JEC Jacobs Engineering Group Inc

Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. (NYSE:JEC) today announced its financial results for the first fiscal quarter ended December 29, 2017.

Highlights:

• Q1 2018 net earnings of $2.2 M, or $0.02 per share, impacted by one-time tax charge and CH2M acquisition
• Q1 2018 adjusted net earnings of $97.0 M, or $0.77 per share, up 13% year-over-year
• Q1 2018 year-over-year organic revenue growth, double-digit organic growth in professional services
• Continued strong gross margin performance of 18%, up 130 bps year-over-year
• Backlog of $26.2 B at end of 1Q 2018; Jacobs only backlog up $1.4 B year-over-year
• Closed CH2M acquisition, cost synergies ramping while targeting incremental revenue opportunities
• Strong balance sheet financial flexibility with $1.5 B of net debt post CH2M close

Commenting on the results for the first quarter of fiscal 2018, Steve Demetriou, Jacobs Chairman and CEO said, “Our first quarter results further demonstrated progress against our strategy to allocate our resources toward both higher growth and higher margin opportunities. We are seeing continued momentum in our Aerospace & Technology and Buildings & Infrastructure businesses as well as improving trends in our more cyclical Energy and Mining & Minerals businesses. Furthermore, we are off to a solid start capturing the planned CH2M cost synergies and positioning our combined company for incremental revenue opportunities by offering more comprehensive solutions to our clients. Most importantly, Jacobs’ enhanced deep domain knowledge coupled with our digital expertise strengthens our ability to deliver innovative solutions for a more connected, sustainable world.”

Kevin Berryman, Jacobs CFO, added, “The first quarter results displayed our continued focus on profitable growth as we maintained solid margins. While the CH2M acquisition did not materially impact our first quarter results, we are pleased with the performance of CH2M and excited about the combined company’s growth and profitability profile. We are increasing our fiscal 2018 adjusted EPS outlook including the approximately nine-months contribution from the CH2M acquisition to $3.85-$4.25 from $3.55-$3.95. The increase in our outlook is driven by the benefits of the recent change in the U.S. federal tax law.”

             

First Quarter Review

        Fiscal 1Q 2018     Fiscal 1Q 2017     Change Revenue       $2.8 billion     $2.6 billion     +$200 million GAAP Net Earnings       $2 million     $61 million     ($59 million) GAAP Earnings Per Diluted Share       $0.02     $0.50     ($0.48) Adjusted Net Earnings       $97 million     $83 million     +$14 million Adjusted Earnings Per Diluted Share (EPS)       $0.77     $0.68     +$0.09  

Included in the first quarter GAAP earnings is the impact of a lower annualized tax rate resulting from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, a lump sum pension settlement and the financial results of CH2M during the two week period from the December 15, 2017 closing date to December 29, 2017.

The company’s adjusted net earnings and adjusted EPS for the first quarter of fiscal 2018 and fiscal 2017 exclude the charges and costs set forth in the table below. For additional information regarding these adjustments and a reconciliation of adjusted net earnings and adjusted EPS to net earnings and EPS, respectively, refer to the section entitled “Non-U.S. GAAP Financial Measures” at the end of this release.

                  Fiscal 1Q 2018     Fiscal 1Q 2017

After-tax restructuring and other charges related to the 2015 restructuring activities

      NA     $23 million ($0.18 per diluted share)

After-tax costs and other charges associated with restructuring activities implemented in connection with the CH2M acquisition

      $15 million ($0.11 per diluted share)     NA

After-tax transaction costs incurred in connection with the closing of the CH2M acquisition

      $51 million ($0.41 per diluted share)     NA

One-time charge resulting from revaluation of certain deferred tax assets/liabilities in connection with U.S. tax reform

      $29 million ($0.23 per diluted share)     NA

Adjusted Earnings (EPS)

      $97 million ($0.77 per diluted share)     $83 million ($0.68 per diluted share)  

Fiscal first quarter 2018 earnings reflect an effective tax rate of 24.6% and a one-time non-cash tax charge to reflect the impact of the revaluation of certain deferred tax assets/liabilities due to the recent change in U.S. federal tax law.

