KRONOS WORLDWIDE INC - Quarter Report: 2008 September (Form 10-Q)
UNITED
STATES
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SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
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Washington,
D.C. 20549
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FORM
10-Q
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QUARTERLY
REPORT UNDER SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF
THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
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For
the quarter ended September 30,
2008
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Commission
file number 1-31763
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KRONOS WORLDWIDE, INC.
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(Exact
name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
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DELAWARE
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76-0294959
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(State
or other jurisdiction of
incorporation
or organization)
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(IRS
Employer Identification No.)
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5430
LBJ Freeway, Suite 1700
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Dallas,
Texas 75240-2697
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(Address
of principal executive offices)
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Registrant's
telephone number, including area
code: (972) 233-1700
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Indicate
by check mark whether the Registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be
filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the
preceding 12 months and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the
past 90 days. Yes X No
Indicate
by check mark whether the Registrant is a large accelerated filer, an
accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer or a smaller reporting company (as
defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934). Large
accelerated filer Accelerated
filer X
Non-accelerated filer Smaller
reporting company
Indicate
by check mark whether the Registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule
12b-2 of the Act). Yes No
X
Number
of shares of the Registrant's common stock outstanding on October 31, 2008:
48,960,049.
KRONOS
WORLDWIDE, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
INDEX
Page
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number
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Part
I.
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FINANCIAL
INFORMATION
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Item
1.
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Financial
Statements
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Condensed
Consolidated Balance Sheets -
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||
December
31, 2007; September 30, 2008 (Unaudited)
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3
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Condensed
Consolidated Statements of Operations (Unaudited) -
|
||
Three
and nine months ended September 30, 2007 and 2008
|
5
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Condensed
Consolidated Statement of Stockholders'
|
||
Equity
and Comprehensive Income (Loss) (Unaudited) –
|
||
Nine
months ended September 30, 2008
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6
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Condensed
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited) -
|
||
Nine
months ended September 30, 2007 and 2008
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7
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Notes
to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)
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8
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Item
2.
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Management's
Discussion and Analysis of Financial
|
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Condition
and Results of Operations
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15
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Item
3.
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Quantitative
and Qualitative Disclosure About Market Risk
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24
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Item
4.
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Controls
and Procedures
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25
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Part
II.
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OTHER
INFORMATION
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Item
1.
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Legal
Proceedings
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27
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Item
1A.
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Risk
Factors
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27
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Item
6.
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Exhibits
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27
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Items
2, 3, 4 and 5 of Part II are omitted because there is no information to
report.
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KRONOS
WORLDWIDE, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(In
millions)
ASSETS
|
December
31,
|
September
30,
|
||||||
2007
|
2008
|
|||||||
(Unaudited)
|
||||||||
Current
assets:
|
||||||||
Cash
and cash equivalents
|
$ | 72.2 | $ | 30.3 | ||||
Restricted
cash
|
1.8 | 1.2 | ||||||
Accounts
and other receivables
|
227.3 | 260.5 | ||||||
Inventories
|
312.8 | 301.9 | ||||||
Prepaid
expenses
|
6.0 | 8.0 | ||||||
Deferred
income taxes
|
1.6 | 1.6 | ||||||
Total
current assets
|
621.7 | 603.5 | ||||||
Other
assets:
|
||||||||
Investment
in TiO2
manufacturing joint venture
|
118.5 | 113.6 | ||||||
Deferred
income taxes
|
168.8 | 171.4 | ||||||
Other
|
19.5 | 19.6 | ||||||
Total
other assets
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306.8 | 304.6 | ||||||
Property
and equipment:
|
||||||||
Land
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39.7 | 39.4 | ||||||
Buildings
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232.6 | 230.1 | ||||||
Equipment
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1,009.8 | 1,006.8 | ||||||
Mining
properties
|
89.7 | 87.2 | ||||||
Construction
in progress
|
45.6 | 61.4 | ||||||
1,417.4 | 1,424.9 | |||||||
Less
accumulated depreciation and amortization
|
890.9 | 902.3 | ||||||
Net
property and equipment
|
526.5 | 522.6 | ||||||
Total
assets
|
$ | 1,455.0 | $ | 1,430.7 | ||||
KRONOS
WORLDWIDE, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (CONTINUED)
(In
millions)
LIABILITIES
AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
|
December
31,
2007
|
September
30,
2008
|
||||||
(Unaudited)
|
||||||||
Current
liabilities:
|
||||||||
Current
maturities of long-term debt
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$ | 16.2 | $ | .8 | ||||
Accounts
payable and accrued liabilities
|
195.4 | 198.9 | ||||||
Income
taxes
|
9.6 | 8.2 | ||||||
Deferred
income taxes
|
3.3 | 2.2 | ||||||
Total
current liabilities
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224.5 | 210.1 | ||||||
Noncurrent
liabilities:
|
||||||||
Long-term
debt
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590.0 | 635.0 | ||||||
Deferred
income taxes
|
48.2 | 46.2 | ||||||
Accrued
pension cost
|
138.3 | 128.6 | ||||||
Accrued
postretirement benefit cost
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11.6 | 11.4 | ||||||
Other
|
31.4 | 31.0 | ||||||
Total
noncurrent liabilities
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819.5 | 852.2 | ||||||
Stockholders'
equity:
|
||||||||
Common
stock
|
.5 | .5 | ||||||
Additional
paid-in capital
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1,061.7 | 1,061.8 | ||||||
Retained
deficit
|
(527.9 | ) | (562.8 | ) | ||||
Accumulated
other comprehensive loss
|
(123.3 | ) | (131.1 | ) | ||||
Total
stockholders' equity
|
411.0 | 368.4 | ||||||
Total
liabilities and stockholders’ equity
|
$ | 1,455.0 | $ | 1,430.7 |
Commitments
and contingencies (Notes 7 and 10)
See
accompanying Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.
KRONOS
WORLDWIDE, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(In
millions, except per share data)
Three
months ended
|
Nine
months ended
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|||||||||||||||
September 30,
|
September 30,
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|||||||||||||||
2007
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2008
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2007
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2008
|
|||||||||||||
(Unaudited)
|
||||||||||||||||
Net
sales
|
$ | 343.3 | $ | 345.6 | $ | 999.9 | $ | 1,070.0 | ||||||||
Cost
of sales
|
276.4 | 295.2 | 799.0 | 903.3 | ||||||||||||
Gross
margin
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66.9 | 50.4 | 200.9 | 166.7 | ||||||||||||
Selling,
general and administrative expense
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41.8 | 43.9 | 121.9 | 134.2 | ||||||||||||
Currency
transaction gains (losses), net
|
(1.3 | ) | 2.6 | .7 | (.3 | ) | ||||||||||
Other
operating income (expense), net
|
(1.7 | ) | (1.2 | ) | (4.7 | ) | (4.9 | ) | ||||||||
Income
from operations
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22.1 | 7.9 | 75.0 | 27.3 | ||||||||||||
Other
income (expense):
|
||||||||||||||||
Interest
income
|
.7 | .3 | 1.7 | .9 | ||||||||||||
Interest
expense
|
(10.0 | ) | (11.3 | ) | (29.3 | ) | (33.0 | ) | ||||||||
Income
(loss) before income taxes
|
12.8 | (3.1 | ) | 47.4 | (4.8 | ) | ||||||||||
Provision
for income taxes (benefit)
|
94.0 | .5 | 115.7 | (6.6 | ) | |||||||||||
Net
income (loss)
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$ | (81.2 | ) | $ | (3.6 | ) | $ | (68.3 | ) | $ | 1.8 | |||||
Net
income (loss) per basic and diluted share
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$ | (1.66 | ) | $ | (.07 | ) | $ | (1.40 | ) | $ | .04 | |||||
Cash
dividends per share
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$ | .25 | $ | .25 | $ | .75 | $ | .75 | ||||||||
Basic
and diluted weighted-average shares used in the calculation of net income
(loss) per share
|
49.0 | 49.0 | 49.0 | 49.0 |
See
accompanying Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial
Statements.
