Mueller Industries, Inc. Reports Third Quarter Results

MEMPHIS, Tenn., Oct. 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --

Quarterly and Year-to-Date Earnings

Harvey L. Karp, Chairman of Mueller Industries, Inc. (NYSE: MLI), today announced the Company's results for the third quarter of 2009. For the three months ended September 26, 2009, net income was $18.7 million, or 50 cents per diluted share, on net sales of $419.9 million. For the third quarter of 2008, the Company posted net income of $18.7 million, or 50 cents per diluted share, on net sales of $665.5 million.

Year-to-date, the Company earned $22.2 million, or 59 cents per diluted share, compared with net income of $73.0 million, or $1.96 per diluted share, for the same period of 2008. Net sales for the first nine months of 2009 were $1.11 billion which compares with net sales of $2.12 billion for the same period a year ago.

Net sales of the Company's core product lines including copper tube, fittings, brass rod and forgings were substantially affected by the lower market values of copper and brass, the Company's principal raw materials, which are largely passed through to customers. In the third quarter of 2009, the Comex average price of copper was 23 percent lower than in the third quarter of 2008. In addition, unit volumes of most of the Company's core product lines were well below year ago levels.

Mr. Karp said, "Our cost control initiatives have helped to mitigate the impact of weak demand in the residential and commercial construction sectors. We expect challenging market conditions will continue into next year."

Financial and Operating Highlights

Regarding the third quarter of 2009, Mr. Karp said:

    --  "We continue to generate cash by intensively managing working capital
        and monitoring capital expenditures. Mueller ended the quarter with
        $353.9 million in cash, or $9.40 per share.  Our financial position
        remains strong.
    --  "Total stockholders' equity was $737.8 million which equates to a book
        value per share of $19.60.
    --  "Mueller's current ratio remains excellent at 4.4 to 1 and our working
        capital is $608.8 million.  Leverage is conservative with a ratio of
        debt to total capitalization at 18.8 percent.
    --  "The Comex average price of copper was $2.67 per pound in the third
        quarter of 2009, which compares with $3.45 per pound in the third
        quarter of 2008.
    --  "Our Plumbing & Refrigeration segment posted operating earnings of $16.0
        million on net sales of $240.9 million compared with operating earnings
        of $25.4 million on net sales of $371.3 million in the third quarter of
        2008.  Due to lower throughput volumes, we experienced higher per unit
        conversion costs.

    --  "Our OEM segment posted operating earnings of $16.5 million during the
        third quarter of 2009 on net sales of $181.6 million, which compared
        with operating earnings of $10.6 million on net sales of $299.5 million
        for the same period in 2008."

Mueller Industries, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of copper tube and fittings; brass and copper alloy rod, bar and shapes; aluminum and brass forgings; aluminum and copper impact extrusions; plastic fittings and valves; refrigeration valves and fittings; and fabricated tubular products. Mueller's operations are located throughout the United States and in Canada, Mexico, Great Britain, and China. Mueller's business is importantly linked to (1) the construction of new homes; (2) the improvement and reconditioning of existing homes and structures; and (3) the commercial construction market which includes office buildings, factories, hotels, hospitals, etc.


                                     ********************

Statements in this release that are not strictly historical may be "forward-looking" statements, which involve risks and uncertainties. These include economic and currency conditions, continued availability of raw materials and energy, market demand, pricing, competitive and technological factors, and the availability of financing, among others, as set forth in the Company's SEC filings. The words "outlook," "estimate," "project," "intend," "expect," "believe," "target," and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. The reader should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this report. The Company has no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect events after the date of this report.


                                     MUELLER INDUSTRIES, INC.
                           CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
                              (In thousands, except per share data)

                       For the Quarter Ended       For the Nine Months Ended
                       ---------------------       -------------------------
                     September 26,  September 27, September 26,  September 27,
                         2009           2008           2009           2008
                         ----           ----           ----           ----
                             (Unaudited)                   (Unaudited)

    Net sales          $419,890       $665,496     $1,114,248     $2,123,075

    Cost of goods sold  354,039        588,469        954,775      1,861,475
    Depreciation and
     amortization        10,441         11,529         31,276         33,517
    Selling, general,
     and administrative
     expense             27,593         35,674         89,067        108,583
                         ------         ------         ------        -------

    Operating income     27,817         29,824         39,130        119,500

    Interest expense     (2,435)        (5,050)        (7,553)       (15,755)
    Other (expense)
     income, net           (324)         2,573            688          9,103
                           ----          -----            ---          -----

    Income before income
     taxes               25,058         27,347         32,265        112,848
    Income tax expense   (6,246)        (8,422)        (9,796)       (37,992)
                         ------         ------         ------        -------

    Consolidated net
     income              18,812         18,925         22,469         74,856

    Less: net income
     attributable to
     noncontrolling
     interest              (146)          (254)          (267)        (1,816)
                           ----           ----           ----         ------

    Net income
     attributable to
     Mueller Industries,
     Inc.               $18,666        $18,671        $22,202        $73,040
                        =======        =======        =======        =======



    Weighted average shares
     for basic earnings
     per share           37,474         37,136         37,253         37,117
    Effect of dilutive
     stock options           72            176             89            238
                             --            ---             --            ---

    Adjusted weighted
     average shares
     for diluted
     earnings per
     share               37,546         37,312         37,342         37,355
                         ------         ------         ------         ------

