Alico, Inc. Announces Financial Results for the Second Quarter and Six Months Ended March 31, 2018


FORT MYERS, Fla., May 07, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Alico, Inc. (“Alico” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ:ALCO) today announces financial results for the second quarter and six months ended March 31, 2018.  For the six months ended, the Company recorded net income of $3.2 million and earnings of $0.39 per diluted common share, compared to net income of $4.1 million and earnings of $0.49 per diluted common share in the prior year.  The decrease in net income is primarily due to the impact of Hurricane Irma on the current production season and a valuation allowance resulting in a tax expense of $6.1 million. Partially offsetting this decrease are lower operating expenses and a one-time deferred tax benefit of $10.1 million due to the federal corporate tax rate change enacted on December 22, 2017.

When both periods are adjusted for non-recurring items related to transaction costs, separation and consulting fees, gains on sale of real estate and property and equipment, employee stock compensation expense, net deferred tax and other valuation allowances, the Company incurred an adjusted loss of $0.18 per diluted common share for the six month period ended March 31, 2018, compared to adjusted earnings of $0.43 per diluted common share for the six months ended March 31, 2017.  Adjusted EBITDA for the six months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017 was $9.3 million and $18.7 million, respectively. Adjusted free cash flow for the six months ended March 31, 2018 was flat compared to the same period in the prior year, even though Alico increased capital expenditures significantly in 2018 due to a more aggressive tree-planting program. 

These financial results reflect the seasonal nature of Alico’s business as impacted by Hurricane Irma. Historically, the second and third quarters of Alico's fiscal year produce the majority of the Company's annual revenue and working capital requirements are typically greater in the first and fourth quarters.  Due to Hurricane Irma, in the first six months of fiscal 2018 Alico harvested fruit earlier than in prior years.

On November 16, 2017, Alico announced the Alico 2.0 Modernization Program to aggressively improve the operations of the Company and optimize its return on capital employed through cost reductions, increased efficiencies and disposition of non-performing assets.  Since then, Alico’s citrus and ranch operations, including all back office support activities, have been improved through Alico 2.0.  Because the program has been successful, Alico will continue to measure the productivity of all of its assets and eliminate costs that will not negatively affect citrus production.  Alico 2.0 remains active to improve long-term performance throughout the Company.  Consistent with the objectives of Alico 2.0, the Company divested several underperforming assets during the first six months of fiscal 2018.

The Company reported the following financial results:

                 
(in thousands except for per share amounts)                
 Three Months Ended March 31, 2018
 Six Months Ended March 31, 2018
 2018 2017 Change
 2018 2017 Change
                 
Net (loss) income$(5,530) $5,884  $(11,414) NM  $3,208  $4,141  $(933) (22.5)%
EBITDA (1)$8,307  $16,408  $(8,101) (49.4)% $10,381  $19,643  $(9,262) (47.2)%
Earnings (loss) per diluted common share$(0.67) $0.70  $(1.37) NM  $0.39  $0.49  $(0.10) (20.4)%
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities$9,438  $14,688  $(5,250) (35.7)% $(251) $(2,749) $2,498  (90.9)%
                              
                              

(1) See "Non-GAAP Financial Measures" at the end of this earnings release for details regarding these measures.
NM = Not Meaningful

Alico Citrus Division Results

During the six months ended March 31, 2018, Alico Citrus harvested approximately 3.4 million boxes of fruit, a decline of 27.9% from the same period in the prior year. The Early and Mid-Season harvest was completed and those total boxes decreased by 43.7%.  Valencia boxes harvested through March 31, 2018 increased by 20.0% over the same period in the prior year because the harvesting season commenced approximately one month earlier than in the prior year due to Hurricane Irma. This will likely result in the Valencia harvesting being completed earlier this year and the Company anticipates operating results to be lower in the third quarter of fiscal 2018, as compared to the same period in the prior year.

As previously announced, Alico continues to estimate its total number of boxes harvested per acre for fiscal year 2018 will decrease by approximately 40-45% due to the impact of Hurricane Irma. The Company expects operating expenses for fiscal year 2018 will remain consistent with fiscal year 2017 on a per acre basis, and the financial benefits of Alico 2.0 will begin to be realized in fiscal year 2019 because growing costs incurred in fiscal 2018 are expensed in the following crop season when fruit is harvested and sold.

Citrus production for the three and six months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017 is summarized in the following table.