KRONOS
WORLDWIDE, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
(LOSS)
Nine
months ended September 30, 2008
(In
millions)
Additional
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Accumulated
other
|
Total
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Common
stock
|
paid-in
capital
|
Retained
deficit
|
comprehensive
loss
|
stockholders'
equity
|
Comprehensive
loss
|
|||||||||||||||||||
(Unaudited)
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
Balance
at December 31, 2007
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$ | .5 | $ | 1,061.7 | $ | (527.9 | ) | $ | (123.3 | ) | $ | 411.0 | ||||||||||||
Net
income
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- | - | 1.8 | - | 1.8 | $ | 1.8 | |||||||||||||||||
Other
comprehensive loss, net
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- | - | - | (7.8 | ) | (7.8 | ) | (7.8 | ) | |||||||||||||||
Issuance
of common stock
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- | .1 | - | - | .1 | - | ||||||||||||||||||
Dividends
|
- | - | (36.7 | ) | - | (36.7 | ) | - | ||||||||||||||||
Balance
at September 30, 2008
|
$ | .5 | $ | 1,061.8 | $ | (562.8 | ) | $ | (131.1 | ) | $ | 368.4 | ||||||||||||
Comprehensive
loss
|
$ | (6.0 | ) | |||||||||||||||||||||
See
accompanying Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial
Statements.
KRONOS
WORLDWIDE, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(In
millions)
Nine
months ended
September 30,
|
||||||||
2007
|
2008
|
|||||||
(Unaudited)
|
||||||||
Cash
flows from operating activities:
|
||||||||
Net
income (loss)
|
$ | (68.3 | ) | $ | 1.8 | |||
Depreciation
and amortization
|
36.1 | 40.2 | ||||||
Deferred
income taxes
|
99.0 | (7.7 | ) | |||||
Distributions
from (contributions to) to TiO2
manufacturing
joint venture
|
(3.9 | ) | 4.9 | |||||
Benefit
plan expense greater (less) than cash funding:
|
||||||||
Defined
benefit pension plans
|
.2 | (4.3 | ) | |||||
Other
postretirement benefits
|
.1 | .2 | ||||||
Other,
net
|
3.8 | 1.8 | ||||||
Change
in assets and liabilities:
|
||||||||
Accounts
and other receivables
|
(47.5 | ) | (40.3 | ) | ||||
Inventories
|
21.4 | 3.0 | ||||||
Prepaid
expenses
|
(4.1 | ) | (2.2 | ) | ||||
Accounts
payable and accrued liabilities
|
25.9 | 14.7 | ||||||
Income
taxes
|
10.2 | (2.0 | ) | |||||
Accounts
with affiliates
|
(2.4 | ) | 3.5 | |||||
Other,
net
|
(1.8 | ) | - | |||||
Net
cash provided by operating activities
|
68.7 | 13.6 | ||||||
Cash
flows from investing activities:
|
||||||||
Capital
expenditures
|
(29.4 | ) | (54.3 | ) | ||||
Change
in restricted cash equivalents
|
.6 | .6 | ||||||
Other,
net
|
.1 | - | ||||||
Net
cash used in investing activities
|
(28.7 | ) | (53.7 | ) | ||||
Cash
flows from financing activities:
|
||||||||
Indebtedness:
|
||||||||
Borrowings
|
263.3 | 318.2 | ||||||
Principal
payments
|
(247.3 | ) | (281.6 | ) | ||||
Deferred
financing costs
|
- | (1.2 | ) | |||||
Dividends
paid
|
(36.7 | ) | (36.7 | ) | ||||
Net
cash used in financing activities
|
(20.7 | ) | (1.3 | ) | ||||
Cash
and cash equivalents - net change from:
|
||||||||
Operating,
investing and financing activities
|
19.3 | (41.4 | ) | |||||
Currency
translation
|
4.3 | (.5 | ) | |||||
Cash
and cash equivalents at beginning of period
|
63.3 | 72.2 | ||||||
Cash
and cash equivalents at end of period
|
$ | 86.9 | $ | 30.3 | ||||
Supplemental
disclosures:
|
||||||||
Cash
paid (received) for:
|
||||||||
Interest
|
$ | 19.2 | $ | 23.2 | ||||
Income
taxes
|
10.1 | (.2 | ) | |||||
Accrual
for capital expenditures
|
- | 3.3 |
See
accompanying Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial
Statements.
KRONOS
WORLDWIDE, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES
TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
September
30, 2008
(Unaudited)
Note
1 - Organization and basis of presentation:
Organization – We
are a majority-owned subsidiary of Valhi, Inc. (NYSE: VHI). At
September 30, 2008, Valhi held approximately 59% of our outstanding common stock
and NL Industries, Inc. (NYSE: NL) held an additional 36% of our common
stock. Valhi owns approximately 83% of NL's outstanding common stock.
Approximately 94% of Valhi's outstanding common stock is held by subsidiaries of
Contran Corporation. Substantially all of Contran's outstanding
voting stock is held by trusts established for the benefit of certain children
and grandchildren of Harold C. Simmons (for which Mr. Simmons is sole trustee),
or is held directly by Mr. Simmons or other persons or related companies to Mr.
Simmons. Consequently, Mr. Simmons may be deemed to control each of
these companies.
Basis of presentation – The unaudited Condensed
Consolidated Financial Statements contained in this Quarterly Report have been
prepared on the same basis as the audited Consolidated Financial Statements
included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007
that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on March 12,
2008 (the “2007 Annual Report”). In our opinion, we have made all
necessary adjustments (which include only normal recurring adjustments) in order
to state fairly, in all material respects, our consolidated financial position,
results of operations and cash flows as of the dates and for the periods
presented. We have condensed the Consolidated Balance Sheet and
Statement of Stockholders’ Equity and Comprehensive Income (Loss) at December
31, 2007 contained in this Quarterly Report as compared to our audited
Consolidated Financial Statements at that date, and we have omitted certain
information and footnote disclosures (including those related to the
Consolidated Balance Sheet at December 31, 2007) normally included in financial
statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted
in the United States of America (“GAAP”). Our results of operations
for the interim periods ended September 30, 2008 may not be indicative of our
operating results for the full year. The Condensed Consolidated
Financial Statements contained in this Quarterly Report should be read in
conjunction with our 2007 Consolidated Financial Statements contained in our
2007 Annual Report.
Unless
otherwise indicated, references in this report to “we”, “us” or “our” refer to
Kronos Worldwide, Inc. and its subsidiaries (NYSE: KRO) taken as a
whole.
