Sara Lee Reports Strong Fiscal 2010 First Quarter; Raises Guidance

5 November 2009 - Sara Lee Corp. today reported significant operating income growth for the first quarter of fiscal 2010, primarily driven by strong performance in the North American business segments and lower corporate expenses. Net sales fell as a result of unfavorable foreign currency exchange rates, volume declines and strategic business exits. Cash from operations was very strong, driven by higher operating income, favorable working capital and lower pension contributions.

• Diluted earnings per share of $0.41, compared to $0.32 in the prior year first quarter
• Company raises guidance for fiscal 2010 Adjusted EPS¹ by $0.06 ($0.90 to $0.96 per share)
• Adjusted operating income increased 79.2%; operating income up 10.7%
• Cash flow from operations of $187 million, an increase of $225 million

“I’m very pleased with our first quarter performance, which demonstrates substantial bottom-line improvement,” said Sara Lee Corp. chairman and chief executive officer Brenda C. Barnes. “A number of factors contributed to our results, including lower input costs, Project Accelerate cost savings and pricing discipline. At the same time, we’re increasing or maintaining our market share positions in many of our key categories behind important new products such as Hillshire Farm Family Size lunchmeat tubs, Jimmy Dean D-Lights breakfast sandwiches and various new Senseo coffee pods in our international markets. The combination of these factors allows us to both raise our EPS guidance for fiscal 2010 and to increase our investment in a full pipeline of growth opportunities. We continue to spend more toward our consumers and expect MAP spending to be up for the year.”

Barnes added, “During the quarter, we announced that we received a binding offer of €1.275 billion from Unilever for our global body care and European detergents businesses. This enables us to focus on our core food and beverage businesses. We are confident that we will soon divest the remainder of the segment.”

Financial Review

Net Sales from Continuing Operations

Net sales from continuing operations for the first quarter of fiscal 2010, ending Sept. 26, 2009, were $2.6 billion, a 7.4% decrease over the comparable period last year. The decline in net sales was primarily driven by unfavorable foreign currency exchange rates, the impact of divestitures and planned business exits made during the past year and lower unit volumes. The company’s adjusted net sales from continuing operations decreased 3.3% in the first quarter as a result of lower volumes and planned business exits.

Operating Income from Continuing Operations

Sara Lee reported operating income from continuing operations of $325 million for the first quarter, up $32 million, or 10.7%, compared to the prior year period. Adjusted operating income from continuing operations increased $95 million in the first quarter, despite a $15 million increase in pension costs. The improvement in adjusted operating income was comprised of a $50 million increase in total adjusted operating segment income for all continuing business segments, $32 million of favorable mark-to-market variances on commodity derivatives and $13 million of lower corporate costs.

¹ The term “adjusted EPS” and other “adjusted” financial measures are explained and reconciled to each item’s most comparable U.S. generally accepted accounting principles measure at the end of this release.

Results from Discontinued Operations

Net sales for the international household and body care businesses, which are now being reported as discontinued operations, were $521 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2010, compared to $555 million in the prior year period, a 6.1% decrease due to unfavorable foreign currency exchange rates. Adjusted net sales were up 1.1%, primarily driven by unit volume growth and pricing. Operating segment income in the first quarter was $69 million, up 13.3% compared to the year-ago period, driven by continuous improvement savings and lower MAP spending, partially offset by unfavorable foreign currency exchange rates and a non-recurring gain in the prior year. Adjusted operating segment income was up 36.7%. Net income from discontinued operations was $94 million in the first quarter versus $39 million in the year-ago period, primarily due to the recognition of $53 million of net tax benefits in the first quarter of 2010.

Earnings Per Share

Diluted EPS as reported were $0.41 per share in the first quarter compared to $0.32 per share in the year-ago period. The increase was driven by discontinued operations. Diluted EPS from continuing operations were unchanged at $0.27 per share. In both continuing and discontinued operations, results were influenced by tax-related significant items associated with the anticipated sale of the international household and body care businesses as follows:

• Income from continuing operations includes $19 million of net tax charges related to the establishment of valuation allowances in Belgium and utilizing current year United Kingdom net operating losses. This tax charge accounted for 5.6 percentage points of the increase in the effective tax rate from 28.6% to 35.7%, and reduced diluted EPS from continuing operations by $0.03 per share. Excluding these significant items, the effective tax rate would have been 30.1%.
• Income from discontinued operations benefited from a net $53 million from discrete tax items, principally from the release of valuation allowances in the United Kingdom, which increased diluted EPS from discontinued operations by $0.08 per share.

