabilities associated with operations:
Decrease in net receivables		5,478			20,749
Increase in inventories		(40,194	)		(5,506	)
Increase in prepaid expenses and other assets		(707	)		(2,658	)
(Increase) in income tax receivable/payable, net		(271	)		(12,752	)
Increase in accounts payable		11,309			579
Decrease in deferred revenue		(7,254	)		(2,126	)
Increase in accrued Program costs		15,039			18,819
Decrease in other payables and accrued expenses		(5,151	)		(4,256	)
Net cash provided by operating activities		3,719			34,117
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures		(3,230	)		(4,155	)
Investment		—			(950	)
Acquisition of other intangible assets and businesses		(1,631	)		(13,400	)
Net cash used in investing activities		(4,861	)		(18,505	)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Payments under line of credit agreement		(62,125	)		(59,025	)
Borrowings under line of credit agreement		58,800			45,000
Payments on other long-term liabilities		—			(26	)
Net receipts from the issuance of common stock (sale of stock under ESPP, exercise of stock options, and shares purchased for tax withholding)		1,335			(1,214	)
Payment of cash dividends		(1,024	)		(724	)
Net cash used by financing activities		(3,014	)		(15,989	)
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents		(4,156	)		(377	)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents		(82	)		105
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period		11,337			7,869
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	$	7,099		$	7,597


Unaudited Reconciliation of Net Income to EBITDA
For the three and six months ended June 30, 2018 and June 30, 2017
(Unaudited)

	For the Three Months Ended June 30,				For the Six Months Ended June 30,
	2018		2017		2018		2017
Net income attributable to American Vanguard, as reported	$	5,599	$	4,304	$	10,254	$	7,756
Provision for income taxes		1,748		1,681		3,440		3,061
Interest expense, net		966		400		1,803		698
Depreciation and amortization		5,683		5,509		11,829		10,871
EBITDA³	$	13,996	$	11,894	$	27,326	$	22,386

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Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. EBITDA is not a financial measure calculated and presented in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and should not be considered as an alternative to net income (loss), operating income (loss) or any other financial measures so calculated and presented, nor as an alternative to cash flow from operating activities as a measure of liquidity. The items excluded from EBITDA are detailed in the reconciliation attached to this news release. Other companies (including the Company's competitors) may define EBITDA differently.

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