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Kadant Reports Third Quarter 2024 Results

WESTFORD, Mass., Oct. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Kadant Inc. (NYSE: KAI) reported its financial results for the third quarter ended September 28, 2024.

Third Quarter Financial Highlights

Note: Percent changes above are based on comparison to the prior year period. All references to earnings per share (EPS) are to our EPS as calculated on a diluted basis. Free cash flow, adjusted EPS, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA margin, and changes in organic revenue are non-GAAP financial measures that exclude certain items as detailed later in this press release under the heading “Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures.”

Management Commentary
“We delivered another solid quarter with excellent operational execution leading to outstanding margin performance and record adjusted EPS,” said Jeffrey L. Powell, president and chief executive officer of Kadant Inc. “Recent acquisitions in our three operating segments contributed to our strong bookings performance, with robust new order activity in the Americas offsetting softer performance in Europe and Asia.

“We had record aftermarket parts revenue, which contributed to our record adjusted EBITDA and record adjusted EBITDA margin performance. As one of our core strategic focus areas, it is encouraging to see this growth in our aftermarket parts business in a historically softer quarter. This and other initiatives to optimize our operations continue to enable us to capture greater value for our stakeholders and deliver exceptional results.”

Third Quarter 2024 Compared to 2023
Revenue increased 11 percent to $271.6 million compared to $244.2 million in 2023. Organic revenue decreased one percent, which excludes a 12 percent increase from acquisitions. Gross margin was 44.7 percent, including a 50 basis point decrease from acquisition-related costs, compared to 43.3 percent in 2023.

Net income was $31.6 million, increasing two percent compared to $30.9 million in 2023. GAAP EPS increased two percent to $2.68 compared to $2.63 in 2023. Adjusted EPS increased six percent to a record $2.84 compared to $2.69 in 2023. Adjusted EPS in 2024 excludes $0.15 of acquisition-related costs. Adjusted EBITDA increased 20 percent to a record $63.3 million and represented a record 23.3 percent of revenue compared to $52.7 million and 21.6 percent of revenue in the prior year. Operating cash flow increased 12 percent to $52.5 million compared to $47.0 million in 2023. Free cash flow increased 27 percent to $48.3 million compared to $38.1 million in 2023.

Bookings increased 15 percent to $240.3 million compared to $209.6 million in 2023. Organic bookings decreased two percent, which excludes a 17 percent increase from acquisitions.

Summary and Outlook
“Our solid performance the past three quarters has positioned us well to finish the year strong,” Mr. Powell continued. “We expect demand for our capital equipment to gain momentum as our customers prepare for 2025 projects even as the industrial manufacturing sectors in Europe and Asia continue to face significant headwinds. We are narrowing our revenue guidance for the full year to $1.047 to $1.055 billion in 2024, revised from our previous guidance of $1.045 to $1.065 billion, and now expect GAAP EPS of $9.25 to $9.45 in 2024, revised from our previous GAAP EPS guidance of $9.20 to $9.45. We are raising our adjusted EPS guidance for 2024 and now expect $9.93 to $10.13, revised from our previous guidance of $9.80 to $10.05. The 2024 adjusted EPS guidance excludes $0.68 of acquisition-related costs, revised from $0.60 of acquisition-related costs in our previous guidance. For the fourth quarter of 2024, we expect revenue of $252 to $260 million, GAAP EPS of $1.81 to $2.01 and, after excluding $0.09 of acquisition-related costs, adjusted EPS of $1.90 to $2.10.”

Conference Call
Kadant will hold a webcast with a slide presentation for investors on Wednesday, October 30, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. eastern time to discuss its third quarter financial performance, as well as future expectations. To listen to the call live and view the webcast, go to the “Investors” section of the Company’s website at www.kadant.com. Participants interested in joining the call’s live question and answer session are required to register by clicking here or selecting the Q&A link on our website to receive a dial-in number and unique PIN. It is recommended that you join the call 10 minutes prior to the start of the event. A replay of the webcast presentation will be available on our website through November 29, 2024.

Prior to the call, our earnings release and the slides used in the webcast presentation will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and will be available at www.sec.gov. After the webcast, Kadant will post its updated general investor presentation incorporating the third quarter results on its website at www.kadant.com under the “Investors” section.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures
In addition to the financial measures prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), we use certain non-GAAP financial measures, including increases or decreases in revenue excluding the effect of acquisitions and foreign currency translation (organic revenue), adjusted operating income, adjusted net income, adjusted EPS, earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA), adjusted EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA margin, and free cash flow.

