VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 12, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Finning International Inc. (TSX: FTT) (“Finning” or the “Company”) reported fourth quarter and annual 2019 results today. All monetary amounts are in Canadian dollars unless otherwise stated.
HIGHLIGHTS
All comparisons are to Q4 and annual 2018 results unless indicated otherwise.Q4 2019 EBIT(2) and EBITDA(2)(3) increased by 6% and 21% respectively from Q4 2018 despite lower consolidated revenue and the impact of the social unrest in Chile. Q4 2019 EPS(2) was $0.31. The Company estimates that the social unrest in Chile and subsequent devaluation of the Chilean peso reduced Q4 2019 EPS by approximately $0.05. Q4 2019 product support revenue in South America was up 36% over Q4 2018.Canada delivered record revenue for the full year 2019. Reported EBIT as a percentage of net revenue(1)(3) was 7.5%. Adjusted EBIT as a percentage of net revenue(3)(4) of 8.0% was the highest since 2007.The UK and Ireland maintained profitability in 2019 while managing through political and economic uncertainty related to Brexit.Annual free cash flow(3) was $42 million. Q4 2019 free cash flow was strong at $386 million, with a $225 million reduction in inventory.“We are pleased with 2019 results in Canada and the UK & Ireland which demonstrate improved execution, stable gross profit margins, disciplined cost management, and market share gains. However, a difficult year in South America resulted in flat consolidated earnings per share year over year,” said Scott Thomson, president and chief executive officer of Finning.“In 2020, we expect to benefit from several profitability drivers, including improved execution in South America, a lower cost base in Canada, and reduced finance costs. We expect to generate strong free cash flow in 2020, driven by inventory reductions, lower working capital requirements, and continued improvements in our supply chain. We will prioritize maintaining our strong balance sheet and returning capital to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases,” concluded Mr. Thomson.Q4 2019 FINANCIAL SUMMARY
All comparisons are to Q4 2018 results unless indicated otherwise.
Fourth quarter 2019 revenue was up 4%. Net revenue was down 5% mostly due to lower new equipment sales. New equipment sales declined by 21% and were down in all regions reflecting reduced market activity. Product support revenue was up 11%, driven by the recovery of product support volumes in South America since the launch of the ERP(2) system in Q4 2018.Gross profit increased by 4% and gross profit as a percentage of net revenue(3) increased by 190 basis points to 24.3%, driven primarily by a shift in revenue mix to product support.SG&A(2) increased by 3% mainly due to lower long-term incentive plan costs in Q4 2018 as well as additional costs from 4Refuel in 2019.EBITDA increased by $30 million, driven by higher EBITDA in South America and the positive impact of the adoption of IFRS 16, Leases of approximately $20 million.EPS was $0.31 compared to $0.33 in Q4 2018. Q4 2019 EPS was positively impacted by improved profitability in South America driven by product support growth offset by approximately $0.05 per share estimated negative impact from social unrest in Chile, $10 million higher finance costs, as well as higher long-term incentive plan costs.Free cash flow was strong at $386 million compared to $418 million in Q4 2018.An increase in invested capital from Q4 2018 was driven mainly by the acquisition of 4Refuel ($241 million purchase price) and a decline in deferred revenues in Canada and UK & Ireland. A decrease in invested capital from Q3 2019 was driven primarily by a $225 million reduction in inventory, including lower new equipment inventories in Canada and the UK & Ireland and lower parts inventory in South America.Q4 2019 HIGHLIGHTS BY OPERATION
All comparisons are to Q4 2018 results unless indicated otherwise. All numbers are in functional currency: South America – US dollar; UK & Ireland – UK pound sterling (GBP).CanadaNet revenue decreased by 4% mostly due to slower customer activity in coal mining, construction and forestry. New and used equipment sales were down 8% and 22%, respectively, reflecting soft equipment markets across western Canada. Product support revenue was 2% below Q4 2018 which benefited from higher service revenue related to a large scale dragline maintenance project during that period.EBITDA increased by $17 million primarily due to the benefit of the adoption of IFRS 16.South AmericaNet revenue was up 2% as higher product support revenue was largely offset by lower new equipment sales. A 36% increase in product support revenue was driven by the recovery of parts volumes in Chilean mining since the launch of the ERP system in Q4 2018. New equipment sales were down 40% mostly due to disruptions and market slowdown in Q4 2019 related to the social unrest in Chile and significant deliveries of large mining equipment in Q4 2018. The social unrest in October 2019 and subsequent devaluation of the Chilean peso led to GDP contraction, increased uncertainty across all sectors, and a significant