The Toro Co. last week reported net earnings of $19.9 million, or $0.65 per share, on net sales of $423.8 million for its fiscal first quarter ended Feb. 3. In the comparable fiscal 2011 period, the company delivered net earnings of $17.3 million, or $0.53 per share, on net sales of $383.2 million.
“Retail sales of our golf and landscape contractor equipment have been very good year-to-date, and we have momentum heading into the spring selling season,” said Michael Hoffman, Toro’s chairman and CEO. “Looking beyond our existing business, our most recently announced acquisition of the Astec underground products presents substantial opportunities in adjacent markets. As always, now begins the challenge of successfully integrating the acquisition into the company’s operations.”
In the past three months, Toro completed acquisitions of the Astec Underground’s equipment line of horizontal directional drills, trenchers, and vibratory plows for the underground utilities market and the Graden golf greens roller product line. The Astec products expand Toro’s offering to landscape and irrigation contractors and provide entry into new global markets, while the Graden greens rollers add to Toro’s strong position in golf equipment worldwide. Combined, these new products are expected to add about one percent to sales to the current fiscal year.
Factoring in the stronger sales growth from the first quarter and the acquisitions recently announced the company now expects a revenue increase for fiscal 2012 of about 6 to 7 percent. The company also expects fiscal 2012 net earnings to be about $4.20 per share which includes a $0.10-$0.15 negative EPS impact for integration investments related to the acquisition of the Astec products. For the second quarter, the company expects to report net earnings of about $2.10 per share.
Headquartered in Bloomington, Minn., The Toro Co. is a worldwide provider of turf and landscape maintenance equipment, and precision irrigation systems, to help customers care for golf courses, sports fields, public green spaces, commercial and residential properties, and agricultural fields.
