Neptune Announces First Quarter Results
Record Revenues and EBITDA for the Quarter in the Nutraceutical Segment
(firmenpresse) - LAVAL, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 07/11/16 -- Q1 Financial and Operational Highlights(1):
Neptune Technologies & Bioressources Inc. ("Neptune" or the "Corporation") (NASDAQ: NEPT)(TSX: NTB), today announced its financial and operating results for the first quarter ended May 31, 2016. All amounts are in Canadian dollars.
"We are very pleased with our results for the first quarter, which increased significantly over last year and also improved sequentially over the fourth quarter of Fiscal 2016. These results reflect the contribution from sales growth and our productivity improvement initiatives put in place during the second quarter of last year," stated Jim Hamilton, President and CEO of Neptune.
"We have evolved from pioneering the krill oil ingredient market to much more. With the recent acquisition of Biodroga, we are now in the business of customized unique nutrition solutions, speciality ingredients and consumer brands which is now reflected in our new corporate image. Neptune's new positioning was designed to better communicate to our customers, investors and employees our capabilities and commitment to innovation, health and wellness included in our vision: to provide great nutrition solutions for optimal health and wellbeing."
"In this respect we recently obtained the exclusive North American rights to MaxSimil®, a novel, patented delivery platform that enhances the absorption of lipid-based and lipid-soluble nutraceuticals. Statistically significant results suggest that the EPA & DHA from MaxSimil fish oils were absorbed 3 times better than the regular fish oils in a clinical study. We recently completed in July our first sales of this new branded ingredient.
"We are also pleased to have completed our first sales in China, as Canada is one of only two countries allowed to sell krill into that market. Our growth and diversification strategy is starting to gain momentum. As such, we have revised our revenue guidance for Fiscal 2017 and now expect revenues of above $43 million (from $41 million) and continue to anticipate a double-digit Adjusted EBITDA margin," concluded Mr. Hamilton.
Nutraceutical Business Results
The Nutraceutical segment first quarter EBITDA improvement was mainly driven by higher revenues and a stronger gross margin, in percentage and in dollars, related to cost reduction initiatives, including plant efficiencies and the Biodroga acquisition contribution. The reduction of the net loss reflects improvement of the EBITDA. The prior year net loss also included unallocated production overheads costs.
Project Turbo, a company-wide initiative to drive efficiencies and operating performance, was put in place during the second quarter of Fiscal 2016. To date (as of May 31, 2016), approximately 70% of total expected cost savings, or approximately $5.0 million, were realized.
Consolidated Results
On a consolidated basis, the current quarter includes a Non-IFRS operating loss of $2.3 million and a net loss of $3.2 million for Neptune's subsidiary, Acasti, which is actively engaged in clinical studies and research and development. In the corresponding prior year quarter ending May 31, 2015, Acasti recorded a Non-IFRS operating loss of $1.9 million and a net loss of $1.0 million.
Cash Flows
Consolidated cash and short term investments, including $3 million of restricted short term investments, were $14.6 million as at May 31, 2016, with $9.6 million for Acasti. If Acasti does not raise additional funds, there exists a material uncertainty that casts substantial doubt about Acasti's ability to continue as a going concern and, therefore, realize its assets and discharge its liabilities in the normal course of business. Acasti's Management has reasonable expectation that they will be able to raise additional funds.
Caution Regarding Non-IFRS Financial Measures
The Corporation uses adjusted financial measures, including Adjusted EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization) and non-IFRS operating loss (Operating loss before depreciation and amortization), to assess its operating performance. These non-IFRS financial measures are directly derived from the Company's financial statements and are presented in a consistent manner. The Company uses these measures for the purposes of evaluating its historical and prospective financial performance, as well as its performance relative to competitors. These measures also help the Company to plan and forecast for future periods as well as to make operational and strategic decisions. The Company believes that providing this information to investors, in addition to IFRS measures, allows them to see the Company's results through the eyes of management, and to better understand its historical and future financial performance.
