Earnings Labs

Methode Electronics, Inc. (MEI)

Q3 2012 Earnings Call· Thu, Mar 1, 2012

$7.65

-4.02%

Key Takeaways · AI generated
AI summary not yet generated for this transcript. Generation in progress for older transcripts; check back soon, or browse the full transcript below.

Same-Day

-4.81%

1 Week

-4.17%

1 Month

+0.53%

vs S&P

-2.45%

Transcript

Operator

Operator

Welcome to the Methode Electronics' Fiscal 2012 Third Quarter Earnings Conference Call. [Operator Instructions] As a reminder, this conference is being recorded. This conference call does contain certain forward-looking statements, which reflects management's expectations regarding future events and operating performances and speak only as of the date hereof. These forward-looking statements are subject to the Safe Harbor protection provided under the securities laws. Methode undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statements to conform the statement to actual results or changes in Methode's expectations on a quarterly basis or otherwise. The forward-looking statements in this conference call involve a number of risks and uncertainties. The factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from our expectations are detailed in Methode's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, such as our annual and quarterly report. Such factors may include without limitations, the following: dependence on a small number of large customers, including 2 large automotive customers; dependence on the automotive, appliance, computer and communications industries; further downturns in the automotive industry or the bankruptcy of certain automotive customers; ability to compete effectively; customary risks related to conducting global operations; dependence on the availability and price of raw materials; dependence on our supply chain; ability to keep pace with rapid technological changes; ability to avoid design or manufacturing defects; ability to protect our intellectual property; ability to withstand price pressure; the usage of a significant amount of our cash and resources to launch new North American automotive programs; location of a significant amount of cash outside of the U.S.; currency fluctuations; ability to successfully benefit from acquisitions and divestitures; ability to withstand business interruptions; unfavorable tax laws; ability to implement and profit from newly acquired technology; and the future trading price of our stock. It is now my pleasure to introduce your host, Don Duda, President and Chief Executive Officer for Methode Electronics.

Donald W. Duda

Management

Thank you, Louis, and good morning, everyone. Thank you for joining us today for our fiscal 2012 third quarter financial results conference call. I am joined today by Doug Koman, Chief Financial Officer; and Ron Tsoumas, Controller. Both Doug and I have comments, and afterwards, we will be pleased to take your questions. On a consolidated basis, net sales grew nearly 10% in both the third quarter and first 9 months of fiscal 2012 compared to the same periods last year. The sales improvement was driven primarily by new product introductions and higher market penetration in our North American and Asian automotive business units. Sales gains were partially offset by declines in our Interconnect segment, a direct result of continued softness in the appliance market and the sale of our Optical business in the fourth quarter of last fiscal year. We posted third quarter net income of $0.8 million or $0.02 per share compared to $5.9 million or $0.16 per share in the same quarter of last year. For the first 9 months of fiscal 2012, we had net income of $2.6 million or $0.07 per share compared to $9.4 million or $0.25 per share in the comparable period last year. For both periods of fiscal 2012, net income was negatively impacted by higher foreign income taxes. Additionally, the settlement of the Blue Angel dispute in the second quarter of fiscal 2011 skewed the year-over-year net income comparison in both the third quarter and first 9 month periods. Excluding the benefit for settlement of the Blue Angel dispute of $1.7 million in the fiscal 2011 period, Methode's net income was $4.1 million or $0.11 per share in last year's fiscal third quarter. As in the last several quarters, design, development and launch costs in both our Automotive and Power Products…

Douglas A. Koman

Management

Thanks, Don. Good morning, everyone. I'm going to keep my comments very limited today since we provided a lot of detailed information on the third quarter and 9-month period in both our earnings and 10-Q. So let me start with the effective tax rate. The effective tax rate was 60% in the third quarter and 58% for the 9-month period. This high rate with this is primarily due to the fact that we generate most of our taxable income in China where the tax rate has been 12.5% and just increased 25% effective January 1, 2012. Another item that negatively affected the effective tax rate for the 9-month period was the fact that we had $900,000 of withholding tax expense and that was on the dividend that we declared from our China facility to our Singapore facility of about $17 million. We did that, if you recall, to reduce the amount of cash concentrated in China. As we look forward to the fourth quarter, we expect the consolidated effective tax rate to reduce significantly and this is as we begin to see offsetting taxable income growth in both the U.S. and Malta, where we benefit from both net operating loss carry forwards and investment tax credit carry forwards respectively in both of those locations. I'll take a look at the capital expenditures. For the 9-month period, we spent $16.6 million in CapEx. In addition to that, we spent $6.3 million for the acquisition of the business assets of the former Nypro operation in Monterrey, Mexico. This acquisition actually allowed us to save about $8 million of equivalent greenfield capital expenditures for new equipment that would have been needed to bring the molding, paint and laser-etch process in house. We expect to spend an additional $7 million to $8 million in…

Donald W. Duda

Operator

Doug, thank you very much. Louis we are ready to take questions.

