Joseph Reitmeier
Analyst · Vertical Research. Please go ahead
Thank you, Todd. And good morning, everyone. I'll provide some additional comments and financial details on the business segments for the fourth quarter and the year overall starting with Residential Heating & Cooling. In the fourth quarter revenue from Residential Heating & Cooling was a fourth quarter record $620 million up 12%. Volume was up 3%, price was up 8%, and mix was up 1%. Foreign exchange was neutral to revenue. Residential profit was $110 million down 5%. Segment margin was 17.8%, down 310 basis points. Segment profit was primarily impacted by 6% fewer days than the prior year quarter, the COVID-19 pandemic, global supply chain disruptions, higher material, freight and other product costs, and higher SG&A. Positive impacts included higher volume, favorable price, mix, foreign exchange and warranty and distribution efficiency programs. For the full-year, Residential segment revenue was a record $2.78 billion up 18%, volume was up 13%, price was up 4%, and mix was flat with foreign exchange being a 1% favorable benefit to revenue. Residential profit was a record $540 million up 26%. Segment margin was 19.5% up 140 basis points. Now, turning to our Commercial Heating and Cooling business. In the fourth quarter, commercial revenue was $201 million down 11%. Volume was down 21%, price was up 2%, and mix was up 8%. Foreign exchange was neutral to revenue. Commercial segment profit was $16 million down 64%. Segment margin was 7.7% down 1170 basis points. Segment profit was primarily impacted by 6% fewer days than the prior year quarter, the COVID-19 pandemic, global supply chain disruptions, lower volume, higher material warranty, tariff, freight, and other product costs and higher SG&A. Partial offsets included favorable price and mix. For the full year commercial revenue was $865 million up 8%. Volume was up 3%, price was up 1%, and mix was up 3%. Foreign exchange was 1% favorable benefit to revenue. Segment profit was $111 million down 19%, and segment margin was 12.8% down 430 basis points. In refrigeration, revenue was a fourth quarter record, $143 million up 6%. Volume was up 4%, price was up 1%, and mix was down 1%. Foreign exchange had a favorable 2% impact on revenue. Refrigeration segment profit was $13 million in the fourth quarter, which was up 29%. Segment margin was 9.2% up 170 basis points. Segment profit was positively impacted by higher volume, favorable price and mix and lower SG&A. Partial offsets included 6% fewer days in the prior year quarter, the COVID-19 pandemic, global supply chain disruptions in higher material, freight, and other product costs. For the full year, Refrigeration revenue was $554 million, up 17%. Volume was up 13%, price was up 3%, and mix was flat. Foreign exchange had a favorable 1% impact. Segment profit was $49 million up 50% and segment profit margin was 8.9% up 190 basis points. Regarding special items, the company had net after-tax charges of $3.2 million for the fourth quarter and $7.4 million for the full year. Corporate expenses were $37 million in the fourth quarter, and $96 million for the full year. Overall, SG&A was $152 million in the fourth quarter or 15.7% of revenue, the same as the prior quarter. For 2021, overall SG&A was $599 million or 14.3% of revenue, down from 15.3% in the prior year. Our 2021 income tax rate declined year-over-year, attributable to geographic mix, year-end adjustments of taxes on export sales, and finalization and settlement of our prior-year tax obligations. For 2021, the company had cash from operations of $516 million, compared to $612 million in the prior year. As working capital increased, primarily due to sales growth, increasing accounts receivable, and inventory increasing due to mitigation strategies to combat supply chain disruptions, along with inflationary effects year-over-year on product costs. Capital expenditures were $106 million for the full year compared to $77 million in the prior year. Free cash flow was $410 million for the year compared to $535 million in the prior year. In 2021, the company paid approximately $127 million in dividends and repurchased $600 million of company stock. Total debt was $1.24 billion at the end of the fourth quarter and we ended the year with a debt-to - EBITDA ratio of 1.8. Cash and cash equivalents were $31 million at the end of the year. Now, before I turn it over to Q&A, I'll review our outlook for 2022. Our underlying market assumptions for the year remain the same. We expect the industry to see low single-digit shipment growth in residential, and mid-single-digit shipment growth in commercial, unitary, and refrigeration markets in North America. Our guidance for 2022, revenue growth remains 5% to 10% with neutral foreign exchange impact. And we are raising our guidance for GAAP and adjusted EPS from continuing operations from a range of $13.40 to $14.40, to a new range of $13.50 to $14.50. This reflects the net of a lower expected effective tax rate of 18% to 20% compared to our prior guidance of approximately 20%, as well as higher interest and other expense approximately $40 million compared to prior guidance for $35 million. Now, let me run you through some of the other key assumptions in our guidance and the puts and takes for 2022, all of which are unchanged. Pricing is expected to be a benefit of $235 million for the year, which is about a 5% yield. Factory productivity and production from our third Mexico plant is expected to be a $20 million benefit. We are guiding for residential mix to be neutral. Tariffs are also expected to be neutral, and we assume neutral foreign exchange impact. For the headwinds of -- in 2022, we still expect a $110 million headwind from commodities. A headwind of $60 million from components have offset by $30 million of cost take outs for a net $30 million headwind. Freight is still expected to be a $5 million headwind. We will be at more -- at a more normal run-rate with distribution investments this year with 30 new Lennox stores planned. SG&A is expected to be up $45 million this year, including our investments in Research and Development and Information Technology. A few other points. Corporate expenses are still targeted at $95 million, and we are planning capital expenditures to be approximately $125 million this year. Free cash flow is targeted at $400 million and finally, we expect the weighted average deluded share count for the full year, to be between 36 to 37 million shares, which incorporates our plans to repurchase $400 million of stock this year. And with that, let's go to Q&A.