Monsanto First-Quarter Milestones Reinforce Foundation for Growth in FY15 and Confidence in Five-Year Plan to More Than Double Ongoing EPS

Monsanto Company (NYSE: MON) delivered earnings per share for the first quarter of fiscal year 2015 ahead of expectations it outlined at the beginning of the fiscal year, with the company confirming full-year ongoing earnings per share growth and free cash flow guidance. The company highlighted several key first-quarter milestones, including strong soybean results driven by Intacta RR2 PRO™ as the product is projected to exceed its 10-12 million acre target. The company also noted the USDA’s final Environmental Impact Statement concluding that Monsanto’s Roundup Ready® 2 Xtend™ soybeans and Bollgard II® XtendFlex™ cotton should be fully deregulated. During its annual update, Monsanto highlighted advancements across the industry’s broadest research and development pipeline, including its breeding, biotechnology, crop protection, microbials, BioDirect™ and Climate platforms.

“We made significant progress on key milestones in the first quarter that reinforce the confidence we have in delivering in fiscal year 2015 and over the multi-year horizon,” said Hugh Grant, chairman and chief executive officer for Monsanto. “The differentiator for our business remains our focus on continued innovation both in our core business and new platforms. The near-term headwinds in agriculture persist, but our ability to deliver new solutions to help farmers improve yields while efficiently using resources provides the opportunity to deliver growth in both the current environment and over the longer-term.”

“I could not be more pleased with the sustained waves of advancements and performance advantage of our integrated pipeline, which spans six comprehensive platforms,” said Dr. Robb Fraley, chief technology officer for Monsanto, regarding this year’s annual pipeline update. “From progress in our Roundup Ready Xtend systems to advancements in highly-relevant disease-resistance breeding traits - as well as next-generation insect control products and upgrades in our Climate services - we are seeing incredible progress across our research and development pipeline.”

Results of Operations

Net sales for the quarter decreased over the prior year’s first quarter to $2.9 billion. Gross profit for the 2015 first quarter also decreased over the prior year period to $1.4 billion. As previewed in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2014, the decline in gross profit in the quarter is due largely to lower planted acres for corn in South America and in cotton in Australia, combined with a timing shift as the company moves more of its Agricultural Productivity business to branded-product sales that historically occur more in the third quarter.

Selling, general and administrative (SG&A) costs were $580 million and R&D expenses were $412 million for the quarter, with the combined operating expenses being close to flat with the prior year. Disciplined reductions in the base spend allowed for increased spend in the company’s new platforms to help support the long-term growth prospects for these opportunities.

The company’s first quarter earnings per share (EPS) was $0.47 on an ongoing basis, ahead of the company’s initial guidance to be at approximately half of the prior year first quarter. The company’s first quarter EPS was $0.50 on an as-reported basis. (For a reconciliation of ongoing EPS, see note 1.)

Cash Flow

Free cash flow was a source of $969 million compared to a source of $457 million for the prior year first quarter. (For a reconciliation of free cash flow, see note 1.) Net cash provided by operating activities for the 2015 fiscal year first quarter was a source of $1.3 billion, compared to a source of $1.7 billion in the first quarter last year. Net cash required by investing activities for the first quarter of 2015 was $380 million, compared to $1.2 billion for the same period of fiscal year 2014. Net cash required by financing activities for the first quarter of 2015 was $107 million, compared to net cash provided by financing activities of $346 million for the prior year’s first quarter.

The company remains diligent in its capital allocation approach, including its two-year $10 billion share repurchase authorization. The share repurchase authorization is inclusive of a $6 billion accelerated buyback program that remains on track and is expected to close sometime in the third quarter of fiscal year 2015.

Outlook

The company confirmed its fiscal year 2015 ongoing earnings per share guidance of $5.75 to $6.00. Full-year 2015 EPS guidance on an as-reported basis is expected in the range of $5.78 to $6.03 per share. (For a reconciliation of EPS, see note 1.) The company also reaffirmed free cash flow in the range of $2 billion to $2.2 billion for fiscal year 2015. The company expects net cash provided by operating activities to be $3.2 billion to $3.6 billion, and net cash required by investing activities to be approximately $1.2 billion to $1.4 billion. (For a reconciliation of free cash flow, see note 1.)

