Walt Rosebrough
Analyst · Needham & Company. Please go ahead with your question
Thanks, Mike. Good morning, everyone, and thank you for joining us today. Mike has already discussed the quarter, so I will focus on the full-year, and then turn the call to Dan to discuss our outlook for fiscal '22. Looking back on FY '21, STERIS fared better than our most positive expectations at the beginning of this unprecedented time in our history. The commitment of our people and the resilience of our businesses allowed us to weather this storm in a positive manner. Remarkably, our revenue was up somewhat in fiscal 2021 as our existing business was stable in total, while we completed acquisitions that added to our growth for the year. Our net income and free cash flow both improved double digits as we managed costs and working capital across the business. From a segment perspective, our Life Sciences business had another very strong year, growing constant currency organic revenue 11% as our biopharma customers used our consumable and ordered a record amount of capital equipment. Our AST segment also had a very good year, ending up 7% on a constant currency organic revenue basis despite a slow start due to the global decline in healthcare procedure volumes. While global procedures are not yet back to pre-COVID levels, AST was able the grow as the year progressed because our previous capacity expansions allowed us to process single-use products related to COVID treatment, testing, and vaccine production. As procedures volumes began to recovery in the second-half and core medical device customers increased manufacturing, AST has returned to more historic growth rates. Our Healthcare business was clearly the most impacted by the pandemic and the related decline in procedure volumes, with constant currency organic revenue down 4% for the year. By the end of the fiscal year, our consumables were trending up nicely in line with procedures, and capital equipment orders were very strong, leading to a record year-end backlog of over $200 million. Our R&D teams have done a great job updating our offerings across our Healthcare business the past year or so. With the addition of Key Surgical and Cantel products and services, along with STERIS' portfolio, we will be better positioned than ever to meet the needs of our customers going forward. The strength of our balance sheet allowed us to operate almost normally last year, increasing our dividend, investing in R&D and capital spending opportunities in all our current businesses, not laying off any of our people for COVID-related volume reductions, completing the acquisition of Key Surgical, in November, and executing the merger agreement with Cantel Medical. We believe these long-term-oriented actions will propel future revenue and profitability growth across our business. In support of the Cantel transaction, our people achieved another significant milestone when we completed our first public debt offering. This was after securing investment-grade rating on our maiden voyage with all three rating agencies. Once the Cantel deal closes, and that debt is on our books, we are committed to reducing our leverage to continue to justify those strong ratings. We expect the strength of our balance sheet to remain a hallmark of our company going forward. All in all, considering the additional issues required by the pandemic, a tremendous set of achievements for STERIS this past year. As you might expect, this is my final STERIS earnings call. As I shift to my new role as an Advisor to Management and the Board, I am very pleased to hand the reins to Dan Carestio, who will succeed me as President and CEO. Dan is a veteran senior executive of our company, having spent more than two decades his terrace with increasing responsible leadership roles. He knows the business. He is fortunate to be supported by an outstanding senior management team, most of whom have also been with our company for a decade or more of success. I am confident that our company is in very good hands with Dan and this STERIS leadership team. I want to take a moment also to recognize our analysts. Several of you have been with us for many years; Chris for 12, Larry for nine, Dave and Matt seven years each. Mike and Mike have picked up coverage fairly recently. And we certainly value their addition. We appreciate all of your efforts on behalf of your clients and our long-term shareholders. And it's been my absolute pleasure to work with each of you this past decade or so. In closing, I would like to thank the people of STERIS for making our company what it is today. And better yet, what it will be tomorrow. The 13,000 people working every day in pursuit of our mission, soon to be over 16,000 are what make the company tick. I also greatly appreciate our Board members the last 14 years. I've been blessed to work with, and for the talented and diverse Board, and two wonderful Chairman, Jack Wareham and now Mohsen Sohi. This Board's guidance will continue to help Dan and the team move ever forward. And I'm tremendously grateful to all of our long-term shareholders who have believed in the value our company provides to our customers, our people, and our shareholders. It's been my honor and pleasure to serve as CEO of this great company for nearly 14 years. And I look forward to its continued successes. I am absolutely confident that the best is yet to come. As you will hear next from, Dan, while reviewing our outlook. Mr. Carestio.