Large Format Review - Business News

Compared to the third quarter of 2008, Group sales decreased 8.1 percent to 681 million Euro, which indicates that the crisis-driven decline in Agfa-Gevaert's markets is bottoming-out.

The Group's recurring gross profit margin improved from 30.1 percent in the third quarter of 2008 to 32.3 percent. It was positively influenced by efficiency programs, lower raw material prices and certain one-off effects and negatively impacted by manufacturing inefficiencies due to lower use of capacity.

Continuing its strict cost management, Agfa-Gevaert further reduced its Selling and General Administration expenses. The average monthly SG&A expense was brought down from 51 million Euro in the third quarter of 2008, to 44 million Euro in the third quarter of 2009, which is a cost decrease by 13.7 percent. The SG&A expenses represented 19.4 percent of sales, versus 20.8 percent in the third quarter of 2008.

The Group's recurring EBITDA (the sum of Graphics, HealthCare, Specialty Products and the unallocated portion) increased from 54 million Euro in the third quarter of 2008 to 68 million Euro. Recurring EBIT increased strongly from 27 million Euro to 43 million Euro.

The restructuring and non-recurring items resulted in an expense of 7 million Euro, versus 8 million Euro in the third quarter of 2008.

As in the first half of 2009, the non-operating result was affected by pension provisions (mainly concerning inactives), to cover for increased pension deficits in theUSAand theUK. The non-operating result amounted to minus 23 million Euro.

Taxes amounted to 8 million Euro, the same as in the third quarter of 2008.

The net result amounted to 4 million Euro, compared to minus 13 million Euro in the third quarter of 2008.
Balance sheet and cash flow

* At the end of September 2009, total assets were 2,931 million Euro, compared to 3,160 million Euro at the end of 2008.
* Inventories were 514 million Euro (or 97 days). Trade receivables (including deferred revenue and advanced payments) amounted to 532 million Euro, or 70 days and trade payables were 190 million Euro, or 36 days.
* Notwithstanding the limited impact of the securitization program, net financial debt improved to 500 million Euro at the end of September 2009, compared to 569 million Euro at the end of June 2009. Net financial debt improved by 350 million Euro over the past 2 years.
* Net operating cash flow amounted to 55 million Euro.

Agfa Graphics' sales decreased 8.8 percent versus last year's third quarter. Both the market environment and the activity levels were in line with the second quarter, but sales were positively influenced by certain one-off effects.

Profitability was positively impacted by efficiency programs, by lower raw material prices and by the above mentioned one-off effects. Negative effects came from the underutilization of the manufacturing capacity, bad debt provisions and competitive pressure. Compared to the third quarter of 2008, Agfa Graphics further reduced its Sales and General Administration expense with 9 million Euro.
The recurringEBITDA margin amounted to 8.8 percent of sales. The recurring EBIT margin increased to 5.6 percent of sales.

In prepress, Agfa Graphics received its first order for :N92v printing plates from the Chinese Guangzhou Daily, one of the world's top 100 daily newspapers. Furthermore, Agfa Graphics supplied an :Avalon N8 platesetter to Sungwon Adpia, the largest consumer of Computer-to-Plate printing plates in the Korean Printing industry.

In Norway, Agfa Graphics signed an important contract with Hjemmet Mortensen Trykkeri AS, the largest printer in the country. The deal includes the installation of two :Avalon N16 platesetters, a service contract as well as a three-year contract for :Energy Elite printing plates. Agfa Graphics also signed an exclusive 5-year printing plate contract with Roularta Media Group, a majorBelgian-French publishing and printing firm.

Also in prepress, Agfa Graphics announced the signing of an agreement with Kemtek Imaging Systems Ltd. for the distribution, service and support of Agfa Graphics' product range for commercial printers in Southern Africa.

In industrial inkjet, Agfa Graphics' next generation range of :Anapurna large-format printers continued the success of the last quarters. With contracts signed all over the world, Agfa Graphics was able to expand its market position in the large-format segment.

Furthermore, Agfa Graphics introduced new features for its :Dotrix Modular inkjet press. The new Express Print Mode increases the press' productivity by 35 percent. The second feature expands the :Dotrix Modular's color gamut.

