Martek Revenues Up 18% in Q2

06/06/08 Martek Biosciences Corporation announced its financial results for the second quarter of fiscal 2008. Revenues for the second quarter were $90.7 million, up 18% from $76.7 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2007. Net income was $9.2 million, or $0.28 per diluted share, for the second quarter of fiscal 2008 compared with $4.9 million, or $0.15 per diluted share, in last year's second quarter.

Commenting on the quarter, Chief Executive Officer Steve Dubin said, "Martek's strong second quarter results reflect the continued execution of the Company's business plan. Martek's core infant formula business grew, especially overseas, and solid revenue increases were seen in non-infant formula markets. Interest from food, beverage and supplements companies in our nutritional oils continues to grow which should lead to further expansion of our non-infant formula business. In addition, advancements continue in the development of both new applications for life'sDHA as well as new products to support Martek's long-term growth."

Product sales in the second quarter of fiscal 2008 increased 21% over the second quarter of fiscal 2007 to $87.9 million. Product sales in fiscal 2008 year-to-date increased 20% over fiscal 2007 year-to-date to $166.5 million. These increases reflect continued strong demand from Martek's U.S. and international infant formula customers, the launch of new and the growth of existing food and beverage products containing life'sDHA and the Company's increased penetration into its other non-infant formula nutritional markets. Sales to the infant formula market in the second quarter of fiscal 2008 were approximately $3 million above the high-end of the guidance previously provided by the Company primarily due to the production timing and related product ordering patterns of several large customers.

New products launched during the second quarter co-branded with the Martek life'sDHA logo include:
  Food and Beverage Products
  -- Challenge Spreadable Butter  with life'sDHA (United States)
  -- WhiteWave Foods' Rachel's Wickedly Delicious Yogurt with
  life'sDHA (new flavors in the United States)
  -- Plum Organics' baby food with life'sDHA  (United States)
  -- Soyaworld's So Good Omega DHA Soymilk with life'sDHA (Canada)
  -- Maverick Brands' Sunkist Naturals Glorious Greens Smoothie with
  life'sDHA (United States)
  -- National Foods' Berri Australian Fresh Omega-3 for Heart & Mind juice-
  blend with life'sDHA (Australia)
  -- Bimbo Bakeries' Oroweat 9 Grain Bread with life'sDHA (United
  States)
  -- Canada Bread Company's Dempster's Smart 100% Whole Grain Wheat
  Bread with life'sDHA (Canada)

  Nutritional Supplement Products
  -- Spectrum Organics' Spectrum Essentials Vegetarian DHA with
  life'sDHA (United States)
  -- Flora's Bija - Udo's Choice DHA Omega-3 Truffles with life'sDHA
  (Canada)
  -- Flora's Udo's Choice Unrefined Algae DHA Vegetarian Softgel with
  life'sDHA (Canada)
  -- Source-Omega's Pure One Optimized Omega-3 with life'sDHA (United
  States)

Contract manufacturing sales in the second quarter totaled $2.9 million, compared with $4.4 million a year ago, and in the year-to-date period totaled $7.1 million, compared with $7.9 million in the prior year. The decline in contract manufacturing revenues resulted from the Company's decision to narrow its contract manufacturing services to include only products with expected reasonable profit margins or those that the Company believes could have a strategic fit in the future.

Overall gross margin for the second quarter of fiscal 2008 was 41.2%, essentially unchanged from the 41.1% gross margin realized in the first quarter of 2008, but a significant increase over the 34.8% gross margin realized in the second quarter of fiscal 2007. The gross profit margin improvement from last year's second quarter resulted from DHA productivity gains at Martek's manufacturing facilities, as well as reductions in ARA costs. Contract manufacturing gross margins were slightly lower than anticipated, but Martek believes that such margins will improve in the third quarter and contract manufacturing margins for the full fiscal year 2008 will be between 5% and 10%.

Research and development expenses in the second quarter of fiscal 2008 were $6.8 million, or approximately 8% of revenue which is similar to prior year levels. The Company's research and development efforts continue to focus on developing new food and beverage applications for life'sDHA, broadening the scientific evidence supporting the benefits of life'sDHA throughout life, improving manufacturing processes and developing new products to expand the Company's market offerings. In the future, the Company expects to experience quarter-to-quarter fluctuations in research and development expenses primarily due to the timing of outside services, including third-party clinical trial services. The Company anticipates that its research and development spend for the full fiscal year 2008 will also approximate 8% of revenue.

During the second quarter of fiscal 2008, selling, general and administrative expenses were $14.2 million, within the range of the second quarter estimates previously provided. As a percentage of revenue, the Company's selling, general and administrative expenses were 15.7%, consistent with the first quarter. For the full fiscal year 2008, the Company expects S,G & A as a percentage of revenue to be near 16%, compared to 14.6% in fiscal 2007. The spending increase from fiscal 2007 relates primarily to the Company's continued investment in new personnel required to support growth, expansion of marketing efforts designed to increase sales in both infant formula and non-infant formula markets as well as projected increases in the variable component of Company-wide compensation resulting from Martek's improved overall financial performance.

As previously discussed by the Company, revenue for the third quarter of fiscal 2008 is expected to be lower than that for the second quarter of fiscal 2008 due to the production timing and related product ordering patterns of several large customers. Accordingly, Martek expects total revenues for the third quarter of fiscal 2008 to be between $85 million and $88 million. Third quarter infant formula revenue is projected to be between $71 million and $73 million; third quarter non-infant formula nutritional revenue is projected to be between $9 million and $10 million and third quarter contract manufacturing revenue is projected to be between $3.5 million and $4 million. Net income for the third quarter is projected to be between $7.6 million and $8.3 million, and diluted earnings per share are projected to be between $0.23 and $0.25. Third quarter gross margin is expected to be approximately 41% with some improvement expected in the fourth quarter.

For the full fiscal year 2008, the Company expects revenues to be between $344 million and $350 million, a projected increase over fiscal 2007 of between 12% and 14%, with growth coming from all major product markets, including infant formula revenue where growth from the prior year is expected to be between 9% and 11%, slightly higher than previously estimated. Net income for the full fiscal year 2008 is projected to be between $33.6 million and $35.0 million, and diluted earnings per share are projected to be between $1.01 and $1.05.