We use organic revenue to understand our trends and to forecast and evaluate our financial performance and compare revenue to prior periods. Organic revenue excludes revenue from acquisitions for the four quarterly reporting periods following the date of the acquisition and the effect of foreign currency translation. Revenue in the third quarter of 2024 included $30.5 million from acquisitions and an unfavorable foreign currency translation effect of $0.9 million compared to the third quarter of 2023. Revenue in the first nine months of 2024 included $82.3 million from acquisitions and an unfavorable foreign currency translation effect of $2.4 million compared to the first nine months of 2023. Our other non-GAAP financial measures exclude amortization expense related to acquired profit in inventory and backlog, acquisition costs, relocation costs, restructuring and impairment costs, and other income or expense, as indicated. Collectively, these items are excluded as they are not indicative of our core operating results and are not comparable to other periods, which have differing levels of incremental costs, expenditures or income, or none at all. Additionally, we use free cash flow in order to provide insight on our ability to generate cash for acquisitions and debt repayments, as well as for other investing and financing activities.

We believe these non-GAAP financial measures, when taken together with the corresponding GAAP financial measures, provide meaningful supplemental information regarding our performance by excluding certain items that may not be indicative of our core business, operating results, or future outlook. We believe that the inclusion of such measures helps investors gain an understanding of our underlying operating performance and future prospects, consistent with how management measures and forecasts our performance, especially when comparing such results to previous periods or forecasts and to the performance of our competitors. Such measures are also used by us in our financial and operating decision-making and for compensation purposes. We also believe this information is responsive to investors’ requests and gives them an additional measure of our performance.

The non-GAAP financial measures included in this press release are not meant to be considered superior to or a substitute for the results of operations or cash flows prepared in accordance with GAAP. In addition, the non-GAAP financial measures included in this press release have limitations associated with their use as compared to the most directly comparable GAAP measures, in that they may be different from, and therefore not comparable to, similar measures used by other companies.

Third Quarter

Adjusted operating income, adjusted EBITDA, and adjusted EBITDA margin exclude:

Adjusted net income and adjusted EPS exclude:

Free cash flow is calculated as operating cash flow less:

First Nine Months

Adjusted operating income, adjusted EBITDA, and adjusted EBITDA margin exclude:

Adjusted net income and adjusted EPS exclude:

Free cash flow is calculated as operating cash flow less:

Reconciliations of the non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures are set forth in this press release.

Financial Highlights (unaudited)                
(In thousands, except per share amounts and percentages)    
                     
        Three Months Ended   Nine Months Ended
Consolidated Statement of Income   September 28,
2024
  September 30,
2023
  September 28,
2024
  September 30,
2023
Revenue   $ 271,614     $ 244,182     $ 795,354     $ 718,993  
Costs and Operating Expenses:                
  Cost of revenue   150,175       138,456       441,066       404,671  
  Selling, general, and administrative expenses   69,043       57,889       209,352       176,441  
  Research and development expenses   3,409       3,324       10,621       10,102  
  Other costs         969             1,043  
        222,627       200,638       661,039       592,257  
Operating Income     48,987       43,544       134,315       126,736  
Interest Income     407       438       1,386       1,053  
Interest Expense     (5,516 )     (2,107 )     (15,386 )     (6,722 )
Other Expense, Net     (16 )     (20 )     (48 )     (62 )
Income Before Provision for Income Taxes     43,862       41,855       120,267       121,005  
Provision for Income Taxes     11,964       10,816       31,810       31,761  
Net Income     31,898       31,039       88,457       89,244  
Net Income Attributable to Noncontrolling Interests     (312 )     (175 )     (891 )     (571 )
Net Income Attributable to Kadant   $ 31,586     $ 30,864     $ 87,566     $ 88,673  
                     
Earnings per Share Attributable to Kadant:                
    Basic   $ 2.69     $ 2.64     $ 7.46     $ 7.58  
    Diluted   $ 2.68     $ 2.63     $ 7.44     $ 7.57  
                     
Weighted Average Shares:                
    Basic     11,745       11,706       11,737       11,697  
    Diluted     11,780       11,740       11,763       11,719  
                     
