Libbey Inc. Announces Third-Quarter Results

TOLEDO, Ohio, Nov. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Libbey Inc. LBY, one of the world's largest glass tableware manufacturers, today reported results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2018.

Third-quarter 2018 Financial & Operating Highlights

• Net sales were $190.8 million, compared to $187.3 million in the prior-year period, a 1.8 percent increase (or an increase of 2.9 percent, excluding a $2.0 million currency impact).
• Net loss was $5.0 million, compared to a net loss of $78.8 million in the third quarter of 2017. Included in third-quarter 2017 results was a $79.7 million non-cash goodwill impairment charge associated with the Latin America segment.
• New products, defined as products introduced within the previous 36 months, contributed $15.9 million in sales, or 8.3 percent of total net sales, during the third quarter.
• E-commerce sales were approximately 12.0 percent of total U.S. & Canada retail sales, an increase of 46.4 percent compared to the third quarter of 2017.
• Adjusted EBITDA (see Table 1) was $16.1 million, compared to $20.0 million in the third quarter of 2017.

"We were pleased to see many of the positive trends we observed across our business during the first half of the year continue during the third quarter, and we were able to deliver a fourth consecutive quarter of year-over-year net sales growth," said Chief Executive Officer William Foley. "Our efforts to improve product margins remain on track, driven by our new products and e-commerce initiatives along with favorable price and mix. We also believe price competition across the industry remains in balance, and we're maintaining our track record of outperforming foodservice industry sales growth, which gives us confidence that our market share is increasing."

Foley continued, "Our performance in the back half of this year has been impacted by increased storage costs associated with higher inventory, increased utility costs and production downtime to reduce inventory. We have actions in place to lower costs and our inventory levels while ensuring our best-in-class service for customers. In addition, currency translation, most notably in Latin America, had a significant impact on third-quarter results compared to our prior year. Despite these short-term impacts, we're entering the upcoming holiday selling season with great momentum behind our products in the marketplace, and we expect to enter fiscal year 2019 well positioned to stay on track with our long-term financial goals."

• Net sales in the U.S. & Canada segment increased 2.7 percent, driven by favorable price and product mix sold in the foodservice and business-to-business channels, as well as improved channel mix and volume in the segment.
• In Latin America, net sales increased 0.2 percent (an increase of 4.3 percent excluding currency fluctuation) as a result of higher volume and favorable pricing, offset primarily by unfavorable currency impacts.
• Net sales in the EMEA segment decreased 1.3 percent driven primarily by lower volume. Partially offsetting the decrease was favorable price and product mix on product sold across all channels, as well as favorable channel mix.
• Net sales in Other increased 12.8 percent as a result of higher sales volume and favorable price and mix in China.
• The Company's effective tax rate was (54.9) percent for the third quarter of 2018, compared to (3.6) percent in the prior-year quarter. The change in the effective tax rate was driven by differing levels of pretax income, significantly higher non-deductible expenses in the prior-year quarter including a $79.7 million impairment of goodwill in our Mexico reporting unit, and the timing and mix of pretax income earned in tax jurisdictions with varying tax rates differing from that forecasted for the full year.

First Nine Months of 2018 Financial & Operating Highlights

• Net sales in the U.S. & Canada segment increased 2.4 percent, driven by favorable price and product mix sold, as well as higher volume, partially offset by unfavorable channel mix.
• In Latin America, net sales increased 7.3 percent (an increase of 7.6 percent excluding currency fluctuation) as a result of higher volume and favorable pricing. Partially offsetting the increase is unfavorable product mix in the retail channel.
• Net sales in the EMEA segment increased 15.1 percent and were favorably impacted by $6.3 million of currency. Also leading to the year-over-year improvement is favorable price and product mix on product sold in all three channels as well as higher sales volume in those channels.
• Net sales in Other were down primarily as a result of lower sales volume in China, partially offset by favorable price and product mix and favorable currency impacts.
• The Company's effective tax rate was 314.3 percent for the first nine months of 2018, compared to (2.0) percent in the year-ago period. The change in the effective tax rate was driven by differing levels of pretax income, significantly higher non-deductible expenses in the prior year (including a $79.7 million impairment of goodwill in our Mexico reporting unit) and the timing and mix of pretax income earned in tax jurisdictions with varying tax rates differing from that forecasted for the full year. Cash taxes paid for the first nine months of 2018 and 2017 were approximately $7.2 million and $2.6 million, respectively, with the increase principally attributable to higher pretax income in Mexico.

