Actuant Reports First Quarter Results

MILWAUKEE--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Actuant Corporation (NYSE: ATU) today announced results for its first quarter ended November 30, 2012.

Highlights

  • Total sales declined 4% compared to the prior year with acquisitions contributing 4%, the weaker Euro a 1% headwind, and core sales down 7%.
  • Diluted earnings per share (“EPS”) were $0.49, a 2% reduction compared to the prior year.
  • Operating profit margins were 13.6%, a 100 basis point reduction from the prior year due primarily to the impact of lower volumes, most notably in the Engineered Solutions segment.
  • Repurchased 0.3 million shares of common stock for $7 million in the quarter.
  • Introduced second quarter EPS guidance in the range of $0.34-0.38 per share.

Robert C. Arzbaecher, Chairman and CEO of Actuant commented, “Actuant’s first quarter results reflect our customers’ cautious approaches to spending and managing inventory levels in light of economic uncertainty. Despite the benefit of prior year acquisitions and continued core growth in both the Industrial and Energy segments, overall revenue declined. This was primarily the result of significant customer production declines across various OEM markets such as heavy-duty truck and off-highway equipment to reduce inventories, as well as weak solar sales in the Electrical segment. During the past ninety days, we initiated both temporary and structural cost reduction actions to allow us to continue to invest in long-term growth while protecting earnings in the current weak environment.”

Consolidated Results

Consolidated sales for the first quarter were $377 million, 4% lower than the $393 million in the comparable prior year quarter. Core sales declined 7%; the weaker Euro reduced sales 1% while acquisitions contributed 4% to total sales. Fiscal 2013 first quarter net earnings and EPS were $36.3 million, or $0.49 per share, compared to $37.2 million and $0.50, respectively, in the comparable prior year quarter.

Segment Results

Industrial Segment
(US $ in millions)

      Three Months Ended
November 30,
2012   2011
Sales $101.1 $100.3
Operating Profit $27.0 $27.9
Operating Profit % 26.7% 27.9%
 

First quarter fiscal 2013 Industrial segment sales were $101 million, 1% higher than the prior year. Excluding the 1% negative impact of foreign currency rate changes, core sales increased 2% driven by higher global Integrated Solutions activity and steady industrial demand in most regions outside of Western Europe. First quarter operating profit margin of 26.7% was in line with expectations as the benefit of higher volumes was more than offset by unfavorable mix and incremental Growth + Innovation (G+I) investments.

Energy Segment
(US $ in millions)

      Three Months Ended
November 30,
2012   2011
Sales $90.8 $80.4
Operating Profit $15.4 $13.2
Operating Profit % 17.0% 16.4%
 

Fiscal 2013 first quarter year-over-year Energy segment sales increased 13% to $91 million. Excluding the 9% impact from acquisitions, core sales increased 4% from the prior year’s strong levels. Hydratight experienced double digit core sales growth on the strength of continued robust maintenance spending in oil & gas, power generation, and other energy markets. Cortland core sales were down from the prior year, but are expected to rebound given the high order intake in the first quarter. Quoting activity and relatively stable energy prices continue to support demand across the Energy segment’s served markets. First quarter operating profit margin increased 60 basis points from the prior year due primarily to favorable mix and volume leverage.

Electrical Segment
(US $ in millions)

      Three Months Ended
November 30,
2012   2011
Sales $69.4 $82.8
Operating Profit $7.8 $5.0
Operating Profit % 11.3% 6.0%
 

Electrical segment fiscal 2013 first quarter sales were $69 million, 16% lower than the comparable prior year quarter. The 16% core sales decrease reflected significantly lower solar inverter shipments compared to the prior year due to the combination of weak current year demand and aggressive sales promotions in the prior year. In addition, the impact of channel inventory reductions across the segment’s served North American markets, and lower industrial transformer demand contributed to the sales decline. First quarter operating profit margin increased 530 basis points from the prior year due to the benefit of prior year restructuring actions, as well as a fire related insurance recovery at Mastervolt.

Engineered Solutions Segment
(US $ in millions)

     

Three Months Ended

November 30,
2012   2011
Sales $115.9 $129.3
Operating Profit $7.6 $19.0
Operating Profit % 6.6% 14.7%
 

First quarter fiscal 2013 Engineered Solutions segment sales decreased 10% from the prior year to $116 million. Excluding the 8% impact from acquisitions and negative 1% impact from the weaker Euro, core sales declined 17%. First quarter sales reflect significantly lower OEM production levels for heavy-duty trucks, off-highway equipment and convertible autos, in part to reduce inventory levels. Demand in the global agriculture market moderated, partially reflecting the US drought impact on aftermarket sales. First quarter operating profit margin declined due to the lower volumes and restructuring actions taken in the segment.