Operator

Operator

[Operator Instructions] Our first question comes from David Leiker from Robert W. Baird. Joseph D. Vruwink - Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated, Research Division: This is Joe Vruwink for David. Just -- can you maybe provide clarification on the Interconnect award for appliances. It sounds like a great award with a customer you've been trying to get more involved with. Do you have a idea when you might hit full volume or a good annualized rate of volume on that program?

Donald W. Duda

Operator

I can't provide really too much more background on the award. I can say it will begin its launch in late summer and hit its stride in the next calendar year. Joseph D. Vruwink - Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated, Research Division: Okay. And is that $30 million to $40 million on today's kind of level of appliance demand? So if we would theoretically get a recovery in the housing markets, you're looking at a lot more than that $30 million to $40 million?

Douglas A. Koman

Management

I think I would say on the low end of that $30 million is we're kind of saying status quo, and then on the higher end, the $40 million is some recovery in the market. Not, I wouldn't say, back to the '08 level but I think we've taken that into account in the $30 million to $40 million. Joseph D. Vruwink - Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated, Research Division: Okay. And then on the Power, or it's the Eetrex award, did you provide what's -- it's not $10 million anymore, but did you say what it actually is now?

Douglas A. Koman

Management

We have not. The customer is rethinking their product and we just wanted to let everyone know that we've reduced that significantly in our projections. So I don't think I want to say yet, because it could be, could be nothing, could be several million. Joseph D. Vruwink - Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated, Research Division: And then the thought process -- it sounds like you're still going to go ahead with $2 million or $2.5 million of Eetrex investments next year. Maybe just give an explanation on the thought processes of the revenue opportunity for that product is maybe diminished in the next, well, near term, I guess?

Donald W. Duda

Operator

Potentially from an e-van [ph] standpoint, but from stationary power that, that is probably increasing our optimism for the revenue gain in Eetrex. As you know, we have a data center business and lithium-ion technology is starting to be deployed in the data centers, moving away from lead acid. So the combination of Eetrex and our path to market with our data center business provides some pretty good near-term opportunity. And, again, not diminish e-van [ph]. It's just our one customer is changing their product strategy a bit. And so that caused us to reduce our expectations there. But I think our expectations for the other markets are quite high. Joseph D. Vruwink - Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated, Research Division: Okay. Great. And then just on the Q4 I know you don't give quarterly guidance, so you can back in on that it's going to be, I guess, $0.06 to $0.14. Are there swing factors that you see on the horizon that could still feasibly get you to the $0.14 figure? And I'm wondering what those are?

Douglas A. Koman

Management

The reason we didn't change the guidance is the company's position is that we provide annual guidance. So we're not going to try to narrow the range. But there are -- we talked about taxes before, taxes can swing quite a bit. And that's one of the items that can be driving that number possibly up to the higher end of that range but that's primarily why we've left the guidance where it's at. It's that management report [ph], just the business of providing annual guidance at this point. Joseph D. Vruwink - Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated, Research Division: Is there anything that would cause for a tax benefit in Q4?

Douglas A. Koman

Management

Yes. When we -- in the fourth quarter, what we'll do is we'll finish our budgeting process and that's when we take a look at a lot of our valuation allowances in the -- on the tax side. And there -- I think there could be some movement there. Joseph D. Vruwink - Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated, Research Division: Okay. And then just one last tax question. Have you been planning for a certain effective tax rate? I mean, you're -- I guess you're coming in -- would [ph] be under that so you have to play catch-up in Q4 and that's what would contribute to maybe lower than expected taxes? If I'm thinking about that correctly?

Douglas A. Koman

Management

Yes. And it's really the lower -- the expected lower effective tax rate in the fourth quarter is going to be because we're going to start generating more income in both Malta and the U.S. that are sheltered by -- again, in U.S. we have the net operating losses. In Malta, we have the investment tax credit offsets. So what happened is the, as we generate more non-China income that just lowers the effective tax rate, even though the China rate is going up. It becomes a smaller part of the pie. So that's what's going to drive the lower rate in the fourth quarter. And like I said, it will also be the reason that next year we expect a lower tax rate. Joseph D. Vruwink - Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated, Research Division: Okay. And then I actually, I had a one more question. On the pick ups in the GM business on the new T900 platform. Is there any -- can you provide maybe models? Or can you clarify, I'm guessing, it's going to be on the SUVs or crossovers, can you provide maybe any further granularity on that?

Donald W. Duda

Operator

Not at this time. But -- all I -- all we can do is what I put in our prepared remarks. I'm sorry.

Operator

Operator

[Operator Instructions] Mr. Duda there are no further questions at this time. I would like to turn the call back over to you for closing comments.

Donald W. Duda

Operator

Well, thank you, Louis. We'll thank everyone for listening and wish everyone a good day. Thank you.