L.B. Foster Company (NASDAQ:FSTR), a leading manufacturer and
distributor of products and services for transportation and energy
infrastructure, today reported third quarter 2017 net income of
$3.2 million, or $0.31 per diluted share, which includes:
- Sales increased by 14.7% from the prior year quarter to $131.5
million.
- Gross profit margin of 20.1% compared to 17.3% in the prior
year.
- New orders increased by 31.3% from the prior year
quarter.
- An increase in backlog of 31.8% from the prior year to $189.6
million.
- Net cash used by operating activities for the quarter totaled
$2.4 million compared to $5.3 million provided in the prior year
quarter. The $7.7 million decline is the result of an increase in
working capital levels related to inventory increases in the third
quarter 2017 in anticipation of a stronger revenue outlook for the
fourth quarter 2017.
Third Quarter Results
- Third quarter net sales of $131.5 million increased by $16.8
million, or 14.7%, compared to the prior year quarter due to
increases in each of the three segments: Tubular and Energy
Services (Tubular) sales increased 32.3%, Construction Products
(Construction) sales increased 12.2%, and Rail Products and
Services (Rail) sales increased 9.1%.
- Gross profit margin was 20.1%, 280 basis points higher than the
prior year quarter. Each of the three segments saw increased gross
profit margins compared to the prior year. The Tubular segment saw
the greatest increase of 1,830 basis points, which was supported by
all divisions within the segment. The Construction segment saw a
290 basis point increase, primarily from its Precast Concrete
Products division. The Rail segment's gross profit margin increased
80 basis points compared to the prior year, primarily from our
North American divisions.
- Net income for the third quarter 2017 was $3.2 million, or
$0.31 per diluted share, compared to a net loss of $6.0 million, or
$0.58 per diluted share, last year. Our prior year quarter earnings
included impairment charges totaling $6.9 million ($5.9 million net
of tax). Excluding the prior year impairment charge of $5.9 million
net of tax1, the 2016 net loss would have totaled less than $0.1
million or less than $0.01 per diluted share.
- Third quarter Adjusted EBITDA1 (earnings before interest,
taxes, depreciation, amortization, and asset impairments) was $9.9
million compared to $4.1 million in the third quarter of
2016.
- Selling and administrative expenses in the third quarter
increased by $0.4 million, or 2.1%. The increase was primarily
comprised of personnel-related costs of $0.8 million and was offset
by a $0.5 million reduction in litigation costs for the Union
Pacific Rail Road (UPRR) matter.
- Interest expense was $2.0 million in the third quarter of 2017,
compared to $1.5 million in the prior year quarter. The increase
was attributable to an increase in interest rates.
- Net cash used by operating activities for the quarter totaled
$2.4 million compared to $5.3 million provided in the prior year
quarter. The $7.7 million decline is the result of an increase in
working capital levels related to inventory increases in the third
quarter 2017 in anticipation of a stronger revenue outlook for the
fourth quarter 2017 compared to the fourth quarter 2016.
- Third quarter new orders were $145.5 million, a 31.3% increase
from the prior year quarter, due to a 97.1% increase in Tubular and
a 44.5% increase in Rail. This was partially offset by an 11.1%
reduction in Construction.
- The Company’s income tax benefit for the third quarter was $0.2
million, primarily related to changes in the estimated annual
effective tax rate resulting from the realization of a portion of
U.S. deferred tax assets previously offset by a valuation
allowance.
- Other income included $1.0 million gain from the sale of
certain Tubular and Rail assets.
- Total debt increased by $0.3 million, or 0.2%, in the third
quarter to $138.3 million as compared to June 30, 2017.
Increased fourth quarter working capital requirements contributed
to the current quarter increase.
1 See "Non-GAAP Disclosures" at the end of this press release
for information regarding the following non-GAAP measures used in
this release: EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, and net loss excluding the
prior year impairment charge.
CEO Comments
Bob Bauer, President and Chief Executive
Officer, commented, “The Company's third quarter results reflect
the actions we have taken to improve profitability along with
improving market conditions. Net sales of $131.5 million and an
ending backlog of $189.6 million for the third quarter are the
result of strong new orders driven by recovering rail and
energy markets as well as significant wins across a number of
product divisions. The U.S. energy markets continued to improve,
and our actions to restore profitability in the Tubular and Energy
Services segment led to a substantial improvement in segment gross
profit in the third quarter. Selling and administrative expenses as
a percent of sales were well below prior year levels, helping drive
a $5.8 million improvement in third quarter Adjusted EBITDA."
