Goodyear Reports Second Quarter, First Half 2019 Results

AKRON, Ohio, July 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company (NASDAQ: GT) today reported results for the second quarter and first half of 2019.

"Our U.S. consumer replacement and commercial businesses continued to perform well in a challenging environment, aided by recent product launches," said Richard J. Kramer, chairman, chief executive officer and president. "We have continued our focus on strengthening our business by investing in premium supply and enhancing our OE pipeline and cost competitiveness," he added. "I am encouraged that several of the external factors that have impacted our business in recent quarters are beginning to moderate, positioning us to deliver stronger results going forward," said Kramer.

Goodyear's second quarter 2019 sales were $3.6 billion, down 5% from a year ago, driven by unfavorable currency translation, lower volume, and reduced sales from other tire-related businesses. These effects were partially offset by improvements in price/mix.

Tire unit volumes totaled 37.4 million, a 4% decrease from 2018. Replacement tire shipments declined less than 1%. Original equipment unit volume was down 11%, reflecting lower global vehicle production and strategic fitment choices.

Goodyear's second quarter 2019 net income was $54 million (23 cents per share), down from $157 million (65 cents per share) a year ago. Second quarter 2019 adjusted net income was $58 million (25 cents per share), compared to $150 million (62 cents per share) in 2018. Per share amounts are diluted.

The company reported second quarter segment operating income of $219 million in 2019, down from $324 million a year ago. The decrease reflects higher raw material costs, lower volume, weaker results from other tire-related businesses and adverse currency, partially offset by favorable price/mix, improved overhead absorption from higher Americas production in prior quarters, and net cost savings.

Year-to-Date Results

Goodyear's sales for the first six months of 2019 were $7.2 billion, a 6% decline from the 2018 period due to unfavorable foreign currency translation, lower volume and reduced sales from other tire-related businesses. These factors were partially offset by improvements in price/mix.

Tire unit volumes totaled 75.4 million, down 3% from 2018. Replacement tire shipments decreased less than 1% from the prior year's period. Original equipment volume declined 9%, driven by weaker consumer OE industry demand, reflecting lower global vehicle production, and strategic fitment choices.

Goodyear's net loss was $7 million for the first six months of 2019 (3 cents per share) compared to net income of $232 million (96 cents per share) in the prior year's period. The first half of 2019 included several significant items, most notably $107 million in rationalization charges, primarily related to the previously announced plan to modernize two of our tire manufacturing facilities in Germany. First half 2019 adjusted net income was $103 million (44 cents per share) compared to $272 million ($1.12 per share) in the prior year's period. Per share amounts are diluted.

The company reported first half segment operating income of $409 million in 2019, down from $605 million a year ago. The decrease was primarily due to higher raw material costs.

Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

See the note at the end of this release for further explanation and reconciliation tables for Segment Operating Income and Margin; Adjusted Net Income; and Adjusted Diluted Earnings per Share, reflecting the impact of certain significant items on the 2019 and 2018 periods.

Business Segment Results

Americas

Americas' second quarter 2019 sales decreased 2% to $2.0 billion, reflecting unfavorable foreign currency translation, lower third-party chemical sales and reduced volume, partially offset by improved price/mix. Replacement tire shipments rose 1%. U.S. consumer replacement volume increased 4% over the prior year, led by above-industry growth in the 17-inch-and-greater category.  Original equipment unit volume was down 9%, entirely attributable to a 12% decrease in consumer OE due to lower vehicle production and strategic fitment choices.

Second quarter 2019 segment operating income of $134 million was down 13% from the prior year. The decrease reflects higher raw material costs and reduced earnings from our chemical business, partially offset by improved overhead absorption.  

Europe, Middle East and Africa

Europe, Middle East and Africa's second quarter 2019 sales decreased 9% from last year to $1.1 billion, primarily attributable to unfavorable foreign currency translation and lower volume. Replacement tire shipments were down 3%, reflecting weaker industry demand. Original equipment unit volume declined 13% due to lower consumer OE industry demand and strategic fitment choices.

Second quarter 2019 segment operating income of $44 million was 56% lower than the prior year. The decrease was driven by lower volume, increased raw material costs and unfavorable foreign currency translation, partially offset by improved price/mix.

Asia Pacific

Asia Pacific's second quarter 2019 sales decreased 8% from last year to $520 million, driven by lower volume and unfavorable foreign currency translation. Replacement tire shipments were down 1%, reflecting soft demand in China.  Original equipment unit volume declined 12%, driven by lower vehicle production in China and India.

Second quarter 2019 segment operating income of $41 million was down 41% from last year, reflecting lower volume, higher raw material costs and higher conversion costs, primarily due to lower factory utilization. 

New OE Fitments

Goodyear's OE win rates over the last 18 months have increased significantly compared to recent history, reflecting industry trends toward vehicles with more complex tire constructions, as well as Goodyear's success in bringing advanced new technology to OE platforms. Based on these higher win rates, Goodyear expects OE volume growth of approximately 20% between 2019 and 2022 based on current third-party industry projections for auto production. These new fitments are at a higher average revenue per tire than existing volume and include a significant percentage of high-value electric vehicle fitments. 

