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NewMarket Corporation: Surprisingly Strong Start Of The Year Despite Expensive Acquisition
NEUNewMarket (NEU) Seeking Alpha·2024-06-20 14:30

Core Insights - NewMarket (NYSE:NEU) is a holding company with subsidiaries Afton Chemical and Ethyl Corp., focusing on petroleum additives and specialty materials [1][4][17] - The company recently acquired AMPAC for approximately 700million,whichhasimpacteditsfinancialresults,particularlyinthespecialtymaterialsdivision[4][5][17]FinancialPerformanceInQ12024,NewMarketreportedtotalrevenueof700 million, which has impacted its financial results, particularly in the specialty materials division [4][5][17] Financial Performance - In Q1 2024, NewMarket reported total revenue of 697 million, a decrease of just under 1% year-over-year, while gross profit increased by over 9% to just over 216million[11][16]Operatingprofitinthepetroleumadditivesdivisionwasnearly216 million [11][16] - Operating profit in the petroleum additives division was nearly 151 million, contrasting with a negative operating profit of 5millioninthespecialtymaterialsdivision[7][11]Thecompanygeneratedunderlyingfreecashflowof5 million in the specialty materials division [7][11] - The company generated underlying free cash flow of 110 million, with a reported operating cash flow of approximately 124millionafteraccountingforworkingcapitalinvestments[4][8]DebtandCashFlowAsoftheendofQ12024,NewMarkethad124 million after accounting for working capital investments [4][8] Debt and Cash Flow - As of the end of Q1 2024, NewMarket had 117 million in cash and 1.28billioningrossdebt,resultinginanetdebtlevelof1.28 billion in gross debt, resulting in a net debt level of 1.16 billion, up from 531millionattheendofthepreviousyear[4][14]Thecompanyanticipatesendingtheyearwithanetdebtoflessthan531 million at the end of the previous year [4][14] - The company anticipates ending the year with a net debt of less than 1 billion and a debt ratio closer to 1.5 times EBITDA, which is in line with its internal targets [14][19] Acquisition Impact - The AMPAC acquisition contributed to an operating loss in the specialty materials division, attributed to non-recurring items and transaction-related expenses [5][17] - NewMarket expects improved results from the specialty materials division in the upcoming quarters, aligning with pre-acquisition expectations [17] Earnings and Valuation - Net income for Q1 2024 was 107.7million,reflectinganincreaseofover10107.7 million, reflecting an increase of over 10% compared to the same quarter last year, resulting in earnings per share of 11.23 [16][19] - The stock is currently trading at about 9.5 times projected full-year EBITDA of $625 million, with expectations for this multiple to decrease as debt is repaid and the AMPAC acquisition begins to contribute positively [19]