SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): December 20, 2018
SANDERSON FARMS, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Mississippi | 1-14977 | 64-0615843 | ||
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation) |
(Commission File Number) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) | ||
127 Flynt Road Laurel, Mississippi |
39443 | |||
(Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip Code) |
(601) 649-4030
(Registrants telephone number, including area code)
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
Check the appropriate box if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):
☐ | Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) |
☐ | Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) |
☐ | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) |
☐ | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)) |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
Emerging growth company ☐
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Section 2 Financial Information
Item 2.02 | Results of Operations and Financial Condition. |
On December 20, 2018, the Registrant issued a press release announcing its earnings for its fiscal quarter and year ended October 31, 2018. The press release is furnished herewith as Exhibit 99.1. Also on December 20, 2018, the Registrant held a conference call to discuss its earnings for its fiscal quarter and year ended October 31, 2018. A transcript of the conference call is furnished herewith as Exhibit 99.2. The information in the press release and transcript is not to be considered filed for purposes of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act), and is not incorporated by reference into the Registrants filings under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act).
CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES
THAT MAY AFFECT FUTURE PERFORMANCE
Exhibit 99.2 to this Current Report may include forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Safe Harbor provisions of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. These forward-looking statements are based on a number of assumptions about future events and are subject to various risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from the views, beliefs and estimates expressed in such statements. These risks, uncertainties and other factors include, but are not limited to, the risks described in Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report and in the Registrants Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended October 31, 2018, and in subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. The risks cannot be controlled by the Registrant. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements made by or on behalf of the Registrant. Each such statement speaks only as of the day it was made. The Registrant undertakes no obligation to update or to revise any forward-looking statements. The factors cannot be controlled by the Registrant. When used in Exhibit 99.2 to this Current Report, the words believes, estimates, plans, expects, should, could, outlook, and anticipates and similar words are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Examples of forward-looking statements include statements about the Registrants beliefs about growth plans, future demand for its products, future prices for feed grains, future expenses, future production levels, future earnings, future growth plans or other industry conditions.
Section 9 Financial Statements and Exhibits
Item 9.01 | Financial Statements and Exhibits. |
(d) Exhibits:
Exhibit No. |
Description | |
99.1 | Press release of Sanderson Farms, Inc. dated December 20, 2018. | |
99.2 | Transcript of conference call held by Sanderson Farms, Inc. on December 20, 2018. |
EXHIBIT INDEX
Exhibit No. |
Description | |
99.1 | Press release of Sanderson Farms, Inc. dated December 20, 2018. | |
99.2 | Transcript of conference call held by Sanderson Farms, Inc. on December 20, 2018. |
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
SANDERSON FARMS, INC.
(Registrant)
Date: December 26, 2018 | By: |
/s/ D. Michael Cockrell | ||||
D. Michael Cockrell Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer |
Exhibit 99.1
Contact: | Mike Cockrell | |
Treasurer & Chief Financial Officer | ||
(601) 426-1454 |
SANDERSON FARMS, INC. REPORTS
RESULTS FOR FOURTH QUARTER AND FISCAL 2018
LAUREL, Miss. (December 20, 2018) Sanderson Farms, Inc. (NASDAQ: SAFM) today reported results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended October 31, 2018.
Net sales for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2018 were $798.1 million compared with $919.9 million for the same period a year ago. For the quarter, the Company reported a net loss of $43.2 million, or $1.95 per share, compared with net income of $72.9 million, or $3.20 per share, for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2017.
Net sales for fiscal 2018 were $3.236 billion compared with $3.342 billion for fiscal 2017. Net income for the fiscal year totaled $61.4 million, or $2.70 per share, compared with net income of $279.7 million, or $12.30 per share, for last fiscal year.
The results for the quarter and fiscal year include a charge of $9.6 million, or approximately $0.32 per share net of income taxes, to record live inventories on hand at October 31, 2018, at the lower of cost or net realizable value as required by generally accepted accounting principles. Results also reflect costs and inefficiencies as a result of two hurricanes during the fourth quarter that affected operations in North Carolina and Georgia.
The fourth quarter marked the end of a challenging year for Sanderson Farms, said Joe F. Sanderson, Jr., chairman and chief executive officer of Sanderson Farms, Inc. Market conditions weakened significantly during our fourth fiscal quarter of 2018, as market prices declined after Labor Day, reflecting weak demand for products produced for the food service market at our plants that process a larger bird. The decrease in demand and resulting weak market prices were exacerbated by hurricane disruptions.
For the fiscal year, we reported record volume of poultry products sold of 4.44 billion pounds, compared to 4.22 billion pounds in fiscal 2017. Grain prices were slightly higher during fiscal 2018 compared with prices paid in fiscal 2017; however, feed costs in processed flocks were higher by only 1.3 percent per pound, as higher prices paid for feed grain were partially offset by improved live bird performance.
According to Sanderson, overall realized prices for poultry products were 9.2 percent lower in fiscal 2018 compared with prices last year, and were significantly lower for the fourth fiscal quarter of 2018. Boneless breast meat market prices averaged 26.1 percent lower in the fourth quarter than the prior-year period. For the full fiscal year, however, boneless breast meat prices were 16.7 percent lower compared with fiscal 2017. Jumbo wing market prices averaged $1.46 per pound during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2018, down 30.2 percent from the average of $2.09 per pound during the prior-year period. Jumbo wing market prices averaged $1.44 per pound during the fiscal year, down 25.2 percent from the average of $1.92 per pound for fiscal 2017. The average market price for bulk leg quarters decreased approximately 24.8 percent for the fourth fiscal quarter of 2018 compared with the fourth fiscal quarter of 2017, and decreased 5.5 percent for fiscal 2018 compared to fiscal 2017. Cash prices for corn during the fourth fiscal quarter decreased by 1.2 percent, while soybean meal cash prices were up 1.9 percent.
-MORE-
Sanderson Farms Reports Results for Fourth Quarter and Fiscal 2018
Page 2
December 20, 2018
As of October 31, 2018, our balance sheet reflected $1.659 billion in assets, stockholders equity of $1.388 billion and net working capital of $367.6 million. We repurchased 823,385 shares during the fourth fiscal quarter at an average price of $101.37 per share, and we had no debt at fiscal year-end. We believe our balance sheet provides us with the financial strength not only to support our growth strategy, but also to consistently manage our operations through the cycles that characterize our industry. We deeply appreciate the hard work and dedication to excellence of our employees, growers and everyone associated with our company, Sanderson concluded.
Sanderson Farms will hold a conference call to discuss this press release today, December 20, 2018, at 10:00 a.m. Central, 11:00 a.m. Eastern. Investors will have the opportunity to listen to a live internet broadcast of the conference call through the Companys website at www.sandersonfarms.com. To listen to the live call, please go to the website at least 15 minutes early to register, download, and install any necessary audio software. For those who cannot listen to the live broadcast, an internet replay will be available shortly after the call and continue through December 27, 2018. Those without internet access, or who prefer to participate via telephone, may call 1-800-263-0877, access code 6652562.
Sanderson Farms, Inc. is engaged in the production, processing, marketing and distribution of fresh, frozen and minimally prepared chicken. Its shares trade on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol SAFM.
This press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements are based on a number of assumptions about future events and are subject to various risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from the views, beliefs, projections and estimates expressed in such statements. These risks, uncertainties and other factors include, but are not limited to those discussed under Risk Factors in the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended October 31, 2017, the Companys subsequent reports on Form 10-Q, and the following:
(1) Changes in the market price for the Companys finished products and feed grains, both of which may fluctuate substantially and exhibit cyclical characteristics typically associated with commodity markets.
(2) Changes in economic and business conditions, monetary and fiscal policies or the amount of growth, stagnation or recession in the global or U.S. economies, any of which may affect the value of inventories, the collectability of accounts receivable or the financial integrity of customers, and the ability of the end user or consumer to afford protein.
(3) Changes in the political or economic climate, trade policies, laws and regulations or the domestic poultry industry of countries to which the Company or other companies in the poultry industry ship product, and other changes that might limit the Companys or the industrys access to foreign markets.
(4) Changes in laws, regulations, and other activities in government agencies and similar organizations applicable to the Company and the poultry industry and changes in laws, regulations and other activities in government agencies and similar organizations related to food safety.
(5) Various inventory risks due to changes in market conditions including, but not limited to, the risk that market values of live and processed poultry inventories might be lower than the cost of such inventories, requiring a downward adjustment to record the value of such inventories at the lower of cost or net realizable value as required by generally accepted accounting principles.
(6) Changes in and effects of competition, which is significant in all markets in which the Company competes, and the effectiveness of marketing and advertising programs. The Company competes with regional and national firms, some of which have greater financial and marketing resources than the Company.
-MORE-
Sanderson Farms Reports Results for Fourth Quarter and Fiscal 2018
Page 3
December 20, 2018
(7) Changes in accounting policies and practices adopted voluntarily by the Company or required to be adopted by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States.
(8) Disease outbreaks affecting the production, performance and/or marketability of the Companys poultry products, or the contamination of its products.
(9) Changes in the availability and cost of labor and growers.
(10) The loss of any of the Companys major customers.
(11) Inclement weather that could hurt Company flocks or otherwise adversely affect its operations, or changes in global weather patterns that could affect the supply and price of feed grains.
(12) Failure to respond to changing consumer preferences and negative or competitive media campaigns.
(13) Failure to successfully and efficiently start up and run a new plant or integrate any business the Company might acquire.
(14) Unfavorable results from currently pending litigation and proceedings, or litigation and proceedings that could arise in the future.
Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements made by or on behalf of Sanderson Farms. Each such statement speaks only as of the day it was made. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or to revise any forward-looking statements. The factors described above cannot be controlled by the Company. When used in this press release or in the related conference call, the words believes, estimates, plans, expects, should, outlook, and anticipates and similar expressions as they relate to the Company or its management are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Examples of forward-looking statements include statements of the Companys belief about its growth plans, future demand for its products, future prices for feed grains, future expenses, future production levels, future earnings, future growth plans or other industry conditions.
-MORE-
Sanderson Farms Reports Results for Fourth Quarter and Fiscal 2018
Page 4
December 20, 2018
SANDERSON FARMS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations
(In thousands, except per share amounts)
Three Months Ended | Twelve Months Ended | |||||||||||||||
October 31, | October 31, | |||||||||||||||
2018 | 2017 | 2018 | 2017 | |||||||||||||
(Unaudited) | (Unaudited) | (1) | (1) | |||||||||||||
Net sales |
$ | 798,148 | $ | 919,941 | $ | 3,236,004 | $ | 3,342,226 | ||||||||
Costs and expenses: |
||||||||||||||||
Cost of sales |
787,660 | 746,425 | 2,974,739 | 2,700,684 | ||||||||||||
Live inventory adjustment |
9,600 | | 9,600 | | ||||||||||||
Selling, general and administrative |
58,575 | 64,556 | 221,965 | 216,303 | ||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
855,835 | 810,981 | 3,206,304 | 2,916,987 | |||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
Operating income (loss) |
(57,687 | ) | 108,960 | 29,700 | 425,239 | |||||||||||
Other income (expense): |
||||||||||||||||
Interest income |
842 | 344 | 2,911 | 1,167 | ||||||||||||
Interest expense |
(518 | ) | (511 | ) | (2,066 | ) | (1,886 | ) | ||||||||
Other |
3 | 2 | 12 | 10 | ||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
327 | (165 | ) | 857 | (709 | ) | |||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
Income (loss) before income taxes |
(57,360 | ) | 108,795 | 30,557 | 424,530 | |||||||||||
Income tax expense (benefit) |
(14,162 | ) | 35,924 | (30,874 | ) | 144,785 | ||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
Net income (loss) |
$ | (43,198 | ) | $ | 72,871 | $ | 61,431 | $ | 279,745 | |||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
Basic earnings (loss) per share |
$ | (1.95 | ) | $ | 3.20 | $ | 2.70 | $ | 12.30 | |||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
Diluted earnings (loss) per share |
$ | (1.95 | ) | $ | 3.20 | $ | 2.70 | $ | 12.30 | |||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
Dividends per share |
$ | 0.32 | $ | 1.32 | $ | 1.28 | $ | 2.04 | ||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1) | The Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations for the twelve months ended October 31, 2018 and 2017 were derived from the audited consolidated financial statements for those periods, but do not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. generally accepted accounting principles for complete financial statements. |
-MORE-
Sanderson Farms Reports Results for Fourth Quarter and Fiscal 2018
Page 5
December 20, 2018
SANDERSON FARMS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
(In thousands)
October 31, | October 31, | |||||||
2018 | 2017 | |||||||
(1) | (1) | |||||||
ASSETS |
||||||||
Current assets: |
||||||||
Cash and cash equivalents |
$ | 121,193 | $ | 419,285 | ||||
Accounts receivable, net |
121,932 | 138,868 | ||||||
Receivable from insurance companies |
7,094 | 0 | ||||||
Inventories |
240,056 | 252,765 | ||||||
Refundable income taxes |
32,974 | 0 | ||||||
Prepaid expenses |
43,240 | 38,620 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Total current assets |
566,489 | 849,538 | ||||||
Property, plant and equipment |
1,961,497 | 1,657,084 | ||||||
Less accumulated depreciation |
(873,909 | ) | (780,276 | ) | ||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
1,087,588 | 876,808 | |||||||
Other assets |
5,363 | 6,897 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Total assets |
$ | 1,659,440 | $ | 1,733,243 | ||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS EQUITY |
||||||||
Current liabilities: |
||||||||
Accounts payable |
$ | 128,936 | $ | 90,904 | ||||
Accrued expenses |
69,953 | 101,168 | ||||||
Accrued income taxes |
0 | 6,649 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Total current liabilities |
198,889 | 198,721 | ||||||
Claims payable and other liabilities |
9,865 | 9,762 | ||||||
Deferred income taxes |
62,793 | 91,898 | ||||||
Commitment and contingencies |
||||||||
Stockholders equity: |
||||||||
Common stock |
22,100 | 22,803 | ||||||
Paid-in capital |
81,269 | 134,999 | ||||||
Retained earnings |
1,284,524 | 1,275,060 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Total stockholders equity |
1,387,893 | 1,432,862 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Total liabilities and stockholders equity |
$ | 1,659,440 | $ | 1,733,243 | ||||
|
|
|
|
(1) | The Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets at October 31, 2018 and 2017 were derived from the audited consolidated financial statements at those dates, but do not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. generally accepted accounting principles for complete financial statements. |
-END-
Exhibit 99.2
THOMSON REUTERS STREETEVENTS | www.streetevents.com | Contact Us
©2018 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Thomson Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters. Thomson Reuters and the Thomson Reuters logo are registered trademarks of Thomson Reuters and its affiliated companies. |
DECEMBER 20, 2018 / 4:00PM, SAFM - Q4 2018 Sanderson Farms Inc Earnings Call
CORPORATE PARTICIPANTS
D. Michael Cockrell Sanderson Farms, Inc. - CFO, Treasurer & Director
Joe F. Sanderson Sanderson Farms, Inc. - Chairman & CEO
Lampkin Butts Sanderson Farms, Inc. - President, COO & Director
CONFERENCE CALL PARTICIPANTS
Adam L. Samuelson Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Research Division - Equity Analyst
Akshay S. Jagdale Jefferies LLC, Research Division - Equity Analyst
Benjamin M. Theurer Barclays Bank PLC, Research Division - Head of the Mexico Equity Research & Director
Eric Jon Larson The Buckingham Research Group Incorporated - Analyst
Heather Lynn Jones The Vertical Trading Group, LLC, Research Division - Research Analyst
Jeremy Carlson Scott Mizuho Securities USA LLC, Research Division - VP of Americas Research
Kenneth B. Goldman JP Morgan Chase & Co, Research Division - Senior Analyst
Kenneth Bryan Zaslow BMO Capital Markets Equity Research - MD of Food & Agribusiness Research and Food & Beverage Analyst
PRESENTATION
Operator
Good day, and welcome to Sanderson Farms Fourth Quarter and Fiscal 2018 Conference Call. Todays conference is being recorded.
At this time, for opening remarks and introductions, Id like turn the call over to Mr. Joe Sanderson. Please go ahead, sir.
Joe F. Sanderson - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - Chairman & CEO
Good morning, and welcome to Sanderson Farms Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year-End Conference Call. I apologize to each of you. I have a bit of bronchitis and Im hoarse. I feel fine. So Im going to proceed, doing my part this morning. I apologize for my voice.
This morning, we reported a net loss of $43.2 million or $1.95 per share for our fourth fiscal quarter of 2018. During the fourth quarter of last year, we made $72.9 million or $3.20 per share. For the year ended October 31, 2018, we reported net income of $61.4 million or $2.70 per share. For fiscal 2017, we reported net income of $279.7 million or $12.30 per share.
The results for the quarter and the fiscal year include an adjustment of $9.6 million or approximately $0.32 per share, net of income taxes, to record live inventories on hand at October 31, 2018, at the lower of cost or net realizable value as required by generally accepted accounting principles. Results also include costs and inefficiencies caused as a result of 2 hurricanes during the quarter that affected our operations in North Carolina and Georgia.
If you did not receive a copy of the release and accompanying financial summary, theyre available on our website at www.sandersonfarms.com.
Before we continue, Ill ask Mike to give the cautionary statement regarding forward-looking statements.
2 | ||
THOMSON REUTERS STREETEVENTS | www.streetevents.com | Contact Us
©2018 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Thomson Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters. Thomson Reuters and the Thomson Reuters logo are registered trademarks of Thomson Reuters and its affiliated companies. |
DECEMBER 20, 2018 / 4:00PM, SAFM - Q4 2018 Sanderson Farms Inc Earnings Call
D. Michael Cockrell - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - CFO, Treasurer & Director
Thank you, Joe, and good morning, everyone. This mornings call will contain forward-looking statements about the business, financial condition and prospects of the company. Examples of forward-looking statements include statements about future earnings, expenditures, supply and demand factors, production levels, grain cost and supply, poultry prices, growth plans and economic conditions. The words believes, expects, anticipates, estimates, models, should and plans, and similar words are intended to identify forward-looking statements.
The actual performance of the company could differ materially from that indicated by forward-looking statements because of various risks and uncertainties. Those risks and uncertainties are described in our press release and in the annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended October 31, 2018, which was filed with the SEC this morning. All forward-looking statements speak only as of today and are based on our current expectations, beliefs and assumptions. Those could change based on the many external factors affecting our business. We undertake no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements.
Joe F. Sanderson - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - Chairman & CEO
Thank you, Mike. Our financial results for the fourth fiscal quarter and year-ended October 31 reflect weak market prices for products produced at our big bird food service plants, reduced features for chicken products at retail grocery stores, inefficiencies during our fourth quarter caused by 2 hurricanes, slightly higher cost for feed grain and a downward adjustment to live inventories to value live inventory at net realizable value. Overall, poultry market prices decreased for the year compared to fiscal 2017, and grain prices were slightly higher during the year.