Jacobs is hosting a conference call at 10:00 A.M. ET on Wednesday, February 7, 2018, which it is webcasting live on the internet at www.jacobs.com.

About Jacobs Engineering Group

Jacobs leads the global professional services sector delivering solutions for a more connected, sustainable world. With $15 billion in fiscal 2017 revenue when combined with full year CH2M revenues and a talent force of more than 74,000, Jacobs provides a full spectrum of services including scientific, technical, professional and construction- and program-management for business, industrial, commercial, government and infrastructure sectors. For more information, visit www.jacobs.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking statements as such term is defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and such statements are intended to be covered by the safe harbor provided by the same. Statements made in this press release that are not based on historical fact are forward-looking statements. Although such statements are based on management's current estimates and expectations, and currently available competitive, financial, and economic data, forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain, and you should not place undue reliance on such statements as actual results may differ materially. We caution the reader that there are a variety of risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from what is contained, projected or implied by our forward-looking statements. For a description of some additional factors that may occur that could cause actual results to differ from our forward-looking statements see our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 29, 2017, and in particular the discussions contained under Item 1 - Business; Item 1A - Risk Factors; Item 3 - Legal Proceedings; and Item 7 - Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, and our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended December 29, 2017, and in particular the discussions contained under Part I, Item 2 - Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations; Part II, Item 1 – Legal Proceedings; and Part II, Item 1A - Risk Factors, as well as the Company’s other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company is not under any duty to update any of the forward-looking statements after the date of this press release to conform to actual results, except as required by applicable law.

  Financial Highlights:

Results of Operations (in thousands, except per-share data):

 

      Three Months Ended December 29, 2017     December 30, 2016 Revenues $ 2,750,311 $ 2,551,604 Direct cost of contracts   (2,263,131 )   (2,132,292 ) Gross Profit 487,180 419,312 Selling, general and administrative expenses   (439,536 )   (330,684 ) Operating Profit 47,644 88,628 Other Income (Expense): Interest income 3,834 1,486 Interest expense (7,092 ) (3,518 ) Miscellaneous expense, net   (2,470 )   (716 ) Total other expense, net   (5,728 )   (2,748 ) Earnings Before Taxes 41,916 85,880 Income Tax Expense   (39,355 )   (24,727 ) Net Earnings of the Group 2,561 61,153

Net Earnings Attributable to Non-controlling Interests

  (398 )   (617 ) Net Earnings Attributable to Jacobs $ 2,163   $ 60,536     Net Earnings Per Share*: Basic $ 0.02 $ 0.50 Diluted $ 0.02   $ 0.50     *See earnings per share calculation on page 9.    

Segment Information (in thousands):

        Three Months Ended December 29, 2017     December 30, 2016 Revenues from External Customers: Aerospace & Technology $ 721,567 $ 577,436 Buildings & Infrastructure 658,466 580,617 Industrial 749,321 751,738 Petroleum & Chemicals   620,957   641,813 Total $ 2,750,311 $ 2,551,604         Three Months Ended December 29, 2017     December 30, 2016 Operating Profit: Aerospace & Technology $ 65,820 $ 51,087 Buildings & Infrastructure 45,273 38,797 Industrial 38,113 25,129 Petroleum & Chemicals   27,557     23,652   Total Segment Operating Profit 176,763 138,665 Other Corporate Expenses (42,129 ) (18,296 ) Restructuring and Other Charges (19,349 ) (31,741 ) CH2M Transaction costs   (67,641 )   —   Total USGAAP Operating Profit 47,644 88,628 Total Other Expense (1)   (5,728 )   (2,748 )   Earnings Before Taxes $ 41,916  

$

85,880

   

(1) Includes deferred financing fees related to the CH2M acquisition of $256 for the three months ended December 29, 2017.

