Charles River Laboratories Announces Third-Quarter 2012 Results from Continuing Operations

Charles River Laboratories Announces Third-Quarter 2012 Results from Continuing Operations

- Third-Quarter Sales of $278.7 Million -

- PCS Sales Increase 5.7% Year-Over-Year -

- Third-Quarter GAAP Earnings per Share of $0.46
and Non-GAAP Earnings per Share of $0.65 -

- Updates Sales and EPS Guidance for 2012 -

WILMINGTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (NYS: CRL) today reported its results for the third quarter of 2012. For the quarter, net sales from continuing operations were $278.7 million, an increase of 0.4% from $277.6 million in the third quarter of 2011. Excluding foreign currency translation, which reduced reported sales by 3.2%, third-quarter 2012 sales increased by 3.6%. On a segment basis, sales increased in the Preclinical Services (PCS) segment, but declined in the Research Models and Services (RMS) segment due primarily to foreign currency translation.

On a GAAP basis, net income from continuing operations for the third quarter of 2012 was $22.4 million, or $0.46 per diluted share, compared to $18.9 million, or $0.37 per diluted share, for the third quarter of 2011.

On a non-GAAP basis, net income from continuing operations was $31.2 million for the third quarter of 2012, an increase of 8.7% from $28.7 million for the same period in 2011. Third-quarter 2012 diluted earnings per share on a non-GAAP basis were $0.65, an increase of 14.0% compared to $0.57 per share in the third quarter of 2011. Non-GAAP earnings per share benefited primarily from an improvement in the PCS operating margin and stock repurchases.

James C. Foster, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, said, "We are experiencing a pivotal moment in time when global biopharmaceutical companies are reinventing the drug discovery and development model. As our clients grapple with the logistics of how and what to outsource, we are extremely well positioned to assist them in the decision-making process, and to be the strategic partner of choice when they do outsource. We have prepared ourselves for this moment by focusing on scientific excellence, operating efficiency, and information technology platforms, and are utilizing our broad, early-stage portfolio and all of our capabilities in innovative working arrangements that suit our clients' individual needs."

"We believe this approach has enabled us to take market share in a highly competitive environment, such as our recently announced partnership with AstraZeneca. We are enhancing our position with strategic targeted acquisitions which expand our capabilities, such as Accugenix, or our global reach, as with our planned majority acquisition of Vital River. This furthers our goal to increase the value proposition we can offer to clients, as a premier provider of essential early-stage drug research products and services."

The Company reports results from continuing operations, which excludes results of the Phase I clinical business that was divested in 2011. The Phase I business is reported as a discontinued operation.

Third-Quarter Segment Results

Research Models and Services (RMS)

Net sales for the RMS segment were $166.5 million in the third quarter of 2012, a decrease of 2.9% from $171.5 million in the third quarter of 2011. Excluding foreign exchange, which reduced reported sales by 4.1%, RMS sales increased by 1.2% due to continued strong sales growth for Other Products, which includes the Endotoxin and Microbial Detection (formerly In Vitro) and Avian Vaccine businesses. This was largely offset by softness in the research models business, particularly for large models.

In the third quarter of 2012, the RMS segment's GAAP operating margin was 26.1% compared to 28.3% for the third quarter of 2011. On a non-GAAP basis, the operating margin increased to 29.3% from 29.0% in the third quarter of 2011. The non-GAAP operating margin improvement was primarily attributable to leverage from higher sales of Other Products, as well as the benefits of ongoing efficiency initiatives.

Preclinical Services (PCS)

Third-quarter 2012 net sales from continuing operations for the PCS segment were $112.2 million, an increase of 5.7% from $106.1 million in the third quarter of 2011. Foreign currency translation reduced reported sales by 1.8%. Excluding foreign exchange, constant-currency sales growth of 7.5% was primarily driven by increased demand for both regulated safety assessment and non-GLP discovery services.

In the third quarter of 2012, the PCS segment's GAAP operating margin increased to 9.8% from 3.5% in the third quarter of 2011. On a non-GAAP basis, the operating margin increased to 13.0% from 9.3% in the third quarter of 2011. The non-GAAP operating margin increase was primarily attributable to improved capacity utilization as a result of the higher sales volume.