Corporate and Income Taxes

Corporate expenses for the first quarter of fiscal 2013 were $6.5 million, $1.3 million below the comparable prior year period due primarily to lower incentive compensation. The effective income tax rate for the quarter was lower than the prior year due to the execution of certain tax reduction initiatives.

Financial Position

Net debt at November 30, 2012 was $328 million (total debt of $396 million less $68 million of cash), essentially unchanged from fiscal year end. Actuant’s first quarter cash flow was impacted by the payment of fiscal 2012 incentive compensation and 401(k) company contributions, as well as an increase in primary working capital. Additionally, the Company deployed approximately $7 million for the repurchase of 0.3 million shares of common stock. At November 30, 2012, the Company had a net debt to EBITDA leverage ratio of 1.2, and its entire $600 million revolver available.

Outlook

Arzbaecher continued, “The economic picture remains cloudy as we start the second quarter of fiscal 2013. Our customers remain cautious with ordering patterns, and most OEMs are continuing to reduce inventory by ordering at a slower pace than their end market sell-through levels. Although these conditions make organic growth more challenging in the near-term, we remain focused on investing for long-term growth through both G+I and acquisitions, as well as managing our costs and maintaining a strong balance sheet.

While we are seeing indications that market conditions are firming up in some areas, volatility and uncertainty also persist. At this point, our full year EPS guidance remains unchanged, yet we believe that the probability of attaining the high end of the range is low if current economic conditions and uncertainty continue. We expect fiscal 2013 sales to be approximately $1.600-1.625 billion, with core sales for the year down 1-3%.

We expect second quarter fiscal 2013 sales in the $360-370 million range and EPS of $0.34-0.38. The second quarter historically represents the seasonally weakest quarter of the fiscal year, and we expect to see the continued impact of economic uncertainty including customer inventory reductions, most notably in the Engineered Solutions segment. However, we are forecasting year-over-year sales growth in both the Industrial and Energy segments.

Consistent with our normal practice, the guidance excludes the impact of any future acquisitions and share repurchases. With our projected $200 million of fiscal 2013 free cash flow and strong capital structure, we are well positioned financially to fund both growth investments and opportunistic share buy-backs.

In summary, we continue to expect a challenging first half of fiscal 2013, followed by modest growth in the second half of the year. We remain confident in the fundamental strength of the Actuant businesses, have the right long-term growth strategies in place, and the operating experience to manage through the current environment.”

Conference Call Information

An investor conference call is scheduled for 10 am CT today, December 19, 2012. Webcast information and conference call materials will be made available on the Actuant company website (www.actuant.com) prior to the start of the call.

Safe Harbor Statement

Certain of the above comments represent forward-looking statements made pursuant to the provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Management cautions that these statements are based on current estimates of future performance and are highly dependent upon a variety of factors, which could cause actual results to differ from these estimates. Actuant’s results are also subject to general economic conditions, variation in demand from customers, the impact of geopolitical activity on the economy, continued market acceptance of the Company’s new product introductions, the successful integration of acquisitions, restructuring, operating margin risk due to competitive pricing and operating efficiencies, supply chain risk, material and labor cost increases, foreign currency fluctuations and interest rate risk. See the Company’s Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission for further information regarding risk factors. Actuant disclaims any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or any other reason.

About Actuant Corporation

Actuant Corporation is a diversified industrial company serving customers from operations in more than 30 countries. The Actuant businesses are leaders in a broad array of niche markets including branded hydraulic and electrical tools and supplies; specialized products and services for energy markets and highly engineered position and motion control systems. The Company was founded in 1910 and is headquartered in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. Actuant trades on the NYSE under the symbol ATU. For further information on Actuant and its businesses, visit the Company's website at www.actuant.com.

