Caesarstone Reports First Quarter 2013 Results

Caesarstone Reports First Quarter 2013 Results

• First Quarter Revenue Up 13.5% to $76.4 million

• Net Income Attributable to Controlling Interest More Than Doubled to $10.5 million

• EPS of $0.30; Adjusted EPS of $0.32

MP MENASHE, Israel--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Caesarstone Sdot-Yam Ltd. (CSTE), a manufacturer of high quality engineered quartz surfaces, today reported financial results for its first quarter ended March 31, 2013.

Revenues in the first quarter of 2013 increased by 13.5% to $76.4 million compared to $67.3 million in the same quarter of the prior year. Growth in revenues was experienced in each region, but was primarily driven by continued increases in sales in the United States and Canada, up 26.3% and 21.8%, respectively, compared to the same period in the prior year. On a constant currency basis, first quarter revenue growth was 13.9% compared to the same period last year.

Yosef Shiran, Chief Executive Officer, commented, "We are pleased to have begun the year with a good first quarter. Our growth in North America continues to be strong and we are excited to build our presence into the fast-growing U.S. and Canadian markets as they embrace quartz as a superior material. We are also pleased to see growth in sales and margins following a strong global response to our innovative Super-Naturals product line."

Gross margin in the first quarter was 44.8% compared to 41.8% in the same period in the prior year. The Company noted that in the first quarter of last year, excluding compensation related to its initial public offering, gross margin was 43.0%. The comparable year-over-year improvement resulted from benefits of scale, higher margins associated with new products, and favorable changes in the regional mix of revenues.

Operating expenses in the first quarter were $21.1 million, or 27.7% of revenues. This compares to the prior year's first quarter level of $21.0 million, or 31.2% of revenues. The Company noted that expenses in the first quarter of 2012 included $1.1 million for non-recurring compensation costs related to the Company's initial public offering and $0.8 million of management fees. Excluding these expenses, operating expenses were 28.3% of revenues.

Operating income in the first quarter increased by 82.5% from the first quarter of 2012 to $13.1 million, a margin of 17.1%. This compares to operating income in the first quarter of last year of $7.2 million, or 10.6% of revenues.

Adjusted EBITDA, which excludes share-based compensation, the excess cost of acquired inventory and other non-recurring costs, increased by 28.9% to $17.6 million in the first quarter, a margin of 23.1%. This compares to adjusted EBITDA of $13.7 million, a margin of 20.3% in the first quarter of the prior year.

Finance expense in the first quarter was $0.2 million compared to finance expense of $1.5 million during the same period in the prior year, which consisted mainly of expenses related to foreign exchange rate fluctuations.

The Company's reported GAAP net income attributable to controlling interest for the first quarter of 2013 of $10.5 million compared to $4.8 million in the same quarter in the prior year. Diluted earnings per share for the first quarter were $0.30 on 35.0 million shares compared to $0.18 per diluted ordinary share on 27.5 million shares in the prior year's first quarter.

Adjusted net income attributable to controlling interest for the first quarter was $11.3 million, an increase of 52.1%, compared to $7.4 million in the same quarter in the prior year. Adjusted earnings per diluted share for this year's first quarter were $0.32 compared to $0.27 per diluted ordinary share in the prior year period.

The Company's balance sheet as of March 31, 2013 remained solid with a cash balance of $73.2 million. Net cash grew by $3.1 million from December 31, 2012 and was $52.9 million as of March 31, 2013. The Company continues to believe its cash position and expected cash flows will be sufficient to fund its need for capital expenditures and working capital for the foreseeable future.

Guidance

Today, the Company reiterated its revenue guidance for the full year of 2013 in the range of $330 million to $340 million. The Company also maintained its adjusted EBITDA guidance of a range of $76 million to $80 million, but now believes, given the strong first quarter performance, that its results will be in the upper part of this range.

Conference Call Details

Yosef Shiran, the Company's Chief Executive Officer, and Yair Averbuch, the Company's Chief Financial Officer, will host a conference call today, May 8, 2013, at 8:30 a.m. ET to discuss the results of the first quarter ended March 31, 2013, followed by a question and answer session for the investment community. A live webcast of the call can be accessed at ir.caesarstone.com. To access the call, dial toll-free 1-877-857-6177 or +1-719-325-4748 (international). Israeli participants can dial in at 1-80-925-8243. The pass code is 8587578.

To listen to a telephonic replay of the conference call, dial toll-free 1-877-870-5176 or +1-858-384-5517 (international) and enter pass code 8587578. The replay will be available beginning at 11:30 a.m. ET on May 8, 2013 and will last through 11:59 PM EST May 22, 2013.

About Caesarstone

Caesarstone manufactures high quality engineered quartz surfaces, which are used in both residential and commercial buildings as countertops, vanities, wall cladding, floors and other interior surfaces. The wide variety of colors, styles, designs and textures of Caesarstone® products, along with Caesarstone's inherent characteristics such as hardness, non-porous, scratch and stain resistance and durability, provide consumers with excellent surfaces for their internal spaces which are highly competitive to granite, manufactured solid surfaces and laminate, as well as to other engineered quartz surfaces. Caesarstone's four collections of products - Classico, Supremo, Motivo and Concetto - are available in over 40 countries around the world. For more information about the Company, please visit our website www.caesarstone.com.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

The non-GAAP measures presented by the Company should be considered in addition to, and not as a substitute for, comparable GAAP measures. A reconciliation of GAAP net income attributable to controlling interest to adjusted net income attributable to controlling interest and net income to Adjusted EBITDA. The Company provides these non-GAAP financial measures because it believes that they present a better measure of the Company's core business and management uses the non-GAAP measures internally to evaluate the Company's ongoing performance. Accordingly, the Company believes that they are useful to investors in enhancing an understanding of the Company's operating performance.

Forward-Looking Statements

Information provided in this press release may contain statements relating to current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about future events that are "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements generally relate to the Company's plans, objectives and expectations for future operations, including its projected results of operations and the expected timing of expanding its manufacturing facilities. These forward-looking statements are based upon management's current estimates and projections of future results or trends. Actual results may differ materially from those projected as a result of certain risks and uncertainties. These factors include, but are not limited to: the strength of the home renovation and construction sectors; economic conditions within any of our key existing markets; actions by our competitors; changes in raw material prices, particularly polymer resins and pigments; unpredictability of seasonal fluctuations in revenues; the outcome of silicosis claims and the claim by our former quartz processor; fluctuations in currency exchange rates; delays in manufacturing if our suppliers are unable to supply raw materials; and other factors discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in the final prospectus for our initial public offering and other documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements are made only as of the date hereof, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

(CSTE-E)