| News |
For Immediate Release | Contact: Paul J. Donnelly |
November 3, 2016 | (212) 878-1840 |
MINERALS TECHNOLOGIES REPORTS THIRD QUARTER EARNINGS
OF $1.18 PER SHARE, OR $1.17 PER SHARE, EXCLUDING SPECIAL ITEMS
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Highlights:
· | Strong Operating Margins in All Businesses |
· | Continuing Strong China Sales Growth – 8% |
· | Specialty Minerals Posts Record Operating Income |
· | Productivity Improvement of 5% |
· | $50 Million Debt Reduction in the Third Quarter |
NEW YORK, November 3, 2016 — Minerals Technologies Inc. (NYSE: MTX) today reported third quarter diluted earnings of $1.17 per share, excluding special items. Reported earnings were $1.18 per share.
"Minerals Technologies continued its solid financial performance in the third quarter with each of our business segments recording double-digit operating margins," said Co-Chief Executive Officer Doug Dietrich. "Our Minerals businesses continue to perform well; and we completed the restructuring in Energy Services, achieving the targeted savings and level of profitability."
Worldwide net sales in the third quarter were $400 million compared with $451 million in the same period of 2015. The majority of the sales decrease occurred in the Service businesses due to continued weak market conditions in the oil and gas sector and the previously announced exit from several onshore service lines within Energy Services, as well as weaker conditions in the steel sector affecting the Refractories segment. Foreign exchange had an unfavorable impact on sales of $5.4 million in the quarter.
Consolidated Operating Income, as reported, was $67.3 million, and represented 16.8 percent of sales. Operating Income, excluding special items, grew 7 percent to $66.9 million from $62.8 million in the prior year. Consolidated operating margin, excluding special items, was strong at 16.7 percent of sales. The increase in operating margin was due to productivity gains, raw material and energy savings, and a more favorable product mix in the Minerals businesses.
The Minerals businesses, which include the Specialty Minerals, Performance Materials and Construction Technologies segments, generated Operating Income of $58.0 million or 18.3 percent of sales, compared with $53.8 million or 16.2 percent of sales in the third quarter of 2015.
Third quarter worldwide sales for the Specialty Minerals segment, which consists of the Precipitated Calcium Carbonate (PCC) and Processed Minerals product lines, was $147.3 million. Operating Income for the segment increased 11 percent to a record $27.8 million, representing 18.9 percent of sales.
Worldwide sales of PCC, which is used mainly in the manufacturing processes of the paper industry, were $111.7 million compared with $121.9 million in the prior year. The sales decrease from the prior year was due to several previously announced paper mill closures in the U.S. This decrease was partially offset by a 7-percent increase in PCC sales in China. The quarter also saw the successful startup of a 100,000-ton PCC satellite in China for the Sun Paper Group.
Third quarter sales of Processed Minerals products increased 3 percent over the prior year to $35.6 million. The sales growth was attributable to a 5-percent improvement in Ground Calcium Carbonate sales. Processed Minerals products are used in the building materials, automotive, polymers, ceramics, paints and coatings, glass and other manufacturing industries.
Sales in the Performance Materials segment were $119.5 million compared with $126.5 million in the prior year. Reduced sales in Basic Minerals accounted for 83 percent of the decrease. This was due to lower bulk sales of chromite because of weak global steel market conditions and lower drilling products sales to the oil and gas industry. Significant productivity gains, along with lower raw material costs, enabled the segment to generate Operating Income of $22.9 million and operating margins of 19.2 percent. Performance Materials provides a wide range of bentonite-based and synthetic materials for industrial and consumer markets.
Sales in the Construction Technologies segment decreased slightly to $49.5 million in the third quarter. Environmental Products sales increased 13 percent to $24.6 million due to higher volume in specialty geo-synthetic clay liners, including Resistex™ products. Building Materials & Other Products decreased 11 percent due to reduced sales in select primary markets in the United States and Europe. Operating Income for the segment improved 20 percent to $7.3 million and represented 14.7 percent of sales. Construction Technologies provides products for environmental remediation, non-residential construction, and infrastructure projects worldwide.
The Service-related businesses, which include the Refractories and Energy Services segments, had sales of $83.2 million in the third quarter, a decrease of 30 percent from the same period last year. This decrease was due to continued weak market conditions in the oil and gas sector and the exit from several onshore service lines within Energy Services, as well as weaker conditions in the steel sector.
Third quarter sales in the Refractories segment were $63.4 million, down 18 percent from the prior year. Operating Income, as reported, for the quarter was $10.1 million, representing 15.9 percent of sales and grew 28 percent. Operating Income, excluding special items, increased 1 percent over the prior year to $8.0 million and was 12.6 percent of sales. The Refractories segment provides products and services primarily to the worldwide steel industry.
Energy Services segment sales were $19.8 million for the third quarter, a 52-percent decrease from the prior year. The sales decrease was due to continuing weak market conditions in the oil and gas sector and the exit from several onshore service lines within Energy Services. Operating Income, as reported, for the quarter was $2.6 million and represented 13.1 percent of sales. Operating Income, excluding special items, for the quarter was $2.4 million and represented 12.1 percent of sales. Energy Services' is now focused on offering its innovative, differentiated products and services for produced water treatment, filtration and well-testing, to off-shore oil and gas producers globally.
The Company repaid $50 million in principal during the third quarter and $140 million year-to-date and intends to continue using excess cash flow to repay debt.
"We had solid financial results in the third quarter, generating strong profitability, despite facing some challenging market conditions," said Mr. Dietrich. "MTI has a solid operating foundation and remains focused on our growth strategies of geographic expansion, new product innovation and acquisitions."
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Minerals Technologies will host a conference call tomorrow, November 4, 2016 at 11 a.m. The conference call will be broadcast live on the company we site: www.mineralstech.com.
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FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This press release may contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which describe or are based on current expectations. Actual results may differ materially from these expectations. In addition, any statements that are not historical fact (including statements containing the words "believes," "plans," "anticipates," "expects," "estimates," and similar expressions) should also be considered to be forward-looking statements. The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Forward-looking statements in this document should be evaluated together with the many uncertainties that affect our businesses, particularly those mentioned in the risk factors and other cautionary statements in our 2015 Annual Report on Form 10-K and in our other reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
For further information about Minerals Technologies Inc. look on the internet at http://www.mineralstech.com