(tables follow)

 
 
 
Actuant Corporation
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
(Dollars in thousands)
(Unaudited)
       
November 30, August 31,
2012 2012
 
ASSETS
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents $ 68,311 $ 68,184
Accounts receivable, net 232,267 234,756
Inventories, net 225,084 211,690
Deferred income taxes 22,785 22,583
Other current assets   30,121     24,068  
Total current assets 578,568 561,281
 
Property, plant and equipment, net 117,759 115,884
Goodwill 871,698 866,412
Other intangible assets, net 440,188 445,884
Other long-term assets   17,243     17,658  
 
Total assets $ 2,025,456   $ 2,007,119  
 
 
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY
Current liabilities
Trade accounts payable $ 164,665 $ 174,746
Accrued compensation and benefits 43,696 58,817
Current maturities of debt 8,750 7,500
Income taxes payable 5,982 5,778
Other current liabilities   66,754     72,165  
Total current liabilities 289,847 319,006
 
Long-term debt 387,500 390,000
Deferred income taxes 129,951 132,653
Pension and postretirement benefit accruals 26,233 26,442
Other long-term liabilities 89,927 87,182
 
Shareholders' equity
Capital stock 15,158 15,102
Additional paid-in capital 16,450 7,725
Treasury stock (70,225 ) (63,083 )
Retained earnings 1,197,912 1,161,564
Accumulated other comprehensive loss (57,297 ) (69,472 )
Stock held in trust (2,340 ) (2,689 )
Deferred compensation liability   2,340     2,689  
Total shareholders' equity   1,101,998     1,051,836  
 
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity $ 2,025,456   $ 2,007,119  
 
 
 

Actuant Corporation
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Earnings
(Dollars in thousands except per share amounts)
(Unaudited)
     
 
Three Months Ended
November 30, November 30,
2012 2011
 
Net sales $ 377,248 $ 392,799
Cost of products sold   230,262   240,191
Gross profit 146,986 152,608
 
Selling, administrative and engineering expenses 87,830 88,109
Amortization of intangible assets   7,854   7,218
Operating profit 51,302 57,281
 
Financing costs, net 6,322 8,222
Other expense, net   364   657
Earnings before income tax expense 44,616 48,402
 
Income tax expense   8,273   11,228
Net earnings $ 36,343 $ 37,174
 
Earnings per share
Basic $ 0.50 $ 0.54
Diluted 0.49 0.50
 
Weighted average common shares outstanding
Basic 72,791 68,421
Diluted 74,271 75,142
 
 
 

Actuant Corporation
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
(In thousands)
(Unaudited)
   
 
Three Months Ended
November 30, November 30,
2012 2011
 
Operating Activities
Net earnings $ 36,343 $ 37,174
Adjustments to reconcile net earnings to net cash provided by
operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization 14,449 13,540
Stock-based compensation expense 3,477 3,543
Benefit for deferred income taxes (3,156 ) (950 )
Amortization of debt discount and debt issuance costs 496 497
Other non-cash adjustments (177 ) 58
Changes in components of working capital and other:
Accounts receivable 4,539 (9,597 )
Inventories (11,318 ) (2,595 )
Prepaid expenses and other assets (6,143 ) (825 )
Trade accounts payable (11,548 ) (2,886 )
Income taxes payable 1,161 1,216
Accrued compensation and benefits (13,953 ) (19,169 )
Other accrued liabilities   (1,895 )   469  
Net cash provided by operating activities 12,275 20,475
 
Investing Activities
Proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment 977 5,918
Capital expenditures (7,689 ) (5,595 )
Business acquisitions, net of cash acquired   (83 )   (290 )
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities (6,795 ) 33
 
Financing Activities
Net borrowings on revolving credit facilities and other debt - 4,809
Principal repayments on term loan (1,250 ) -
Purchase of treasury shares (7,142 ) (20,410 )
Stock option exercises and related tax benefits 5,473 2,782
Cash dividend   (2,911 )   (2,748 )
Net cash used in financing activities (5,830 ) (15,567 )
 
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash   477     (1,043 )
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents 127 3,898
Cash and cash equivalents - beginning of period   68,184     44,221  
Cash and cash equivalents - end of period $ 68,311   $ 48,119  
 
 
 

ACTUANT CORPORATION
SUPPLEMENTAL UNAUDITED DATA
  (Dollars in thousands)
                               
FISCAL 2012 FISCAL 2013
Q1   Q2   Q3   Q4   TOTAL Q1     Q2     Q3     Q4     TOTAL
SALES
INDUSTRIAL SEGMENT $ 100,253 $ 98,342 $ 110,102 $ 110,598 $ 419,295 $ 101,122 $ 101,122
ENERGY SEGMENT 80,421 78,937 96,399 93,406 349,163 90,769 90,769
ELECTRICAL SEGMENT 82,833 77,105 85,947 82,936 328,821 69,439 69,439
ENGINEERED SOLUTIONS SEGMENT   129,292       123,640       136,767       118,364       508,063     115,918                           115,918  
TOTAL $ 392,799     $ 378,024     $ 429,215     $ 405,304     $ 1,605,342   $ 377,248                         $ 377,248  
 