These tax items are the result of classifying the international household and body care businesses as discontinued operations. The net of these two items was a benefit of $34 million, or $0.05 per share in diluted EPS as reported. For more detail on the impact of significant items on diluted EPS see the “Impact of Significant Items on Diluted Earnings per Share” table.

Cash from Operations

Net cash from operating activities was $187 million in the first quarter, compared to $38 million of net cash used in operating activities in the comparable period last year. The $225 million increase was primarily driven by higher operating income, lower working capital at the business segments and lower pension contributions.

First Quarter Financial Highlights

• Project Accelerate, a company-wide cost saving and productivity initiative, continues to deliver benefits. In the first quarter, Project Accelerate produced $25 million of cost savings. The initiative continues to improve productivity as a result of outsourcing actions, supply chain efficiency, SKU rationalization initiatives and organizational simplification, and is expected to generate between $100 million and $150 million in annualized benefits in fiscal 2010.
• Media advertising and promotion (MAP) spending decreased 9.4% in the first quarter, as a significant increase in MAP spending at the North American Retail segment behind multiple new products and marketing campaigns was more than offset by lower spending by the other segments. This was mainly due to a difference in the timing of new product launches, as well as the impact of foreign currency exchange rates and lower media and agency costs.
• Net interest expense was $29 million in the first quarter, compared to $25 million in last year’s period, an increase primarily due to lower interest income.
• General corporate expenses were $58 million in the first quarter, compared to $99 million in the year-ago period, a decrease primarily due to a $32 million favorable variance in commodity derivative mark-to-market losses and about $10 million of lower corporate costs.
• At the beginning of the first quarter, the corporation received its last payment of contingent sale proceeds of $133 million from the sale of its European tobacco business in 1999, which is expected to contribute $0.19 per share to diluted EPS in fiscal 2010. The company received $150 million, or $0.21 per share, in contingent sale proceeds in the prior year.

Other First Quarter Highlights

• On September 16, Sara Lee announced that its board of directors intends to maintain the current quarterly dividend of $0.11 for fiscal 2010, regardless of the timing of dispositions.
• On September 22, the company named Marcel H.M. Smits executive vice president and chief financial officer as of October 1, 2009. Smits joined Sara Lee from Dutch telecom leader Koninklijke KPN NV, where he served as chief financial officer.
• On September 25, the company announced that it had received a binding offer of €1.275 billion from Unilever to acquire its global body care and European detergents businesses. The proposed transaction, which is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory clearances, is anticipated to close during 2010. Sara Lee will consult with relevant works councils during the process. The company has also received significant interest in the remainder of its international household and body care businesses and is continuing to pursue divestiture options for these businesses, which include air care, shoe care, insecticides and non-European cleaning brands.
• On September 25, the company announced that its board of directors had authorized a $1.0 billion share repurchase program, in addition to the 13.5 million share authorization remaining under the prior program. The corporation did not repurchase any shares of its common stock in the first quarter.

Business Performance Review (Continuing Operations)

North American Retail

North American Retail delivered another very strong quarter and continues to benefit from consumers looking for high quality, convenient branded products at a good value. The segment has experienced some volume softness which will be addressed going forward through continued investment in trade and marketing spending, as well as new product launches in the remainder of the year.

Operating segment income was $80 million in the first quarter, compared to $55 million in the year-ago period. Adjusted operating segment income was $83 million in the first quarter, compared to $54 million in the prior year period. The increase was primarily the result of lower input costs, favorable sales mix, significant growth for the Jimmy Dean brand, improvement in supply chain performance and Project Accelerate and continuous improvement savings, which was partially offset by higher MAP spending behind new campaigns for the Jimmy Dean and Hillshire Farm brands.

