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Avient (AVNT) - 2024 Q1 - Quarterly Results
Avient Avient (US:AVNT)2024-05-07 10:01

Executive Summary & Financial Highlights First Quarter 2024 Performance Avient reported strong first-quarter 2024 results, with adjusted EPS increasing 21% year-over-year to $0.76, exceeding guidance, driven by demand, lower raw material costs, and favorable mix First Quarter 2024 Key Financials | Metric | Q1 2024 | Q1 2023 | YoY Change | | :----- | :------ | :------ | :--------- | | GAAP EPS from continuing operations ($) | 0.54 | 0.23 | +134.8% | | Adjusted EPS ($) | 0.76 | 0.63 | +20.6% | | Sales ($M) | 829.0 | 845.7 | -2.0% | | Adjusted EBITDA Margin (%) | 17.3 | 15.8 | +150 bps | | Operating Income ($M) | 94.0 | 57.1 | +64.6% | | Net Income from continuing operations ($M) | 49.4 | 20.8 | +137.5% | - Adjusted EPS of $0.76 exceeded guidance of $0.68, primarily due to strong demand from defense applications and lower raw material costs1 - Adjusted EPS increased 21% over the prior year, driven by improved margins from lower raw material costs and favorable mix, and lower net interest expense1 Management Commentary CEO Dr. Ashish Khandpur highlighted positive performance from Dyneema® fiber demand and raw material deflation, noting resilience in the Americas and growth in Greater China - Performance was supported by strong demand for Dyneema® fiber technology used in personal protection applications and raw material deflation2 - The Americas continues to be the most resilient, delivering year-over-year sales growth, and Greater China also saw year-over-year growth primarily from industrial and healthcare end markets, offsetting softer demand in Europe and Southeast Asia2 2024 Outlook Second Quarter Guidance Avient expects adjusted EPS of $0.71 for the second quarter, a 13% year-over-year increase, driven by demand improvement and continued raw material deflation Second Quarter 2024 Guidance | Metric | Q2 2024 Guidance ($) | YoY Change | | :----- | :------------------- | :--------- | | Adjusted EPS | 0.71 | +13% | - Expected year-over-year demand improvement from consumer, packaging, and defense end markets, which make up roughly half of the portfolio3 - Raw material deflation is expected to support margin expansion year-over-year, albeit to a lesser extent than in the first quarter3 Full-Year Guidance Avient revised its full-year adjusted EPS guidance to $2.50-$2.65 and adjusted EBITDA to $510-$535 million, reflecting strong Q1 and improving demand, while acknowledging macro factors Full-Year 2024 Revised Guidance | Metric | Revised Guidance | Previous Guidance | YoY Growth (Revised) | | :----- | :--------------- | :---------------- | :------------------- | | Adjusted EPS ($) | 2.50 - 2.65 | 2.40 - 2.65 | 6% - 12% | | Adjusted EBITDA ($M) | 510 - 535 | 505 - 535 | N/A | - Revised guidance reflects a balanced view considering better-than-expected first quarter performance, while remaining mindful of a strengthening U.S. dollar, persistent macro inflation, and a higher-for-longer interest rate environment3 Strategic Focus Dr. Khandpur emphasized Avient's focus on driving profitable organic top-line growth and expanding margins through innovation and investments in high-growth end markets - Focus on driving profitable, organic, top-line growth while expanding margins3 - Amplify innovation by prioritizing investments in high-growth end markets with attractive secular trends, with a detailed strategy to be communicated later this year3 Company Information Webcast Details Avient hosted a webcast on May 7, 2024, to discuss Q1 results and 2024 outlook, with recordings and presentations available on avient.com/investors - Avient hosted a webcast on Tuesday, May 7, 2024, at 8:00 a.m. EST to provide additional details on its 2024 first quarter and 2024 outlook34 - A recording of the webcast and the slide presentation will be available at avient.com/investors/events-presentations immediately following the conference call and will be accessible for one year4 Non-GAAP Financial Measures Avient utilizes non-GAAP measures like adjusted EPS and EBITDA to evaluate performance and allocate resources, but does not provide forward-looking GAAP reconciliations due to forecasting difficulties - The Company uses non-GAAP financial measures including adjusted EPS, adjusted operating income, adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margins5 - These measures are used by Avient's chief operating decision maker to monitor and evaluate the ongoing performance of the Company and each business segment and to allocate resources5 - The Company does not provide reconciliations of forward-looking non-GAAP financial measures to GAAP due to the inherent difficulty of forecasting the timing and amount of certain items (e.g., environmental remediation costs, mark-to-market adjustments, acquisition related costs)6 About Avient Avient Corporation is a leading provider of