Nu Skin Enterprises Reports Record Third-Quarter 2009 Results

Thu Oct 29, 2009 7:30am EDT
 
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PROVO, Utah, Oct. 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc.
(NYSE: NUS) today announced record third-quarter revenue of $334.2 million, an
8 percent improvement over the prior-year period.  Revenue in the period
benefited 1 percent from foreign currency fluctuations. Earnings per share for
the quarter were $0.40, a 54 percent improvement over the same quarter of
2008. Earnings per share, excluding restructuring charges of $0.01, were
$0.41, a 58 percent improvement over the prior-year period. 

"We are really pleased with accelerated growth on both the top and bottom
line," said Truman Hunt, president and chief executive officer. "We are also
optimistic about continued growth going forward. Last week we held our 25th
anniversary convention where we hosted 12,000 of our global sales leaders and
unveiled our new ageLOC skin care line. As part of the event, we also revealed
more of the science and significant scientific collaborations that support our
product strategy of targeting the sources of aging. 

"There are several reasons we expect continued strength in our business.
First, our anti-aging focus is tapping into a substantial market opportunity
as consumers age, and as increasing numbers seek alternative income sources.
Second, our product portfolio features highly differentiated and demonstrable
skin care products today, and will expand into nutrition products next year.
Third, our operating margin has consistently improved since we began
restructuring our business in 2006. Our efforts to improve efficiency will
continue to yield bottom-line improvements. Finally, our local currency
revenue growth accelerated to 7 percent, boosted by continued sales trend
improvements in Japan and double-digit growth in South Korea, Southeast Asia,
Europe, Taiwan, Mainland China,  and Latin America," said Hunt. 

Regional Results
North Asia. Third-quarter revenue in North Asia was $152.4 million, compared
to $142.8 million for the same period in 2008. North Asia's results benefited
approximately 6 percent from foreign currency fluctuations, due primarily to a
strengthening of the Japanese yen. Japan recorded a local-currency revenue
decline of 5 percent while South Korea local-currency revenue improved 15
percent. The number of executive distributors in the region was up 2 percent
while the number of active distributors declined 2 percent. 

Americas. Revenue in the Americas improved 7 percent to $61.3 million,
compared to $57.3 million in the prior-year period. The United States posted a
4 percent revenue increase during the quarter, while Canada and Latin America
local-currency revenue grew by 46 percent and 28 percent, respectively. The
number of executive distributors improved 10 percent while the number of
active distributors decreased 1 percent compared to the prior year.

Greater China. Third-quarter revenue in Greater China was $54.4 million,
compared to $51.4 million in the prior-year period. Foreign currency
fluctuations negatively impacted revenue by 2 percent. Local-currency revenue
in Mainland China improved 18 percent over the same quarter in 2008. Taiwan
local-currency revenue increased 11 percent, and Hong Kong local-currency
revenue was down 8 percent. The executive distributor count in the region
improved 6 percent, while the number of active distributors was down 15
percent compared to the prior year, primarily a reflection of the ongoing
transition in the company's business model in China.

Europe. Revenue from Europe was $33.8 million, a 13 percent improvement over
the prior-year period, with solid growth throughout Europe. Results in the
region were negatively impacted approximately 8 percent by foreign currency
fluctuations. Executive and active distributor counts in Europe increased 13
percent and 18 percent, respectively, compared to the prior-year period. 

South Asia/Pacific. Revenue in South Asia/Pacific was $32.3 million, an
improvement of 12 percent compared to the prior year. Sales in the quarter
were negatively impacted 4 percent by foreign currency fluctuations. The
region's third-quarter executive count improved 19 percent while the active
distributor count increased 4 percent compared to the same period in 2008. 

