Albemarle reports second quarter growth and raises full year EPS guidance

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Aug. 7, 2019 /PRNewswire/ --

Second quarter 2019 highlights:

• Net sales were $885.1 million, an increase of 4% over the prior year; earnings were $1.45 per diluted share
• Adjusted diluted EPS was $1.55, an increase of 14% over the prior year
• Adjusted EBITDA increased 6%, excluding currency exchange impacts
• Revised agreement with Mineral Resources Limited to acquire a 60% interest in the Wodgina hard rock lithium mine project
• Raised full year outlook of adjusted diluted earnings per share to between $6.25 and $6.65

Albemarle Corporation (NYSE: ALB) reported second quarter 2019 results.

"In the second quarter, Albemarle delivered adjusted diluted EPS of $1.55, an increase of 14% compared to the second quarter of 2018. All of our businesses met or exceeded our expectations this quarter with volume and pricing providing year-over-year growth in Lithium and Bromine," said Luke Kissam, Albemarle's CEO. "The recently announced amendments to our transaction with Mineral Resources Limited and our decision to delay indefinitely certain lithium expansion projects will allow us to reduce capital expenditures significantly while still meeting the commitments we have made to our customers."

Outlook

With first half 2019 performance as expected, we reconfirm our net sales and adjusted EBITDA guidance, while increasing our adjusted EPS guidance to the following:

Quarterly Segment Results

Lithium

Bromine Specialties

Catalysts

All Other

Corporate Results

Income Taxes

Our effective income tax rates for the second quarter of 2019 and 2018 of 18.2% and 21.5%, respectively, are influenced by non-recurring, other unusual and non-operating pension and OPEB items (see Non-GAAP Reconciliations). The decrease in the effective tax rate in the second quarter of 2019 compared to 2018 was impacted by a variety of factors, primarily stemming from a change in the geographic mix of earnings. Our adjusted effective income tax rates, which exclude non-recurring, other unusual and non-operating pension and OPEB items, were 18.4% and 24.4% for the second quarter of 2019 and 2018, respectively, and continue to be influenced by the level and geographic mix of income.

Cash Flow

Our cash from operations was approximately $199.3 million for the six months ended June 30, 2019, a decrease of $24.6 million versus the same period in 2018, primarily due to increased inventory purchases to meet higher forecasted sales, the timing on collection of certain receivables, lower cash earnings in our Catalysts reportable segment and higher cash taxes paid. These were partially offset by higher dividends received from unconsolidated investments and increased cash earnings from Bromine Specialties. Capital expenditures were $415.6 million as compared to $280.9 million in the first six months of 2018, with the increase driven largely by expansion in our Lithium business.

We had $398.2 million in cash and cash equivalents at June 30, 2019, as compared to $555.3 million at December 31, 2018. During the first six months of 2019, cash on hand, cash provided by operations and commercial paper note borrowings funded dividends to shareholders of $74.3 million, in addition to capital expenditures.

Earnings Call

The Company's performance for the second quarter ended June 30, 2019 will be discussed on a conference call at 9:00 AM Eastern time on August 8, 2019. The call can be accessed by dialing 844-347-1034 (International Dial-In # 209-905-5910), and entering conference ID 4270876. The Company's earnings presentation and supporting material can be accessed through Albemarle's website under Investors at www.albemarle.com.

About Albemarle

Albemarle Corporation (NYSE: ALB), headquartered in Charlotte, NC, is a global specialty chemicals company with leading positions in lithium, bromine and refining catalysts. We power the potential of companies in many of the world's largest and most critical industries, from energy and communications to transportation and electronics. Working side-by-side with our customers, we develop value-added, customized solutions that make them more competitive. Our solutions combine the finest technology and ingredients with the knowledge and know-how of our highly experienced and talented team of operators, scientists and engineers.

Discovering and implementing new and better performance-based sustainable solutions is what motivates all of us. We think beyond business-as-usual to drive innovations that create lasting value. Albemarle employs approximately 5,600 people and serves customers in approximately 100 countries. We regularly post information to www.albemarle.com, including notification of events, news, financial performance, investor presentations and webcasts, non-GAAP reconciliations, SEC filings and other information regarding our company, its businesses and the markets it serves.

