Ingevity reports fourth quarter and full year 2022 financial results

Highlights:

Full year 2022 was a record year for both net sales and EBITDA, driven by growth across all business segments; fourth quarter results were negatively impacted primarily by significant customer destocking in the second half of the quarter.

Fourth Quarter (comparisons versus prior year period):

• Net sales of $383.6 million increased 14.2%;
• Net income of $15.6 million and diluted earnings per share (EPS) of $0.41; adjusted earnings of $21.5 million and diluted adjusted EPS of $0.57
• Adjusted EBITDA of $74.3 million and adjusted EBITDA margin of 19.4%
• Share repurchases of $6.0 million

Full Year (comparisons versus prior year period):

• Net sales of $1.67 billion increased 19.9%
• Net income of $211.6 million and diluted EPS of $5.50; adjusted earnings of $231.4 million and diluted adjusted EPS of $6.01
• Adjusted EBITDA of $452.6 million and adjusted EBITDA margin of 27.1%
• Share repurchases of $145.2 million
• Operating cash flow of $313.1 million with free cash flow of $170.6 million

Guidance:

Company announces full year 2023 guidance for sales between $1.9 billion and $2.1 billion and adjusted EBITDA between $495 million and $515 million.

The results and guidance in this release include non-GAAP financial measures. Refer to the section entitled “Use of non-GAAP financial measures” within this release.

Ingevity Corporation (NYSE: NGVT) today reported its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year 2022.

2022 was a record year for Ingevity as both Performance Chemicals and Performance Materials delivered their best ever sales and EBITDA, despite persistent cost inflation, continued COVID-19 and supply chain disruptions, a war in Ukraine, and an especially challenging fourth quarter.

Fourth quarter (Q4) net sales of $383.6 million rose over 14% versus the prior year quarter. This growth reflects price increases across all businesses implemented throughout the year to address higher input costs, partially offset by significant volume declines in the latter half of Q4 attributed to customer destocking, particularly in certain higher-value product lines of the Performance Chemicals segment. As a result, Q4 net income decreased 47% to $15.6 million compared to prior year and adjusted EBITDA decreased 7% to $74.3 million with adjusted EBITDA margin of 19.4%. Diluted earnings per share (EPS) in Q4 was $0.41 compared to diluted EPS of $0.74 in the prior year quarter. Diluted adjusted EPS in Q4 was $0.57 compared to diluted adjusted EPS of $0.78 in the prior year quarter.

Record full year (FY) net sales of $1.67 billion were up 20% compared to last year, as higher selling prices and a mix shift to higher-value products helped the company offset inflationary cost pressures and supply chain disruptions. FY net income of $211.6 million increased 79% versus the prior year. Excluding the pre-tax litigation expense of $85.0 million in 2021, FY 2022 net income increased 16%. FY adjusted EBITDA increased 7% to $452.6 million with adjusted EBITDA margin of 27.1%. FY diluted EPS was $5.50 compared to $2.95 in the prior year. FY diluted adjusted EPS was $6.01 compared to diluted adjusted EPS of $5.23 in the prior year.

“I am extremely proud of our team’s resilience and persistence in successfully navigating 2022’s difficult business environment. Our record performance translated to strong free cash flow which we used to return significant cash to shareholders and fund growth initiatives, including our acquisition of Ozark Materials in Q4, which expands our Pavement Technologies business into road markings,” said John Fortson, president and CEO. “We remain focused on delivering consistent growth over time to our shareholders.”

Performance Chemicals

Sales in the Performance Chemicals segment were $250.8 million in Q4, up 23%. FY sales were $1.12 billion, up 28% for the year, reflecting price increases across all product lines and the continued shift to higher-value specialty products. All business lines in the segment posted record sales numbers for the year.

Industrial Specialties, which is the company’s largest business, posted sales of $143.9 million in Q4, up 12%, and FY sales of $633.8 million, up 28%. The slower growth in Q4 was due to a sharp decline in sales volume attributed to significant customer destocking in the second half of the quarter, particularly in higher-value adhesives product lines. Also, while Q4 is a seasonally low quarter for Pavement Technologies, many municipalities and agencies depleted their budgeted dollars for paving projects in Q4, adding to the slowdown. The Pavement Technologies business Q4 revenue growth of 43% to $47.3 million was due to the acquisition of Ozark Materials in early October. FY sales of $241.3 million increased 23%, reflecting a strong 2022 paving season. Engineered Polymers Q4 sales were especially strong, up 41% to $59.6 million, due to additional price increases and volume growth in the quarter. FY sales were up 32% to $244.7 million as end-market demand supported higher prices and increased volumes, primarily in automotive and footwear & apparel.

Q4 segment EBITDA was $16.8 million, down 22% or $4.8 million, compared to last year reflecting customer destocking of higher-value products late in the quarter, resulting in segment EBITDA margin of 6.7%. FY segment EBITDA was $200.4 million, up 16%, with EBITDA margin of 17.9% versus 19.8% in 2021 with the decline attributed to inflationary pressures and supply chain disruptions throughout the year.

