Form 425

Filed by Alberto-Culver Company

Pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act of

1933 and deemed filed pursuant to Rule 14a-12

under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Subject Company:

Sally Holdings, Inc.

(Commission File No. 1-5050)

LOGO

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   For further information, contact
  Wesley Davidson             708-450-3145
  Doug Craney                     708-450-3117

Alberto-Culver Reports Record Fiscal Third Quarter and Nine Month Fiscal 2006 Results Excluding Non-Core Items

Melrose Park, IL, (July 27, 2006) – Alberto-Culver Company (NYSE: ACV) today announced record sales and record profits excluding non-core items for the third quarter and first nine months of fiscal year 2006, which ended on June 30, 2006.

Third quarter 2006 sales increased 6.0% to $952.7 million while pre-tax earnings including non-core items decreased 50.1% to $41.0 million. Net earnings including non-core items decreased 42.9% to $30.5 million. Diluted net earnings per share were 33 cents in the third quarter of 2006, after the deduction of 34 cents for fees and expenses related to the terminated agreement with Regis Corporation and the agreement with a fund managed by Clayton, Dubilier & Rice (CD&R), which is referred to collectively herein as the “Sally transactions,” and 2 cents for stock option expense, versus 57 cents per share last year after a 3 cent deduction for the non-cash charge relating to the conversion to a single class of stock.

Excluding non-core items, pre-tax earnings increased 10.4% to $94.8 million while net earnings were up 16.4% in the third quarter to $65.0 million from $55.8 million in the prior year. Third quarter diluted net earnings per share were 69 cents compared to 60 cents in 2005 excluding the non-core items. Third quarter net earnings for the current year included tax benefits totaling $3.5 million or 3 cents per share mainly related to the favorable resolution of open tax items.

Sales for the first nine months of fiscal 2006 grew by 6.4% to $2.80 billion. Including non-core items, pre-tax earnings for the nine months decreased 11.4% to $207.2 million while net earnings were lower by 8.2% to $139.5 million. Diluted net earnings per share for the current nine month period were $1.50, after the deduction of 38 cents for expenses related to the Sally transactions and 9 cents for stock option expense, versus $1.63 per share in the prior year after an 8 cent deduction for the non-cash charge relating to the conversion to a single class of stock

Excluding non-core items, pre-tax earnings increased 13.0% to $276.7 million in the first nine months of fiscal year 2006 and net earnings increased 15.6% to $184.0 million from $159.1 million in the prior year. Diluted net earnings per share for the first nine months improved to $1.97 from $1.71 last year excluding the non-core items.


Alberto-Culver Reports Record Fiscal Third Quarter and Nine Month Fiscal 2006 Results Excluding Non-Core Items   Page 2

Commenting on the quarter, Alberto-Culver President and Chief Executive Officer Howard Bernick said, “We are very pleased with the results of our third quarter and first nine months of fiscal year 2006. We expect this fiscal year, which will end in just over nine weeks, will be our fifteenth consecutive year of record sales and record earnings for the Alberto-Culver Company.”

Mr. Bernick continued, “Our consumer products group recorded strong sales growth in the third quarter led by Nexxus and TRESemmé. We also continued our efforts in building our brands for today and the future by making heavy advertising investments in the quarter and year. Consolidated advertising expenditures increased 20.2% in the third quarter and 19.5% for the nine months versus the same periods last year. The Sally store business generated another consistent quarter of sales and earnings growth. Beauty Systems Group (BSG) continued to recover from its difficult fiscal 2005 and in the third quarter recorded reasonable sales growth and more than a 25% pre-tax operating earnings increase. The Company ended the quarter with 2,494 Sally stores in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, the U.K., Ireland, Germany and Japan and our Beauty Systems Group had 824 stores and 1,212 professional distributor sales consultants at June 30, 2006.”

Last month the Company announced a plan to split its consumer and distribution units into two independent public companies. This decision will allow the Company to eliminate the channel conflicts that have been increasingly experienced over the years between the businesses. By separating Sally/BSG and consumer products, the Company believes that each business has greater growth opportunities. After the separation, a fund managed by CD&R will hold approximately a 47.5% equity stake in Sally/BSG and will bring their experience and expertise in distribution and retail businesses to complement the team already in place at Sally/BSG. Alberto-Culver will go back to its roots as a pure consumer products company with captivating brands, a strong balance sheet and a talented management team. The Company believes that the pending separation will facilitate growth opportunities for the two businesses and will provide substantial benefits for the shareholders of both companies. As part of the transaction, Alberto-Culver shareholders will receive a special $25 per share one-time cash dividend, which is estimated to total over $2.3 billion, and will own one share of stock of the new Alberto-Culver Company and one share of stock of the new Sally/BSG company for each ACV share held on the record date. Alberto-Culver shareholders will own approximately 52.5% of the shares of the new Sally/BSG company. Shares in both new public companies will be listed on the New York Stock Exchange.