Forward-Looking Statements

Some of the information presented in this press release, the conference call and discussions that follow, including, without limitation, information related to product development, production capacity, committed volumes, market trends, pricing, expected growth, earnings and demand for our products, input costs, surcharges, tax rates, stock repurchases, dividends, cash flow generation, costs and cost synergies, capital projects, economic trends, outlook and all other information relating to matters that are not historical facts may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results could differ materially from the views expressed. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the outlook expressed or implied in any forward-looking statement include, without limitation: changes in economic and business conditions; changes in financial and operating performance of our major customers and industries and markets served by us; the timing of orders received from customers; the gain or loss of significant customers; competition from other manufacturers; changes in the demand for our products or the end-user markets in which our products are sold; limitations or prohibitions on the manufacture and sale of our products; availability of raw materials; increases in the cost of raw materials and energy, and our ability to pass through such increases to our customers; changes in our markets in general; fluctuations in foreign currencies; changes in laws and government regulation impacting our operations or our products; the occurrence of regulatory actions, proceedings, claims or litigation; the occurrence of cyber-security breaches, terrorist attacks, industrial accidents, natural disasters or climate change; the inability to maintain current levels of product or premises liability insurance or the denial of such coverage; political unrest affecting the global economy, including adverse effects form terrorism or hostilities; political instability affecting our manufacturing operations or joint ventures; changes in accounting standards; the inability to achieve results from our global manufacturing cost reduction initiatives as well as our ongoing continuous improvement and rationalization programs; changes in the jurisdictional mix of our earnings and changes in tax laws and rates; changes in monetary policies, inflation or interest rates that may impact our ability to raise capital or increase our cost of funds, impact the performance of our pension fund investments and increase our pension expense and funding obligations; volatility and uncertainties in the debt and equity markets; technology or intellectual property infringement, including cyber-security breaches, and other innovation risks; decisions we may make in the future; the ability to successfully execute, operate and integrate acquisitions and divestitures; and the other factors detailed from time to time in the reports we file with the SEC, including those described under "Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K and our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release. We assume no obligation to provide any revisions to any forward-looking statements should circumstances change, except as otherwise required by securities and other applicable laws.

Albemarle Corporation and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Statements of Income
(In Thousands Except Per Share Amounts) (Unaudited)

Albemarle Corporation and Subsidiaries
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
(In Thousands) (Unaudited)

Albemarle Corporation and Subsidiaries
Selected Consolidated Cash Flow Data
(In Thousands) (Unaudited)

Albemarle Corporation and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Summary of Segment Results
(In Thousands) (Unaudited)

See accompanying non-GAAP reconciliations below.

Additional Information

It should be noted that adjusted net income attributable to Albemarle Corporation, adjusted diluted earnings per share, non-operating pension and OPEB items per diluted share, non-recurring and other unusual items per diluted share, adjusted effective income tax rates, EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA, EBITDA margin and adjusted EBITDA margin are financial measures that are not required by, or presented in accordance with, accounting principles generally accepted in the United States, or GAAP. These non-GAAP measures should not be considered as alternatives to Net income attributable to Albemarle Corporation ("earnings"). These measures are presented here to provide additional useful measurements to review our operations, provide transparency to investors and enable period-to-period comparability of financial performance. The Company's chief operating decision maker uses these measures to assess the ongoing performance of the Company and its segments, as well as for business and enterprise planning purposes.

A description of other non-GAAP financial measures that we use to evaluate our operations and financial performance, and reconciliation of these non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable financial measures calculated and reported in accordance with GAAP can be found on the following pages of this press release, which is also posted in the Investors section of our website at www.albemarle.com. The Company does not provide a reconciliation of forward-looking non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable financial measures calculated and reported in accordance with GAAP, as the Company is unable to estimate significant non-recurring or unusual items without unreasonable effort. The amounts and timing of these items are uncertain and could be material to the Company's results calculated in accordance with GAAP.

ALBEMARLE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
Non-GAAP Reconciliations
(Unaudited)

See below for a reconciliation of adjusted net income attributable to Albemarle Corporation, EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA, the non-GAAP financial measures, to Net income attributable to Albemarle Corporation ("earnings"), the most directly comparable financial measure calculated and reported in accordance with GAAP. Adjusted earnings is defined as earnings before the non-recurring, other unusual and non-operating pension and OPEB items as listed below. EBITDA is defined as earnings before interest and financing expenses, income taxes, and depreciation and amortization. Adjusted EBITDA is defined as EBITDA and the non-recurring, other unusual and non-operating pension and OPEB items as listed below.

See below for a reconciliation of adjusted EBITDA on a segment basis, the non-GAAP financial measure, to Net income attributable to Albemarle Corporation, the most directly comparable financial measure calculated and reported in accordance with GAAP (in thousands, except percentages).

Non-operating pension and OPEB items, consisting of mark-to-market actuarial gains/losses, settlements/curtailments, interest cost and expected return on assets, are not allocated to our operating segments and are included in the Corporate category. In addition, we believe that these components of pension cost are mainly driven by market performance, and we manage these separately from the operational performance of our businesses. In accordance with GAAP, these non-operating pension and OPEB items are included in Other (expenses) income, net. Non-operating pension and OPEB items were as follows (in thousands):

In addition to the non-operating pension and OPEB items disclosed above, we have identified certain other items and excluded them from our adjusted net income calculation for the periods presented. A listing of these items, as well as a detailed description of each follows below (per diluted share):

(1) Acquisition and integration related costs for the three and six months ended June 30, 2019 and 2018
related to various significant projects. Acquisition and integration related costs are included in the
consolidated statements of income as follows (in millions, except per share amounts):

(2) Included in Selling, general and administrative expenses for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018 is a $15.0 million ($11.5 million after income taxes, or $0.11 per share) charitable contribution, using a portion of the proceeds received from the Polyolefin Catalysts Divestiture, to the Albemarle Foundation, a non-profit organization that sponsors grants, health and social projects, educational initiatives, disaster relief, matching gift programs, scholarships and other charitable initiatives in locations where our employees live and operate. This contribution is in addition to the ordinary annual contribution made to the Albemarle Foundation by the Company, and is significant in size and nature in that it is intended to provide more long-term benefits in the communities where we live and operate.

