6.5.2004: Meldung: Natural Alternatives International: Record Quarterly Revenue for 3rd Quarter

Natural Alternatives International, Inc. ("NAI"), a leading formulator and manufacturer of customized nutritional supplements, reported net income of $855,000 or $0.13 per diluted share on revenue of $21.3 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2004.

Third quarter revenue increased 55% to $21.3 million from $13.8 million for the comparable quarter last year. Revenue growth resulted from a 68% increase in private label contract manufacturing sales partially offset by an 8% decrease in Direct-to-Consumer ("DTC") sales. Income from operations increased to $1.0 million from $211,000 in the comparable quarter last year. Net income increased to $855,000 or $0.13 per diluted share from $172,000 or $0.03 per diluted share for the comparable quarter last year, representing an earning per share increase of 333%.

For the first nine months of fiscal 2004, revenue increased 38% to $55.2 million from $39.9 million for the comparable period last year. Revenue growth resulted from a 46% increase in private label contract manufacturing sales and a 3% increase in DTC sales. Income from operations increased to $2.2 million from $869,000 for the comparable period last year. Net income increased to $2.0 million or $0.32 per diluted share compared to $858,000 or $0.14 per diluted share in the comparable period last year, an increase of $1.1 million or $0.18 per diluted share. Excluding the effects of litigation settlement proceeds of $225,000 in the first quarter of the prior fiscal year, net income increased $1.4 million or $0.21 per diluted share.

As of March 31, 2004, NAI had cash and working capital of approximately $3.2 million and $14.2 million, respectively, compared to $5.5 million and $12.3 million, respectively, at June 30, 2003. During the first nine months of fiscal 2004, inventory increased $4.4 million in response to higher anticipated revenue. Additionally, $2.0 million was invested in capital expenditures for the first nine months of fiscal 2004. These expenditures were primarily continuing investment in our domestic manufacturing equipment.

Chairman and CEO Mark LeDoux commented, "It is most gratifying to report record setting revenue in addition to robust earnings per share growth. Our investments in human and capital resources have yielded definite improvements in shareholder value. We anticipate continued revenue and earnings growth emanating from our commitments to excellence in product development, regulatory assistance, manufacturing and distribution in multiple channels around the globe."

President Randell Weaver commented, "Recent additions to our product development and regulatory compliance capabilities demonstrate our continued focus on developing sustainable competitive advantages that can lead to long- term growth. In the third quarter we initiated our plans to build out and occupy newly leased 46,000 square feet of space contiguous to our existing manufacturing facility in Vista, California. We continue to evaluate expansion opportunities that could increase product lines, enhance our manufacturing capabilities or reduce risks associated with a variety of factors. In the near term we anticipate strengthening our capitalization through refinancing of our credit facilities."

NAI, headquartered in San Marcos, California, is a leading formulator and manufacturer of nutritional supplements and provides strategic partnering services to its customers. Our comprehensive partnership approach offers a wide range of innovative nutritional products and services to the client including: scientific research, clinical studies, proprietary ingredients, customer-specific nutritional product formulation, product testing and evaluation, marketing management and support, packaging and delivery system design, regulatory review and international product registration assistance. For more information about NAI, please see our website at http://www.nai-online.com.

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are not historical facts and information. These statements represent our intentions, expectations and beliefs concerning future events, including, among other things, our expectations and beliefs with respect to future financial and operating results and our ability to sustain profitability, maintain adequate financing, improve liquidity, maintain revenue growth, and implement our strategic plan. We wish to caution readers that these statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and outcomes for future periods to differ materially from any forward-looking statement or views expressed herein. NAI"s financial performance and the forward-looking statements contained herein are further qualified by other risks including those set forth from time to time in the documents filed by us with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.

For further information please contact John R. Reaves, Chief Financial Officer of Natural Alternatives International, Inc., +1-760-744-7340, [email protected].