Balance Sheet and Liquidity

• The Company had remaining available capacity of $59.6 million under its ABL credit facility at September 30, 2018, with $32.0 million in loans outstanding and cash on hand of $19.1 million.
• At September 30, 2018, Trade Working Capital (see Table 3), defined as inventories and accounts receivable less accounts payable, was $228.7 million, an increase of $13.1 million from $215.6 million at September 30, 2017. The increase was a result of higher inventories, higher accounts receivable and lower accounts payable.

Outlook

Today, the Company affirmed its previously provided full-year 2018 sales outlook and expects to achieve the lower end of its full-year profitability outlook. As of the date of this news release, the Company now expects:

• Net sales increase in the low-single digits, compared to full-year 2017 sales, on a reported basis;
• Adjusted EBITDA margins (see Table 6) at the lower end of the previously communicated 10 percent to 11 percent range;
• Capital expenditures near $50 million, which is at the low end of the previously estimated $50 million to $55 million range; and
• Adjusted selling, general and administrative expense in the range of 15.5 percent to 16.0 percent of net sales.

Jim Burmeister, senior vice president, chief financial officer, commented, "Cost controls implemented across the business have enabled us to improve our full-year outlook for selling, general, and administrative expenses as a percent of net sales for the second consecutive quarter. These improvements will offset the higher operating costs previously mentioned and improve financial performance in the fourth quarter. We also expect capital spending to come in at the low end of our previously communicated range which will help offset higher inventory. In addition to our focus on improving operating performance, we remain committed to pursuing a capital allocation strategy that assigns greater priority to debt reduction while maintaining appropriate levels of investment in strategic initiatives that are expected to enhance long-term value for shareholders."

Webcast Information

Libbey will hold a conference call for investors on Tuesday, November 6, 2018, at 11 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. The conference call will be webcast live on the Internet and is accessible from the Investor Relations section of www.libbey.com. To listen to the call, please go to the website at least 10 minutes early to register, download and install any necessary software.

About Libbey Inc.

Based in Toledo, Ohio, Libbey Inc. is one of the largest glass tableware manufacturers in the world. Libbey Inc. operates manufacturing plants in the U.S., Mexico, China, Portugal and the Netherlands. In existence since 1818, the Company supplies tabletop products to retail, foodservice and business-to-business customers in over 100 countries. Libbey's global brand portfolio, in addition to its namesake brand, includes Libbey Signature^®, Master's Reserve^®, Crisa^®, Royal Leerdam^®, World^® Tableware, Syracuse^® China, and Crisal Glass^®. In 2017, Libbey Inc.'s net sales totaled $781.8 million. Additional information is available at www.libbey.com.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

To supplement the condensed financial statements presented in accordance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (U.S. GAAP), we use non-GAAP measures of certain components of financial performance. These non-GAAP measures include Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA Margin, Free Cash Flow, Trade Working Capital, Adjusted Selling, General & Administrative Expense (Adjusted SG&A), Adjusted SG&A Margin and our Debt Net of Cash to Adjusted EBITDA Ratio. Reconciliations to the nearest U.S. GAAP measures of all non-GAAP measures included in this press release can be found in the tables below.