(3) Included in Gain on sale of business, for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018 is $218.7 million ($176.7 million after discrete incomes taxes, or $1.60 per share and $1.59 per share for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018, respectively, due to differences in the weighted average share count between periods) related to the sale of the Polyolefin Catalysts Divestiture.

(4) Included in Other (expenses) income, net, for the six months ended June 30, 2019 is a gain of $11.1 million ($8.5 million after income taxes, or $0.08 per share) related to the sale of land in Pasadena, Texas not used as part of our operations.

(5) Included in Other (expenses) income, net, for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018 is a $10.4 million ($8.0 million after income taxes, or $0.07 per share) expense resulting from a settlement of a legal matter related to guarantees from a previously disposed business. Also included in Other (expenses) income, net, for the six months ended June 30, 2018 is a $17.6 million ($13.6 million after income taxes, or $0.12 per share) expense resulting from a jury rendered verdict against Albemarle related to certain business concluded under a 2014 sales agreement for products that Albemarle no longer manufactures. Both matters were resolved and paid in 2018.

(6) Increase in environmental reserve of $15.6 million ($12.0 million after income taxes, or $0.11 per share) to indemnify the buyer of a formerly owned site recorded in Other (expenses) income, net. As defined in the agreement of sale, this indemnification has a set cutoff date in 2024, at which point we will no longer be required to provide financial coverage.

(7) Other adjustments for the three months ended June 30, 2019 included amounts recorded in:

• Cost of goods sold - $0.1 million related to non-routine labor and compensation related costs in Chile that are outside normal compensation arrangements.
• Selling, general and administrative expenses - Expected severance payments to be made in 2019 as part of a business reorganization plan of $4.8 million, with the unpaid balance recorded in Accrued expenses, and $1.0 million of shortfall contributions for our multiemployer plan financial improvement plan.
• Other (expenses) income, net - $2.5 million of a net loss primarily resulting from the revision of indemnifications related to previously disposed businesses.

After income taxes, these charges totaled $7.7 million, or 0.07 per share.

Other adjustments for the six months ended June 30, 2019 included amounts recorded in:

• Cost of goods sold - $0.5 million related to non-routine labor and compensation related costs in Chile that are outside normal compensation arrangements.
• Selling, general and administrative expenses - Expected severance payments to be made in 2019 as part of a business reorganization plan of $5.3 million, with the unpaid balance recorded in Accrued expenses, and $1.0 million of shortfall contributions for our multiemployer plan financial improvement plan.
• Other (expenses) income, net - $0.9 million of a net loss primarily resulting from the revision of indemnifications and other liabilities related to previously disposed businesses.

After income taxes, these charges totaled $6.9 million, or $0.07 per share.

Other adjustments for the three months ended June 30, 2018 included charges of $1.2 million ($1.0 million after income taxes, or $0.01 per share) related to the revision of previously recorded expenses of disposed businesses recorded in Other (expenses) income, net.

Other adjustments for the six months ended June 30, 2018 included amounts recorded in:

• Cost of goods sold - $1.1 million for the write-off of fixed assets related to a major capacity expansion in our Jordanian joint venture.
• Selling, general and administrative expenses - $1.4 million gain related to a refund from Chilean authorities due to an overpayment made in a prior year.
• Other (expenses) income, net - $1.0 million related to the revision of previously recorded expenses of disposed businesses.

After income taxes, these charges totaled $0.9 million, or $0.01 per share.

(8) Included in Income tax expense for the three and six months ended June 30, 2019 are discrete net tax benefits of $0.8 million, or $0.01 per share, and expenses of $2.4 million, or $0.02 per share, respectively. The net benefit for the three months is primarily related to foreign return to accrual adjustments. The net expense for the six months is primarily related to expenses for uncertain tax positions and foreign return to accrual adjustments, partially offset by a benefit for excess tax benefits realized from stock-based compensation arrangements.

Included in Income tax expense for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018 are discrete net tax expenses (benefits), excluding the discrete tax expense on the gain of sale of business noted above, of $0.3 million, or less than $0.01 per share, and ($11.8) million, or ($0.11) per share, respectively. The net expense for the three months is primarily related to $8.5 million for a valuation allowance recorded due to a foreign restructuring plan, partially offset by an $8.0 million benefit for tax accounting method changes. The net benefit for the six months is primarily related to an $8.0 million benefit for tax accounting method changes, a $6.5 million benefit for adjustments related to the accounting for the TCJA and $7.2 million excess tax benefits realized from stock-based compensation arrangements, partially offset by $8.5 million for a valuation allowance recorded due to a foreign restructuring plan.

See below for a reconciliation of the adjusted effective income tax rate, the non-GAAP financial measure, to the effective income tax rate, the most directly comparable financial measure calculated and reported in accordance with GAAP (in thousands, except percentages).

SOURCE Albemarle Corporation

Related Links

http://www.albemarle.com

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