Note
2 – Accounts and other receivables, net:
December
31,
2007
|
September
30,
2008
|
|||||||
(In
millions)
|
||||||||
Trade
receivables
|
$ | 189.9 | $ | 231.4 | ||||
Recoverable
VAT and other receivables
|
28.7 | 22.9 | ||||||
Refundable
income taxes
|
7.5 | 7.8 | ||||||
Receivable
from affiliates:
|
||||||||
Income
taxes, net - Valhi
|
2.7 | - | ||||||
Other
|
.2 | - | ||||||
Allowance
for doubtful accounts
|
(1.7 | ) | (1.6 | ) | ||||
Total
|
$ | 227.3 | $ | 260.5 |
Note
3 - Inventories, net:
December
31,
2007
|
September
30,
2008
|
|||||||
(In
millions)
|
||||||||
Raw
materials
|
$ | 66.2 | $ | 48.1 | ||||
Work
in process
|
19.9 | 16.8 | ||||||
Finished
products
|
170.9 | 179.6 | ||||||
Supplies
|
55.8 | 57.4 | ||||||
Total
|
$ | 312.8 | $ | 301.9 |
Note
4 - Other noncurrent assets:
December
31,
2007
|
September
30,
2008
|
|||||||
(In
millions)
|
||||||||
Deferred
financing costs, net
|
$ | 8.3 | $ | 7.9 | ||||
Pension
asset
|
7.2 | 8.1 | ||||||
Restricted
marketable debt securities
|
3.2 | 3.0 | ||||||
Other
|
.8 | .6 | ||||||
Total
|
$ | 19.5 | $ | 19.6 |
Note
5 – Accounts payable and accrued liabilities:
December
31,
2007
|
September
30,
2008
|
|||||||
(In
millions)
|
||||||||
Accounts
payable
|
$ | 105.7 | $ | 88.0 | ||||
Employee
benefits
|
26.5 | 28.3 | ||||||
Accrued
sales discounts and rebates
|
15.2 | 22.4 | ||||||
Accrued
interest
|
8.2 | 17.6 | ||||||
Payable
to affiliates – Louisiana Pigment Company,
L.P.
|
11.3 | 10.0 | ||||||
Other
|
28.5 | 32.6 | ||||||
Total
|
$ | 195.4 | $ | 198.9 |
Note
6 - Long-term debt:
December
31,
2007
|
September
30,
2008
|
|||||||
(In
millions)
|
||||||||
Kronos
International, Inc. - 6.5% Senior Secured Notes
|
$ | 585.5 | $ | 580.7 | ||||
Revolving
credit facilities:
|
||||||||
U.S.
bank credit facility
|
15.4 | 28.8 | ||||||
European
bank credit facility
|
- | 21.9 | ||||||
Other
|
5.3 | 4.4 | ||||||
Total
debt
|
606.2 | 635.8 | ||||||
Less
current maturities
|
16.2 | .8 | ||||||
Total
long-term debt
|
$ | 590.0 | $ | 635.0 |
Revolving credit facilities –
During the first nine months of 2008, we borrowed a net euro 15.0 million ($24.4
million when borrowed/repaid) under our European bank credit facility and a net
$13.4 million under our U.S. bank credit facility. The average
interest rate on these outstanding borrowings at September 30, 2008 was 6.7% and
5.0%, respectively. See Note 12.
During
the second quarter of 2008, we amended our European revolving bank credit
facility to extend the maturity date by three years to May 2011. As
part of such amendment, the interest rate on outstanding borrowings under the
credit facility increased to the applicable interbank rate plus
1.75%. All of the other terms and debt covenants of the amended
facility remain substantially the same.
During
the third quarter of 2008, we amended our U.S. revolving bank credit facility to
extend the maturity date by three years to September 2011. As part of
this amendment, we increased the size of the facility from $50.0 million to
$70.0 million, and the interest rate on outstanding borrowings
increased. Borrowings now bear interest at either the prime rate
(prime plus 0.25% in some cases) or rates based upon the Eurodollar rate plus a
range of 2.25% to 2.75%. All of the other terms and debt covenants of
the amended facility remain substantially the same.
Our
Canadian bank credit facility currently matures in January 2009. We
are in the process of renegotiating our Canadian facility, and expect to have a
new extension agreement in place prior to the maturity date.
Note
7 - Income taxes:
Nine
months ended
September 30,
|
||||||||
2007
|
2008
|
|||||||
(In
millions)
|
||||||||
Expected
tax expense (benefit), at U.S. Federal statutory income tax rate of
35%
|
$ | 16.6 | $ | (1.7 | ) | |||
Incremental
U.S. tax and rate differences on equity in earnings of non-tax group
companies
|
(1.2 | ) | (.3 | ) | ||||
Non-U.S.
tax rates
|
(.1 | ) | .5 | |||||
Nondeductible
expenses
|
2.3 | 1.1 | ||||||
U.S.
state income taxes, net
|
.4 | .4 | ||||||
Change
in reserve for uncertain tax positions
|
(1.1 | ) | .8 | |||||
German
tax rate change
|
90.8 | - | ||||||
German
tax attribute adjustment
|
8.7 | (7.2 | ) | |||||
Other,
net
|
(.7 | ) | (.2 | ) | ||||
Total
|
$ | 115.7 | $ | (6.6 | ) |
During
the second quarter of 2008, we recognized a $7.2 million non-cash deferred
income tax benefit related to a European Court ruling that resulted in the
favorable resolution of certain income tax issues in Germany and an increase in
the amount of our German corporate and trade tax net operating loss
carryforwards.
Certain
of our non-U.S. tax returns are being examined and tax authorities may propose
tax deficiencies including interest and penalties. We cannot guarantee
that these tax matters will be resolved in our favor due to the inherent
uncertainties involved in settlement initiatives and court and tax
proceedings. We believe we have adequate accruals for additional taxes and
related interest expense which could ultimately result from tax
examinations. We believe the ultimate disposition of tax examinations
should not have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial
position, results of operations or liquidity. We do not currently believe
that our unrecognized tax benefits will change significantly within the next
twelve months.
Note
8 – Employee benefit plans:
Defined benefit plans - The
components of net periodic defined benefit pension cost are presented in the
table below.
Three
months ended
|
Nine
months ended
|
|||||||||||||||
September 30,
|
September 30,
|
|||||||||||||||
2007
|
2008
|
2007
|
2008
|
|||||||||||||
(In
millions)
|
||||||||||||||||
Service
cost
|
$ | 2.0 | $ | 1.7 | $ | 5.9 | $ | 5.2 | ||||||||
Interest
cost
|
5.8 | 6.1 | 16.3 | 18.6 | ||||||||||||
Expected
return on plan assets
|
(4.3 | ) | (5.2 | ) | (12.7 | ) | (15.6 | ) | ||||||||
Amortization
of prior service cost
|
.2 | .3 | .5 | .7 | ||||||||||||
Amortization
of net transition obligations
|
.1 | .1 | .3 | .4 | ||||||||||||
Recognized
actuarial losses
|
2.0 | 1.4 | 6.1 | 3.8 | ||||||||||||
Total
|
$ | 5.8 | $ | 4.4 | $ | 16.4 | $ | 13.1 |
Future
variances from assumed actuarial rates, including the rate of return on our
defined benefit pension plan assets as well as changes in the discount rate used
to determine the projected benefit obligation, may result in increases or
decreases to pension plan assets and liabilities, defined benefit pension
expense and credits and funding requirements in future periods. We use a
December 31st
measurement date for our defined benefit pension plans. Given the current
uncertainty of the global economy, our pension plan assets may be significantly
lower at December 31, 2008 as compared to December 31, 2007.
Postretirement benefits - The
components of net periodic postretirement benefits other than pensions (“OPEB”)
cost are presented in the table below.
