Bruce Hausmann
Analyst · Thompson Research Group. Your line is open
Thank you, Laurel, and good morning, everyone. Fourth quarter net sales totaled 335.6 million, a decrease of 1.2% versus fourth quarter of 2021. FX neutral net sales growth in the fourth quarter was 3.6% year-over-year even as we lapped a strong fourth quarter last year that had 24% year-over-year growth. Fourth quarter FX neutral net sales growth in the Americas was 3.3% and EAAA's FX neutral net sales growth was 3.9% year-over-year. Fourth quarter adjusted gross profit margin was 33.2%, a decrease of 294 basis points from the prior year period, due mainly to higher raw material labor costs, partially offset by higher pricing. Adjusted SG&A expenses were 79.4 million or 23.7% of net sales in the fourth quarter of 2022, compared to 81.6 million or 24% of net sales in the fourth quarter of 2021. Fourth quarter 2022 adjusted operating income was 32 million, down 22% versus adjusted operating income of 41.1 million in the fourth quarter of 2021. Fourth quarter 2022 adjusted EPS was $0.31 versus $0.47 in the fourth quarter of 2021. Adjusted EBITDA was 41.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2022 versus 52.8 million in the fourth quarter of 2021. Looking at the full-year 2022 results, consolidated net sales totaled 1.3 billion, up 8%, compared to 1.2 billion in the prior year period. FX neutral net sales growth year-over-year was very strong at 13%. FX neutral net sales growth in the Americas was also very strong at 16.1% and EAAA's FX neutral net sales growth was also very strong at 9.4% year-over-year. Adjusted gross profit margin for 2022 was 34.7%, a decrease of 184 basis points from the prior year, due to higher raw materials, freight, and labor costs, partially offset by higher pricing. As we move into 2023, inflationary trends continue, but at a lower rate than last year. Ocean freight has come down materially and we're anticipating single-digit inflation [in] [ph] most of our raw materials versus the higher double-digit inflation we experienced in 2022. We also had significant FX headwinds in 2022, which are easing as the U.S. dollars weakening, compared to key currencies. Adjusted SG&A expenses for 2022 were 317.6 million or 24.5% of net sales, compared to 316.1 million or 26.3% of net sales in 2021. The 186 basis points of improvement reflect our continued progress in managing and optimizing SG&A. Adjusted operating income for 2022 totaled 132.4 million, up 8.3%, compared to the prior year. For the full-year 2022, adjusted earnings per share was $1.25 versus $1.23 in 2021. In the fourth quarter, we recorded 5.1 million in charges related to the cybersecurity events that occurred in late November. This included 4.8 million in cost of goods sold, primarily related to [idle plant] [ph] costs and approximately 300,000 in SG&A expenses related to direct third-party fees. These costs are excluded from our adjusted operating income. Permanently lost net sales from the event are estimated at approximately $8 million. The team did a great job managing through this event, which temporarily impacted us for about a week in EAAA and two weeks in the U.S. As a result of our prior investments in cybersecurity, and the quick response from our team, there was minimal impact to our customers. Also in the fourth quarter, we recorded non-cash goodwill and intangible assets impairment charge of 36.2 million, primarily due to a decrease in the fair value versus carrying value as a result of the company's decreased market capitalization, comparable company market multiples, projected future cash flows, and an increase in the weighted average cost of capital due to rising interest rates and prevailing capital market conditions. This is a non-cash charge in keeping with pertinent accounting literature. As we close out 2022, our balance sheet remains strong. For the fourth quarter, Interface generated 28 million of cash from operating activities. For the year, we generated 43 million of cash from operating activities, which is lower than the prior year, primarily due to inventory inflation and cash collections that shifted from fiscal year 2022 to fiscal year 2023, due to timing of the November cyber events. Liquidity at year-end totaled 372 million, consisting of 97.6 million of cash and 274 million of revolver capacity. Net debt or total debt minus cash on hand was 422.6 million at the end of the fourth quarter, and adjusted EBITDA for 2022 was 176.1 million and our net leverage ratio was 2.4x calculated as net debt divided by adjusted EBITDA. We continue to have confidence in our strong balance sheet and our capital structure. Capital expenditures were 18.4 million in 2022, compared to 28.1 million in 2021. For the full-year 2022, we repurchased 17.2 million of Interface common stock in accordance with our balanced capital allocation strategy. We remain focused on paying down debt, investing in the business, returning excess cash to our shareholders through a dividend and opportunistic share repurchases. Turning to our outlook, We entered 2023 with strong momentum that has continued thus far in the first quarter. As Laurel mentioned, demand for our products remained strong, and our business remains strong. However, we are cautious about 2023, given the considerable macroeconomic uncertainty, including ongoing inflation, and rising interest rates. It is difficult to predict the duration of the current economic conditions or their potential impact on our industry. We're also anticipating that adjusted gross profit margin will remain at current levels in the first half as we continue to work through the inflationary inventory on our balance sheet and return to a more normalized production and supply chain environment. Interface is successfully managed through key challenging periods and industry recessions and we believe we are strongly positioned to navigate through any macroeconomic environment that comes our way in 2023. As the company navigates through this uncertainty, it is anticipating for the first quarter of 2023, net sales of 290 million to 305 million, adjusted gross profit margin of approximately 34%, adjusted SG$A expenses of approximately 82 million, adjusted interest and other expenses of approximately 10 million, fully diluted weighted average share count of approximately 58.7 million share. And for the full-fiscal year of 2023, year-over-year net sales growth of 1% to 5%, adjusted gross profit margin of 35%, adjusted SG&A expenses that are 25% to 25.5% of net sales, adjusted interest and other expenses of approximately 36 million and adjusted effective tax rate for the full-year of approximately 28.5%. And lastly, capital expenditures of approximately 32 million. By leveraging our strong financial foundation, our strong brand, and our highly differentiated products, we are confident in our ability to deliver on our mission. And with that, I'll turn the call back to Laurel for concluding remarks.