In the USA, Digital Packaging Solutions recently installed Agfa Graphics' :Dotrix Modular press. The system enables the company to deliver on-demand services for the packaging industry.

The world's first :M-Press Tiger was successfully installed at the SMP Group in London. The :M-Press Tiger is the second generation of the :M-Press industrial flatbed press. In recent months, various orders were booked for Agfa Graphics' high-end inkjet press.

Outlook - For the rest of the year, the Agfa-Gevaert Group does not expect major changes in the market environment.

Eastman Kodak Company has reported third-quarter 2009 results that reflect improved operating performance in a number of businesses, contributing to significant year-over-year improvement in cash performance including positive cash generation before restructuring payments.

The company’s third-quarter results also demonstrate the success of continued focused investments that Kodak is making in new products and core growth businesses, especially consumer and commercial inkjet. Cost containment and more tightly focused spending on research and development also positively contributed to the company’s third-quarter results. Consistent with its seasonal trend, the company expects cash and earnings performance to improve significantly in the fourth quarter of the year.

The company’s ability to achieve significant improvement in fourth-quarter results is predicated upon a modest improvement in the market for its consumer and commercial products, the introduction of new, higher-margin digital cameras and devices, stronger demand for its Prepress products, and the benefits from a number of intellectual property transactions executed in a manner that maximize shareholder value.

“On a sequential basis, the positive trends are clear. Our sales are stabilizing and some businesses are showing real signs of growth in the fourth quarter. That, combined with operational improvements in several of our key product lines, increases our optimism for significant improvement in the fourth quarter, our largest quarter of the year,” said Antonio M. Perez, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Eastman Kodak Company. “We also continue to gain significant traction with our new consumer and commercial inkjet businesses, and the productivity improvements that we’ve implemented thus far are helping to drive improved cash performance. We believe all of these factors are sustainable and they give me increased confidence that we are on track for a much improved fourth-quarter performance and achievement of our full-year earnings and cash targets.

“Our consumer inkjet hardware and ink products enjoyed another quarter of revenue growth that exceeded 100 percent, earning us a larger share of the market, and commercial inkjet customer commitments for our PROSPER Press Platform continue to grow rapidly in anticipation of delivery beginning in early 2010. While consumer demand and commercial credit markets remain constrained for the time being, we are well positioned to deliver sustained profitability as the economy improves.”    

For the third quarter of 2009:

* Sales worldwide totaled $1.781 billion, a decrease of 26% from $2.405 billion in the third quarter of 2008, including 2% of unfavorable foreign exchange impact. Revenue from digital businesses totaled $1.209 billion, a 26% decline from $1.641 billion in the prior-year quarter, primarily as a result of the global recession and continued restrictions in the credit markets that are dampening commercial printing purchases. Revenue from the company’s traditional business decreased 25% to $572 million, in line with the industry decline.
* The company’s third-quarter loss from continuing operations, before interest expense, other income (charges), net, and income taxes was $81 million, compared with earnings on the same basis of $147 million in the year-ago quarter.

On the basis of U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), the company reported a third-quarter loss from continuing operations of $111 million, or $0.41 per share, compared with earnings on the same basis of $101 million, or $0.35 per share, in the year-ago period. Items of net expense that impacted comparability in the third quarter of 2009 totaled $48 million after tax, or $0.18 per share, primarily related to restructuring charges, asset sales, and tax related items. Items of net benefit that impacted comparability in the third quarter of 2008 totaled $40 million after tax, or $0.13 per share, due primarily to certain changes to the company’s post-employment benefits, partially offset by restructuring and rationalization costs. (Please refer to the attached Items of Comparability table for more information.)

Other third-quarter 2009 details:

