Earnings Labs

Unifi, Inc. (UFI)

Q3 2017 Earnings Call· Wed, Apr 26, 2017

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Transcript

Operator

Operator

Good morning, everyone. On the call today is Tom Caudle, President; and Sean Goodman, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. During this call, management will be referencing a webcast presentation that can be found at unifi.com. The presentation can be accessed by clicking the third quarter conference call link found on Unifi homepage. Management advises you that certain statements included on today’s call will be forward-looking statements, within the meaning of the federal security laws. Management cautions that these statements are based on current expectations, estimates and/or projections about the markets in which the Company operates. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks that are difficult to predict. Actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed, forecasted or implied by these statements. You are directed to the disclosures filed with the SEC and the Company’s Form 10-Qs and Form 10-Ks regarding various factors that may impact these results. Also, please be advised that certain non-GAAP financial measures such as adjusted EBITDA, adjusted working capital, adjusted net income and adjusted EPS will be discussed on the call and non-GAAP reconciliations can be found in the schedules to the webcast presentation. I will now turn the call over to Tom Caudle.

Thomas Caudle

Management

Thanks, operator, and good morning, everyone. Thank you for joining us today. I will begin today’s call with an operational and strategic overview before turning the call over to Sean who will take us through the financial details for the third quarter and first nine months of fiscal 2017. Our financial results reflect continued success and strong execution against our global strategy to provide high-quality, innovative and sustainable products to our customers around the world. This strategy has not only enhanced our ability to serve our customers, but also it provides us with valuable business diversification. During the quarter and fiscal year-to-date, excellent results from our International operations in both Asia and Brazil have helped to offset persistent soft domestic market conditions. Volume and process growth remained very strong during the third quarter in China while our PVA business continues to grow by filament yarn and staple fiber as our customers benefit from the differentiation in the strategy that our REPREVE PVA products bring to their portfolio. In addition, we were gaining traction across a number of growth opportunities in Sri Lanka and Vietnam as we continue working with key global brands and retail partners to develop and implement PVA programs that would drive value throughout the supply chain. In Brazil, our third quarter results reflect the continuation of strong performance achieved throughout the calendar 2016. Our team in Brazil continues to successfully capitalize on the expansion of the synthetic fiber market and growing demand for PVA products, despite a volatile economic and political operating environment. In summary, we are again very pleased with our strong International momentum and financial performance and view the International segment as an important component of our long-term future growth. As for our US regional business, consistent with recent comments from new domestic retailers, the…

Sean Goodman

Management

Thank you, Tom, and good morning everyone. For the third quarter, we are reporting net income of $9.2 million and basic earnings per share of $0.30 compared to net income of $9.7 million and basic earnings per share of $0.54 in Q3 of fiscal 2016. In comparing the results for Q3 of fiscal 2017 to the prior year period, I would like to point out four specific items. These are shown in the bridge that we have prepared on Page 3 of our presentation. First, net income for the third quarter of fiscal 2016 included an expense around $250,000 associated with key employee transition costs. Second, in Q3 of this fiscal year, we had comparatively weaker performance from Parkdale America of approximately $1.5 million. Third, we had a favorable tax impact in this quarter related to refinance certain estimates for approximately $1.2 million. And finally, strengthening of the Brazilian Real drove foreign currency benefits of approximately $1.3 million this quarter. Adjusting for these four items net income for Q3 is approximately $1.8 million less than the prior year period. Slide 4 of the presentation shows a similar analysis for the year-to-date results. For the first nine months of our fiscal 2017, we are reporting net income of $23.2 million and basic earnings per share of $1.28, compared to net income of $24.2 million and basic earnings per share of $1.35 in the prior year period. Specific items to note are, key employee transition costs incurred in fiscal 2016, loss on sale of REPREVE renewable that occurred in Q2 of fiscal 2017, Parkdale America’s performance, start-up costs associated with the bottle processing facility this year, favorable tax impacts and foreign exchange benefits associated with strengthening of the Brazilian Real. Adjusting for these items, net income for the year-to-date period is approximately…

Thomas Caudle

Management

Thanks, Sean. While we are pleased with our fiscal 2017 results to-date, the Domestic market remains challenging. We remain focused on our global PVA growth strategy and we feel that we are well positioned to benefit when the Domestic environment rebounds as it inevitably will. I will now turn the call over to the operator for questions.

Operator

Operator

Thank you. [Operator Instructions] Our first question comes from the line of Chris McGinnis with Sidoti. Your line is open.

Christopher McGinnis

Analyst

Good morning. Thank you for taking the question.

Sean Goodman

Management

Good morning, Chris.