Operational Performance
The company's operating margin improved 250 basis points to 12.3 percent for
the quarter. Gross margin during the quarter was 81.4 percent, a
30-basis-point decline compared to the prior-year period. Selling expenses, as
a percent of revenue, were 41.3 percent in the third quarter, a
140-basis-point improvement due to distributor compensation modifications as
the company has transitioned to a unified global compensation structure.
General and administrative expenses improved to 27.7 percent of revenue or
$92.5 million, compared to 29.3 percent of revenue or $90.9 million in the
prior-year period. The company incurred restructuring charges of $0.8 million
during the quarter related to the continued restructuring of Japan.

The company's income tax rate for the quarter was 32.9 percent, and its cash
position at the end of the quarter was $160.6 million. Dividend payments
during the quarter were $7.2 million, and the company repurchased $7.8 million
of its outstanding shares.

Outlook
"Over the next several months most of our markets will be launching the ageLOC
skin care products and opportunity," said Hunt. "This represents the most
globalized product launch that we have ever undertaken, and is particularly
exciting because the ageLOC line works well with our top-selling Galvanic Spa
System.

"We made a limited-time offering of our ageLOC skin care products during our
global convention and were pleased with robust demand. We anticipate that the
global launch of our ageLOC skin care line will be the biggest in Nu Skin's
25-year history.

"We look forward to providing our 2010 business plans and financial guidance
during our annual analyst day which will be held November 17," concluded Hunt.


"We increased our 2009 guidance based upon our successful third quarter and
the momentum we're generating in our business," said Ritch Wood, chief
financial officer. "We expect our annual revenue to be in the $1.29 to $1.30
billion range, or $343 to $348 million in the fourth quarter, anticipating a
positive impact from foreign currency fluctuations of 3 to 4 percent. As
previously announced, we increased our annual earnings guidance to $1.25 to
$1.27 per share, or $1.38 to $1.40 per share excluding an estimated $0.13 in
restructuring charges. We expect fourth quarter earnings per share in the
$0.32 to $0.34 range, including a $0.01 planned restructuring charge,"
concluded Wood.

The company's management will host a webcast with the investment community on
Oct. 29, 2009 at 1 p.m. (EDT). Those wishing to access the webcast, as well as
the financial information presented during the call, can visit the Investor
Relations page on Nu Skin Enterprises' website, http://ir.nuskin.com. An
archive of the webcast will be available at this same URL through Nov. 14,
2009. 

The Company
For 25 years, Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. has been demonstrating its tradition
of innovation through its product portfolio, independent business opportunity
and corporate social responsibility initiatives. Nu Skin's scientific
leadership in both skin care and nutrition has established Nu Skin as a
premier anti-aging company, evidenced in its patent-pending ageLOC(TM)
anti-aging platform and flagship products including the Galvanic Spa® System
II, Tru Face® Essence Ultra, LifePak® nano and the g3 nutrition beverage. A
global direct selling company, Nu Skin operates in 48 markets worldwide and
has more than 750,000 independent sales representatives. Nu Skin Enterprises
is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "NUS." More
information is available at http://www.nuskinenterprises.com.

