GLEN MILLS, Pa., Jan. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Axalta Coating Systems Ltd. (NYSE:AXTA) (“Axalta”), a leading global coatings company, announced its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2022.

Fourth Quarter 2022 Highlights

• Volumes grew 2.4% year-over-year as market recovery in Mobility Coatings more than offset pockets of softer demand in Industrial and a slower China recovery in Performance Coatings
• 11.7% price-mix growth year-over-year; 3.2% sequential price-mix growth
• Income from operations of $109.8 million up 15.9% versus $94.7 million in Q4 2021; Adjusted EBIT of $147.2 million up 21.7% compared with $121.0 million in Q4 2021
• Diluted EPS of $0.20 versus $0.23 in Q4 2021; Adjusted diluted EPS of $0.38 versus $0.30 in Q4 2021
• Completed Term Loan refinancing extending maturity to December 2029; Net leverage sequentially improved to 3.8x from 4.1x at September 30, 2022

Fourth Quarter 2022 Consolidated Results

Fourth quarter net sales increased 8.7% year-over-year, including a 5.4% foreign currency headwind. The strong year-over-year growth was driven by 11.7% higher average price-mix, and 2.4% better volumes. Performance Coatings net sales increased 1.8% year-over-year, driven by constant currency growth of 10.5% in Refinish and 3.2% in Industrial. Mobility Coatings net sales increased 25.5% supported by a recovery in global auto production and continued pricing momentum.

Income from operations for Q4 2022 totaled $109.8 million compared to $94.7 million in Q4 2021. Net income to common shareholders was $43.6 million, inclusive of approximately $30 million of pre-tax charges associated with the Term Loan refinancing and restructuring charges, versus $53.2 million in Q4 2021. Adjusted diluted earnings per share was $0.38 compared with $0.30 in Q4 2021. Q4 2022 benefited from robust sales growth, including significant realized pricing gains and volume improvement; however, operating income was negatively impacted by continued year-over-year variable raw material inflation and elevated logistics, energy and labor expenses. In addition, foreign currency headwinds, the Russia-Ukraine conflict and COVID-19 impacts in China represented a combined ~$17 million headwind to income from operations in the quarter.

Chris Villavarayan, Axalta’s CEO and President, commented, "I am pleased to report fourth quarter earnings at the top of our guidance range, which reflected considerable year-over-year improvement. Strong pricing gains were realized across all end-markets and supported better year-over-year profitability. Margin recovery is a key priority for us and our second-half results showed notable progress on this front. Meanwhile, volumes again improved across the portfolio as demand for our products and services continue to outpace most end-market trends. We are exiting 2022 with strong momentum and a foundation to deliver continued progress into 2023."

Mr. Villavarayan continued, "I am thrilled to be leading the 12,000 team members of Axalta. This is an organization with an impressive legacy built on more than a century of innovation. The quality and depth of our people is impressive and I look forward to what we will accomplish together. In the months ahead my focus will be centered around execution as we look to accelerate an earnings recovery that is already underway."

Performance Coatings Results:

Discussion of Results:

Performance Coatings fourth quarter net sales increased 1.8% (7.5% increase ex-FX) year-over-year to $818.5 million, driven by an 11.8% price-mix benefit. Volumes declined 4.3% primarily driven by softening regional macroeconomic activity impacting demand within Industrial, slower than expected recovery in China from COVID-19 lockdowns and impacts from the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Foreign exchange in the fourth quarter was a 5.7% year-over-year headwind led by the Euro, Chinese Renminbi and British Pound.

Refinish fourth quarter net sales increased 4.5% (10.5% increase ex-FX) year-over-year to $492.2 million, driven by a price and product mix benefit of 11.5%. Volume declined 1.0% year-over-year as stronger North American activity was more than offset by reduced traffic patterns in China as a result of COVID-19 lockdowns and modest declines in EMEA driven by the impacts of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. In North America, while road congestion and miles driven are improving, office occupancy is still well below pre-pandemic levels. Growth in the quarter and full year, excluding the impacts of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, was supported by new business, driven by notable wins alongside an increase in points of distribution.

