Kraft Foods Reports Progress on Growth Strategy.NORTHFIELD, Ill. -- Kraft Foods Kraft Foods Inc. (NYSE: KFT) is the largest food and beverage company headquartered in North America and the second largest in the world after Nestlé SA. The Philip Morris Company (now known as Altria Group), a company that produces tobacco products, acquired Kraft for Inc. (NYSE NYSE See: New York Stock Exchange : KFT KFT Korlátolt Felelõsségû Társaság (Hungarian: limited liability corporation) KFT Kraft Foods International (stock symbol) KFT Kilo-Feet KFT Kung Fu Tzu (Confucius) ): * First quarter net revenues increased 5.7% to $8.6 billion; organic net revenues1 grew 3.6%. * First quarter diluted EPS (Encapsulated PostScript) A PostScript file format used to transfer a graphic image between applications and platforms. EPS files contain PostScript code as well as an optional preview image in TIFF, WMF, PICT or EPSI, the latter being an ASCII-only format. decreased 29.5% to $0.43; diluted EPS excluding items that affect comparability2 decreased 2.2% to $0.44. * 2007 guidance remains unchanged. Kraft Foods Inc. (NYSE: KFT) today reported solid first quarter revenue growth as the company began implementing its growth strategy. Earnings excluding items affecting comparability declined reflecting investments in growth, including product quality, new business initiatives, systems and distribution infrastructure. "The first quarter of 2007 was an eventful one for Kraft as we became independent from Altria and began executing the strategic plan we announced in February," said Irene Rosenfeld Irene Rosenfeld is the 53-year-old CEO of Kraft Foods Inc., having been appointed June 26, 2006. Rosenfeld had spent more than 20 years with Kraft and General Foods before joining Frito-Lay, a division of PepsiCo, in 1994, and rejoining Kraft as president of Kraft Canada in , Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "While our first quarter results reflect improvement in several core categories, we still face many challenges. We expect to see further progress, particularly in the second half of the year, as we set the stage for Kraft's return to consistent growth." First quarter 2007 net revenues increased 5.7% to $8.6 billion reflecting a favorable 1.2 percentage point impact from the United Biscuits __FORCETOC__ United Biscuits ("UB") is a British multinational food manufacturer, makers of McVitie's biscuits, KP nuts, Hula Hoops, The Real McCoy's crisps, Phileas Fogg crisps, and Jacob's Cream Crackers. Iberia acquisition and a favorable 2.1 percentage point impact from currency. Divested businesses reduced net revenues 1.2 percentage points. Organic net revenues grew 3.6% reflecting volume growth of 1.2 percentage points led by North America North America, third largest continent (1990 est. pop. 365,000,000), c.9,400,000 sq mi (24,346,000 sq km), the northern of the two continents of the Western Hemisphere. Snacks & Cereals and Convenient Meals, European Union European Union (EU), name given since the ratification (Nov., 1993) of the Treaty of European Union, or Maastricht Treaty, to the European Community and Developing Markets3, as well as favorable product mix of 2.2 percentage points from solid gains across most businesses. First quarter 2007 diluted earnings per share diluted earnings per share An earnings measure calculated by dividing net income less preferred stock dividends for a period by the average number of shares of common stock that would be outstanding if all convertible securities were converted into shares of were $0.43, down 29.5% from $0.61 in 2006. During first quarter 2007, the company incurred $0.03 per diluted share ($88 million before taxes) in asset impairment, exit and implementation costs against its cost restructuring program, which was offset by the recognition of one-time interest income of $0.03 per diluted share ($77 million before taxes) from tax reserve transfers of $375 million from Altria Group “Philip Morris” redirects here. For the racecar driver, see Philip Morris (autoracer). Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE: MO) (previously named Philip Morris Companies Inc. , Inc. (NYSE: MO) primarily related to the spin-off from Altria. [TABLE OMITTED] First quarter diluted earnings per share excluding items declined 2.2% to $0.44 in 2007. Diluted earnings per share excluding items reflect a $0.01 benefit from share repurchase Share Repurchase A program by which a company buys back its own shares from the marketplace, reducing the number of outstanding shares. This is usually an indication that the company's management thinks the shares are undervalued. activity offset by a $0.01 negative impact from prior year income from divested operations and a negative $0.01 impact from an increase in the company's tax rate compared to 2006. Operating income Operating Income The profit realized from