Press Release - May 1, 2007

TECHNE CORPORATION RELEASES UNAUDITED
THIRD QUARTER RESULTS
FOR FISCAL YEAR 2007
Minneapolis/May 1, 2007/--Techne
Corporation’s (NASDAQ: TECH) consolidated
net earnings for the quarter ended March 31, 2007 increased 17.4% to $23.9
million or $0.60 per diluted share compared to $20.3 million and $0.52 per
diluted share for the quarter ended March 31, 2006. For the nine months ended
March 31, 2007, Techne’s consolidated net earnings increased 15.5% to
$62.2 million or $1.57 per diluted share compared with $53.9 million or $1.36
per diluted share for the nine months ended March 31, 2006. The improvement
in results was mainly due to increased consolidated net sales and improved
gross margin percentages.
Consolidated net sales for the quarter and nine months ended March 31, 2007
were $60.2 million and $165.1 million, respectively. This was an increase of
9.8% and 9.6% from the quarter and nine months ended March 31, 2006.
Biotechnology net sales, which
includes sales by R&D Systems’ Biotechnology
Division, Fortron and BiosPacific, for the quarter and nine months ended March
31, 2007 were $39.1 million and $108.5 million, increases of 6.9% and 8.4%,
respectively, from the same prior-year periods. Approximately $1.2 million
of the increase in Biotechnology net sales during the first six months of fiscal
2007 was the result of price increases in made in January 2006.
R&D Europe’s net sales for the quarter and nine months ended
March 31, 2007 were $17.4 million and $45.6 million, increases of 20.1% and
15.5%, respectively, from the same prior-year periods. In British pound sterling,
R&D Europe’s net sales increased 7.2% and 4.9% for the quarter
and nine months ended March 31, 2007. Hematology net sales of $3.7 million
for the quarter and $11.0 million for the nine months ended March 31, 2007
essentially flat from the same prior-year periods.
Consolidated gross margins were 80.0% and 79.4% for the quarter and nine
months ended March 31, 2007, respectively, compared to 77.9% and 77.5% for
the quarter and nine months ended March 31, 2006. Biotechnology gross margins
increased to 80.4% and 80.3% for the quarter and nine months ended March 31,
2007 from 78.8% and 78.2% for the same prior-year periods mainly as a result
of changes in product mix. Biotechnology gross margins were also positively
affected by the sale of inventory acquired from Fortron and BiosPacific in
fiscal 2006, which was valued at fair market under purchase accounting. Included
in cost of sales for the quarter and nine months ended March 31, 2007 were
$100,000 and $455,000, respectively, related to the sale of acquired inventory
compared to $397,000 and $1.3 million, respectively, for the same prior-year
periods.
The income tax rate of 35.2% for the quarter ended March 31, 2007 increased
from 33.9% for the first and second quarter of fiscal 2007 as a result of changes
in state apportionment estimates. Income tax rates are expected to range from
approximately 33.5% to 34.5% in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2007.
Consolidated net earnings and
diluted earnings per share for the quarter and nine months ended March 31,
2007 were favorably impacted by the change in exchange rates from the prior
year used to convert R&D
Europe results from British pound sterling to U.S. dollars. The change in
exchange rates from the prior year increased consolidated net earnings approximately
$600,000 and $1.3 million for the quarter and nine months ended March 31,
2007, respectively.
Forward Looking Statements:
This earnings release contains
forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Litigation Reform
Act. These statements, including the Company’s
expectations as to income tax rates, involve risks and uncertainties that may
affect the actual results of operations. The following important factors, among
others, have affected and, in the future, could affect the Company’s
actual results: the introduction and acceptance of new biotechnology and hematology
products, the levels and particular directions of research by the Company’s
customers, the impact of the growing number of producers of biotechnology research
products and related price competition, the retention of hematology OEM and
proficiency survey business, the impact of currency exchange rate fluctuations,
and the costs and results of research and product development efforts of the
Company and of companies in which the Company has invested or with which it
has formed strategic relationships. For additional information concerning such
factors, see the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports
on Form 10-Q as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We undertake
no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements we make in
this release due to new information or future events. Investors are cautioned
not to place undue emphasis on these statements.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Techne Corporation has two operating
subsidiaries: Research and Diagnostic Systems, Inc. (R&D Systems) of Minneapolis, Minnesota and R&D Systems
Europe, Ltd. (R&D Europe) of Abingdon, England. R&D Systems is a specialty
manufacturer of biological products. R&D Systems has two subsidiaries,
Fortron Bio Science, Inc. (Fortron), located in Minneapolis, and BiosPacific,
Inc. (BiosPacific), located in Emeryville, California. Fortron develops and
manufactures antibodies and BiosPacific is a worldwide supplier of biologics
to manufacturers of in vitro diagnostic systems and immunodiagnostic kits.
R&D Europe is a distributor of biotechnology products.
Contact:
Greg Melsen, Chief Financial Officer
Kathy Backes, Controller
(612) 379-8854
TECHNE CORPORATION
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF EARNINGS
(In thousands, except per share data)
(Unaudited)
|
QUARTER ENDED |
NINE MONTHS ENDED |
|
3/31/07 |
3/31/06 |
3/31/07 |
3/31/06 |
Net sales |
$60,197 |
$54,813 |
$165,057 |
$150,551 |
Cost of sales |
12,019 |
12,105 |
33,970 |
33,896 |
Gross margin |
48,178 |
42,708 |
131,087 |
116,655 |
Operating expenses: |
|
|
|
|
Selling, general and administrative |
7,229 |
6,901 |
23,126 |
21,335 |
Research and development |
5,169 |
4,761 |
15,068 |
14,052 |
Amortization of intangible assets |
403 |
492 |
1,210 |
1,476 |
Total operating expenses |
12,801 |
12,154 |
39,404 |
36,863 |
Operating income |
35,377 |
30,554 |
91,683 |
79,792 |
Other expense (income): |
|
|
|
|
Interest expense |
-- |
245 |
1,083 |
706 |
Interest income |
(2,237) |
(1,082) |
(5,869) |
(3,186) |
Other non-operating expense (income), net |
767 |
229 |
1,680 |
721 |
Total other expense (income) |
(1,470) |
(608) |
(3,106) |
(1,759) |
Earnings before income taxes |
36,847 |
31,162 |
94,789 |
81,551 |
Income taxes |
12,954 |
10,815 |
32,602 |
27,689 |
Net earnings |
$23,893 |
$20,347 |
$62,187 |
$53,862 |
Earnings per share: |
|
|
|
|
Basic |
$ 0.61 |
$ 0.52 |
$1.58 |
$ 1.38 |
Diluted |
$ 0.60 |
$ 0.52 |
$1.57 |
$ 1.36 |
Weighted average common shares outstanding: |
|
|
|
|
Basic |
39,414 |
39,199 |
39,393 |
38,941 |
Diluted |
39,543 |
39,425 |
39,498 |
39,631 |
TECHNE CORPORATION
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(In thousands)
(Unaudited)
| ASSETS |
3/31/07 |
6/30/06 |
| Cash and equivalents |
$116,276 |
$ 89,634 |
| Short-term available-for-sale investments |
27,822 |
19,212 |
| Trade accounts receivable |
29,582 |
23,769 |
| Other receivables |
1,247 |
1,309 |
| Inventory |
9,574 |
9,024 |
| Other current assets |
7,891 |
6,874 |
| Current assets |
192,392 |
149,822 |
| Available-for-sale investments |
85,854 |
77,660 |
| Property and equipment, net |
89,172 |
88,772 |
| Goodwill and intangible assets, net |
30,571 |
32,021 |
| Other non-current assets |
29,184 |
22,237 |
| Total assets |
$427,173 |
$370,512 |
| LIABILITIES |
|
|
| Current liabilities |
$15,710 |
$ 17,966 |
| Long-term debt |
-- |
12,198 |
| Stockholders’ equity |
411,463 |
340,348 |
| Total liabilities and equity |
$427,173 |
$370,512 |
|