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B&G Foods Reports Strong First Quarter Net Sales and Earnings Growth

2012 MAY 6 - (VerticalNews.com) -- B&G Foods, Inc. (NYSE: BGS) announced financial results for the first quarter of 2012, reporting strong net sales and earnings growth. Key Quarter and Outlook Highlights Net sales increased 19.7% to $157.3 million

Net income increased 26.1% to $16.8 million

Diluted earnings per share increased 29.6% to $0.35

EBITDA* increased 29.0% to $42.6 million

EBITDA guidance remains at $166.0 million to $170.0 million for the full year

David L. Wenner, President and Chief Executive Officer of B&G Foods, stated, "We are very pleased with the record results for the quarter; our significant growth in net sales, net income and EBITDA in the first quarter reflects solid performance of the Culver Specialty Brands in our first full quarter following the acquisition. The acquisition produced results in line with our projections and has been very accretive to the overall performance of our business. Our base business, meanwhile, saw price gains as projected that more than compensated for a modest weakness in sales, caused in part by retailer and distributor inventory reductions and a warmer than usual Winter. For the full year, we are reaffirming our adjusted EBITDA guidance of $166 million to $170 million." Financial Results for the First Quarter of 2012 Net sales for the first quarter of 2012 increased 19.7% to $157.3 million from $131.4 million for the first quarter of 2011. Net sales of the Culver Specialty Brands, which B&G Foods acquired at the end of November 2011, contributed $25.6 million to the overall increase. The remaining $0.3 million net sales increase was attributable to $2.5 million of sales price increases largely offset by a $2.2 million unit volume decrease for the base business.

Gross profit for the first quarter of 2012 increased 26.7% to $56.8 million from $44.9 million in the first quarter of 2011. Gross profit expressed as a percentage of net sales increased 2.0 percentage points to 36.1% for the first quarter of 2012 from 34.1% in the first quarter of 2011. The increase in gross profit expressed as a percentage of net sales was primarily attributable to pricing gains of $2.5 million and a sales mix shift to higher margin products (primarily due to the Culver Specialty Brands acquisition), partially offset by commodity cost increases. Operating income increased 31.2% to $38.2 million for the first quarter of 2012, from $29.1 million in the first quarter of 2011.

Net interest expense for the first quarter of 2012 increased $3.8 million or 46.4% to $12.0 million from $8.2 million for the first quarter of 2011. The increase in net interest expense for the first quarter was primarily attributable to an increase in the Company's indebtedness to finance the Culver Specialty Brands acquisition, and an additional $0.8 million of deferred debt financing costs and bond discount relating to the acquisition financing.

The Company's reported net income under U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) was $16.8 million, or $0.35 per diluted share, for the first quarter of 2012, as compared to reported net income of $13.3 million, or $0.27 per diluted share, for the first quarter of 2011.

For the first quarter of 2012, EBITDA increased 29.0% to $42.6 million from $33.0 million for the first quarter of 2011.

* Please see "About Non-GAAP Financial Measures" below for the definition of the term EBITDA and a reconciliation of EBITDA to the most comparable GAAP financial measures. Guidance B&G Foods reaffirmed its EBITDA guidance for fiscal 2012 of approximately $166.0 million to $170.0 million. Conference Call B&G Foods will hold a webcast and conference call at 4:30 p.m. ET today, April 19, 2012. The call will be webcast live from B&G Foods' website at www.bgfoods.com under "Investor Relations-Company Overview." The call can also be accessed live over the phone by dialing (800) 967-7188 for U.S. callers or (719) 457-1529 for international callers.

A replay of the call will be available one hour after the call and can be accessed by dialing (877) 870-5176 or (858) 384-5517 for international callers; the password is 1400634. The replay will be available from April 19, 2012, through May 3, 2012. Investors may also access a web-based replay of the call at the Investor Relations section of B&G Foods' website, www.bgfoods.com. About Non-GAAP Financial Measures "EBITDA" (net income before net interest expense, income taxes, depreciation and amortization and loss on extinguishment of debt) is a "non-GAAP financial measure." A non-GAAP financial measure is a numerical measure of financial performance that excludes or includes amounts so as to be different than the most directly comparable measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP in B&G Foods' consolidated balance sheets and related consolidated statements of operations and cash flows. Non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the most directly comparable GAAP measures. The Company's non-GAAP financial measures may be different from non-GAAP financial measures used by other companies.

Keywords: Mergers, B&G Foods Inc., Finance and Financials, Investing and Investments.