MTS Reports Fiscal 2019 Third Quarter Financial Results

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn., Aug. 5, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — MTS Systems Corporation (Nasdaq: MTSC), a leading global supplier of high-performance test systems, motion simulators and sensors, today reported financial results for its fiscal year 2019 third quarter ended June 29, 2019.

THIRD QUARTER FINANCIAL AND OPERATING HIGHLIGHTS

• Revenue of $232.2 million, an increase of 19%
• GAAP diluted earnings per share of $0.70, an increase of $0.23 or 49%
• Net income margin of 5.9%, an increase of 124 basis points
• Adjusted EBITDA margin of 15.2%, an increase of 96 basis points
• Backlog of $443.3 million, an increase of 17%
• Declared 150^th consecutive quarterly dividend

EXECUTIVE COMMENTARY – DR. JEFF GRAVES, PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

“We once again delivered a solid performance on all major financial metrics, delivering top-line growth of almost 20% reflecting another record revenue quarter for our Sensors business, its eighth-consecutive quarter of revenue growth versus the same prior year period, and near-record level Test & Simulation business. This growth profile demonstrates the continuing benefits of our diversification strategy within the Test & Measurement space, and our success in new product sales across virtually all our major end markets.

While we are pleased with our top-line momentum, we also continue to focus on our cost structure and in driving operational efficiencies in both businesses. These efforts contributed to bottom-line net income improvement of 51%, translating to a net income margin of 5.9% for the quarter, and a 27% increase in Adjusted EBITDA, equating to an Adjusted EBITDA margin of 15.2% for the quarter. This solid performance for both our Test & Simulation and Sensors businesses supports our continued investments in new product development, diversification and capital structure optimization, all while returning cash to our shareholders through our quarterly dividend.”

HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE 2019 THIRD FISCAL QUARTER

Revenue

Revenue was $232.2 million, up 19.3% compared to the same prior year period, driven by near record revenue in Test & Simulation, which included equipment volume growth in all sectors, revenue from the acquisition of E2M, which closed in the first quarter of fiscal year 2019, and continued growth in Test services. Sensors experienced record revenue driven by the continued ramp-up in volume associated with our U.S. Department of Defense contract and growth from the energy market within our Sensors industrial sector, slightly offset by weakness in the European and Asian regions in our Sensors position sector.

Orders

Test & Simulation orders for the quarter were $103.8 million, down 25.9% compared to the same prior year period, driven primarily by weakness in all regions, partially offset by double-digit growth in Test service orders. Our orders performance does not reflect the full impact of a new project received from the U.S. Department of Defense in the third quarter of fiscal year 2019, which will be funded incrementally throughout its execution. We recorded $1.8 million of the full $30.4 million order, inclusive of options, for this new test system in the third quarter.

Sensors orders for the quarter were $76.8 million, a 2.7% decrease over the same prior year period. This decline was primarily driven by weakness in the European and Asian regions specific to our Sensors position sector and timing of order funding in our Sensors test sector, partially offset by solid demand in the Americas region of our Sensors position sector and orders growth in our Sensors industrial sector from a continued rebound in the energy market.

Backlog

Backlog of $443.3 million was up 17.3% from the same prior year period. Sequentially from the second quarter of fiscal year 2019, backlog was down 10.2% as we saw a high-level of conversion to revenue on outstanding projects within the quarter, along with a decline in order volume to replenish the backlog.

Earnings Before Taxes

Earnings before taxes of $16.2 million was up $6.1 million compared to the same prior year period. This earnings increase was driven by gross profit growth in both Test & Simulation and Sensors, partially offset by higher operating expenses in both businesses and a $0.2 million acquisition inventory fair value adjustment related to the acquisition of E2M.

Net Income and Diluted Earnings Per Share

GAAP diluted earnings per share was $0.70 compared to $0.47 in the same prior year period on net income of $13.6 million and $9.0 million, respectively. The $0.23 increase was primarily driven by growth in Test & Simulation gross profit, which includes the contributions from the acquisition of E2M. Third quarter of fiscal year 2019 results include a $0.01 impact for the acquisition inventory fair value adjustment related to the acquisition of E2M. Similarly, results for the third quarter of fiscal year 2018 include a $0.02 impact for restructuring expenses. Adjusting for these items, adjusted diluted earnings per share was $0.71 for the third quarter of fiscal 2019, and $0.49 for the same period in the prior year. A reconciliation of adjusted diluted earnings per share, a non-GAAP financial measure, to diluted earnings per share, the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure, is provided in Exhibit B of this earnings release.

