Finning Announces Share Repurchase Program

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA–(Marketwired – May 7, 2015) – Finning International Inc. (TSX:FTT) (“Finning”) announced today that it received approval from the Toronto Stock Exchange (“TSX”) to launch a normal course issuer bid to purchase for cancellation up to 17,191,528 of its common shares, representing approximately 10% of the public float (171,915,287 common shares) and 9.97% of the total common shares issued and outstanding (172,373,779 common shares), in each case as at April 28, 2015. 

The NCIB, which will begin on May 11, 2015 and end no later than May 10, 2016, will be conducted through the facilities of the TSX or other Canadian marketplaces or alternative trading systems, if eligible, and will conform to their rules and regulations.

The Board of Directors of Finning believes that the purchase by Finning of its common shares represents a desirable use of its available cash to increase shareholder value.

The average daily trading volume of Finning’s common shares over the six month period ending April 30, 2015, as calculated per the TSX rules, was 650,937 common shares. Consequently, under TSX rules, Finning will be allowed to purchase daily, through the facilities of the TSX, a maximum of 162,734 common shares representing 25% of such average daily trading volume, subject to certain exceptions for block purchases. All shares purchased pursuant to the normal course issuer bid will be cancelled.

Purchases under the normal course issuer bid will be made by means of open market transactions or such other means as the TSX may permit.

The price to be paid by Finning for any common share will be the market price at the time of acquisition, plus brokerage fees, or such other price as the TSX may permit.

About Finning:

Finning International Inc. is the world’s largest Caterpillar equipment dealer delivering unrivalled service to customers for over 80 years. Finning sells, rents and provides parts and service for equipment and engines to help customers maximize productivity. Headquartered in Vancouver, B.C., the Company operates in Western Canada, Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, Uruguay, as well as in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Forward-Looking Information

This report contains statements about the Company’s business outlook, objectives, plans, strategic priorities and other statements that are not historical facts. A statement Finning makes is forward-looking when it uses what the Company knows and expects today to make a statement about the future. Forward-looking statements may include words such as aim, anticipate, assumption, believe, could, expect, goal, guidance, intend, may, objective, outlook, plan, project, seek, should, strategy, strive, target, and will. Forward-looking statements in this report include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to: expectations with respect to the economy and associated impact on the Company’s financial results; expected revenue; expected free cash flow; EBIT margin; ROIC; market share growth; expected results from service excellence action plans; anticipated asset utilization; inventory turns and parts service levels; the expected target range of the Company’s net debt to invested capital ratio; and the expected timing and financial impact from the proposed acquisition of the operating assets of the Caterpillar dealership in Saskatchewan. All such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the ‘safe harbour’ provisions of applicable Canadian securities laws.

Unless otherwise indicated by us, forward-looking statements in this report reflect Finning’s expectations at May 7, 2015. Except as may be required by Canadian securities laws, Finning does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

Forward-looking statements, by their very nature, are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties and are based on several assumptions which give rise to the possibility that actual results could differ materially from the expectations expressed in or implied by such forward-looking statements and that Finning’s business outlook, objectives, plans, strategic priorities and other statements that are not historical facts may not be achieved. As a result, Finning cannot guarantee that any forward-looking statement will materialize. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by these forward-looking statements include: general economic and market conditions; foreign exchange rates; commodity prices; the level of customer confidence and spending, and the demand for, and prices of, Finning’s products and services; Finning’s dependence on the continued market acceptance of Caterpillar’s products and Caterpillar’s timely supply of parts and equipment; Finning’s ability to continue to improve productivity and operational efficiencies while continuing to maintain customer service; Finning’s ability to manage cost pressures as growth in revenues occur; Finning’s ability to reduce costs in response to slowing activity levels; Finning’s ability to attract sufficient skilled labour resources to meet growing product support demand; Finning’s ability to negotiate and renew collective bargaining agreements with satisfactory terms for Finning’s employees and the Company; the intensity of competitive activity; Finning’s ability to raise the capital needed to implement its business plan; regulatory initiatives or proceedings, litigation and changes in laws or regulations; stock market volatility; changes in political and economic environments for operations; the integrity, reliability, availability and benefits from information technology and the data processed by that technology. Forward-looking statements are provided in this report for the purpose of giving information about management’s current expectations and plans and allowing investors and others to get a better understanding of Finning’s operating environment. However, readers are cautioned that it may not be appropriate to use such forward-looking statements for any other purpose.

Forward-looking statements made in this report are based on a number of assumptions that Finning believed were reasonable on the day the Company made the forward-looking statements. Refer in particular to the Outlook section of this MD&A. Some of the assumptions, risks, and other factors which could cause results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements contained in this report are discussed in Section 4 of the Company’s current AIF.

Finning cautions readers that the risks described in the AIF are not the only ones that could impact the Company. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to the Company or that are currently deemed to be immaterial may also have a material adverse effect on Finning’s business, financial condition, or results of operations.

Except as otherwise indicated, forward-looking statements do not reflect the potential impact of any non-recurring or other unusual items or of any dispositions, mergers, acquisitions, other business combinations or other transactions that may be announced or that may occur after the date hereof. The financial impact of these transactions and non-recurring and other unusual items can be complex and depends on the facts particular to each of them. Finning therefore cannot describe the expected impact in a meaningful way or in the same way Finning presents known risks affecting its business.