* Gross Profit was 20.3% of sales, a decline from 27.5% in the year-ago period. This decline in margin was driven by lower intellectual property licensing royalties and unfavorable foreign exchange, partially offset by continued productivity improvements.
* Selling, General and Administrative (SG&A) expenses, on a GAAP basis, were $318 million in the third quarter, down 14%, or $51 million, from $369 million in the year-ago quarter, as a result of company-wide efficiency gains. Excluding a non-cash benefit from a change in the company’s post-employment benefits in the prior year quarter, the company reduced SG&A expenses, relative to the prior year quarter, by $78 million, or 20%.
* Research and Development expenses, on a GAAP basis, were $81 million in the third quarter, down 15%, or $14 million, from $95 million in the year-ago quarter, driven by a focus on investments in core growth businesses. Excluding a non-cash benefit in the prior year quarter, the company reduced R&D expenses, relative to the prior year quarter, by $33 million, or 29%.
* Third-quarter 2009 cash generation, before restructuring payments, was $29 million, compared with cash usage on the same basis of $78 million in the year-ago quarter. This corresponds to net cash used in continuing operations from operating activities on a GAAP basis of $16 million in the third quarter, compared with a net cash usage of $47 million in the third quarter of 2008. As was the case in 2008, the company expects to generate the majority of its cash flow in the fourth quarter of the year, consistent with its historic seasonal pattern.
* Kodak held $1.147 billion in cash and cash equivalents as of September 30, 2009, up from $1.132 billion on June 30. This excludes $575 million of restricted cash that the company deposited in a cash collateral account to be used to fund the previously announced repurchase of Convertible Senior Notes due 2033.
* The company’s debt level stood at $1.748 billion as of September 30, 2009, and includes $575 million in Convertible Senior Notes due 2033, for which the company completed a tender offer on October 19, 2009. As of the tender offer expiration date, approximately 98% of the outstanding 2033 Notes were tendered, representing an aggregate principal amount of approximately $563 million. The company’s debt balance as of September 30, 2009 would have been $1.185 billion if the tender offer for the 2033 Notes had been completed at that date.

Segment sales and earnings from continuing operations before interest, taxes, and other income and charges (segment earnings from operations), are as follows:

* Consumer Digital Imaging Group third-quarter sales were $535 million, a 35% decline from the prior-year quarter, including a decrease in intellectual property royalties. Third-quarter loss from operations for the segment was $89 million, compared with a profit of $24 million in the year-ago quarter. The year-over-year variance was driven by lower intellectual property licensing royalties of $157 million. Excluding the impact of intellectual property royalties, segment earnings improved. This was driven by improved profitability in consumer inkjet systems, including a 128% revenue increase in consumer inkjet printer hardware and ink and lower costs as a result of the company’s move to a more efficient product platform; improved operating performance in Digital Capture & Devices; and reduced SG&A and R&D expenses across the segment.
* Graphic Communications Group third-quarter 2009 sales were $674 million, an 18% decline from the third quarter of 2008. This revenue decrease was primarily driven by a market-related decline of 16% in Prepress Solutions as well as associated declines in workflow. Third-quarter earnings from operations for the segment totaled $10 million, compared with earnings of $22 million in the year-ago quarter. This earnings decline was primarily driven by lower volume, which resulted in unfavorable factory absorption and negative price/mix across several product lines, along with a negative impact from foreign exchange, partially offset by cost reduction efforts across all product lines and significant operational improvements in Electrophotographic Printing Solutions.
* Film, Photofinishing and Entertainment Group third-quarter sales were $572 million, a 25% decline from the year-ago quarter. Third-quarter earnings from operations for the segment were $47 million, compared with earnings of $77 million in the year-ago period. The decrease in earnings was driven by industry-related declines in volumes, negative price/mix, and unfavorable foreign exchange, partially offset by significant operational improvements in Traditional Photofinishing, cost reductions across the segment, and improvement in raw material costs.

2009 Outlook

Kodak today provided an updated outlook regarding its targets for 2009 performance, recognizing the ongoing uncertainty created by the global economic environment.

* For the full year, Kodak now expects its total revenue decline rate to be at the high end of the previously forecasted range of 12% to 18%, due, in part, to results to date and to the company’s increased focus on cash and earnings.
* Kodak is targeting 2009 segment earnings that will be within the previously communicated range of $0 to $200 million. Correspondingly, the company previously forecasted 2009 GAAP loss from continuing operations of $200 million to $400 million, and continues to forecast that GAAP results will be at the low end of that range, reflecting its latest assessment of restructuring charges, interest expense, and interest income.
* For full-year 2009, the company reiterates its goal to achieve positive cash generation before restructuring payments. This corresponds to a 2009 goal of net cash used in continuing operations from operating activities on a GAAP basis of not more than $250 million.

