Toro Reports Record Third Quarter Net Earnings Per Diluted Share of $0.74

Year-to-Date Net Earnings Per Diluted Share Up 24.5% on 9.6% Sales Growth

LIVE CONFERENCE CALL
August 23, 10:00 a.m. CT
http://www.thetorocompany.com/invest

BLOOMINGTON, Minn., Aug. 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Toro Company (NYSE: TTC) today reported record net earnings of $34.4 million, or $0.74 per diluted share, on net sales of $466.9 million for its fiscal third quarter ended July 29, 2005. In the comparable fiscal 2004 period, the company reported net earnings of $34.2 million, or $0.66 per diluted share, on net sales of $454.0 million.

For the nine months ended July 29, 2005, Toro reported net earnings of $107.5 million, or $2.29 per diluted share, on net sales of $1,442.3 million compared with net earnings of $95.7 million, or $1.84 per diluted share, on net sales of $1,315.6 million in the first nine months of fiscal 2004.

Earnings per share figures for all periods reported have been adjusted to reflect the effects of a 2-for-1 stock split effective March 28, 2005.

"Sales growth in international markets helped drive revenues to record levels for the third quarter in both the professional and residential segments helping to mitigate weather related softness in our domestic markets," said Michael J. Hoffman, The Toro Company's president and chief executive officer. "Despite a challenging environment year-to-date consolidated net sales are nearly 10 percent ahead of fiscal 2004's record level."

"Our strong performance in the third quarter and year to date gives evidence of our ability to sustain solid earnings growth and has us on track to deliver another record year of financial results," said Kendrick B. Melrose, executive chairman, The Toro Company. "We continue to enhance our operating model to reduce the volatility to external factors such as weather, while tenaciously focusing on strategic initiatives that will drive sustainable long-term growth and profitability."

SEGMENT RESULTS
Segment data is provided in the table following the "Condensed Consolidated Statements of Earnings."

Professional

For the third quarter, professional segment sales increased 5.1 percent to $302.5 million. Shipments were particularly strong throughout our international markets and in golf irrigation driven by the introduction of new products.

Professional segment earnings for the quarter were $59.9 million, up 10.2 percent from $54.3 million in last year's third quarter.

For the year to date, professional segment earnings totaled $183.4 million on net sales of $936.8 million compared with earnings of $154.5 million on net sales of $834.1 million in last year's first nine months.

Residential
Residential segment sales for the third quarter totaled $148.6 million, up 3.0 percent from last year's third quarter. Increased international sales of Hayter products and strong snow thrower shipments both domestically and internationally drove third quarter sales growth.

For the year to date, net sales were $472.2 million, up 8.1 percent compared with the first nine months of fiscal 2004.

Segment earnings for the quarter totaled $10.1 million, down 42.8 percent from $17.6 million in the same period last year.

For the year to date, segment earnings were $43.5 million compared with $52.7 million in the same period last year.

The decline in segment earnings for the quarter and year to date were primarily due to higher commodity costs.

Review of operations
Gross margin for the third quarter was 35.0 percent compared with 36.2 percent in the prior year's third quarter. As in the preceding quarters, the decline resulted primarily from the impact of higher commodity costs, as well as the Hayter acquisition.

SG&A expenses for the third quarter were 23.3 percent of net sales, down from 24.6 percent last year, primarily from lower incentive compensation expenses.

Interest expense for the third quarter was $4.8 million compared with $3.9 million in the same period last year. The increase was due to higher levels of short-term borrowing to support the company's share repurchase program and the Hayter acquisition.

During the quarter the full year effective tax rate was reduced from 33.5 percent to 33.0 percent resulting from increased credits for our growing foreign export sales.

Accounts receivable at the end of the third quarter totaled $399.9 million, up 4.9 percent. Net inventories at the end of the third quarter were $235.1 million, up 8.2 percent compared with the end of the fiscal 2004 third quarter. The increases in quarter-ending accounts receivable and inventories result primarily from higher currency exchange rates and the Hayter acquisition completed in the fiscal 2005 second quarter.

Business outlook
Toro today said that it expects net earnings per diluted share for fiscal 2005 to exceed last year's record levels by 16 to 18 percent on revised sales growth of 7 to 9 percent.

"For the fiscal year, financial performance will benefit from a favorable mix of businesses and strong expense management," said Hoffman. "With sales growth in nearly all professional segment categories and consistent returns from our international growth initiatives we will improve upon last year's record financial performance despite higher materials costs and unfavorable weather."

Hoffman attributed the company's achievements to its 6+8 profit improvement and growth initiative. "Our lean manufacturing and No Waste initiatives helped us to preserve strong profitability in the face of rising materials costs," said Hoffman. "The efficiencies we are now achieving are sustainable and will continue to benefit our profitability going forward."