Christopher McGinnis

Analyst

I guess, can we start maybe just on the polyester side and the margin decline year-over-year and Sean, I know you broke out the impacts of the recycling center, but could y our maybe just walk through the other buckets in maybe a percentage and help us give us maybe a little confidence in that reason, I mean, talking about maybe next quarter and thereafter?

Sean Goodman

Management

Good morning, Chris.

Christopher McGinnis

Analyst

Good morning.

Sean Goodman

Management

The key driver of the margin pressure that we had in Q4 was related to the raw material prices. As mentioned in my comments, the raw material prices were fairly 20% higher this quarter than they were last year at the same time. What happened is the raw material prices increased, it takes a period of time for us to reflect that in selling price increases. The normal period of time we expect is around 90 to 120 days just depending on the individual contracts with individual customers. What we are seeing now in Q4 is that those selling price increases take effect, they started towards the end of Q3 and so we are looking at significantly better margins in the Polyester segment in the Q4 period.

Christopher McGinnis

Analyst

Great. And then, I guess just, you broaden up the Brazilian tariff and I think pretty strong margin profile in Q3 what sounded like would be – maybe be a headwind. How much of the headwind are you expecting in terms of the back? I guess, maybe over the next couple quarters would that change and then that competitive landscape changing as well?

Sean Goodman

Management

Yes, we were very pleased with the performance of Brazil this quarter, as mentioned in the previous quarter, we did expect significant pressure from the raw material price increases associated with the higher import tariff and the favorable performance in Brazil was associated with both the mix of products, higher PVA and value-added products and also we were able to pass on some price increases as well. So this really helped our performance in Q3. In Q4, we expect Brazil to continue to be strong both from a volume and margin point of view. However, we would expect little bit of margin pressure relative to the markets in Q3 associated with increased competition from imports primarily related to the stronger Brazilian Real and also our higher cost position. But in general, I would not expect more than about 100 to 200 basis points impact on the International division in the fourth quarter.

Christopher McGinnis

Analyst

Okay. And lot of the growth in the International, I guess the volume change, can you maybe just breakout how much was attributable to Brazil?

Sean Goodman

Management

Yes, so the volume change, we had positive volume change both in Brazil and in Asia. What I would say is that the Asia volume change was higher than the Brazil’s volume change. We are looking at a volume change in Brazil of roughly in the sort of 10% to 15% range.

Christopher McGinnis

Analyst

Okay. And could you just remind us when you’ll have maybe the exiting of the competitor in the marketplace and when those comps maybe get a little bit more difficult?

Sean Goodman

Management

That was about three quarters ago and the comps are more difficult in Q4 if you look at our Q4 comparisons, International segment, you will see that the comps are more difficult in the fourth quarter. Looking at the outlook for the fourth quarter while we do expect both Asia and Brazil to continue to be strong, bear in mind that we do have significantly tougher comparisons in that quarter period.

Christopher McGinnis

Analyst

Okay, great. And then just two more, I’ll jump back in the queue. Just related to the CapEx program, you are almost at the end of 2017. Can you maybe just walk through what you’ve accomplished and how much I guess, you start to think about in 2018? Are there lingering projects where should we see a cash flow kind of really starts to come through on the company? And also, it’s just the peak I guess that level you expect that the company right now?

Thomas Caudle

Management

So Chris, we’ve been starting to predict we just had an average leverage ratio between 1.5 and 2 times out of the past few years and I expect that to remain fairly stable at around that level. Talking about the CapEx, as you rightly say, we are coming to the end of our CapEx program. The three year CapEx program of that period of time we spent $150 million. I think it’s very reasonable to expect in the future years 2018 and beyond that that our average CapEx spend would be lower than the average CapEx spend over the last three years as we are coming towards the end of the CapEx program. We will provide an update to the market at an appropriate point in time once we finalize our CapEx plan for 2018 with more specifics on what those numbers would look like.

Christopher McGinnis

Analyst

Thanks for taking the time this morning. I’ll jump back in queue.

Operator

Operator

Thank you. Our next question comes from the line of Marco Rodriguez of Stonegate Capital. Your line is open.

Marco Rodriguez

Analyst

Good morning guys. Thank you for taking my questions. Just a couple quick follow-ups on some of the last questions here. On the poly side on the gross margins, you obviously talked about all of the different impacts and leverage you have there on the gross margin side and your expectation that some of the pricing should be readjusted coming into Q4. Are you expecting perhaps is the margins there for polyester get back up into that double-digit range where you’ve been in fiscal 2016 or there is still some headwinds from the retail environment that might kind of keep a lid on that?

Thomas Caudle

Management

Chris, this is Tom. We expect our margins to improve going forward. In the news we continue to see retail closings and things happening in the market as the inventory levels are not – have not reduced the rates that would kind of stimulate growth in the area. So, if – we anticipate that margins will be similar going forward. But we still have some headwinds to encounter for sure.