Stock Repurchase Update

During the third quarter of 2012, the Company repurchased approximately 416,000 shares for $15.0 million. As of September 29, 2012, Charles River had $73.5 million remaining on its $750 million stock repurchase authorization.

Nine-Month Results

For the first nine months of 2012, net sales decreased by 0.3% to $849.4 million from $851.7 million in the same period in 2011. Foreign currency translation reduced reported sales by 2.4%.

On a GAAP basis, net income from continuing operations for the first nine months of 2012 was $79.4 million, or $1.63 per diluted share, compared to $88.4 million, or $1.69 per diluted share, for the same period in 2011.

On a non-GAAP basis, net income from continuing operations for the first nine months of 2012 was $101.5 million, or $2.09 per diluted share, compared to $97.8 million, or $1.87 per diluted share, for the same period in 2011.

Research Models and Services (RMS)

For the first nine months of 2012, RMS net sales were $523.2 million, essentially unchanged from $523.0 million for the same period in 2011. Foreign currency translation reduced reported sales by 2.9%. On a GAAP basis, the RMS segment operating margin was 30.3% for the first nine months of 2012, compared to 29.8% for the prior-year period. On a non-GAAP basis, the operating margin was 31.9% for the first nine months of 2012, compared to 31.0% for the same period in 2011.

Preclinical Services (PCS)

For the first nine months of 2012, PCS net sales were $326.1 million, a decrease of 0.8% from $328.7 million in the same period in 2011. Foreign currency translation reduced reported sales by 1.6%. On a GAAP basis, the PCS segment operating margin was 8.0% for the first nine months of 2012, compared to 6.3% for the prior-year period. On a non-GAAP basis, the operating margin was 11.7% for the first nine months of 2012, compared to 12.5% for the same period in 2011.

Items Excluded from Non-GAAP Results

Items excluded from non-GAAP results in the third quarter of 2012 and 2011 were as follows:

^{(1) In the third quarter of 2012, items were related primarily to an asset impairment associated with the consolidation of certain RMS Europe operations, partially offset by a gain on the sale of real estate related to RMS Canada}

Items excluded from non-GAAP results in the first nine months of 2012 and 2011 were as follows:

^{(1) In the first nine months of 2012, items were related primarily to an asset impairment associated with the consolidation of certain RMS Europe operations, partially offset by a gain on the sale of real estate related to RMS Canada. In the first nine months of 2011, these items were related primarily to an asset impairment associated with the Company's RMS large model operations and a gain related to the disposition of its RMS Discovery Research Services facility in Michigan, as well as exiting a defined benefit plan in RMS Japan.}

2012 Guidance

The Company is updating its forward-looking guidance based on continuing operations for 2012. Foreign currency translation is still expected to reduce reported sales by approximately 2% for the year. The Company has revised its full year, constant-currency sales guidance to reflect slightly lower-than-expected growth in the RMS segment. The Company has narrowed both its GAAP and non-GAAP earnings per share guidance for 2012 to reflect the strong year-to-date performance.

The updated guidance assumes that total net sales for the fourth quarter improve slightly on a sequential basis due to the RMS segment, which includes a full-quarter benefit from the Accugenix acquisition. The non-GAAP operating margin is expected to decline moderately from the third-quarter level due to seasonal trends in both segments. In addition, the year-over-year comparison will be affected by the inclusion of a 53^rd week last year, which is expected to negatively impact the sales growth rate in the fourth quarter of 2012.

^{(1) These costs relate primarily to the Company's PCS facility in Massachusetts.}

^{(2) Other items primarily include: costs associated with the evaluation of acquisitions; a loss on the sale of auction rate securities; and a gain on the sale of real estate related to RMS Canada.}