Three
months ended
|
Nine
months ended
|
|||||||||||||||
September 30,
|
September 30,
|
|||||||||||||||
2007
|
2008
|
2007
|
2008
|
|||||||||||||
(In
millions)
|
||||||||||||||||
Service
cost
|
$ | - | $ | .1 | $ | .2 | $ | .2 | ||||||||
Interest
cost
|
.2 | .2 | .5 | .6 | ||||||||||||
Amortization
of prior service credit
|
(.1 | ) | (.1 | ) | (.2 | ) | (.2 | ) | ||||||||
Recognized
actuarial losses
|
.1 | - | .1 | .1 | ||||||||||||
Total
|
$ | .2 | $ | .2 | $ | .6 | $ | .7 |
Contributions – We expect our
2008 contributions for our pension and postretirement plans to be consistent
with the amounts we disclosed in our 2007 Annual Report.
Note
9 – Other noncurrent liabilities:
December
31,
2007
|
September
30,
2008
|
|||||||
(In
millions)
|
||||||||
Reserve
for uncertain tax positions
|
$ | 14.9 | $ | 15.3 | ||||
Employee
benefits
|
8.2 | 8.1 | ||||||
Insurance
claims and expenses
|
2.3 | 1.6 | ||||||
Other
|
6.0 | 6.0 | ||||||
Total
|
$ | 31.4 | $ | 31.0 |
Note
10 – Commitments and contingencies:
Litigation matters – From
time-to-time, we are involved in various environmental, contractual, product
liability, patent (or intellectual property), employment and other claims and
disputes incidental to our operations. In certain cases, we have
insurance coverage for these items. We currently believe the
disposition of all claims and disputes, individually or in the aggregate, should
not have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial position,
results of operations or liquidity beyond the accruals we have already provided
for.
Please
refer to our 2007 Annual Report for a discussion of certain other legal
proceedings to which we are a party.
Note
11 – Recent accounting pronouncements:
Fair Value
Measurements – In
September 2006, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued SFAS
No. 157, Fair Value
Measurements, which became effective for us on January 1, 2008.
SFAS No. 157 generally provides a consistent, single fair value definition and
measurement techniques for GAAP pronouncements. SFAS No. 157 also
establishes a fair value hierarchy for different measurement techniques based on
the objective nature of the inputs in various valuation methods. In
February 2008, the FASB issued FSP No. FAS 157-2, Effective Date of FASB Statement No.
157 which delays the provisions of SFAS No. 157 until January 1, 2009 for
all nonfinancial assets and nonfinancial liabilities, except those that are
recognized or disclosed at fair value in the financial statements on a recurring
basis (at least annually). Beginning with our first quarter 2008 filing,
all of our fair value measurements are in compliance with SFAS No. 157, except
for such nonfinancial assets and liabilities for which we will be required to be
in compliance with SFAS No. 157 prospectively beginning in the first quarter of
2009. The adoption of this standard did not have a material effect on our
Consolidated Financial Statements.
Fair Value
Option - In the
first quarter of 2007 the FASB issued SFAS No. 159, The Fair Value Option for Financial
Assets and Financial Liabilities. SFAS No. 159 permits companies to
choose, at specified election dates, to measure eligible items at fair value,
with unrealized gains and losses included in the determination of net
income. The decision to elect the fair value option is generally applied
on an instrument-by-instrument basis, is irrevocable unless a new election date
occurs, and is applied to the entire instrument and not only to specified risks
or cash flows or a portion of the instrument. Items eligible for the fair
value option include recognized financial assets and liabilities, other than an
investment in a consolidated subsidiary, defined benefit pension plans, OPEB
plans, leases and financial instruments classified in equity. An
investment accounted for by the equity method is an eligible item. The
specified election dates include the date the company first recognizes the
eligible item, the date the company enters into an eligible commitment, the date
an investment first becomes eligible to be accounted for by the equity method
and the date SFAS No. 159 first becomes effective for us. SFAS No. 159
became effective for us on January 1, 2008. We did not elect to measure
any eligible items at fair value in accordance with this new standard either at
the date we adopted the new standard or subsequently during the first nine
months of 2008; therefore the adoption of this standard did not have a material
effect on our Consolidated Financial Statements.
Derivative
Disclosures – In
March 2008 the FASB issued SFAS No. 161, Disclosures about Derivative
Instruments and Hedging Activities, an Amendment of FASB Statement No.
133. SFAS No. 161 changes the disclosure requirements for
derivative instruments and hedging activities to provide enhanced disclosures
about how and why we use derivative instruments, how derivative instruments and
related hedged items are accounted for under SFAS No. 133 and how derivative
instruments and related hedged items affect our financial position and
performance and cash flows. This statement will become effective for us in
the first quarter of 2009. We periodically use currency forward contracts
to manage a portion of our foreign currency exchange rate market risk associated
with trade receivables or future sales. We had no such contracts
outstanding at December 31, 2007 or September 30, 2008. Because our prior
disclosures regarding these forward contracts have substantially met all of the
applicable disclosure requirements of the new standard, we do not believe the
enhanced disclosure requirements of this new standard will have a significant
effect on our Consolidated Financial Statements.
Note
12 – Subsequent event:
From time
to time, companies related to Contran will have loans and advances outstanding
between them and various related parties pursuant to term and demand
notes. These loans and advances are generally entered into for cash
management purposes, in which the lender is generally able to earn a higher rate
of return on the loan than would have been earned if the lender invested the
funds in other investments, and the borrower is able to pay a lower rate of
interest than would be paid if the borrower had incurred third-party
indebtedness. While certain of these loans may be of a lesser credit
quality than cash equivalent instruments otherwise available to the lender, the
lender will evaluate the credit risks involved and appropriately reflect those
credit risk in the terms of the applicable loan. In this regard, in
October 2008 the independent members of the Board of Directors of both us and NL
approved terms for us borrowing up to $40 million from NL. Our borrowings
from NL under the revolving note will be unsecured, bear interest at prime rate
minus 1.5% with all principal due on demand (and no later than December 31,
2009). The amount of the outstanding borrowings at any time is solely at
the discretion of NL. We intend to use any borrowings from NL to
reduce the outstanding balance under our U.S. revolving bank credit
facility. At October 31, 2008 we had borrowings of $33.3 million
outstanding under this revolving note with NL, which we used to repay borrowings
under our U.S. bank credit facility.
ITEM
2. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
RESULTS
OF OPERATIONS:
Business
and results of operations overview
We are a leading global producer and
marketer of value-added titanium dioxide pigments (“TiO2”). TiO2 is used
for a variety of manufacturing applications, including plastics, paints, paper
and other industrial products. For the nine months ended September
30, 2008, approximately one-half of our sales volumes were into European
markets. We believe we are the second largest producer of TiO2 in Europe
with an estimated 19% share of European TiO2 sales
volumes. In addition, we also have an estimated 15% share of North
American TiO2 sales
volumes. Our production facilities are located throughout Europe and
North America.
We reported a net loss of $3.6 million,
or $.07 per diluted share, in the third quarter of 2008 as compared to a net
loss of $81.2 million, or $1.66 per diluted share, in the third quarter of
2007. For the first nine months of 2008, we reported net income of
$1.8 million, or $.04 per diluted share, compared to a net loss of $68.3
million, or $1.40 per diluted
share, in the first nine months of 2007. Our diluted earnings per
share increased from the 2007 periods to the 2008 periods primarily due to the
net effects of an income tax benefit we recognized in 2008, lower income from
operations in 2008 resulting principally from higher raw material and energy
costs, and an income tax charge we recognized in 2007 associated with the
adjustment of certain German income tax attributes.
