Stoneridge Reports First-Quarter 2021 Results

NOVI, Mich., April 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --

2021 First-Quarter Results

• Earnings per diluted share ("EPS") of $0.00
• Adjusted EPS of $0.06
• Sales of $193.8 million
• Adjusted sales of $192.8
• Gross profit of $46.1 million
• Adjusted gross profit of $46.7 million (24.2% of sales)
• Operating income of $2.1 million
• Adjusted operating income of $3.6 ­million (1.8% of sales)
• Adjusted EBITDA of $12.2 million (6.3% of sales)

2021 Full-year Guidance Update

• Maintaining full-year revenue guidance due to Q1 outperformance offset by incremental forecasted production headwinds
• Primarily as a result of external headwinds, reducing full-year adjusted EPS guidance by ($0.13) to a midpoint of $0.55 for;
• Expected incremental supply chain related costs of $2.5 million to $3.0 million or adjusted EPS of approximately ($0.07 to $0.08)
• $5.0 million to $5.5 million expected for the full-year vs. prior expectation of $2.5 million
• Expected unfavorable product mix ($0.07 to $0.08)
• First quarter adjusted EPS outperformance of $0.06
• Forecasted impact of foreign currency exchange rates and other impacts ~($0.04)

Stoneridge, Inc. (NYSE: SRI) today announced financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2021, with sales of $193.8 million and earnings per diluted share (EPS) of $0.00. Adjusted sales were $192.8 million and adjusted EPS was $0.06 for the first quarter, considering normalizing adjustments primarily related to the gain on the disposal of the assets of the soot sensor business divestiture, fair value adjustments and restructuring expenses. The exhibits attached hereto provide additional detail on the normalizing adjustments.      

For the first quarter of 2021, Stoneridge reported gross profit of $46.1 million and adjusted gross profit of $46.7 million (24.2% of sales). Operating income was $2.1 million and adjusted operating income was $3.6 million (1.8% of sales). Adjusted EBITDA was $12.2 million (6.3% of sales).      

Jon DeGaynor, president and chief executive officer, commented, "In the first quarter we delivered strong financial performance and exceeded our previously outlined expectations from both a revenue and earnings perspective.  Most importantly, we achieved our operating objectives with strong operational efficiency and reduced controllable costs.  However, similar to companies in our industry and around the world, we incurred incremental costs related to global supply chain disruptions which reduced our adjusted operating income by $2.7 million, or more than 40%, in the quarter. We will continue to execute on the things that we can control as we respond efficiently and effectively to the macroeconomic environment."

DeGaynor continued, "During the quarter, we continued the transformation of the company by finalizing an agreement to divest our soot sensor business, which is yet another transaction that will allow us to focus our resources on the technology platforms that will drive future growth. We continue to expand our MirrorEye® platform, as we prepare for our first OEM launches in the second half of 2021 and expand our retrofit programs. During the quarter, we announced that two fleets, Maverick and Montgomery, intend to install MirrorEye® on 100% of their new trucks. In addition, we are excited to announce our partnership with PACCAR with the launch of our digital instrument cluster on their recently introduced heavy- and medium-duty trucks." 

First Quarter in Review
Control Devices adjusted sales, excluding the impact of the recently divested soot sensor business, totaled $97.6 million, a decrease of $0.3 million relative to the fourth quarter of 2020.  First quarter adjusted operating margin, excluding the impact of the recently divested business, was 11.1%, a decrease of 140 basis points relative to the fourth quarter of 2020 primarily due to incremental costs related to supply chain related issues impacting gross margin.

Electronics sales totaled $88.7 million, an increase of $4.7 million relative to the fourth quarter of 2020 primarily due to increased sales in the off-highway end market as well as a favorable foreign currency impact of $1.0 million. First quarter adjusted operating margin was (0.7%), which was a decrease of 590 basis points relative to the fourth quarter of 2020 primarily driven by increased material and expediting costs as a result of supply chain disruptions, unfavorable product mix and incremental investment in engineering resources.

Stoneridge Brazil sales of $11.4 million decreased by $1.9 million relative to the fourth quarter of 2020 due to challenging macroeconomic conditions reducing demand in local end markets and unfavorable foreign currency impact of ($0.2 million). Stoneridge Brazil adjusted operating margin decreased by 90 basis points relative to the fourth quarter of 2020 primarily due to lower SG&A cost leverage from reduced sales offset by higher gross margin by 200 basis points.

Cash and Debt Balances
As of March 31, 2021, Stoneridge had cash and cash equivalents balances totaling $60.5 million. Total debt as of March 31, 2021 was $158.7 million. Total debt less cash and cash equivalents yielded a current net debt to trailing-twelve-month adjusted EBITDA ratio of approximately 2.9x.  The Company expects to return to a more normalized net debt to trailing-twelve month adjusted EBITDA ratio of less than 2.0x by the end of 2021.

2021 Outlook
Bob Krakowiak, chief financial officer, commented, "We are maintaining our previously provided revenue guidance primarily due to first quarter outperformance and our expectation that our product portfolio will continue to outperform the underlying market, offsetting full-year forecasted production headwinds.  Additionally, due to expected externalities and forecasted unfavorable product mix, partially offset by outperformance in the first quarter, we are reducing our full-year adjusted EPS guidance by $0.13 to a mid-point of $0.55. This results in full-year adjusted EPS guidance of $0.47 to $0.62." 

Further, the Company announced updated full-year adjusted gross margin guidance of 25.25% - 26.25%, adjusted operating margin guidance of 3.0% - 3.75% and adjusted EBITDA margin guidance of 7.5% - 8.25% primarily related to incremental supply chain related costs and other externalities, including currency exchange rates.  The Company maintained the guided effective tax rate of 22.5% - 27.5%.       

Conference Call on the Web
A live Internet broadcast of Stoneridge's conference call regarding 2021 first-quarter results can be accessed at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, April 29, 2021, at www.stoneridge.com, which will also offer a webcast replay.

About Stoneridge, Inc.
Stoneridge, Inc., headquartered in Novi, Michigan, is an independent designer and manufacturer of highly engineered electrical and electronic components, modules and systems principally for the automotive, commercial, off-highway, motorcycle and agricultural vehicle markets.  Additional information about Stoneridge can be found at www.stoneridge.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
Statements in this release contain "forward-looking statements" under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements appear in a number of places in this report and may include statements regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of the Company, with respect to, among other things, our (i) future product and facility expansion, (ii) acquisition strategy, (iii) investments and new product development, (iv) growth opportunities related to awarded business, and (v) operational expectations.  Forward-looking statements may be identified by the words "will," "may," "should," "designed to," "believes," "plans," "projects," "intends," "expects," "estimates," "anticipates," "continue," and similar words and expressions.  The forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by the statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, among other factors:

• the impact of COVID-19, or other future pandemics, on the global economy, and on our customers, suppliers, employees, business and cash flows;
• the reduced purchases, loss or bankruptcy of a major customer or supplier;
• the costs and timing of business realignment, facility closures or similar actions;
• a significant change in automotive, commercial, off-highway, motorcycle or agricultural vehicle production;
• competitive market conditions and resulting effects on sales and pricing;
• the impact of changes in foreign currency exchange rates on sales, costs and results, particularly the Argentinian peso, Brazilian real, Chinese renminbi, euro, Mexican peso and Swedish krona;
• our ability to achieve cost reductions that offset or exceed customer-mandated selling price reductions;
• customer acceptance of new products;
• our ability to successfully launch/produce products for awarded business;
• adverse changes in laws, government regulations or market conditions, including tariffs, affecting our products or our customers' products;
• our ability to protect our intellectual property and successfully defend against assertions made against us;
• liabilities arising from warranty claims, product recall or field actions, product liability and legal proceedings to which we are or may become a party, or the impact of product recall or field actions on our customers;
• labor disruptions at our facilities or at any of our significant customers or suppliers;
• business disruptions due to natural disasters or other disasters outside of our control;
• the ability of our suppliers to supply us with parts and components at competitive prices on a timely basis, including the impact of potential tariffs and trade considerations on their operations and output;
• the amount of our indebtedness and the restrictive covenants contained in the agreements governing our indebtedness, including our revolving credit facility;
• capital availability or costs, including changes in interest rates or market perceptions;
• the failure to achieve the successful integration of any acquired company or business;
• risks related to a failure of our information technology systems and networks, and risks associated with current and emerging technology threats and damage from computer viruses, unauthorized access, cyber-attack and other similar disruptions; and
• the items described in Part I, Item IA ("Risk Factors") of our 10-K filed with the SEC.

The forward-looking statements contained herein represent our estimates only as of the date of this release and should not be relied upon as representing our estimates as of any subsequent date.  While we may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we specifically disclaim any obligation to do so, whether to reflect actual results, changes in assumptions, changes in other factors affecting such forward-looking statements or otherwise.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Information 
This press release contains information about the Company's financial results which is not presented in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States ("GAAP"). Such non-GAAP financial measures are reconciled to their closest GAAP financial measures at the end of this press release. The provision of these non-GAAP financial measures for 2021 and 2020 is not intended to indicate that Stoneridge is explicitly or implicitly providing projections on those non-GAAP financial measures, and actual results for such measures are likely to vary from those presented. The reconciliations include all information reasonably available to the Company at the date of this press release and the adjustments that management can reasonably predict.

Management believes the non-GAAP financial measures used in this press release are useful to both management and investors in their analysis of the Company's financial position and results of operations.  In particular, management believes that adjusted sales, adjusted gross profit and margin, adjusted operating income (loss) and margin, adjusted net income, adjusted earnings per share, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA margin, net debt, adjusted income before tax, adjusted income tax expense and adjusted tax rate are useful measures in assessing the Company's financial performance by excluding certain items that are not indicative of the Company's core operating performance or that may obscure trends useful in evaluating the Company's continuing operating activities.  Management also believes that these measures are useful to both management and investors in their analysis of the Company's results of operations and provide improved comparability between fiscal periods.

Adjusted sales, adjusted gross profit and margin, adjusted operating income (loss) and margin, adjusted net income, adjusted earnings per share and adjusted EBITDA, net debt, adjusted income before tax and adjusted tax rate should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for gross profit, operating income (loss), net income, earnings per share, debt, income before tax, income tax benefit or tax rate, cash provided by operating activities or other income statement or cash flow statement data prepared in accordance with GAAP.  

SOURCE Stoneridge, Inc.