The Toro Company is a leading worldwide provider of outdoor maintenance and beautification products for home, recreation and commercial landscapes.

The Toro Company will conduct a conference call and webcast for investors beginning at 10:00 a.m. Central Time (CST) on August 23, 2005. The webcast will be available at http://www.streetevents.com or at http://www.thetorocompany.com/invest. Webcast participants will need to complete a brief registration form and should allocate extra time before the webcast begins to register and, if necessary, download and install audio software.

Safe Harbor
Statements made in this news release, which are forward-looking, are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. These uncertainties include factors that affect all businesses operating in a global market as well as matters specific to Toro. Particular risks and uncertainties facing the company's overall financial position at the present include the threat of further terrorist acts and war, which may result in contraction of the U.S. and worldwide economies; slow growth rate in global and domestic economies, resulting in rising unemployment and weakened consumer confidence; our ability to achieve the goals for the "6+8" growth and profit improvement initiative which is intended to improve our revenue growth and after-tax return on sales; the company's ability to achieve sales and earnings per share growth in fiscal 2005; our ability to successfully integrate acquisitions and manage alliances; ability of management to manage around unplanned events; unforeseen product quality problems in the development and production of new and existing products; potential issues with moving production between facilities; fluctuations in the cost and availability of raw materials, including steel and other commodities; rising cost of transportation; level of growth in the golf market; increased dependence on The Home Depot as a customer for the residential segment; reduced government spending for grounds maintenance equipment due to reduced tax revenue and tighter government budgets; increased competition; elimination of shelf space for our products at retailers; financial viability of distributors and dealers; market acceptance of existing and new products; unforeseen inventory adjustments or changes in purchasing patterns by our customers; the impact of abnormal weather patterns; and the previously disclosed pending litigation against the company and other defendants that challenges the horsepower ratings of lawnmowers, of which the company is currently unable to assess whether the litigation would have a material adverse effect on the company's consolidated operating results or financial condition. In addition to the factors set forth in this paragraph, market, economic, financial, competitive, weather, production and other factors identified in Toro's quarterly and annual reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, could affect the forward-looking statements in this press release. Toro undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements made in this release to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this statement.



                      THE TORO COMPANY AND SUBSIDIARIES
          Condensed Consolidated Statements of Earnings (Unaudited)
           (Dollars and shares in thousands, except per-share data)


                                Three Months Ended         Nine Months Ended
                               July 29,    July 30,      July 29,     July 30,
                                2005(1)     2004(2)       2005(1)      2004(2)

    Net sales                 $466,942    $454,044    $1,442,296   $1,315,644
    Gross profit               163,261     164,202       501,567      475,691
      Gross profit percent        35.0%       36.2%         34.8%        36.2%
    Selling, general, and
     administrative expense    108,595     111,468       330,376      324,630
      Earnings from
       operations               54,666      52,734       171,191      151,061
    Interest expense            (4,820)     (3,893)      (13,453)     (11,477)
    Other income, net              642       1,533         2,725        3,307
      Earnings before income
       taxes                    50,488      50,374       160,463      142,891
    Provision for income
     taxes                      16,111      16,161        52,953       47,154
      Net earnings            $ 34,377     $34,213    $  107,510   $   95,737

    Basic net earnings
     per share                $    .77     $   .70    $     2.38   $     1.94

    Diluted net earnings
     per share                $    .74     $   .66    $     2.29   $     1.84

    Weighted average number
     of shares of common
     stock outstanding -
     Basic                      44,494      48,738        45,121       49,396

    Weighted average number
     of shares of common
     stock outstanding -
     Dilutive                   46,438      51,587        46,966       52,043

    Shares and per share data have been adjusted for all periods presented to
reflect a two-for-one stock split effective March 28, 2005.

    (1) Prepared under the accounting provisions of Statement of Financial
        Accounting Standard No. 123 (Revised 2004), "Share-Based Payment."

    (2) Prepared under the accounting provisions of Accounting Principles
        Board Opinion No. 25, "Accounting for Stock Issued to Employees,"
        (APB No. 25), and related Interpretations.