    Basic earnings
     per share            $0.50          $0.50          $0.60          $1.97
                          =====          =====          =====          =====

    Diluted earnings
     per share            $0.50          $0.50          $0.59          $1.96
                          =====          =====          =====          =====

    Dividends per share   $0.10          $0.10          $0.30          $0.30
                          =====          =====          =====          =====

    Summary Segment Data:
    ---------------------
    Net sales:
      Plumbing &
       Refrigeration
       Segment         $240,878       $371,315       $661,035     $1,159,613
      OEM Segment       181,621        299,470        459,898        979,665
      Elimination of
       intersegment
       sales             (2,609)        (5,289)        (6,685)       (16,203)
                         ------         ------         ------        -------

    Net sales          $419,890       $665,496     $1,114,248     $2,123,075
                       ========       ========     ==========     ==========

    Operating income:
      Plumbing &
       Refrigeration
       Segment          $15,986        $25,449        $38,199        $85,903
      OEM Segment        16,530         10,643         18,315         55,180
      Unallocated
       expenses          (4,699)        (6,268)       (17,384)       (21,583)
                         ------         ------        -------        -------

    Operating income    $27,817        $29,824        $39,130       $119,500
                        =======        =======        =======       ========



                           MUELLER INDUSTRIES, INC.
                      CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
                                 (In thousands)



                                              September 26,   December 27,
                                                   2009           2008
                                                   ----           ----
                                                       (Unaudited)
        ASSETS
        Cash and cash equivalents                  $353,874     $278,860
        Accounts receivable, net                    225,316      219,035
        Inventories                                 178,372      210,609
        Other current assets                         30,327       46,322
                                                     ------       ------
            Total current assets                    787,889      754,826

        Property, plant, and equipment, net         258,278      276,927
        Other assets                                151,429      151,160
                                                    -------      -------

                                                 $1,197,596   $1,182,913
                                                 ==========   ==========



        LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
        Current portion of debt                     $12,372      $24,184
        Accounts payable                             70,380       63,732
        Other current liabilities                    96,346      113,668
                                                     ------      -------
            Total current liabilities               179,098      201,584

        Long-term debt, less
         current portion                            158,226      158,726
        Pension and postretirement
         liabilities                                 39,180       38,452
        Environmental reserves                       23,090       23,248
        Deferred income taxes                        33,435       33,940
        Other noncurrent liabilities                  1,401        1,698
                                                      -----        -----

            Total liabilities                       434,430      457,648
                                                    -------      -------

        Total Mueller Industries, Inc.
         stockholders' equity                       737,799      700,683
        Noncontrolling interest                      25,367       24,582
                                                     ------       ------

            Total equity                            763,166      725,265
                                                    -------      -------

                                                 $1,197,596   $1,182,913
                                                 ==========   ==========



                          MUELLER INDUSTRIES, INC.
               CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
                               (In thousands)

                                              For the Nine Months Ended
                                             ----------------------------
                                             September 26,   September 27,
                                                 2009            2008
                                                 ----            ----
                                                      (Unaudited)
    Operating activities:
    Net income attributable to
     Mueller Industries, Inc.                    $22,202        $73,040
    Reconciliation of net income attributable
     to Mueller Industries, Inc. to net cash
     provided by operating activities:
        Depreciation and amortization             31,440         33,984
        Gain on early
         retirement of debt                         (128)        (2,482)
        Net income attributable to
         noncontrolling interest                     267          1,816
        Stock-based
         compensation expense                      1,892          2,238
        Loss on disposal of properties               975            306
        Deferred income taxes                     (2,012)          (515)
        Income tax benefit from exercise
         of stock options                           (189)           (92)
        Changes in assets and
         liabilities:
            Receivables                           (3,030)       (29,130)
            Inventories                           35,339          6,635
            Other assets                           4,152         (5,350)
            Current liabilities                   (6,229)       (16,027)
            Other liabilities                       (337)           784
            Other, net                                17           (719)
                                                      --           ----

    Net cash provided by operating
     activities                                   84,359         64,488
                                                  ------         ------

    Investing activities:
    Capital expenditures                         (11,002)       (17,871)
    Net withdrawals from
     restricted cash balances                     12,806            678
    Proceeds from sales of properties                611             77
                                                     ---             --

    Net cash provided by (used in)
     investing activities                          2,415        (17,116)
                                                   -----        -------

    Financing activities:
    Repayments of long-term debt                    (370)       (23,650)
    Dividends paid to stockholders of
     Mueller Industries, Inc.                    (11,186)       (11,133)
    Dividends paid to
     noncontrolling interests                     (1,449)             -
    Repayment of debt by joint venture,
     net                                         (11,813)       (12,491)
    Issuance of shares under incentive
     stock option plans from treasury              8,678          1,074
    Income tax benefit from exercise
     of stock options                                189             92
    Acquisition of treasury stock                   (416)           (31)
                                                    ----            ---

    Net cash used in financing activities        (16,367)       (46,139)
                                                 -------        -------

    Effect of exchange rate changes on
     cash                                          4,607         (1,500)
                                                   -----         ------

    Increase (decrease) in cash and
     cash equivalents                             75,014           (267)
    Cash and cash equivalents at the
     beginning of the period                     278,860        308,618
                                                 -------        -------

    Cash and cash equivalents at the
     end of the period                          $353,874       $308,351
                                                ========       ========

SOURCE Mueller Industries, Inc.