Securities regulations require that companies caution readers that earnings and other measures adjusted to a basis other than IFRS do not have standardized meanings and are unlikely to be comparable to similar measures used by other companies. Accordingly, they should not be considered in isolation. The Corporation uses Adjusted EBITDA and non-IFRS operating loss to measure its performance from one period to the next without the variation caused by certain adjustments that could potentially distort the analysis of trends in our operating performance, and because the Corporation believes it provides meaningful information on the Corporation financial condition and operating results. Neptune's method for calculating Adjusted EBITDA or non-IFRS operating loss may differ from that used by other corporations.
Neptune obtains its Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA and non-IFRS operating loss measurement by adding to net income (loss), finance costs, depreciation and amortization and income taxes and by subtracting finance income. Other items such as insurance recoveries from plant explosion and acquisition costs that do not impact core operating performance of the Corporation are excluded from the calculation as they may vary significantly from one period to another. Finance income/costs include foreign exchange gain (loss) and change in fair value of derivatives. Neptune also excludes the effects of certain non-monetary transactions recorded, such as stock-based compensation, acquisition costs and insurance recoveries, from its Adjusted EBITDA and non-IFRS operating loss calculation. The Corporation believes it is useful to exclude this item as it is a non-cash expense. Excluding this item does not imply it is necessarily non-recurring.
Conference Call Details
Neptune will be holding a conference call on July 12, 2016 at 8:00 AM (ET) to present its results for the first quarter ended May 31, 2016.
An archived recording of the conference call will also be available on Neptune's website shortly after the call.
About Neptune Technologies & Bioressources Inc.
Neptune is a nutrition products company focused on the business of customized unique nutrition solutions, specialty ingredients and consumer brands. The company develops turnkey solutions available in various unique delivery forms. Neptune also offers a variety of specialty ingredients, including premium krill oil manufactured in our state-of-the art facility and a variety of other marine oils, seed oils and specialty ingredients. Neptune also offers its premium krill oil under the OCEANO3® brand directly to consumers in Canada and the United States through web sales at . Oceano3 brand is also sold in bulk to unbranded distributors. The Company's head office is located in Laval, Quebec.
Neptune is also pursuing opportunities in the prescription drug markets, through its approximately 48% owned subsidiary Acasti Pharma Inc. ("Acasti"). Acasti focuses on the research, development and commercialization of new krill oil-based forms of omega-3 phospholipid therapies for the treatment of severe hypertriglyceridemia.
Forward Looking Statements
Statements in this press release that are not statements of historical or current fact constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the U.S. securities laws and Canadian securities laws. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other unknown factors that could cause the actual results of Neptune to be materially different from historical results or from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. In addition to statements which explicitly describe such risks and uncertainties, readers are urged to consider statements labeled with the terms "believes," "belief," "expects," "intends," "anticipates," "will," or "plans" to be uncertain and forward-looking. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release.
The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement and the "Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information" section contained in Neptune's latest Annual Information Form (the "AIF"), which also forms part of Neptune's latest annual report on Form 40-F, and which is available on SEDAR at , on EDGAR at and on the investor section of Neptune's website at . All forward-looking statements in this press release are made as of the date of this press release. Neptune does not undertake to update any such forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. The forward-looking statements contained herein are also subject generally to other risks and uncertainties that are described from time to time in Neptune public securities filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Canadian securities commissions. Additional information about these assumptions and risks and uncertainties is contained in the AIF under "Risk Factors".
Neither NASDAQ nor the Toronto Stock Exchange accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
(1) Neptune Nutraceutical segment
(2) See "Caution Regarding Non-IFRS Financial Measures" which follows
Contacts:
Neptune Contact:
Mario Paradis
VP & CFO
1.450.687.2262
Pierre Boucher
MaisonBrison
1.514.731.0000
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Datum: 11.07.2016 - 21:30 Uhr
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