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Standard Motor Products, Inc. Announces Second Quarter 2004 Earnings and a Quarterly Dividend

NEW YORK--July 26, 2004--Standard Motor Products, Inc. , an automotive replacement parts manufacturer and distributor, reported today its consolidated financial results for the three months and six months ended June 30, 2004.

Consolidated net sales for the second quarter of 2004 were $235 million, compared to consolidated net sales of $166.1 million during the comparable quarter in 2003. Earnings from continuing operations for the second quarter of 2004 were $7.5 million or 38 cents per diluted share, compared to $4.3 million or 34 cents per diluted share in the second quarter of 2003.

Consolidated net sales for the six month period ended June 30, 2004 were $439.8 million, compared to consolidated net sales of $301.9 million during the comparable period in 2003. Earnings from continuing operations for the six month period ended June 30, 2004 were $7 million or 36 cents per diluted share, compared to $3.7 million or 30 cents per diluted share for the comparable period in 2003.

Mr. Lawrence Sills, Standard Motor Products' Chief Executive Officer, commented that: "The consolidated net sales increase in the second quarter and the first half of 2004 was primarily related to the previously announced acquisition of Dana Corporation's Engine Management Division (DEM), effective as of June 30, 2003. Net sales generated in the second quarter from DEM were approximately $62 million. Excluding DEM net sales, our core Engine Management net sales increased $6.6 million or approximately 8% in the second quarter of 2004, compared to the comparable period in 2003. In our Temperature Control business, net sales were basically flat in the second quarter, but were approximately 4% higher in the first half of 2004, compared to the comparable period in 2003.

"Gross margins were 26.5% in the second quarter of 2004, compared to 26.4% in the comparable quarter of 2003 and 24.9% in the first quarter of 2004. We are beginning to see the benefits of the DEM integration, as well as our normal seasonal improvement in Temperature Control. Similar benefits were achieved in selling, general, and administrative (SG&A) expenses as we eliminated redundant costs from the DEM acquisition. SG&A expenses as a percentage of consolidated net sales were 19.6% in the second quarter of 2004, compared to 19.7% in the comparable quarter in 2003."

Mr. Sills added, "We remain on target for completing the DEM integration by year end. All manufacturing and customer/shipping moves have now been implemented, though we are still doing some packaging in Nashville. We have previously announced exit plans for seven DEM facilities; all will be completed by the end of the third quarter of 2004."

Mr. Sills concluded, "We continue to believe that the DEM integration will enable us to generate incremental profits throughout 2004 and an ongoing $40-45 million operating income from the acquisition beginning in 2005."

The Company also announced changes to the membership of its Board of Directors. Effective July 20, 2004, Mr. Arthur Davis and Ms. Marilyn Fife Cragin retired and have been replaced by Mr. Peter Sills and Mr. Richard S. Ward.

Mr. Larry Sills commented, "We sincerely thank Art and Marilyn for their years of service and excellent contributions to the growth of the Company. We now welcome Peter to the Board, where his knowledge of the Company and his legal background will be an excellent asset. Finally, we are pleased to announce that Richard Ward has joined our Board. Dick served as General Counsel, Executive Vice President, and Corporate Secretary of ITT Corporation, and he will bring an added dimension to our Board. Six of our nine Board members are now independent, with three from the founding family."

The Board of Directors has approved payment of a quarterly dividend of nine cents per share on the common stock outstanding. The dividend will be paid on September 1, 2004 to stockholders of record on August 13, 2004.

Standard Motor Products, Inc. will hold a conference call at 11:00 a.m., Eastern Time, on Monday July 26, 2004. The dial in number is 800-362-0653. The playback number is 800-934-3941 (domestic) 402-220-1157 (international) and the ID # is STANDARD.

Under the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Standard Motor Products cautions investors that any forward-looking statements made by the Company, including those that may be made in this press release, are based on management's expectations at the time they are made, but they are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, events or performance to differ materially from those contemplated by such forward looking statements. Among the factors that could cause actual results, events or performance to differ materially from those risks and uncertainties discussed in this press release, and detailed from time-to-time in prior press releases and in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Company's annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. By making these forward looking statements, Standard Motor Products undertakes no obligation or intention to update these statements after the date of this release.