 

Other Operational Information (in thousands):

      Three Months Ended December 29, 2017     December 30, 2016 Depreciation (pre-tax) $ 24,832 $ 16,621 Amortization of Intangibles (pre-tax) $ 14,695 $ 11,914 Pass-Through Costs Included in Revenues $ 596,169 $ 672,979 Capital Expenditures $ 22,450 $ 21,054    

Balance Sheet (in thousands):

          December 29, 2017 September 29, 2017 ASSETS Current Assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 1,059,839 $ 774,151 Receivables 3,293,502 2,102,543 Prepaid expenses and other   193,614     119,486   Total current assets   4,546,955     2,996,180   Property, Equipment, and Improvements, Net   574,034     349,911   Other Noncurrent Assets: Goodwill 5,720,875 3,009,826 Intangibles, net 921,000 332,920 Miscellaneous   928,893     692,022   Total other noncurrent assets   7,570,768     4,034,768   $ 12,691,757   $ 7,380,859   LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY Current Liabilities: Notes payable $ 5,450 $ 3,071 Accounts payable 947,199 683,605 Accrued liabilities 1,472,865 939,687 Billings in excess of costs   637,542     299,864   Total current liabilities   3,063,056     1,926,227   Long-term Debt   2,587,933     235,000   Other Deferred Liabilities   1,079,021     732,281   Commitments and Contingencies Stockholders’ Equity: Capital stock:

Preferred stock, $1 par value, authorized—1,000,000 shares; issued and outstanding—none

— —

Common stock, $1 par value, authorized—240,000,000 shares; issued and outstanding—141,556,705 shares and 120,385,544 shares as of December 29, 2017 and September 29, 2017, respectively

141,557 120,386 Additional paid-in capital 2,628,012 1,239,782 Retained earnings 3,728,527 3,721,698 Accumulated other comprehensive loss   (628,985 )   (653,514 ) Total Jacobs stockholders’ equity 5,869,111 4,428,352 Non-controlling interests   92,636     58,999   Total Group stockholders’ equity   5,961,747     4,487,351   $ 12,691,757   $ 7,380,859      

Backlog (in millions):

          December 29, 2017 December 30, 2016 Aerospace & Technology $ 6,323.6 $ 5,135.4 Buildings & Infrastructure 5,355.9 5,151.6 Industrial 2,619.6 2,493.7 Petroleum & Chemicals 5,281.4 5,368.8 CH2M   6,626.3   - Total $ 26,206.8 $ 18,149.4  

Non-U.S. GAAP Financial Measures:

In this press release, the Company has included certain non-GAAP financial measures as defined in Regulation G promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The non-GAAP financial measures included in this press release are adjusted net earnings and adjusted EPS.

Adjusted net earnings and adjusted EPS are non-GAAP financial measures that are calculated by excluding (i) the after-tax costs related to the 2015 restructuring activities, which included involuntary terminations, the abandonment of certain leased offices, combining operational organizations and the co-location of employees into other existing offices; and charges associated with our Europe, U.K. and Middle East region, which included write-offs on contract accounts receivable and charges for statutory redundancy and severance costs (collectively, the “2015 Restructuring and other items”); (ii) after-tax costs and other charges associated with restructuring activities implemented in connection with the CH2M acquisition, which include involuntary terminations, costs associated with co-locating Jacobs and CH2M offices, costs and expenses of the Integration Management Office, including professional services and personnel costs, and similar costs and expenses (collectively referred to as the “CH2M Restructuring and other charges”), (iii) transaction costs and other charges incurred in connection with closing of the CH2M acquisition, including advisor fees, change in control payments, costs and expenses relating to the registration and listing of Jacobs stock issued in connection with the acquisition, and similar transaction costs and expenses (collectively referred to as “CH2M transaction costs”), and (iv) one-time net charges resulting from the revaluation of certain deferred tax assets and liabilities as a result of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. We believe that adjusted net earnings and adjusted EPS are useful to management, investors and other users of our financial information in evaluating the Company’s operating results and understanding the Company’s operating trends by excluding the effects of the items described above, which can obscure underlying trends. Additionally, management uses adjusted net earnings and adjusted EPS in its own evaluation of the Company’s performance, particularly when comparing performance to past periods, and believes these measures are useful for investors because they facilitate a comparison of our financial results from period to period.

