TECHNE CORPORATION
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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







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TECHNE CORPORATION
614 McKinley Place N.E.    Minneapolis, MN 55413-2610
Phone: (612)379-8854   Fax: (612)379-6580
e-mail: techinfo@techne-corp.com


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