Polaris Reports 2018 Third Quarter Results

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Q3 2018 Highlights

 

Reported and adjusted sales for the third quarter of 2018 increased 12% to $1,651 million and $1,653 million, respectively

Reported net income was $1.50 per diluted share, up 17% over the prior year; adjusted net income for the same period was $1.86 per diluted share, up 22% over the prior year

North American retail sales increased 1% for the quarter compared to a strong 13% increase last year; ORV N.A. retail sales were up low single-digits driven by side-by-side vehicles

Dealer inventory was up 6% year-over-year for the third quarter 2018, in line with expectations

Polaris maintaining full year 2018 adjusted sales and earnings guidance with full year adjusted sales in the range of 11% to 12% over the prior year and  full year adjusted earnings in the range of $6.48 to $6.58 per diluted share which includes the absorption of an estimated $40 million of tariff cost increases anticipated in 2018 before counter-measures.

 

 

Key Financial Data

 

 

 

CEO Commentary

 

"The dedication and strong execution of our Polaris team continued to drive broad based growth across the business in the third quarter.  Our model year '19 product news was well received and our improving manufacturing and logistics performance accelerated the successful roll-out of RFM for side-by-sides. International growth again outpaced North America, with Indian market share gains continuing in every market we serve. We were also pleased with the early performance of Boat Holdings, the largest manufacturer of pontoon boats in the U.S. that we welcomed to our growing Powersports portfolio earlier in the quarter. Our commitment to customers and investments in the U.S. remain strong, as we broke ground on a new multi-product PG&A and aftermarket distribution center in Nevada. We are strategically and tactically committed to being a customer-centric, highly efficient growth company, and our investments demonstrate that commitment. Our goals do not eliminate or even diminish the serious challenges we face from tariffs, but they certainly increase our resolve to find acceptable solutions or offsets. We are making too much progress with our supply chain, safety and quality and innovation initiatives to have the benefits wiped out by protracted trade negotiations. The challenge is real, and so are our efforts to overcome them. We remain well-positioned with a world-class team and product line-up and are confident in our ability to deliver strong financial and operational performance in the quarter and years ahead.”

 

-- Scott Wine, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Polaris Industries Inc.

 

 

Third Quarter Performance Summary (Reported)

 

 

 

Minneapolis, MN (October 22, 2018) – Polaris Industries Inc. (NYSE: PII) today reported third quarter 2018 sales of $1,651 million, up 12 percent from $1,479 million for the third quarter of 2017.  Adjusted sales for the third quarter of 2018 were $1,653 million, up 12 percent from the prior year period.  The Boat Holdings, LLC ("Boat Holdings") acquisition added $134 million of sales in the third quarter.  The Company reported third quarter 2018 net income of $96 million, or $1.50 per diluted share, compared with net income of $82 million, or $1.28 per diluted share, for the 2017 third quarter.  Adjusted net income for the quarter ended September 30, 2018 was $118 million, or $1.86 per diluted share, up 21 percent and 22 percent respectfully, compared to $98 million, or $1.52 per diluted share in the 2017 third quarter.

 

Gross profit increased 10 percent to $401 million for the third quarter of 2018 from $364 million in the third quarter of 2017. Reported gross profit margin was 24.3 percent of sales for the third quarter of 2018 compared to 24.6 percent of sales for the third quarter of 2017. Gross profit for the third quarter of 2018 includes the negative impact of $8 million of Victory Motorcycles^® wind-down costs, acquisition-related costs for the acquisition of Boat Holdings and realignment and restructuring costs. Excluding these items, third quarter 2018 adjusted gross profit was $410 million, or 24.8 percent of adjusted sales. For the third quarter of 2017 adjusted gross profit of $378 million, or 25.5 percent of adjusted sales, excludes the negative impact of $14 million in Victory Motorcycles wind down costs and other restructuring and realignment costs. Gross profit margins on an adjusted basis were down slightly primarily due to mix and the impact of tariff, commodity and freight cost pressure during the quarter, partially offset by lower warranty and promotional costs.

 

Operating expenses increased seven percent for the third quarter of 2018 to $284 million, or 17.2 percent of sales, from $265 million, or 17.9 percent of sales, in the same period in 2017.  Operating expenses in dollars increased primarily due to the Boat Holdings acquisition completed during the quarter and investments in strategic projects. Operating expenses as a percentage of sales, improved as the Company realized efficiencies through its selling, marketing and general and administrative spend along with the addition of Boat Holdings which inherently has a lower operating expense to sales ratio.

