FMC Health and Nutrition Revenues Down Due to Low Sales in Omega 3

03 May 2016 --- FMC Corporation (FMC) have reported first quarter revenue of $799 million, a 21 percent increase over the same period in 2015. The company reported net income of $48.3 million, or $0.36 per diluted share, in the first quarter of 2016, as compared to a net loss of $46.8 million, or a loss of $0.35 per diluted share, in the first quarter of 2015. Excluding various restructuring charges, adjusted earnings were $0.58 per diluted share, flat compared to the prior-year quarter.

FMC Health and Nutrition
FMC Health and Nutrition first quarter segment revenue was $192 million, 9 percent lower versus the prior-year quarter, driven primarily by lower sales in Omega-3 and a 2 percent headwind from foreign currency. Segment earnings of $47 million were down 7 percent compared to the prior-year quarter, principally due to lower revenue, but lower operating costs helped drive an increase in segment operating margins. Segment revenue for the full year of 2016 is expected to be in the range of $775 million to $825 million, while full-year segment earnings are expected to be between $198 million and $208 million. Second quarter segment earnings are expected to be in the range of $49 million to $53 million.

FMC Agricultural Solutions
First quarter segment revenue for FMC Agricultural Solutions was $546 million, an increase of 39 percent versus reported revenue for the prior-year quarter. Segment earnings were $82 million, which was flat versus prior-year reported results. On a pro forma basis, first quarter segment revenue and earnings each declined 22 percent compared to the same period in 2015, as lower sales volume in North America and Brazil, plus foreign currency swings, more than offset higher prices and the benefits of revenue synergies and new product introductions. Lower third-party product volumes contributed 4 percent to the revenue headwind in the quarter. At the segment earnings level, price increases in Brazil more than offset the year-over-year impact of the weaker real, but the strength of the U.S. dollar resulted in headwinds in Europe, Asia, and other parts of Latin America. Agricultural Solutions segment operating margins were flat year-over-year, on a pro forma basis. For 2016, full-year segment revenue is expected to be in the range of $2.3 billion to $2.5 billion and full-year segment earnings are expected to be in the range of $380 million to $420 million, with second quarter segment earnings in the range of $90 million to $110 million.

Pierre Brondeau, FMC president, CEO and chairman said: "We are pleased to have achieved adjusted EPS towards the higher end of our first quarter guidance range and to increase our full-year adjusted EPS guidance by five cents. With Ag Solutions and Health and Nutrition delivering earnings in line with guidance, it was the outperformance by Lithium that drove this strong result and the guidance increase. We came into 2016 expecting challenging agricultural market conditions, particularly in the Americas, and so far these expectations are proving to be accurate. However, the actions we continue to take in managing the business leave us confident in our full-year outlook for Agricultural Solutions."