specialized and sustainable materials solutions, offering products like Dyneema® fiber and technologies for recyclability, and is certified ACC Responsible Care® - Avient Corporation provides specialized and sustainable materials solutions that transform customer challenges into opportunities8 - Key solutions include Dyneema® fiber for ballistic personal protection, technologies improving recyclability and enabling recycled content, lightweighting solutions, and sustainable infrastructure solutions8 - Avient is certified ACC Responsible Care®, a founding member of the Alliance to End Plastic Waste and certified Great Place to Work®8 Forward-looking Statements The report contains forward-looking statements subject to business risks and uncertainties, including market disruptions, currency fluctuations, and regulatory changes, which could cause actual results to differ - Statements that are not reported financial results or other historical information are 'forward-looking statements' subject to business risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially9 - Factors that could cause actual results to differ include disruptions in credit markets, currency fluctuations, supply chain issues, changes in laws and regulations, fluctuations in raw material and energy prices, demand for products, production outages, litigation, dividend policy, information systems failures and cyberattacks, restructuring costs, and ability to achieve strategic objectives and integrate acquisitions9 - The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update forward-looking statements10 Financial Statements & Reconciliations Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income Summary and Adjusted EPS Reconciliation This section summarizes condensed consolidated statements of income and reconciles GAAP net income and EPS to adjusted figures, excluding special items and intangible amortization Summary of Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income (Q1 2024 vs. Q1 2023) | Metric | Q1 2024 | Q1 2023 | | :----- | :------ | :------ | | Sales ($M) | 829.0 | 845.7 | | Operating income ($M) | 94.0 | 57.1 | | Net income from continuing operations attributable to Avient shareholders ($M) | 49.4 | 20.8 | | Diluted EPS from continuing operations attributable to Avient shareholders ($) | 0.54 | 0.23 | Reconciliation to Adjusted Net Income / EPS (Q1 2024 vs. Q1 2023) | Metric | Q1 2024 ($M) | Q1 2024 EPS ($) | Q1 2023 ($M) | Q1 2023 EPS ($) | | :----- | :----------- | :-------------- | :----------- | :-------------- | | Net income from continuing operations attributable to Avient shareholders | 49.4 | 0.54 | 20.8 | 0.23 | | Special items, after-tax | 5.5 | 0.06 | 22.3 | 0.24 | | Amortization expense, after-tax | 14.9 | 0.16 | 15.1 | 0.16 | | Adjusted net income / EPS | 69.8 | 0.76 | 58.2 | 0.63 | Detailed Statement of Income This attachment presents detailed condensed consolidated statements of income for Q1 2024 and 2023, including cost of sales, gross margin, and earnings per share Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income (Q1 2024 vs. Q1 2023) | Metric | Q1 2024 | Q1 2023 | | :----- | :------ | :------ | | Sales ($M) | 829.0 | 845.7 | | Cost of sales ($M) | 550.8 | 598.1 | | Gross margin ($M) | 278.2 | 247.6 | | Selling and administrative expense ($M) | 184.2 | 190.5 | | Operating income ($M) | 94.0 | 57.1 | | Interest expense, net ($M) | (26.6) | (28.8) | | Income from continuing operations before income taxes ($M) | 66.5 | 29.0 | | Income tax expense ($M) | (16.8) | (7.7) | | Net income from continuing operations ($M) | 49.7 | 21.3 | | Net income attributable to Avient common shareholders ($M) | 49.4 | 19.9 | | Diluted EPS from continuing operations ($) | 0.54 | 0.23 | | Cash dividends declared per share ($) | 0.2575 | 0.2475 | Summary of Special Items This section details the impact of special items, such as restructuring and acquisition-related costs, on Avient's financial results, which are excluded from adjusted non-GAAP measures Impact of Special Items on Net Income from Continuing Operations (Q1 2024 vs. Q1 2023) | Special Item Category | Q1 2024 | Q1 2023 | | :-------------------- | :------ | :------ | | Restructuring costs (Cost of sales) ($M) | 3.6 | (6.6) | | Environmental remediation costs (Cost of sales) ($M) | (4.0) | (1.4) | | Restructuring and employee separation costs (S&A) ($M) | (0.7) | (11.3) | | Legal and other (S&A) ($M) | (3.5) | (4.4) | | Acquisition related costs (S&A) ($M) | (1.6) | (3.4) | | Total Impact on Operating Income ($M) | (6.2) | (27.1) | | Income tax benefit on special items ($M) | 1.4 | 6.9 | | Impact on Net Income from Continuing Operations ($M) | (5.5) | (22.3) | | Diluted EPS impact ($) | (0.06) | (0.24) | - Special items include charges related to specific strategic initiatives or financial restructuring such as consolidation of operations, debt extinguishment costs, acquisition/divestiture costs, employee separation costs, asset