                     STANDARD MOTOR PRODUCTS, INC.
                 Consolidated Statements of Operations

(Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)

                          THREE MONTHS ENDED       SIX MONTHS ENDED
                               JUNE 30,                JUNE 30,
                           2004        2003        2004        2003
                       ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------

NET SALES               $ 235,049   $ 166,125   $ 439,830   $ 301,850

COST OF SALES             172,781     122,306     326,602     223,491
                       ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------

GROSS PROFIT               62,268      43,819     113,228      78,359

SELLING, GENERAL &
 ADMINISTRATIVE
 EXPENSES                  46,150      32,725      93,478      64,715
INTEGRATION COSTS           2,556         554       3,923         776
                       ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------

OPERATING INCOME           13,562      10,540      15,827      12,868

OTHER INCOME
 (EXPENSE), NET               700        (129)        943        (403)

INTEREST EXPENSE            4,205       3,188       7,439       6,206
                       ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------

EARNINGS FROM
 CONTINUING OPERATIONS
 BEFORE TAXES              10,057       7,223       9,331       6,259

INCOME TAX EXPENSE          2,514       2,923       2,333       2,566
                       ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------

EARNINGS FROM
 CONTINUING OPERATIONS      7,543       4,300       6,998       3,693

LOSS FROM DISCONTINUED
 OPERATION, NET OF TAX       (851)       (433)     (1,276)       (781)
                       ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------

NET EARNINGS            $   6,692   $   3,867   $   5,722   $   2,912
                       =========== =========== =========== ===========




NET EARNINGS PER
 COMMON SHARE:

   BASIC EARNINGS FROM
    CONTINUING
    OPERATIONS          $    0.39   $    0.34   $    0.36   $    0.30
   DISCONTINUED
    OPERATION               (0.04)      (0.03)      (0.06)      (0.06)
                       ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
   NET EARNINGS PER
    COMMON SHARE -
    BASIC               $    0.35   $    0.31   $    0.30   $    0.24
                       =========== =========== =========== ===========


   DILUTED EARNINGS
    FROM CONTINUING
    OPERATIONS          $    0.38   $    0.34   $    0.36   $    0.30
   DISCONTINUED
    OPERATION               (0.04)      (0.03)      (0.06)      (0.06)
                       ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
   NET EARNINGS PER
    COMMON SHARE -
    DILUTED             $    0.34   $    0.31   $    0.30   $    0.24
                       =========== =========== =========== ===========


WEIGHTED AVERAGE
 NUMBER OF COMMON
 SHARES                19,346,553  12,493,796  19,290,048  12,234,764
WEIGHTED AVERAGE
 NUMBER OF COMMON
 SHARES AND DILUTIVE
 SHARES                22,247,798  15,334,225  19,394,511  12,305,907
                        STANDARD MOTOR PRODUCTS
                 CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
                        (Dollars in thousands)

                                ASSETS

                                          June 30,       December 31,
                                            2004             2003
                                       --------------   --------------

Cash and cash equivalents               $     11,152     $     19,647

Accounts receivable, gross                   228,844          179,232
Allowance for doubtful accounts                6,556            5,009
                                       --------------   --------------
Accounts receivable, net                     222,288          174,223

Inventories                                  265,102          253,754
Other current assets                          23,182           20,547

                                       --------------   --------------
Total current assets                         521,724          468,171
                                       --------------   --------------

Property, plant and equipment, net           106,810          112,549
Goodwill and other intangibles                72,630           71,843
Other assets                                  41,879           41,962

                                       --------------   --------------
Total assets                            $    743,043     $    694,525
                                       ==============   ==============


                 LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY


Notes payable                           $    124,418     $     99,699
Current portion of long-term debt                534            3,354
Accounts payable trade                        76,103           58,029
Accrued customer returns                      26,516           24,115
Restructuring accrual                         11,000           16,000
Other current liabilities                     81,229           75,641

                                       --------------   --------------
Total current liabilities                    319,800          276,838
                                       --------------   --------------

Long-term debt                               114,507          114,757
Accrued asbestos liabilities                  23,469           24,426
Postretirement & other liabilities            39,893           36,848
Restructuring accrual                         15,588           15,615

                                       --------------   --------------
Total liabilities                            513,257          468,484
                                       --------------   --------------

Total stockholders' equity                   229,786          226,041

                                       --------------   --------------
Total liabilities and stockholders'
 equity                                 $    743,043     $    694,525
                                       ==============   ==============