Industrial year-over-year net sales decreased 2.0% (increase of 3.2% ex-FX) to $326.3 million. Price-mix growth of 12.2% offset year-over-year raw material inflation and closing the remaining cumulative price-cost gap remains a top priority. Volume decreased 9.0% mainly due to the geographical and macroeconomic headwinds in General Industrial. Energy Solutions showed sequential improvement in the quarter, driven by robust global demand. Building Products was down year-over-year, driven by softer demand due to the elevated interest rate environment in North America.

The Performance Coatings segment generated Adjusted EBIT of $106.7 million in the quarter compared with $99.7 million in Q4 2021, with associated margins of 13.0% and 12.4%, respectively. The Adjusted EBIT improvement of 7.0% was driven by price-mix growth and share gains, offset partially by increases in raw material, energy, and labor costs as well as currency translation headwinds versus the prior-year period. The Russia-Ukraine conflict, China COVID-19 lockdowns and currency impacts were a ~$14 million Adjusted EBIT headwind year-over-year.

Mobility Coatings Results:

Discussion of Results:

Mobility Coatings fourth quarter net sales were $418.2 million, an increase of 25.5% (30.2% ex-FX) year-over-year. Demand was robust in the quarter, as volumes grew in Light Vehicle and Commercial Vehicle by 20.0% and 14.3% year-over-year, respectively. Price-mix growth of 11.5% for the segment was very strong year-over-year, as Light Vehicle and Commercial Vehicle grew 10.7% and 14.1%, respectively. Foreign exchange in the fourth quarter was a 4.7 % year-over-year headwind driven led by the Euro and Chinese Renminbi.

Light Vehicle net sales increased 25.4% to $319.6 million (30.7% ex-FX) driven by volume recovery and robust price-mix growth, offset partially by a 5.3% foreign exchange headwind. Year-over year volume growth of 20.0% substantially exceeded global build rates, which increased 1.7% to 21.5 million builds in Q4 2022. New customer wins in key markets drove above-market performance in both the fourth quarter and the full year. Price-mix realization of 10.7% year-over-year and 5.3% sequential growth reflects the team's commitment to recover margins by closing the cumulative price-cost gap.

Commercial Vehicle net sales increased 25.9% year-over-year to $98.6 million (28.4% ex-FX) versus Q4 2021, driven by new customer wins and recovery in global commercial vehicle production rates. Volume growth of 14.3% outpaced global class 8 truck market growth. Demand remained robust in the Americas and western Europe region, where we have strong customer relationships and market share. Price-mix grew 14.1% year-over-year.

The Mobility Coatings segment generated Adjusted EBIT of $17.6 million in Q4 2022, compared to an Adjusted EBIT loss of $3.5 million in Q4 2021, driven by substantial improvement in price and product mix and volume recovery from pent up demand.

Full Year 2022 Results:

Full year net sales increased 10.6% year-over-year, including a 4.9% foreign currency headwind. The strong year-over-year growth was driven by 10.1% higher average price-mix, 3.7% better volumes and 2.2% contribution from acquisitions. Performance Coatings net sales increased 7.4% year-over-year, driven by constant currency growth of 15.3% in Refinish and 9.6% in Industrial. Mobility Coatings net sales increased 18.0% supported by a recovery in global auto production from the severe supply constraints in the prior-year period.

Income from operations for full year 2022 totaled $423.2 million versus $462.4 million for full year 2021. Net income to common shareholders was $191.6 million for the year compared with $263.9 million in 2021. Adjusted diluted earnings per share was $1.48 compared with $1.67 in 2021. Full year 2022 benefited from robust sales growth, including significant realized pricing gains and volume improvement; however, operating income was negatively impacted by continued variable raw material inflation, and elevated logistics, energy and labor expenses. In addition, foreign currency headwinds, the Russia-Ukraine conflict and COVID-19 impacts in China represented a combined ~$70 million headwind to income from operations in 2022 compared to 2021.