Common Stock Dividend

The company declared a quarterly dividend of 16 cents per share of common stock on July 12, 2019, payable on September 3, 2019 to shareholders of record on August 1, 2019. The payout represents an annual rate of 64 cents per share.

Conference Call

Goodyear will hold an investor conference call at 9:30 a.m. today. Prior to the commencement of the call, the company will post the financial and other related information that will be presented on its investor relations website: http://investor.goodyear.com.

Participating in the conference call will be Richard J. Kramer, chairman, chief executive officer and president; and Darren R. Wells, executive vice president and chief financial officer.

Investors, members of the media and other interested persons can access the conference call on the website or via telephone by calling either (800) 895-3361 or (785) 424-1062 before 9:25 a.m. and providing the conference ID "Goodyear." A taped replay will be available by calling (800) 839-5103 or (402) 220-2687. The replay will also remain available on the website.

Goodyear is one of the world's largest tire companies. It employs about 64,000 people and manufactures its products in 47 facilities in 21 countries around the world. Its two Innovation Centers in Akron, Ohio, and Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg, strive to develop state-of-the-art products and services that set the technology and performance standard for the industry. For more information about Goodyear and its products, go to www.goodyear.com/corporate.  GT-FN

Certain information contained in this press release constitutes forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. There are a variety of factors, many of which are beyond our control, that affect our operations, performance, business strategy and results and could cause our actual results and experience to differ materially from the assumptions, expectations and objectives expressed in any forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to: our ability to implement successfully our strategic initiatives; actions and initiatives taken by both current and potential competitors; increases in the prices paid for raw materials and energy; a labor strike, work stoppage or other similar event; foreign currency translation and transaction risks; deteriorating economic conditions or an inability to access capital markets; work stoppages, financial difficulties or supply disruptions at our suppliers or customers; the adequacy of our capital expenditures; our failure to comply with a material covenant in our debt obligations; potential adverse consequences of litigation involving the company; as well as the effects of more general factors such as changes in general market, economic or political conditions or in legislation, regulation or public policy. Additional factors are discussed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K. In addition, any forward-looking statements represent our estimates only as of today and should not be relied upon as representing our estimates as of any subsequent date. While we may elect to update forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we specifically disclaim any obligation to do so, even if our estimates change.

(financial statements follow)

Non-GAAP Financial Measures (unaudited)
This earnings release presents Total Segment Operating Income and Margin, Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted Diluted Earnings Per Share (EPS), which are important financial measures for the company but are not financial measures defined by U.S. GAAP, and should not be construed as alternatives to corresponding financial measures presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP.

Total Segment Operating Income is the sum of the individual strategic business units' (SBUs') Segment Operating Income as determined in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Total Segment Operating Margin is Total Segment Operating Income divided by Net Sales as determined in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Management believes that Total Segment Operating Income and Margin are useful because they represent the aggregate value of income created by the company's SBUs and exclude items not directly related to the SBUs for performance evaluation purposes.

The most directly comparable U.S. GAAP financial measure to Total Segment Operating Income is Goodyear Net Income and to Total Segment Operating Margin is Return on Sales (which is calculated by dividing Goodyear Net Income by Net Sales).

Adjusted Net Income is Goodyear Net Income as determined in accordance with U.S. GAAP adjusted for certain significant items. Adjusted Diluted EPS is the company's Adjusted Net Income divided by Weighted Average Shares Outstanding-Diluted as determined in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Management believes that Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted Diluted EPS are useful because they represent how management reviews the operating results of the company excluding the impacts of rationalizations, asset write-offs, accelerated depreciation, asset sales and certain other significant items.

It should be noted that other companies may calculate similarly-titled non-GAAP financial measures differently and, as a result, the measures presented herein may not be comparable to such similarly-titled measures reported by other companies.

The company is unable to present a quantitative reconciliation of its forward-looking non-GAAP financial measure, Total Segment Operating Income, to the most directly comparable U.S. GAAP financial measure, Goodyear Net Income, because management cannot reliably predict all of the necessary components of Goodyear Net Income without unreasonable effort. Goodyear Net Income includes several significant items that are not included in Total Segment Operating Income, such as rationalization charges, other (income) expense, pension curtailments and settlements, and income taxes. The decisions and events that typically lead to the recognition of these and other similar non-GAAP adjustments, such as a decision to exit part of the company's business, acquisitions and dispositions, foreign currency exchange gains and losses, financing fees, actions taken to manage the company's pension liabilities, and the recording or release of tax valuation allowances, are inherently unpredictable as to if or when they may occur. The inability to provide a reconciliation is due to that unpredictability and the related difficulty in assessing the potential financial impact of the non-GAAP adjustments. For the same reasons, the company is unable to address the probable significance of the unavailable information, which could be material to the company's future financial results. 

See the tables below for reconciliations of historical Total Segment Operating Income and Margin, Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted Diluted EPS to the most directly comparable U.S. GAAP financial measures.

SOURCE The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company