That said, feed costs in flocks sold were higher only by $0.0033/pound, as improved efficiencies partly offset the higher prices paid for grain. Our net sales for fiscal 2018 were $3.236 billion, and our net income was $2.70 per share. We sold a record 4.44 billion pounds of poultry products. We repurchased and canceled 823,385 shares of common stock during the fourth quarter at an average price of $101.37 per share.
We moved our St. Pauls, North Carolina plant to full production, continued construction of our new Tyler, Texas complex. And we ended the year with no debt on our balance sheet. While we have room to improve our performance, I am very grateful for the efforts of our growers and employees during this past fiscal year and look forward to working with them to capture the opportunities available to us during the coming fiscal year.
With that introduction, Ill ask Mike and Lampkin to provide some details on the quarter, and I will return after they finish to discuss our focus during fiscal 2019 and to answer your questions.
Lampkin Butts - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - President, COO & Director
Thank you, Joe, and good morning, everyone. This is Lampkin. As Joe said, overall market prices for chicken were lower during the fiscal year compared to fiscal 2017. And our feed costs per pound for the year were higher by only 1.3%.
Tray pack market prices during our fourth quarter and the fiscal year continue to reflect relatively balanced supply and demand dynamics, but volumes reflect fewer features at retail grocery stores and at national food service restaurants during the year, which we believe is a result of lower wholesale prices for competing proteins.
For the year, our tray pack market prices were lower by $0.013 per pound compared to 2017. But with improvements in our mix, our overall average market price for tray pack sales increased $0.025 per pound. For the fourth quarter, tray pack sales prices were lower by $0.043 per pound compared to the fourth quarter of 2017.
Our mix was better, however, so that our net average sales price during the fourth quarter were lower by less than $0.01 per pound. Sequentially, market prices were lower by $0.018 per pound and our mix was flat. We remain constructive on our outlook for the tray pack markets during 2019.
3 | ||
THOMSON REUTERS STREETEVENTS | www.streetevents.com | Contact Us
©2018 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Thomson Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters. Thomson Reuters and the Thomson Reuters logo are registered trademarks of Thomson Reuters and its affiliated companies. |
DECEMBER 20, 2018 / 4:00PM, SAFM - Q4 2018 Sanderson Farms Inc Earnings Call
Bulk leg quarter market prices were approximately 24.8% lower during the quarter compared to last years fourth quarter and for the full year were lower about 5.5% compared to fiscal 2017. Urner Barry quoted market prices for leg quarters averaged $0.283 per pound during the fourth quarter and $0.331 for fiscal year. Total industry export volume for the calendar year through October was higher by 4% compared to 2017.
Market prices for boneless breast during our fourth quarter were lower by 26.1% compared to the fourth quarter a year ago. The quoted market price for boneless averaged $0.953 per pound during the fourth quarter and about $1.09 per pound for the fiscal year. Boneless prices have weakened substantially since September. And the Urner Barry market price for jumbo boneless breast is currently $0.94 per pound.
Jumbo wing market prices during the fourth quarter averaged $1.46 per pound. Thats down 30.2% from the average of $2.09 per pound during last years fourth quarter. For the year, jumbo wing market prices were lower by 25.2% from an average of $1.92 per pound during 2017 to an average of $1.44 per pound during 2018. The current Urner Barry quote for jumbo wings is $1.46 per pound.
Our average sales price for poultry products during the full fiscal year was lower by $0.069 per pound compared to last year, decreasing 9.2% for the year ended October 31, 2018, compared to the year ended October 31, 2017. This decrease in our average sales price for chicken was in addition to higher feed costs in broilers processed. For the full fiscal year, feed costs in broilers processed were higher by $0.0032 per pound or 1.3%.
For the fourth quarter, our overall cash costs for grain delivered to our feed mills were higher than last years fourth quarter. Prices paid for corn delivered during our fourth quarter were lower by 1.2% compared to last years fourth quarter while soybean prices were higher - soybean meal prices were higher by 1.9%. Our feed costs per pound in broiler flocks processed were higher by $0.01 or 4% during this years fourth quarter compared to a year ago.
During this years fourth fiscal quarter, we processed 1.158 billion pounds of dressed poultry and sold 1.145 billion pounds. We processed 4.503 billion pounds during fiscal 2018 and sold 4.443 billion pounds. For those of you modeling fiscal 2019, we currently expect to process 4.625 billion pounds of dressed poultry during fiscal 2019, which would represent a 2.7% increase in pounds processed compared to 2018.
If we run our plants as expected, those pounds would be processed as follows: 1.052 billion in Q1, 1.108 billion in Q2, 1.223 billion in Q3, 1.242 billion in Q4. Of course, these estimates are subject to change as a result of weather, changes in target live weights, market conditions and other factors.
Like Joe, Im grateful for everyone associated with Sanderson Farms, our employees, our growers, customers and vendors, and look forward to the new year.
At this point, Ill turn the call over to Mike for a discussion of the quarters financial results.
D. Michael Cockrell - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - CFO, Treasurer & Director
Thank you, Lampkin. Net sales for the fourth fiscal quarter totaled $798.1 million, and thats down from $919.9 million for the same quarter last year. The decrease in net sales for the quarter reflects the decrease in pounds of poultry products sold of 0.6% and a 15.4% decrease in our average sales price for poultry products.
Our cost of sales of poultry products for the quarter ended October 31 increased 4.2%, and that reflects a 4% increase in cost of feed in broilers processed during the quarter, partially offset by a decrease in pounds sold. For the fiscal year, net sales totaled $3.24 billion, down 3.2% from $3.34 billion last year. Cost of sales for the year increased 10.1% compared to a year ago and totaled $2.975 billion.
The average cost per pound in our poultry business increased $0.0243 or 4% compared to last year, and that reflects higher non-fee-related cost of goods sold and slightly higher feed cost. We sold 20.8 million more pounds of prepared chicken, a 24.4% increase. And our sales price averaged $0.0489 per pound lower, and thats a 2.4% decrease.
4 | ||
THOMSON REUTERS STREETEVENTS | www.streetevents.com | Contact Us
©2018 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Thomson Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters. Thomson Reuters and the Thomson Reuters logo are registered trademarks of Thomson Reuters and its affiliated companies. |
DECEMBER 20, 2018 / 4:00PM, SAFM - Q4 2018 Sanderson Farms Inc Earnings Call
SG&A expenses for fiscal 2018 were up $5.7 million compared to last year, due primarily to an increase in administrative salaries, increased legal fees, startup costs at our Tyler, Texas facility and increased trainee expenses. That was partially offset by bonus accruals in the ESOP contribution, which was less than last year.
For fiscal 2019, were modeling $212.7 million for SG&A. That estimate includes no accrual for bonus compensation plans or the ESOP, since both of those items are dependent upon profitability. Well consider the probability of earning a bonus and an ESOP contribution as we move through the year, and well adjust this estimate accordingly.
The estimate for 2019 reflects $9.5 million in startup costs at our new Tyler facility. And we estimate that SG&A expenses will be broken out as follows: $59.9 million in Q1, $50.2 million in Q2, $50.3 million in Q3, and $52.4 million in Q4. At the end of our fiscal year, our balance sheet reflected stockholders equity of $1.39 billion and net working capital of $367.6 million.
For the year, we spent $308 million on CapEx, paid $29 million in dividends. And we spent $83.5 million repurchasing 823,385 shares of our common stock.
For fiscal 2018, interest expense was $2.1 million, an increase from the $1.9 million last year. We had no debt on the balance sheet at year-end, and the increase is a result of commitment fees on our revolver.
Our effective tax rate was a negative number for the year, and that reflects the deferred tax adjustment we made following the new tax legislation last year.
Going forward, were going to model an effective tax rate of 25.5% for 2019. We expect our CapEx for construction, maintenance and special projects for fiscal 19 to be approximately $217.7 million, and well fund that by cash on hand, internally generated working capital, cash flows from operations and, as needed, liquidity provided by our revolving credit facility.
Of that total, $56.6 million will be spent on the new Tyler complex, $7.9 million will be paid as the last payment on a new aircraft and $70.5 million is expected to be spent on equipment upgrades at several plants. The company has $900 million unsecured revolving line of credit, of which $878.6 million was available at October 31. We did borrow $30 million under the revolver in November, and we currently have $844.7 million available to us.
Our depreciation and amortization in 2018 was $110.9 million, and were modeling $133.0 million for next year. Were modeling $29.1 million of depreciation in Q1, $33.3 million in Q2, $35 million in Q3 and $35.6 million in Q4. Those increases, of course, are related to our Tyler facility.
With respect to hurricane losses, our balance sheet reflects an insurance receivable of $7 million. That receivable represents property damage, losses and costs that are easily documented, and we were quickly able to agree on those amounts with our insurer. The balance of our losses during the fourth quarter, which is primarily business interruption and lost efficiencies at our plants, require a little bit more art and require estimates and are less exact. As a result, those losses are still reflected in our fourth quarter operating results, and we estimate those to be approximately $6.5 million. And a portion of that will be recovered under our insurance, but we will work during our first fiscal quarter to complete our estimates and reach an agreement regarding the estimates with our insurance partners.
With that, Ill turn the call back over to Joe for comments on our grain strategy and other items for next year.
