Q1 2024 Knowles Corp Earnings Call

Participants

Sarah Cook; IR; Knowles Corp

Jeffrey Niew; President, Chief Executive Officer, Director; Knowles Corp

John Anderson; Chief Financial Officer, Senior Vice President; Knowles Corp

Chris Rolland; Analyst; Susquehanna International Group, LLP

Pete Lukas; Analyst; CJS Securities, Inc.

Anthony Stoss; Analyst; Craig-Hallum Capital Group

Tristan Gerra; Senior Research Analyst; Robert W. Baird & Co Inc

Presentation

Operator

Thank you for standing by, and welcome to the first quarter 2024 Knowles Corporation earnings conference call. All lines have been placed on mute to prevent any background noise After the speakers' remarks, there will be a question and answer session. (Operator Instructions) Thank you. I would now like to turn the call over to Sarah Cook. Please go ahead.

Sarah Cook

Thank you and welcome to our Q1 2024 earnings call. I'm Sarah Cook, Vice President of Investor Relations. And presenting with me today are Jeffrey new, our President and CEO, and John Anderson, our Senior Vice President and CFO.
Our call today will include remarks about future expectations, plans and prospects for Knowles, which constitute forward-looking statements for purposes of the Safe Harbor provisions under applicable federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements in this call will include comments about demand for company product, anticipated trends and company sales expenses and profits, and involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.
The company urges investors to review the risks and uncertainties in the Company's SEC filings, including, but not limited to our annual report on Form 10 K for the fiscal year ended December 31st, 2023. Periodic reports filed from time to time with the SEC and the risks and uncertainties identified in today's earnings release.
All forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this call, and Knowles disclaims any duty to update such statements except as required by law in addition, pursuant to Reg G, any non-GAAP financial measures referenced during today's conference call can be found in our press release posted on our website at knowles.com and in our current report on Form eight K filed today with the SEC, including a reconciliation to the most directly comparable GAAP measure. All financial references on this call will be made on a non-GAAP continuing operations basis, unless otherwise indicated, we've made selected financial information available and webcast slides, which can be found in the Investor Relations section of our website.
With that, let me turn the call over to Jeff, who will provide details on our results. Jeff?

Jeffrey Niew

Thanks, Sarah, and thanks to all of you for joining us today. I'm very pleased with the start of 2024 as our first quarter results showed the potential of our businesses to expand EBIT margins and drive strong free cash flow. We are continuing to -- our transformation to focus on high-growth end markets where we have differentiated solutions and our Q1 financial performance is evidence that our strategy is working.
In the first quarter, we delivered revenue of $196 million above the midpoint of our guided range. EPS of $0.20 at the high end of our guided range and cash from operations of $17 million which exceeded the high end of our guided range.
Turning to segment results, MedTech and specialty audio revenue was up 26% with over 90% adjusted EBIT growth versus the same period a year ago. The end markets for our hearing health products remain robust as market dynamics, such as aging populations, expansion of middle class globally and improved hearing aid penetration all remain favorable.
Second, our operational excellence continues to produce strong margin performance. This, coupled with our success in new product adoption, is driving revenue growth with expanding EBIT margins and cash flow for 2024.
Precision Device revenue was up 38% from a year ago, driven by the acquisition of Cornell CornellCookson. As we expected, the end market challenges we experienced in the back half of 2023 continued into the first half of 2024 as inventory levels within distribution and the industrial end markets remain high. We remain focused on design activity, which continues to be robust in defense, life sciences, industrial and EV and positions us well for future growth. We continue to be excited about the performance synergistic opportunities and total available market expansion Cornell brings to the PD segment.
With the beginning of an anticipated recovery in the second half of the year and the addition of Cornell we expect to see double digit revenue and adjusted EBIT growth within this segment in 2024.
Before moving to the results for the consumer mems microphone business, I will provide some brief commentary on the status of the strategic alternatives process that we announced last year. We are taking into consideration all the stakeholders from customers to suppliers and shareholders to employees and I believe we are progressing to a conclusion from an operational standpoint, CMM's financial result in the quarter were solid. Revenue was up 44% from the same period a year ago, as the business has returned to more stabilized levels. We've expanded our mobile and ear share and expecting to continue to see revenue growth in the second quarter and for the full year 2024 as compared to 2023 levels.
In closing, we expect to continue to generate robust cash from operations in Q2 and the remainder of 2024, despite excess share inventory negatively impacting demand within our PD. segment. Our cash generation and strong balance sheet will allow us to explore acquisition opportunity, buy back shares and keep our debt at manageable levels. I am pleased with the financial performance to date in 2024, and I'm excited about the opportunities we have ahead of us. We are confident in our ability to deliver shareholder value as we continue to drive operational execution excellence, execute on design wins in all three segments and expand our share across our businesses.
Now let me turn the call over to John to detail our quarter results and provide some guidance.

