Waters Corporation (NYSE: WAT) Reports Second Quarter 2019 Financial Results

Waters Corporation (NYSE: WAT) today announced second quarter 2019 sales of $599 million, which were flat as reported, compared to sales of $596 million for the second quarter of 2018. Foreign currency translation negatively impacted sales growth by approximately 2% for the quarter.

On a GAAP basis, diluted earnings per share (EPS) for the second quarter of 2019 increased to $2.08, compared to $1.98 for the second quarter of 2018. On a non-GAAP basis, EPS increased to $2.14, compared to $1.95 for the second quarter of 2018. A description and reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP results appear in the tables below and can be found on the Company’s website at http://www.waters.com under the caption “Investors.”

On a GAAP basis, net cash provided by operating activities was $127 million for the second quarter of 2019, compared to $101 million for the second quarter of 2018. On a non-GAAP basis, adjusted free cash flow for the second quarter of 2019 was $136 million versus $144 million for the second quarter of 2018.

For the first half of 2019, the Company’s sales were $1,113 million, a decrease of 1% as reported, compared to sales of $1,127 million for the first half of 2018. Foreign currency translation negatively impacted sales growth by approximately 2% for the first half of 2019.

On a GAAP basis, diluted EPS for the first half of 2019 increased to $3.57, compared to $3.39 for the first half of 2018. On a non-GAAP basis, EPS increased to $3.73, compared to $3.54 in the first half of 2018.

On a GAAP basis, net cash provided by operating activities was $303 million for the first half of 2019, compared to $277 million for the first half of 2018. On a non-GAAP basis, adjusted free cash flow for the first half of 2019 was $294 million versus $304 million for the first half of 2018.

“While sales in the quarter came in at the low end of our guidance range and there is more work to be done, we experienced improvements in key areas of our business, including high-single-digit growth in the U.S., growth in China, and pharmaceutical strength across all geographies,” commented Chris O’Connell, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Waters Corporation. “The progress we made in the second quarter is encouraging, and we remain focused on improving our performance in the back half of the year. Stabilizing end markets, as well as our accelerating cadence of new product introductions, provide us with confidence that we will be able to achieve continued improvement over the course of the year.”

Unless otherwise noted, sales growth and decline percentages are presented on an as-reported basis and are the same as the sales growth and decline percentages presented on a constant-currency basis as compared with the same period in the prior year, each of which is detailed in the reconciliation of sales growth rates to constant-currency growth rates in the tables below.

During the second quarter of 2019, sales into the pharmaceutical market increased 3% as reported and 6% in constant currency, sales into the industrial market declined 4% as reported and 3% in constant currency, and sales into the academic and governmental markets declined 2% as reported and were flat in constant currency. For the first half of 2019, sales into the pharmaceutical market were flat as reported and grew 3% in constant currency, sales into the industrial market declined 4% as reported and 3% in constant currency, and sales into the academic and governmental markets were flat as reported and grew 2% in constant currency.

During the second quarter, recurring revenues, which represent the combination of service and precision chemistries revenues, grew 2% as reported and 4% in constant currency, while instrument system sales declined 1% as reported and were flat in constant currency. For the first half of 2019, recurring revenues grew 1% as reported and 4% in constant currency, while instrument system sales declined 4% as reported and 2% in constant currency.

Geographically, sales in Asia during the quarter grew 1% as reported and 3% in constant currency, sales in the Americas grew 4% as reported and 5% in constant currency (with U.S. sales growing 8%), and sales in Europe declined 5% as reported and 2% in constant currency. For the first half of 2019, sales in Asia were flat as reported and increased 3% in constant currency, sales in the Americas grew 2% as reported and 3% in constant currency (with U.S. sales growing 5%), and sales in Europe declined 8% as reported and 3% in constant currency.

Third Quarter and Fiscal Year 2019 Financial Outlook

The Company expects third quarter 2019 constant-currency sales growth in the range of 2% to 4%. As of today, currency translation is expected to decrease third quarter sales growth by approximately one percentage point. The Company also expects third quarter 2019 non-GAAP earnings per fully diluted share in the range of $2.05 to $2.15. Please refer to the tables below for a reconciliation of the projected GAAP to non-GAAP financial outlook for the third quarter.