Joe F. Sanderson - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - Chairman & CEO
Thank you, Mike. Our feed costs during fiscal 2018 were higher than the previous year for the first time in 5 years, but only slightly. Given the supply of feed grain and uncertainties regarding trade issues, we expect flat-to-lower costs during fiscal 2019. If we had locked in prices for all of our needs for fiscal 2019, including what we have already priced at current values, that is, if using the Chicago Board of Trade contract prices for current and future needs as it closed last night, our cash costs for grain during fiscal 2019 would be $8.1 million less than during fiscal 2018.
5 | ||
THOMSON REUTERS STREETEVENTS | www.streetevents.com | Contact Us
©2018 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Thomson Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters. Thomson Reuters and the Thomson Reuters logo are registered trademarks of Thomson Reuters and its affiliated companies. |
DECEMBER 20, 2018 / 4:00PM, SAFM - Q4 2018 Sanderson Farms Inc Earnings Call
However, we believe the Board is high relative to supply. Given that the carryout of both corn and soybeans is healthy and given ample worldwide supplies of both grains, we should be able to buy grain at prices similar to, if not lower than, last year. Weve taken opportunities to price our corn and soybean meal at least through December, and we will remain patient for now on the rest of the year.
As always, on this year-end call, Ill share a few things were watching closely as we start a new fiscal year. First is always we will keep one eye on the South American crops. As of today, the corn and soy crops in Brazil and the rest of South America are progressing nicely. Second, we will watch the United States Planting Intentions report next March. Most everyone believes corn acres will increase in 2019, while soybean acres will decrease. And well closely watch that report.
Third, we will watch chicken production numbers. USDA estimates that the industry will produce around 2.5% to 3% more pounds of chickens during calendar 2019 compared to 2018. Several new facilities and expansions have been announced that, if completed, will add new production in our industry over the next several years.
However, based on what we read, it appears the new production represented by announced expansions will not only come to the market over several years, but will also be split between the retail tray pack market and the big bird food service market. Whether or not and to what extent that new production exceeds additional demand for chicken in those 2 markets remains to be seen.
What we will do is to continue to execute our growth strategy and let the markets take care of themselves. We will, of course, also be watching the chicken market. Market prices for boneless breast meat produced at our big bird plants for the food service markets are at historic lows. Furthermore, based on publicly available information, a couple of our peers in North Carolina will be bringing additional big bird production to market in 2019.
In addition, we returned our Hazlehurst plant to big bird production during November. And we will transition Hammond back to big birds sometime in late spring. That additional production will contribute to an already challenging environment, absent some increase in demand.
As we have mentioned several times recently, calendar 2018 saw virtually no feature activity from for chicken from food service establishments. One might expect these low prices to attract some feature activity during 2019, which would help the demand side of the equation.
As Lampkin said, we feel good about retail grocery demand going forward, at least for everyday business. Volumes during 2018 suffered from a lack of feature activity at grocery stores, as many chose to take advantage of relatively low wholesale prices for beef and pork during the year. Of course, if product produced at our retail grocery plants doesnt go into a tray to get sold at grocery stores, it is packed bulk and competes in an already soft food-service market.
Export demand has firmed somewhat recently, and we expect dark-meat prices to move higher from where they are right now.
Finally, we will focus our efforts on getting Tyler opened and maturing both tray pack and food service sales. We have opened 3 new processing plants over the last 6 years. And with no new construction currently envisioned during 2019, we will work to mature the operations and sales at those new plants.
While our overall performance in some areas during 2018 was good, we have identified significant opportunities in our operation in areas where we underperformed in 2018. We start the new year in pretty good shape. Our balance sheet is strong. We started fiscal 2019 debt-free, and the company is well positioned to continue our growth strategy in the future. The new Tyler complex demonstrates our optimism and our confidence in the long-term success of Sanderson Farms and our industry. The new complex will add value for our investors, opportunities for our employees and their communities and more high-quality products for new customers. We are committed to continue our growth beyond Tyler, but we will take this year to work on our operations and sales at our existing facilities.
Market conditions are challenging as we start the year. But no matter the market conditions, we will continue to focus on those things we can control and manage the others as best we can.
With that, we will now take your questions.
6 | ||
THOMSON REUTERS STREETEVENTS | www.streetevents.com | Contact Us
©2018 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Thomson Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters. Thomson Reuters and the Thomson Reuters logo are registered trademarks of Thomson Reuters and its affiliated companies. |
DECEMBER 20, 2018 / 4:00PM, SAFM - Q4 2018 Sanderson Farms Inc Earnings Call
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Operator
(Operator Instructions) And well take our first question from Heather Jones with The Vertical Group.
Heather Lynn Jones - The Vertical Trading Group, LLC, Research Division - Research Analyst
So I have, I guess, a couple of questions. Going to your comment about USDAs projection on chicken production at 2.5% to 3%, was wondering if you could share with us your view of the likelihood of us achieving that. And if we do achieve that, it would seem like based upon the flock that weve got on the ground, the pullets that weve been placing, it would seem like you would have to have a really big acceleration in pullet placement. So just wondering if you could share with us your thoughts on that.
Joe F. Sanderson - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - Chairman & CEO
I dont I agree there has to be an acceleration in pullet placements. Our pullet flock looks like our hen flock and pullet flock right now does not look like it can do that. Were placing we started placing in April last April for Tyler. I feel certain the other 2 plants in North Carolina are going to start producing, one of them in January, I think, for sure. And Im assuming weve heard that the primary breeders are having difficulty getting pullets out, one for certain. And we think the other one, because our primary breeder, because and I dont know why. I think the integrators would like to have more. I just dont think they can put out more right now. But I agree with what you said, the pullet placements need to pick up to get to the 130% of 2018. I think thats what the industry wants to do.
Heather Lynn Jones - The Vertical Trading Group, LLC, Research Division - Research Analyst
And you started placing in April. And if these plants are going to start running in January, clearly, they were placed in a while back. So weve already seen...
Joe F. Sanderson - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - Chairman & CEO
Theyre still being placed as the same time we were.
Heather Lynn Jones - The Vertical Trading Group, LLC, Research Division - Research Analyst
Right. So youve already seen some of those placements, and yet the pullet placements have been, honestly, lackluster. Like when are we going to when do you think well get the acceleration that would be needed to open these plants on time?
Joe F. Sanderson - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - Chairman & CEO
I cant answer that. It people that can answer that are the 2 primary breeders. And we dont talk with one of them.
Heather Lynn Jones - The Vertical Trading Group, LLC, Research Division - Research Analyst
Okay. My second question is, last in the last week, theres been a pretty, well, significant, given that its this time of year when I think Ive only found a couple of years when you get a rally and pricing in December. So youve had a rally. Are what were hearing is that cutter demand has been up substantially because of greater further process demand. So my question is on feature. Like where do you see future activity at retail over the next couple of months? And are you hearing anything about increased feature at food service, because it would seem like theres something going on thats driven this meaningful step-up in demand over the last couple of weeks. So just wonder if you could give us your thoughts on that.
7 | ||
THOMSON REUTERS STREETEVENTS | www.streetevents.com | Contact Us
©2018 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Thomson Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters. Thomson Reuters and the Thomson Reuters logo are registered trademarks of Thomson Reuters and its affiliated companies. |
DECEMBER 20, 2018 / 4:00PM, SAFM - Q4 2018 Sanderson Farms Inc Earnings Call
Lampkin Butts - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - President, COO & Director
Heather, this is Lampkin. We attribute this the recent move-up in boneless breast, we attribute some of that to a lot of holiday cutbacks. We have not been running, which we normally dont, particularly prior to Thanksgiving and Christmas. And we think that, thats part of just that little bit of supply coming out has helped the market. Were seeing for the first time this year, were seeing some chicken sandwich features on television for restaurant accounts, and that certainly helps. Theres boneless breast going into Mexico now that we werent getting before when boneless was above $1. And then when we got to the points that we got to this fall, we were our price was better than the Brazilian breast meat that goes into Mexico. So we attribute it to that. We looked at our we attribute the run-up in December to that. When we look at January, we have good features at retail, but I wouldnt say its a huge change, but good features at retail. We are hearing anecdotally that there are going to be more features January, February, and that feature activity is going to better for boneless breast products.
Operator
And well take our next question from Ken Goldman with JPMorgan.
Kenneth B. Goldman - JP Morgan Chase & Co, Research Division - Senior Analyst
A couple of questions from me. I cant recall the last time Sanderson Farms has really discussed issues with operations and sales, maybe not being as strong as you had hoped. So Im I want to make sure Im hearing you correctly that thats what youre talking about. Sounds like youre talking about this being a little bit of a retrenchment year when it comes to that. I guess, secondly, can you elaborate on what some of those challenges are? And then my last question, and I know this is a lot, but Im just trying to get a sense you guys talked in the press release about how the strong balance sheet will allow you to manage through the industry cycle, which makes sense. But why would this cycle not last at least another couple of years, right? Its hard for me to see beef supply coming down next year much. So maybe there will still be beef featured. And certainly we are seeing more capacity coming online. So can you just help us understand, if you can, if theres any hope that we have that we get out of this sort of downward cycle in the next 2 years.
Joe F. Sanderson - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - Chairman & CEO
Ken, this is Joe. We sit down every year and look at our operations. This is nothing new. We do this annually and look at our operations versus top 25% in our agri stats and live processing sales mix every year, and we identify $50 million to $100 million annually that we try to improve operational goals annually. And we just did that last week for 1.5 days roughly. We do it every year. And some of its in live production, some of its in processing and some of its in sales and some of its in mix that we try to pick up the next year. We never get all of it. Some years, we get half. Some years, we get 2/3 of it. That is not anything new for us.