John Anderson

Thanks, Jeff. We reported first quarter revenues of $196 million above the midpoint of guidance and up 36% from the year ago period, driven by double digit growth in all three segments. EPS was $0.20 in the quarter at the high end of our guidance range and $0.15 above the year-ago period, driven by increased gross profit associated with higher shipment volume, partially offset by higher interest expense.
In the MedTech and specialty audio segment revenue was $57 million, up 26% versus the first quarter of 2023 and increased demand in the hearing health market as customer inventories have returned to normal levels. Gross margins were 54.8%, up 1,130 basis points versus the prior year, driven by improved factory performance and favorable product mix.
The precision devices segment delivered revenues of $74 million, up 38% from the year ago period, driven by the acquisition of Cornell, partially offset by lower shipments into the distribution and industrial end markets as channel and customer inventory levels remain elevated.
Gross margins were 36.1%, down 1,100 basis points from prior year levels due to lower factory capacity utilization and the acquisition of Cornell. Consumer MEMS microphone revenues of $65 million were up 44% versus the year ago period due to increased consumer demand and share gains in mobile, ear and compute markets. Gross margins were 26.2%, 450 basis points above Q1 2023 on improved factory capacity utilization, partially offset by lower pricing.
On a total company basis, R&D expense in the quarter was $16.7 million, flat compared to the prior year. SG&A expenses were $32 million, $5 million higher than prior year levels driven by the acquisition of Cornell, partially offset by the benefits of prior restructuring actions taken in both the Precision Devices and CMM segments. Interest expense was up $4 million versus the prior year due to the acquisition of Cornell in the fourth quarter of 2023.
Now I'll turn to our balance sheet and cash flow. In the first quarter, we generated $17 million in cash from operating activities above the high end of our guidance, driven by higher customer collections and lower than expected inventory levels.
Capital spending was $3 million. We ended the quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $122 million. We exited the first quarter of 2024 with $293 million of debt, which includes $180 million of borrowings under our revolving credit facility and an interest free seller note, which was issued in connection with the Cornell acquisition.
Lastly, our net leverage ratio based on trailing 12-months EBITDA was 1.1 times. Moving to our guidance for the second quarter of 2024, revenues are expected to be between $199 million and $209 million, up 18% versus the year ago period, driven primarily by the acquisition of Cornell.
R&D expenses are expected to be between $16 million and $18 million, and selling and administrative expenses are expected to be within the range of $29 million to $31 million, up from prior year due to the Cornell acquisition.
We're projecting adjusted EBIT margin for the quarter to be within a range of 14% to 16%. We're forecasting interest expense in Q2 to be approximately $5 million, which includes $2 million of non-cash imputed interest. And we expect an effective tax rate of 14% to 16% for both the quarter and full year 2024.
We're projecting EPS to be within a range of $0.22 to $0.26 per share. This assumes weighted average shares outstanding during the quarter of $93 million on a fully diluted basis. We're projecting cash from operations to be within a range of $20 million to $30 million, and capital spending is expected to be $5 million.
I will now turn the call back over to the operator for the questions and answers portion of the call. Operator?