Our net
income in the first nine months of 2008 includes a second quarter income tax
benefit of $7.2 million, or $.15 per diluted share, related to a European Court
ruling that resulted in the favorable resolution of certain income tax issues in
Germany. Our net loss for the first nine months of 2007 includes (i)
a third quarter non-cash charge of $1.85 per diluted share relating to a
decrease in our net deferred income tax asset in Germany resulting from the
reduction in their income tax rates, (ii) an income tax benefit of $.02 per
diluted share due to a net decrease in our income tax contingency reserves and
(iii) a second quarter non-cash charge of $.18 per diluted share related to the
adjustment of certain German income tax attributes.
Forward-looking
information
This report contains forward-looking
statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995. Statements in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q that are not
historical in nature are forward-looking in nature about our future that are not
statements of historical fact. Statements in this report including,
but not limited to, statements found in Item 2 - "Management’s Discussion and
Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations," are forward-looking
statements that represent our beliefs and assumptions based on currently
available information. In some cases you can identify these
forward-looking statements by the use of words such as "believes," "intends,"
"may," "should," "could," "anticipates," "expected" or comparable terminology,
or by discussions of strategies or trends. Although we believe the
expectations reflected in forward-looking statements are reasonable, we do not
know if these expectations will be correct. Forward-looking
statements by their nature involve substantial risks and uncertainties that
could significantly impact expected results. Actual future results
could differ materially from those predicted. While it is not
possible to identify all factors, we continue to face many risks and
uncertainties. Among the factors that could cause our actual future
results to differ materially from those described herein are the risks and
uncertainties discussed in this Quarterly Report and those described from time
to time in our other filings with the SEC including, but not limited to, the
following:
·
|
Future
supply and demand for our products,
|
·
|
The
extent of our dependence on certain market
sectors,
|
·
|
The
cyclicality of our businesses,
|
·
|
Customer
inventory levels (such as the extent to which our customers may, from time
to time, accelerate purchases of TiO2 in
advance of anticipated price increases or defer purchases of TiO2 in
advance of anticipated price
decreases),
|
·
|
Changes
in raw material and other operating costs (such as energy
costs),
|
·
|
The
possibility of labor disruptions,
|
·
|
General
global economic and political conditions (such as changes in the level of
gross domestic product in various regions of the world and the impact of
such changes on demand for TiO2),
|
·
|
Competitive
products and substitute products,
|
·
|
Customer
and competitor strategies,
|
·
|
Potential
consolidation or solvency of our
competitors,
|
·
|
The
impact of pricing and production
decisions,
|
·
|
Competitive
technology positions,
|
·
|
Possible
disruption of our business or increases in the cost of doing business
resulting from terrorist activities or global
conflicts,
|
·
|
The
introduction of trade barriers,
|
·
|
Fluctuations
in currency exchange rates (such as changes in the exchange rate between
the U.S. dollar and each of the euro, the Norwegian kroner and the
Canadian dollar),
|
·
|
Operating
interruptions (including, but not limited to, labor disputes, leaks,
natural disasters, fires, explosions, unscheduled or unplanned downtime
and transportation interruptions),
|
·
|
The
timing and amounts of insurance
recoveries,
|
·
|
Our
ability to renew or refinance credit
facilities,
|
·
|
Our
ability to maintain sufficient
liquidity,
|
·
|
The
ultimate outcome of income tax audits, tax settlement initiatives or other
tax matters,
|
·
|
The
ultimate ability to utilize income tax attributes or changes in income tax
rates related to such attributes, the benefit of which has been recognized
under the more likely than not recognition
criteria,
|
·
|
Environmental
matters (such as those requiring compliance with emission and discharge
standards for existing and new
facilities),
|
·
|
Government
laws and regulations and possible changes
therein,
|
·
|
The
ultimate resolution of pending litigation
and
|
·
|
Possible
future litigation.
|
Should
one or more of these risks materialize (or the consequences of such a
development worsen), or should the underlying assumptions prove incorrect,
actual results could differ materially from those forecasted or
expected. We disclaim any intention or obligation to update or revise
any forward-looking statement whether as a result of changes in information,
future events or otherwise.
Results
of operations
We
consider TiO2 to be a
“quality of life” product, with demand affected by gross domestic product (or
“GDP”) in various regions of the world. Over the long-term, we expect
that demand for TiO2 will grow
by 2% to 3% per year, consistent with our expectations for the long-term growth
in GDP. However, even if we and our competitors maintain consistent
shares of the worldwide market, demand for TiO2 in any
interim or annual period may not change in the same proportion as the change in
GDP, in part due to relative changes in the TiO2 inventory
levels of our customers. We believe that our customers’ inventory
levels are partly influenced by their expectation for future changes in market
TiO2
selling prices.
The
factors having the most impact on our reported operating results
are:
·
|
Our
TiO2
selling prices,
|
·
|
Foreign
currency exchange rates (particularly the exchange rate for the U.S.
dollar relative to the euro and the Canadian
dollar),
|
·
|
Our
TiO2
sales and production volumes, and
|
·
|
Manufacturing
costs, particularly maintenance and energy-related
expenses.
|
Our key
performance indicators are our TiO2 average
selling prices, and our levels of TiO2 sales and
production volumes.
Quarter
ended September 30, 2008 compared to the
Quarter
ended September 30, 2007 -
Three
months ended
September
30,
|
||||||||||||||||
2007
|
2008
|
|||||||||||||||
(Dollars
in millions)
|
||||||||||||||||
Net
sales
|
$ | 343.3 | 100 | % | $ | 345.6 | 100 | % | ||||||||
Cost
of sales
|
276.4 | 81 | % | 295.2 | 85 | % | ||||||||||
Gross
margin
|
66.9 | 19 | % | 50.4 | 15 | % | ||||||||||
Other
operating expenses, net
|
44.8 | 13 | % | 42.5 | 12 | % | ||||||||||
Income
from operations
|
$ | 22.1 | 6 | % | $ | 7.9 | 3 | % | ||||||||
%
|
||||||||||||||||
Change
|
||||||||||||||||
TiO2
operating statistics:
|
||||||||||||||||
Sales
volumes*
|
138 | 121 | (12 | )% | ||||||||||||
Production
volumes*
|
126 | 126 | - | % | ||||||||||||
Percent
change in net sales:
|
||||||||||||||||
TiO2
product pricing
|
6 | % | ||||||||||||||
TiO2
sales volumes
|
(12 | )% | ||||||||||||||
TiO2
product mix
|
- | % | ||||||||||||||
Changes
in currency exchange rates
|
7 | % | ||||||||||||||
Total
|
1 | % |
________________________________
*
Thousands of metric tons
Net sales – Net sales
increased 1% or $2.3 million compared to the third quarter of 2007 due to a 6%
increase in average TiO2 selling
prices and the favorable effect of changes in currency exchange rates, almost
completely offset by a 12% decrease in sales volumes. We estimate the
favorable effect of changes in currency exchange rates increased our net sales
by approximately $24 million, or 7%, compared to the same period in
2007.
Sales
volumes in the third quarter of 2008 were 12% lower compared to 2007 as a result
of lower demand due to the general downturn in economic growth in all
markets. We expect our sales volumes in the fourth quarter of 2008 to
be lower than the third quarter of 2008, and we expect our sales volumes for the
full year 2008 to be lower than the full year 2007.
Cost of sales - Cost of sales
increased $18.8 million or 7% in the third quarter of 2008 compared to 2007 due
to the impact of a 27% increase in utility costs (primarily energy costs), a 12%
increase in raw material costs and currency fluctuations (primarily the
euro). Cost of sales as a percentage of net sales increased to 85% in
the third quarter of 2008 compared to 81% in the third quarter of 2007 as higher
average selling prices were not able to offset the unfavorable effects of higher
operating costs. TiO2 production
volumes in the third quarter of 2008 were comparable to the same period in 2007,
with operating rates near full capacity in both periods.