D. Michael Cockrell - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - CFO, Treasurer & Director
Really, the only thing that is Ken, this is Mike. The only thing that is new, as he Joe mentioned at the end of his script, this is going to be the first time in 8 years that we hadnt been building a plant. Were going to finish Tyler in January, move it to full production. And the point he was making at the end is this will be a good year without building a new plant to focus on that. We just have that will be one of our primary focuses as we wont be constructing anything.
8 | ||
THOMSON REUTERS STREETEVENTS | www.streetevents.com | Contact Us
©2018 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Thomson Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters. Thomson Reuters and the Thomson Reuters logo are registered trademarks of Thomson Reuters and its affiliated companies. |
DECEMBER 20, 2018 / 4:00PM, SAFM - Q4 2018 Sanderson Farms Inc Earnings Call
Joe F. Sanderson - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - Chairman & CEO
Weve mentioned in here in the script that weve got $65 million that we are investing in our plants. I cant break it out, but a big portion of that is to amplify Ill use that word our product mix in our plants, particularly in the deboning plants. And...
Lampkin Butts - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - President, COO & Director
Well have plenty to do.
Joe F. Sanderson - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - Chairman & CEO
Yes. And its to improve our product mix in our plants. So weve already started on that. And but this is something we do every year, and we have been doing it every year. What was the other thing?
D. Michael Cockrell - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - CFO, Treasurer & Director
The second was, he said if we strength of our balance sheet is great, but whats going to keep this cycle from lasting 2 years?
Joe F. Sanderson - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - Chairman & CEO
Well, I dont know, but Ive been through 2 down years in a row. And we actually I mean, I dont feel threatened at all. I dont.
D. Michael Cockrell - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - CFO, Treasurer & Director
No. I mean, it did last 2 years, Ken, as you know from your experience too, therell be a change. I mean, there will be some operators that wont wouldnt be able to survive that kind of cycle if it lasted that long. And with our balance sheet, we feel confident that we can hang in there all the way through that, if thats the case. Normally, if you look at the last 4 cycles in the industry...
Joe F. Sanderson - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - Chairman & CEO
They lasted 9 months.
D. Michael Cockrell - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - CFO, Treasurer & Director
But they were triggering by an event, a drought, a great recession, avian influenza, our Russian ban. It was an event. There could be...
Joe F. Sanderson - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - Chairman & CEO
If you go back and look 2002, 2006, 2008 and 2011, which were the down cycles Mike was talking about, the duration was 8 or 9 months for all 4 of them. They were brutal. And - but we hadnt had a strung-out cycle since, I guess, maybe the 90s. I dont remember, I cant remember back that far, but it was and but Im confident, Im not worried about that. Were going to worry about I cant see the future, but I know what happens is good operators survive, poor operators dont and we just need to be one of those good operators and well sold and take care of our customers. And...
9 | ||
THOMSON REUTERS STREETEVENTS | www.streetevents.com | Contact Us
©2018 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Thomson Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters. Thomson Reuters and the Thomson Reuters logo are registered trademarks of Thomson Reuters and its affiliated companies. |
DECEMBER 20, 2018 / 4:00PM, SAFM - Q4 2018 Sanderson Farms Inc Earnings Call
Lampkin Butts - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - President, COO & Director
Ken, this is Lampkin. Ill just add to that, that this cycle is about price. Its about chicken prices. And so either something has to happen to the price I mean, Im sorry, something has to happen to the demand or the supply, either one. And a change in either one could correct it.
Jeremy Carlson Scott - Mizuho Securities USA LLC, Research Division - VP of Americas Research
Wont supply get worse before it gets better, Lamp?
Lampkin Butts - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - President, COO & Director
Well, youve got the new production coming on, but that doesnt mean there cant be a change in supply. And then I think the new plants are committed and theyre going to go forward, but theres a lot of other supply out there.
Operator
And well take our next question from Ken Zaslow with Bank of Montréal.
Kenneth Bryan Zaslow - BMO Capital Markets Equity Research - MD of Food & Agribusiness Research and Food & Beverage Analyst
Joe, I hope you feel better, for sure.
Joe F. Sanderson - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - Chairman & CEO
Thank you. I do. I do feel - I feel fine.
Kenneth Bryan Zaslow - BMO Capital Markets Equity Research - MD of Food & Agribusiness Research and Food & Beverage Analyst
Good. Just a couple of questions. One is, I know that theres all this capacity coming online. Are you hearing any delays or even facilities that are not going to come online based on what youre hearing?
Joe F. Sanderson - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - Chairman & CEO
No, no. I havent heard a word about that.
Kenneth Bryan Zaslow - BMO Capital Markets Equity Research - MD of Food & Agribusiness Research and Food & Beverage Analyst
Okay. Second question is, the breeding the breeders, Ive heard that there is, again, ongoing problems with them. Is that also a reason why the prices have gone up a little bit? Ive heard theyre not as efficient, the hatchability, is that also the case?
Joe F. Sanderson - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - Chairman & CEO
That is a contributing factor.
10 | ||
THOMSON REUTERS STREETEVENTS | www.streetevents.com | Contact Us
©2018 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Thomson Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters. Thomson Reuters and the Thomson Reuters logo are registered trademarks of Thomson Reuters and its affiliated companies. |
DECEMBER 20, 2018 / 4:00PM, SAFM - Q4 2018 Sanderson Farms Inc Earnings Call
Lampkin Butts - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - President, COO & Director
Yes. The last hatch number was always 62....
Joe F. Sanderson - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - Chairman & CEO
Im sorry, 82.1. So its down. That it got up in the summer. It got up back to 83 for a few weeks in the summer, and then its back down a little bit in the wintertime. And no doubt that these heavy-yielding birds are more difficult to deal with than the traditional type birds that the industry was using. So the hatch is down just a little bit.
Kenneth Bryan Zaslow - BMO Capital Markets Equity Research - MD of Food & Agribusiness Research and Food & Beverage Analyst
Okay. And then my final question is, you guys mentioned, obviously, that you will not be paying accrual bonuses in 18. What is the chances that and how do you foresee that in 2019, and what would it be based on?
Joe F. Sanderson - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - Chairman & CEO
It would itll be based on our profitability. And our profitability starts at 20% return on equity. So I mean, our bonus is based on 20% return on equity. So we have to make a lot of money before we pay a bonus.
D. Michael Cockrell - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - CFO, Treasurer & Director
This year, that target was $13 a share at the low end and $16 a share at the top end, Ken. Our equity will determine that. Itll be a after the Tax Reform Act and board will change that a little bit. Its not a 22% return on average equity. So its going to be in the midteens and it will be an aggressive target. Dont have a clue right now whether the market is going to allow us to, even performing well, earn that, but well make that call as we move through the year. Well publish those targets, too well publish those targets in January after the board meets, and such.
Kenneth Bryan Zaslow - BMO Capital Markets Equity Research - MD of Food & Agribusiness Research and Food & Beverage Analyst
So youd be at an EPS in the midteens to be able to get your accruals?
Joe F. Sanderson - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - Chairman & CEO
That is yes.
D. Michael Cockrell - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - CFO, Treasurer & Director
Thats the target to earn a bonus; thats correct.
Kenneth Bryan Zaslow - BMO Capital Markets Equity Research - MD of Food & Agribusiness Research and Food & Beverage Analyst
Would the increased promotional activity be enough to change the direction of demand? And Ill leave it there.
D. Michael Cockrell - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - CFO, Treasurer & Director
Well, I think it does.
11 | ||
THOMSON REUTERS STREETEVENTS | www.streetevents.com | Contact Us
©2018 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Thomson Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters. Thomson Reuters and the Thomson Reuters logo are registered trademarks of Thomson Reuters and its affiliated companies. |
DECEMBER 20, 2018 / 4:00PM, SAFM - Q4 2018 Sanderson Farms Inc Earnings Call
Joe F. Sanderson - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - Chairman & CEO
Absolutely.
Operator
And well take our next question from Mike Piken with Cleveland Research Company.
Unidentified Analyst
This is [Sam] on for Mike. I wonder if I could ask you a quick question about exports. Is the China resolution good or bad, given the potential impacts on soybean prices? And are you seeing any improvements in the export markets?
Lampkin Butts - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - President, COO & Director
Is China a net positive because of chicken or a net negative because its going to drive soybean prices up?
Unidentified Analyst
Yes, yet.
Lampkin Butts - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - President, COO & Director
So if we get China back, is that good, because we get to sell chicken or bad because soy goes up? Good question.
D. Michael Cockrell - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - CFO, Treasurer & Director
Good question.
Joe F. Sanderson - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - Chairman & CEO
Its it is what it is. I dont. It doesnt we dont have anything to do with China. That is the government, and its like a drought. The same thing will be said about a drought. Would a drought be good or bad? It would be bad, and then it would be good. China is the same way. If we get China ship pause, good. And then they produce more chicken, bad. Drought, bad. Corn, soymeal prices go up, losses, then good. So same answers same both ways, good and then bad.
Unidentified Analyst
Is there any other like commentary on the other export markets you could ask?
Joe F. Sanderson - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - Chairman & CEO
The export markets are improving. We expect them to move up in January. I dont know what this oil price going down is going to - it hadnt impacted it yet, but I looked at the Board before I came down here, and oil is close to $45 a barrel and that is not good for chicken.
12 | ||
THOMSON REUTERS STREETEVENTS | www.streetevents.com | Contact Us
©2018 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Thomson Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters. Thomson Reuters and the Thomson Reuters logo are registered trademarks of Thomson Reuters and its affiliated companies. |
DECEMBER 20, 2018 / 4:00PM, SAFM - Q4 2018 Sanderson Farms Inc Earnings Call
Lampkin Butts - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - President, COO & Director
Leg quarter inventories are in good shape, manageable. We think the leg quarters bottomed out a few weeks ago, and were selling them a couple of cents higher going into January. Exports are moving.