The retail business performed well during the important summer grilling season driven by new products such as Ball Park Bun Size and Lower Fat – Full Taste Angus Beef franks and Hillshire Farm Miller High Life beer brats. Ball Park hot dogs increased its market share by 0.8 points versus last year, strengthening its number-one market position to 23.2%, while Hillshire Farm smoked sausage increased its market share by 1.3 points to 28.6%, according to Information Resources, Inc. (IRI) share data, 12 weeks ending September 20, 2009. These positive factors were offset by unit volume declines resulting in a net sales decrease of 3.2% to $659 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2010. The volume declines were largely due to the phasing out of non-core commodity meats and the exit of the kosher meats business, which accounted for 5.2 points of the reported 7.6% decline in units.

North American Fresh Bakery

North American Fresh Bakery delivered strong adjusted operating segment income growth through solid pricing discipline and productivity improvements. The marketplace continues to place stress on pricing levels and the business is likely to shift focus to more price actions and trade promotion as the year unfolds.

Operating segment income was $14 million in the first quarter, compared to $17 million in the year-ago period. The decrease was primarily due to a $7 million charge for partial withdrawal liabilities relating to multi-employer pension plans. Adjusted operating segment income was $22 million, up 30.8% compared to $17 million in the prior year quarter, as a result of lower commodity costs net of pricing, lower MAP spending and SG&A costs, the latter driven by Project Accelerate initiatives and other continuous improvement savings.

During the first quarter, fresh bakery launched its marketing campaign for Sara Lee Soft & Smooth breads built around Disney Channel’s popular “Wizards of Waverly Place” TV series. New products launched in the first quarter included Sara Lee Soft & Smooth Mini Bagels, Sara Lee Delightful wheat buns and EarthGrains 100% Natural Thin Buns. Net sales decreased 5.2% to $541 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2010, primarily due to lower unit volumes, unfavorable sales mix and price decreases following lower input costs and competitive pressures. Unit volumes for branded bakery products fell as a result of intense price competition and increased new product activity in the category.

North American Foodservice

North American Foodservice delivered a very strong first quarter as it lapped a relatively weak year-ago period. The strong performance was primarily the result of lower commodity costs, supply chain productivity savings and strong performance of the private label refrigerated dough business. The segment continues to be very focused on improving its sales mix through winning attractive new business and exiting low margin business. Management remains cautious, however, about the back-half of the year given the continuing difficult market environment.

The segment reported operating segment income of $38 million in the first quarter, compared to $25 million in the prior year period, while adjusted operating segment income doubled to $38 million in the first quarter. The increase was primarily driven by lower commodity costs and a decrease in SG&A expense resulting from business dispositions and from Project Accelerate and continuous improvement savings, which were partially offset by the impact of lower unit volumes.

Net sales decreased 15.0% to $457 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2010, primarily due to the divestiture of the direct store delivery (DSD) foodservice coffee business and the sauces and dressings business during the past year, as well as lower unit volumes. Adjusted net sales, which excludes the impact of the dispositions, decreased 4.7% driven by lower unit volumes. Strong growth in private label refrigerated dough could not fully offset weak foodservice category trends and planned business exits in foodservice meats.

New products launched in the first quarter included Chef Pierre pre-sliced lattice fruit pies – new variants in the successful pre-sliced pies line that was launched last year. During the quarter, Sara Lee was also named sole supplier for private label breakfast sausage products for the leading foodservice distributor in the United States.

International Beverage

International Beverage continues to invest in new markets and innovative new products around the world with a clear goal of driving top-line results at a strong margin. The business continues to face economic pressures in most of Europe and has seen private label brands strengthening. In response, a series of pricing initiatives was implemented to better manage price gaps, while also further supporting branded positions with new products such as Maison du Café L’Or Pepites D’Arome in France and Senseo single-serve coffee in Spain.

Reported operating segment income was $123 million, down 13.0% from $142 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2009, while adjusted operating segment income decreased 1.6%. The primary difference between the two results was unfavorable foreign currency exchange rates and a non-recurring curtailment gain in the prior year.

Both reported and adjusted operating segment income were negatively impacted by higher commodity costs net of pricing and mark-to-market losses on foreign currencies related to the purchase of raw materials. The segment sells the majority of its products in euros while all coffee purchases are made in dollars. Derivative instruments are used to fix the euro-equivalent pricing on these coffee purchases. These hedges receive mark-to-market treatment, which can create volatility – both positive and negative – in operating segment income. The variance in the first quarter of fiscal 2010 versus the year-ago period was approximately $(14) million. In addition, strategic investments offset strong unit volumes for Senseo single-serve coffee, instant coffee and roast and ground coffee in Brazil, as well as Project Accelerate savings.