impairments, pension adjustments, environmental remediation costs, and litigation results19 Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets This attachment presents condensed consolidated balance sheets as of March 31, 2024, and December 31, 2023, detailing assets, liabilities, and shareholders' equity, showing changes in cash and total assets Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (March 31, 2024 vs. December 31, 2023) | Metric | March 31, 2024 ($M) | December 31, 2023 ($M) | | :----- | :------------------ | :--------------------- | | ASSETS | | | | Cash and cash equivalents | 444.3 | 545.8 | | Accounts receivable, net | 475.3 | 399.9 | | Inventories, net | 354.0 | 347.0 | | Total current assets | 1,390.7 | 1,407.6 | | Total assets | 5,876.1 | 5,968.5 | | LIABILITIES & EQUITY | | | | Total current liabilities | 732.1 | 773.6 | | Long-term debt | 2,069.4 | 2,070.5 | | Total liabilities and equity | 5,876.1 | 5,968.5 | Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows This attachment provides condensed consolidated statements of cash flows for Q1 2024 and 2023, showing increased net cash outflow from operating activities primarily due to accounts receivable Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Q1 2024 vs. Q1 2023) | Cash Flow Activity | Q1 2024 ($M) | Q1 2023 ($M) | | :----------------- | :----------- | :----------- | | Net cash used by operating activities | (42.8) | (22.2) | | Net cash used by investing activities | (24.5) | (13.0) | | Net cash used by financing activities | (28.1) | (25.6) | | Decrease in cash and cash equivalents | (101.5) | (58.4) | | Cash and cash equivalents at end of period | 444.3 | 582.7 | - The increase in accounts receivable significantly contributed to the higher net cash used by operating activities in Q1 202424 Business Segment Operations This section breaks down sales, operating income, and EBITDA by business segment, showing improved operating income and EBITDA for both segments year-over-year Sales by Segment (Q1 2024 vs. Q1 2023) | Segment | Q1 2024 ($M) | Q1 2023 ($M) | YoY Change | | :------ | :----------- | :----------- | :--------- | | Color, Additives and Inks | 515.3 | 537.0 | -4.0% | | Specialty Engineered Materials | 314.4 | 309.7 | +1.5% | | Total Sales | 829.0 | 845.7 | -2.0% | Operating Income by Segment (Q1 2024 vs. Q1 2023) | Segment | Q1 2024 ($M) | Q1 2023 ($M) | YoY Change | | :------ | :----------- | :----------- | :--------- | | Color, Additives and Inks | 74.8 | 65.6 | +14.0% | | Specialty Engineered Materials | 53.4 | 43.1 | +23.9% | | Total Operating Income | 94.0 | 57.1 | +64.6% | Adjusted EBITDA by Segment (Q1 2024 vs. Q1 2023) | Segment | Q1 2024 ($M) | Q1 2023 ($M) | YoY Change | | :------ | :----------- | :----------- | :--------- | | Color, Additives and Inks | 96.7 | 91.4 | +5.8% | | Specialty Engineered Materials | 73.0 | 64.3 | +13.5% | | Total Adjusted EBITDA | 143.1 | 133.8 | +6.9% | Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures (Detailed) This attachment provides detailed reconciliations of GAAP to adjusted non-GAAP measures for gross margin, operating income, and EBITDA, along with full-year 2023 and Q2 2023 adjusted EPS reconciliations Reconciliation to Adjusted Gross Margin (Q1 2024 vs. Q1 2023) | Metric | Q1 2024 ($M) | Q1 2023 ($M) | | :----- | :----------- | :----------- | | Gross margin - GAAP | 278.2 | 247.6 | | Special items in gross margin | 0.4 | 8.0 | | Adjusted gross margin | 278.6 | 255.6 | | Adjusted gross margin as a percent of sales (%) | 33.6 | 30.2 | Reconciliation to Adjusted Operating Income (Q1 2024 vs. Q1 2023) | Metric | Q1 2024 ($M) | Q1 2023 ($M) | | :----- | :----------- | :----------- | | Operating income - GAAP | 94.0 | 57.1 | | Special items in operating income | 6.2 | 27.1 | | Adjusted operating income | 100.2 | 84.2 | | Adjusted operating income as a percent of sales (%) | 12.1 | 10.0 | Reconciliation to Adjusted EBITDA (Q1 2024 vs. Q1 2023) | Metric | Q1 2024 ($M) | Q1 2023 ($M) | | :----- | :----------- | :----------- | | EBITDA from continuing operations | 137.4 | 108.3 | | Special items, before tax | 6.2 | 27.3 | | Depreciation and amortization included in special items | (0.5) | (1.8) | | Adjusted EBITDA | 143.1 | 133.8 | Reconciliation of Full-Year 2023 Adjusted EPS | Metric | FY 2023 ($M) | FY 2023 EPS ($) | | :----- | :----------- | :-------------- | | Net income from continuing operations attributable to Avient shareholders | 75.8 | 0.83 | | Special items, after-tax | 79.3 | 0.86 | | Amortization expense, after-tax | 61.5 | 0.67 | | Adjusted net income / EPS | 216.6 | 2.36 | Reconciliation of Q2 2023 Adjusted EPS | Metric | Q2 2023 ($M) | Q2 2023 EPS ($) | | :----- | :----------- | :-------------- | | Net income from continuing operations attributable to Avient shareholders | 22.1 | 0.24 | | Special items, after-tax | 19.6 | 0.21 | | Amortization expense, after-tax | 16.2 | 0.18 | | Adjusted net income / EPS | 57.9 | 0.63 |