In addition, the Company is updating its previously issued full-year guidance, and currently expects full-year 2019 constant-currency sales growth in the range of 1% to 3%, compared to the prior range of 2% to 4%. As of today, currency translation is expected to decrease full-year sales growth by approximately one to two percentage points. The Company also expects full-year 2019 non-GAAP earnings per fully diluted share in the range of $8.95 to $9.10, compared to our prior range of $9.05 to $9.25. Please refer to the tables below for a reconciliation of the projected GAAP to non-GAAP financial outlook for the full year.

Conference Call

Waters Corporation will webcast its second quarter 2019 financial results conference call today, July 30, 2019 at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time. To listen to the call, please visit www.waters.com, choose “Investors,” and click on the “Live Webcast.” A replay will be available through August 6, 2019 at midnight Eastern Time on the same website by webcast and also by phone at 402-998-0587.

About Waters Corporation

Waters Corporation (NYSE: WAT), the world's leading specialty measurement company, has pioneered chromatography, mass spectrometry and thermal analysis innovations serving the life, materials and food sciences for more than 60 years. With approximately 7,200 employees worldwide, Waters operates directly in 35 countries, including 15 manufacturing facilities, and with products available in more than 100 countries. For more information, visit www.waters.com.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This press release contains financial measures, such as constant-currency growth rate, adjusted operating income, adjusted net income, adjusted earnings per diluted share and free cash flow, among others, which are considered “non-GAAP” financial measures under applicable U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission rules and regulations. These non-GAAP financial measures should be considered supplemental to, and not a substitute for, financial information prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). The Company’s definition of these non-GAAP measures may differ from similarly titled measures used by others. The non-GAAP financial measures used in this press release adjust for specified items that can be highly variable or difficult to predict. The Company generally uses these non-GAAP financial measures to facilitate management’s financial and operational decision-making, including evaluation of Waters Corporation’s historical operating results, comparison to competitors’ operating results and determination of management incentive compensation. These non-GAAP financial measures reflect an additional way of viewing aspects of the Company’s operations that, when viewed with GAAP results and the reconciliations to corresponding GAAP financial measures, may provide a more complete understanding of factors and trends affecting Waters Corporation’s business. Because non-GAAP financial measures exclude the effect of items that will increase or decrease the Company’s reported results of operations, management strongly encourages investors to review the Company’s consolidated financial statements and publicly filed reports in their entirety. Reconciliations of the non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures are included in the tables accompanying this release.

Cautionary Statement

This release may contain “forward-looking” statements regarding future results and events. For this purpose, any statements that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed forward-looking statements. Without limiting the foregoing, the words “feels”, “believes”, “anticipates”, “plans”, “expects”, “intends”, “suggests”, “appears”, “estimates”, “projects”, and similar expressions, whether in the negative or affirmative, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. The Company’s actual future results may differ significantly from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements within this release for a variety of reasons, including and without limitation, foreign exchange rate fluctuations potentially affecting translation of the Company’s future non-U.S. operating results; the impact on demand for the Company’s products among the Company’s various market sectors or geographies from economic, sovereign and political uncertainties, particularly regarding the effect of new or proposed tariff or trade regulations or changes in the interpretation or enforcement of existing regulations; the effect on the Company’s financial results from the United Kingdom voting to exit the European Union; fluctuations in expenditures by the Company’s customers, in particular large pharmaceutical companies; introduction of competing products by other companies and loss of market share; pressures on prices from competitors and/or customers; regulatory, economic and competitive obstacles to new product introductions; other changes in demand for the Company’s products from the effect of mergers and acquisitions by the Company’s customers; increased regulatory burdens as the Company’s business evolves, especially with respect to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, among others; impact of the newly enacted tax reform legislation in the U.S.; shifts in taxable income in jurisdictions with different effective tax rates; the outcome of tax examinations or changes in respective country legislation affecting the Company’s effective tax rate; the effect of the adoption of new accounting standards; the ability to access capital, maintain liquidity and service the Company’s debt in volatile market conditions, particularly in the U.S., as a large portion of the Company’s cash is held and operating cash flows are generated outside the U.S.; environmental and logistical obstacles affecting the distribution of products and risks associated with lawsuits and other legal actions, particularly involving claims for infringement of patents and other intellectual property rights. Such factors and others are discussed more fully in the sections entitled “Forward-Looking Statements” and “Risk Factors” of the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K/A for the year ended December 31, 2018 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which “Forward-Looking Statements” and “Risk Factors” discussions are incorporated by reference in this release. The forward-looking statements included in this release represent the Company’s estimates or views as of the date of this release and should not be relied upon as representing the Company’s estimates or views as of any date subsequent to the date of this release.