Income from operations –
Income from operations for the third quarter of 2008 declined by 64% to
$7.9 million compared to the same period in 2007. Income from
operations as a percentage of net sales declined to 3% in the third quarter of
2008 from 6% in the same period for 2007. This decrease is driven by
the decline in gross margin, which fell to 15% for the third quarter of 2008
compared to 19% for the third quarter of 2007. Gross margin has
decreased as our increased operating costs (primarily energy costs and raw
materials) and lower sales volumes have more than offset the favorable impact of
higher average selling prices. Changes in currency rates have
positively affected our gross margin and income from operations. We
estimate the positive effect of changes in foreign currency exchange rates
increased income from operations by approximately $1 million in the third
quarter of 2008 as compared to the same period in 2007.
Other non-operating income (expense)
– Interest expense increased $1.3 million from $10.0 million in the third
quarter of 2007 to $11.3 million in the third quarter of 2008 primarily due to
changes in foreign currency exchange rates as well as a higher average balance
of outstanding borrowings under our revolving credit facilities, primarily in
Europe. Excluding the effect of currency exchange rates, we expect
interest expense will continue to be higher in 2008 as compared to
2007.
We have a
significant amount of indebtedness denominated in the euro, primarily the 6.5%
Senior Secured Notes. The interest expense we recognize will vary
with fluctuations in the euro exchange rate.
Provision for income taxes –
Our provision for income taxes was $.5 million in the third quarter of 2008
compared to $94.0 million in the same period last year. Our provision for
income taxes in the third quarter of 2007 includes a $90.8 million charge
related to the reduction of our net deferred income tax asset in Germany
resulting from the enactment of legislation reducing the German income tax rates
and a $1.2 million income tax benefit due to a net decrease in our income tax
contingency reserves. See Note 7 to our Condensed Consolidated
Financial Statements.
Nine
months ended September 30, 2008 compared to the
nine months ended September 30,
2007 -
Nine
months ended
September 30,
|
||||||||||||||||
2007
|
2008
|
|||||||||||||||
(Dollars
in millions)
|
||||||||||||||||
Net
sales
|
$ | 999.9 | 100 | % | $ | 1,070.0 | 100 | % | ||||||||
Cost
of sales
|
799.0 | 80 | % | 903.3 | 84 | % | ||||||||||
Gross
margin
|
200.9 | 20 | % | 166.7 | 16 | % | ||||||||||
Other
operating expenses, net
|
125.9 | 13 | % | 139.4 | 13 | % | ||||||||||
Income
from operations
|
$ | 75.0 | 7 | % | $ | 27.3 | 3 | % | ||||||||
%
|
||||||||||||||||
Change
|
||||||||||||||||
Ti02
operating statistics:
|
||||||||||||||||
Sales
volumes*
|
400 | 389 | (3 | )% | ||||||||||||
Production
volumes*
|
386 | 390 | 1 | % | ||||||||||||
Percent
change in net sales:
|
||||||||||||||||
TiO2
product pricing
|
- | % | ||||||||||||||
TiO2
sales volumes
|
(3 | )% | ||||||||||||||
TiO2
product mix
|
2 | % | ||||||||||||||
Changes
in currency exchange rates
|
8 | % | ||||||||||||||
Total
|
7 | % |
_________________________________
|
*
Thousands of metric tons
|
Net sales – Net sales
increased 7% or $70.1 million compared to the nine months ended September 30,
2007 as the favorable effect of changes in foreign currency exchange rates more
than offset the unfavorable impact of a 3% decrease in sales
volumes. We estimate the favorable effect of changes in currency
exchange rates increased our net sales by approximately $77 million, or 8%,
compared to the same period in 2007.
Our 3%
decrease in sales volumes for the nine months ended September 30, 2008 is
primarily due to the net effect of lower demand due to the general downturn in
economic growth in European and North American markets somewhat offset by higher
demand in export markets.
Cost of sales - Cost of sales
increased $104.3 million or 13% in the nine months ended September 30, 2008,
compared to the same period in 2007, due to the impact of a 17% increase in
utility costs (primarily energy costs), a 9% increase in raw material costs and
currency fluctuations (primarily the euro). Cost of sales as a
percentage of net sales increased to 84% in the nine months ended September 30,
2008 compared to 80% in the same period of 2007 primarily due to the unfavorable
effects of higher operating costs and flat average selling
prices. TiO2 production
volumes increased 1% in the first nine months of 2008 compared to the same
period in 2007, with operating rates near full capacity in both
periods. Production volumes in the first nine months of 2008 were a
new record for us.
Income from operations –
Income from operations for the nine months ended September 30, 2008 declined by
64% to $27.3 million compared to the same period in 2007. Income from
operations as a percentage of net sales declined to 3% in the nine months ended
September 30, 2008 from 7% in the same period for 2007. This decrease
is driven by the decline in gross margin, which fell to 16% in 2008 compared to
20% in 2007. Gross margin has decreased primarily due to increased
operating costs (primarily energy costs and raw materials) and lower sales
volumes. Changes in currency rates have negatively affected our gross
margin and income from operations. We estimate the negative effect of
changes in foreign currency exchange rates decreased income from operations by
approximately $14 million in the first nine months of 2008 as compared to the
same period in 2007.
Other non-operating income (expense)
– Interest expense increased $3.7 million from $29.3 million in the nine months
ended September 30, 2007 to $33.0 million in the nine months
ended September 30, 2008 primarily due to changes in foreign currency exchange
rates as well as a higher average balance of outstanding borrowings under our
revolving credit facilities, primarily in Europe.
Provision for income taxes –
Our income tax benefit was $6.6 million in the first nine
months of 2008 compared to a provision of $115.7 million in the same period
last year. Our income tax benefit in 2008 includes a $7.2 million income
tax benefit related to a European Court ruling that resulted in the favorable
resolution of certain income tax issues in Germany and an increase in the amount
of our German corporate and trade tax net operating loss
carryforwards. Our provision for income taxes in 2007 includes a
third quarter $90.8 million charge related to the reduction of our net deferred
income tax asset in Germany resulting from the enactment of legislation reducing
the German income tax rates, a third quarter $1.2 million income tax benefit due
to a net decrease in our income tax contingency reserves and a second quarter
$8.7 million charge related to the adjustment of certain German income tax
attributes. See Note 7 to our Condensed Consolidated Financial
Statements for a tabular reconciliation of our statutory tax expense to our
actual tax expense.
Currency
exchange
We
have substantial
operations and assets located outside the United States (primarily in Germany,
Belgium, Norway and Canada). The majority of our foreign operations’
sales are denominated in foreign currencies, principally the euro, other major
European currencies and the Canadian dollar. A portion of our sales
generated from our foreign operations are denominated in the U.S.
dollar. Certain raw materials used worldwide, primarily
titanium-containing feedstocks, are purchased in U.S. dollars, while labor and
other production costs are purchased primarily in local
currencies. Consequently, the translated U.S. dollar value of our
foreign sales and operating results are subject to currency exchange rate
fluctuations which may favorably or adversely impact reported earnings and may
affect the comparability of period-to-period operating
results. Overall, fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates had
the following effects on our net sales and income from operations in 2008 as
compared to 2007.