Alberto-Culver Reports Record Fiscal Third Quarter and Nine Month Fiscal 2006 Results Excluding Non-Core Items   Page 3

Carol L. Bernick, Alberto-Culver Company Chairman of the Board, said, “With our announced intention to establish consumer products and Sally Beauty as independent, publicly-traded companies in the near future, we were very pleased to see each of these units produce solid earnings performances in the quarter. We believe that both Sally and consumer products have substantial growth potential and that separating the two businesses will enhance the growth prospects of each.”

Also announced today, the Company’s board of directors approved the regular 13 cent quarterly cash dividend. The dividend will be paid on August 18, 2006 to shareholders of record on August 7, 2006.

The Company had three non-core items impacting its financial results in fiscal year 2006: stock option expense recorded in accordance with Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (SFAS) No. 123 (R); fees and expenses related to the Sally transactions; and a non-cash charge related to the Company’s conversion to one class of common stock. In addition, the non-cash charge from the conversion to one class of common stock also affected fiscal year 2005.

Effective October 1, 2005, the Company adopted SFAS No. 123 (R) pertaining to the expensing of stock options. As allowed by the statement, the Company elected not to restate its previously issued financial statements and instead adopted SFAS No. 123 (R) on a “modified prospective” basis. The Company recorded stock option expense in the third quarter of fiscal year 2006 that reduced pre-tax earnings by $2.9 million ($1.9 million after tax) and basic and diluted net earnings per share by 2 cents. For the nine months ended June 30, 2006, stock option expense reduced pre-tax earnings by $12.9 million ($8.3 million after tax) and basic and diluted net earnings per share by 9 cents. The stock option expense recorded in fiscal year 2006 had no effect on the operating profits or cash flows of the Company’s business segments or on the consolidated cash flows of the Company.

In connection with the terminated Sally spin/merge transaction with Regis Corporation and the proposed separation of consumer products and Sally/BSG, the Company incurred transaction expenses which reduced fiscal year 2006 third quarter pre-tax earnings by $50.9 million ($32.6 million after tax), basic net earnings per share by 35 cents and diluted net earnings per share by 34 cents. For the nine months ended June 30, 2006, transaction related expenses reduced pre-tax earnings by $56.6 million ($36.1 million after tax), basic net earnings per share by 39 cents and diluted net earnings per share by 38 cents. The transaction expenses were mainly due to a $50 million termination fee paid to Regis in the third quarter of fiscal year 2006 and legal and investment banking fees.


Alberto-Culver Reports Record Fiscal Third Quarter and Nine Month Fiscal 2006 Results Excluding Non-Core Items   Page 4

Prior to the adoption of SFAS No. 123 (R), U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) required that the Company record a non-cash charge due to the remeasurement of the intrinsic value of stock options affected by the November, 2003 conversion to a single class of common stock. GAAP did not allow the Company to record the entire non-cash charge related to the share conversion immediately when it took place during the fiscal 2004 first quarter. In fiscal year 2005, the non-cash charge reduced pre-tax earnings in the third quarter by $3.7 million ($2.4 million after tax) and basic and diluted net earnings per share by 3 cents. For the first nine months of fiscal year 2005, the non-cash charge reduced pre-tax earnings by $11.1 million ($7.2 million after tax) and basic and diluted net earnings per share by 8 cents. Due to the adoption of SFAS No. 123 (R) effective October 1, 2005, the amount of the non-cash charge impacting the third quarter and first nine months of fiscal year 2006 was nearly zero. The non-cash charge relates to a change in the capital structure of the Company rather than the normal operations of the Company’s core businesses and had no effect on the operating profits or cash flows of the Company’s business segments or on the consolidated cash flows of the Company.

Due to the disclosure of financial results excluding non-core items, this press release contains certain non-GAAP financial measures as defined by Regulation G of the Securities and Exchange Commission. A reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP measures is included as a schedule to this release and can also be found on the Company’s web site at www.alberto.com.

