• Revenue Up 11% to a Record $136.8 million; up 23.8% on a Constant Currency Basis
• Net Income attributable to Controlling Interest of $19.8 million
• Diluted EPS of $0.56; Adjusted diluted EPS of $0.69
• Tightens Full Year Revenue and Adjusted EBITDA Guidance

MP MENASHE, Israel--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Caesarstone Sdot-Yam Ltd. (NASDAQ:CSTE), a manufacturer of high quality engineered quartz surfaces, today reported record financial results for its third quarter ended September 30, 2015.
Revenue in the third quarter of 2015 increased to a record $136.8 million, up 11% compared to $123.3 million in the same quarter of the prior year. On a constant currency basis, third quarter revenue growth was 23.8% compared to the same period last year. Growth in revenue was primarily driven by the United States, which increased by 22.2% to $61.7 million, and Canada, which increased by 16.9% to $19.8 million.
Yosef Shiran, Chief Executive Officer, commented, "We are pleased with our results in the third quarter, which demonstrate the continuing strength of our brand and business around the world. We are executing well, driving growth despite significant foreign currency headwinds. We are also continuing to innovate, launch new products, expand our infrastructure, and enhance our competitive edge. We continue to position Caesarstone as an industry-leader to support our long-term growth and profitability."
Gross margin in the third quarter was 39.5% compared to 43.7% in the same period of the prior year. The decrease was primarily driven by excess costs related to the early stage of production in the Company's U.S. manufacturing facility and the impact of significant negative exchange rate fluctuations, which were partially offset by favorable product mix and lower raw material costs.
Operating expenses in the third quarter were $29.4 million, which included a non-cash expense of $4.7 million related to estimated exposure not covered by the Company's insurance applicable to silicosis claims. Excluding this non-cash expense, operating expenses would have been $24.7 million, or 18.0% of revenue. This compares to the prior year's third quarter level of $22.7 million, or 18.4% of revenue.
Operating income in the third quarter was $24.7 million, 18.1% of revenue. Excluding the above- mentioned $4.7 million noncash expense, operating income would have been $29.4 million, a margin of 21.5%, compared to $31.2 million in the third quarter of 2014, a margin of 25.3%.This decrease is the result of lower gross margin.
Adjusted EBITDA, which excludes the impact of share-based compensation expenses, the excess cost of acquired inventory, expenses for legal settlements and loss contingencies and other non-recurring items, was a record $36.2 million in the third quarter, a margin of 26.5%. This compares to adjusted EBITDA of $35.9 million, a margin of 29.1%, in the third quarter of the prior year.
Finance expenses in the third quarter were $0.1 million compared to finance income of $1.0 million during the same period in the prior year. The change was primarily due to a lower net gain related to currency derivative instruments, which offset a portion of the unfavorable exchange rate fluctuations.
The Company reported net income attributable to controlling interest for the third quarter of 2015 of $19.8 million compared to $26.5 million in the same quarter in the prior year. Diluted net income per share for the third quarter was $0.56 on 35.5 million shares compared to $0.75 per diluted share on 35.3 million shares in the prior year's third quarter. On an adjusted basis, net income in the third quarter was $24.4 million, or $0.69 per diluted share compared to $27.0 million, or $0.76 per diluted share in the same quarter of the prior year.
The Company's balance sheet as of September 30, 2015 included cash and cash equivalents and short-term bank deposits of $52.6 million, an increase of $14.9 million relative to previous quarter.
The Company is ramping up its U.S. manufacturing facility in Richmond Hill, Georgia. Its first U.S line is operating at a higher pace and its second U.S. line has entered commissioning stage. Both lines enable the Company to better serve the U.S. market and support the Company's ongoing growth.
Guidance Revised
The Company has tightened its range of expected revenue for 2015 to a range of $497-502 million and its expected range of adjusted EBITDA for the full year to $125-128 million.
Conference Call Details
Yosef Shiran, the Company's Chief Executive Officer, and Yair Averbuch, the Company's Chief Financial Officer, will host a conference call today, November 4, 2015, at 8:30 a.m. ET to discuss the results of the third quarter ended September 30, 2015, followed by a question and answer session for the investment community. A live webcast of the call can be accessed at ir.caesarstone.com ​​To access the call, dial toll-free 1-888-466-4462 or +1-719-457-2085 (international). Israeli participants can dial in at 1-80-924-5906. The pass code is 3560493.
To listen to a telephonic replay of the conference call, dial toll-free 1-877-870-5176 or +1-858-384-5517 (international) and enter pass code 3560493. The replay will be available beginning at 11:30 a.m. ET on November 4, 2015 and will last through 11:59 PM ET November 18, 2015.
About Caesarstone
Caesarstone manufactures high quality engineered quartz surfaces, which are used in both residential and commercial buildings as countertops, vanities, wall cladding, floors and other interior surfaces. The wide variety of colors, styles, designs and textures of Caesarstone® products, along with Caesarstone's inherent characteristics such as hardness, non-porous, scratch and stain resistance and durability, provide consumers with excellent surfaces for their internal spaces which are highly competitive to granite, manufactured solid surfaces and laminate, as well as to other engineered quartz surfaces. Caesarstone's four collections of products —Classico, Supremo, Motivo and Concetto —are available in over 50 countries around the world. For more information about the Company, please visit our website www.caesarstone.com. (CSTE-E)
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
The non-GAAP measures presented by the Company should be considered in addition to, and not as a substitute for, comparable GAAP measures. A reconciliation of GAAP net income attributable to controlling interest to adjusted net income attributable to controlling interest and net income to Adjusted EBITDA are provided in the schedules within this release. The Company provides these non-GAAP financial measures because it believes that they present a better measure of the Company's core business and management uses the non-GAAP measures internally to evaluate the Company's ongoing performance. Accordingly, the Company believes that they are useful to investors in enhancing an understanding of the Company's operating performance.
Forward-Looking Statements
Information provided in this press release may contain statements relating to current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about future events that are "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements generally relate to the Company's plans, objectives and expectations for future operations, including its projected results of operations and the expected timing of expanding its manufacturing facilities. These forward-looking statements are based upon management's current estimates and projections of future results or trends. Actual results may differ materially from those projected as a result of certain risks and uncertainties. These factors include, but are not limited to: the strength of the home renovation and construction sectors; economic conditions within any of our key existing markets; actions by our competitors; changes in raw material prices, particularly polymer resins and pigments; fluctuations in currency exchange rates; the success of our expansion efforts in the United States; the outcome of silicosis claims and the claim by our former quartz processor; unpredictability of seasonal fluctuations in revenues; delays in manufacturing if our suppliers are unable to supply raw materials; and other factors discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in our most recent annual report on Form 20-F and other documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements are made only as of the date hereof, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.