Three
months ended
September
30, 2008
vs. 2007
|
Nine
months ended
September
30, 2008
vs. 2007
|
|||||||
Increase
(decrease), in millions
|
||||||||
Impact
on:
|
||||||||
Net
sales
|
$ | 24 | $ | 77 | ||||
Income
from operations
|
1 | (14 | ) |
Outlook
During
the second and third quarters of 2008, we and our competitors announced various
price increases and surcharges in response to higher operating costs. A
portion of these price increase announcements were implemented during the second
and third quarter of 2008, with additional implementation expected during the
fourth quarter of 2008. As a result, we expect our average selling prices
in the fourth quarter of 2008 will be higher than our average selling prices
during the first nine months of the year. We expect overall demand will
continue to remain good in export markets, while demand in North America and
Europe will be somewhat weaker for the remainder of the year. Overall, we
expect our income from operations for the fourth quarter of 2008 will be higher
than the third quarter of 2008, as the favorable effects of anticipated
improvements in product pricing are expected to offset higher production costs
and seasonably lower sales volumes. However, income from operations for
the full year 2008 is expected to be lower than 2007. Our
expectations as to the future of the TiO2 industry
are based upon a number of factors beyond our control, including worldwide
growth of gross domestic product, competition in the marketplace, unexpected or
earlier than expected capacity additions and technological advances. If
actual developments differ from our expectations, our results of operations
could be unfavorably affected.
Through
our debottlenecking program, we have added capacity to our German
chloride-process facility. In addition, equipment upgrades and
enhancements in several locations have allowed us to reduce downtime for
maintenance activities. Our production capacity has increased by
approximately 30% over the past ten years with only moderate capital
expenditures. We believe our annual attainable TiO2 production
capacity for 2008 is approximately 532,000 metric tons, with some additional
capacity expected to be available in 2009 through our continued debottlenecking
efforts.
LIQUIDITY
AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
Consolidated
cash flows
Operating
activities
Trends in
cash flows as a result of our operating activities (excluding the impact of
significant asset dispositions and relative changes in assets and liabilities)
are generally similar to trends in our earnings.
Our cash provided by operating
activities was $13.6 million in the first nine months of 2008 compared to $68.7
million in the first nine months of 2007. This $55.1 million decrease
in the amount of cash provided is due primarily to the net effects of the
following items:
·
|
Lower
income from operations in 2008 of $47.7
million;
|
·
|
Higher
net distributions from our TiO2
joint venture in 2008 of $8.8 million due to relative changes in their
cash requirements;
|
·
|
Higher
net cash used from relative changes in our inventories, receivables,
payables and accruals of $14.4 million in 2008 due in part to relative
changes in our inventory levels, as discussed
below;
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·
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Lower
cash paid for income taxes in 2008 of $10.3 million due to our reduced
profitability; and
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·
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Higher
cash paid for interest in 2008 of $4.0 million due to higher average
balances of outstanding borrowings under our revolving credit
facilities.
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Changes in working capital were
affected by accounts receivable and inventory changes. Our average
days sales outstanding (“DSO”) increased from 63 days at December 31, 2007 to 66
days at September 30, 2008 due to the timing of collection on higher accounts
receivable balances at the end of September. For comparative
purposes, our average DSO increased from 61 days at December 31, 2006 to 69 days
at September 30, 2007. Our average days sales in inventory (“DSI”)
decreased from 59 days at December 31, 2007 to 55 days at September 30,
2008. For comparative purposes, our average DSI decreased to 50 days
at September 30, 2007 from 68 days at December 31, 2006.
Investing
activities
Our
capital expenditures of $29.4 million and $54.3 million in the nine months ended
September 30, 2007 and 2008, respectively, were primarily for improvements and
upgrades to existing facilities.
Financing
activities
During
the nine months ended September 30, 2008, we had net borrowings of euro 15.0
million ($24.4 million when borrowed/repaid) under our European credit facility
and $13.4 million under our U.S. credit facility.
In each
of the nine months ended September 30, 2007 and 2008, we paid a quarterly
dividend to stockholders of $.25 per share for an aggregate dividend $36.7
million.
Outstanding
debt obligations
At
September 30, 2008, our consolidated debt was comprised principally
of:
·
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euro
400 million principal amount of our 6.5% Senior Secured Notes ($580.7
million) due in 2013;
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·
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euro
15.0 million ($21.9 million) under our European revolving credit facility
which matures in May 2011;
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·
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$28.8
million under our U.S. revolving credit facility which matures in
September 2011; and
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·
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approximately
$4.4 million of other indebtedness.
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Certain
of our credit agreements contain provisions which could result in the
acceleration of indebtedness prior to its stated maturity for reasons other than
defaults for failure to comply with applicable covenants. For
example, certain credit agreements allow the lender to accelerate the maturity
of the indebtedness upon a change of control (as defined in the agreement) of
the borrower. In addition, certain credit agreements could result in
the acceleration of all or a portion of the indebtedness following a sale of
assets outside the ordinary course of business. We are in compliance
with all of our debt covenants at September 30, 2008.
During
the second quarter of 2008, we amended our European revolving bank credit
facility to extend the maturity date by three years to May
2011. During the third quarter of 2008, we amended our U.S. revolving
bank credit facility to increase the size of the facility from $50.0 million to
$70.0 million and to extend the maturity date by three years to September
2011. Our Canadian revolving credit facility currently matures in
January 2009 and we are in the process of renegotiating this facility, and
expect to have a new extension agreement in place prior to the maturity
date. See Note 6 to the Condensed Consolidated Financial
Statements.
In
October 2008, NL agreed to loan us up to $40 million. The amount of our
outstanding borrowings from NL at any time is solely at NL’s
discretion. We intend to use any borrowings from NL to reduce the
outstanding balance under our U.S. revolving bank credit facility. At
October 31, 2008 we had borrowings of $33.3 million outstanding under this
revolving note with NL, which we used to repay borrowings under our U.S. bank
credit facility. See Note 12 to the Condensed Consolidated Financial
Statements.
Our
assets consist primarily of investments in operating subsidiaries, and our
ability to service parent level obligations, including the Senior Secured Notes,
depends in large part upon the distribution of earnings of our subsidiaries,
whether in the form of dividends, advances or payments on account of
intercompany obligations or otherwise. None of our subsidiaries have
guaranteed the Senior Secured Notes, although Kronos International, Inc.
(“KII”), our subsidiary, has pledged 65% of the common stock or other ownership
interests of certain of KII’s first-tier operating subsidiaries as collateral
for the Senior Secured Notes. The terms of the indenture governing
the Senior Secured Notes limits KII’s ability to pay dividends and make other
restricted payments. At September 30, 2008, the maximum amount of
dividends and other restricted payments that KII could make (the “Restricted
Payment Basket”) was approximately $53 million. However, the indenture
currently prohibits KII from utilizing such Restricted Payment Basket because
KII has not met a specified financial ratio; such prohibition will continue
until such time as KII meets the specified financial ratio.
Future
cash requirements
Liquidity
Our
primary source of liquidity on an ongoing basis is cash flows from operating
activities. From time-to-time we will incur indebtedness, generally
to (i) fund short-term working capital needs, (ii) refinance existing
indebtedness or (iii) fund major capital expenditures or the acquisition of
other assets outside the ordinary course of business. We will also
from time-to-time sell assets outside the ordinary course of business, the
proceeds of which are generally used to (i) repay existing indebtedness, (ii)
make investments in marketable and other securities, (iii) fund major capital
expenditures or the acquisition of other assets outside the ordinary course of
business or (iv) pay dividends.
Pricing
within the TiO2 industry
is cyclical, and changes in industry economic conditions significantly impact
earnings and operating cash flows. Changes in TiO2 pricing,
production volumes and customer demand, among other things, could significantly
affect our liquidity.