The Company will discuss third quarter and first nine month fiscal year 2006 results with investors in a call to be held later today (Thursday, July 27) at 3 p.m. ET. The dial-in numbers for the call are 877-704-5381 or 913-312-1295. The numbers for a replay of the conference call are 888-203-1112 or 719-457-0820 and will be available through Sunday, August 27, 2006. The pass code is 4847953. The call and a replay will also be available on the internet for 30 days at www.alberto.com in the Investing Section, and at www.earnings.com.

Alberto-Culver Company manufactures, distributes and markets leading personal care products including Alberto VO5, St. Ives, TRESemmé and Nexxus in the United States and internationally. Several of its household/grocery products such as Mrs. Dash and Static Guard are niche category leaders in the U.S. Its Pro-Line International unit is the second largest producer in the world of products for the ethnic hair care market with leading brands including Motions and Soft & Beautiful. Its Cederroth International unit is a major consumer goods marketer in the Nordic countries. Sally Beauty Company is the world’s number one marketer of professional beauty care products through its chain of domestic and international Sally stores. Beauty Systems Group is a network of stores and professional sales consultants selling exclusive professional beauty care brands such as Matrix, Redken, Paul Mitchell, Wella, L’Oreal, Graham Webb and Sebastian exclusively to salon owners, salon professionals and franchisees.


Alberto-Culver Reports Record Fiscal Third Quarter and Nine Month Fiscal 2006 Results Excluding Non-Core Items   Page 5

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of Alberto-Culver’s management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements: risks inherent in acquisitions, divestitures and strategic alliances; the pattern of brand sales; loss of distributorship rights; competition within the relevant product markets; loss of one or more key employees; sales by unauthorized distributors in Alberto-Culver Company’s exclusive markets; the effects of a prolonged United States or global economic downturn or recession; changes in costs; the costs and effects of unanticipated legal or administrative proceedings; health epidemics; adverse weather conditions; and variations in political, economic or other factors such as currency exchange rates, inflation rates, interest rates, tax changes, legal and regulatory changes or other external factors over which Alberto-Culver has no control. In addition, the following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements with respect to the benefits of the proposed transaction involving Alberto-Culver and CD&R, which will separate Alberto-Culver’s consumer products business and its Sally/BSG beauty supply distribution business: the failure of Alberto-Culver shareholders to approve the transaction; the risk that the businesses will not be separated successfully or cost effectively; disruption from the transaction making it more difficult to maintain relationships with clients, employees or suppliers; and events that negatively affect the intended tax free nature of the portion of the transaction related to the distribution of shares of a new company formed to hold the consumer products business of Alberto-Culver. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release, and there is no undertaking to update or revise them as more information becomes available. Additional factors that could cause Alberto-Culver’s results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in the Company’s 2005 Annual Report on Form 10-K, the Current Report on Form 8-K, dated June 20, 2006, and the Current Report on Form 8-K, dated June 22, 2006, filed with the SEC and available at the SEC’s internet site (http://www.sec.gov).

Additional Information and Where to Find It

In connection with the proposed transaction separating Alberto-Culver’s consumer products business and its Sally/BSG beauty supply distribution business, a registration statement of New Sally Holdings, Inc., a company created to effect the transaction, which registration statement will contain a proxy statement/prospectus, will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Investors are urged to carefully read the proxy statement/prospectus and any other relevant documents filed with the SEC when they become available because they will contain important information. Investors will be able to get the proxy


Alberto-Culver Reports Record Fiscal Third Quarter and Nine Month Fiscal 2006 Results Excluding Non-Core Items   Page 6

statement/prospectus and all relevant documents filed by New Sally Holdings, Inc. with the SEC free of charge at the SEC’s website www.sec.gov or, from Alberto-Culver Investor Relations at 2525 Armitage Avenue, Melrose Park, IL 60160, (708) 450-3145.

Participants in the Solicitation

The directors, executive officers and other members of management and employees of Alberto-Culver Company may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from its shareholders in favor of the Sally transaction separating the consumer products business and the Sally/BSG business. Information concerning persons who may be considered participants in the solicitation of Alberto-Culver Company’s shareholders under the rules of the SEC is set forth in public filings filed by Alberto-Culver Company with the SEC and will be set forth in the proxy statement/prospectus when it is filed with the SEC. Information concerning Alberto-Culver Company’s participants in the solicitation is contained in Alberto-Culver Company’s Proxy Statement on Schedule14A, filed with the SEC on December 13, 2005.