      Three Months Ended   Three Months Ended
Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted Diluted EPS (a) September 28,
2024
  September 28,
2024
  September 30,
2023
  September 30,
2023
Net Income and Diluted EPS Attributable to Kadant, as Reported   $ 31,586   $ 2.68   $ 30,864   $ 2.63
Adjustments, Net of Tax:                
  Acquired Profit in Inventory and Backlog Amortization     1,432     0.12        
  Acquisition Costs     398     0.03        
  Relocation Costs             401     0.03
  Restructuring and Impairment Costs             295     0.03
Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted Diluted EPS (a) $ 33,416   $ 2.84   $ 31,560   $ 2.69
                   
      Nine Months Ended   Nine Months Ended
  September 28,
2024
  September 28,
2024
  September 30,
2023
  September 30,
2023
Net Income and Diluted EPS Attributable to Kadant, as Reported   $ 87,566   $ 7.44   $ 88,673   $ 7.57
Adjustments, Net of Tax:                
  Acquired Profit in Inventory and Backlog Amortization     4,730     0.40        
  Acquisition Costs     2,126     0.18        
  Relocation Costs             457     0.04
  Restructuring and Impairment Costs             295     0.03
Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted Diluted EPS (a) $ 94,422   $ 8.03   $ 89,425   $ 7.63
                       
        Three Months Ended       Increase (Decrease)
Excluding Acquisitions and FX (a,b)
Revenue by Segment   September 28,
2024
  September 30,
2023
  Increase  
Flow Control   $ 97,521     $ 90,798     $ 6,723   $ 1,721  
Industrial Processing     110,696       94,220       16,476     2,077  
Material Handling     63,397       59,164       4,233     (6,001 )
        $ 271,614     $ 244,182     $ 27,432   $ (2,203 )
                     
Percentage of Parts and Consumables Revenue     65 %     61 %        
                     
        Nine Months Ended   Increase   Increase (Decrease)
Excluding Acquisitions and FX (a,b)
    September 28,
2024
  September 30,
2023
   
Flow Control   $ 276,493     $ 276,048     $ 445   $ (6,053 )
Industrial Processing     331,310       267,729       63,581     19,309  
Material Handling     187,551       175,216       12,335     (16,787 )
        $ 795,354     $ 718,993     $ 76,361   $ (3,531 )
                     
Percentage of Parts and Consumables Revenue     65 %     63 %        
                     
        Three Months Ended   Increase   Increase (Decrease)
Excluding Acquisitions and FX (b)
Bookings by Segment   September 28,
2024
  September 30,
2023
   
Flow Control   $ 88,981     $ 83,005     $ 5,976   $ (3,756 )
Industrial Processing     89,319       70,441       18,878     5,258  
Material Handling     62,005       56,158       5,847     (5,063 )
        $ 240,305     $ 209,604     $ 30,701   $ (3,561 )
                     
Percentage of Parts and Consumables Bookings     72 %     67 %        
                     
        Nine Months Ended   Increase   Decrease Excluding Acquisitions and FX (b)
    September 28,
2024
  September 30,
2023
   
Flow Control   $ 277,749     $ 275,862     $ 1,887   $ (9,894 )
Industrial Processing     275,910       246,006       29,904     (12,472 )
Material Handling     186,798       177,482       9,316     (20,298 )
        $ 740,457     $ 699,350     $ 41,107   $ (42,664 )
                     
Percentage of Parts and Consumables Bookings     71 %     65 %        
                         
        Three Months Ended   Nine Months Ended
Additional Segment Information   September 28,
2024
  September 30,
2023
  September 28,
2024
  September 30,
2023
Gross Margin:                
    Flow Control     51.8 %     52.2 %     52.9 %     52.3 %
    Industrial Processing     44.0 %     39.5 %     42.3 %     39.8 %
    Material Handling     35.0 %     35.7 %     36.2 %     36.2 %
    Consolidated     44.7 %     43.3 %     44.5 %     43.7 %
                 
Operating Income:                
    Flow Control   $ 24,281     $ 24,246     $ 69,521     $ 74,256  
    Industrial Processing     25,969       19,023       70,060       51,968  
    Material Handling     8,793       10,345       25,522       30,006  
    Corporate     (10,056 )     (10,070 )     (30,788 )     (29,494 )
        $ 48,987     $ 43,544     $ 134,315     $ 126,736  
                     