 

Income from financial services was $21 million for the third quarter of 2018, up 18 percent compared with $18 million for the third quarter of 2017. The increase is attributable to higher retail demand and penetration rates along with increased income from Polaris Acceptance as dealer inventories were at more appropriate levels to meet demand.

 

 

Non-Operating Expenses (Reported)

 

 

 

Interest expense was $20 million for the third quarter of 2018 compared to $8 million for the same period last year, primarily due to increased debt levels to finance the Boat Holdings acquisition.

 

Other expense (income), net, was $4 million and $2 million of income in the third quarter of 2018 and 2017, respectively, resulting from foreign currency exchange rate movements and the corresponding effects on foreign currency transactions related to the Company’s foreign subsidiaries.

 

The provision for income taxesfor the third quarter of 2018 was $28 million, or 22.4 percent of pretax income, compared with $27 million, or 25.0 percent of pretax income for the third quarter of 2017.  The decrease in the effective income tax rate is primarily due to the reduction in the federal statutory tax rate to 21 percent as a result of U.S. Tax Reform offset by a decrease in excess tax benefits related to stock based compensation compared to the prior year.

 

 

Product Segment Highlights (Reported)

 

 

Off-Road Vehicle (“ORV”) and Snowmobile segment sales, including PG&A, totaled $1,036 million for the third quarter of 2018, up three percent over $1,007 million for the third quarter of 2017 driven by growth across most categories.  PG&A sales for ORV and Snowmobiles combined increased 12 percent in the 2018 third quarter compared to the third quarter last year. Gross profit decreased two percent to $291 million in the third quarter of 2018, compared to $297 million in the third quarter of 2017.

 

• ORV wholegoodsales for the third quarter of 2018 increased 12 percent primarily driven by strong RANGER and ATV shipments. Polaris North American ORV retail sales increased low-single digits percent for the quarter with side-by-side vehicles up low-single digits percent and ATV vehicles down low-single digits percent. ATVs again gained market share during the quarter. The Company experienced a modest amount of market share loss for side-by-sides due to a very difficult comparable in the third quarter of 2017. The North American ORV industry was up low-single digits percent compared to the third quarter last year.

 

• Snowmobile wholegood sales in the third quarter of 2018 was $69 million compared to $144 million in the third quarter last year. Snowmobile sales are expected to be more heavily weighted towards the fourth quarter of 2018 due to the timing of shipments for the Company's pre-season snowmobile orders.

 

Motorcycle segment sales, including PG&A, totaled $155 million, which were flat compared to the third quarter of 2017. Gross profit for the third quarter of 2018 was $20 million compared to $10 million in the third quarter of 2017. Adjusted for the Victory wind-down costs recorded in both the 2018 and 2017 third quarters, motorcycle gross profit was $21 million in the 2018 third quarter compared to $18 million for the 2017 third quarter.

 

North American consumer retail sales for the Polaris motorcycle segment, including both Indian Motorcycle and Slingshot, decreased high-single digits during the 2018 third quarter. Indian Motorcycle retail sales increased low-single digits, in spite of an overall weak N.A. motorcycle market. Slingshot's retail sales were down during the quarter. Motorcycle industry retail sales, 900cc and above, were down low-teens percent in the 2018 third quarter. Indian Motorcycle gained market share for the 2018 third quarter on a year-over-year basis.

 

Global Adjacent Markets segment sales, including PG&A, increased five percent to $96 million in the 2018 third quarter compared to $92 million in the 2017 third quarter. Reported gross profit increased 51 percent to $24 million in the third quarter of 2018, compared to $16 million in the third quarter of 2017. Adjusted gross profit increased nine percent to $24 million in the third quarter of 2018, compared to $22 million in the third quarter of 2017.

 

Aftermarket segment sales increased two percent to $230 million in the 2018 third quarter compared to $225 million in the 2017 third quarter driven by the Company's powersports aftermarket brands. TAP sales in the third quarter of 2018 were $189 million, which was down slightly compared to the third quarter of 2017. TAP sales were impacted by delayed accessory development work and weakness in business-to-business sales in the South/Southwest. Gross profit increased to $66 million in the third quarter of 2018, compared to $63 million in the third quarter of 2017.

 

Boats segment sales, which consist of the Boat Holdings acquisition that closed July 2, 2018, were $134 million in the 2018 third quarter, slightly better than expectations. Reported gross profit was $20 million or 15.1 percent of sales in the third quarter of 2018. Adjusted gross profit, which excludes integration costs and purchase accounting, was $23 million or 17.4 percent of sales in the third quarter of 2018.

 

Supplemental Data:

 

• Parts, Garments, and Accessories (“PG&A”) sales increased eight percent for the 2018 third quarter primarily driven by growth in ORV.

 

• International sales to customers outside of North America, including PG&A, totaled $172 million for the third quarter of 2018, up 10 percent, from the same period in 2017. Foreign exchange movements reduced sales by three percent for the quarter. The increase was driven by strong sales in snowmobiles and motorcycles.

 

 

Financial Position and Cash Flow

 

 

Net cash provided by operating activities was $354 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2018, compared to $497 million for the same period in 2017. The decrease in net cash provided by operating activities for the 2018 period was due to the timing of accrual payments and higher factory inventory needed for ongoing refinement of retail flow management ("RFM"). Total debt at September 30, 2018, including capital lease obligations and notes payable, was $1,864 million. The Company’s debt-to-total capital ratio was 67 percent at September 30, 2018 compared to 51 percent at September 30, 2017. Cash and cash equivalents were $183 million at September 30, 2018, up from $132 million at September 30, 2017.

 

Share Buyback Activity:  During the third quarter of 2018, the Company repurchased 507,000 shares of its common stock for $55 million. Year-to-date through  September 30, 2018, the Company has repurchased 2,069,000 shares of its common stock for $247 million. As of September 30, 2018, the Company has authorization from its Board of Directors to repurchase up to an additional 4.4 million shares of Polaris common stock.

 

 

2018 Business Outlook

The Company is maintaining its adjusted sales and earnings guidance for the full year 2018. Adjusted sales are expected to increase in the range of 11 percent to 12 percent over 2017 adjusted sales of $5,428 million and adjusted net income is expected to be in the range of $6.48 to $6.58 per diluted share for the full year 2018 compared to adjusted net income of $5.10 per diluted share for 2017.  The Company is maintaining its current sales and earnings per share guidance ranges given the fluid nature of tariffs and the potential impact of trade negotiations and a more difficult motorcycle environment, which is impacting growth and profitability for that segment.  The full year earnings guidance includes approximately $40 million of tariff cost increases before counter-measures, as the Company understands them today.

 

 

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This press release and our related earnings call contain certain non-GAAP financial measures, consisting of “adjusted" sales, gross profit, income before taxes, net income and net income per diluted share as measures of our operating performance. Management believes these measures may be useful in performing meaningful comparisons of past and present operating results, to understand the performance of its ongoing operations and how management views the business. Reconciliations of adjusted non-GAAP measures to reported GAAP measures are included in the financial schedules contained in this press release. These measures, however, should not be construed as an alternative to any other measure of performance determined in accordance with GAAP.

 

 

Investor Conference Call

Third Quarter 2018 Earnings Conference Call and Webcast Presentation

Today at 10:00 AM (CDT) Polaris Industries Inc. will host a conference call and webcast to discuss the 2018 third quarter results released this morning. The call will be hosted by Scott Wine, Chairman and CEO; and Mike Speetzen, Executive Vice President - Finance and CFO. A slide presentation and link to the webcast will be posted on the Polaris Investor Relations website at ir.polaris.com. To listen to the conference call by phone, dial 1-877-883-0383 in the U.S., or 1-412-902-6506 internationally. The Conference ID is 1886245. A replay of the conference call will be available by accessing the same link on our website.

 

 

About Polaris

Polaris Industries Inc. (NYSE: PII) is a global powersports leader that has been fueling the passion of riders, workers and outdoor enthusiasts for more than 60 years. With annual 2017 sales of $5.4 billion, Polaris’ innovative, high-quality product line-up includes the RANGER^®, RZR^® and Polaris GENERAL^™ side-by-side off-road vehicles; the Sportsman^® and Polaris ACE^® all-terrain off-road vehicles; Indian Motorcycle^® mid-size and heavyweight motorcycles; Slingshot^® moto-roadsters; snowmobiles; and pontoon, deck, and cruiser boats. Polaris enhances the riding experience with parts, garments and accessories, along with a growing aftermarket portfolio, including Transamerican Auto Parts. Polaris’ presence in adjacent markets globally includes military and commercial off-road vehicles, quadricycles, and electric vehicles. Proudly headquartered in Minnesota, Polaris serves more than 100 countries across the globe. Visit www.polaris.com for more information.