Mr. Bauer added, "We have made significant
improvements in strengthening our balance sheet as operating cash
flow improved $15.6 million for the first nine months of 2017
compared to the prior period. We reduced our debt by $21.3 million
during the last nine months. Operating cash flow of $27.5 million
for the first nine months of the year is a substantial improvement
over the prior year."
Nine Month Results
- Net sales for the first nine months of 2017 of $395.1 million
increased by $18.1 million, or 4.8%, compared to the prior year
period due to a 13.8% increase in Construction sales and a 5.0%
increase in Tubular sales, partially offset by a 0.4% decline in
Rail sales.
- Gross profit margin was 19.1%, 10 basis points higher than the
prior year period. The increase was from the Tubular segment,
partially offset by reductions in the Rail and Construction
segments. Year to date Tubular gross profit margins were favorable
in each division within the segment.
- Net income for the first nine months of 2017 was $3.8 million,
or $0.37 per diluted share, compared to a net loss of $100.8
million, or $9.82 per diluted share, last year. Excluding the prior
year impairment charge of $96.8 million net of tax, the net loss
would have been $4.0 million or $0.39 per diluted share.
- Adjusted EBITDA for the first nine months of 2017 was $25.6
million compared to $15.6 million in the first nine months of
2016.
- Selling and administrative expense decreased by $5.9 million,
or 9.0%. The decrease was primarily comprised of personnel-related
costs of $4.1 million and $1.4 million in lower litigation costs
for the UPRR matter.
- Amortization expense was $5.2 million for the first nine months
ended September 30, 2017, compared to $7.8 million in the prior
year period. The reduction was primarily due to the 2016 impairment
of definite-lived intangible assets.
- Interest expense was $6.3 million in the first nine months of
2017, compared to $4.3 million in the prior year period. The
increase was attributable to an increase in interest
rates.
- Net cash provided by operating activities for the nine months
ended September 30, 2017 totaled $27.5 million compared to $11.9
million in the prior year period, a $15.6 million
improvement.
- New orders were $436.7 million for the first nine months of
2017, an 18.4% increase from the prior year period, due to a 47.6%
increase in Tubular and a 28.9% increase in Rail which were
partially offset by an 8.7% reduction in Construction
orders.
- The Company’s income tax expense for the first nine months of
2017 was $0.7 million. The Company's estimated annual
effective tax rate was primarily related to income taxes in foreign
jurisdictions, but partially offset by a benefit from the
realization of a portion of U.S. deferred tax assets previously
offset by a valuation allowance.
- Total debt was reduced by $21.3 million, or 13.3%, to $138.3
million as of September 30, 2017, as compared to total debt as
of December 31, 2016.
2017 Fourth Quarter OutlookOverall market
conditions are expected to remain favorable across our business
segments in the fourth quarter, particularly within the energy
markets we serve. Additionally, the strength of our new orders and
backlog within our Rail and Tubular segments continue to indicate
recovery in these markets. Based on our current backlog levels, the
Company expects fourth quarter 2017 revenues to range between
$135.0 million and $142.0 million. Further, with expenses remaining
at current levels, we anticipate that fourth quarter EBITDA will be
in a range between $9.5 million and $11.5 million. Full year
revenues are expected to range between $530.0 million and $537.0
million, with full year EBITDA estimated to be between $35.0
million and $37.0 million.
The Company also expects net debt at December 31, 2017 to
be in the range of $90.0 million to $100.0 million which will
result in a net debt to EBITDA ratio below 3.0x.
L.B. Foster Company will conduct a conference call and webcast
to discuss its third quarter 2017 operating results on Tuesday,
November 7, 2017 at 5:00 pm ET. The call will be hosted by Mr.
Robert Bauer, President, and Chief Executive Officer. Listen via
audio and access the slide presentation on the L.B. Foster web
site: www.lbfoster.com, under the Investor Relations page. The
conference call can also be accessed by dialing 877-407-0784 (U.S.
& Canada) or 201-689-8560 (International) and providing access
code 13672428.
About L.B. Foster CompanyL.B. Foster is a
leading manufacturer and distributor of products and services for
transportation and energy infrastructure with locations in North
America and Europe. For more information, please visit
www.lbfoster.com.
