Nordson Company Reviews Fiscal Yr 2020 Fourth Quarter and Full Yr Outcomes

WESTLAKE, Ohio–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Nordson Corporation (Nasdaq: NDSN) today reported results for the fiscal fourth quarter ended October 31, 2020. Sales were $559 million, a 5% decrease compared to the prior year’s fourth quarter sales of $585 million. Continued strength in test and inspection product lines serving electronics end markets and growth in our medical product lines was offset by weakness in industrial and automotive end markets. The change in fourth quarter 2020 sales included a decrease of approximately 7% organic volume, acquisitions contributed 1%, and a favorable effect from currency translation of approximately 2%.

Operating profit in the quarter was $37 million. As the company announced on December 3, 2020, it intends to divest the non-strategic screws and barrels product line within the Industrial Precision Solutions segment, which will strengthen the company’s ongoing earnings and profitable growth profile. This strategic portfolio transaction required a one-time, non-cash asset impairment charge of $87 million, which was recognized during the fourth quarter. Excluding this non-cash impairment charge and other non-recurring charges associated with cost structure simplification actions and amortization of the step-up in acquired inventory, adjusted operating profit was $130 million, or 23% of sales. EBITDA, which is defined as adjusted operating profit plus depreciation and amortization, in the quarter totaled $159 million, or 29% of sales, which represents a decrease of 5% from the prior year EBITDA of $168 million.

Net income was $18 million, and GAAP diluted earnings per share were $0.31. Adjusted earnings, which excludes non-recurring charges and discrete tax benefits of $2 million, totaled $93 million, or $1.59 per share, an 11% decrease from the prior year adjusted earnings of $104 million.

Commenting on the company’s fiscal fourth quarter 2020 results, Nordson President and Chief Executive Officer Sundaram Nagarajan said, “I am proud of the dedication shown by our global team through their ongoing commitment to superior customer service and continued deployment of the NBS Next growth framework. Fourth quarter sales were the strongest quarter of the year. We also continued to make progress on strategically positioning our portfolio for sustainable long-term growth with the acquisition of vivaMOS, Ltd. and the recently announced divestiture of the screws and barrels product line. This combination of focusing on Nordson strengths and prioritizing future profitable growth opportunities has us well positioned heading into fiscal year 2021.”

Fourth Quarter Segment Results

Industrial Precision Solutions sales of $308 million decreased approximately 8% compared to the prior year fourth quarter, driven by a 10% organic decrease partially offset by favorable currency impacts. This organic sales decline was in part driven by weaker demand in industrial and automotive end markets, where we had record sales in the prior year fourth quarter. Operating profit totaled $0.4 million in the quarter, including an $87 million non-cash impairment charge for the pending divestiture of the screws and barrels product line and $4 million in structural cost reduction actions. Adjusted operating profit, excluding these non-recurring items, was $92 million, or 30% of sales, equal to prior year adjusted operating profit margin.

Advanced Technology Solutions sales of $250 million increased approximately 1% compared to the prior year fourth quarter. Acquisitions and favorable currency impacts increased sales by approximately 2% and 1%, respectively, which was principally offset by organic volume decreases of 3%. Continued sales growth in test and inspection product lines, coupled with stable demand in medical product lines, was offset by weaker demand in fluid dispense product lines serving industrial end markets. Operating profit, which included $1 million of the step-up in acquired inventory amortization, totaled $51 million. Adjusted operating profit was $52 million, or 21% of sales, which was down slightly compared to prior year profits.

Fiscal 2020 Full Year Results

Sales for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2020 were $2.1 billion, a decrease of 3% compared to the same period a year ago. This change in sales included a decrease in organic volume of 4%, offset by growth related to acquisitions. The full year impact of currency translation differences was not significant. Full year operating profit was $350 million and diluted earnings per share were $4.27. Excluding the non-cash impairment charge, structural cost reduction expenses, the step up in value of acquired inventory, and discrete tax expense, adjusted operating profit was $454 million and adjusted diluted earnings per share were $5.48, a 7% decrease from the prior year adjusted diluted earnings per share of $5.87.

