Martek Profits Fall 4% in Q3

Product sales in the third quarter of fiscal 2009 decreased to $75.0 million from $83.5 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2008. The revenue decline in the current year's third quarter was caused by the previously announced de-stocking of inventory by certain infant formula customers.

3 Sep 2009 --- Martek Biosciences Corporation has announced that revenues for the third quarter were $77.8 million, down 12% from $88.4 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2008. Net income was $8.9 million, or $0.27 per diluted share, for the third quarter of fiscal 2009, a 4% decrease compared with $9.3 million, or $0.28 per diluted share, in last year's third quarter.

Commenting on the quarter, Chief Executive Officer Steve Dubin said, "Martek's third quarter 2009 financial results benefited from a 41% quarter over quarter increase in non-infant formula product sales, a 220 basis point gross margin improvement from last year, and our cost control efforts, but, as anticipated and disclosed at the time of our second quarter earnings press release, we were negatively impacted by de-stocking of inventory by certain of our infant formula customers. Despite some continuing effects of this customer de-stocking, I expect a strong fourth quarter for both revenues and earnings. Looking forward to 2010, the de-stocking issue should be behind us and our growing non-infant formula business coupled with an expected resumption in growth in our infant formula business should lay a solid foundation for 2010."

Product sales in the third quarter of fiscal 2009 decreased to $75.0 million from $83.5 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2008.  The revenue decline in the current year's third quarter was caused by the previously announced de-stocking of inventory by certain infant formula customers. The effect of the de-stocking was partially offset by record non-infant formula nutritional revenues of $10.6 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2009. The 41% increase in non-infant formula nutritional products compared to the prior year's third quarter was led by significantly higher sales to the pregnancy and nursing market.

Martek expects total revenues for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2009 to be between $87 million and $92 million with fourth quarter infant formula revenue projected to be between $69 million and $75 million and fourth quarter non-infant formula nutritional revenue projected to be between $9.5 million and $11.5 million. Contract manufacturing and services revenue is projected to be between $6.0 million and $6.5 million in the fourth quarter. The expected revenue increase from prior periods in the contract area is attributable to the additional production by Martek of the starting material used to produce an anti-viral drug for the treatment of influenza and the BP arrangement. Fourth quarter gross margin is expected to be between 43% and 44%. Net income for the fourth quarter is projected to be between $10.4 million and $11.8 million, and diluted earnings per share are projected to be between $0.31 and $0.35.

For the full fiscal year 2009, Martek expects total revenues to be between $345 million and $350 million. Net income for the full fiscal year 2009 is projected to be between $40.0 million and $41.4 million, and diluted earnings per share are projected to be between $1.20 and $1.24, a pre-tax earnings increase of between 10% and 15% over fiscal 2008.