This release may contain forward-looking statements that involve
risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements provide current
expectations of future events based on certain assumptions and
include any statement that does not directly relate to any
historical or current fact. Sentences containing words such as
“believe,” “intend,” “plan,” “may,” “expect,” “should,” “could,”
“anticipate,” “estimate,” “predict,” “project,” or their negatives,
or other similar expressions of a future or forward-looking nature
generally should be considered forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking statements in this release may concern, among other
things, L.B. Foster Company’s (the “Company”) expectations relating
to our strategy, goals, projections, and plans regarding our
financial position, liquidity, capital resources and results of
operations; the outcome of litigation and product warranty claims;
decisions regarding our strategic growth initiatives, market
position, and product development; all of which are based on
current estimates that involve inherent risks and uncertainties.
The Company has based these forward-looking statements on current
expectations and assumptions about future events. While the Company
considers these expectations and assumptions to be reasonable, they
are inherently subject to significant business, economic,
competitive, regulatory, and other risks and uncertainties, most of
which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the
Company’s control. The Company cautions readers that various
factors could cause the actual results of the Company to differ
materially from those indicated by forward-looking statements.
Accordingly, investors should not place undue reliance on
forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results. Among
the factors that could cause the actual results to differ
materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements
are risks and uncertainties related to: environmental matters,
including any costs associated with any remediation and monitoring;
a resumption of the economic slowdown we have experienced in the
previous two years in the markets we serve; the risk of doing
business in international markets; our ability to effectuate our
strategy, including cost reduction initiatives, and our ability to
effectively integrate acquired businesses and realize anticipated
benefits; costs of and impacts associated with shareholder
activism; a decrease in freight or passenger rail traffic; the
timeliness and availability of materials from our major suppliers
as well as the impact on our access to supplies of customer
preferences as to the origin of such supplies, such as customers'
concerns about conflict minerals; labor disputes; the continuing
effective implementation of an enterprise resource planning system;
changes in current accounting estimates and their ultimate
outcomes; the adequacy of internal and external sources of funds to
meet financing needs, including our ability to negotiate any
additional necessary amendments to our credit agreement; the
Company’s ability to manage its working capital requirements and
indebtedness; domestic and international taxes, including estimates
that may impact these amounts; foreign currency fluctuations;
inflation; domestic and foreign government regulations; economic
conditions and regulatory changes caused by the United Kingdom’s
pending exit from the European Union; sustained declines in energy
prices; a lack of state or federal funding for new infrastructure
projects; an increase in manufacturing or material costs; the
ultimate number of concrete ties that will have to be replaced
pursuant to the previously disclosed product warranty claim of the
Union Pacific Railroad (“UPRR”) and an overall resolution of the
related contract claims as well as the possible costs associated
with the outcome of the lawsuit filed by the UPRR; the loss of
future revenues from current customers; and risks inherent in
litigation. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties
materialize, or should the assumptions underlying the
forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual outcomes could
vary materially from those indicated. Significant risks and
uncertainties that may affect the operations, performance, and
results of the Company’s business and forward-looking statements
include, but are not limited to, those set forth under Item 1A,
“Risk Factors,” and elsewhere in our Annual Report on Form 10-K and
our other periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange
Commission.
Investor Relations:Judith Balog(412)
928-3417investors@lbfoster.com
L.B. Foster Company415 Holiday DrivePittsburgh, PA
15220
|
L.B. FOSTER COMPANY AND SUBSIDIARIESCONDENSED
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS(In thousands, except per