% SALES GROWTH
INDUSTRIAL SEGMENT 15 % 11 % 2 % 2 % 7 % 1 % 1 %
ENERGY SEGMENT 14 % 28 % 24 % 13 % 19 % 13 % 13 %
ELECTRICAL SEGMENT 50 % 10 % 7 % 4 % 15 % -16 % -16 %
ENGINEERED SOLUTIONS SEGMENT 23 % 12 % 8 % -10 % 7 % -10 % -10 %
TOTAL 23 % 14 % 9 % 0 % 11 % -4 % -4 %
 
OPERATING PROFIT (LOSS)
INDUSTRIAL SEGMENT $ 27,933 $ 26,690 $ 30,681 $ 29,473 $ 114,777 $ 27,006 $ 27,006
ENERGY SEGMENT 13,217 11,632 18,515 18,841 62,205 15,387 15,387
ELECTRICAL SEGMENT 4,977 5,801 8,814 8,300 27,892 7,828 7,828
ENGINEERED SOLUTIONS SEGMENT 18,999 13,281 18,467 10,104 60,851 7,625 7,625
CORPORATE / GENERAL   (7,845 )     (7,948 )     (8,813 )     (8,713 )     (33,319 )   (6,544 )                         (6,544 )
TOTAL - EXCLUDING IMPAIRMENT CHARGE $ 57,281 $ 49,456 $ 67,664 $ 58,005 $ 232,406 $ 51,302 $ 51,302
IMPAIRMENT CHARGE   -       -       -       (62,464 )     (62,464 )   -                           -  
TOTAL $ 57,281     $ 49,456     $ 67,664     $ (4,459 )   $ 169,942   $ 51,302                         $ 51,302  
 
OPERATING PROFIT %
INDUSTRIAL SEGMENT 27.9 % 27.1 % 27.9 % 26.6 % 27.4 % 26.7 % 26.7 %
ENERGY SEGMENT 16.4 % 14.7 % 19.2 % 20.2 % 17.8 % 17.0 % 17.0 %
ELECTRICAL SEGMENT 6.0 % 7.5 % 10.3 % 10.0 % 8.5 % 11.3 % 11.3 %
ENGINEERED SOLUTIONS SEGMENT 14.7 % 10.7 % 13.5 % 8.5 % 12.0 % 6.6 % 6.6 %
 
TOTAL (INCLUDING CORPORATE) - EXCLUDING IMPAIRMENT CHARGE 14.6 % 13.1 % 15.8 % 14.3 % 14.5 % 13.6 % 13.6 %
 
EBITDA
INDUSTRIAL SEGMENT $ 29,220 $ 29,116 $ 32,070 $ 31,774 $ 122,180 $ 29,033 $ 29,033
ENERGY SEGMENT 18,243 15,601 22,216 23,166 79,226 19,694 19,694
ELECTRICAL SEGMENT 7,705 8,697 11,444 10,969 38,815 10,806 10,806
ENGINEERED SOLUTIONS SEGMENT 22,213 16,762 21,418 13,991 74,384 12,047 12,047
CORPORATE / GENERAL   (7,217 )     (7,479 )     (8,506 )     (7,972 )     (31,174 )   (6,195 )                         (6,195 )
TOTAL - EXCLUDING IMPAIRMENT CHARGE $ 70,164 $ 62,697 $ 78,642 $ 71,928 $ 283,431 $ 65,385 $ 65,385
IMPAIRMENT CHARGE   -       -       -       (62,464 )     (62,464 )   -                           -  
TOTAL $ 70,164     $ 62,697     $ 78,642     $ 9,464     $ 220,967   $ 65,385                         $ 65,385  
 
EBITDA %
INDUSTRIAL SEGMENT 29.1 % 29.6 % 29.1 % 28.7 % 29.1 % 28.7 % 28.7 %
ENERGY SEGMENT 22.7 % 19.8 % 23.0 % 24.8 % 22.7 % 21.7 % 21.7 %
ELECTRICAL SEGMENT 9.3 % 11.3 % 13.3 % 13.2 % 11.8 % 15.6 % 15.6 %
ENGINEERED SOLUTIONS SEGMENT 17.2 % 13.6 % 15.7 % 11.8 % 14.6 % 10.4 % 10.4 %
 
TOTAL (INCLUDING CORPORATE) - EXCLUDING IMPAIRMENT CHARGE 17.9 % 16.6 % 18.3 % 17.7 % 17.7 % 17.3 % 17.3 %
 
 
 

ACTUANT CORPORATION
SUPPLEMENTAL UNAUDITED DATA
RECONCILIATION OF GAAP MEASURE TO NON-GAAP MEASURES
  (Dollars in thousands, except for per share amounts)
                                 
 
FISCAL 2012 FISCAL 2013
Q1   Q2   Q3   Q4   TOTAL Q1     Q2     Q3     Q4     TOTAL
EARNINGS (LOSS) BEFORE SPECIAL ITEMS (1)
NET EARNINGS (LOSS) $ 37,174 $ 32,175 $ 34,401 $ (16,460 ) $ 87,290 $ 36,343 $ 36,343
DEBT REFINANCING CHARGES, NET OF INCOME TAX - - 10,482 - 10,482 - -
IMPAIRMENT CHARGE, NET OF INCOME TAX   -     -     -     57,088       57,088   -                         -
TOTAL $ 37,174   $ 32,175   $ 44,883   $ 40,628     $ 154,860 $ 36,343                       $ 36,343
 
DILUTED EARNINGS (LOSS) PER SHARE, BEFORE
SPECIAL ITEMS (1)(3)
NET EARNINGS (LOSS) $ 0.50 $ 0.43 $ 0.45 $ (0.23 ) $ 1.17 $ 0.49 $ 0.49
DEBT REFINANCING CHARGES, NET OF INCOME TAX - - 0.15 - 0.15 - -
IMPAIRMENT CHARGE, NET OF INCOME TAX   -     -     -     0.77       0.76   -                         -
TOTAL $ 0.50   $ 0.43   $ 0.60   $ 0.55     $ 2.08 $ 0.49                       $ 0.49
 
 
EBITDA (2)
NET EARNINGS (LOSS) (GAAP MEASURE) $ 37,174 $ 32,175 $ 34,401 $ (16,460 ) $ 87,290 $ 36,343 $ 36,343
FINANCING COSTS, NET 8,222 7,821 24,066 6,281 46,390 6,322 6,322
INCOME TAX EXPENSE 11,228 9,631 6,593 5,572 33,024 8,273 8,273
DEPRECIATION & AMORTIZATION   13,540     13,070     13,582     14,071       54,263   14,447                         14,447
EBITDA (NON-GAAP MEASURE) $ 70,164 $ 62,697 $ 78,642 $ 9,464 $ 220,967 $ 65,385 $ 65,385
IMPAIRMENT CHARGE   -     -     -     62,464       62,464   -                         -
EBITDA (NON-GAAP MEASURE) - EXCLUDING IMPAIRMENT CHARGE $ 70,164   $ 62,697   $ 78,642   $ 71,928     $ 283,431 $ 65,385                       $ 65,385
 
 
FOOTNOTES
 
NOTE: The total of the individual quarters may not equal the annual total due to rounding.
 
(1) Earnings (loss) and diluted earnings (loss) per share, excluding special items (debt refinancing charges and impairment charge), represent net earnings (loss) and diluted earnings (loss) per share per the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Earnings net of charges or credits for items to be highlighted for comparability purposes. These measures should not be considered as an alternative to net earnings (loss) or diluted earnings (loss) per share as an indicator of the Company's operating performance. However, this presentation is important to investors for understanding the operating results of the current portfolio of Actuant companies. The total of the individual components may not equal due to rounding.
 
(2) EBITDA represents net earnings (loss) before financing costs, net, income tax expense, and depreciation & amortization. EBITDA is not a calculation based upon generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). The amounts included in the EBITDA calculation, however, are derived from amounts included in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Earnings data. EBITDA should not be considered as an alternative to net earnings or operating profit as an indicator of the Company's operating performance, or as an alternative to operating cash flows as a measure of liquidity. Actuant has presented EBITDA because it regularly reviews this as a measure of the Company's ability to incur and service debt. In addition, EBITDA is used by many of our investors and lenders, and is presented as a convenience to them. However, the EBITDA measure presented may not always be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies due to differences in the components of the calculation.
 
(3) Due to the net loss for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2012, the basic weighted average common shares are used to calculate both basic and diluted loss per share for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2012 to avoid anti-dilution. Per share results for net earnings (loss) (GAAP measure) was calculated using 72,846 shares outstanding. When excluding the impairment charge from net earnings (loss), the result is net earnings (not a net loss) which requires a diluted basis for calculated EPS. For this reason, the per share results for the impairment charge and total diluted earnings (non-GAAP measure) were calculated using 74,158 shares outstanding for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2012. Due to the difference in shares outstanding being used, the per share results do not add for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2012.

Actuant Corporation
Karen Bauer
Communications & Investor Relations Leader
262-293-1562

Source: Actuant Corporation