Following a stronger than expected first quarter and what now appears to be lower U.S. corn acres, the company now expects second quarter ongoing earnings per share to be down in the range of five to 10 percent versus the prior year. This leaves growth for the year to the third and fourth quarters, the latter of which Monsanto continues to expect is break-even to positive year-over-year on an absolute basis.

With the expectation of lower global corn acres, the seeds and genomics gross profit growth percentage for the year is now expected to be more in the range of high single digits. The company continues to see its next generation of soybean technologies as being a core factor in delivering gross profit growth in the segment for the fiscal year, as underscored by the more than $100 million in gross profit growth and seven points of margin lift in soybeans in the first quarter. The company also expects growth in its corn business for the full year, from a combination of share gains and price mix lift in its portfolio.

To enable incremental spend for new platforms, and to address continuing industry headwinds, the company noted that disciplined plans are in place and it now expects its full-year base operating spend to be flat to down slightly.

Seeds and Genomics Segment Detail

The Seeds and Genomics segment consists of the global seeds and related traits business, biotechnology platforms and precision agriculture.

Sales for Monsanto’s Seeds and Genomics segment in the first quarter were $1.6 billion, led by the performance of the company’s soybean business - its fastest growing growth driver. In South America, the company anticipates exceeding its 10-12 million acres target for Intacta RR2 PRO™ soybeans as growers embraced the technology across multiple growing regions this season. The company noted it has expanded its production of Intacta RR2 PRO™ varieties for the third year of commercialization as it plans to increase from offering roughly 66 varieties in Brazil this year to more than 100 varieties across all maturity zones in Brazil next year. The company’s soybean performance in South America in the first quarter was balanced against macro conditions resulting in lower planted corn acres in Brazil and Argentina.

Within the United States, the company noted its broad portfolio enables it to manage a large portion of the variability across acres in any given season, as its order book and pre-pays point to strong soybean demand and lower acres in corn.

Within its U.S. soybean business, the company expects growth in its Roundup Ready 2 Yield® platform again this season, building off the 53 million acres reached across its branded and licensing businesses in fiscal year 2014. The company also continues to make progress on pre-commercial activities for its Roundup Ready® 2 Xtend Crop System as it prepares for the anticipated largest biotech trait launch in its history in fiscal year 2016, with six times the number of varieties from what was available with the launch of Roundup Ready 2 Yield®.

Within its U.S. corn business, the company noted it continues to see strong demand for the newest hybrids in its portfolio and a continued trade up by farmers to the reduced refuge family of products.

Within its cotton business, the company continues to make progress toward the limited introduction of Bollgard II® XtendFlex™ cotton this spring in the United States, pending regulatory approvals. The company is targeting roughly a half million acres for the product in the introduction.

Agricultural Productivity Segment Detail

The Agricultural Productivity segment consists of the crop protection products and lawn-and-garden herbicide products.

Net sales in the first quarter of fiscal 2015 for Monsanto’s Agricultural Productivity segment were approximately $1.2 billion. The company continues to anticipate Agricultural Productivity segment gross profit to be down by up to 10 percent in fiscal year 2015, primarily driven by pricing.

Webcast Information

In conjunction with this announcement, Monsanto will hold a conference call at 8:30 a.m. central time (9:30 a.m. eastern time) today. The call will focus on these results and future expectations, product performance, and an update of projects within the company’s R&D pipeline. The call may include a discussion of strategic initiatives and other matters related to the company’s business.

Presentation slides and a simultaneous audio webcast of the conference call may be accessed by visiting the company's website at www.monsanto.com/investors or http://edge.media-server.com/m/p/veqgpvac/lan/en. Visitors may need to download Windows Media Player™ prior to listening to the webcast. Following the live broadcast, a replay of the webcast will be available on the Monsanto website for three weeks. Monsanto publishes details on upcoming webcasts on this website in both the Presentation and Financial Reports section and the Calendar of Events section. Investors should look to this site as the source of information on future investor conference webcasts. The site includes a calendar of upcoming investor events, details on accessing scheduled webcasts and information from previous investor events.

