Exhibit 99.1
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TOOTSIE ROLL INDUSTRIES, INC. | |
| 7401 South Cicero Avenue |
| Chicago, IL 60629 |
| Phone 773/838-3400 |
| Fax 773/838-3534 |
PRESS RELEASE
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STOCK TRADED: NYSE | FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
TICKER SYMBOL: TR | Wednesday, July 24, 2024 |
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – July 24, 2024 - Ellen R. Gordon, Chairman, Tootsie Roll Industries, Inc. reported second quarter and first half 2024 net sales and net earnings.
Second quarter 2024 net sales were $148,819,000 compared to $158,837,000 in second quarter 2023, a decrease of $10,018,000 or 6%. Second quarter 2024 net earnings were $15,640,000 compared to $14,726,000 in second quarter 2023, and net earnings per share were $0.22 and $0.20 in second quarter 2024 and 2023, respectively, an increase of $0.02 per share or 10%.
First half 2024 net sales were $300,283,000 compared to $319,548,000 in first half 2023, a decrease of $19,265,000 or 6%. First half 2024 net earnings were $31,474,000 compared to $28,127,000 in first half 2023, and net earnings per share were $0.44 and $0.39 in first half 2024 and 2023, respectively, an increase of $0.05 per share or 13%.
Mrs. Gordon said, “We continued to face a more challenging market in second quarter and first half 2024 as customers and consumers became more resistant to higher price realization. Second quarter and first half 2024 sales were also impacted by customer inventory adjustments which adversely affected customer orders and sales in these periods. In addition, first half 2024 sales were also adversely affected by the timing of seasonal sales between first quarter 2024 and fourth quarter 2023 when compared to the prior year comparative periods.
Second quarter and first half 2024 gross profit margins benefited from higher price realization and improvements in plant manufacturing operating efficiencies. However, lower sales volumes adversely affected our results in second quarter and first half 2024 because much of our plant overhead costs, and certain other costs and operating expenses, do not decrease with lower sales. More favorable freight and delivery costs in second quarter and first half 2024 contributed to increased net earnings in these periods.
In response to increases in input costs in recent years, many companies in the consumer products industry have increased selling prices. We have implemented price increases as well during this period with the objective of improving sales price realization in order to recover our margin declines. We made progress in restoring our margins in 2023 and continue to do so in 2024. Cocoa and chocolate costs have moved significantly higher in the markets this year, and we expect these increases to have some adverse effects on our input costs and margins in second half 2024 and 2025. Although the Company continues to monitor its input costs, we are mindful of the effects and limits when passing on the above-discussed higher input costs to our customers as well as the final consumers of our products.