                      THE TORO COMPANY AND SUBSIDIARIES
                           Segment Data (Unaudited)
                            (Dollars in thousands)

                              Three Months Ended           Nine Months Ended
                             July 29,     July 30,       July 29,     July 30,
    Segment Net Sales          2005         2004           2005         2004

    Professional            $302,517     $287,928     $  936,799   $  834,130
    Residential              148,590      144,227        472,188      436,952
    Other                     15,835       21,889         33,309       44,562
     Total*                 $466,942     $454,044     $1,442,296   $1,315,644

    * Includes
      international
      sales of              $108,407     $ 81,135     $  355,782   $  268,286


                               Three Months Ended          Nine Months Ended
                             July 29,      July 30,      July 29,     July 30,
    Segment Earnings           2005          2004          2005         2004
     (Loss) Before
     Income Taxes
    Professional            $ 59,894     $ 54,326       $183,382     $154,479
    Residential               10,096       17,635         43,493       52,691
    Other                    (19,502)     (21,587)       (66,412)     (64,279)
      Total                 $ 50,488     $ 50,374       $160,463     $142,891



              Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited)
                            (Dollars in thousands)

                                                       July 29,      July 30,
                                                         2005          2004
    ASSETS
    Cash and cash equivalents                       $   34,665     $  34,022
    Receivables, net                                   399,883       381,329
    Inventories, net                                   235,146       217,357
    Prepaid expenses and other current assets           14,142        13,968
    Deferred income taxes                               57,526        49,103
      Total current assets                             741,362       695,779

    Property, plant, and equipment, net                166,890       164,851
    Deferred income taxes                                   39         1,181
    Goodwill and other assets                          104,247        98,942
      Total assets                                  $1,012,538     $ 960,753

    LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
    Current portion of long-term debt                      $45           $44
    Short-term debt                                     54,509         3,146
    Accounts payable                                    75,964        68,245
    Accrued liabilities                                273,435       256,392
      Total current liabilities                        403,953       327,827

    Long-term debt, less current portion               175,012       175,058
    Long-term deferred income taxes                      3,837             -
    Deferred revenue and other long-term liabilities    14,806        12,747
    Stockholders' equity                               414,930       445,121
      Total liabilities and stockholders' equity    $1,012,538     $ 960,753



                      THE TORO COMPANY AND SUBSIDIARIES

         Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited)
                            (Dollars in thousands)

                                                          Nine Months Ended
                                                        July 29,      July 30,
                                                          2005          2004
    Cash flows from operating activities:
    Net earnings                                       $107,510      $ 95,737
      Adjustments to reconcile net earnings to
       net cash provided by operating activities:
      Non-cash asset impairment recovery                      -          (415)
      Equity losses from an investment                      510           538
      Provision for depreciation and amortization        30,110        25,398
      Gain on disposal of property, plant,
       and equipment                                       (339)         (254)
      Stock-based compensation expense                    7,284         6,892
      Increase in deferred income taxes                 (13,146)       (7,021)
      Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
         Receivables, net                               (91,979)     (107,990)
         Inventories, net                                  (767)       11,787
         Prepaid expenses and other current assets        2,897        (1,194)
         Accounts payable, accrued expenses, and
          deferred revenue                               25,764        50,343
           Net cash provided by operating activities     67,844        73,821

    Cash flows from investing activities:
      Purchases of property, plant, and equipment       (24,294)      (31,185)
      Proceeds from disposal of property, plant,
       and equipment                                      2,447         1,833
      Increase in investment in affiliates                 (197)       (1,278)
      Decrease in other assets                              158           285
      Proceeds from sale of a business                      765             -
      Acquisition, net of cash acquired                 (35,285)            -
        Net cash used in investing activities           (56,406)      (30,345)

    Cash flows from financing activities:
      Increase in short-term debt                        53,374         1,047
      Repayments of long-term debt                          (34)       (3,819)
      Excess tax benefits from share-based
       arrangements                                       5,665         8,087

      Proceeds from exercise of stock options             7,609        12,018
      Purchases of Toro common stock                   (125,093)     (132,234)
      Dividends paid on Toro common stock                (8,151)       (4,443)
       Net cash used in financing activities            (66,630)     (119,344)

    Effect of exchange rates on cash                       (899)         (397)

    Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents           (56,091)      (76,265)
    Cash and cash equivalents as of the beginning
     of the period                                       90,756       110,287

    Cash and cash equivalents as of the end
     of the period                                    $  34,665     $  34,022

SOURCE The Toro Company
Web Site: http://www.thetorocompany.com
http://www.thetorocompany.com/invest
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Our Company

At The Toro Company, we take great pride in helping our customers enrich the beauty, productivity, and sustainability of the land. Founded in 1914, The Toro Company was built on a tradition of quality and caring relationships. Today, the company is a leading worldwide provider of innovative solutions for the outdoor environment including turf maintenance, snow and ice management, landscape, rental and specialty construction equipment, and irrigation and outdoor lighting solutions. Through a strong network of professional distributors, dealers and retailers in more than 125 countries, we proudly offer a wide range of products across a family of global brands to help golf courses, professional contractors, groundskeepers, agricultural growers, rental companies, government and educational institutions, and homeowners – in addition to many leading sports venues and historic sites around the world.