Alberto-Culver Reports Record Fiscal Third Quarter and Nine Month Fiscal 2006 Results Excluding Non-Core Items   Page 7

Consolidated Condensed Statements of Earnings (Unaudited)

(in thousands, except per share data)

 

Three Months Ended June 30, 2006 and 2005

   2006    2005

Net sales

   $ 952,707    898,879

Cost of products sold (1)

     488,622    471,119
           

Gross profit

     464,085    427,760

Advertising, marketing, selling and administrative (1) (2)

     371,359    339,867

Sally transaction expenses (3)

     50,898    —  

Non-cash charge related to conversion to one class of common stock

     1    3,680
           

Operating earnings

     41,827    84,213

Interest expense, net

     834    2,002
           

Earnings before income taxes

     40,993    82,211

Provision for income taxes

     10,469    28,774
           

Net earnings

   $ 30,524    53,437
           

Net earnings per share:

     

Basic

   $ .33    .58

Diluted

   $ .33    .57

Weighted average shares outstanding:

     

Basic

     92,619    91,647

Diluted

     93,602    93,028

Nine Months Ended June 30, 2006 and 2005

   2006    2005

Net sales

   $ 2,797,750    2,630,488

Cost of products sold (1)

     1,436,000    1,372,508
           

Gross profit

     1,361,750    1,257,980

Advertising, marketing, selling and administrative (1) (2)

     1,094,406    1,007,204

Sally transaction expenses (3)

     56,556    —  

Non-cash charge related to conversion to one class of common stock

     3    11,058
           

Operating earnings

     210,785    239,718

Interest expense, net

     3,600    5,974
           

Earnings before income taxes

     207,185    233,744

Provision for income taxes

     67,707    81,811
           

Net earnings

   $ 139,478    151,933
           

Net earnings per share:

     

Basic

   $ 1.51    1.66

Diluted

   $ 1.50    1.63

Weighted average shares outstanding:

     

Basic

     92,262    91,234

Diluted

     93,273    92,788

(1) The company reclassified certain shipping and handling expenses for the Beauty Supply Distribution business from advertising, marketing, selling and administrative expenses to cost of products sold for all periods presented. The reclassifications had no effect on earnings.

 

(2) Advertising, marketing, selling and administrative expenses include $2,908 and $12,934 of stock option expense recorded during the third quarter and the first nine months of fiscal year 2006, respectively, in accordance with SFAS No. 123 (R), which was adopted effective October 1, 2005.

 

(3) Transaction expenses include a $50 million fee paid to Regis Corporation in connection with the terminated spin/merge of Sally Holdings, Inc., and legal and investment banking fees incurred in connection with the terminated spin/merge transaction with Regis and the proposed separation of consumer products and Sally/BSG involving Clayton, Dubilier & Rice.


Alberto-Culver Reports Record Fiscal Third Quarter and Nine Month Fiscal 2006 Results Excluding Non-Core Items   Page 8

Consolidated Condensed Balance Sheets (Unaudited)

(in thousands)

 

      June 30
     2006    2005

Assets

     

Cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments

   $ 220,357    103,329

Accounts receivable, net

     294,265    273,156

Inventories

     747,652    711,470

Other current assets

     54,909    41,253
           

Total current assets

     1,317,183    1,129,208

Property, plant and equipment, net

     351,958    331,188

Goodwill and trade names

     714,262    682,680

Other assets, net

     87,093    84,996
           

Total assets

   $ 2,470,496    2,228,072
           

Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity

     

Short-term borrowings and current maturities of long-term debt

   $ 1,130    1,059

Accounts payable, accrued expenses and income taxes

     546,166    515,414
           

Total current liabilities

     547,296    516,473

Long-term debt

     122,284    134,183

Other liabilities and deferred taxes

     114,351    101,235

Stockholders’ equity

     1,686,565    1,476,181
           

Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity

   $ 2,470,496    2,228,072
           


Alberto-Culver Reports Record Fiscal Third Quarter and Nine Month Fiscal 2006 Results Excluding Non-Core Items   Page 9

Segment Data (Unaudited)

(in thousands)

 

Three Months Ended June 30, 2006 and 2005

   2006     2005  

Net Sales:

    

Global Consumer Products

   $ 360,046     329,608  

Beauty Supply Distribution:

    

Sally Beauty Supply

     356,974     346,177  

Beauty Systems Group

     242,560     230,446  
              

Total

     599,534     576,623  

Eliminations

     (6,873 )   (7,352 )
              
   $ 952,707     898,879  
              

Earnings Before Income Taxes:

    

Global Consumer Products

   $ 32,637     29,883  

Beauty Supply Distribution:

    