Adjusted EBITDA

Adjusted EBITDA grew to $35.4 million in the third quarter of fiscal year 2019, up 27.3% compared to the same prior year period. This growth was primarily due to higher gross profit in both businesses and contributions from the acquisition of E2M, partially offset by higher operating expenses in Sensors. A reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA, a non-GAAP financial measure, to net income, the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure, is provided in Exhibit D of this earnings release.

Balance Sheet

During the quarter, our total debt balance decreased by $2.4 million to $472.4 million. We ended the quarter with $75.7 million of cash on the balance sheet, leading to a net debt balance of $396.7 million.

Dividend

The Board of Directors declared a quarterly dividend of $0.30 per share. The dividend was payable on July 2, 2019 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on June 18, 2019. This was our 150^th consecutive quarterly dividend.

Strategic Actions Completed Subsequent to Quarter End

Given the favorable market conditions, in early July we issued $350.0 million aggregate principal amount of new 5.750% senior unsecured notes due 2027. These new notes were issued to further optimize our capital structure and to take advantage of historically low long-term interest rates. The net proceeds from this offering were used to repay all outstanding debt under our revolving credit facility, to repay a portion of our outstanding debt under our term loan facility, to pay fees and expenses associated with the offering and for general corporate purposes.

In addition, on Monday, August 5, 2019, we executed an agreement with Meggitt PLC (MGGT.L), to purchase the assets of their Endevco sensors business. Founded in 1947, Endevco is a historic leader in high performance test & measurement sensors used primarily in the testing of new products. This strategic product line purchase brings together two iconic brands in the test & measurement sensors market, PCB and Endevco, and further enhances the MTS long-term strategy of growth and market leadership in our core businesses. The purchase price of the Endevco assets was approximately $70.0 million, and it is expected to contribute approximately $30.0 million in revenues on an annualized basis. Given the timing of the transaction, we do not anticipate that this will have a material impact on our financial performance for the end of fiscal year 2019; however, we do anticipate tremendous opportunities for accelerated growth in our Sensors business in fiscal year 2020 and beyond.

OUTLOOK

Test & Simulation Business

Our performance for the first nine months of the fiscal year supports our positive outlook for our Test & Simulation business. From a revenue perspective, our solid backlog position throughout the first nine months of fiscal year 2019 has correlated with strong momentum driven by the rapidly expanding use of advanced materials, such as carbon-fiber composites, the adoption of additive manufacturing methods for net-shape component fabrications, and the rapidly increasing complexity of ground and air vehicles which requires new simulation methods for determining product performance and life. Our energy and infrastructure markets remain robust, driven by continued growth in wind power and advanced building designs that are more resistant to damage from earthquakes, sea and storm events. The acquisition of E2M has further expanded our growth opportunities by diversifying us further into flight simulation, entertainment and other advanced simulation markets.

In addition to our exciting growth opportunities, we continue to invest in operational efficiency initiatives to improve profitability and in new products and technologies to drive margin expansion and to generate continued strong demand for Test & Simulation products and services.

Sensors Business

Our Sensors business demand is driven by accelerating new product introductions across all major markets and geographies, and expanded opportunities associated with the U.S. Department of Defense. This combination of positive factors, including full production ramp-up associated with our U.S. Department of Defense contract, is anticipated to provide double digit top-line growth, along with Adjusted EBITDA margin expansion, for the Sensors business in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2019.

Consolidated

As part of the optimization of our capital structure, we issued $350.0 million aggregate principal amount of new 5.750% senior unsecured notes due 2027 in our fourth quarter of fiscal year 2019. The offering will result in higher interest expense in the fourth quarter than originally forecasted primarily due to the write-off of debt issuance costs associated with the partial repayment of the term loan facility and higher debt levels in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2019.

Based on these factors, we are confident in our outlook for fiscal year 2019 and are revising our full year guidance as follows:

The above outlook includes:

• $12.5 million to $14.5 million for stock-based compensation, restructuring expenses, acquisition-related expenses and acquisition fair value inventory adjustment;
• Our acquisition of E2M, in addition to the slightly positive effects of the implementation of the new revenue recognition standard as compared to the previous standard;
• An anticipated effective tax rate, excluding discrete tax items, of 15-18% for fiscal year 2019; and
• Updated diluted earnings per share amounts due to the write-off of debt issuance costs associated with the partial repayment of the term loan facility and issuance of new senior unsecured notes.  

A reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA and adjusted diluted earnings per share, non-GAAP financial measures, to net income and diluted earnings per share, the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures, respectively, for the above outlook is included in Exhibits F and G of this earnings release, respectively.

THIRD QUARTER CONFERENCE CALL

As announced on July 22, 2019, a conference call will be held on August 6, 2019 (tomorrow), at 10:00 a.m. ET (9:00 a.m. CT). Dr. Jeffrey A. Graves, President and Chief Executive Officer, and Brian T. Ross, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, will host the call, which will include a question and answer session after prepared remarks.

Call toll free +1-800-353-6461 (international toll +1-334-323-0501) and reference the conference pass code 7911369. Telephone replay will be available at 1:00 p.m. ET following the call until 1:00 p.m. ET, August 13, 2019. Call toll free +1-888-203-1112 and reference the conference pass code 7911369.

A transcript of the call can also be accessed from the MTS website at http://investor.mts.com beginning on August 7, 2019.

ABOUT MTS SYSTEMS CORPORATION

MTS Systems Corporation’s testing and simulation hardware, software and service solutions help customers accelerate and improve their design, development and manufacturing processes and are used for determining the mechanical behavior of materials, products and structures. MTS’ high-performance sensors provide measurements of vibration, pressure, position, force and sound in a variety of applications. MTS had 3,400 employees as of September 29, 2018 and revenue of $778 million for the fiscal year ended September 29, 2018. Additional information on MTS can be found at www.mts.com.

NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES

We believe that disclosing adjusted diluted earnings per share, which is diluted earnings per share excluding the impact from restructuring expenses, acquisition-related expenses and the acquisition inventory fair value adjustment is useful to investors as a measure of operating performance. We use this as one measure to monitor and evaluate operating performance. Adjusted diluted earnings per share is a financial measure that does not reflect United States Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). We calculate this measure by adding back the after-tax effect of the restructuring expenses, acquisition-related expenses and the acquisition inventory fair value adjustment to net income and dividing the result by the diluted weighted average shares outstanding.

We believe that disclosing earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA), EBITDA excluding the impact from stock-based compensation, restructuring expenses, acquisition-related expenses and the acquisition inventory fair value adjustment (Adjusted EBITDA) and Adjusted EBITDA divided by revenue (Adjusted EBITDA margin) are useful to investors as a measure of leverage and operating performance. We use these measures to monitor and evaluate leverage and operating performance. EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin are financial measures that do not reflect GAAP. We calculate EBITDA by adding back interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization expense to net income. Adjusted EBITDA is calculated by adding back stock-based compensation, restructuring expenses, acquisition-related expenses and the acquisition inventory fair value adjustment to EBITDA. Adjusted EBITDA margin is calculated by dividing Adjusted EBITDA by revenue.

We believe that disclosing free cash flow is useful to investors as a measure of operating performance. We use this measure as an indicator of our strength and ability to generate cash. Free cash flow is a financial measure that does not reflect GAAP. We calculate free cash flow as net cash provided by (used in) operating activities less purchases of property and equipment and businesses, net of cash acquired, plus cash proceeds from sales of property and equipment.

Investors should consider these non-GAAP financial measures in addition to, not as a substitute for or better than, financial measures prepared in accordance with GAAP. Reconciliations of the components of these measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures are included in Exhibits B, C, D, E, F and G of this earnings release.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This earnings release contains “forward-looking statements” made pursuant to the safe harbor provision of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, as well as assumptions, that could cause actual results to differ materially from historical results and those presently anticipated or projected. Statements made under the heading “Outlook” are forward-looking statements, and words such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expects,” “intends,” “projects,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates,” “targets,” “anticipates,” and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements in other parts of this earnings release. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements about future financial and operating results, plans, objectives, expectations and intentions, statements about the opportunities and outlook for our Sensors and Test & Simulation sectors and other statements that are not historical facts. These statements are based on our current expectations and beliefs and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. Risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, those described in the “Risk Factors” section of our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and updated in any subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other filings with the SEC. The reports referenced above are available on our website at www.mts.com or on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which such statements are made, and we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which such statement is made to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events or circumstances.

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SOURCE MTS Systems Corporation

investor Relations, Brian Ross, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, brian.ross@mts.com, (952) 937-4000