Electronics For Imaging, Inc., a world leader in customer-focused digital printing innovation, has announced its results for the third quarter of 2009. For the quarter ended September 30, 2009, the Company reported revenues of $100.9 million, compared to third quarter 2008 revenue of $144.7 million.

GAAP net loss was $(12.2) million or $(0.25) per diluted share in the third quarter of 2009, compared to a GAAP net loss of $(3.6) million or $(0.07) per diluted share for the same period in 2008.

GAAP net income was $1.2 million or $0.02 per diluted share for the nine months ended September 30, 2009, compared to a GAAP net loss of $(8.9) million or $(0.17) per diluted share for the same period in 2008.

Non-GAAP net loss was $(2.6) million or $(0.05) per diluted share in the third quarter of 2009, compared to non-GAAP net income of $10.4 million or $0.20 per diluted share for the same period in 2008.

Non-GAAP net loss was $(13.1) million or $(0.26) per diluted share for the nine months ended September 30, 2009, compared to non-GAAP net income of $34.5 million or $0.61 per diluted share for the same period in 2008.

"We are pleased with the sequential revenue increases in all our lines of business, led by 22% growth in our inkjet business driven by several new inkjet product introductions," said Guy Gecht, CEO of EFI. "We will continue to bring industry-leading innovation to the market and expect our positive momentum to continue which combined with strict cost controls should result in our return to profitability in the current quarter."

Separately, the Company announced today that its Board of Directors has approved the use of the balance, in the amount of $70 million, of its previously authorized $100 million share repurchase program.

Electronics For Imaging, Inc., a world leader in customer-focused digital printing innovation, today announced that its Board of Directors (the "Board") has approved the repurchase of up to $70 million worth of shares of its common stock through the use of a "modified Dutch auction" tender offer. This approval utilizes the balance of the previously authorized $100 million share repurchase program. EFI currently expects that it will commence the tender offer during the fourth quarter of 2009, at which time it will announce, among other things, the price range in which it will offer to purchase shares.

The tender offer will be financed from EFI's existing cash reserves. The funding of the $100 million share repurchase authorization represents the approximate after tax cash proceeds received from the sale of EFI's excess real estate holdings earlier this year.

"The decision by the Board and Management to immediately deploy the remaining balance of our $100 million repurchase program through a tender offer completes our goal of returning the cash generated from our real estate sale to our stockholders," said Guy Gecht, CEO of EFI. "We believe repurchasing our shares combined with bringing new innovative products to market will create value for our stockholders."

The tender offer announced in this press release has not yet commenced. This press release is for informational purposes only, and is not an offer to purchase or the solicitation of an offer to sell any shares of EFI common stock. The tender offer, if commenced, will be made solely by and subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the tender offer documents, including the Offer to Purchase and the Letter of Transmittal, that will be distributed to holders of EFI's common stock and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). Before any decision is made with respect to the tender offer, holders of EFI's common stock are urged to read the Schedule TO, including the Offer to Purchase, the Letter of Transmittal and other related materials when they become available and any other documents filed with the SEC because they will contain important information about the tender offer.

Holders of common stock will be able to obtain these documents as they become available free of charge at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov, or at the SEC's public reference room located at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, DC 20549. In addition, holders of common stock may also request copies of the Schedule TO, the Offer to Purchase, the Letter of Transmittal and other related materials filed with the SEC free of charge by contacting EFI's information agent for the tender offer. The tender offer will not be made to, and tenders of EFI's common stock will not be accepted from or on behalf of holders, of EFI's common stock in any jurisdiction in which the making or acceptance of such tender offer is not permissible.

"In the face of continuing tough market conditions we increased operating margin, reflecting the strength of our franchise businesses and the effectiveness of our operating model," said Dean A. Scarborough, president and chief executive officer of Avery Dennison. "The combination of fixed-cost reductions and increasing variable margins positions the Company for strong profit growth when markets improve."

"While the rate of volume decline in the third quarter improved compared with the first half of the year, this was largely due to a slowdown in inventory reductions," Scarborough said. "Our end-markets remain soft, and we continue to be cautious about the pace of their recovery."

"I want to note the excellent performance of our employees in such uncertain times," Scarborough said. "They have maintained their focus on serving our customers, operating our businesses, and laying the groundwork for the future. This has been hard work, and they've done a tremendous job."