Operator
And well take our next question from Adam Samuelson with Goldman Sachs.
Adam L. Samuelson - Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Research Division - Equity Analyst
So maybe just to start going and I wanted to just get [some answers] in the prepared text. And, Lampkin, I think you alluded to good kind of everyday sales at retail. And then you also alluded to seeing some feature kind of visibility better, but so as we look into the first quarter. Do you have any sense going into the spring, because if you think back to the 2018 experience, it was really in the second quarter, in May and April and especially in May and June, when the retail feature activity was very disappointing and the sell-through was very disappointing. And so kind of have your retailers started to engage you about this activity level? Or are they waiting to see if a little bit more features in the first quarter, which always happens to some extent at that time of the year as you get past Christmas, if the sell-through is there? Or just how to frame the kind of visibility you really have and especially if you get into the spring, which is the season that really matters?
Lampkin Butts - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - President, COO & Director
Yes, we dont have we really dont have any visibility into the spring. Our retailers, some of them book 30 days out, some of them engage with us 2 months. But beyond that, we dont have any visibility. We looked at our January features, and they look similar to this is an update here it looks similar to what weve been seeing from our retailers for the last half of 2018. So we havent seen a change at retail yet. We just we have seen some chicken-sandwich features on television recently, and thats something that we havent seen all year. And were hearing actually anecdotally, were hearing from just talking to customers on the phone and from Urner Barry that feature activity is going to be up in January. And that - they seem to be talking across the board.
Joe F. Sanderson - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - Chairman & CEO
Its short term, Adam. We dont know about March and to your we dont know about March, April, May yet.
Adam L. Samuelson - Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Research Division - Equity Analyst
Okay. And okay. And then kind of on a separate point, a few weeks ago, the company had some changes to the policies on antibiotic use. And just is there any do you have any thoughts on is that is there a cost implication that we should be mindful of as we move into the new year? I mean, still, I believe, youre going to be using the ionophores. Its not the new antibiotic ever per se. But just you have factored in or thought about cost implications and any productivity hit that might emerge?
Joe F. Sanderson - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - Chairman & CEO
Well, there were 2 antibiotics that we will not use for prevention, gentamicin and virginiamycin. We there are other antibiotics we will use for prevention and for treatment, plus the ionophores. So just the 2 that are important. In human, theyve been deemed important to human medicine. Those are the 2 that we wont be using as of March 1. And we will not market it that way or that was just a decision that we made the board made and after our recommendations. And we wont know - you have to do a year beginning in March to see what the cost is. Were going to do some things to mitigate the loss of those 2 antibiotics. Virginiamycin is not - there are other antibiotics that can replace that. The gentamicin, the one
13 | ||
THOMSON REUTERS STREETEVENTS | www.streetevents.com | Contact Us
©2018 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Thomson Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters. Thomson Reuters and the Thomson Reuters logo are registered trademarks of Thomson Reuters and its affiliated companies. |
DECEMBER 20, 2018 / 4:00PM, SAFM - Q4 2018 Sanderson Farms Inc Earnings Call
used in ovo in hatchery, will be the one that is not replaceable. So well have to do things on the farm and in the hatchery - and breeder farms and in hatchery and in brood areas on the farms. When you take the baby chicks out to take care of the baby chicks, to protect them from E. coli, thats what gentamicin was for. And so I think its going to be marginal, but I dont know that. Itll be a year from March before well know.
Adam L. Samuelson - Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Research Division - Equity Analyst
Okay. Its very helpful. And then just the last one from me. Some of the investments in the existing plants, whats the kind of payback that youre targeting on those investments, any details that you can provide on kind of where you put up the capital?
Joe F. Sanderson - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - Chairman & CEO
Well, payback itll start paying back the week after you put it in. And on some, its 12 months payback. And on some of it, its a 2- or 3-year payback. Were doing all kinds of the special projects plus our regular CapEx budgets. We have some carve-outs in our finance agreement. We call those the special projects. And then we have our regular capital budget. And most of the time, its a 1-, 2- or 3-year payback. Theyre quick.
Operator
And well take our next question from Jeremy Scott with Mizuho.
Jeremy Carlson Scott - Mizuho Securities USA LLC, Research Division - VP of Americas Research
Just in your closing so just in your closing comments, Joe, around growth and youre going to take 2019 to reassess and work on sales and operations, so Im pretty so it seems youre pretty comfortable taking a pause here, you mentioned that 2019 first year in 8 that youre not going to building a plant. But does that also mean that youre not going to be actively looking for sites for your next project?
Joe F. Sanderson - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - Chairman & CEO
No, no. It does not mean that at all. We were were acting were actively looking for a site today and tomorrow. And well take the weekend off and well be actively looking for a site the week after Christmas. I just dont we dont need to build anything right now. Weve got we need to get Tyler started up. We need to get every thing everybody trained, well trained at all 3 of our new plants. We need to get everything sold. Well, we need to get the new product. Were going to be producing some new product over the next year out of our all of our plants. We need to get all of that sold. Tyler needs to be mature, St. Pauls. The hurricane threw us for a loop at St. Pauls and Kinston. We lost a lot of people. They were displaced. Need to get them back, mature. No, but I still wont sight next Wednesday after the day after Christmas.
Jeremy Carlson Scott - Mizuho Securities USA LLC, Research Division - VP of Americas Research
Okay. So I guess, maybe the next question. Whats a reasonable expectation for when, lets say, the market the economics of the chicken market just dont improve over the next year. Whats a reasonable expectation for us to think about modeling a next plant for you? When?
Joe F. Sanderson - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - Chairman & CEO
I dont know the answer to that.
14 | ||
THOMSON REUTERS STREETEVENTS | www.streetevents.com | Contact Us
©2018 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Thomson Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters. Thomson Reuters and the Thomson Reuters logo are registered trademarks of Thomson Reuters and its affiliated companies. |
DECEMBER 20, 2018 / 4:00PM, SAFM - Q4 2018 Sanderson Farms Inc Earnings Call
Lampkin Butts - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - President, COO & Director
It depends on how soon we can find that site, Jeremy. Its a good question. Were not modeling anything for 19, Ill tell you that.
Joe F. Sanderson - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - Chairman & CEO
No. We will not do that. We need to get everybody focused. Weve got a lot of projects in our plants. Engineering needs to get that done. And weve got a lot of stuff going on in 12 plants, get that done next year. And then well worry about doing - and find a site, and then well worry about that later. Im not worried about anything else right now.
Jeremy Carlson Scott - Mizuho Securities USA LLC, Research Division - VP of Americas Research
Okay. And maybe just following on that...
Joe F. Sanderson - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - Chairman & CEO
Go ahead.
Jeremy Carlson Scott - Mizuho Securities USA LLC, Research Division - VP of Americas Research
Sorry, I was going to say the other thing that were seeing right now is record premiums of thigh meat to breast meat. So can you just walk us through maybe some of the dynamics there that youre seeing? And Im guessing the equipment upgrade that you mentioned in some of your deboning plants are addressing that dynamic?
Joe F. Sanderson - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - Chairman & CEO
That would be a good insight, yes.
Operator
And well take our next question from Benjamin Theurer with Barclays.
Benjamin M. Theurer - Barclays Bank PLC, Research Division - Head of the Mexico Equity Research & Director
So 2 questions. Number one, from the startup of Tyler, have you seen much of issue in terms of getting labor? I mean, with all the migration stuff, and usually, its like first-generation immigrants that tend to do those jobs. So how difficult has it been for you, considering there are a lot of nearby facilities to actually, like, get the labor force you need in order to be up and running in 3, 4 months time?
Joe F. Sanderson - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - Chairman & CEO
We feel very good about where we started. The labor availability there has been very good. The interest is high. One of the things that we look for in a site is an area that labor is available. So that was on the list for Tyler. And it was it looked good. That was part of our reason for going there. As we have hired people and began training them, weve already hired 300 or 400 people that will be there when we start up. And we wont get to full production in 3 or 4 months. Well ramp up over a years time, maybe even sometimes 14, 15 months. So, so far, labor has been good.
15 | ||
THOMSON REUTERS STREETEVENTS | www.streetevents.com | Contact Us
©2018 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Thomson Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters. Thomson Reuters and the Thomson Reuters logo are registered trademarks of Thomson Reuters and its affiliated companies. |
DECEMBER 20, 2018 / 4:00PM, SAFM - Q4 2018 Sanderson Farms Inc Earnings Call
Benjamin M. Theurer - Barclays Bank PLC, Research Division - Head of the Mexico Equity Research & Director
Okay, perfect. And then my next question is around the dividends, share buybacks, capital allocation. I mean, clearly, youve just made very clear that 2019 is not going to be a year where youre going to invest in a new plant. You have the one up and running. Youd definitely start next Wednesday looking for fieldwork to build the next one, but that might be a couple of years out. Now the question is of what youve been doing with about 800,000-plus shares repurchased, the 1 million that is approved, the question is, would you, like, consider further increasing share buybacks? And about the level of dividends, if I remember right, in the past, even in years when you had challenging quarters like the one in 2018, you still kind of tried to maintain at least the dividend level you had in the prior year. So what should we expect for dividends 2019? And what should we expect for share repurchase for 2019?
Joe F. Sanderson - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - Chairman & CEO
Well, weve never reduced our dividend. And I dont - our dividend has been solid. So we cant imagine that were not...