Outlook

“Throughout this unprecedented year, the safety of our people and the value they deliver to our customers remained among our top priorities,” Nagarajan stated. “We continue to make progress by deploying the NBS Next growth framework and aligning the organization to remain invested in our key strengths during this unique macroeconomic environment. The commitment of our employees combined with the resilience of our diverse end markets resulted in sound financial performance in fiscal 2020. We are entering fiscal 2021 from this solid foundation, and we have strong backlog entering the fiscal first quarter. I am confident in our ability to deliver long-term profitable growth.”

Backlog for the quarter ended October 31, 2020 was approximately $416 million, an increase of 5% compared to the same period a year ago, and the trailing twelve-week order entry is 5% above prior year levels. Based on these current order entry trends, backlog amounts and the correlation to sales timing, we expect the fiscal 2021 first quarter sales growth to be approximately 2 to 3%, with adjusted earnings growth in the range of 15 to 20% as compared to fiscal 2020 first quarter.

Nordson management will provide additional commentary on these results and outlook during its previously announced webcast on Wednesday, December 16, 2020 at 8:30 a.m. eastern time, which can be accessed at https://investors.nordson.com. For persons unable to listen to the live broadcast, a replay will be available for 14 days after the event. Information about Nordson’s investor relations and shareholder services is available from Lara Mahoney, vice president, investor relations and corporate communications at (440) 204-9985 or lara.mahoney@nordson.com.

Certain statements contained in this release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may be identified by terminology such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “projects,” “forecasts,” “outlook,” “guidance,” “continue,” “target,” or the negative of such terms or comparable terminology. These statements reflect management’s current expectations and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, U.S. and international economic conditions, financial, and market conditions, currency exchange rates and devaluations, possible acquisitions including the Company’s ability to successfully integrate acquisitions; the Company’s ability to successfully divest or dispose of businesses that are deemed not to fit with its strategic plan; the effects of changes in U.S. trade policy and trade agreements; the effects of changes in tax law; and the possible effects of events beyond our control, such as political unrest, acts of terror, natural disasters and pandemics, including the current coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the other factors discussed in Item 1A (Risk Factors) in the Company’s most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K and in its Forms 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which should be reviewed carefully. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement in this press release.

Nordson Corporation engineers, manufactures and markets differentiated products and systems used for the precision dispensing of adhesives, coatings, sealants, biomaterials, polymers, plastics and other materials, fluid management, test and inspection, UV curing and plasma surface treatment, all supported by application expertise and direct global sales and service. Nordson serves a wide variety of consumer non-durable, durable and technology end markets including packaging, nonwovens, electronics, medical, appliances, energy, transportation, construction, and general product assembly and finishing. Founded in 1954 and headquartered in Westlake, Ohio, the Company has operations and support offices in more than 35 countries. Visit Nordson on the web at http://www.nordson.com, @Nordson_Corp, or www.facebook.com/nordson.

(1) Represents assets held for sale impairment charge, costs and adjustments related to cost structure simplification actions, and charges associated with our 2020 and 2019 acquisitions.

Adjusted operating profit and EBITDA are non-GAAP measures used by management to evaluate the Company’s ongoing operations. Adjusted operating profit is defined as operating profit plus certain adjustments, such as an assets held for sale impairment charge, cost structure simplification actions, and non-cash inventory charges related to acquisitions. EBITDA is defined as adjusted operating profit plus depreciation and amortization.

Adjusted operating profit is defined as operating profit plus certain adjustments such as an assets held for sale impairment charge, cost structure simplification actions and non-cash inventory charges related to acquisitions. Adjusted operating profit as a percentage of sales is defined as adjusted operating profit divided by sales.

Adjusted net income is defined as net income plus tax effected adjustments and other discrete tax items.

Adjusted earnings is defined as GAAP EPS adjusted for tax effected adjustments and other discrete tax items.

Management uses these non-GAAP measures internally to make strategic decisions, forecast future results, and evaluate the Company’s current performance. Given management’s use of these non-GAAP measures, the Company believes these measures are important to investors in understanding the Company’s current and future operating results as seen through the eyes of management. In addition, management believes these non-GAAP measures are useful to investors in enabling them to better assess changes in the Company’s core business across different time periods. Because non-GAAP financial measures are not standardized, it may not be possible to compare these financial measures to other companies’ non-GAAP financial measures, even if they have similar names. Amounts may not add due to rounding.