For more details on the Company's results for the quarter, see the Company's supplemental presentation materials, "Third Quarter 2009 Financial Review and Analysis," posted at the Company's Web site at www.investors.averydennison.com, and furnished under Form 8-K with the SEC.

Third Quarter, 2009 Results by Segment
All references to sales reflect comparisons on an organic basis, which exclude the impact of acquisitions and foreign currency translation. All references to operating margin exclude the impact of restructuring, asset impairment charges, lease cancellation costs, and other items.

Pressure-sensitive Materials (PSM)
* Roll Materials sales declined, reflecting weakness in end-markets. Sales continued to decline in the more economically sensitive Graphics and Reflective Products division.
* Operating margin increased as productivity offset the impact of reduced fixed-cost leverage, while the effects of pricing and raw material trends continued to cover the cumulative impact of 2008 inflation.

Retail Information Services (RIS)
* The decline in sales primarily reflected reduced demand for apparel in the U.S. and in Europe, and caution on the part of retailers.
* The decline in operating margin reflected reduced fixed-cost leverage, pricing, and other factors that more than offset the benefit of restructuring and productivity actions.
* The Company is continuing initiatives to reduce fixed costs in light of current market conditions, while introducing new products and improving value-added services to increase its share of this large market.

Office and Consumer Products (OCP)
* The decline in sales reflected weak end-market demand, led by slower corporate purchase activity. The sales decline was partially offset by strong back-to-school sales, due in part to expanded distribution and consumer trade-up to more durable binders.
* Operating margin declined as the benefit of productivity actions was more than offset by the impact of reduced fixed-cost leverage.

Other specialty converting businesses
* The decline in sales is primarily attributable to lower volume of products sold to the housing and construction industries.
* The increase in operating margin reflected restructuring and productivity improvements that more than offset reduced fixed-cost leverage.

Consolidated Items and Actions
* In the fourth quarter of 2008, the Company began a restructuring program expected to reduce costs across all segments of the business. The Company is targeting $160 million in annualized savings by mid-2010 (estimating $75 million benefit, net of transition costs, in 2009). The Company estimates that it will incur approximately $130 million of total restructuring charges associated with these actions, with approximately $110 million to be incurred in 2009. In addition to the savings from these new actions, the Company expects approximately $40 million of carryover savings in the year from previously implemented actions.

At the end of the third quarter of 2009, the Company achieved run-rate savings representing approximately 70 percent of its restructuring target.

* The effective tax rate in the third quarter was negative 7 percent, while the adjusted tax rate was positive 7.5 percent. The effective and adjusted tax rates for the full year are expected to be in the low single-digits and low double-digits, respectively. The ongoing annual tax rate is expected to be in the low 20 percent range, varying significantly from quarter to quarter.

DiMS! organising print, a world leader in MIS systems for the printing and packaging industries, is now introducing its latest DiMS.NET! MIS/ERP solution in Europe. The new generation of the popular DiMS! system automates the complete range of web-enabled administrative and printing processes across an entire enterprise, helping businesses to streamline their operations, increase productivity and cut costs. Based on Microsoft’s latest .NET technology and featuring the familiar look and feel of Microsoft software, DiMS.NET! is easy to learn and use, as it automatically adapts to the preferred work method of the individual user. 

Gerard Marneth, co-founder and CEO of DiMS! organizing print, comments: "By building upon the comprehensive end-to-end functionality of the existing DiMS! solution, we've created a brand new ‘plug & play’ category in MIS/ERP. DiMS.NET! is an all-in-one application with true end-to-end integration—from estimating to planning and scheduling, prepress to production, shipping to invoicing, and financials.  It reduces errors, accelerates processes, improves flow, increases efficiency and delivers significant cost savings. But most importantly, DiMS.NET! is easy to implement and very intuitive to use”.