a business' own operations. Notes: This would not include income from things such as investments in other firms. Also referred to as operating profit or recurring profit. increased 10.3% from the prior year to $1.1 billion. Operating income excluding items declined 3.0% as the benefits of revenue growth were offset by a $35 million impact from previously completed divestitures. First quarter operating income margin excluding items decreased to 14.0% in 2007 from 15.2% in 2006 reflecting favorable product mix that was offset by higher investments in marketing and quality improvements, investments in systems and distribution infrastructure, higher input costs and prior year divested operations. The company's tax rate in first quarter 2007 was 33.6%. The company's effective tax rate excluding items was 32.3% in first quarter 2007 compared to an effective tax rate of 30.8% in first quarter 2006. During the first quarter, the company repurchased 5.9 million of its shares at a total cost of $187 million. A new $5.0 billion share repurchase plan share repurchase plan A corporation's plan for buying back a predetermined number of its own shares in the open market. Institution of a share repurchase plan derives from management's view that the company has limited outside investment opportunities and went into effect immediately following the company's spin-off from Altria Group, Inc. [TABLE OMITTED] North America Beverages organic net revenues grew 3.9% primarily driven by favorable product mix in powdered beverages and coffee. The introduction of Crystal Light with antioxidants Antioxidants Substances that reduce the damage of the highly reactive free radicals that are the byproducts of the cells. Mentioned in: Aging, Nutritional Supplements antioxidants, n. and functional benefits as well as the continued success of single-serve sticks led to strong powdered beverage growth. Coffee benefited from continued strong performance in premium brands including Starbucks, Gevalia and Tassimo partially offset by volume declines in mainstream coffee. Operating income excluding items declined 5.3% as revenue growth from favorable product mix was offset by incremental investments behind new products and higher green coffee costs. North America Cheese & Foodservice organic net revenues grew 0.5% reflecting solid cheese volume gains and Foodservice price increases that were partially offset by lower Foodservice volume from the discontinuation dis·con·tin·u·a·tion n. A cessation; a discontinuance. Noun 1. discontinuation - the act of discontinuing or breaking off; an interruption (temporary or permanent) discontinuance of lower margin product lines. Cheese gains were driven by growth in cream cheese, including the introduction of Philadelphia Ready-to-Eat Cheesecake, gains in snacking cheese as well as topping cheese from the introduction of Grate It Fresh. Operating income excluding items declined 2.8% as the contribution from organic revenue growth was offset by higher marketing support. North America Convenient Meals organic net revenues grew 4.8% from a combination of favorable product mix from new product introductions, higher volume driven by quality improvements and market share gains in the deli meats and macaroni macaroni: see pasta. and cheese categories. New product gains reflected the ongoing success of Kraft Easy-Mac cups and new varieties of California Pizza Kitchen California Pizza Kitchen (NASDAQ: CPKI, known within the food industry as CPK) is a casual dining restaurant chain that specializes in California-style pizza. The restaurant was started in 1985 by attorneys Rick Rosenfield and Larry Flax in Beverly Hills, California, pizzas, the introduction of Oscar Mayer Oscar Mayer is an American meat and cold cut production company, now owned by Kraft Foods, known for its hot dogs, bologna, bacon and Lunchables products. German immigrant Oscar Ferdinand Mayer Deli Creations sandwiches and the recent launch of DiGiorno Ultimate pizza. Strong volume gains were driven by recent quality investments in Kraft macaroni and cheese and DiGiorno and Tombstone Tombstone, city (1990 pop. 1,220), Cochise co., SE Ariz.; inc. 1881. With its pleasant climate and legendary past, Tombstone is a well-known tourist attraction. The city became a national historic landmark in 1962. pizzas. Operating income excluding items declined 9.2% as gains from organic revenue growth were offset by investments in quality, manufacturing capacity and marketing support as well as $12 million in prior year income from divested operations. North America Grocery organic net revenues were flat compared to prior year. Growth and market share gains in better-for-you snacks such as Jell-O sugar-free ready-to-eat pudding and sugar-free Cool Whip Cool Whip is a brand of imitation whipped cream called a "whipped topping" by its manufacturer. It is used as a dessert