Balance Sheet and Cash Flow Highlights

Axalta ended the fourth quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $645.2 million and total liquidity of nearly $1.2 billion. Our net debt to trailing twelve month ("LTM") Adjusted EBITDA ratio was 3.8x at quarter end versus 4.1x as of September 30, 2022, reflecting moderately higher cash balances and stronger LTM Adjusted EBITDA. Axalta ended the fourth quarter with an Adjusted EBITDA to interest expense coverage ratio of 5.8x. During the fourth quarter, Axalta paid down $47 million of long term debt and successfully refinanced its Term Loan, which resulted in the extension of the maturity date to December 2029.

Fourth quarter total operating cash flow was $245.6 million versus $268.6 million in Q4 2021. Working capital was less of a source of cash in the period versus the prior-year period following inflationary pressures and higher physical inventory levels as of December 31, 2022. Meanwhile, accounts receivable increased reflecting stronger volumes and pricing. Free cash flow totaled $206.0 million compared with $249.4 million in Q4 2021 given lower working capital contribution versus the prior year period and modestly higher capital expenditures in Q4 2022.

Sean Lannon, Axalta's Chief Financial Officer, commented, “We ended 2022 with momentum in our key businesses and demonstrated improvement in many metrics, including earnings growth for two consecutive quarters and margin improvement in Q4. Net leverage improved to 3.8x as we stepped-up earnings and delivered cash to the balance sheet. These developments supported a constructive credit environment for us to refinance our Term Loan where we extended the maturity from 2024 to 2029.

Looking ahead, I expect the resilient core of Axalta to remain strong as we believe trends remain favorable for our differentiated products and services, most notably in our industry-leading Refinish end-market. Elsewhere, our Q4 results demonstrated what we believe to be the beginnings of a reversal in several cyclical factors, such as inflation, constrained auto production, and unreliable supply-chains, which together have depressed profitability and cash generation. I expect us to continue to show meaningful progress into 2023 with the Q4 sequential increase in Mobility Coatings EBIT representing a promising step in our recovery alongside a meaningful reduction in the cumulative price-cost gap. Soft demand in our most economically sensitive end-market, Industrial, is likely to persist for the time being as regional macroeconomic factors slow in certain sectors. However, we expect that the significant pricing momentum across the portfolio should more than offset modest incremental volume risk. We are committed to driving earnings and cash flow growth in the coming year and given our unique market positioning, we see a constructive setup into 2023 and the years to follow."

Financial Guidance & Market Commentary

Axalta does not provide a reconciliation for non-GAAP estimates for constant currency net sales growth, Adjusted EBIT, Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted Diluted EPS and income tax rate, as adjusted, on a forward-looking basis because the information necessary to calculate a meaningful or accurate estimation of reconciling items is not available without unreasonable effort. See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” for more information.

Q1 2023 Outlook and Commentary:

Performance Coatings: Anticipate typical seasonal Refinish volume decline to result in lower Performance Coatings EBIT sequentially from Q4 2022 despite improving Industrial contribution

Mobility Coatings: Expect sequential EBIT improvement given continued outpacing of market builds and margin recovery

Raw Materials: Stabilizing raw material environment with pressure anticipated to continue in specialties, labor and energy; expect high-single-digit % YoY raw material headwind in Q1 2023

Full Year 2023 Assumptions and Commentary:

Performance Coatings: Expect momentum to continue in Refinish after record 2022 profitability; potentially softer Industrial markets to be balanced by contribution from price-cost normalization and share gains

Mobility Coatings: Anticipate steady quarterly progress throughout 2023 vs. Q4 EBIT run-rate