“Performance Chemicals delivered a record sales year as we implemented price increases across all business lines to offset cost inflation and supply chain disruptions that continued throughout the year,” said Fortson. “Q4 was particularly challenging as volumes declined sharply in certain higher-value product lines in the latter half of the quarter as customers aggressively managed their inventories in light of recession concerns.”

Performance Materials

Sales in Performance Materials were flat for Q4 at $132.8 million due primarily to China’s COVID-19 outbreaks which disrupted sales in the region, and FX headwinds. Segment EBITDA was $57.5 million in Q4 and flat to prior year due to continued higher raw material and energy costs and the timing of price increases, which resulted in segment EBITDA margin of 43.3%, down slightly versus prior year. FY sales were up 6% to $548.5 million, driven by improved volume in automotive products. FY segment EBITDA was $252.2 million, up 1%, with segment EBITDA margin of 46.0% versus 48.3% in 2021 as higher input costs more than offset higher volumes.

“Performance Materials delivered record sales and EBITDA for the year, while battling high input costs and COVID-19 outbreaks. Our results demonstrate the resiliency of the business and the team that runs it,” said Fortson.

Liquidity/Other

Full year operating cash flow was $313.1 million with free cash flow of $170.6 million. Share repurchases for the quarter were $6.0 million and $145.2 million for the year, and $444.7 million remains available under the July 2022 $500 million Board authorization. Net leverage at the end of the year was 2.9 times, reflecting increased borrowing for the Ozark Materials acquisition which closed early in the fourth quarter.

Full Year 2023 Guidance

Ingevity announced its 2023 guidance of sales between $1.9 billion to $2.1 billion and adjusted EBITDA between $495 million to $515 million.

“2023 kicked off to a slower start but we expect to see order patterns normalize and to benefit from a recovery in key end-markets such as auto and adhesives. This expected recovery combined with the continued strength in markets such as oilfield, footwear and apparel, and pavement, including a full year of Ozark Materials, gives us confidence in our growth outlook for 2023,” said Fortson.

Ingevity: Purify, Protect and Enhance

Ingevity provides products and technologies that purify, protect and enhance the world around us. Through a team of talented and experienced people, we develop, manufacture and bring to market solutions that help customers solve complex problems and make the world more sustainable. We operate in two reporting segments: Performance Chemicals, which includes specialty chemicals and engineered polymers, and Performance Materials, which includes high-performance activated carbon. These products are used in a variety of demanding applications, including adhesives, agrochemicals, asphalt paving, bioplastics, coatings, elastomers, lubricants, pavement markings, publication inks, oil exploration and production and automotive components that reduce gasoline vapor emissions. Headquartered in North Charleston, South Carolina, Ingevity operates from 31 locations around the world and employs approximately 2,050 people. The company’s common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE:NGVT). For more information visit www.ingevity.com. Follow Ingevity on LinkedIn.

Additional Information

The company will host a live webcast on Tuesday, February 28, 2023, at 10 a.m. (Eastern) to discuss Q4 and FY 2022 results. The webcast can be accessed on the investors section of Ingevity’s website. You may also listen to the conference call by dialing 844 200 6205 (inside the U.S.) or 929 526 1599 (outside the U.S.) and entering access code 696144 at least 10 minutes prior to the start of the event. Information on how to access the webcast and conference call, along with a slide deck containing other relevant financial and statistical information, will be posted to Ingevity’s investor site prior to the call. A replay will be available beginning at approximately 2 p.m. (Eastern) on February 28, 2023, through February 27, 2024.

Use of non-GAAP financial measures: This press release includes certain non‐GAAP financial measures intended to supplement, not substitute for, comparable GAAP measures. Reconciliations of non‐GAAP financial measures to GAAP financial measures are provided within the Appendix to this press release. Investors are urged to consider carefully the comparable GAAP measures and the reconciliations to those measures provided. The company does not attempt to provide reconciliations of forward-looking non-GAAP guidance to the comparable GAAP measure because the impact and timing of the factors underlying the guidance assumptions are inherently uncertain and difficult to predict and are unavailable without unreasonable efforts. In addition, Ingevity believes such reconciliations would imply a degree of certainty that could be confusing to investors.