topping and in some no-bake pie recipes. It is generally described as "non-dairy" as it contains no cream or milk and no lactose, though it does contain the topping were offset by category weakness and share declines in Kraft salad dressings. Operating income excluding items declined 2.8% due to unfavorable product mix and lower volume. North America Snacks & Cereals organic net revenues grew 4.1% behind solid volume and mix gains primarily in cookies and crackers. Cookie growth reflected new product successes in the Chips Ahoy! and Newtons franchises that were partially offset by lower Oreo volume due to a recent price increase. Strong cracker growth was driven by new products in Wheat Thins Wheat Thins are a popular baked snack cracker found in North America and distributed by Nabisco, a subsidiary of Kraft Foods Global Inc.. The product's slogan 'Great Taste...Big Crunch' was developed by Brian Eaton. and Triscuit. Operating income excluding items declined 2.0% as gains from organic revenue growth and lower manufacturing costs were offset by $24 million in prior year income from divested operations as well as investments in quality and growth initiatives. European Union organic net revenues grew 2.9% reflecting strong chocolate revenues across most markets behind new Milka and Freia Marabou marabou: see stork. marabou African stork (Leptoptilos crumeniferus). Standing 5 ft (1.5 m) tall with a wingspread of 8.5 ft (2.6 m), the marabou is the largest of all storks. products as well as growth in premium offerings such as Cote d'Or. In coffee, increased promotional spending to counter price-based competition in mainstream roast and ground coffee offset growth in Tassimo. The addition of the United Biscuits businesses contributed 6.6 percentage points to reported net revenue growth and favorable currency added 9.8 percentage points. Operating income excluding items increased 3.3% as revenue growth was partially offset by higher promotional and marketing expenses as well as higher green coffee costs. Developing Markets organic net revenues grew 8.9% led by double-digit growth in Eastern Europe Eastern Europe The countries of eastern Europe, especially those that were allied with the USSR in the Warsaw Pact, which was established in 1955 and dissolved in 1991. , Middle East & Africa (EEMA EEMA - European Electronic Messaging Association ) and Latin America Latin America, the Spanish-speaking, Portuguese-speaking, and French-speaking countries (except Canada) of North America, South America, Central America, and the West Indies. . Gains in EEMA were driven by Jacobs and Carte Noire soluble coffee. In Latin America, strong revenue growth was driven by new products and increased marketing support in all three core categories: chocolate, biscuits and powdered beverages. These gains were partially offset by lower revenue in Asia Pacific due to volume declines in Australia, primarily in cheese. Operating income excluding items was up 13.6% as the contribution from strong revenue growth was partially offset by incremental investments in marketing and distribution as well as higher input costs. 2007 Outlook The company confirmed its guidance for 2007. The company expects organic net revenue growth of 3%-4% for the full year and fully diluted EPS in the range of $1.50 to $1.55, or $1.75 to $1.80 excluding items. Reflected in this guidance, the company expects to incur costs of approximately $625 million in 2007, or $0.25 per fully diluted share, under its previously announced cost restructuring program. Additionally, the company continues to expect cumulative savings from the program to reach approximately $700 million by year-end. To date, cumulative savings from this cost restructuring program on an annualized annualized Of or relating to a variable that has been mathematically converted to a yearly rate. Inflation and interest rates are generally annualized since it is on this basis that these two variables are ordinarily stated and compared. basis to date totaled approximately $615 million, up from approximately $540 million at the end of 2006. Also reflected in its guidance, the company continues to expect its 2007 full-year effective tax rate excluding items to average 35.5%. The company's effective tax rate was 32.3% in first quarter 2007 reflecting the benefit of consolidation with Altria Group, Inc. during the quarter. Kraft Foods will host a conference call for investors to review its results at 5 p.m. ET on April 18, 2007. Access to a live audio webcast is available at www.kraft.com and a replay of the conference call will be available on the company's web site. Kraft Foods (NYSE: KFT) is one of the world's largest food and beverage F&B is a common abbreviation in the United States and Commonwealth countries, including Hong Kong. F&B is typically the widely accepted abbreviation for "Food and Beverage," which