MSC Industrial Net Sales Increase 5.8% In Third Quarter

Net sales for the first quarter of fiscal 2013 were $577.5 million, an increase of 5.8% over net sales of $545.7 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2012.  Excluding non-recurring costs of $1.3 million associated with the previously announced co-location of the Company's headquarters in Davidson, North Carolina.

  • Net Sales of $577.5 Million in Fiscal 2013 First Quarter
  • Adjusted Diluted Earnings per Share Increase 6.3% to $1.01, GAAP Diluted Earnings per Share Increase 5.3% to $1.00 in Fiscal 2013 First Quarter

MELVILLE, N.Y. - MSC INDUSTRIAL DIRECT CO., INC. today reported financial results for its fiscal first quarter ended December 1, 2012.

Net sales for the first quarter of fiscal 2013 were $577.5 million, an increase of 5.8% over net sales of $545.7 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2012.  Excluding non-recurring costs of $1.3 million associated with the previously announced co-location of the Company's headquarters in Davidson, North Carolina, adjusted operating income for the fiscal 2013 first quarter was $103.7 million, or 18.0% of net sales, compared to $96.8 million, or 17.7% of net sales in the same quarter a year ago. GAAP operating income for the fiscal 2013 first quarter was $102.4 million.

Excluding the after tax effects of these non-recurring costs, adjusted net income for the first quarter of fiscal 2013 rose 7.0% to $64.0 million, or $1.01 per diluted share (based on 62.7 million diluted shares outstanding), compared to $59.8 million, or $0.95 per diluted share, a year ago (based on 62.6 million diluted shares outstanding). GAAP net income for the first quarter of fiscal 2013 was $63.2 million, or $1.00 per diluted share. 

An explanation and reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measures contained in this press release to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures are included in the attached tables.

Erik Gershwind, President and Chief Executive Officer, stated, "I am pleased with our performance this quarter and our continued success in executing our strategy.  We produced revenue growth of nearly 6% in an eroding demand environment impacted by uncertainty and caution over the fiscal cliff. Our team demonstrated exceptional cost control, as reflected in adjusted incremental margin of over 20%, and strong execution of our share gain initiatives, such as vending and e-commerce."

Jeff Kaczka, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, commented, "We aggressively and carefully managed our expenses in our fiscal first quarter to produce strong incremental margin, while our focus on working capital management reduced inventories and receivables and nearly doubled our cash flow from operations from the year ago quarter. Our financial position remains strong and affords us the ability to continue investing in the future of our business and to pursue an opportunistic growth strategy throughout market cycles."

Mr. Gershwind concluded, "As I assume the role of CEO, I remain excited about the future of our company and our long-term strategic vision.  In the near-term, both the demand and pricing environments have softened since we last reported and fiscal cliff issues have yet to be fully resolved and digested by our customers. We have very limited visibility heading into the second quarter and as such are planning for a continuation of the current environment. We do see some signs for cautious optimism on the horizon, such as an uptick in December's ISM report, that would bode well should the trend continue. Regardless of environment, we expect to take share, to continue investing in key programs and to balance that with strong expense control like we demonstrated in the first quarter. We remain committed to executing on our time-tested strategy and expect to drive strong growth as the market improves."

Outlook
Based on a continuation of current market conditions, for the fiscal 2013 second quarter the Company expects net sales to be between $563 million and $575 million reflecting projected average daily sales growth of 1.0% at the midpoint.  Excluding non-recurring costs related to the co-location of the Company's headquarters in Davidson, North Carolina, the Company expects adjusted diluted earnings per share for the second quarter of fiscal 2013 to be between $0.86 and $0.90. Guidance reflects the soft demand environment and the lack of a mid-year price adjustment.

The Company expects these non-recurring costs to have a minimal impact on its GAAP diluted earnings per share in the fiscal second quarter.  The Company expects to spend a total of approximately $7 million in non-recurring relocation costs in the remainder of fiscal year 2013 and fiscal 2014.

The management of MSC will host a conference call today, at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time, to review the Company's results for the fiscal 2013 first quarter, and to comment on current operations.  The call may be accessed via the Internet on the home page of MSC's website located at: www.mscdirect.com.  A replay of the conference call will be available on the Company's website until Thursday, February 7, 2013.

Alternatively, the conference call can be accessed by dialing 1-800-860-2442 (U.S.) or 1-412-858-4600 (international). A replay will be available within one hour of the conclusion of the call and will remain available until Thursday, February 7, 2013. The replay is accessible by dialing 1-877-344-7529 (U.S.) or 1-412-317-0088 (international) and entering passcode 10022853.

The Company's next reporting date for its fiscal 2013 second quarter will be Wednesday, April 10, 2013.

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