share data) |
|
|
|
Three Months Ended September 30, |
|
Nine Months Ended September 30, |
|
|
2017 |
|
2016 |
|
2017 |
|
2016 |
|
|
(Unaudited) |
|
(Unaudited) |
Sales of goods |
|
$ |
103,058 |
|
|
$ |
100,293 |
|
|
$ |
318,414 |
|
|
$ |
326,278 |
|
Sales of services |
|
28,434 |
|
|
14,351 |
|
|
76,640 |
|
|
50,670 |
|
Total net sales |
|
131,492 |
|
|
114,644 |
|
|
395,054 |
|
|
376,948 |
|
Cost of goods sold |
|
82,460 |
|
|
81,674 |
|
|
256,152 |
|
|
260,705 |
|
Cost of services
sold |
|
22,667 |
|
|
13,167 |
|
|
63,549 |
|
|
44,667 |
|
Total cost of
sales |
|
105,127 |
|
|
94,841 |
|
|
319,701 |
|
|
305,372 |
|
Gross profit |
|
26,365 |
|
|
19,803 |
|
|
75,353 |
|
|
71,576 |
|
Selling and
administrative expenses |
|
20,218 |
|
|
19,807 |
|
|
60,023 |
|
|
65,941 |
|
Amortization
expense |
|
1,764 |
|
|
1,763 |
|
|
5,218 |
|
|
7,818 |
|
Asset impairments |
|
— |
|
|
6,946 |
|
|
— |
|
|
135,884 |
|
Interest expense |
|
2,026 |
|
|
1,520 |
|
|
6,315 |
|
|
4,342 |
|
Interest income |
|
(56 |
) |
|
(50 |
) |
|
(166 |
) |
|
(157 |
) |
Equity in (income) loss
of nonconsolidated investments |
|
(50 |
) |
|
263 |
|
|
5 |
|
|
946 |
|
Other income |
|
(551 |
) |
|
(1,085 |
) |
|
(564 |
) |
|
(263 |
) |
|
|
23,351 |
|
|
29,164 |
|
|
70,831 |
|
|
214,511 |
|
Income (loss) before
income taxes |
|
3,014 |
|
|
(9,361 |
) |
|
4,522 |
|
|
(142,935 |
) |
Income tax (benefit)
expense |
|
(208 |
) |
|
(3,379 |
) |
|
698 |
|
|
(42,125 |
) |
Net income (loss) |
|
$ |
3,222 |
|
|
$ |
(5,982 |
) |
|
$ |
3,824 |
|
|
$ |
(100,810 |
) |
Basic earnings (loss)
per common share |
|
$ |
0.31 |
|
|
$ |
(0.58 |
) |
|
$ |
0.37 |
|
|
$ |
(9.82 |
) |
Diluted earnings (loss)
per common share |
|
$ |
0.31 |
|
|
$ |
(0.58 |
) |
|
$ |
0.37 |
|
|
$ |
(9.82 |
) |
Dividends paid per
common share |
|
$ |
— |
|
|
$ |
0.04 |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|
$ |
0.12 |
|
Average number of
common shares outstanding — Basic |
|
10,341 |
|
|
10,296 |
|
|
10,332 |
|
|
10,264 |
|
Average number of
common shares outstanding — Diluted |
|
10,479 |
|
|
10,296 |
|
|
10,435 |
|
|
10,264 |
|
L.B. FOSTER COMPANY AND SUBSIDIARIESCONDENSED
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS(In thousands) |
|
|
|
September 30, 2017 |
|
December 31, 2016 |
|
|
(Unaudited) |
|
|
ASSETS |
|
|
|
|
Current assets: |
|
|
|
|
Cash and
cash equivalents |
|
$ |
35,008 |
|
|
$ |
30,363 |
|
Accounts
receivable - net |
|
79,324 |
|
|
66,632 |
|
Inventories - net |
|
104,035 |
|
|
83,243 |
|
Prepaid
income tax |
|
1,048 |
|
|
14,166 |
|
Other
current assets |
|
9,986 |
|
|
5,200 |
|
Total current assets |
|
229,401 |
|
|
199,604 |
|
Property,
plant, and equipment - net |
|
98,536 |
|
|
103,973 |
|
Other assets: |
|
|
|
|
Goodwill |
|
19,699 |
|
|
18,932 |
|
Other
intangibles - net |
|
59,135 |
|
|
63,519 |
|
Investments |
|
151 |
|
|
4,031 |
|
Other
assets |
|
2,242 |
|
|
2,964 |
|
Total assets |
|
$ |
409,164 |
|
|
$ |
393,023 |
|
LIABILITIES AND
STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY |
|
|
|
|
Current
liabilities: |
|
|
|
|
Accounts
payable |
|
$ |
59,825 |
|
|
$ |
37,744 |
|
Deferred
revenue |
|
11,038 |
|
|
7,597 |
|
Accrued
payroll and employee benefits |
|
10,353 |
|
|
7,497 |
|
Accrued
warranty |
|
9,614 |
|
|
10,154 |
|
Current
maturities of long-term debt |
|
9,887 |
|
|
10,386 |
|
Other
accrued liabilities |
|
8,452 |
|
|
8,953 |
|
Total current liabilities |
|
109,169 |
|
|
82,331 |
|
Long-term
debt |
|
128,398 |
|
|
149,179 |
|
Deferred
tax liabilities |
|
11,044 |
|
|
11,371 |
|
Other
long-term liabilities |
|
16,734 |
|
|
16,891 |
|
Stockholders'
equity: |
|
|
|
|
Class A
Common Stock |
|
111 |
|
|
111 |
|
Paid-in
capital |
|
44,423 |
|
|
44,098 |
|
Retained
earnings |
|
137,492 |
|
|
133,667 |
|
Treasury
stock |
|
(18,662 |
) |
|
(19,336 |
) |
Accumulated other comprehensive loss |
|
(19,545 |
) |
|
(25,289 |
) |
Total stockholders' equity |
|
143,819 |
|
|
133,251 |
|
TOTAL
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY |
|
$ |
409,164 |
|
|
$ |
393,023 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Non-GAAP Disclosures
This earnings release discloses earnings before interest, taxes,
depreciation, and amortization (“EBITDA”) and EBITDA that is
adjusted for asset impairments ("Adjusted EBITDA") which
are non-GAAP financial measures. The Company believes
that EBITDA is useful to investors in order to provide a more
complete understanding of the ongoing operations of the Company’s
business. Similarly, Adjusted EBITDA displays the performance of
the Company without the impact of asset impairments in order to
enhance investors' understanding of our day to day operations. In
addition, management believes that
these non-GAAP financial measures are useful to investors
in the assessment of the use of our assets without regard to
financing methods, capital structure, or historical cost basis.