Webcast

Charles River Laboratories has scheduled a live webcast on Wednesday, October 31, at 8:30 a.m. ET to discuss matters relating to this press release. To participate, please go to ir.criver.com and select the webcast link. You can also find the associated slide presentation and reconciliations of non-GAAP financial measures to comparable GAAP financial measures on the website.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This press release contains non-GAAP financial measures, such as non-GAAP earnings per diluted share, which exclude the amortization of intangible assets and other charges related to our acquisitions, expenses associated with evaluating acquisitions, charges and operating losses attributable to our businesses we plan to close or divest, severance costs associated with our cost-savings actions, taxes associated with the disposition of our Phase I clinical business, the gain on the settlement of a life insurance policy, fees and tax costs associated with corporate subsidiary restructuring, and the additional interest recorded as a result of the adoption in 2009 of an accounting standard related to our convertible debt accounting which increased interest and depreciation expense. We exclude these items from the non-GAAP financial measures because they are outside our normal operations. This press release also refers to our sales in both a GAAP and non-GAAP (constant currency) basis. There are limitations in using non-GAAP financial measures, as they are not prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and may be different than non-GAAP financial measures used by other companies. In particular, we believe that the inclusion of supplementary non-GAAP financial measures in this press release helps investors to gain a meaningful understanding of our core operating results and future prospects without the effect of these often-one-time charges, and is consistent with how management measures and forecasts the Company's performance, especially when comparing such results to prior periods or forecasts. We believe that the financial impact of our acquisitions (and in certain cases, the evaluation of such acquisitions, whether or not ultimately consummated) is often large relative to our overall financial performance, which can adversely affect the comparability of our results on a period-to-period basis. In addition, certain activities, such as business acquisitions, happen infrequently and the underlying costs associated with such activities do not recur on a regular basis. Presenting sales on a constant currency basis allows investors to measure our organic sales growth net of foreign currency exchange fluctuations more clearly. Non-GAAP results also allow investors to compare the Company's operations against the financial results of other companies in the industry who similarly provide non-GAAP results. The non-GAAP financial measures included in this press release are not meant to be considered superior to or a substitute for results of operations prepared in accordance with GAAP. The Company intends to continue to assess the potential value of reporting non-GAAP results consistent with applicable rules and regulations. Reconciliations of the non-GAAP financial measures used in this press release to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures are set forth in the text of this press release, and can also be found on the Company's website at ir.criver.com.

Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as "anticipate," "believe," "expect," "will," "may," "estimate," "plan," "outlook," and "project" and other similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters. These statements also include statements regarding our projected 2012 financial performance including sales, earnings per share, and the expected impact of foreign exchange rates; the future demand for drug discovery and development products and services; including our expectations for revenue trends for 2012; the development and performance of our services and products, including the impact this can have on our clients' drug development models; market and industry conditions including the outsourcing of these services and present spending trends by our customers; the impact of specific actions intended to more accurately align our infrastructure to the current operating environment, and to improve overall operating efficiencies and profitability; and Charles River's future performance as delineated in our forward-looking guidance, and particularly our expectations with respect to sales and foreign exchange impact. Forward-looking statements are based on Charles River's current expectations and beliefs, and involve a number of risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict and that could cause actual results to differ materially from those stated or implied by the forward-looking statements. Those risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the ability to successfully integrate businesses we acquire; the ability to execute our cost-savings actions on an effective and timely basis (including divestitures and site closures); the timing and magnitude of our share repurchases; negative trends in research and development spending, negative trends in the level of outsourced services, or other cost reduction actions by our customers; the ability to convert backlog to sales; special interest groups; contaminations; industry trends; new displacement technologies; USDA and FDA regulations; changes in law; continued availability of products and supplies; loss of key personnel; interest rate and foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations; changes in tax regulation and laws; changes in generally accepted accounting principles; and any changes in business, political, or economic conditions due to the threat of future terrorist activity in the U.S. and other parts of the world, and related U.S. military action overseas. A further description of these risks, uncertainties, and other matters can be found in the Risk Factors detailed in Charles River's Annual Report on Form 10-K as filed on February 27, 2012, as well as other filings we make with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Because forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, actual results and events may differ materially from results and events currently expected by Charles River, and Charles River assumes no obligation and expressly disclaims any duty to update information contained in this news release except as required by law.

About Charles River

Accelerating Drug Development. Exactly. Charles River provides essential products and services to help pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, government agencies and leading academic institutions around the globe accelerate their research and drug development efforts. Our dedicated employees are focused on providing clients with exactly what they need to improve and expedite the discovery, early-stage development and safe manufacture of new therapies for the patients who need them. To learn more about our unique portfolio and breadth of services, visit www.criver.com.