Please note: This press release, particularly the "Outlook" section, contains
forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 that represent the company's current expectations and
beliefs, including, among other things: (i) management's positive outlook for
the company; (ii) management's expectations regarding the company's
initiatives, strategies, product development and launches, transformation
efforts and other innovation efforts; and (iii) management's projections
regarding revenue, earnings per share, the impact of foreign currency
fluctuations and restructuring charges and timing for the year 2009 and for
the fourth quarter of 2009 set forth in the "Outlook" section. The
forward-looking statements and related assumptions involve risks and
uncertainties that could cause actual results and outcomes to differ
materially from any forward-looking statements or views expressed herein.
These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: (a) challenging
economic conditions globally; (b) any prospective or retrospective increases
in duties on our products imported into ourmarkets outside of the United
States and any adverse results of tax audits or unfavorable changes to tax
laws in our various markets; (c) the recent fluctuations of numerous foreign
currencies and the associated currency translation impact on our business if
these currencies continue to fluctuate; (d) uncertainty regarding the impact
on our business of increased regulatory scrutiny of the direct selling
industry in Japan and our efforts to increase distributor compliance efforts
in this market; (e) an increase in complaints to consumer protection agencies
in Japan regarding the activities of some distributors and the associated
risks to the company's business if such increase results in further regulatory
scrutiny; (f) regulatory risks associated with the company's tools and
products, which could inhibit the company's ability to market a tool or
product in a market if it is determined to be a medical device in any market,
if distributors make unauthorized claims that would cause such products to be
classified as drugs, or if the company is unable to obtain necessary product
registrations in a timely manner; (g) risks related to the recent swine flu
outbreak, which could negatively impact our business to the extent that it
inhibits travel, causes people to avoid interaction with other people, or
restricts our ability to produce or distribute any of our porcine-sourced
gelatin encapsulated products; (h) continued regulatory scrutiny and
investigations in Mainland China, which have from time to time in the past,
and could in the future, negatively impact the company's business, including
the interruption of sales activities in stores, loss of licenses, and the
imposition of fines; (i) any failure of current or planned initiatives or
products to generate interest among distributors and customers and generate
sponsoring and selling activities on a sustained basis; (j) any unanticipated
negative response from distributors regarding distributor compensation plan
enhancements planned for implementation in most of our Asian markets in 2009;
(k) any failure of the implementation of business transformation initiatives
to reduce overhead and drive growth, and any negative impact of such
initiatives on the company's ability to effectively manage its operations; (l)
adverse publicity related to the company's business, products, industry or any
legal actions or complaints by distributors or others similar to claims made
against some of the company's competitors; and (m) continued competitive
pressures in the company's markets. The company's financial performance and
the forward-looking statements contained herein are further qualified by a
detailed discussion of associated risks set forth in the documents filed by
the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the
company's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on February 27, 2009 and Quarterly
Reports on Form 10-Q filed on May 8, 2009 and August 7, 2009. The
forward-looking statements set forth the company's beliefs as of the date of
this release, and the company assumes no duty to update the forward-looking
statements contained in this release to reflect any change except as required
by law.

                           NU SKIN ENTERPRISES, INC.
                 Consolidated Statements of Income (Unaudited)
            For the Third Quarters Ended September 30, 2009 and 2008
                    (in thousands, except per share amounts)

                                                           2009       2008
                                                           ----       ----
    Revenue:
       North Asia                                        $152,427   $142,759
       Americas                                            61,312     57,294
       Greater China                                       54,415     51,382
       Europe                                              33,759     29,884
       South Asia/Pacific                                  32,329     28,947
                                                           ------     ------
    Total revenue                                         334,242    310,266

    Cost of sales                                          62,108     56,917
                                                           ------     ------

    Gross profit                                          272,134    253,349
                                                          -------    -------

    Operating expenses:
       Selling expenses                                   137,916    132,217
       General and administrative expenses                 92,463     90,880
       Restructuring charges                                  812          -
                                                              ---        ---
    Total operating expenses                              231,191    223,097
                                                          -------    -------

    Operating income                                       40,943     30,252

    Other income (expense), net                            (2,833)    (8,269)
                                                          -------    -------
    Income before provision for income taxes               38,110     21,983
    Provision for income taxes                             12,539      5,223
                                                           ------      -----

    Net income                                            $25,571    $16,760
                                                          =======    =======

    Net income per share:
       Basic                                                $0.41      $0.26
       Diluted                                              $0.40      $0.26

    Weighted average common shares outstanding:
       Basic                                               62,912     63,567
       Diluted                                             63,885     64,206


                           NU SKIN ENTERPRISES, INC.
                 Consolidated Statements of Income (Unaudited)
            For the Nine-Month Periods Ended September 30, 2009 and 2008
                    (in thousands, except per share amounts)

