Delphi Automotive PLC (NYSE: DLPH), a leading global technology company serving the automotive sector, today reported first quarter 2017 U.S. GAAP earnings from continuing operations of $1.24 per diluted share. Excluding special items, first quarter earnings from continuing operations totaled $1.59 per diluted share.
First Quarter Highlights Include:
- Revenue of $4.3 billion, up 9% adjusted for currency exchange, commodity movements, acquisitions and divestitures
- U.S. GAAP net income from continuing operations of $335 million, diluted earnings per share from continuing operations of $1.24
- Excluding special items, earnings from continuing operations of $1.59 per diluted share, up 17%
- Adjusted Operating Income of $537 million, up 5%
- U.S. GAAP Operating Income margin of 10.8%. Adjusted Operating Income margin of 12.5%
- Generated $290 million of cash from continuing operations
- Share repurchases and dividends of $271 million
- Announced plans for tax-free spin-off of its Powertrain Systems segment; to be discussed on first quarter earnings call at 8:30 a.m. ET today
“Our first quarter results reflect a great start to the year, building on the momentum we saw in 2016 with another quarter of strong growth, margins and cash flow,” said Kevin Clark, president and chief executive officer. “Today also marks a major milestone in the evolution of our company as we announced plans to spin-off our Powertrain segment, creating two independent companies, each well-positioned to meet the rapidly changing needs of our customers and deliver value to all of our stakeholders.”
First Quarter 2017 Results
The Company reported first quarter 2017 revenue of $4.3 billion, an increase of 6% from the prior year period, reflecting volume growth in all regions. Adjusted for currency exchange, commodity movements and the divestiture of the Company’s Mechatronics businesses, revenue increased by 9% in the first quarter. This reflects growth of 7% in North America, 10% in Europe, 10% in Asia and 16% in South America.
The Company reported first quarter 2017 U.S. GAAP net income from continuing operations of $335 million and earnings from continuing operations of $1.24 per diluted share, compared to $320 million and $1.15 per diluted share in the prior year period. First quarter Adjusted Net Income, a non-GAAP financial measure defined below, totaled $428 million, or $1.59 per diluted share, which includes the favorable impacts of a reduced share count and a lower tax rate compared to the prior period. Adjusted Net Income in the prior year period was $377 million, or $1.36 per diluted share.
First quarter Adjusted Operating Income, a non-GAAP financial measure defined below, was $537 million, compared to $512 million in the prior year period, resulting from the continued above-market growth of our businesses in Europe, North America, and Asia Pacific. First quarter Adjusted Operating margin was 12.5%, compared to 12.6% in the prior year period, as our sales growth and the beneficial impacts of cost reduction initiatives, including our continuing rotation to low cost manufacturing locations in Europe, were offset by continued investments for growth and warranty charges recorded in the first quarter. Depreciation and amortization expense (including asset impairment charges) totaled $175 million, an increase from $162 million in the prior year period.
Interest expense for the first quarter totaled $34 million, as compared to $41 million in the prior year period, which reflects the benefits of our debt refinancing transactions in the third quarter of 2016.
Tax expense in the first quarter of 2017 was $61 million, resulting in an effective tax rate of approximately 15%, compared to $75 million, or an effective rate of 19%, in the prior year period. The decrease in the effective tax rate reflects the geographic mix of pretax earnings as well as the impacts of discrete items.
The Company generated net cash flow from operating activities of $290 million in the first quarter, compared to $268 million in the prior year period. As of March 31, 2017, the Company had cash and cash equivalents of $0.5 billion and total debt of $4.0 billion.
Reconciliations of Adjusted Net Income, Adjusted Net Income per Share, Adjusted Operating Income and Cash Flow Before Financing, which are non-GAAP measures, to the most directly comparable financial measures, respectively, calculated and presented in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) are provided in the attached supplemental schedules.
Share Repurchase Program
During the first quarter of 2017, the Company repurchased 2.56 million shares for approximately $193 million under its existing authorized share repurchase program, leaving approximately $1,179 million available for future share repurchases. All repurchased shares were retired, and are reflected as a reduction of ordinary share capital for the par value of the shares, with the excess applied as reductions to additional paid-in-capital and retained earnings.
Q2 and Full Year 2017 Outlook
The Company’s second quarter and full year 2017 financial guidance is as follows:
| (in millions, except per share amounts) | Q2 2017 | Full Year 2017 |
| Net Sales | $4,150 – $4,250 | $16,500 – $16,900 |
| Adjusted operating income | $560 – $580 | $2,210 – $2,310 |
| Adjusted operating income margin | 13.5% – 13.7% | 13.4% – 13.7% |
| Adjusted net income per share | $1.62 – $1.68 | $6.40 – $6.70 |
| Cash flow from operations | $2,100 | |
| Capital expenditures | $850 | |
| Adjusted effective tax rate | ~16% | ~16% |
Planned Spin-off of Powertrain Systems Segment
As further detailed in a separate press release, Delphi also announced today its intention to execute a tax-free spin-off of its Powertrain Systems segment into a new, independent publicly traded company, creating two highly focused public companies strategically positioned to drive incremental value for customers, shareholders and employees. The transaction is expected to be completed by March 2018.
Conference Call and Webcast
The Company will host a conference call to discuss the planned transaction and these results at 8:30 a.m. (ET) today, which is accessible by dialing 888.486.0553 (US domestic) or 706.634.4982 (international) or through a webcast at http://investor.delphi.com/. The conference ID number is 54160665. A slide presentation will accompany the prepared remarks and has been posted on the investor relations section of the Company’s website. A replay will be available two hours following the conference call.
Use of Non-GAAP Financial Information
This press release contains information about Delphi’s financial results which are not presented in accordance with GAAP. Specifically, Adjusted Operating Income, Adjusted Net Income, Adjusted Net Income per Share and Cash Flow Before Financing are non-GAAP financial measures. Adjusted Operating Income represents net income before interest expense, other income (expense), net, income tax expense, equity income (loss), net of tax, income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax, restructuring, other acquisition and portfolio project costs, asset impairments and gains (losses) on business divestitures. Other acquisition and portfolio project costs include costs incurred to integrate acquired businesses and to plan and execute product portfolio transformation actions, including business and product acquisitions and divestitures. Adjusted Operating Income margin is defined as Adjusted Operating Income as a percentage of Net sales.
Adjusted Net Income represents net income attributable to Delphi before discontinued operations, restructuring and other special items, including the tax impact thereon. Adjusted Net Income Per Share represents Adjusted Net Income divided by the weighted average number of diluted shares outstanding for the period. Cash Flow Before Financing represents cash provided by operating activities from continuing operations plus cash provided by (used in) investing activities from continuing operations, adjusted for the purchase price of business acquisitions and net proceeds from the divestiture of discontinued operations and other significant businesses.
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, results of operations and liquidity. In particular, management believes Adjusted Operating Income, Adjusted Net Income, Adjusted Net Income Per Share and Cash Flow Before Financing are useful measures in assessing the Company’s ongoing financial performance that, when reconciled to the corresponding GAAP measure, provide improved comparability between periods through the exclusion of certain items that management believes are not indicative of the Company’s core operating performance and that may obscure underlying business results and trends. Management also uses these non-GAAP financial measures for internal planning and forecasting purposes.
Such non-GAAP financial measures are reconciled to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures in the attached supplemental schedules at the end of this press release. Non-GAAP measures should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for our reported results prepared in accordance with GAAP and, as calculated, may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures of other companies.