Adjusted Operating Income (a,c):                
    Flow Control   $ 25,671     $ 24,680     $ 72,146     $ 74,690  
    Industrial Processing     26,539       19,558       72,776       52,577  
    Material Handling     9,019       10,295       28,809       30,133  
    Corporate     (10,056 )     (10,070 )     (30,788 )     (29,494 )
        $ 51,173     $ 44,463     $ 142,943     $ 127,906  
                     
Capital Expenditures:                
    Flow Control   $ 1,894     $ 1,195     $ 5,729     $ 3,889  
    Industrial Processing     1,209       7,299       5,943       16,007  
    Material Handling     1,074       350       3,737       2,170  
    Corporate     8       4       21       28  
        $ 4,185     $ 8,848     $ 15,430     $ 22,094  
                     
        Three Months Ended   Nine Months Ended
Cash Flow and Other Data   September 28,
2024
  September 30,
2023
  September 28,
2024
  September 30,
2023
Operating Cash Flow   $ 52,478     $ 46,967     $ 103,375     $ 106,311  
Capital Expenditures     (4,185 )     (8,848 )     (15,430 )     (22,094 )
Free Cash Flow (a)   $ 48,293     $ 38,119     $ 87,945     $ 84,217  
                     
Depreciation and Amortization Expense   $ 12,775     $ 8,234     $ 36,505     $ 24,917  
Balance Sheet Data September 28,
2024
  December 30,
2023
Assets      
Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Restricted Cash $ 89,734   $ 106,453
Accounts Receivable, net   154,965     133,929
Inventories   169,252     152,677
Contract Assets   14,534     8,366
Property, Plant, and Equipment, net   174,559     140,504
Intangible Assets   292,211     159,286
Goodwill   493,105     392,084
Other Assets   100,980     82,366
      $ 1,489,340   $ 1,175,665
Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity      
Accounts Payable $ 50,536   $ 42,104
Debt Obligations   324,501     109,086
Other Borrowings   1,931     1,789
Other Liabilities   249,586     246,446
  Total Liabilities   626,554     399,425
  Stockholders’ Equity   862,786     776,240
      $ 1,489,340   $ 1,175,665
           
    Three Months Ended   Nine Months Ended
Adjusted Operating Income and Adjusted EBITDA Reconciliation (a)   September 28,
2024
  September 30,
2023
  September 28,
2024
  September 30,
2023
Consolidated                
    Net Income Attributable to Kadant   $ 31,586     $ 30,864     $ 87,566     $ 88,673  
    Net Income Attributable to Noncontrolling Interests     312       175       891       571  
    Provision for Income Taxes     11,964       10,816       31,810       31,761  
    Interest Expense, Net     5,109       1,669       14,000       5,669  
    Other Expense, Net     16       20       48       62  
    Operating Income     48,987       43,544       134,315       126,736  
    Acquired Profit in Inventory Amortization (d)     1,205             4,065        
    Acquired Backlog Amortization (e)     687             2,181        
    Acquisition Costs     469             2,533        
    Indemnification Asset (Provision) Reversal, Net (f)     (175 )     (50 )     (151 )     127  
    Relocation Costs           535             609  
    Restructuring and Impairment Costs           434             434  
    Adjusted Operating Income (a)     51,173       44,463       142,943       127,906  
    Depreciation and Amortization     12,088       8,234       34,324       24,917  
    Adjusted EBITDA (a)   $ 63,261     $ 52,697     $ 177,267     $ 152,823  
    Adjusted EBITDA Margin (a,g)     23.3 %     21.6 %     22.3 %     21.3 %
                     
Flow Control                
    Operating Income   $ 24,281     $ 24,246     $ 69,521     $ 74,256  
    Acquired Profit in Inventory Amortization (d)     728             963        
    Acquired Backlog Amortization (e)     629             882        
    Acquisition Costs     71             637        
    Indemnification Asset (Provision) Reversal, Net (f)     (38 )           143        
    Restructuring and Impairment Costs           434             434  
    Adjusted Operating Income (a)     25,671       24,680       72,146       74,690  
    Depreciation and Amortization     2,981       2,277       7,561       6,785  
    Adjusted EBITDA (a)   $ 28,652     $ 26,957     $ 79,707     $ 81,475  
    Adjusted EBITDA Margin (a,g)     29.4 %     29.7 %     28.8 %     29.5 %
                     