NATURAL ALTERNATIVES INTERNATIONAL, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(In thousands)

March 31, June 30,
2004 2003
-------- --------
(Unaudited)
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents $3,162 $5,482
Accounts receivable, net 6,329 5,668
Inventories, net 12,270 7,845
Other current assets 1,166 766
-------- --------
Total current assets 22,927 19,761
Property and equipment, net 10,804 10,820
Other assets 201 143
-------- --------
Total Assets $33,932 $30,724
-------- --------
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS" EQUITY
Current liabilities $8,731 $7,440
Long-term debt, less current installments 1,955 2,386
Long-term pension liability 200 121
-------- --------
Total Liabilities 10,886 9,947
-------- --------
Stockholders" Equity 23,046 20,777
-------- --------
Total Liabilities and Stockholders"
Equity $33,932 $30,724
-------- --------



CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(In thousands, except share and per share data)

Three months ended Nine months ended
March 31, March 31,
---------------- ----------------
2004 2003 2004 2003
------- ------- ------- -------
(Unaudited) (Unaudited)
NET SALES $21,268 $13,755 $55,184 $39,901
Cost of goods sold 16,215 10,468 42,090 30,367
------- ------- ------- -------
Gross profit 5,053 3,287 13,094 9,534
Selling, general &
administrative expenses 4,047 3,076 10,909 8,665
------- ------- ------- -------
INCOME FROM OPERATIONS 1,006 211 2,185 869
Other income (expense) (138) (33) (116) 10
------- ------- ------- -------
INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES 868 178 2,069 879
Provision for income taxes 13 6 71 21
------- ------- ------- -------
NET INCOME $855 $172 $1,998 $858
------- ------- ------- -------
NET INCOME PER COMMON
SHARE:
Basic $0.15 $0.03 $0.34 $0.15
------- ------- ------- -------
Diluted $0.13 $0.03 $0.32 $0.14
------- ------- ------- -------
WEIGHTED AVERAGE COMMON
SHARES OUTSTANDING:
Basic shares 5,848,841 5,814,258 5,830,508 5,807,143
------- ------- ------- -------
Diluted shares 6,335,462 6,061,391 6,201,686 6,004,304
------- ------- ------- -------


Source: Natural Alternatives International, Inc.












Press Release Source: The Hain Celestial Group Inc.

The Hain Celestial Group Announces New Bank Facility for $300 Million
Friday April 30, 4:42 pm ET
Comments on Third Quarter Results
Implements Price Adjustments

MELVILLE, N.Y., April 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Hain Celestial Group (Nasdaq: HAIN - News), the leading natural and organic food company, announced that it has entered into a new five-year $300 million credit facility with its bank group, and that -- for the first time in several years -- it will adjust prices across its U.S. businesses effective July 2004. The Company also commented on preliminary results for its Third Quarter ended March 31, 2004.

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New Bank Facility

The Company has entered into a new $300 million Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, arranged by Fleet Securities, and led by Fleet National Bank, SunTrust Bank, HSBC Bank USA, KeyBank and First Pioneer Farm Credit, increasing the Company"s credit line by $60 million, and providing the Company with an accordion feature under which the Company can request a further increase of $50 million in the credit line. The new facility provides the Company with continuing access to capital which the Company uses principally to finance acquisitions of businesses. At the present time, the Company has $46 million borrowed under its credit facility.

Irwin D. Simon, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Hain Celestial Group said, "I am very proud of our Company"s balance sheet and our business prospects. I believe that the positive response to the syndication of our credit facility speaks directly to our growth and success over the past ten years and our future potential. We now enjoy a credit facility with significantly improved terms, and a straight five-year term. This line will provide the continuing ability to invest in and grow our business both internally and by making strategic accretive acquisitions without concern for capital needs, and to repurchase our common stock when we believe it is appropriate and prudent to do so."

Comments on Preliminary Third Quarter Results

The Company said that as a result of investments related to the launch of its new CarbFit® brand, previously-discussed manufacturing issues at its soup co-packer during its heaviest shipping period, and higher commodity, ingredient and transportation costs, the Company will not meet its internal operating income budget for the Third Quarter ended March 31, 2004 by approximately $5 to $7 million. If not for these items, the Company would have met its internal operating income budget for the quarter.

In response to strong initial consumer response to the Company"s new CarbFit brand, the Company made significant additional investments in its launch during the third quarter. The Company has shipped approximately $10 million of CarbFit in the first four months since its national launch in mid-January. These investments, which are charged against the current quarter earnings, have been higher than anticipated.