(a) The provision for income taxes for the six months ended June 29, 2019 included a $3 million benefit related to the finalization of tax regulations under tax reform during the first quarter of 2019. The provision for income taxes for the three and six months June 30, 2018 included a $9 million benefit and a $4 million expense, respectively, related to the tax on the change in foreign currency exchange rates on the earnings taxed in December 31, 2017 under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The difference is due to the change from the foreign currency exchange rates required by the U.S. Department of the Treasury on December 31, 2017 to the foreign currency exchange rates on either the date of distribution of assets into the U.S. or the foreign currency exchange rates as of June 29, 2019 and June 30, 2018, respectively.

(a) The Company believes that referring to comparable constant-currency growth rates is a useful way to evaluate the underlying performance of Waters Corporation's net sales. Constant-currency growth rate, a non-GAAP financial measure, measures the change in net sales between current and prior year periods, ignoring the impact of foreign currency exchange rates during the current period. See description of non-GAAP financial measures contained in this release.

(a) The Company believes that referring to comparable constant-currency growth rates is a useful way to evaluate the underlying performance of Waters Corporation's net sales. Constant-currency growth rate, a non-GAAP financial measure, measures the change in net sales between current and prior year periods, ignoring the impact of foreign currency exchange rates during the current period. See description of non-GAAP financial measures contained in this release.

(a) Selling & administrative expenses include purchased intangibles amortization and litigation provisions.
(b) The purchased intangibles amortization, a non-cash expense, was excluded to be consistent with how management evaluates the performance of its core business against historical operating results and the operating results of competitors over periods of time.
(c) Restructuring costs and certain other items were excluded as the Company believes that the cost to consolidate operations and reduce overhead and certain other income or expense items are not normal and do not represent future ongoing business expenses of a specific function or geographic location of the Company.
(d) Certain income tax items were excluded as these non-cash expenses and benefits represent updates in management's assessment of ongoing examinations or other tax items that are not indicative of the Company’s normal or future income tax expense.
(e) The pension expense associated with terminating a frozen defined benefit pension plan was excluded as the Company believes these expenses are not indicative of normal operating costs.
(f) The provision for income taxes for the six months ended June 29, 2019 included a $3 million benefit related to the finalization of tax regulations under tax reform during the first quarter of 2019. The provision for income taxes for the three and six months June 30, 2018 included a $9 million benefit and a $4 million expense, respectively, related to the tax on the change in foreign currency exchange rates on the earnings taxed in December 31, 2017 under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The difference is due to the change from the foreign currency exchange rates required by the U.S. Department of the Treasury on December 31, 2017 to the foreign currency exchange rates on either the date of distribution of assets into the U.S. or the foreign currency exchange rates as of June 29, 2019 and June 30, 2018, respectively.

(g) Litigation settlement gains were excluded as these items are isolated, unpredictable and not expected to recur regularly.
(h) The non-cash expense associated with accelerating the vesting of certain stock awards was excluded as the Company believes these expenses are not indicative of normal operating costs.

(a) The Company defines free cash flow as net cash flow from operations accounted for under GAAP less capital expenditures and software capitalizations plus or minus any unusual and non recurring items. Free cash flow is not a GAAP measurement and may not be comparable to free cash flow reported by other companies.

(a) Constant-currency growth rates are a non-GAAP financial measure that measures the change in net sales between current and prior year periods, ignoring the impact of foreign currency exchange rates during the current period. These amounts are estimated at the current foreign currency exchange rates and based on the forecasted geographical sales in local currency, as well as an assessment of market conditions as of today, and may differ significantly from actual results.

These forward-looking adjustment estimates do not reflect future gains and charges that are inherently difficult to predict and estimate due to their unknown timing, effect and/or significance.

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