D. Michael Cockrell - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - CFO, Treasurer & Director
Yes, I cant - cant imagine that.
Joe F. Sanderson - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - Chairman & CEO
Thats not an issue.
D. Michael Cockrell - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - CFO, Treasurer & Director
One thing, you said 1 million shares. We actually have authority to buy back 2 million shares of stock. We bought 823,000 during the quarter. Thats okay. You saw it was 1 million. And our board increased it to 2 million last spring. Weve got that much authority. Weve never been active buying back stock when we had to borrow money to do it. And I wont say we wouldnt do that. We have done that before, but not particularly (inaudible) at doing that. We still have some more we wanted to get back, and well see how that plays out. But thats still on the table, of course. But a change in dividend policy has never been any way but up.
Benjamin M. Theurer - Barclays Bank PLC, Research Division - Head of the Mexico Equity Research & Director
Okay. So assuming flat to maybe slightly up, thats fair. And on the share buybacks, as you had to cash on level of valuation where the stock price is, because I remember once you said, like stock below $100 is a good way to allocate your money.
Joe F. Sanderson - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - Chairman & CEO
No doubt about that. Youre right about it.
Operator
And well take our next question from Eric Larson with Buckingham Research Group.
16 | ||
THOMSON REUTERS STREETEVENTS | www.streetevents.com | Contact Us
©2018 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Thomson Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters. Thomson Reuters and the Thomson Reuters logo are registered trademarks of Thomson Reuters and its affiliated companies. |
DECEMBER 20, 2018 / 4:00PM, SAFM - Q4 2018 Sanderson Farms Inc Earnings Call
Eric Jon Larson - The Buckingham Research Group Incorporated - Analyst
Id like get back on the good thing versus bad thing, expand on that a little bit. We havent [gotten into] kind of the cold storage numbers. Weve got some more coming out tomorrow. The bad news is that the chicken numbers have continued to go up. The good news is that it seems to be in that other category. Can you kind of help triangulate how we should be looking at that? And then what we havent talked about, which was probably an issue in featuring in 2018, weve this might be a different recovery cycle for chicken versus 13, 14, 15, because we had a lot more beef and a lot more pork out there now than we did in the last upturn cycle. So can you give us your thoughts, Joe, on how you kind of triangulate kind of the cold storage numbers and what competitive supplies might be? Is that more of a bullish factor now or still kind of a neutral or a bearish factor in your mind?
Joe F. Sanderson - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - Chairman & CEO
You bet. I think the cold storage, we dont know whats in that other category. It is not supposed to be any of the primary products. But some of my people believe it is not very accurate, but I just cant believe that is [the all-fall] products it is supposed to be. Even without that, though, there is a lot of bonus spread on the last report. It was burdensome on boneless breast. And a lot of our customers that are not that are further processors were buying up boneless breast and freezing it at $0.70 a pound, putting it in the freezer and further processing it, putting it into bags, 5-pound bags and selling it in retail grocery stores and warehouses clubs. And they were making a mint on it, and theyre still doing that. Theyre buying the heck out of it and making a lot of money on it. So its sold by us. And its and theyre buying it and theyre selling it, further processing as fast as they can. But I think that, that number is right. The other category, I have no idea. As far as beef and pork, this is the first time in my career that I have seen beef and pork [supplies] affect chicken market in this manner. I dont ever remembered happening before like it did this year when chicken supplies were up only 1%, 1.5% and we had a and beef and pork took features away from us, from food service and at retail grocery stores. And as a result of that, our prices declined. Ive never seen that before. What I do believe, however, if grain prices went up for whatever reason, a drought, more than likely, in one of any country like Brazil or China, Europe to a lesser extent, or the U.S., if there were to be a drought and there were to be a down cycle caused by a drought and it affected chickens negatively, no matter what the supply of beef and pork, there would be a reversal of fortunes and the chicken industry would react to that. Supply would decline. And no matter how much beef and pork there would be, youd have an adjustment in the chicken business. I dont care how much beef and pork there was, but just - this is a unique situation.
Eric Jon Larson - The Buckingham Research Group Incorporated - Analyst
Yes. And that makes sense. So the other question, Joe, that I have is, the industry is obviously in loss conditions now, but its only been a quarter, maybe its been 3, 4, 5 months or something like that, which...
Joe F. Sanderson - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - Chairman & CEO
Yes, I dont think all of the industry is in loss. I dont I think that few people are in a loss. I think tray packers are making money. I think the fast-food people are making money. I think there are a lot of big bird deboners that have products sold on a flat market that are trimming. Its people that were not in any of those categories. Were doing all ours are sold on the market basically. And people that are sold on the market, like we are, are different. And there might be 1/3 of, I would guess, 2/3 industry companies, who are still in the black. And even if they are not, it hadnt been long enough and it hadnt been deep enough to cause anybody any pain. So its going to be a while.
Eric Jon Larson - The Buckingham Research Group Incorporated - Analyst
Yes. That was exactly your last part of your answer, that was exactly what I was trying to get at it. It hasnt been long enough or deep enough, et cetera, to change any production behavioral patterns, is kind of what I was assuming would be the answer. So well, then, just a final thing is, Joe, I could help you find a site, but my problem is I might not get it to you until maybe next Thursday. Thats probably a little too late.
17 | ||
THOMSON REUTERS STREETEVENTS | www.streetevents.com | Contact Us
©2018 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Thomson Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters. Thomson Reuters and the Thomson Reuters logo are registered trademarks of Thomson Reuters and its affiliated companies. |
DECEMBER 20, 2018 / 4:00PM, SAFM - Q4 2018 Sanderson Farms Inc Earnings Call
Joe F. Sanderson - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - Chairman & CEO
Thatll be all right.
Operator
And well take our final question from Akshay Jagdale with Jefferies.
Akshay S. Jagdale - Jefferies LLC, Research Division - Equity Analyst
So I wanted to - first, I wanted to ask about production year-to-date. The USDA numbers is, again, we can all debate the quality of that, but thats all we have right now. What are you seeing as year-to-date production increase, because were seeing like 2.9% on their numbers, but wondering if you have a better number for us right now, year-to-date production increase...
Joe F. Sanderson - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - Chairman & CEO
No. I dont have anything to say.
Lampkin Butts - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - President, COO & Director
2.8% through October, total live pounds up. Now thats the USDA number. Thats about right. Youve got to take exports off of that.
Akshay S. Jagdale - Jefferies LLC, Research Division - Equity Analyst
No, my yes, well get to that in a second. But just the 2.8% has happened on chicks placed that have been up only 0.6, right? So the point Im trying to get a better sense of is, according to our numbers, whats happened there is livability is up about 100 bps or added about 100 bps, and the weights are up again in aggregate by about 100 bps. So youve got like a year where hatch was down for most of the year pretty dramatically; rate of lay was down. I think there was a lot of breaking of eggs going on as well. And yet, you produced, looks like, close to 3%, right. So it looks like the productivity issues are getting better, right, in aggregate. So am I thinking about that correctly?
Joe F. Sanderson - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - Chairman & CEO
I think let me look at just Ive got a graph for you. The where is livability? Which one is livability? The livability is going to be down for the year.
Lampkin Butts - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - President, COO & Director
Oh, yes, thats livability.
Joe F. Sanderson - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - Chairman & CEO
Yes, livability is going to be down compared to a year ago. And thats probably because of no antibiotics ever. Its going to be down 0.0075%. The reason the pounds are up is going to be live weight gain. And the live weight gain is in 2 categories or 4 categories. The fast-food weight is up a little bit. And the whole bird and parts are up a little bit. Is the tray pack up any?
18 | ||
THOMSON REUTERS STREETEVENTS | www.streetevents.com | Contact Us
©2018 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Thomson Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters. Thomson Reuters and the Thomson Reuters logo are registered trademarks of Thomson Reuters and its affiliated companies. |
DECEMBER 20, 2018 / 4:00PM, SAFM - Q4 2018 Sanderson Farms Inc Earnings Call
Lampkin Butts - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - President, COO & Director
No, no. The weight gains and the deboned parts have been up.
Joe F. Sanderson - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - Chairman & CEO
How many plants are in deboning parts?
Lampkin Butts - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - President, COO & Director
All birds are up a little bit.
Joe F. Sanderson - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - Chairman & CEO
And up 12 plants. Thats where your weight gain is? Isnt that right?
Lampkin Butts - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - President, COO & Director
Some. Some here; some in tray packs.
Joe F. Sanderson - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - Chairman & CEO
Weight gain is where almost all of its come from.
Akshay S. Jagdale - Jefferies LLC, Research Division - Equity Analyst
Got it. So again, some things are impossible to predict even for people like you, whove been in the industry for so long. So its obvious that we get it wrong even more often. But so it wasnt too long ago where we were thinking weights have reached some ceiling, right? So when we look at next year...
Joe F. Sanderson - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - Chairman & CEO
I still think that.
Akshay S. Jagdale - Jefferies LLC, Research Division - Equity Analyst
Weights have remained yes. But to given what happened this year, you think that next year is going to be difficult to do another 1-point increase from weight gain.
Joe F. Sanderson - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - Chairman & CEO
No I mean, I think so, yes, because I think the weight gain this year came mainly out of the small-bird region, and I dont think they can do that. But youve got you are going to have if people are still having problems with this woody breast, I think its going to limit the amount of weight gain that the big bird deboners can put up. And thats why that was really why I thought we werent going to have much weight gain in 2018, because I knew everybody was holding their birds down; and they did. Weight gain in 2018 came from fast-food people. And there are 10 or 12 plants in the category of whole bird and parts. There are not but 10 or 12 of them. And those 2 categories accounted for all the weight gain in 2018.