The Company provides non-GAAP measures to supplement U.S. GAAP measures, as they provide additional insight into the Company’s financial results. However, non-GAAP measures have limitations as analytical tools and should not be considered in isolation and are not in accordance with, or a substitute for, U.S. GAAP measures. In addition, other companies may define non-GAAP measures differently, which limits the ability of investors to compare non-GAAP measures of the Company to those used by our peer companies.

The following tables reconcile the components and values of U.S. GAAP net earnings and EPS to the corresponding "adjusted" amounts. For the comparable periods presented below, such adjustments consist of amounts incurred in connection with the items described above. Amounts are shown in thousands, except for per-share data:

U.S. GAAP Reconciliation for the first quarter of fiscal 2018 and 2017

    Three Months Ended December 29, 2017         U.S. GAAP    

Effects of Restructuringand OtherCharges

   

Effects ofCH2Mtransactioncosts

   

 

One TimeTaxReformImpact

   

Adjusted

Revenue $ 2,750,311    

$

—

   

$

 

—

 

   

$

 

—

   

$

2,750,311 Direct cost of contracts   (2,263,131 )   —       —       —   (2,263,131 ) Gross profit 487,180 — — — 487,180 Selling, general and administrative expenses   (439,536 )   19,349       67,641       —   (352,546 ) Operating Profit 47,644 19,349 67,641 — 134,634 Total other (expense) income, net   (5,728 )   —       256       —   (5,472 ) Earnings before taxes 41,916 19,349 67,897 — 129,162

Income Tax (Expense) Benefit

  (39,355 )   (4,692 )    

(16,536

)

   

28,803

  (31,780 ) Net earnings of the Group 2,561 14,657 51,361 28,803 97,382 Net earnings attributable to non-controlling interests   (398 )   —       —       —   (398 )

Net earnings attributable to Jacobs

$ 2,163   $

14,657

 

$

 

51,361

 

$

 

28,803

$

96,984

  Diluted earnings per share $ 0.02   $

0.11

 

$

 

0.41

 

$

 

0.23

$

0.77

          Three Months Ended December 30, 2016 U.S. GAAP    

Effects of 2015Restructuring and other items

    Adjusted Revenue $ 2,551,604 $ — $ 2,551,604 Direct cost of contracts   (2,132,292 )   —     (2,132,292 ) Gross profit 419,312 — 419,312 Selling, general and administrative expenses (330,684 ) 31,741 (298,943 ) Total other expense, net   (2,748 )   —     (2,748 ) Earnings before taxes 85,880 31,741 117,621 Income tax expense   (24,727 )   (8,938 )   (33,665 ) Net earnings of the Group 61,153 22,803 83,956 Net earnings attributable to non-controlling interests   (617 )   —     (617 ) Net earnings attributable to Jacobs $ 60,536   $ 22,803   $ 83,339   Diluted earnings per share $ 0.50   $ 0.18   $ 0.68      

Earnings Per Share:

        For the Three Months Ended

December 29,2017

   

December 30,2016

Numerator for Basic and Diluted EPS: Net income $ 2,163 $ 60,536 Net income allocated to participating securities   (15 )   — Net income allocated to common stock for EPS calculation $ 2,148   $ 60,536   Denominator for Basic and Diluted EPS: Weighted average basic shares   124,122     119,438   Effect of dilutive securities: Stock compensation plans 1,023 1,477 Restricted stock 886 936   Diluted shares   126,031     121,851   Shares allocated to participating securities   (886 )   — Shares used for calculating diluted EPS attributable to common stock   125,145     121,851   Basic EPS $ 0.02   $ 0.50 Diluted EPS $ 0.02   $ 0.50  

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Jacobs Engineering Group Inc.Kevin C. Berryman, 214-583-8500Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer