Filtration systems and replacement parts conglomerate Donaldson Company (DCI -0.43%) released fiscal fourth-quarter 2019 earnings before markets opened for trading on Thursday. The global industrial concern, which manufactures its products at 43 plants worldwide, coupled a flattish top line in the fourth quarter with operating income that trailed the prior-year period by a few percentage points. A large swing in income tax expense dented net earnings, however. Let's walk through essential details from the last three months, and discuss management's rather cautious outlook on the coming fiscal year.
Note that all comparative numbers in this article are presented against those of the prior-year quarter.
The raw numbers
| Metric | Q4 2019 | Q4 2018 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $726.9 million | $724.7 million | 0.3% |
| Net income | $58.0 million | $102.4 million | (43.4%) |
| Diluted EPS | $0.45 | $0.78 | (42.3%) |
Data source: Donaldson Company. EPS = earnings per share.
What happened with Donaldson this quarter?
- The organization realized roughly 1 percentage point of pricing power this quarter and added another 1.3% to its top line through its December 2018 acquisition of fume extraction systems manufacturer BOFA International. These positive sales factors were offset by 2 percentage points of foreign currency translation, resulting in the meager revenue advance over the fourth quarter of 2018.
- Net revenue in Donaldson's engine product segment dipped by 1.1%, as aftermarket sales (the company's largest business line) improved by just 0.3%, to $335.3 million. Off-road sales decreased by 10.1% to $75.1 million due to weaker domestic results, partially mitigated by strong international sales. On-road product sales rose by 1.5% to $44.2 million. The aerospace and defense business achieved a 4% increase in sales, to $32.1 million.
- The company's industrial products segment exhibited a bit more momentum, as total net revenue improved by 3.3% to $240.2 million. Industrial filtration solutions sales notched a 6.2% gain to $172.5 million, while gas turbine systems sales rose nearly 7% to $25.8 million. Special applications dragged on the segment's top line, however, as computer disk drive filtration product sales slipped roughly 9% to $41.9 million.
- Unfavorable product mix, higher supply chain costs, and rising raw materials costs pushed gross margin lower by 140 basis points to 33.5%.
- Operating income declined by 3.5% to $104.4 million. The large disparity in net earnings between periods, however, as seen in the table above, is due primarily to income tax expense adjustments related to final clarification of regulations from the 2017 Tax Cut and Jobs Act. Donaldson recorded $40.7 million in income tax expense this quarter, against just $1.1 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2018.
- The company pointed out that share repurchases of $24.7 million during the quarter brought its full-year share buyback tally to $129.2 million, equaling 2% of outstanding shares repurchased this year.
Image source: Getty Images.
Management's perspective
Having a finger on the pulse of global macroeconomic conditions is vital for manufacturers with international supply chains, as well as those seeking to invest in quality stocks of multinational companies over a moderate-to-long time frame. In Donaldson's earnings press release, CEO Tod Carpenter communicated the company's wary outlook on product demand in the next 12-month period. Carpenter did also note that Donaldson still expects to repeat its achievement of record bottom-line results in fiscal 2020:
Our fiscal 2020 plan reflects focused portfolio management in an uneven demand environment. It is likely that uncertainty related to global trade and the political environment will keep our customers cautious, and some of our engine-related end markets are nearing the peak of their economic cycle. As these factors affect demand, our innovative products with recurring revenue, combined with disciplined expense planning, give us greater stability and flexibility as we remain focused on the future. We are making incremental investments to drive our strategic priorities in 2020, and we are aggressively pursuing gross margin improvement opportunities. Our company is aligned on our strategic and operational objectives, and we are excited about our path to delivering another year of record profit.
Looking forward
Donaldson issued full-year fiscal 2020 guidance alongside earnings on Thursday. For the coming year, the organization projects sales growth of between -2% and 4%. Operating margin is expected to land between 13.9% and 14.5%, an improvement against the 13.6% mark recorded in fiscal 2019. Management anticipates diluted earnings per share of $2.21 to $2.37, which will represent a 12% advance in profit over the prior year at the midpoint of the range. Shareholders seemed amenable to the financial projections despite management's caution around next year's sales demand: Shares rose roughly 4% in early trading Thursday morning.