               
(boxes and pound solids in thousands)              
 Three Months Ended
March 31,
     Six Months Ended
March 31,
    
  Change  Change
 2018 2017 Unit % 2018 2017 $ %
Boxes Harvested:               
Early and Mid-Season597  2,186  (1,589) (72.7)% 1,811  3,215  (1,404) (43.7)%
Valencias1,470  1,225  245  20.0% 1,470  1,225  245  20.0%
Total Processed2,067  3,411  (1,344) (39.4)% 3,281  4,440  (1,159) (26.1)%
Fresh Fruit24  115  (91) (79.1)% 97  244  (147) (60.2)%
Total2,091  3,526  (1,435) (40.7)% 3,378  4,684  (1,306) (27.9)%
                
Pound Solids Produced:               
Early and Mid-Season3,125  12,510  (9,385) (75.0)% 9,194  17,950  (8,756) (48.8)%
Valencias8,651  7,467  1,184  15.9% 8,651  7,467  1,184  15.9%
Total11,776  19,977  (8,201) (41.1)% 17,845  25,417  (7,572) (29.8)%
                
Average Pound Solids Per Box:               
Early and Mid-Season5.23  5.72  (0.49) (8.6)% 5.08  5.58  (0.50) (9.0)%
Valencias5.89  6.09  (0.20) (3.3)% 5.89  6.09  (0.20) (3.3)%
                
Price per Pound Solids:               
Early and Mid-Season$2.83  $2.56  $0.27  10.5% $2.64  $2.55  $0.09  3.5%
Valencias$2.84  $2.72  $0.12  4.4% $2.84  $2.72  $0.12  4.4%
                              

Alico Citrus cost of sales decreased to $31.9 million for the six months ended March 31, 2018, compared to $38.5 million for the six months ended March 31, 2017. The decrease is because the Company took a charge for inventory casualty losses in the quarter ended September 30, 2017, due to the impact of Hurricane Irma related to the reduced amount of fruit that was expected to be harvested this season.

Conservation and Environmental Resources Division Results

In January 2018, the Company sold its breeding herd and leased grazing rights on the Alico Ranch to a third party operator. The Company continues to own the property and conduct its long-term water dispersement program and wildlife management programs.  As part of the sales transaction, the Company expensed all inventory costs that were accumulated at the date of sale.

Other Corporate Financial Information

General and administrative expenses decreased by $0.2 million to $7.0 million for the six months ended March 31, 2018. The decrease primarily relates to one-time consulting fees incurred in the six months ended March 31, 2017.  The decrease was partially offset by an accrual related to a change in our employee paid time-off policy and increased professional fees.

Other expense, net was $2.5 million for the six months ended March 31, 2018, as compared to $2.9 million for the six months ended March 31, 2017. The decrease of $0.4 million is primarily attributable to a reduction of interest expense due to mandatory pay down of long-term debt, as well as a prepayment made on a loan of approximately $4.5 million with proceeds from asset sales.

The Company paid a second quarter cash dividend of $0.06 per share on its outstanding common stock on April 13, 2018 to shareholders of record at March 30, 2018.

At March 31, 2018 the Company had working capital of $43.4 million and had term debt, net of cash and cash equivalents, of $167.7 million.

About Alico

Alico, Inc. is a holding company with assets and related operations in agriculture and environmental resources, including citrus, wildlife management, and water management. Our mission is to create value for shareholders by managing existing assets to their optimal current income and total returns, opportunistically acquiring new assets and producing high quality agricultural products while exercising responsible environmental stewardship. Learn more about Alico (NASDAQ:ALCO) at www.alicoinc.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements are based on Alico’s current expectations about future events and can be identified by terms such as “plans,” “expect,” “may,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “should be,” “will be,” “is likely to,” “believes,” and similar expressions referring to future periods.

Alico believes the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable but cannot guarantee future results, level of activity, performance or achievements. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Therefore, Alico cautions you against relying on any of these forward-looking statements. Factors which may cause future outcomes to differ materially from those foreseen in forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: changes in laws, regulation and rules; weather conditions that affect production, transportation, storage, demand, import and export of fresh product and its by-products, increased pressure from diseases including citrus greening and citrus canker, as well as insects and other pests; disruption of water supplies or changes in water allocations; pricing and supply of raw materials and products; market responses to industry volume pressures; pricing and supply of energy; changes in interest rates; availability of financing for land development activities and other growth opportunities; onetime events; acquisitions and divestitures; seasonality; our ability to achieve the anticipated cost savings under the Alico 2.0 Modernization Program; customer concentration; labor disruptions; inability to pay debt obligations; inability to engage in certain transactions due to restrictive covenants in debt instruments; government restrictions on land use; changes in agricultural land values; and market and pricing risks due to concentrated ownership of stock. Other risks and uncertainties include those that are described in Alico’s SEC filings, which are available on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. Alico undertakes no obligation to subsequently update or revise the forward-looking statements made in this press release, except as required by law.

