Glenn E. Tynan
Analyst · Wells Fargo
Thank you, Dave, and good morning, everyone. Our discussions today of current and future results, except for cash flow, are on a continuing operations basis, which excludes all divestitures. Our fourth quarter results included solid improvements in operating income, operating margin and especially, free cash flow generation. Operating income rose 5% due to the continued benefit of our operating margin improvement initiatives and lower corporate overhead cost, despite slightly lower sales. This led to an operating margin of 13.1%, up 90 basis points from the prior year, driven by improved organic sales and operating income in our Commercial/Industrial and Energy segments. As a result, diluted earnings per share from continuing operations of $0.94 in the fourth quarter increased modestly compared to the prior-year period. Following strong year-to-date results, new orders were 8% lower in the fourth quarter, primarily due to lower demand within the defense markets. However, new orders for the year were up 12% overall, primarily within the aerospace and naval defense markets. And finally, free cash flow for the fourth quarter was $166 million, exceeding our expectations, and up 86% compared to the prior-year period, with free cash flow conversion coming in very strong at 360%. Moving on to our full year results, we concluded 2014 with a strong overall performance. Sales improved in both overall commercial and defense end markets. Most notably, due to strong growth in our general industrial and oil and gas markets. Our full year operating income and margin benefited from our ongoing operating margin improvement initiatives, specifically, portfolio rationalization as well as lower cost related to our organizational realignment initiatives. Overall, operating income grew 19%, 14% of which was organic, driving operating margin up 140 basis points on a continuing operations basis to 12.6%. However, to further clarify the strength of our 2014 results, if you compare our current performance to our original reported 2013 results, prior to the divestiture activity, operating margin improved 330 basis points year-over-year from 9.3% to 12.6%. As you can see you by our results, we have been steadily improving Curtiss-Wright's profitability through increased operational efficiency. Diluted earnings per share from continuing operations of $3.46 increased 19% compared to the prior-year period. And on the heels of a very strong fourth quarter, we concluded the full year 2014 with a solid free cash flow performance that exceeded our expectations, generating $265 million, which equated to a 156% free cash flow conversion rate. And finally, we generated a solid improvement in our return on invested capital, which increased 300 basis points, from 7.4% reported in 2013, to 10.4% in 2014, due to improved operating performance and the divestiture of non-core assets. As a result of our divestitures, we are moving forward with a leaner and more profitable portfolio of assets, which should continue to drive improvements in operating margin and return on invested capital. Moving to the 2014 end market sales. Overall commercial market sales grew 8%, led by 2% organic growth and the benefit from acquisitions in the general industrial market. In the commercial aerospace market, we continue to produce solid results, driven primarily by higher sales in the Boeing 737 and 787 programs, as well as increased Surface Technologies revenues. In the general industrial market, higher sales were driven by a solid combination of 5% organic growth as well as our Arens Controls acquisition, serving the on-road and off-road truck and specialty vehicle markets. Growth in this end market was primarily driven by sales from medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles. Overall, our 2014 sales grew 19% in this end market. Next, the oil and gas market, where we experienced solid fourth quarter and full year sales growth. As a reminder, due to the previously announced divestitures, which are included in discontinued operations, this end market primarily consists of our industrial valve businesses, whose key products include severe service and pressure-relief valves. While the overall oil and gas industry was impacted by the swift reduction in oil prices during fourth quarter, the net impact to Curtiss-Wright was negligible due to our broad product diversification. I want to note that while 10% of total Curtiss-Wright 2014 sales remained in this end market, approximately half of these sales were actually to the chemical and petrochemical customers. As a result and in order to simplify Curtiss-Wright's end market structure, these remaining sales are now reflected in the general industrial market herewith and going forward, given the more industrial-focused nature of these businesses. And finally, within the power generation market. We continue to experience lower revenues on both the U.S. and China AP1000 programs as they continue to wind down. On the aftermarket side, beginning in the second half of this year, we experienced lower sales to existing domestic operating reactors due to lower outages, plant closures and deferred spending on plant maintenance due to competitive pressures resulting from lower natural gas prices. And