Question and Answer Session

Operator

Thank you. We will now begin the question-and-answer session. (Operator Instructions) Christopher Rolland, Susquehanna.

Chris Rolland

Thanks for the question. I guess for my first one, if you guys could dig into the profile of that back half recovery, like what kind of sequential should we be expecting in our double digit variety or kind of the single digit variety and Yes. Like any other color by segment would for, of course, Q2. But the profile for the rest of the year would be great as well, if you can give that.

Jeffrey Niew

Yes, Chris, thanks for the question. Good question. So let me just kind of break it out by segment and then I'll kind of summarize it again. But first, on the PD. segment on. I think what we're expecting now is we had of Q1 to Q2, we are seeing sequential growth in the PT segment. We expect to see sequential growth again in Q3 and in Q4 right now, we expect that in just a little color around that. I think we're probably a little bit of more, I would say, a cautious now on industrial and distribution in the rate of a rising, it's still going up sequentially, but not quite as much.
And I would say more of our OEM customers, no bigger OEM customers, net new defense, we see more growth there. And so your overall for PD., again, we're going to see, I would say, pretty decent sequential growth in the back half of the year, but probably more heavily weighted towards the fourth quarter on second in MSA, I think they're they're hitting on all cylinders. They're doing very well. The market's very strong our execution, our new products, and we're doing very well in this market.
And I just would remind you is Q4 is typically our largest quarter. There's a big you're hearing a launch of products in two three, which kind of drives revenue in Q4. So we would expect that while we'll see some sequential growth now going forward in this, it's really going to come in Q4.
And then lastly, on your I think, CMM, you normally have seasonally higher in the back half than the front half. I would think we're we're cautiously more optimistic about the back half than we say we're three months ago. And so I think overall, I think low when I look at that, I'd say again, probably a little bit more heavily weighted to the fourth quarter, but we do expect to have nice sequential growth from Q2 to Q3 and then even a little bit more from Q3 to Q4.

Chris Rolland

Thank you so much, Jeff. That's so helpful. The second one is around the appetite for the CMM business or progress there. And then any update more broadly you might have on M&A?

Jeffrey Niew

Sure. Let me take the first second question first. I think if you look at our leverage ratio, as John mentioned, -

John Anderson

Just a touch over 1.

Jeffrey Niew

Just a touch over 1. Now, if you look out through the full year with the cash we expect to generate, I think we'll probably be something south of 0.8 leverage ratio by the end of the year. And so with that kind of leverage ratio, we're looking in the marketplace. Of course, we're going to be super disciplined in what we do, kind of like how we know, again, I bring up Cornell. We are very pleased with this acquisition. I continue to feel very good that despite some of the challenges in industrial and distribution, it's still performing to the levels that we kind of announced when the when the deal was announced. And so I think we're very excited to look for other acquisition opportunities and hopefully they'll build little ones will come along. That makes sense relative to advancing kind of our strategic positioning.

John Anderson

If I could just add, too. I mean, Jeff mentioned here, we do expect our leverage to come down a bit over 2024. In addition, we expect to continue to repurchase shares and we think our stock price is undervalued. So it will be a combination of share buybacks and paydown of debt.

Jeffrey Niew

As far as the amount, I think I don't have too much more to say. You know, maybe I'll just kind of like say it might be my own non-scripted words, but there's a lot of stakeholders in play and place here. And I think we've kind of been very clear that that you'll obviously, post whatever happens with CMM., we do still have our MSA business, which will be selling mems microphones. And so I think I kind of said, our employees are our -- I'm saying to our shareholders, I say, to our suppliers. Yes, I think it's -- we're taking a little bit more time than probably people would have bought. But I think we're being very thoughtful about what we do. And but I do think we're getting closer to a conclusion. We are progressing towards a conclusion. And so I think you could take for that what that means. But but I think we're kind of narrowing in on what the direction we're going to go.

Operator

Bob Labick, CJS Securities.