Investor Contact:
John E. Kiernan
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
(239) 226-2000
JKiernan@alicoinc.com 

 
ALICO, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(in thousands, except share amounts)
 
 March 31,     September 30,
 2018     2017
 (Unaudited)      
ASSETS       
Current assets:       
Cash and cash equivalents$12,022      $3,395 
Accounts receivable, net16,515      4,286 
Inventories27,010      36,204 
Assets held for sale706      20,983 
Prepaid expenses and other current assets2,287      1,621 
Total current assets58,540      66,489 
        
Property and equipment, net348,017      349,337 
Goodwill2,246      2,246 
Deferred financing costs, net of accumulated amortization138      262 
Other non-current assets1,001      848 
Total assets$409,942      $419,182 
        
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY       
Current liabilities:       
Accounts payable$4,449      $3,192 
Accrued liabilities4,991      6,781 
Long-term debt, current portion5,225      4,550 
Other current liabilities438      1,460 
Total current liabilities15,103      15,983 
        
Long-term debt:       
Principal amount, net of current portion174,536      181,926 
Less: deferred financing costs, net(1,664)     (1,767)
Long-term debt less current portion and deferred financing costs, net172,872      180,159 
Deferred income tax liabilities22,802      27,108 
Deferred gain on sale26,829      26,440 
Deferred retirement obligations4,097      4,123 
Total liabilities241,703      253,813 
        
Stockholders' equity:       
Preferred stock, no par value, 1,000,000 shares authorized; none issued       
Common stock, $1.00 par value, 15,000,000 shares authorized; 8,416,145 and 8,416,145 shares issued and 8,248,449 and 8,238,830 shares outstanding at March 31, 2018 and September 30, 2017, respectively8,416      8,416 
Additional paid in capital19,050      18,694 
Treasury stock, at cost, 167,696 and 177,315 shares held at March 31, 2018 and September 30, 2017, respectively(6,208)     (6,502)
Retained earnings142,277      140,033 
Total Alico stockholders' equity163,535      160,641 
Noncontrolling interest4,704      4,728 
Total stockholders' equity168,239      165,369 
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity$409,942      $419,182 


 
ALICO, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (UNAUDITED)
(in thousands, except per share amounts)
 
 Three Months Ended March 31, Six Months Ended March 31,
 2018 2017 2018 2017
Operating revenues:       
Alico Citrus$34,709  $55,667  $51,788  $72,544 
Conservation and Environmental Resources493  337  856  638 
Other Operations398  196  489  463 
Total operating revenues35,600  56,200  53,133  73,645 
        
Operating expenses:       
Alico Citrus26,110  40,923  42,405  55,008 
Conservation and Environmental Resources1,593  761  2,190  1,275 
Other Operations64    123  93 
Total operating expenses27,767  41,684  44,718  56,376 
Gross profit7,833  14,516  8,415  17,269 
General and administrative expenses3,073  3,399  6,959  7,187 
        
Income from operations4,760  11,117  1,456  10,082 
        
Other (expense) income:       
Interest expense(2,239) (2,374) (4,494) (4,701)
Gain on sale of real estate, property and equipment99  1,396  1,835  1,832 
Other income (expense), net  66  144  (24)
Total other expense, net(2,140) (912) (2,515) (2,893)
        
Income (loss) before income taxes2,620  10,205  (1,059) 7,189 
Provision (benefit) for income taxes8,150  4,321  (4,267) 3,048 
        
Net (loss) income(5,530) 5,884  3,208  4,141 
Net loss (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests16  (51) 24  (43)
Net (loss) income attributable to Alico, Inc. common stockholders$(5,514) $5,833  $3,232  $4,098 
        
Per share information attributable to Alico, Inc. common stockholders:       
Earnings (loss) per common share:       
Basic$(0.67) $0.70  $0.39  $0.49 
Diluted$(0.67) $0.70  $0.39  $0.49 
Weighted-average number of common shares outstanding:       
Basic8,256  8,327  8,251  8,326 
Diluted8,256  8,327  8,310  8,326 
        
Cash dividends declared per common share$0.06  $0.06  $0.12  $0.12 


 
ALICO, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (UNAUDITED) 
(in thousands)
 
 Six Months Ended March 31,
 2018 2017
    
Net cash used in operating activities:   
Net income$3,208  $4,141 
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash used in operating activities:   
Deferred gain on sale of sugarcane land(282) (265)
Depreciation, depletion and amortization6,922  7,796 
Deferred income tax provision (benefit)(4,306) 3,048 
Gain on sale of real estate, property and equipment(1,835) (1,619)
Non-cash interest expense on deferred gain on sugarcane land688  707 
Stock-based compensation expense856  835 
Other(300) 153 
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:   
Accounts receivable(12,229) (17,909)
Inventories9,194  3,434 
Prepaid expenses and other assets(620) (1,627)
Accounts payable and accrued expenses(533) (2,701)
Other liabilities(1,014) 1,258 
Net cash used in operating activities(251) (2,749)
    