next to the defense markets, where sales increased 3% overall in 2014. In aerospace defense, we experienced higher demand from embedded computing products in general and on several long-term production programs, most notably, helicopters and the Joint Strike Fighter. We also experienced another solid performance in our naval defense market, where we continue to benefit from the steady funding of key U.S. Navy shipbuilding programs, most notably for the Block 4 build of the Virginia-Class submarines, which was partially offset by lower sales on the Ford-Class Aircraft Carrier program based on timing of production. Next, I'd like to move on to our 2015 financial outlook, beginning with our end market sales. Full year 2015 sales are expected to grow between 2% and 4% in both our overall defense and commercial end markets. I'll begin in the defense market, where overall defense industry sales are expected to be flat in 2015, as sequestration has largely been avoided. For Curtiss-Wright, our 2015 outlook for overall aerospace and naval defense sales is relatively flat from 2014, while ground defense sales are expected to be higher. Sales to the naval market will be impacted by essentially flat year-over-year production on both the Virginia-class submarine and Ford-Class Aircraft Carrier programs. In aerospace defense, we're expecting a mixed performance in 2015. The Joint Strike Fighter program is expected to be one of the key contributors, while overall helicopter sales are expected to be down. In ground defense, however, international sales will continue to be solid in 2015, primarily aided by a contract for a turret drive stabilization system supporting a large-scale program in South Africa. And domestically, we anticipate renewed sales in the U.S., as modernization programs for the Bradley and Stryker vehicles begin to ramp up. As a result, we expect improved overall ground defense sales in 2015. In the commercial aerospace market, we expect sales to be relatively flat with 2014. Hardware sales to Boeing are expected to improve again in 2015, primarily driven by higher sales in the 737 program, but those gains are expected to be somewhat offset by lower shot peening sales. We're also expecting improved sales for regional jet and commercial helicopters. In power generation, we expect sales to be flat in 2015. As previously noted, since the middle of last year, we have seen increased headwinds impacting U.S. nuclear plant operators, which led to several plant closures and deferred spending. We expect these challenges to continue this year and as a result, we are projecting reduced sales in our power generation aftermarket business. In the new build business, we expect lower production on the existing domestic and China AP1000 programs in 2015 as these projects continue to wind down. We continue to negotiate and finalize the contract language for the new AP1000 China order, which we now expect to receive in the third quarter of 2015. Therefore, our guidance for 2015 includes production revenues and operating income relative to the new order of $13 million and $3 million, respectively. Note that we expect this program to be a significant driver of future organic growth in our new build power generation business and overall Curtiss-Wright for years to come. Next, to our general industrial market, which we expect to be our leading market performer in 2015, with sales growth ranging from 5% to 9%. Based on the critical mass that we achieved over the past few years, we expect to benefit from the increased demand for our industrial vehicle products based on solid growth outlook for OEMs and increasing global desire to reduce emissions. Within our industrial valves business, we expect to see continued strong global demand for our petrochemical and refinery-related MRO product offerings, supporting ongoing maintenance needs. And within the services side of the general industrial market, we expect our Surface Technologies businesses to benefit from solid demand for our highly technical peening and coating services to domestic and international customers, particularly in the automotive industry. Continuing with our financial outlook, based on our expected sales growth range of 2% to 4% in 2015, nearly all of which is organic, we expect full year sales to be approximately $2.3 billion. Total operating income guidance is expected to grow 7% to 10% in 2015, while operating margin is expected to expand another 70 to 80 basis points to a range of 13.3% to 13.4%. All 3 segments are expected to benefit from incremental operating margin improvement initiatives in 2015. And finally, our guidance for diluted earnings per share is a range of $3.80 to $3.90, which represents double-digit EPS growth of 10% to 13% over 2014. In addition, we expect approximately 40% of our full year EPS to be in the first half of the year, which is significantly different than 2014, where 46% was generated in the first half of the year. The primary driver for this difference is that we expect to incur costs relative to completion of the engineering and endurance testing from the current AP1000 program in the first half of the year and benefit from the new China order in the second half. As you saw in the press release issued last night and as a result of