Sally Beauty Supply

     46,291     45,021  

Beauty Systems Group

     19,196     15,287  
              

Total

     65,487     60,308  
              

Segment operating profit

     98,124     90,191  

Unallocated expenses

     (2,490 )   (2,298 )

Stock option expense (1)

     (2,908 )   —    

Sally transaction expenses (2)

     (50,898 )   —    

Non-cash charge related to conversion to one class of common stock

     (1 )   (3,680 )

Interest expense, net

     (834 )   (2,002 )
              
   $ 40,993     82,211  
              

Nine Months Ended June 30, 2006 and 2005

   2006     2005  

Net Sales:

    

Global Consumer Products

   $ 1,052,133     963,537  

Beauty Supply Distribution:

    

Sally Beauty Supply

     1,060,015     1,020,086  

Beauty Systems Group

     706,975     667,875  
              

Total

     1,766,990     1,687,961  

Eliminations

     (21,373 )   (21,010 )
              
   $ 2,797,750     2,630,488  
              

Earnings Before Income Taxes:

    

Global Consumer Products

   $ 94,550     87,389  

Beauty Supply Distribution:

    

Sally Beauty Supply

     141,827     127,945  

Beauty Systems Group

     52,059     41,485  
              

Total

     193,886     169,430  
              

Segment operating profit

     288,436     256,819  

Unallocated expenses

     (8,158 )   (6,043 )

Stock option expense (1)

     (12,934 )   —    

Sally transaction expenses (2)

     (56,556 )   —    

Non-cash charge related to conversion to one class of common stock

     (3 )   (11,058 )

Interest expense, net

     (3,600 )   (5,974 )
              
   $ 207,185     233,744  
              

(1) Beginning October, 1, 2005, the Company has recorded stock option expense in accordance with SFAS No. 123 (R).

 

(2) Transaction expenses include a $50 million fee paid to Regis Corporation in connection with the terminated spin/merge of Sally Holdings, Inc., and legal and investment banking fees incurred in connection with the terminated spin/merge transaction with Regis and the proposed separation of consumer products and Sally/BSG involving Clayton, Dubilier & Rice.


Alberto-Culver Reports Record Fiscal Third Quarter and Nine Month Fiscal 2006 Results Excluding Non-Core Items   Page 10

Schedule - Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

The Company’s press release announcing results of operations for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2006 includes references to certain of the following “non-GAAP financial measures” as defined by Regulation G of the Securities and Exchange Commission:

 

    Pre-tax earnings excluding non-core items

 

    Net earnings excluding non-core items

 

    Basic net earnings per share excluding non-core items

 

    Diluted net earnings per share excluding non-core items

 

    Organic sales growth

As discussed in the press release, the Company had three non-core items impacting its financial results in fiscal year 2006: stock option expense recorded in accordance with SFAS No. 123 (R); fees and expenses related to the terminated spin/merge of Sally Holdings, Inc. into Regis Corporation and the proposed separation of consumer products and Sally/BSG involving Clayton, Dubilier & Rice; and a non-cash charge related to the Company’s conversion to one class of common stock. In addition, the non-cash charge from conversion to one class of common stock also impacted the third quarter and first nine months of fiscal year 2005.

Effective October 1, 2005, the Company adopted SFAS No. 123 (R) pertaining to the expensing of stock options. As allowed by the statement, the Company elected not to restate its previously issued financial statements and instead adopted SFAS No. 123 (R) on a “modified prospective” basis. The Company recorded stock option expense in the third quarter of fiscal year 2006 that reduced pre-tax earnings by $2.9 million ($1.9 million after tax) and basic and diluted net earnings per share by 2 cents. For the nine months ended June 30, 2006, stock option expense reduced pre-tax earnings by $12.9 million ($8.3 million after tax) and basic and diluted net earnings per share by 9 cents. The stock option expense recorded in fiscal year 2006 had no effect on the operating profits or cash flows of the Company’s business segments or on the consolidated cash flows of the Company.

In connection with the terminated Sally spin/merge transaction with Regis Corporation and the proposed separation of consumer products and Sally/BSG, the Company incurred transaction expenses which reduced fiscal year 2006 third quarter pre-tax earnings by $50.9 million ($32.6 million after tax), basic net earnings per share by 35 cents and diluted net earnings per share by 34 cents. For the nine months ended June 30, 2006, transaction related expenses reduced pre-tax earnings by $56.6 million ($36.1 million after tax), basic net earnings per share by 39 cents and diluted net earnings per share by 38 cents. The transaction expenses were mainly due to a $50 million termination fee paid to Regis in the third quarter of fiscal year 2006 and legal and investment banking fees.