Marco Rodriguez

Analyst

Gotcha, okay. And switching gears here to the Nylon segment, you guys have been pretty clear with the secular issues in the hosiery area, obviously some shovels – just trying to get a little bit better feel from you guys, on your expectations of volumes for that area for, let’s just call the next one to two year, I am assuming the expectation for you guys is just a continued kind of negative volume growth on a year-over-year? Any kind of color there?

Thomas Caudle

Management

We still think that headwinds are challenging in the Nylon business. Sean mentioned earlier that the shrinkage seems to have subsided. And we were kind of 4% this quarter – this past quarter compared to 20% in the first half and so, we think there is some upside there. This is going to be driven by market conditions.

Marco Rodriguez

Analyst

Gotcha. And can you maybe talk a little bit about the order patterns that you are seeing across your different segments thus far into the quarter compared to last quarter?

Sean Goodman

Management

Marco, I would say that the order pattern and the volume levels in looking after Q4 are very similar between Q3 and Q4, fairly stable would be my characterization of that. The big change would be the margin benefit that we expect to see especially in the Domestic Polyester business.

Thomas Caudle

Management

And I would just say, I think we continue to be pleased with our PVA growth and we are going to stay focused on that going forward.

Marco Rodriguez

Analyst

Gotcha. And just to make sure, I also understood on the margin impacts on the poly side, I mean, presumably better – your PVA is obviously doing very well. You mentioned the growth in the 10% to 15% rate. I am assuming that’s a slightly higher or a better margin profile than your average poly products. But if I heard you and understood you correctly, the pricing and mix declines you’ve seen is primarily just the raw material. In my understanding was correct or are there something else I am missing?

Thomas Caudle

Management

No, that’s exactly correct, Marco. It’s the raw material and really what it is the raw material going up with the price increase lagging that increase in raw material price. So long-term, long-term meaning more than 90 days, not that long, but over of the period of 90 days or so, it corrects such that you get back to a more normal level of margin. But in the short-term within the quarter, one has margin pressure associated with the difference between the raw material cost and the selling prices.

Marco Rodriguez

Analyst

Gotcha. And a last quick question and I’ll jump back in the queue. I just wonder if maybe you could talk a little bit more about the movement you guys have made recently with the bottle flakes into the food packaging business. Can you maybe talk about just kind of market sizes, growth rates, competitors out there? Thanks.

Thomas Caudle

Management

Marco, as we have said earlier, this is a new business going into the packaging. I don’t know that that we have a lot of information specific about the overall market size of some of these new markets that we are trying to enter into today. I think as this thing evolves, we will be able to talk more about the market themselves and how we will be able to penetrate those markets going forward based on the flake and the quality of products that we are taking to the market boasting our competition.

Marco Rodriguez

Analyst

Gotcha. Thanks. I appreciate your time guys.

Thomas Caudle

Management

Thank you.

Sean Goodman

Management

Thank you.

Operator

Operator

Thank you. And we have a follow-up from the line of Chris McGinnis. Your line is open.

Christopher McGinnis

Analyst

Thanks again. I guess, just a follow-up on Marco’s question. In terms of bigger picture, longer term, when you think about REPREVE and what that brings to the market, it’s an opportunity maybe on the branding side of it and maybe could you just talk about that and the opportunities with that REPREVE brand and maybe what inning you think REPREVE is within the marketplace? It still seems like it’s early adoption and maybe the opportunity you feel longer term.

Thomas Caudle

Management

Chris, I think we agree with your observation that it is in its early stages from an adoption standpoint. And we think there is a lot of potential going forward with other brands, other retailers, and expanding on our REPREVE offering in the marketplace. So, I mean, it’s on a global platform, we continue to grow almost all in PVA and REPREVE. So we are very excited about the future what it holds for REPREVE. From a brand perspective, we continue to evaluate how we approach that in the future and I don’t know we have a specific answer today. But if there are any major changes in our position in that area I’d be more than happy to update you when appropriate.

Christopher McGinnis

Analyst

Great. Thanks again for taking the time this morning and nice quarter.

Thomas Caudle

Management

Thanks, Chris. I appreciate it.

Sean Goodman

Management

Thank you.

Operator

Operator

Thank you. And I am showing no further questions at this time. I would like to turn the call back to Mr. Caudle for closing remarks.

Thomas Caudle

Management

That’s all operator and we appreciate everyone’s participation today. Have a great day.

Operator

Operator

Ladies and gentlemen thank you for participating in today’s conference. This does conclude the program and you may all disconnect. Everyone have a wonderful day.