Raw Materials: Expect modest deflation in elevated upstream commodities to help offset persistent headwinds from labor and energy inflation

Overall Profitability & FCF: Expect meaningful YoY growth given carry over pricing, Refinish and Mobility market recovery, and stabilizing cost environment

Conference Call Information

As previously announced, Axalta will hold a conference call to discuss its fourth quarter and full year 2022 financial results on January 26th, 2023 at 9:00 a.m. ET. The dial-in phone number for the conference call is +1-201-689-8560. A live webcast of the conference call will also be available online at www.axalta.com/investorcall. For those unable to participate, a replay will be available through February 2, 2023, with a dial-in number of +1-412-317-6671 and pin: 13735303.

Public Dissemination of Certain Information

We intend to use our investor relations page at ir.axalta.com as a means of disclosing material information to the public in a broad, non-exclusionary manner for purposes of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Regulation Fair Disclosure (or Reg. FD). Investors should routinely monitor that site, in addition to our press releases, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings and public conference calls and webcasts, as information posted on that page could be deemed to be material information.

Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

This release may contain certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding Axalta and its subsidiaries including our outlook and/or guidance, which includes net sales growth, constant currency net sales, Adjusted EBIT, Adjusted diluted EPS, interest expense, income tax rate, as adjusted, free cash flow, capital expenditures, depreciation and amortization and diluted shares outstanding, the effects of COVID-19 on Axalta’s business and financial results, our and our customers’ supply chain constraints and our ability to offset the impacts of such constraints, the timing and amount of any future share repurchases, contributions from our prior acquisitions and our ability to successfully make future acquisitions. Axalta has identified some of these forward-looking statements with words such as “anticipate,” “assumptions,” “outlook,” “believe,” “expect,” “estimates,” “likely,” “will,” “guidance,” “continued,” “look,” “priority,” “looking ahead,” “should” and “see” and the negative of these words or other comparable or similar terminology. All of these statements are based on management’s expectations as well as estimates and assumptions prepared by management that, although they believe to be reasonable, are inherently uncertain. These statements involve risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, economic, competitive, governmental and technological factors outside of Axalta’s control, including the effects of COVID-19, that may cause its business, industry, strategy, financing activities or actual results to differ materially. The impact and duration of COVID-19 on our business and operations is uncertain. Factors that will influence the impact on our business and operations include the duration and extent of COVID-19, the extent of imposed or recommended containment and mitigation measures, and the general economic consequences of COVID-19. More information on potential factors that could affect Axalta’s financial results is available in “Forward-Looking Statements,” “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” within Axalta’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, and in other documents that we have filed with, or furnished to, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Axalta undertakes no obligation to update or revise any of the forward-looking statements contained herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. All fourth quarter and full year 2022 financial information in this release is preliminary, based on our estimates and subject to completion of our financial closing procedures. Final results for the full year, which will be reported in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, may vary from the information in this release. In particular, until our financial statements are issued in our Annual Report on Form 10-K, we may be required to recognize certain subsequent events (such as in connection with contingencies or the realization of assets) which could affect our final results.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