Prior to the adoption of SFAS No. 123 (R), GAAP required that the Company record a non-cash charge due to the remeasurement of the intrinsic value of stock options affected by the November, 2003 conversion to a single class of common stock. GAAP did not allow the Company to record the entire non-cash charge related to the share conversion immediately when it took place during the fiscal 2004 first quarter. In fiscal year 2005, the non-cash charge reduced pre-tax earnings in the third quarter by $3.7 million ($2.4 million after tax) and basic and diluted net earnings per share by 3 cents. For the first nine months of fiscal year 2005, the non-cash charge reduced pre-tax earnings by $11.1 million ($7.2 million after tax) and basic and diluted net earnings per share by 8 cents. Due to the adoption of SFAS No. 123 (R) effective October 1, 2005, the amount of the non-cash charge impacting the third quarter and first nine months of fiscal year 2006 was nearly zero. The non-cash charge relates to a change in the capital structure of the Company rather than the normal operations of the Company’s core businesses and had no effect on the operating profits or cash flows of the Company’s business segments or on the consolidated cash flows of the Company.


Alberto-Culver Reports Record Fiscal Third Quarter and Nine Month Fiscal 2006 Results Excluding Non-Core Items   Page 11

Schedule - Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures (continued)

Reconciliations of these non-GAAP financial measures to their most directly comparable financial measures under GAAP for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2006 and 2005 are as follows (in thousands, except per share data):

 

     Three Months Ended
June 30
   Nine Months Ended
June 30
     2006    2005    2006    2005

Pre-tax earnings, as reported

   $ 40,993    82,211    $ 207,185    233,744

Stock option expense

     2,908    —        12,934    —  

Sally transaction expenses

     50,898    —        56,556    —  

Non-cash charge related to conversion to one class of common stock

     1    3,680      3    11,058
                       

Pre-tax earnings excluding non-core items

   $ 94,800    85,891    $ 276,678    244,802
                       

Net earnings, as reported

   $ 30,524    53,437    $ 139,478    151,933

Stock option expense, net of income taxes

     1,885    —        8,381    —  

Sally transaction expenses, net of income taxes

     32,568    —        36,093    —  

Non-cash charge related to conversion to one class of common stock, net of income taxes

     0    2,392      2    7,188
                       

Net earnings excluding non-core items

   $ 64,977    55,829    $ 183,954    159,121
                       

Basic net earnings per share, as reported

   $ .33    .58    $ 1.51    1.66

Stock option expense, net of income taxes

     .02    —        .09    —  

Sally transaction expenses, net of income taxes

     .35    —        .39    —  

Non-cash charge related to conversion to one class of common stock, net of income taxes

     —      .03      —      .08
                       

Basic net earnings per share excluding non-core items

   $ .70    .61    $ 1.99    1.74
                       

Diluted net earnings per share, as reported

   $ .33    .57    $ 1.50    1.63

Stock option expense, net of income taxes

     .02    —        .09    —  

Sally transaction expenses, net of income taxes

     .34    —        .38    —  

Non-cash charge related to conversion to one class of common stock, net of income taxes

     —      .03      —      .08
                       

Diluted net earnings per share excluding non-core items

   $ .69    .60    $ 1.97    1.71
                       


Alberto-Culver Reports Record Fiscal Third Quarter and Nine Month Fiscal 2006 Results Excluding Non-Core Items   Page 12

Schedule - Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures (continued)

A reconciliation of organic sales growth, a non-GAAP financial measure, to its most directly comparable financial measure under GAAP for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2006 and 2005 is as follows:

 

     Three Months Ended
June 30
    Nine Months Ended
June 30
 
     2006     2005     2006     2005  

Net sales growth, as reported

   6.0 %   9.2 %   6.4 %   9.3 %

Effect of foreign exchange

   (0.2 )   (1.2 )   0.6     (1.4 )

Effect of acquisitions

   (0.5 )   (3.5 )   (1.4 )   (3.8 )

Effect of divestiture

   —       1.3     0.1     1.5  
                        

Organic sales growth *

   5.3 %   5.8 %   5.7 %   5.6 %
                        

* Organic sales growth includes sales related to the retail launch of Nexxus.

Management uses these non-GAAP financial measures to evaluate the performance of the Company and believes the presentation of these amounts provides the reader with information necessary to analyze the Company’s normal operations for the periods compared.