 

 

Fordward-looking Statements

Except for historical information contained herein, the matters set forth in this news release, including management’s expectations regarding 2018 future sales, shipments, net income, and net income per share, operational initiatives, impact of tax reform, and tariffs and commodity costs, are forward-looking statements that involve certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those forward-looking statements.  Potential risks and uncertainties include such factors as the Company’s ability to successfully implement its manufacturing operations expansion initiatives, product offerings, promotional activities and pricing strategies by competitors; economic conditions that impact consumer spending; acquisition integration costs; product recalls, warranty expenses; impact of changes in Polaris stock price on incentive compensation plan costs; foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations; environmental and product safety regulatory activity; effects of weather; commodity costs; freight and tariff costs; changes to international trade agreements; uninsured product liability claims; uncertainty in the retail and wholesale credit markets; performance of affiliate partners; changes in tax policy and overall economic conditions, including inflation, consumer confidence and spending and relationships with dealers and suppliers.  Investors are also directed to consider other risks and uncertainties discussed in documents filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission.  The Company does not undertake any duty to any person to provide updates to its forward-looking statements.

 

(summarized financial data follows)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NON-GAAP ADJUSTMENTS
2018 Third Quarter Results & Full Year Guidance

 

Wind Down of Victory Motorcycles

In 2017, Polaris announced its intention to wind down its Victory Motorcycles operations. The decision is expected to improve the long-term profitability of Polaris and its global motorcycle business, while materially improving the Company’s competitive position in the industry. The Company will record costs, expected to be approximately $80 million through 2018, associated with supporting Victory dealers in selling their remaining inventory, the disposal of factory inventory, tooling, and other physical assets, and the cancellation of various supplier arrangements. In 2017, the Company recorded pretax costs of $77 million.  In the first three quarters of 2018, the Company recorded pretax costs of $2 million.  These costs are excluded from Polaris’ 2018 sales and earnings guidance on a non-GAAP basis.

 

Restructuring, Realignment and Supply Chain Transformation

Polaris announced in 2017 that it was making changes to its network to consolidate production and distribution of like products and better leverage plant capacity and embarked on a multi-phase supply chain transformation initiative to continue to leverage its supply chain as a strategic asset. Year-to-date ending September 30, 2018, the Company has recorded costs totaling $23 million related to the manufacturing and distribution network realignment and the supply chain transformation projects. In addition, the Company has recorded TAP and Boat Holdings integration and acquisition-related costs of $17 million for the year-to-date period ending September 30, 2018.  The costs for these projects are excluded from Polaris’ 2018 sales and earnings guidance on a non-GAAP basis.

 

Eicher-Polaris Joint Venture Impairment in India

Regulatory changes have negatively impacted the likelihood of success of the joint venture, and as a result, in late-February 2018, the Board of Directors of the joint venture approved the wind-down of the joint venture.  Year-to-date ended September 30, 2018, Polaris has recorded charges totaling $23 million, including the impairment of the Company's equity investment in the Eicher-Polaris joint venture in India and wind down costs.

 

Intangible amortization related to acquisitions

As a result of the Boat Holdings acquisition, Polaris' amortization of intangible assets will increase by approximately $20 million on an annual basis. Given the significant increase in non-cash amortization associated with this acquisition along with intangible amortization from prior acquisitions, the Company has moved to an adjusted net income metric, excluding intangible amortization from all acquisitions including prior year acquisitions of approximately $24 million for full year 2018. The Company believes this treatment will provide additional transparency into the true, ongoing earnings performance of its business.

 

2018 Adjusted Guidance

2018 guidance excludes the pre-tax effect of acquisition integration costs of approximately $25 million, supply chain transformation and network realignment costs of approximately $25 million to $30 million and the remaining impacts associated with the Victory wind down which is estimated to be approximately $5 million.  Additionally, 2018 guidance excludes the pre-tax gain of $13 million related to the Company's investment in Brammo and charges of $23 million, including the impairment of the Company's equity investment in the Eicher-Polaris joint venture in India and related wind down costs, recorded in the first half of 2018.  Additional costs associated with the wind down of the joint venture, if any, are expected to be immaterial for the remainder of 2018. Intangible amortization of approximately $35 million related to all acquisitions has also been excluded.  2018 adjusted sales guidance excludes any Victory wholegood, accessories and apparel sales and corresponding promotional costs as the Company is in the process of exiting the brand.  The Company has not provided reconciliations of guidance for adjusted diluted net income per share, in reliance on the unreasonable efforts exception provided under Item 10(e)(1)(i)(B) of Regulation S-K. The Company is unable, without unreasonable efforts, to forecast certain items required to develop meaningful comparable GAAP financial measures. These items include costs associated with the Victory wind down, restructuring and realignment costs, and acquisition integration costs that are difficult to predict in advance in order to include in a GAAP estimate.