The historical financial information included in this release includes financial information that is not presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”), including constant currency net sales growth, income tax rate, as adjusted, EBIT, Adjusted EBIT, EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted diluted EPS, free cash flow, net debt, Adjusted net income, Adjusted EBITDA to interest expense coverage ratio, net debt to Adjusted EBITDA ratio and Adjusted EBIT margin. Management uses these non-GAAP financial measures in the analysis of our financial and operating performance because they assist in the evaluation of underlying trends in our business. Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBIT and Adjusted diluted EPS consist of EBITDA, EBIT and Diluted EPS, respectively, adjusted for (i) certain non-cash items included within net income, (ii) certain items Axalta does not believe are indicative of ongoing operating performance or (iii) certain nonrecurring, unusual or infrequent items that have not otherwise occurred within the last two years or we believe are not reasonably likely to recur within the next two years. We believe that making such adjustments provides investors meaningful information to understand our operating results and ability to analyze financial and business trends on a period-to-period basis. Adjusted net income shows the adjusted value of net income (loss) attributable to controlling interests after removing the items that are determined by management to be items that we do not consider indicative of our ongoing operating performance or unusual or nonrecurring in nature. Our use of the terms constant currency net sales growth, income tax rate, as adjusted, EBIT, Adjusted EBIT, EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted diluted EPS, free cash flow, net debt, Adjusted net income, Adjusted EBITDA to interest expense coverage ratio, net debt to Adjusted EBITDA ratio and Adjusted EBIT margin may differ from that of others in our industry. Constant currency net sales growth, income tax rate, as adjusted, EBIT, Adjusted EBIT, EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted diluted EPS, free cash flow, net debt, Adjusted net income, Adjusted EBITDA to interest expense coverage ratio, net debt to Adjusted EBITDA ratio and Adjusted EBIT margin should not be considered as alternatives to net sales, net income (loss), income (loss) from operations or any other performance measures derived in accordance with GAAP as measures of operating performance or operating cash flows or as measures of liquidity. Constant currency net sales growth, income tax rate, as adjusted, EBIT, Adjusted EBIT, EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted diluted EPS, free cash flow, net debt, Adjusted net income, Adjusted EBITDA to interest expense coverage ratio, net debt to Adjusted EBITDA ratio and Adjusted EBIT margin have important limitations as analytical tools and should be considered in conjunction with, and not as substitutes for, our results as reported under GAAP. This release includes a reconciliation of certain non-GAAP financial measures with the most directly comparable financial measures calculated in accordance with GAAP. Axalta does not provide a reconciliation for non-GAAP estimates for constant currency net sales growth, Adjusted EBIT, Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted diluted EPS, income tax rate, as adjusted, or free cash flow on a forward-looking basis because the information necessary to calculate a meaningful or accurate estimation of reconciling items is not available without unreasonable effort. For example, such reconciling items include the impact of foreign currency exchange gains or losses, gains or losses that are unusual or nonrecurring in nature, as well as discrete taxable events. We cannot estimate or project these items and they may have a substantial and unpredictable impact on our GAAP results.

Constant Currency

Constant currency or ex-FX percentages are calculated by excluding the impact of the change in average exchange rates between the current and comparable period by currency denomination exposure of the comparable period amount.

Organic Growth

Organic growth or ex-M&A percentages are calculated by excluding the impact of recent acquisitions and divestitures.

Segment Financial Measures

The primary measure of segment operating performance is Adjusted EBIT, which is a key metric that is used by management to evaluate business performance in comparison to budgets, forecasts and prior year financial results, providing a measure that management believes reflects Axalta’s core operating performance. As we do not measure segment operating performance based on net income, a reconciliation of this non-GAAP financial measure with the most directly comparable financial measure calculated in accordance with GAAP is not available.

About Axalta Coating Systems

Axalta is a global leader in the coatings industry, providing customers with innovative, colorful, beautiful and sustainable coatings solutions. From light vehicles, commercial vehicles and refinish applications to electric motors, building facades and other industrial applications, our coatings are designed to prevent corrosion, increase productivity and enhance durability. With more than 150 years of experience in the coatings industry, the global team at Axalta continues to find ways to serve our more than 100,000 customers in over 140 countries better every day with the finest coatings, application systems and technology. For more information visit axalta.com and follow us @axalta on Twitter.

The following table reconciles income from operations to adjusted EBIT and segment adjusted EBIT for the periods presented (in millions):

The following table reconciles net income to adjusted net income for the periods presented (in millions, except per share data):

The following table reconciles cash (used for) provided by operating activities to free cash flow for the periods presented (in millions):

The following table reconciles net income to EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA for the periods presented (in millions):