Ralph J. Nicoletti - Newell Brands, Inc.
Analyst · Raymond James
Thanks, Mike, and good morning, everyone. As Mike said, we are pleased with our second quarter results. In a challenging environment, we achieved 2.5% core sales growth. We delivered over $8 million in synergies and Project Renewal savings, which is having a meaningful positive impact on margins. Operating cash flow remains on track for the full year, and importantly, we are well-positioned to deliver our full year forecast on both P&L and leverage metrics. Let's turn to the details. Second quarter reported net sales were $4.1 billion, a 5.1% increase versus last year, which was partially driven by the benefit of acquisitions, including an extra two weeks of contribution from the Jarden business as well as contribution from held-for-sale businesses for longer than we had originally assumed. Foreign exchange was 70 basis point headwind and core sales increased 2.5% with notable growth drivers being Baby, Appliances, Writing and Waddington. Core sales growth was broad-based with growth in all geographies. Reported gross margin was 36.4% compared with 28.4% in the prior year, which reflected the absence of last year's inventory step-up impact from the Jarden acquisition. Normalized gross margin was 37%, compared with 37.2% last year. This slight decline reflects the negative mix effects of the Jarden's stub period and the Tools divestiture. We also spent roughly $10 million or 30 basis points this quarter related to repositioning of the Yankee Candle brand in our wholesale markets, partially offset by the benefits of cost synergies and other savings. We reported SG&A expense of $955 million or 23.6% of sales, a 90 basis point decline versus last year. Normalized SG&A expense was $807 million or 19. 9% of sales, 150 basis point decline. The improvement in SG&A ratios is partially driven by cost synergies and other savings. We also saw a benefit from the positive mix impact of the comparison with last year's two weeks stub period in which Jarden, which historically had a lower SG&A ratio was not included in the prior year results. These benefits more than offset the impact of the incremental investments we are making in e-commerce, brand development and insights. Reported operating margin was 10.4% of sales compared with 3.6% in the prior year. Normalized operating margin was 17.1% compared with 15.8% in the prior year. Interest expense of $115 million compares with $127 million last year, which included some onetime impacts from the Jarden transaction. We anticipate 2017 interest expense of around $470 million. Our reported tax rate was 17.6% compared with last year's 20.3%. The normalized tax rate was 26% compared with 29.2% in the previous year. We now expect the full year tax rate to be between 22% and 23%, slightly favorable to our previous guidance. We continue to anticipate discrete tax benefits in the third quarter, which will drive a normalized tax rate in the high single-digit, low double-digit range. We ended the quarter with 486 million diluted shares outstanding, up from 450 million in the prior year, reflecting a full quarter of outstanding shares issued for the Jarden acquisition. We continue to expect the full year share count to be at or around 490 million shares, including the 6.6 million shares recently issued in the settlement of four dissenter lawsuits. Reported EPS was $0.36 compared with $0.30 last year. Normalized EPS, which excludes transaction-related expenses and certain other charges, was $0.87 compared with $0.78 last year. Turning now to our segment results, our Live segment generated net sales of $1.3 billion compared with $1.1 billion in the prior year. Core sales increased 0.2%, reflecting strong results from Baby, particularly in North American car seats and solid contributions from Appliances and from Home Fragrance's retail and international growth, partially offset by softness in Cookware and Fresh Preserving. Net sales in the Learn segment were $1 billion compared with $912 million in the prior year. Core sales increased 6.6%, driven by strong results in – with strong results from Writing, with good international growth on Paper Mate in both Latin America and Europe. U.S. growth from Sharpie, EXPO and Dymo, and most notably, very strong growth from Elmer's, driven by slime. This growth was partially offset by inventory destocking at key retailers, particularly the office superstore channel. In the Work segment, net sales were $738 million compared with $707 million in the prior year. Core sales grew 6.3%. All operating divisions grew in the quarter led by Waddington's continued strong results. The Play segment generated net sales of $782 million compared with $685 million in the prior year. Core sales declined 1.2% as growth from Team Sports, Beverages and Coolers was offset by challenging conditions for Fishing, including inventory destocking and a key fishing retailer bankruptcy. The Other segment contributed net sales of $246 million compared with $533 million in the prior year, reflecting a number of divestitures completed in the last 12 months, including Winter Sports, Tools, Décor, Teutonia, Lehigh and the Fire building business. Core sales declined 2.1%, with growth on Process Solutions, offset by weakness in Home & Family. We generated $48 million of operating cash flow in the quarter compared to $597 million in the second quarter of last year. Cash flow in the second quarter of 2016 was unusually high, benefiting from a couple of onetime impacts related to the close of the Jarden transaction. First, there were substantial cash outflows in the stub period from April 1 to April 15 prior to the acquisition that we did not have to fund. Secondly, there was a benefit on cash interest since no interest payment was due in the quarter related to the acquisition debt. The total cash interest benefit was around $175 million. Cash flow in the second quarter of 2017 of $48 million was affected by higher inventories in support of back half growth initiatives, particularly where we are tight on capacity, such as in slime demand and in our Waddington business. And to a lesser extent, excess inventory in areas where we experienced trade inventory liquidation such as in pure Fishing and Fresh Preserving. We also paid an incremental cash taxes of $50 million principally related to the Tools divestiture. There will be an additional Tools related cash tax payments of approximately $225 million in the third quarter and an $85 million payment in fourth quarter, all of which are contemplated in our cash flow outlook. Importantly, looking at the balance of the year, we are on track to achieve our cash flow and leverage goals. As a result, we expect to have leverage at or near the target EBITDA range and by the middle of next year, ahead of schedule. I'll now turn the call back to Mike.