previously announced discontinued operations, we are realigning certain segments and businesses as follows. The Energy segment will be renamed as the Power segment. The businesses serving the new build power generation and nuclear naval defense markets, which had previously been reported within the Defense segment, will join with the nuclear aftermarket business in the new Power segment. The remaining oil and gas businesses, which had previously operated within the Energy segment, will join the Commercial/Industrial segment, and this also supports our change in the end market guidance to represent these businesses within the general industrial market moving forward. The Defense segment will be comprised primarily of the electronics businesses, providing ISR and electronic warfare solutions to the aerospace and ground defense markets. As a result, restated historical financial results for 2014 and 2013 periods are included in the earnings press release and are downloadable from the Investor Relations section of our website. Please note that starting with our first quarter 2015 results, we will be reporting in the new segment structure. Next, to our 2015 segment guidance in the new structure. Starting with the Commercial/Industrial segment, sales are expected to grow 3% to 5%, primarily led by growth in the general industrial market. We are projecting a 30- to 40 basis point improvement in operating income compared to 2014 to a range of 14.8% to 14.9%. The increase in operating income and margin will be driven by improved sales for industrial vehicles, sensors and industrial valves. Offsetting those improvements is a slight reduction in profitability for surface treatment services, following a robust 2014. Next, to the Defense segment, where sales are expected to grow 2% to 5%, primarily led by growth in ground defense markets. We are projecting solid improvement in operating income compared to the 2014 results, driving a 110 to 120 basis point increase in operating margin to a range of 18% to 18.1%. Higher profitability will be driven by solid demand for our turret drive stabilization systems and embedded computing products for both defense and commercial applications. Moving to the new Power segment, sales are expected to be flat to slightly lower in 2015. However, we are projecting significant improvement in operating income compared to our 2014 results, driving a 160 to 170 basis point increase in operating margin to a range of 11.4% to 11.5%. The most significant drivers are improved profitability on the domestic AP1000 revenues compared to a challenging 2014, as well as higher margins associated with the new AP1000 China order. Next, I want to take a few minutes to discuss our pension plans. On January 30, 2015, we elected to make a $145 million contribution to our corporate-defined benefit pension plan. This contribution will substantially offset the headwinds in our 2015 pension expense as a result of declining interest rates. Further, this action will significantly lower our projected pension expense and eliminate the need for further cash contributions over the next 5 years. We believe this contribution has a strong return on investment of approximately 10%, as the company's pension plan assets have consistently produced a solid rate of return, in addition to the resultant elimination of PBGC premiums. And for 2015, we are projecting pension expense to be approximately $33 million. Finally, we are forecasting 2015 diluted shares outstanding to be 47.8 million, based on our expectations for share repurchases to more than offset the dilution from stock issuance. Next to our cash flow. For 2015, based on the benefits of our operational improvement initiatives and working capital reduction efforts, our free cash flow guidance, adjusted to exclude the $145 million pension contribution, is expected to range from $245 million to $265 million, with an expected conversion rate of 135% to 142%. As compared to 2014, on a continuing operations basis, we are maintaining a very solid free cash flow level similar to our very strong 2014 results. And finally, the capital allocation, we have expectations for a solid cash position in 2015. I want to reiterate our commitment to having a more balanced capital allocation between capital expenditures, returns to shareholders and strategic bolt-on acquisitions. We ended 2014 with approximately $450 million in cash on the balance sheet, of which $250 million is domestic and currently invested in marketable securities. Considering our operating cash flow for 2015 and anticipated proceeds from divestitures, we expect to have approximately $600 million of available cash to deploy in 2015. The combination of the pension contribution and capital expenditures represents about 1/3 of our expected available cash that will be used for operational needs. We expect to allocate another 1/3 of our operating cash flow to our shareholders in the form of share repurchases and dividends, which Dave will cover in a few minutes. And the remaining 1/3 will be available for potential bolt-on acquisitions, all of which supports our balanced capital allocation strategy. Now I'd like to turn the call back over to Dave to provide an update on our operating margin improvement initiatives and future outlook. Dave?