Industrial Processing                
    Operating Income   $ 25,969     $ 19,023     $ 70,060     $ 51,968  
    Acquired Profit in Inventory Amortization (d)     477             2,062        
    Acquisition Costs     154             842        
    Indemnification Asset Provision (f)     (61 )           (188 )      
    Relocation Costs           535             609  
    Adjusted Operating Income (a)     26,539       19,558       72,776       52,577  
    Depreciation and Amortization     5,204       2,906       15,458       8,823  
    Adjusted EBITDA (a)   $ 31,743     $ 22,464     $ 88,234     $ 61,400  
    Adjusted EBITDA Margin (a,g)     28.7 %     23.8 %     26.6 %     22.9 %
                     
Material Handling                
    Operating Income   $ 8,793     $ 10,345     $ 25,522     $ 30,006  
    Acquired Profit in Inventory Amortization (d)                 1,040        
    Acquired Backlog Amortization (e)     58             1,299        
    Acquisition Costs     244             1,054        
    Indemnification Asset (Provision) Reversal, Net (f)     (76 )     (50 )     (106 )     127  
    Adjusted Operating Income (a)     9,019       10,295       28,809       30,133  
    Depreciation and Amortization     3,891       3,034       11,269       9,254  
    Adjusted EBITDA (a)   $ 12,910     $ 13,329     $ 40,078     $ 39,387  
    Adjusted EBITDA Margin (a,g)     20.4 %     22.5 %     21.4 %     22.5 %
                     
Corporate                
    Operating Loss   $ (10,056 )   $ (10,070 )   $ (30,788 )   $ (29,494 )
    Depreciation and Amortization     12       17       36       55  
    EBITDA (a)   $ (10,044 )   $ (10,053 )   $ (30,752 )   $ (29,439 )
                     
(a) Represents a non-GAAP financial measure.
                     
(b) Represents the increase (decrease) resulting from the exclusion of acquisitions and from the conversion of current period amounts reported in local currencies into U.S. dollars at the exchange rate of the prior period compared to the U.S. dollar amount reported in the prior period.
                     
(c) See reconciliation to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure under “Adjusted Operating Income and Adjusted EBITDA Reconciliation.”
                     
(d) Represents amortization expense within cost of revenue associated with acquired profit in inventory.
                     
(e) Represents intangible amortization expense associated with acquired backlog.
                     
(f) Represents the provision for or reversal of indemnification assets related to the establishment or release of tax reserves associated with uncertain tax positions.
                     
(g) Calculated as adjusted EBITDA divided by revenue in each period.
                     

About Kadant
Kadant Inc. is a global supplier of technologies and engineered systems that drive Sustainable Industrial Processing®. The Company’s products and services play an integral role in enhancing efficiency, optimizing energy utilization, and maximizing productivity in process industries. Kadant is based in Westford, Massachusetts, with approximately 3,500 employees in 20 countries worldwide. For more information, visit www.kadant.com

Safe Harbor Statement
The following constitutes a “Safe Harbor” statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties, including forward-looking statements about our future financial and operating performance, demand for our products, and economic and industry outlook. These forward-looking statements represent our expectations as of the date of this press release. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. These forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause our actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including those set forth under the heading “Risk Factors” in Kadant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 30, 2023 and subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These include risks and uncertainties relating to adverse changes in global and local economic conditions; the variability and difficulty in accurately predicting revenues from large capital equipment and systems projects; our acquisition strategy; levels of residential construction activity; reductions by our wood processing customers of their capital spending or production of oriented strand board; changes to the global timber supply; development and use of digital media; cyclical economic conditions affecting the global mining industry; demand for coal, including economic and environmental risks associated with coal; failure of our information systems or breaches of data security and cybertheft; implementation of our internal growth strategy; supply chain constraints, inflationary pressure, price increases and shortages in raw materials; competition; changes to tax laws and regulations; our ability to successfully manage our manufacturing operations; disruption in production; future restructurings; loss of key personnel and effective succession planning; protection of intellectual property; climate change; adequacy of our insurance coverage; global operations; policies of the Chinese government; the variability and uncertainties in sales of capital equipment in China; currency fluctuations; changes to government regulations and policies around the world; compliance with government regulations and policies and compliance with laws; environmental laws and regulations; environmental, health and safety laws and regulations impacting the mining industry; our debt obligations; restrictions in our credit agreement and note purchase agreement; soundness of financial institutions; fluctuations in our share price; and anti-takeover provisions.

Contacts
Investor Contact Information:
Michael McKenney, 978-776-2000
IR@kadant.com 

Media Contact Information:
Wes Martz, 269-278-1715
media@kadant.com 


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