| EXHIBIT 99.1 |
| News Release |
| Investor Contact: Cindi Buckwalter, (212) 878-1831 |
| Media Contact: Michael Landau, (212) 878-1840 |
Minerals Technologies Reports Third Quarter 2019
Earnings of $1.08 Per Share, or $1.06 Per Share Excluding Special Items
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Highlights:
• | Strong Operating Cash Flow of $60 Million |
• | Debt Repayment of $32 Million; Share Repurchases of $11 Million |
• | Restructuring Program On Track to Deliver $12 Million of Annualized Savings |
• | Signed PCC Agreement with a European Papermaker to Support Premium Packaging Application |
NEW YORK, October 31, 2019 — Minerals Technologies Inc. (NYSE: MTX) (“MTI” or “the Company”) today reported diluted earnings per share of $1.06, excluding special items, for the third quarter ended September 29, 2019. Reported diluted earnings per share were $1.08.
Worldwide net sales were $449.3 million. Foreign exchange had an unfavorable impact on sales of 1 percentage point of growth. Operating income was $53.5 million and represented 11.9 percent of sales. Operating income excluding special items was $59.1 million and represented 13.2 percent of sales.
“We delivered a solid third quarter highlighted by strong execution on a number of fronts – cost control, productivity improvements and progress on our restructuring initiatives – despite continued weakness in some of the markets we serve,” said Douglas T. Dietrich, Chief Executive Officer. “We captured opportunities to improve efficiencies across our operations, adjusted our costs to the current market environment, and continued to drive strong operating cash flow.”
Mr. Dietrich continued, “We also executed on several strategic initiatives, highlighted by a new PCC agreement for a premium packaging application, volume growth in Asia through continued Paper PCC and Metalcasting penetration, and sales and margin improvement in Environmental Products and Pet Care.”
Segment Information
Performance Materials and Specialty Minerals
Sales in the Minerals businesses, which include the Performance Materials and Specialty Minerals segments, were $350.4 million. Operating income for the Minerals businesses was $48.6 million and represented 13.9 percent of sales.
Performance Materials segment sales decreased 6 percent to $207.3 million.
Metalcasting sales decreased 11 percent primarily due to weaker demand in automotive, heavy truck and agricultural equipment in the U.S. and parts of Asia; however, Metalcasting sales increased in China and Thailand, reflecting continued market penetration. Household, Personal Care & Specialty Products declined 3 percent, as growth in our pet litter products globally was offset by lower sales in fabric care, personal care and specialty products. Environmental Products sales increased 3 percent driven by higher volumes of our geosynthetic clay liners and specialty liners, including our higher value RESISTEX® products. Building Materials sales decreased 5 percent primarily due to lower North American construction activity.
Operating income for the segment was $26.9 million and represented 13.0 percent of sales. Operating income and margins were affected by the lower Metalcasting sales and overall product mix.
The Performance Materials segment provides a wide range of bentonite-based and synthetic materials for industrial and consumer markets and for non-residential construction, environmental remediation and infrastructure projects worldwide.
Specialty Minerals segment sales, which consist of the Precipitated Calcium Carbonate (PCC) and Processed Minerals product lines, decreased 2 percent to $143.1 million.
Worldwide sales of PCC, which is used mainly in the manufacturing processes of the paper industry, decreased 2 percent to $107.9 million largely due to previously announced customer paper machine shutdowns in North America, including the closure of a U.S. paper mill in the first quarter of 2019. Paper PCC sales in Asia grew 11 percent, driven by the ramp up of a new satellite and capacity additions. Specialty PCC products increased 5 percent, primarily due to demand-driven expansions.
Processed Minerals sales decreased 3 percent to $35.2 million, primarily due to lower sales into the automotive and construction markets. Processed Minerals products are used in the building materials, polymers, ceramics, consumer products, paints and coatings, glass and other manufacturing industries.
Segment operating income was $21.7 million and represented 15.2 percent of sales. The decrease in operating income was driven by the paper mill shutdowns in North America and lower volumes in Europe, which was partially offset by higher pricing.
Refractories and Energy Services
Sales in the Service businesses, which include the Refractories and Energy Services segments, increased 1 percent to $98.9 million. Operating income for the Service businesses was $12.2 million and represented 12.3 percent of sales.
Refractories segment sales decreased 7 percent to $73.4 million, primarily due to lower sales in Europe and North America. The Refractories segment operating income was $10.2 million and represented 13.9 percent of sales. The Refractories segment provides products and services primarily to the worldwide steel industry.
Energy Services segment sales rose 33 percent to $25.5 million, primarily driven by higher well testing and filtration activity in the Gulf of Mexico and increased equipment sales and filtration activity in the Asia Pacific region. Operating income increased to $2.0 million and represented 7.8 percent of sales. Energy Services offers a range of patented technologies, products and services for off-shore filtration and well testing to the worldwide oil and gas industry.
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Minerals Technologies will host a conference call tomorrow, November 1, 2019 at 11 a.m. Eastern Time. The conference call will be broadcast live on our website: www.mineralstech.com. To listen to the call, go to the website and click on "Investor Relations," then click on "Quarterly Results & Conference Calls." A presentation for the call will be available at the same location at approximately 10:30 a.m. Eastern Time on November 1, 2019.
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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 2018 Annual Report on Form 10-K and in our other reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
About Minerals Technologies Inc.
New York-based Minerals Technologies Inc. (MTI) is a resource- and technology-based growth company that develops, produces and markets worldwide a broad range of specialty mineral, mineral-based and synthetic mineral products and related systems and services. MTI serves the paper, foundry, steel, construction, environmental, energy, polymer and consumer products industries. The Company reported sales of $1.808 billion in 2018. For further information, please visit our website at www.mineralstech.com. (MTI-E)