Bill Federici
Analyst · Goldman Sachs. Your line is now open
Thank you, Eric, and good morning, everyone. We issued our results this morning, reporting first quarter 2018 earnings of $43.6 million, or $0.58 per diluted share versus the $0.81 per diluted share we reported in the first quarter of '17. Our Q1 '18 reported results include $3.3 million or $0.04 per diluted share of restructuring and other charges resulting in adjusted diluted earnings per share of $0.62. Our financial results are summarized on Slide 6, and the reconciliation of non-GAAP measures are described in Slide 12 to 14. Our Q1, 2018 reported results also include $2.1 million or $0.03 of EPS tax benefit associated with share-based payments whereas Q1, 2017 included $15.9 million or $0.21 EPS tax benefit. Our results for Q1, 2018 were impacted by the new revenue recognition rules and the new pension expense classification rules. While the new pension rules had no net impact on EPS, the new revenue recognition rules accelerated the recognition of certain of our revenues. The adverse impact to our Q1, 2018 sales was $3 million and we expect the full-year adverse sales impact will be approximately $6 million. Our working capital has been and will continue to be adversely impacted by the acceleration of revenue recognition. The adverse impact on Q1 working capital was approximately $3 million or two days. Turning to sales. Slide 7 shows the components of our consolidated sales increase. Consolidated first quarter sales were $415.7 million, excluding the currency translation effects and the effects of the deconsolidation of our Venezuelan subsidiary and the lost consumer products contract manufacturing customer, our consolidated Q1, 2018 sales would have increased by 4.1% versus the prior year quarter. Proprietary product sales increased 1.3% versus the same quarter in 2017 excluding exchange effects and the effects of the deconsolidation of our Venezuelan subsidiary. Sales price increases accounted for just over 1% of the sales increase in the current quarter. Our high-value product components and systems sales increased 2.2% versus the prior year quarter. While our generics market unit business saw a return to high single digits in the current quarter, as expected, the current quarters HVP sales were adversely impacted by customer inventory management, especially in our Pharma and Biologics market units. The current quarter's HVP sales as a percentage of total proprietary sales were essentially flat versus the prior year quarter and represented more than 55% of our total proprietary product Q1 2018 sales. For the full-year 2018, we expect high single to low double-digit sales growth in high-value products. CZ and SmartDose sales were $9 million in the current quarter $8 million in the prior year quarter. Contract manufactured product net sales increased by 7.9% X currency versus the prior year quarter despite the loss of a consumer product business customer. A favorable mix of products sold, volume increases and pricing drove the increase in Q1, 2018 sales. This quarter's growth was favorably impacted by continued strong demand for some customer projects in our Dublin facility. We expect high single-digit sales growth in contract manufacturing for the full-year 2018. As provided on Slide 8, our consolidated gross profit margin for Q1 2018 was 32.3% versus the 34.6% margin we achieved in the first quarter of '17. Excluding the adverse effect of the deconsolidation of our Venezuelan sub, the lost consumer products contract manufactured customer and the under absorbed overheads in Waterford, our Q1 2018 gross profit margin would had increased 20 basis points versus the prior year quarter. Proprietary products first quarter gross margin of 37.1% was 220 basis points lower than the 39.3% achieved in the first quarter of '17. The decrease in gross margin is due to the unfavorable mix of products sold, the under absorbed overheads in Waterford, the Venezuelan deconsolidation, partially offset by increased prices and operational efficiencies in another facility. Contract manufactured products first quarter gross margin decreased by 150 basis points to 14.8% compared to the prior year quarter. The current quarter's lower gross margin is primarily due to the adverse effect of the lost consumer product customer, partially offset by the favorable mix of products sold and operational efficiencies in our Dublin facility. As reflected on Slide 9, Q1 2018 consolidated SG&A expense increased by $5.9 million versus the prior year quarter. As a percentage of sales, first quarter 2018 SG&A expense was 16.4% versus 16.1% in the first quarter of '17. Foreign currency exchange increased SG&A expenses by $2.3 million. We also experienced higher compensation expense, including merit increases and increased outside service costs offset by less SG&A associated with the deconsolidation of our Venezuelan operations in Q2 2017. Slide 10 shows our key cash flow metrics. Operating cash flow was $45 million for the current quarter, $24 million more than the prior year quarter, primarily reflecting a $20 million voluntary pension contribution made in the prior year quarter. Our capital spending was $28 million in the current quarter. We expect to spend less than $150 million in capital in 2018. More than half of our planned capital spending is dedicated to new products and expansion initiates. Slide 10 also provides some summary balance sheet information. Our balance sheet continues to be strong and we're confident that our business will provide necessary future liquidity. Our cash balance at March 31st of $200 million was $36 million less than our December 2017 balance. Approximately $48 million of our cash was used to buyback 540,000 shares of our common stock under the Board authorized year buyback plan. Yet at March 31st, of $198 million is roughly the same level as at the year-end. And on a net debt to total invested capital ratio basis, we are essentially delevered. Working capital of $480 million at March 31 with $16 million higher than at year-end, the majority of the increase is due to the decrease in our cash balances, being more than offset by increases in our receivables related to the growth of our business and the impact of the new revenue recognition accounting rules as well as less accounts payable and accrued expenses at this quarter's end. Our committed proprietary product orders of $428 million at March 2018 were 11% higher than at year-end, but 3% lower than the March 2017 orders excluding exchange due to the current reduced order lead times. Turning to Slide 11, we are reaffirming our full-year 2018 sales and EPS guidance range reflecting the favorable Q1, 2018 foreign currency exchange rate, offset by less Q1, 2018 excess tax benefit on stock transactions than we had previously anticipated. We expect our 2018 full-year effective tax rate to be approximately 26% excluding the impact of the tax benefit from option exercises. Despite the euro exchange, spot rate increased to $1.22 per euro, we have conservatively based our guidance on an exchange rate of $1.20 per euro, the same rate used in our prior guidance. Our 2018 guidance excludes any expected additional expense associated with our restructuring program. I now like to turn the call back over to Eric Green. Eric?