Forward-looking statements: This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements generally include the words “will,” “plans,” “intends,” “targets,” “expects,” “outlook,” "guidance," “believes,” “anticipates” or similar expressions. Forward-looking statements may include, without limitation, the potential benefits of any acquisition or investment transaction, expected financial positions, expected financial positions, guidance, results of operations and cash flows; financing plans; business strategies and expectations; operating plans; impact of COVID-19; capital and other expenditures; competitive positions; growth opportunities for existing products; benefits from new technology and cost-reduction initiatives, plans and objectives; litigation related strategies and outcomes; markets for securities and expected future repurchases of shares, including statements about the manner, amount and timing of repurchases. Actual results could differ materially from the views expressed. Factors that could cause actual results to materially differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, or that could cause other forward-looking statements to prove incorrect, include, without limitation, adverse effects from general global economic, geopolitical and financial conditions beyond our control, including inflation and war in Ukraine; risks related to our international sales and operations; adverse conditions in the automotive market; competition from substitute products, new technologies and new or emerging competitors; worldwide air quality standards; a decrease in government infrastructure spending; adverse conditions in cyclical end markets; the limited supply of or lack of access to sufficient crude tall oil and other raw materials; issues with or integration of future acquisitions and other investments; the provision of services by third parties at several facilities; adverse effects from the COVID-19 pandemic; supply chain disruptions; natural disasters and extreme weather events; or other unanticipated problems such as labor difficulties (including work stoppages), equipment failure or unscheduled maintenance and repair; attracting and retaining key personnel; dependence on certain large customers; legal actions associated with our intellectual property rights; protection of our intellectual property and other proprietary information; information technology security breaches and other disruptions; complications with designing or implementing our new enterprise resource planning system; government policies and regulations, including, but not limited to, those affecting the environment, climate change, tax policies, tariffs and the chemicals industry; and losses due to lawsuits arising out of environmental damage or personal injuries associated with chemical or other manufacturing processes, and the other factors detailed from time to time in the reports we file with the SEC, including those described in Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors in our Annual Report on Form 10-K as well as in our other filings with the SEC. These forward-looking statements speak only to management’s beliefs as of the date of this press release. Ingevity assumes no obligation to provide any revisions to, or update, any projections and forward-looking statements contained in this press release.

Ingevity Corporation

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

Ingevity has presented certain financial measures, defined below, which have not been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) and has provided a reconciliation to the most directly comparable financial measure calculated in accordance with GAAP on the following pages. These financial measures are not meant to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the most directly comparable financial measure calculated in accordance with GAAP. Investors should consider the limitations associated with these non-GAAP measures, including the potential lack of comparability of these measures from one company to another.

We believe these non-GAAP financial measures provide management as well as investors, potential investors, securities analysts and others with useful information to evaluate the performance of the business, because such measures, when viewed together with our financial results computed in accordance with GAAP, provide a more complete understanding of the factors and trends affecting our historical financial performance and projected future results.

Ingevity uses the following non-GAAP measures:

Adjusted earnings (loss) is defined as net income (loss) plus restructuring and other (income) charges, net, acquisition and other-related costs, debt refinancing fees, litigation verdict charges, pension and postretirement settlement and curtailment (income) charges and the income tax expense (benefit) on those items, less the provision (benefit) from certain discrete tax items.

Diluted adjusted earnings (loss) per share is defined as diluted earnings (loss) per common share plus restructuring and other (income) charges, net per share, acquisition and other-related costs per share, debt refinancing fees per share, litigation verdict charge per share, pension and postretirement settlement and curtailment (income) charges per share and the income tax expense (benefit) per share on those items, less the per share tax provision (benefit) from certain discrete tax items per share.

Adjusted EBITDA is defined as net income (loss) plus interest expense, net, provision (benefit) for income taxes, depreciation, amortization, restructuring and other (income) charges, net, acquisition and other-related costs, litigation verdict charge, pension and postretirement settlement and curtailment (income) charges, net.

Adjusted EBITDA Margin is defined as Adjusted EBITDA divided by Net sales.

Free Cash Flow is defined as the sum of cash provided by (used in) the following items: operating activities less capital expenditures.

Net Debt is defined as the sum of notes payable, short-term debt, current maturities of long-term debt and long-term debt less the sum of cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash associated with our New Market Tax Credit financing arrangement, and restricted investment excluding the allowance for credit losses on held-to-maturity debt securities.

Net Debt Ratio is defined as Net Debt divided by last twelve months Adjusted EBITDA, inclusive of acquisition-related pro forma adjustments.

Ingevity also uses the above financial measures as the primary measures of profitability used by managers of the business. In addition, Ingevity believes Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin are useful measures because they exclude the effects of financing and investment activities as well as non-operating activities.

GAAP Reconciliation of 2023 Adjusted EBITDA Guidance

A reconciliation of net income to adjusted EBITDA as projected for 2023 is not provided. Ingevity does not forecast net income as it cannot, without unreasonable effort, estimate or predict with certainty various components of net income. These components, net of tax, include further restructuring and other income (charges), net; additional acquisition and other-related costs; litigation verdict charges; additional pension and postretirement settlement and curtailment (income) charges; and revisions due to legislative tax rate changes. Additionally, discrete tax items could drive variability in our projected effective tax rate. All of these components could significantly impact such financial measures. Further, in the future, other items with similar characteristics to those currently included in adjusted EBITDA, that have a similar impact on comparability of periods, and which are not known at this time, may exist and impact adjusted EBITDA.

INGEVITY CORPORATION

Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

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