Timken Reports First-Quarter Results

Timken Reports First-Quarter Results The Timken Company today reported sales of $1.28 billion during the first quarter of 2007, an increase of 2 percent over the same period a year ago. First-quarter income from continuing operations was $41.6 million, or $0.44 per diluted share, compared to $57.1 million, or $0.61 per diluted share, in the first quarter a year ago. The decline in income from last year's first quarter was due predominately to increased restructuring costs. In addition, the company's tax rate in the quarter was higher, primarily due to losses caused in part by restructuring activities in certain foreign jurisdictions where no tax benefit could be recorded. Excluding special items, income from continuing operations per diluted share was $0.66 during the first quarter of 2007, up 6 percent from $0.62 in last year's first quarter. Special items in the first quarter included restructuring and rationalization charges totaling $27.0 million of pretax expense, compared to $4.8 million in the prior-year period. "Our first-quarter results rebounded following the challenges we encountered during the second half of 2006," said James W. Griffith, Timken's president and chief executive officer. "We are confident that our strategic initiatives, including Automotive restructuring and targeted Industrial capacity additions, will combine with continued strong Steel performance to deliver improved results in 2007." During the quarter, the company: -- Announced a $60 million expansion for special small-bar steel capabilities, further differentiating its product portfolio, and commissioned a new induction heat-treat line focused on steel products for the energy and industrial sectors; -- Advanced programs to improve the performance of its Automotive Group, including announcement of the closure of its Sao Paulo, Brazil, bearing production facility by the end of the year; and -- Grew sales in Asia by 17 percent and made progress on capacity additions in both China and India. Total debt at March 31, 2007, was $668.5 million, or 30.5 percent of capital. Debt was higher than the 2006 year-end level of $597.8 million, or 28.8 percent of capital, due to seasonal working capital requirements. Net debt at March 31, 2007, was $567.7 million, or 27.2 percent of capital. The company expects to end 2007 with lower net debt and leverage than last year, providing additional financial capacity to pursue strategic investments. Industrial Group Results The Industrial Group had record first-quarter sales of $544.4 million, up 8 percent from $503.9 million for the same period last year. Favorable pricing and higher volume drove the increase, with sales strength coming from multiple market sectors, especially aerospace and heavy industry. The Industrial Group's earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) were $49.2 million, up 7 percent from $45.9 million in the first quarter of 2006. EBIT performance benefited from favorable pricing and volume, partially offset by higher raw material and logistics costs, as well as manufacturing costs associated with capacity additions. The company expects to see continued top-line growth in the Industrial Group throughout the year as capacity additions come online, as well as improved operating margins for the full year. Automotive Group Results The Automotive Group's first-quarter sales of $388.0 million were down 8 percent from $421.0 million for the same period last year. The decrease was driven by the sale of its steering business at the end of 2006 and lower demand from North American light vehicle and heavy truck customers. The Automotive Group incurred a loss of $7.2 million compared to a loss of $3.1 million for the same period a year ago. The net benefits associated with restructuring initiatives, including reductions in selling, general and administrative costs, were more than offset by the underutilization of manufacturing capacity caused by weakness in North American automotive demand. During the quarter, Timken continued to advance its previously announced initiatives to improve the performance of its Automotive business. These initiatives include facility rationalization, workforce reduction and asset divestment and are on track to deliver targeted savings of $75 million by 2008. Steel Group Results Steel Group sales, including inter-segment sales, were a record $390.3 million, up 4 percent from $375.4 million for the same period a year ago. The increase was driven by higher demand in the energy and service center sectors, which was partially offset by lower demand in automotive-related sectors. In addition, the Steel Group benefited from price increases and surcharges to help recover continued high raw material costs. First-quarter EBIT was a record $61.8 million, up 8 percent from $57.0 million in the prior-year period. Performance was driven by improved product mix, pricing, capacity utilization and productivity, which were partially offset by higher raw material costs. The company expects the Steel Group to continue its strong performance in 2007 with historically high levels of profitability comparable to 2006. Outlook Timken anticipates global industrial markets will remain strong, and investments in Industrial Group capacity are expected to become operational throughout the year. In addition, the company expects improved Automotive Group performance for the full year compared to 2006, as it benefits from its operating-improvement initiatives. The company expects earnings per diluted share for 2007 from continuing operations, excluding special items, to be $2.55 to $2.70 for the year and $0.65 to $0.75 for the second quarter, compared to $2.13 and $0.80, respectively, for the same periods in 2006. Conference Call Information The company will host a conference call for investors and analysts today to discuss financial results. Conference Call: Thursday, April 26, 2007 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time Live Dial-In: 800-344-0593 or 706-634-0975 (Call in 10 minutes prior to be included) Conference ID: 5457020 Replay Dial-In through May 3, 2007: 800-642-1687 or 706-645-9291 Live Webcast: www.timken.com/investors