H.B. Fuller Company FUL reported mixed results for second-quarter fiscal 2018 (ended May 2018).
Earnings/Revenues
Quarterly adjusted earnings came in at 89 cents per share, up 44% year over year. The bottom line also outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 86 cents.
Revenues in the reported quarter came in at $789.4 million, up nearly 41% year over year. The upside was primarily driven by the acquisition of the Royal Adhesives & Sealants business (October 2017). Also, double-digit revenue growth in the Asia Pacific, EIMEA and The Engineering Adhesives segments supported the year-over-year jump in revenues.
However, the top line missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $808 million.
H. B. Fuller Company Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
H. B. Fuller Company Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise | H. B. Fuller Company Quote
Costs/Margins
Cost of sales in the fiscal second quarter came in at $567 million, up 36.4% year over year. Adjusted gross profit margin was 28.3%, up 110 basis points (bps) year over year. The expansion stemmed from acquisition-related synergies and ongoing pricing actions.
Selling, general and administrative expenses in the reported quarter came in at $296.2 million, up 37.3% year over year. Operating margin was 9.8%, up 210 bps year over year.
Balance Sheet/Cash Flow
Exiting first-half fiscal 2018, the company’s cash and cash equivalents came in at $129.2 million, down from the $194.4 million recorded at the end of fiscal 2017. Aggregate debt stood at $2,405 million, marginally down from $2,451.9 million reported as of Dec 2, 2017.
Cash flow from operations in the fiscal second quarter was $54 million, out of which $36 million was used to repay debt. By the end of this fiscal (ending November 2018), the company intends to trim its debt by $170 million.
Outlook
H.B. Fuller anticipates that the Royal Adhesives & Sealants business acquisition will bring $15-million cost synergies in fiscal 2018 and $35 million synergies by fiscal 2020. This Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company remains on track to deleverage its balance sheet on the back of free cash-flow improvement.
Adjusted earnings guidance for fiscal 2018 has been narrowed to the $3.15-$3.40 per share range, from the prior view of $3.10 to $3.40 per share. Revenue growth in the fiscal is anticipated to lie within the 5-6% band. Capital spending for the full fiscal is predicted to be $80 million.
Stocks to Consider
Some better-ranked stocks in the same space are listed below:
CSW Industrials, Inc. CSWI sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). The company pulled off an average positive earnings surprise of 9.8% over the past four quarters. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
KMG Chemicals, Inc. KMG also flaunts a Zacks Rank of 1. The company delivered an average positive earnings surprise of 33.21%, in the trailing four quarters.
Versum Materials Inc. VSM, another Zacks #1 Ranked company, came up with an average positive earnings surprise of 9.39% in the preceding four quarters.
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