Net sales decreased 6.4% to $734 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2010, primarily due to unfavorable foreign currency exchange rates. Adjusted net sales were essentially flat. The impact of lower prices was partially offset by favorable sales mix into Senseo single-serve coffee and the acquisition of the Brazilian Café Moka coffee business in October 2008. New products launched in the first quarter that are expected to drive top-line growth later in the year included new varieties of Senseo coffee pods in countries such as Belgium, France and Spain, and new Moccona instant coffees in Thailand and Malaysia.

International Bakery

In International Bakery, the year-ago quarter included a substantial amount of branded business that has since shifted to private label as a result of the very weak Spanish economy. While the first half of the year will likely be down compared to the year-ago period due to this shift to private label, the benefits of productivity improvements, new product roll-outs and cost reductions are expected to contribute to an improved second half of fiscal 2010.

International Bakery reported operating segment income of $6 million in the first quarter, compared to $15 million in the year-ago period. Project Accelerate charges were the primary difference between reported and adjusted results. Adjusted operating segment income was $13 million, compared to $14 million in the prior-year quarter. The change was driven by lower prices and lower unit volumes, which were partially offset by lower commodity costs and Project Accelerate and continuous improvement savings.

Net sales decreased 11.5% to $204 million in the first quarter, primarily due to unfavorable foreign currency exchange rates, lower unit volumes and lower selling prices, partially offset by strength in the refrigerated dough business in France and the frozen bakery business in Australia. Adjusted net sales decreased 6.2%.

Successful new products launched in the first quarter included Ortiz branded bread in Spain, various new Sara Lee branded ice creams in Australia and several private label refrigerated dough products in France.

Business Performance Review (Discontinued Operations)

The international household and body care businesses had a strong start of the fiscal year as they reported an increase in operating segment income of 13.3% to $69 million, primarily driven by continuous improvement savings and lower MAP spending, which were partially offset by unfavorable foreign currency exchange rates and a non-recurring curtailment gain in the prior year. Adjusted operating segment income was up 36.7%. Net sales decreased 6.1% in the first quarter to $521 million, entirely due to unfavorable foreign currency exchange rates. Adjusted net sales were up 1%, primarily driven by higher unit volumes and pricing. Unit volumes were up 1% as a result of strong volumes for new body care products such as Sanex NaturProtect and Sanex Zero%, as well as volume growth for Radox shower gels in the United Kingdom and insecticides in India. Successful products launched in the quarter included Ambi Pur National Geographic air fresheners, a line of co-branded air care products inspired by unique fragrances from around the world.

Guidance

Sara Lee currently expects full-year fiscal 2010 diluted EPS to be in the range of $1.12 to $1.18 per share, which includes $0.19 per share of contingent sale proceeds received in the first quarter of fiscal 2010 from the sale of its tobacco business in fiscal 1999, and a $0.03 per share net gain from significant items realized in the first quarter of fiscal 2010. Full-year 2010 diluted EPS, excluding contingent sale proceeds and significant items, is expected to be in the range of $0.90 - $0.96 per share, compared to $0.82 in fiscal 2009. EPS guidance includes anticipated benefits from a 53^rd week and favorable currency exchange rates in addition to underlying business improvements. These factors are partially offset by substantive investments in the business and a comparison against one-time benefits in general corporate expenses in the prior year. Guidance does not include any additional significant items that may occur during the remainder of fiscal 2010, such as one-time expenses related to Project Accelerate.

Looking at the business segments, Sara Lee currently expects four out of the five continuing business segments, as well as the discontinued international household and body care operations, to show an increase in adjusted operating segment income in fiscal 2010. The company continues to be cautious about the North American Foodservice segment, as market trends remain weak. Actual results may differ from this guidance due to future significant events that may occur, the nature, timing and financial impact of which are not yet known.

(1) Fiscal 2010 has an extra, 53^rd week.

(2) Diluted EPS excluding significant items, net and, for continuing operations, contingent sale proceeds. See explanation of non-GAAP measures at the end of this release.

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