decline in customer activity in Chile in Q4 2019.An increase in EBITDA and EBITDA as a percentage of net revenue compared to Q4 2018 was driven by significantly higher product support revenue.United Kingdom & IrelandNet revenue decreased by 17% primarily due to lower new equipment sales. A 24% decline in new equipment sales was predominantly driven by power systems due to the timing of project deliveries to the electricity capacity market, which were particularly strong in the second half of 2018. Construction revenues were slightly below Q4 2018 as equipment markets softened, reflecting continued uncertainty related to Brexit and slower economic growth in the UK in Q4 2019. Product support revenue decreased by 2%.A decline in EBITDA and EBITDA as a percentage of net revenue from Q4 2018 was driven primarily by lower revenue across most lines of business, consistent with the reduction in market activity in Q4 2019.CORPORATE AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENTSDividend
The Board of Directors has approved a quarterly dividend of $0.205 per share, payable on March 12, 2020 to shareholders of record on February 27, 2020. This dividend will be considered an eligible dividend for Canadian income tax purposes.
SELECTED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL INFORMATION
To access Finning’s complete Q4 and annual 2019 results in PDF, please visit our website at https://www.finning.com/en_CA/company/investors.htmlQ4 2019 INVESTOR CALL
The Company will hold an investor call on February 12, 2020 at 11:00 am Eastern Time. Dial-in numbers: 1-800-319-4610 (Canada and US), 1-416-915-3239 (Toronto area), 1-604-638-5340 (international). The call will be webcast live and archived for three months at https://www.finning.com/en_CA/company/investors.html.ABOUT FINNING
Finning International Inc. (TSX: FTT) is the world’s largest Caterpillar equipment dealer delivering unrivalled service to customers for 87 years. Finning sells, rents, and provides parts and service for equipment and engines to help customers maximize productivity. Headquartered in Vancouver, B.C., the Company operates in Western Canada, Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, the United Kingdom and Ireland.CONTACT INFORMATION
Amanda Hobson
Senior Vice President, Investor Relations and Treasury
Phone: 604-331-4865
Email: amanda.hobson@finning.com
https://www.finning.comFOOTNOTESFollowing the acquisition of 4Refuel, management views total revenue less cost of fuel (net revenue) as more representative in assessing the performance of the business as the cost of fuel is fully passed through to the customer and is not in the Company’s control. The Company’s results and non-GAAP financial measures, including key performance indicators and ratios, previously reported or calculated using total revenue or sales are now reported or calculated using net revenue. For 2018 results of all operations, net revenue is the same as total revenue. For 2019 results of the Company’s South American and UK & Ireland operations net revenue is the same as total revenue.Earnings Before Finance Costs and Income Taxes (EBIT); Basic Earnings per Share (EPS); Earnings Before Finance Costs, Income Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization (EBITDA); Selling, General & Administrative Expenses (SG&A); Return on Invested Capital (ROIC); Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP).These financial metrics, referred to as “non-GAAP financial measures”, do not have a standardized meaning under International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), which are also referred to herein as Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), and therefore may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. For additional information regarding these financial metrics, including definitions and reconciliations from each of these non-GAAP financial measures to their most directly comparable measure under GAAP, where available, see the heading “Description of Non-GAAP Financial Measures and Reconciliations” in the Company’s 2019 management discussion and analysis (MD&A). Management believes that providing certain non-GAAP financial measures provides users of the Company’s MD&A and consolidated financial statements with important information regarding the operational performance and related trends of the Company’s business. By considering these measures in combination with the comparable IFRS financial measures (where available) set out in the MD&A, management believes that users are provided a better overall understanding of the Company’s business and its financial performance during the relevant period than if they simply considered the IFRS financial measures alone.Certain 2019 and 2018 financial metrics were impacted by significant items management does not consider indicative of operational and financial trends either by nature or amount; these significant items are described on pages 5, 6 and 39-42 of the MD&A. The financial metrics that have been adjusted to take into account these items are referred to as “Adjusted” metrics.FORWARD-LOOKING DISCLAIMER
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