Additionally, EBITDA is a financial measurement that management and
the Board of Directors use in the determination of certain
compensation programs. Adjusted diluted earnings (loss) per share
amounts in this earnings release exclude asset impairment charges
and are non-GAAP measures used for management reporting purposes.
Management believes that these measures provide useful information
to investors because they will assist investors in evaluating
earnings performance on a comparable year-over-year
basis.
Non-GAAP financial measures are not a substitute for GAAP
financial results and should only be considered in conjunction with
the Company’s financial information that is presented in accordance
with GAAP. Quantitative reconciliations of EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA,
and adjusted earnings (loss) per share are presented below (in
thousands, except per share data):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Three Months Ended September 30, |
|
Nine Months Ended September 30, |
|
|
2017 |
|
2016 |
|
2017 |
|
2016 |
|
|
(Unaudited) |
|
(Unaudited) |
Adjusted EBITDA
Reconciliation |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net income (loss), as
reported |
|
$ |
3,222 |
|
|
$ |
(5,982 |
) |
|
$ |
3,824 |
|
|
$ |
(100,810 |
) |
Interest expense,
net |
|
1,970 |
|
|
1,470 |
|
|
6,149 |
|
|
4,185 |
|
Income tax (benefit)
expense |
|
(208 |
) |
|
(3,379 |
) |
|
698 |
|
|
(42,125 |
) |
Depreciation
expense |
|
3,178 |
|
|
3,295 |
|
|
9,705 |
|
|
10,620 |
|
Amortization
expense |
|
1,764 |
|
|
1,763 |
|
|
5,218 |
|
|
7,818 |
|
Total
EBITDA |
|
$ |
9,926 |
|
|
$ |
(2,833 |
) |
|
$ |
25,594 |
|
|
$ |
(120,312 |
) |
Asset impairments |
|
— |
|
|
6,946 |
|
|
— |
|
|
135,884 |
|
Adjusted
EBITDA |
|
$ |
9,926 |
|
|
$ |
4,113 |
|
|
$ |
25,594 |
|
|
$ |
15,572 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Three Months Ended September 30, |
|
Nine Months Ended September 30, |
|
|
2017 |
|
2016 |
|
2017 |
|
2016 |
|
|
(Unaudited) |
|
(Unaudited) |
Adjusted
Diluted Earnings (Loss) Per Share Reconciliation |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net income (loss), as
reported |
|
$ |
3,222 |
|
|
$ |
(5,982 |
) |
|
$ |
3,824 |
|
|
$ |
(100,810 |
) |
Asset impairments, net
of tax benefits of $1,000 and $39,038 |
|
— |
|
|
5,946 |
|
|
— |
|
|
96,846 |
|
Adjusted net income
(loss) |
|
$ |
3,222 |
|
|
$ |
(36 |
) |
|
$ |
3,824 |
|
|
$ |
(3,964 |
) |
Average number of
common shares outstanding - Diluted |
|
10,479 |
|
|
10,296 |
|
|
10,435 |
|
|
10,264 |
|
Diluted earnings (loss)
per common share, as reported |
|
$ |
0.31 |
|
|
$ |
(0.58 |
) |
|
$ |
0.37 |
|
|
$ |
(9.82 |
) |
Diluted earnings (loss)
per common share, as adjusted |
|
$ |
0.31 |
|
|
$ |
(0.00 |
) |
|
$ |
0.37 |
|
|
$ |
(0.39 |
) |
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