Cash flows from investing activities:   
Purchases of property and equipment(7,438) (5,040)
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment24,612  2,651 
Notes receivable(379)  
Other  156 
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities16,795  (2,233)
    
Cash flows from financing activities:   
Repayments on revolving lines of credit(21,424) (47,082)
Borrowings on revolving lines of credit21,424  53,499 
Principal payments on term loans(6,715) (5,381)
Treasury stock purchases(206) (641)
Dividends paid(988) (997)
Capital lease obligation payments(8)  
Net cash used in financing activities(7,917) (602)
    
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents8,627  (5,584)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the period3,395  6,625 
    
Cash and cash equivalents at end of the period$12,022  $1,041 


        
Non-GAAP Financial Measures        
        
Adjusted EBITDA       
(in thousands)       
 Three Months Ended March 31, Six Months Ended March 31,
 2018 2017 2018 2017
        
Net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders$(5,514) $5,833  $3,232  $4,098 
Interest expense2,239  2,374  4,494  4,701 
Provision (benefit) for income taxes8,150  4,321  (4,267) 3,048 
Depreciation, depletion and amortization3,432  3,880  6,922  7,796 
EBITDA8,307  16,408  10,381  19,643 
        
Transaction costs12  183  88  201 
Stock compensation expense (1)242  232  473  417 
Separation and consulting agreement expense  238  188  288 
Gains on sale of real estate and property and equipment(99) (1,396) (1,835) (1,832)
        
Adjusted EBITDA$8,462  $15,665  $9,295  $18,717 
        
        
Adjusted Earnings (Loss) Per Diluted Common Share       
(in thousands)       
 Three Months Ended March 31, Six Months Ended March 31,
 2018 2017 2018 2017
        
Net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders$(5,514) $5,833  $3,232  $4,098 
One-time deferred tax adjustment due to new tax legislation1,250    (10,077)  
Valuation allowance on capital loss carryforward6,060    6,060   
Transaction costs12  183  88  201 
Stock compensation expense (1)242  232  473  417 
Separation and consulting agreement expense  238  188  288 
Gains on sale of real estate and property and equipment(99) (1,396) (1,835) (1,832)
Tax impact84  315  388  393 
        
Adjusted net income (loss)$2,035  $5,405  $(1,483) $3,565 
        
Diluted common shares8,256  8,327  8,310  8,326 
        
Adjusted Earnings (Loss) per Diluted Common Share$0.25  $0.65  $(0.18) $0.43 
        
(1) Includes stock compensation expense for current and former executives.       
        
Adjusted Free Cash Flow       
(in thousands)       
        
 Three Months Ended March 31, Six Months Ended March 31,
 2018 2017 2018 2017
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities$9,438  $14,688  $(251) $(2,749)
Adjustments for non-recurring items:       
Transaction costs12  183  88  201 
Separation and consulting agreement expense  238  188  288 
Tax impact(3) (178) (68) (207)
Capital expenditures(3,877) (2,683) (7,438) (5,040)
Adjusted Free Cash Flow$5,570  $12,248  $(7,481) $(7,507)
                

Alico utilizes the non-GAAP measures Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted Earnings (Loss) per Diluted Common Share and Adjusted Free Cash Flow among other measures, to evaluate the performance of its business. Due to significant depreciable assets associated with the nature of our operations and, to a lesser extent, interest costs associated with our capital structure, management believes that Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted Earnings (Loss) per Diluted Common Share, and Adjusted Free Cash Flow are important measures to evaluate our results of operations between periods on a more comparable basis and to help investors analyze underlying trends in our business, evaluate the performance of our business both on an absolute basis and relative to our peers and the broader market, provides useful information to both management and investors by excluding certain items that may not be indicative of our core operating results and operational strength of our business and helps investors evaluate our ability to service our debt. Such measurements are not prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”) and should not be construed as an alternative to reported results determined in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The non-GAAP information provided is unique to Alico and may not be consistent with methodologies used by other companies. Adjusted EBITDA is defined as earnings (loss) before interest expense, provision (benefit) for income taxes, and depreciation and amortization adjusted for non-recurring transactions or transactions that are not indicative of our core operating results, such as gains or losses on sales of real estate and property and equipment. Adjusted Earnings (Loss) per Diluted Common Share is defined as net income (loss) adjusted for non-recurring transactions divided by diluted common shares. Adjusted Free Cash Flow is defined as cash  provided by (used in) operating activities adjusted for non-recurring transactions less capital expenditures. The Company uses Adjusted Free Cash Flow to evaluate its business and this measure is considered an important indicator of the Company's liquidity, including its ability to reduce net debt, make strategic investments, and pay dividends to common stockholders. The Company’s definition of Adjusted Free Cash Flow does not represent residual cash flows available for discretionary spending.