Pete Lukas

Yes, hi, it's Pete Lukas for Bob. You covered a lot and answered a lot of my questions. Just one here for you and just an update on the integration and synergies of CD and how is pricing power and do you still think margins can be increased?

Jeffrey Niew

Yeah, that's a good question, very good question. I mean, I think when we announced the deal, we really focused in on cost synergies that we were going to do, and we're on track to deliver those cost synergies that we had kind of laid out at the beginning.

John Anderson

It's a 4 million annual cost synergies by the end of year three. (multiple speakers)

Jeffrey Niew

We're on track to deliver those. I would sit there and say Oh beyond that, there are going to be what we call revenue synergies, but not revisited is just going out and getting more sales. But we did think there was a pricing opportunity. I would say we are running ahead of what we expected with really starting to take hold more in the back half of the year than in the front half, you know, with contracts in inventory, some of these times you give price increases and it takes a quarter or two to actually start delivering of product at those new price levels.
But we are expecting that we have quite nice pricing increases and our expectations is that when we bought this business, we were pretty clear it was in the low 30% in terms of gross margin that we think that that will be approaching like over 35% probably approaching 40% exiting the year. And so it's a combination of cost synergies as well as pricing. And I think as we looked at '25, obviously, we didn't get all the pricing in this year because obviously it rolls through the year. If there's that you'll even with not doing another price increase, some of this will roll over into future price increases during the first two, three quarters of next year. So so I think we're pretty excited about the opportunities in terms of synergy.
And lastly, I just want to just look for one more piece on Cornell, I think you were really starting to understand a little bit better about some of the things that they do. They're very unique in terms of products. So there's going to be some opportunities. I think we'll probably talk about at an Investor Day later this year in some of the new markets that we probably will go after. But I but I would also say is the strength that they have in distribution with our distribution distribution partners like Arrow and TTI. is a great opportunity as for our legacy PT business to start getting more business in distribution. So obviously, that's not a short term thing like this year. But I think overall, I think I think we couldn't be quite frankly, more pleased with this same kind of industrial distribution inventory issues that most people have been dealing with. .

Operator

Anthony Stoss, Craig Hallum Capital Group.

Anthony Stoss

Good afternoon, guys. I'm curious if you wouldn't mind sharing your view on either changes in your competitors in terms of their go to market or pricing within each of the segments. And also, it's nice to see PD up expected to be up each quarter sequentially, can the same be said for the medtech group.

Jeffrey Niew

And while -- again, I would sit there and say for the full year, MSA will be up for the full year and growing in kind of that rate that we've kind of talked about in that 3% to 5% range. And so it does tend to be, as I kind of said, in the earlier question, a little bit more heavily weighted in terms of seasonally to Q4. But I don't have any big issues on this because we see this every year. You can see Q4 always being the heaviest year within the MSA segment driven by the product launches of our customers. So that's I'd say about MSA as far as the competitive environment and let me cover by segment in the PT segment, no big changes, really. I think we have a lot of sole-source positions. I would just say the one thing, obviously people are hearing is a bit slower than probably we hope for.
But as we kind of see a recovery, I think the one thing I'm very encouraged about in the PD is that we're seeing increasing gross margins throughout the year, which is showing that that we don't have to get back the 2022 levels in order to really get back to gross margins we saw back then. And so I think there's some pricing in there. There's some productivity. There's obviously revenue growth and where we get the revenue growth helps us with some with capacity utilization MSA, I'd say the pricing environment is stable. That's what I would just say. There really isn't any change in the competitive environment, we know over the last year or so.
And I think you're in the CMM business. I think the other thing that we just keep saying, which is kind of like the last couple of quarters, which is mobile is a tough business and we are trying to kind of reduce our exposure over time to mobile. I think over the years at one point, our in our company was 35% mobile, last year was around 15%. I would say, we would expect it to be sub 15% this year as we continue to drive diversify the total company revenue kind of away from the mobile environment.

Anthony Stoss

Got it. Thanks for that, Jeff, and you guys are definitely outperforming your other mobile peers and chip plants. So congrats on that. That's all my questions. Thank you.