                                                   2009      2008
                                                   ----      ----
    Revenue:
       North Asia                               $438,957  $443,218
       Americas                                  181,968   164,963
       Greater China                             154,638   157,064
       Europe                                     92,606    83,162
       South Asia/Pacific                         84,836    81,661
                                                  ------    ------
    Total revenue                                953,005   930,068

    Cost of sales                                176,551   170,433
                                                 -------   -------

    Gross profit                                 776,454   759,635
                                                 -------   -------

    Operating expenses:
       Selling expenses                          395,710   397,113
       General and administrative expenses       273,440   275,915
       Restructuring charges                      11,759         -
                                                  ------       ---
    Total operating expenses                     680,909   673,028
                                                 -------   -------

    Operating income                              95,545    86,607

    Other income (expense), net                   (3,187)   (9,988)
                                                 -------   -------
    Income before provision for income taxes      92,358    76,619
    Provision for income taxes                    32,832    25,769
                                                  ------    ------

    Net income                                   $59,526   $50,850
                                                 =======   =======

    Net income per share:
       Basic                                       $0.94     $0.80
       Diluted                                     $0.93     $0.79

    Weighted average common shares outstanding:
       Basic                                      63,108    63,528
       Diluted                                    63,803    64,224



                           NU SKIN ENTERPRISES, INC.
                    Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited)
                              (in thousands)

                                           September 30,    December 31,
                                               2009             2008
                                          -------------     ------------
    ASSETS
    Current assets:
       Cash and cash equivalents             $160,639         $114,586
       Accounts receivable                     20,898           16,496
       Inventories, net                       109,136          114,378
       Prepaid expenses and other              46,855           44,944
                                               ------           ------
                                              337,528          290,404

    Property and equipment, net                76,644           82,336
    Goodwill                                  112,446          112,446
    Other intangible assets, net               84,064           87,888
    Other assets                              130,276          136,698
                                              -------          -------
          Total assets                       $740,958         $709,772
                                             ========         ========

    LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
    Current liabilities:
       Accounts payable                       $16,547          $20,378
       Accrued expenses                       130,640          115,794
       Current portion of long-term debt       30,412           30,196
                                               ------           ------
                                              177,599          166,368

    Long-term debt                            144,744          158,760
    Other liabilities                          68,329           68,464
                                               ------           ------
       Total liabilities                      390,672          393,592
                                              -------          -------

    Stockholders' equity:
       Class A common stock                        91               91
       Additional paid-in capital             225,277          218,928
       Treasury stock, at cost               (428,684)        (417,017)
       Retained earnings                      621,995          584,239
       Accumulated other comprehensive loss   (68,393)         (70,061)
                                             --------         --------
                                              350,286          316,180
                                              -------          -------
          Total liabilities and
           stockholders' equity              $740,958         $709,772
                                             ========         ========



                           NU SKIN ENTERPRISES, INC.
                 Distributor/Preferred Customer Growth by Market

                         As of               As of
                      September 30,       September 30,        % Increase
                         2009                2008               (Decrease)
                         ----                ----                --------
                    Active*  Executive  Active*  Executive  Active*  Executive
                   --------  ---------  -------  ---------  -------  ---------
    North Asia     318,000    13,705   323,000    13,453     (1.5%)      1.9%
    Americas       170,000     5,442   171,000     4,934     (0.6%)     10.3%
    Greater China  105,000     6,705   123,000     6,338    (14.6%)      5.8%
    Europe          90,000     3,184    76,000     2,827     18.4%      12.6%
    South Asia/
     Pacific        71,000     2,791    68,000     2,338      4.4%      19.4%
                    ------     -----    ------     -----
    Total          754,000    31,827   761,000    29,890     (0.9%)      6.5%
                   -------    ------   -------    ------

        *  Active distributors include preferred customers and distributors
           purchasing products directly from the company during the quarter.




SOURCE  Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc.

Investors, Scott Pond, +1-801-345-2657, spond@nuskin.com, Media, Kara Schneck,
+1-801-345-2116, kschneck@nuskin.com, both of Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc.

 

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