We
routinely evaluate our liquidity requirements, alternative uses of capital,
capital needs and availability of resources in view of, among other things, our
dividend policy, our debt service and capital expenditure requirements and
estimated future operating cash flows. As a result of this process,
we have in the past and may in the future seek to reduce, refinance, repurchase
or restructure indebtedness, raise additional capital, repurchase shares of our
common stock, modify our dividend policy, restructure ownership interests, sell
interests in our subsidiaries or other assets, or take a combination of these
steps or other steps to manage our liquidity and capital
resources. Such activities have in the past and may in the future
involve related companies. In the normal course of our business, we
may investigate, evaluate, discuss and engage in acquisition, joint venture,
strategic relationship and other business combination opportunities in the
TiO2
industry. In the event of any future acquisition or joint
venture opportunity, we may consider using then-available liquidity, issuing our
equity securities or incurring additional indebtedness.
At
September 30, 2008, unused credit available under all of our existing credit
facilities was approximately $131 million. Based upon our expectation
for the TiO2
industry and anticipated demands on cash resources, we expect to have
sufficient liquidity to meet our future obligations including operations,
capital expenditures, debt service and current dividend policy. If
actual developments differ from our expectations, our liquidity could be
adversely affected.
Capital
expenditures
We intend
to spend approximately $68 million for major improvements and upgrades to our
existing facilities during 2008, including the $54 million we have spent through
September 30, 2008.
Off-balance
sheet financing
We do not
have any off-balance sheet financing agreements other than the operating leases
discussed in our 2007 Annual Report.
Commitments
and contingencies
See Notes
7 and 10 to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for a description of
certain income tax examinations currently underway and legal
proceedings.
Recent
accounting pronouncements
See Note 11 to the Condensed
Consolidated Financial Statements.
Critical
accounting policies
For a discussion of our critical
accounting policies, refer to Part I, Item 7 - “Management’s Discussion and
Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in our 2007 Annual
Report. There have been no changes in our critical accounting
policies during the first nine months of 2008.
ITEM
3. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURE ABOUT MARKET
RISK
We are exposed to market risk,
including foreign currency exchange rates, interest rates and security
prices. For a discussion of such market risk items, refer to Part I,
Item 7A. - “Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosure About Market Risk” in our
2007 Annual Report. There have been no material changes in these
market risks during the first nine months of 2008.
We have substantial operations located
outside the United States for which the functional currency is not the U.S.
dollar. As a result, the reported amounts of our assets and
liabilities related to our non-U.S. operations, and therefore our consolidated
net assets, will fluctuate based upon changes in currency exchange
rates.
Certain
of our sales generated by our non-U.S. operations are denominated in U.S.
dollars. We periodically use currency forward contracts to manage a very
nominal portion of foreign exchange rate risk associated with trade receivables
denominated in a currency other than the holder's functional currency or similar
exchange rate risk associated with future sales. We have not entered into
these contracts for trading or speculative purposes in the past, nor do we
currently anticipate entering into such contracts for trading or speculative
purposes in the future. We held no such currency forward contracts in the
first nine months of 2008. However, in October 2008 we entered into a
series of currency forward contracts to exchange:
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an
aggregate of $35.0 million for an equivalent value of Canadian dollars at
exchange rates ranging from Cdn. $1.25 to Cdn. $1.26 per U.S.
dollar. These contracts mature from November 2008 through December
2009 at a rate of $2.5 million per
month.
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·
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an
aggregate $30.0 million for an equivalent value of Norwegian Kroners at
exchange rates ranging from kroner 6.91 to kroner 6.94. These
contracts mature from January 2009 through December 2009 at a rate of $2.5
million per month.
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·
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an
aggregate euro 8.4 million for an equivalent value of Norwegian Kroners at
exchange rates ranging from kroner 8.64 to kroner 8.70. These
contracts mature from January 2009 through December 2009 at a rate of euro
.7 million per month.
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To the
extent we held such contracts during 2007, we did not use hedge accounting for
any of our contracts, and we do not anticipate using hedge accounting for any of
the contracts we entered into in October 2008.
ITEM
4. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
Evaluation
of disclosure controls and procedures
We
maintain a system of disclosure controls and procedures. The term
"disclosure controls and procedures," as defined by Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(e),
means controls and other procedures that are designed to ensure that information
required to be disclosed in the reports that we file or submit to the SEC under
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), is
recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified
in the SEC's rules and forms. Disclosure controls and procedures
include, without limitation, controls and procedures designed to ensure that
information we are required to disclose in the reports we file or submit to the
SEC under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to our management,
including our principal executive officer and our principal financial officer,
or persons performing similar functions, as appropriate to allow timely
decisions to be made regarding required disclosure. Each of Harold C.
Simmons, our Chief Executive Officer, and Gregory M. Swalwell, our Vice
President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer, have evaluated the design and
operating effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as of
September 30, 2008. Based upon their evaluation, these executive
officers have concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures are
effective as of September 30, 2008.
Internal
control over financial reporting
We also
maintain internal control over financial reporting. The term
“internal control over financial reporting,” as defined by Exchange Act Rule
13a-15(f), means a process designed by, or under the supervision of, our
principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing
similar functions, and effected by our board of directors, management and other
personnel, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of
financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external
purposes in accordance with GAAP, and includes those policies and procedures
that:
·
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Pertain
to the maintenance of records that in reasonable detail accurately and
fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of our
assets,
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·
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Provide
reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit
preparation of financial statements in accordance with GAAP, and that our
receipts and expenditures are being made only in accordance with
authorizations of our management and directors,
and
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·
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Provide
reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of an
unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of our assets that could have
a material effect on our Condensed Consolidated Financial
Statements.
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As
permitted by the SEC, our assessment of internal control over financial
reporting excludes (i) internal control over financial reporting of our equity
method investees and (ii) internal control over the preparation of our financial
statement schedules required by Article 12 of Regulation
S-X. However, our assessment of internal control over financial
reporting with respect to our equity method investees did include our controls
over the recording of amounts related to our investment that are recorded in our
Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements, including controls over the
selection of accounting methods for our investments, the recognition of equity
method earnings and losses and the determination, valuation and recording of our
investment account balances.
Changes
in internal control over financial reporting
There has
been no change to our internal control over financial reporting during the
quarter ended September 30, 2008 that has materially affected, or is reasonably
likely to materially affect, the internal control over financial
reporting.
Part
II. OTHER INFORMATION
Item
1. Legal
Proceedings
Refer to Note 10 of the Condensed
Consolidated Financial Statements and to our 2007 Annual Report for descriptions
of certain legal proceedings.
Item
1A. Risk
Factors
For a discussion of the risk factors
related to our businesses, refer to Part I, Item 1A., “Risk Factors,” in our
2007 Annual report. There have been no material changes to such risk
factors during the nine months ended September 30, 2008.
Item
6. Exhibits.
Exhibit
No.
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10.1
– $40,000,000 Unsecured Revolving Demand Promissory Note dated October 29,
2008 and payable to NL Industries, Inc. – incorporated by reference to
Exhibit 10.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K that was filed
with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on October 29,
2008.
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31.1 – Certification
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31.2 – Certification
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32.1 – Certification
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant
to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has
duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto
duly authorized.
Kronos Worldwide, Inc.
(Registrant)
Date November 3,
2008
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/s/ Gregory M.
Swalwell
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Gregory M. Swalwell
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Vice President, Finance
and Chief Financial Officer
(Principal Financial Officer)
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Date November 3,
2008
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/s/ Tim C.
Hafer
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Tim C. Hafer
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Vice President and Controller
(Principal Accounting
Officer)
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