Operator

Thanks. (Operator Instructions) Tristan Gerra, Baird.

Tristan Gerra

Hi, good afternoon. You've mentioned that most of the year-over-year growth embedded in your Q2 revenue guidance would be coming from Cornell. So I'm guessing a high $20 million, maybe $30 million in revenue in the quarter. Can you remind us of the seasonality of that business? How does this tie to a full year revenue number? I'm guessing we're probably going to be below the $140 million-plus that you've talked about before, given the macro headwinds for coal now, but just wanted to kind of get an update on that.

Jeffrey Niew

Yes. I wouldn't say there's a tremendous amount of seasonality, Tristan, in that business, but we are based on bookings. We are expecting to see sequential growth in Q3 and then sequential growth in Q4, again arms. And so what I would say is, we had said $140 million revenue and $26 million of EBITDA. So it's probably going to be a touch short of the $140 million.
I would say, right now, if you ask me between $135 million and $140 million probably for the year. But I think what asset level lower revenue will still hit the EBITDA number based on the synergies we've recognized. So I think we feel pretty good about that.

John Anderson

And the other thing I'd add, Tristan, in terms of the Cornell, we really are excited about the cash flow generation offered ability of that business where it's even -- as Jeff said, slightly lower revenue plan for 2024, the business is going to generate more cash flow than we envision that are in our model.

Tristan Gerra

That's great. And then you talked about the positive pricing that you see in precision devices. Help us reconcile this with the overall environment, you know that we're seeing, you know, pricing stabilizing, meaning kind of returning to kind of low single digit declines. We see that in a in analog, we're seeing more pressure in MCUs up. So what's driving the pricing that you're able to implement, you know, in PDN? And if you could talk about general lead times and supply demand dynamics that you see in that space industry-wide, actually. So we cannot get a sense of what the landscape is with pricing going forward.

Jeffrey Niew

Yes. So here's I kind of describe it. If you think about the markets that we really in precision devices are focused on, medtech, defense, industrial and distribution.
Let me break those out in medtech, though, in defense, we have a lot of sole-source positions where we have unique offering. This has kind of been the strategy all along where we're trying to move in a direction where we can provide differentiated products in these spaces and then have some amount of pricing power going going forward. And so we feel pretty good about those end markets have distributions a little bit different of an animal fully as I've described, but here's what I'd say. I think we've talked about Cornell Cornell shipped in 20 prior to 12 months prior to us owning it. They shipped to 30,000 unique customers.
And a lot of those are through distribution on a lot of them are customers that are sub 50 K from. We kind of see that as an opportunity when we bought the business to say I'm just making these numbers up now, but would you raise prices by 5% on a $50,000 a year customer, you're raising prices by $2,500.
And so we see that the value of that distribution market because what happens typically I've seen in distribution is if we raise prices to the smaller customers through distribution, the distributor just passes those on. And so the underlying demand is going to be what it's going to be, right. Obviously, there are some challenges underlying demands and when it comes back, it will be better for it. And so overall, when I see this is the pricing environment for us because of our position in MedTech and defense coupled with distribution. We're not facing quite the kind of things that some of the things people our more commoditized products are.

Tristan Gerra

Okay. That's great. So it sounds like the pricing optimization opportunity is really on the Cornell side. Outside of that, would you say that pricing is stable in the rest of your Precision Device business?

Jeffrey Niew

No, I would say that prices are probably still going to be up in the rest of precision devices. But here's the differences. What we've done in Cornell in terms of pricing this year under the ownership, we did we went to the same I think, three, four years ago in overall precision devices. So the amount we're getting in any given year with the latest CPD. is not going to be as large as the first, what we saw in core and the Cornell opportunity. So I think from our perspective is we're still getting some price this year in the legacy PD., but the Cornell, it was an untapped opportunity that we've figured out and we're taking advantage of.

Operator

Once again, if you'd like to ask a question bar one on your telephone keypad. There are no further questions at this time. This concludes today's call. Thank you all for joining. You may now.