Michael Murphy, President Japs-Olson Company, was involved in a long and extensive search for a Web-enabled MIS system and selected DiMS! because “it was the best product that would enable us to operate at a world-class level and provide solutions for challenges in the marketplace.  It enables us to streamline our operations and significantly reduce setup and rollout times. All relevant information—such as customer, job and material data—only needs to be entered once, which greatly reduces mistakes. Plus, we can configure DiMS.NET! to automatically push information to the appropriate employee, which saves a lot of time”, concludes Michael Murphy.
Business-enhancing benefits
DiMS.NET! is also particularly well suited to medium-to-large printers with multiple facilities. It delivers a raft of business-enhancing benefits, such as improved performance and faster server applications.
It enables clear communication of data in multiple currencies and multiple languages across every location.  The product-focused business templates decrease setup times, permit greater efficiency and reduce rollout time. Customers who have moved to the .NET technology typically experience an increase in speed and efficiency between 300% and 500%.

With DiMS.NET! delivery times are dramatically decreased.  A single point of entry for all information decreases the risk for mistakes.  Every step in the workflow presents numerous options to match the preferred work approach of each individual user.  Printers can now configure DiMS.NET! so that information is automatically pushed to the appropriate employee in the company.  This means, for example, that a production planner will not have to check whether a required roll of paper has arrived: the system will deliver the relevant information as soon as that roll arrives and it will also warn them if it doesn’t arrive on time.

Improved security and integration
DiMS.NET! integrates smoothly within existing IT environments. The .NET framework makes it easy to deploy, run and manage applications. In addition it offers mobility support, providing one unified programming model for smart client and web applications for both PCs and mobile devices.

“DiMS.NET! provides the essential technologies and interfaces allowing users to securely run the application in a broader business environment”, remarks Gerard Marneth. “The code access security methods in the .NET framework check against administrator-set or default security policies before deciding to run an application or enabling it to access a particular resource. The .NET framework also supports XML web services, which can be used to integrate applications across different platforms, or to offer software-as-a-service. Plus there is support for more than 20 programming languages.”

DiMS.NET! comes packed with valuable features for end users, including:

• DiMS! eLearning system - users can access the training course via the internet at any time.  Intuitive online lessons simulate the look, feel and behavior of the actual live system. Lessons are presented in a preview format, whereby the user learns by watching a simulation.  The training session is followed by a testing module where users are presented with generic instructions to verify their capability to correctly execute the task.
• One integrated database – users get an enterprise-wide view using visually appealing and easy-to-understand personal dashboards. In addition they can filter and analyze real-time data according to their needs, and act quickly if production problems occur. Drill-downs and dashboards to the transaction level are standard. Internal and external documents are available in the integrated archive, providing real-time access to current communications. A personal cockpit enables company management to view real-time key data at a glance. This places the business data essential for decision making at the manager's fingertips, in a clear and intuitively understandable form.  Direct access to data can even be tuned precisely to individual requirements.
• An enhanced scheduling board is an integral part of the new DiMS.NET!.  Scheduling captures all characteristics of each job and proposes the most efficient way to run it.  Scheduling can be viewed across departments, plants, and even international borders.  Flag support and dashboards give a visual status of the jobs. This optimizes production times and gives users the best scenarios to manage the plant.
• Web-based application – customers can upload orders via DiMS.NET! directly to the web-based server, and order details can be delivered to all relevant areas of the company.
• Scalability - DiMS.NET! provides an easy upgrade path. Companies can decide to start with only estimating, scheduling or job tickets, and can easily upgrade to a more complete solution at any time. If a DiMS! customer expands services or moves into a new market, they can rely upon DiMS.NET! being flexible enough to evolve with them. The extensive 25 year history and experience of the DiMS! solution have been incorporated into DiMS.Net!, which means that DiMS! can handle any specific print product and also any fulfillment, mailing and shipping activity. There is no risk of outgrowing the system, or having to buy add-ons in order to expand.
• Full JDF integration – DiMS.NET!’s integration with prepress systems through JDF allows to automatically plan the print job and see how it’s progressing through prepress. To date, DiMS! has achieved the highest possible MIS-ICS level of conformance in terms of JDF submission and JMF handling, and is the first and only to be certified in commercial web printing–after acquiring JDF certifications for prepress, conventional printing (sheet-fed), imposition ICS and base ICS.

Gerard Marneth concludes: “DiMS.NET! builds on our company’s recognized experience in print business management systems. Some of the most respected printers in the world rely on DiMS! to manage their businesses. DiMS.NET! demonstrates the strength of our software and its ability to quickly adapt to the latest technologies available.  We anticipate that DiMS.NET! will further strengthen our position in the industry.”