19 | ||
THOMSON REUTERS STREETEVENTS | www.streetevents.com | Contact Us
©2018 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Thomson Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters. Thomson Reuters and the Thomson Reuters logo are registered trademarks of Thomson Reuters and its affiliated companies. |
DECEMBER 20, 2018 / 4:00PM, SAFM - Q4 2018 Sanderson Farms Inc Earnings Call
And I dont believe those 2 can do it. And I dont believe the big birds, which is there are probably 35 plants there. And if theyre still having trouble with woody breast, they will not take their weights up.
Akshay S. Jagdale - Jefferies LLC, Research Division - Equity Analyst
Got it. So and then what...
Joe F. Sanderson - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - Chairman & CEO
I think you will have some weight gain; its just natural. I mean, its just the way the bird is. Every year, they take a days age off. Or if they raise them to 62 days, theyre going to weigh just a little bit more. So therell be some weight gain. The big weight gains are over, but therell be a little bit.
Akshay S. Jagdale - Jefferies LLC, Research Division - Equity Analyst
Got it. And then just where do you guys stand on the age of the flocks? I mean, looks like from the data, thats considerably younger year-over-year. But any whats your perspective on that, anything?
Joe F. Sanderson - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - Chairman & CEO
Right now, I think its getting back to normal. Its probably 62.5 days. But if they cant get these pullets out, youre going to see them age up. Theyre going to need more than 100%, 101%. If we dont if they dont get if they are going to 102%, 103% heads, theyre going to have to let this hen flock age up a little bit, which I think youll see may be starting in March, April, May, just like it did last year.
Akshay S. Jagdale - Jefferies LLC, Research Division - Equity Analyst
Right. And then just going back to a question that was asked about length of a cycle and youre talking about events usually seeing the catalysts, right? So the events, we cant foresee any one of those events, a drought, embargo or anything like that. Barring that lets just say barring that, what would you need to see for you to say the industry is heading back, right? Like, I mean, I think what Im hearing from you is theres I mean, what were seeing in the market, right, is theres new plants coming on to the tune of 3% higher capacity next year, back to expansionary behavior. Those companies are asking for more pullets. Thats also expansionary behavior. There is a question whether the companies can produce as many pullets. But that, again, like what would you need to see to say, okay, theres some rationality and the cycle is starting to carry? Like, what would you need to see other than events that we cannot foresee, right? You need to see some supply size, right?
Joe F. Sanderson - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - Chairman & CEO
Yes, youre not going to get 3% out of the new plants next year. Youll get lets say, they all are at 1.25 million, which would be 3.6 million out of 165 million is what we slaughter, process roughly. Youll get that in 2020. You wont get that next year.
Lampkin Butts - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - President, COO & Director
I mean, with our plant, for example, were not going to start slaughtering chickens until February. In that first week, they wont know their way into the plants. So youll process 10,000 head, and then youll do it again. And then theres slowly as they - so youre not going to get its not like theyre going to all open up full production.
20 | ||
THOMSON REUTERS STREETEVENTS | www.streetevents.com | Contact Us
©2018 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Thomson Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters. Thomson Reuters and the Thomson Reuters logo are registered trademarks of Thomson Reuters and its affiliated companies. |
DECEMBER 20, 2018 / 4:00PM, SAFM - Q4 2018 Sanderson Farms Inc Earnings Call
Joe F. Sanderson - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - Chairman & CEO
Last summer time, Id say by May, June, my guess is each one of those plants will be processing maybe 500,000 or 600,000 a week. Theyll be at half capacity. So thatll give you 1% total by June, July. Itll be the next itll be 6 months later before youll be at full capacity, which would give you the 2-plus percent. You dont start a plant up at full capacity. Its got to come from other expansions, from some other people to get to your other. It wont come from Raeford, Mountaire and Sanderson. Therell be some other expansion from some other people, which I dont know about.
Operator
That concludes todays question-and-answer session. Id like to turn the call back to our presenters for any additional or closing remarks.
Joe F. Sanderson - Sanderson Farms, Inc. - Chairman & CEO
Thank you all for spending some time with us. And on behalf of everyone at Sanderson Farms, we wish you all a Merry Christmas, a Happy Hanukkah and a happy and prosperous and peaceful new year. Thank you.
Operator
And that concludes todays presentation. We thank you for your participation. You may now disconnect.
DISCLAIMER
Thomson Reuters reserves the right to make changes to documents, content, or other information on this web site without obligation to notify any person of such changes.
In the conference calls upon which Event Transcripts are based, companies may make projections or other forward-looking statements regarding a variety of items. Such forward-looking statements are based upon current expectations and involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those stated in any forward-looking statement based on a number of important factors and risks, which are more specifically identified in the companies most recent SEC filings. Although the companies may indicate and believe that the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements are reasonable, any of the assumptions could prove inaccurate or incorrect and, therefore, there can be no assurance that the results contemplated in the forward-looking statements will be realized.
THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN EVENT TRANSCRIPTS IS A TEXTUAL REPRESENTATION OF THE APPLICABLE COMPANYS CONFERENCE CALL AND WHILE EFFORTS ARE MADE TO PROVIDE AN ACCURATE TRANSCRIPTION, THERE MAY BE MATERIAL ERRORS, OMISSIONS, OR INACCURACIES IN THE REPORTING OF THE SUBSTANCE OF THE CONFERENCE CALLS. IN NO WAY DOES THOMSON REUTERS OR THE APPLICABLE COMPANY ASSUME ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY INVESTMENT OR OTHER DECISIONS MADE BASED UPON THE INFORMATION PROVIDED ON THIS WEB SITE OR IN ANY EVENT TRANSCRIPT. USERS ARE ADVISED TO REVIEW THE APPLICABLE COMPANYS CONFERENCE CALL ITSELF AND THE APPLICABLE COMPANYS SEC FILINGS BEFORE MAKING ANY INVESTMENT OR OTHER DECISIONS.
©2018, Thomson Reuters. All Rights Reserved. |
|
21 | ||
THOMSON REUTERS STREETEVENTS | www.streetevents.com | Contact Us
©2018 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Thomson Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters. Thomson Reuters and the Thomson Reuters logo are registered trademarks of Thomson Reuters and its affiliated companies. |
AV#_ (7CH_\ T";[\T_QH^IS#Z]# ML'_"\='_ .@3??FG^-'U.8?7H=@_X7CH_P#T";[\T_QH^IS#Z]#L'_"\='_Z M!-]^:?XT?4Y]P^O0["_\+PT;_H%7WYI_C1]3F'UZ'8/^%X:-_P! J^_-/\:/ MJ
AV#_A=^C_] F^_-/\ &G]2
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M]P^OP[,7_A=VC_\ 0*OOS3_&G]2J!]?AV8G_ N[1_\ H%7WYI_C1]2J!]?A
MV8O_ N[1_\ H%7WYI_C1]2J!]?AV8?\+MT?_H%7WYI_C1]2J!]?AV8?\+MT
M?_H%7WYI_C1]2J!]?AV8?\+MT?\ Z!5]^:?XT?4I]P^OP[,/^%VZ/_T"K[\T
M_P :7U*?_FG^-'U&IW#^T*?9A_PNK2/^@5>_FG^-'U&IW%_:-/LP_X75I'_0*O
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M/^@7>_FG^-/ZC/N']HT^S#_A=&D_] N]_-/\:7U*?[2I]F=GX9\10>)]'&
MHV\$D,9=DV28SD?2N6K3=*7*SMHU56AS(\1^,_\ R/W_ &YQ_P VKNPOP'!C
M/XAY[74<=PH"X4!<*!7"F%Q: N% 7"@+A0 HI"N%,+A0%PIA<* N+0%PH$%
M!0 M !0 4 +0(* N% 7"@+A0%Q:87"D*X4 +3 * "@ H 7I0(* "G8 HL 46
M !180M%@"BP!18!:+ %%A!19 +19 %%@"BR *8!0 4"%H * "@!12L 46$+3
M * "BP!0 4 %%@"@!:8!2$% "T %, H * "@ H 6@04 % !0 M.P@H8"T@"@
M H *JP!18 HL 46 *+ +0 4"%H!'O7PE'_%#1_\ 7Q)_.O$Q?\5GT6 _@(\R
M^,__ "/W_;G'_-JZ<+\!SXS^(>>UU'$% !0 4P"@0M !0 4 ** "@04 %, H
M 6@ H * "@!: "@ H 6@04 % !0 4P%H$% !2 *8"T % !0 M @H *8!0 4
M% A>E !0 4 +0 4""@!: "@ I@% !0 4"%H * "@!: "@ H$+0 4P"@ H *
M"@ H 6@04 +0 4 %, H * "@!:0@I@% !0 M !3$+2 * "@ I@% !0 4 % "
MT % "T""@%N>]?"3_D1H_P#KXD_G7BXO^*SZ' ?P$>9?&?\ Y'[_ +A!(6!W#8VX8Y]:IP3:EV)C-QBXKJ%UJ4UY86%G(J".R1DC*@Y(9RYSS
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M_7))I1I*-_,JG'4
M<=*&D]Q)M; UQ,\$<#S.T,1)2,L2JDXR0.V<#/THLD[A=VL1TQ%V+5M2@OGO
MHM0NH[N3.^=9F$C9ZY;.34N,6K6T+4Y)\R>I;/BKQ$RE6U[4BI&"#=R<_K4^
MR@OLK[BO;5?YG]Y0:^NWL8[)[F5K6-BZ0ESL5CU('3-7RI._4S