Thursday, January 27, 2011

Polaris Reports Record 2010 Fourth Quarter and Full Year Results

Fourth Quarter and Full Year Highlights:
Fourth quarter 2010 earnings per diluted share increased 18% to a record $1.55 with sales increasing 31 percent from the 2009 fourth quarter to a record $618.4 million
All product lines experienced increased sales and market share during the 2010 fourth quarter and full year
Full year 2010 earnings per diluted share increased 40% to a record $4.28 with record sales of $1,991.1 million, an increase of 27% from the 2009 full year
Full year 2010 gross profit margins improved 150 basis points over 2009, primarily due higher production volumes and cost reduction efforts, though partially offset by manufacturing realignment costs. Gross profit margins improved 40 basis points for the fourth quarter
Cash and cash equivalents totaled $393.9 million at year-end 2010, an increase of 181% over 2009

MINNEAPOLIS, Jan 27, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Polaris Industries Inc. (NYSE:PII) today reported record net income of $1.55 per diluted share for the fourth quarter of 2010, up 18 percent over the 2009 fourth quarter. Net income for the fourth quarter 2010 was a record $54.5 million, an increase of 24 percent over the same period in 2009. Record sales of $618.4 million for the fourth quarter 2010 increased 31 percent over 2009 fourth quarter sales of $471.8 million.


Full Year Results
For the full year ended December 31, 2010, Polaris reported record net income of $147.1 million, or a record $4.28 per diluted share, compared to $101.0 million, or $3.05 per diluted share for the year ended December 31, 2009. This represents a 40 percent increase on a per diluted share basis and a 46 percent increase in net income. Sales for the full year 2010 totaled a record $1,991.1 million, an increase of 27 percent compared to sales of $1,565.9 million for the full year 2009.

       "2010 was an exceptional year for Polaris. Not only did we deliver record sales and earnings, but the Polaris team made significant progress toward our long-term strategy and positioned the business for profitable growth in the future. We gained market share in all of our businesses and grew sales in every region of the world. Our persistent focus on margins paid dividends, as gross profit margins increased 150 basis points and net margins expanded by 90 basis points to 7.4 percent of sales. We also expanded our leadership position in the side-by-side industry, and grew sales and market share in our Victory motorcycles and snowmobile businesses," stated Scott Wine, Chief Executive Officer. "In addition to our record financial performance, we made several strategic investments in the business during 2010 that position us for future growth, including investments in China, Brazil and India, and a small powertrain acquisition in Europe. Lastly, our manufacturing realignment project, announced in mid-2010, is on track to begin production in our new Monterrey facility by mid-2011."

      "Our efforts throughout 2010 have further positioned the Company for continued growth and profitability in 2011 and beyond. Importantly, dealer inventories for ORV and Victory continued to decline in 2010 and are at appropriate levels as we enter 2011. Additionally, we expanded the retail sales program called Max Velocity Program, or MVP, into the remaining 50 percent of our ORV dealers in North America during the second half of 2010. We expect MVP to continue to drive retail sales velocity and market share gains in 2011," Wine continued.

       "Ending 2010 with $394 million in cash and only $200 million in total debt, we have both the financial strength and flexibility to continue to make organic and acquisitive investments to support our long-term growth initiatives. We expect the investments made over the past two years, supported by continued product innovation, ever-increasing speed to market, productive lean manufacturing initiatives, and low-cost purchasing capabilities to continue to deliver net margin expansion in 2011, resulting in another record year of sales and earnings for the Company."

2011 Business Outlook
Full year 2011 earnings are expected to be in the range of $4.65 to $4.85 per diluted share, which represents an increase of nine to 13 percent when compared to full year 2010 earnings. Net income for full year 2011 is expected to increase in the range of 14 to 20 percent over full year 2010. Sales for full year 2011 are expected to increase eight to 11 percent over full year 2010 sales, with sales increases projected in each product line and geographic region. The full year 2011 expectations include transition costs related to the manufacturing realignment in the range of $12.0 million to $14.0 million, with the majority of the costs impacting gross margins. Savings from the manufacturing realignment project are expected to begin in the second half of 2011 but will only partially offset project transition costs in 2011.
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