Mr. Simon stated, "We are extremely pleased with the market response to our CarbFit products, and we are continuing with our program to introduce a total of 80 low-carb products, all of which have been developed entirely within our organization. We have made significant investments in CarbFit over the course of the year to lay a strong foundation for this brand, including expenses related to product development and start-up costs, initial marketing, advertising, and promotion. All of these impacted our earnings as we incurred them. As the result of our investments, the CarbFit brand is now available in 17% of stores across America, and we expect that CarbFit could contribute between $20 million and $30 million to our revenues beginning next year."

Mr. Simon continued, "While we are seeing positive consumption trends across all of our key brands, including our Celestial Seasonings business as well as Canadian and European businesses, the coincidence of these three unusual and unrelated factors negatively impacted our operating income this quarter. I have tasked John Carroll, our recently appointed Executive Vice President - Melville Businesses, with taking the necessary actions to resolve the outstanding issues with our soup business. John"s team resolved the start-up and volume issues with our current soup co-packer which will allow us to obtain the promised volume from our current co-packer going forward. As a further measure, we have added an additional soup co-packer effective immediately."

Mr. Carroll said, "We have implemented a fix to our soup supply issue and are rapidly rebuilding our soup inventories both internally and at the store shelf. These start-up issues at our new soup co-packer arose during the heaviest shipping period of the soup season. This reduced sales and coupled with increased costs of soup had a significant impact on the Third Quarter. Our soup out-of-stock situation negatively impacted sales by approximately $8 million, and contributed to the increased freight costs as the Company moved its existing soup inventories into strategic locations and shipped reduced quantities in less than full truckloads. We do not expect this unusual issue to recur in the future."

The Company will announce its third quarter earnings prior to the market opening on Friday, May 7.

Price Adjustments

The Company also announced that effective July 2004 it will adjust prices upward across its U.S. businesses by 4% to 5% across certain of its U.S. businesses effective July 2004. The Company expects the increases will offset increased costs the Company has absorbed in fuel, freight and commodities, and should help offset future increased costs into the next production year as the Company renews procurement contracts.

Mr. Simon said, "We have gone many years without adjusting our prices to customers, while absorbing the increases imposed on us by our suppliers and service providers. With increases in our delivery costs, including the imposition of new and expensive federal regulations on the trucking industry, and increases in commodity and ingredient costs, including the costs of soy beans, vanilla, and the various oils we sell and use in the production of other products, the time has come to offset these increased costs."

About The Hain Celestial Group

The Hain Celestial Group, headquartered in Melville, NY, is a natural, specialty and snack food company. The Company is a leader in 13 of the top 15 natural food categories, with such well-known natural food brands as Celestial Seasonings (R) teas, Walnut Acres®, Hain Pure Foods®, Westbrae®, Westsoy®, Rice Dream®, Soy Dream®, Imagine®, Arrowhead Mills®, Health Valley®, Breadshop"s®, Casbah®, Garden of Eatin®, Terra Chips®, Yves Veggie Cuisine®, The Good Dog (R), The Good Slice®, DeBoles®, Lima®, Biomarche®, Grains Noirs®, Natumi®, Milkfree®, Earth"s Best®, and Nile Spice®. The Company"s principal specialty product lines include Hollywood® cooking oils, Estee® sugar-free products, Kineret® kosher foods, Boston Better Snacks®, and Alba Foods®. The Hain Celestial Group"s website can be found at www.hain-celestial.com.

Statements made in this Press Release that are estimates of past or future performance are based on a number of factors, some of which are outside of the Company"s control. Statements made in this Press Release that state the intentions, beliefs, expectations or predictions of The Hain Celestial Group and its management for the future are forward-looking statements. It is important to note that actual results could differ materially from those projected in such forward-looking statements. Information concerning factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward- looking statements is contained from time to time in filings of The Hain Celestial Group with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Copies of these filings may be obtained by contacting The Hain Celestial Group or the SEC.

Contact: Ira Lamel, CFO Jeremy Fielding/David Lilly
The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. Kekst and Company
631-730-2200 212-521-4800


Source: The Hain Celestial Group Inc.
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