About Monsanto Company

Monsanto is committed to bringing a broad range of solutions to help nourish our growing world. We produce seeds for fruits, vegetables and key crops - such as corn, soybeans, and cotton - that help farmers have better harvests while using water and other important resources more efficiently. We work to find sustainable solutions for soil health, help farmers use data to improve farming practices and conserve natural resources, and provide crop protection products to minimize damage from pests and disease. Through programs and partnerships, we collaborate with farmers, researchers, nonprofit organizations, universities and others to help tackle some of the world’s biggest challenges. To learn more about Monsanto, our commitments and our more than 20,000 dedicated employees, please visit: discover.monsanto.com and monsanto.com. Follow our business on Twitter® at twitter.com/MonsantoCo, on the company blog, Beyond the Rows® at monsantoblog.com or subscribe to our News Release RSS Feed.

Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward-Looking Information:

Certain statements contained in this release are “forward-looking statements,” such as statements concerning the company’s anticipated financial results, current and future product performance, regulatory approvals, business and financial plans and other non-historical facts. These statements are based on current expectations and currently available information. However, since these statements are based on factors that involve risks and uncertainties, the company’s actual performance and results may differ materially from those described or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, among others: continued competition in seeds, traits and agricultural chemicals; the company’s exposure to various contingencies, including those related to intellectual property protection, regulatory compliance and the speed with which approvals are received, and public acceptance of biotechnology products; the success of the company’s research and development activities; the outcomes of major lawsuits and the previously-announced SEC investigation; developments related to foreign currencies and economies; successful operation of recent acquisitions; fluctuations in commodity prices; compliance with regulations affecting the company's manufacturing; the accuracy of the company’s estimates related to distribution inventory levels; the recent increases in and expected higher levels of indebtedness; the company’s ability to fund its short-term financing needs and to obtain payment for the products that it sells; the effect of weather conditions, natural disasters and accidents on the agriculture business or the company’s facilities; and other risks and factors detailed in the company’s most recent periodic report to the SEC. Undue reliance should not be placed on these forward-looking statements, which are current only as of the date of this release. The company disclaims any current intention or obligation to update any forward-looking statements or any of the factors that may affect actual results.

Notes to editors: Monsanto and the Vine Design, Beyond the Rows, BioDirect, Intacta RR2 PRO, Roundup Ready 2 Yield, Roundup Ready 2 Xtend and Bollgard II XtendFlex are trademarks of Monsanto Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Monsanto Company
Selected Financial Information
(Dollars in millions, except per share amounts)
Unaudited

1. EBIT, Ongoing EPS and Free Cash Flow: The presentations of EBIT, ongoing EPS and free cash flow are not intended to replace net income (loss) attributable to Monsanto Company, cash flows, financial position or comprehensive income (loss), and they are not measures of financial performance as determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) in the United States. The presentation of non-GAAP financial measures is intended to supplement investor understanding of our operating performance. Furthermore, these non-GAAP financial measures may not be comparable to similar measures used by other companies. The following tables reconcile EBIT, ongoing EPS and free cash flow to the respective most directly comparable financial measure calculated in accordance with GAAP.

Reconciliation of EBIT to Net Income (Loss): EBIT is defined as earnings (loss) before interest and taxes. Earnings (loss) is intended to mean net income (loss) attributable to Monsanto Company as presented in the Statements of Consolidated Operations under GAAP. The following table reconciles EBIT to the most directly comparable financial measure, which is net income (loss) attributable to Monsanto Company.

(A) Includes the income tax provision from continuing operations, the income tax benefit on noncontrolling interest, and the income tax provision on discontinued operations.

Reconciliation of EPS to Ongoing EPS: Ongoing EPS is calculated excluding certain after-tax items which Monsanto does not consider part of ongoing operations.

Reconciliation of Free Cash Flow: Free cash flow represents the total of cash flows from operating activities and investing activities, as reflected in the Statements of Consolidated Cash Flows presented in this release. With respect to the fiscal year 2015 free cash flow guidance, Monsanto does not include any estimates or projections of Net Cash Provided (Required) by Financing Activities because in order to prepare any such estimate or projection, Monsanto would need to rely on market factors and conditions that are outside of its control.