MEDINA, OH - RPM International Inc. reported that on a pro-forma basis, improvements were realized in net sales, net income and earnings per share for its fiscal 2011 second quarter ended Nov. 30, 2010. Prior-year pro-forma results assume that the deconsolidation of its Specialty Products Holding Corp. (SPHC) and subsidiaries, which eliminated approximately $300 million in annual revenues from the company's industrial segment beginning June 1, 2010, occurred before fiscal 2010. RPM put the Specialty Products unit into Chapter 11 bankruptcy last May.

On a pro-forma basis, net sales, net income and earnings per share all posted improvements. Net sales grew 5.3 percent to $826.3 million from a pro-forma $784.5 million, while net income attributable to RPM stockholders was up 2.3 percent, to $48.8 million from a pro-forma $47.7 million a year ago. Diluted earnings per share increased 2.7 percent to $0.38 from a pro-forma $0.37 in the fiscal 2010 second period. Consolidated EBIT grew 2.7 percent, to $89.4 million from a pro-forma $87.1 million in the year-ago second quarter.

"On a prior-year pro-forma basis, which offers a better comparison to current-year actual results, RPM's industrial segment continued a trend of year-over-year sales increases on the strength of our businesses concentrated in maintenance, repair and infrastructure, while our consumer segment faced the challenges of tough comparisons following record results in the fall of 2009. Both segments remain challenged by higher raw material costs, mainly due to capacity reductions by suppliers, which has exerted downward pressure on our gross margins," said Frank C. Sullivan, Chairman and Chief Executive officer.

On an as reported basis, RPM's net sales of $826.3 million were down 3.8 percent from the $858.7 million reported in the fiscal 2010 second quarter. Net income attributable to RPM stockholders was off 12.7 percent, to $48.8 million from $55.9 million in the year-ago second quarter, while earnings per diluted share were down 11.6 percent to $0.38 from $0.43 in the fiscal 2010 second quarter. Consolidated earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) dropped 4.1 percent to $89.4 million from $93.4 million a year ago.

On a pro-forma basis, industrial segment sales grew 8.0 percent to $582.5 million in the fiscal 2011 second quarter from a pro-forma $539.2 million a year ago. Organic sales improved 4.3 percent, which were offset by 1.0 percent in foreign exchange translation losses, and acquisition growth added 3.7 percent. Industrial segment EBIT increased 0.7 percent, to $68.7 million from a pro-forma $68.2 million in the fiscal 2010 second quarter.

"Industrial sales growth in the second quarter continued to benefit from strong sales comparisons in corrosion control coatings and high-performance polymer flooring, while domestic and international sealants lines continued to struggle in the face of weak new construction markets," Sullivan stated.

RPM's consumer segment, largely unaffected by the deconsolidation, had a 0.6 percent decline in net sales to $243.8 million from a pro-forma $245.2 million in the fiscal 2010 second quarter. Organic sales were off 1.4 percent, including foreign exchange translation losses of 0.6 percent, while acquisition growth added 0.8 percent. Consumer segment EBIT fell 14.4 percent, to $27.3 million from a pro-forma $31.9 million a year ago.

"Our consumer lines maintained or grew their market share, despite challenges in their end markets and tough prior-year comparisons," stated Sullivan.

"Our year-to-date results are on target for achieving the fiscal 2011 guidance we announced on July 26, 2010, which anticipated sales growth of between 4 percent and 5 percent to approximately $3.25 billion from a pro-forma base of $3.12 billion in fiscal 2010 and growth in diluted earnings per share to a range of $1.35 to $1.40, up from a pro-forma $1.26 in fiscal 2010. We expect a loss for the seasonally weak fiscal third quarter ending Feb. 28, 2011, but anticipate a strong fiscal fourth quarter. Our industrial segment should continue its strong performance in the back half of this fiscal year, with signs of improvement in the depressed commercial construction market this spring, while consumer sales are expected to be relatively flat as they face very strong prior-year comparisons, combined with consumer uncertainty. We anticipate that raw material challenges will persist through the remainder of this fiscal year," Sullivan said.