is the sector/industry that specializes in the conceptualization, the making of, and delivery of foods. companies with annual revenues of more than $34 billion. For over 100 years, Kraft has offered consumers delicious and wholesome foods that fit the way they live. Kraft markets a broad portfolio of iconic brands in 155 countries, including seven brands with revenue of more than $1 billion, such as Kraft cheeses, dinners and dressings; Oscar Mayer meats; Philadelphia cream cheese; Post cereals; Nabisco cookies and crackers; Jacobs coffees and Milka chocolates. Kraft became a fully independent company on March 30, 2007, and is listed in the Standard & Poor's 100 and 500 indexes. The company also is a member of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index and the Ethibel Sustainability Index. For more information, visit the company's website at www.kraft.com. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains projections of future results and other forward-looking statements. One can identify these forward-looking statements by use of words such as "strategy," "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "will," "continues," "estimates," "intends," "projects," "goals," "targets" and other words of similar meaning. One can also identify them by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. These statements are based on the company's current assumptions and estimates and are subject to risks and uncertainties. In connection with the "safe harbor Safe Harbor 1. A legal provision to reduce or eliminate liability as long as good faith is demonstrated. 2. A form of shark repellent implemented by a target company acquiring a business that is so poorly regulated that the target itself is less attractive. " provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (PSLRA) implemented several significant substantive changes affecting certain cases brought under the federal securities laws, including changes related to pleading, discovery, liability, class representation and awards fees and of 1995, the company is hereby identifying important factors that could cause actual results and outcomes to differ materially from those contained in any forward looking statement made by or on behalf of the company. These factors include: (a) the effect on the company of competition in its markets, changes in consumer preferences and demand for its products, including diet trends, changing prices for its raw materials and local economic and market conditions; (b) the company's continued ability to promote brand equity successfully, to anticipate and respond to new consumer trends, to develop new products and markets, to broaden brand portfolios, to compete effectively with lower priced products in a consolidating environment at the retail and manufacturing levels and to improve productivity; (c) the company's ability to consummate and successfully integrate acquisitions and to realize the cost savings and improved asset utilization contemplated by its restructuring program; (d) the impact of gains or losses, or lost operating income, from the sales of businesses that are less of a strategic fit within the company's portfolio; (e) the effects of foreign economies, changes in tax requirements and currency movements; (f) fluctuations in levels of customer inventories and credit and other business risks related to the operations of the company's customers; (g) the company's access to credit markets, borrowing costs and credit ratings; (h) the company's benefit expense, which is subject to the investment performance of pension plan assets, interest rates and cost increases for medical benefits offered to employees and retirees; (i) the impact of recalls if products become adulterated a·dul·ter·ate tr.v. a·dul·ter·at·ed, a·dul·ter·at·ing, a·dul·ter·ates To make impure by adding extraneous, improper, or inferior ingredients. adj. 1. Spurious; adulterated. 2. Adulterous. or misbranded mis·brand tr.v. mis·brand·ed, mis·brand·ing, mis·brands To brand or label misleadingly or fraudulently. Adj. 1. , liability if product consumption causes injury, ingredient disclosure and labeling laws and regulations, potential claims relating to false or deceptive advertising under consumer protection or other laws and the possibility that consumers could lose confidence in the safety and quality of certain food products; and (j) consumer concerns regarding genetically modified organisms ge·net·i·cal·ly modified organism n. Abbr. GMO An organism whose genetic characteristics have been altered by the insertion of a modified gene or a gene from another organism using the techniques of genetic engineering. and the health implications of obesity and trans fatty acids trans fatty acid An unsaturated fatty acid–present in minimal amounts in animal fat–prepared by hydrogenation, which ↑ serum cholesterol Cardiovascular disease ↑ TFAs have a relative risk of 1. . Developments in any of these areas could cause the company's results to differ materially from results that have been or may be projected by or on behalf of the company. The company cautions that the foregoing list of important factors is not exclusive. For additional information on these and other factors that could affect the company's forward-looking statements, see the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the company's most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K Form 10-K A report required by the SEC from exchange-listed companies that provides for annual disclosure of certain financial information. Form 10-K See 10-K. and subsequent reports on Form 10-Q Form 10-Q See 10-Q. and 8-K. Any forward-looking statements in this press release are made as of the date hereof. The company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement. Non-GAAP Financial Measures The company reports its financial results in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles The standard accounting rules, regulations, and procedures used by companies in maintaining their financial records. Generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) provide companies and accountants with a consistent set of guidelines that cover both broad accounting (GAAP GAAP See: Generally Accepted Accounting Principles GAAP See generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). ). Management believes that certain non-GAAP measures and corresponding ratios provide additional meaningful comparisons between current results and results in prior operating periods. More specifically, management believes these non-GAAP measures reflect fundamental business performance because they exclude certain items that affect comparability of results. The company uses organic net revenues and corresponding growth ratios as non-GAAP measures. Organic net revenues is defined as net revenues excluding the impacts of acquisitions, divestitures and currency. Management believes this measure better reflects revenues on a go-forward basis and provides improved comparability of results. The company also uses non-GAAP measures when presenting operating results, such as operating income; operating income margin; effective tax rate; net earnings and diluted earnings per share; as excluding items. The term "items" refers to asset impairment, exit and implementation costs primarily related to a restructuring program that began in the first quarter of 2004 (the "Restructuring Program"). These restructuring charges include separation-related costs, asset write-downs, and other costs related to the implementation of the Restructuring Program. Other excluded items pertain to asset impairment charges on certain long-lived assets; gains and losses on the sales of businesses; interest from tax reserve transfers from Altria Group, Inc.; and the favorable resolution of Altria Group, Inc.'s 1996-1999 IRS An abbreviation for the Internal Revenue Service, a federal agency charged with the responsibility of administering and enforcing internal revenue laws. Tax Audit in 2006. See the attached schedules for supplemental financial data and corresponding reconciliations to GAAP financial measures for the quarter ended March 31, 2007, and March 31, 2006. Non-GAAP financial measures should be viewed in addition to, and not as an alternative for, the company's results prepared in accordance with GAAP. In addition, the non-GAAP measures the company is using may differ from non-GAAP measures that other companies use. 1 The company's top-line guidance measure is organic net revenues, which excludes the impacts of acquisitions, divestitures and currency. 2 The company is presenting various operating results, such as operating income, operating income margin, effective tax rate, net earnings and diluted EPS on both a reported basis and on a basis excluding items that affect comparability of results. The term "items" refers to asset impairment, exit and implementation costs; gains and losses on the sales of businesses; interest from tax reserve transfers from Altria Group, Inc.; and the favorable resolution of Altria Group, Inc.'s 1996-1999 IRS Tax Audit in 2006. Management believes these non-GAAP measures are useful to investors because they provide an additional comparison of year-to-year results. A reconciliation of all non-GAAP measures to the nearest comparable GAAP used in this earnings release can be found on the company's website, www.kraft.com. 3 The Developing Markets segment includes results of the Eastern Europe, Middle East & Africa (EEMA), Latin America and Asia Pacific regions. This segment was formerly called Developing Markets, Oceania & North Asia. [TABLE OMITTED] [TABLE OMITTED] [TABLE OMITTED] [TABLE OMITTED] [TABLE OMITTED] [TABLE OMITTED] |
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