Our non-GAAP measures, as defined below, are used by analysts, investors and other interested parties to compare our performance with the performance of other companies that report similar non-GAAP measures. Libbey believes these non-GAAP measures provide meaningful supplemental information regarding financial performance by excluding certain expenses and benefits that may not be indicative of core business operating results. We believe the non-GAAP measures, when viewed in conjunction with U.S. GAAP results and the accompanying reconciliations, enhance the comparability of results against prior periods and allow for additional transparency of financial results and business outlook. In addition, we use non-GAAP data internally to assess performance and facilitate management's internal comparison of our financial performance to that of prior periods, as well as trend analysis for budgeting and planning purposes. The presentation of our non-GAAP measures is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for, or superior to, the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Furthermore, our non-GAAP measures may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies and may have limitations as an analytical tool. We define our non-GAAP measures as follows:

• We define Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin as U.S. GAAP net income (loss) plus interest expense, provision for income taxes, depreciation and amortization, and special items, when applicable, that Libbey believes are not reflective of our core operating performance.
• We define Trade Working Capital as net accounts receivable plus net inventories less accounts payable.
• We define Adjusted SG&A and Adjusted SG&A Margin as U.S. GAAP selling, general and administrative expenses less special items that Libbey believes are not reflective of our core operating performance.
• We define our Debt Net of Cash to Adjusted EBITDA Ratio as gross debt before unamortized discount and finance fees, less cash and cash equivalents, divided by last twelve months Adjusted EBITDA (defined above).

Constant Currency

We translate revenue and expense accounts in our non-U.S. operations at current average exchange rates during the year. References to "constant currency," "excluding currency impact" and "adjusted for currency" are considered non-GAAP measures. Constant currency references regarding net sales reflect a simple mathematical translation of local currency results using the comparable prior period's currency conversion rate. Constant currency references regarding Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin comprise a simple mathematical translation of local currency results using the comparable prior period's currency conversion rate plus the transactional impact of changes in exchange rates from revenues, expenses and assets and liabilities that are denominated in a currency other than the functional currency. We believe this non-GAAP constant currency information provides valuable supplemental information regarding our core operating results, better identifies operating trends that may otherwise be masked or distorted by exchange rate changes and provides a higher degree of transparency of information used by management in its evaluation of our ongoing operations. These non-GAAP measures should be viewed in addition to, and not as an alternative to, the reported results prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Our currency market risks include currency fluctuations relative to the U.S. dollar, Canadian dollar, Mexican peso, euro and RMB.

Caution on Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes forward-looking statements as defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Such statements reflect only the Company's best assessment at this time and are indicated by words or phrases such as "goal," "expects," " believes," "will," "estimates," "anticipates," or similar phrases. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainty and that actual results may differ materially from these statements. Investors should not place undue reliance on such statements. These forward-looking statements may be affected by the risks and uncertainties in the Company's business. This information is qualified in its entirety by cautionary statements and risk factor disclosures contained in the Company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including the Company's report on Form 10-K filed with the Commission on March 1, 2018. Important factors potentially affecting performance include but are not limited to risks related to increased competition from foreign suppliers endeavoring to sell glass tableware, ceramic dinnerware and metalware in our core markets; global economic conditions and the related impact on consumer spending levels; major slowdowns or changes in trends in the retail, travel, restaurant and bar or entertainment industries that impact demand for our products; inability to meet the demand for new products; material restructuring charges related to involuntary employee terminations, facility abandonments, or other various restructuring activities; significant increases in per-unit costs for natural gas, electricity, freight, corrugated packaging, and other purchased materials; our ability to borrow under our ABL credit agreement; high levels of indebtedness; high interest rates that increase the Company's borrowing costs or volatility in the financial markets that could constrain liquidity and credit availability; protracted work stoppages related to collective bargaining agreements; increases in expense associated with higher medical costs, increased pension expense associated with lower returns on pension investments and increased pension obligations; devaluations and other major currency fluctuations relative to the U.S. dollar and the euro that could reduce the cost competitiveness of the Company's products compared to foreign competition; the effect of exchange rate changes to the value of the euro, the Mexican peso, the RMB and the Canadian dollar and the earnings and cash flows of our international operations, expressed under U.S. GAAP; the effect of high levels of inflation in countries in which we operate or sell our products; the inability to achieve savings and profit improvements at targeted levels in the Company's operations or within the intended time periods; the failure of our investments in e-commerce, new technology and other capital expenditures to yield expected returns; failure to prevent unauthorized access, security breaches and cyber attacks to our information technology systems; compliance with, or the failure to comply with, legal requirements relating to health, safety and environmental protection; our failure to protect our intellectual property; and the inability to effectively integrate future business we acquire or joint ventures into which we enter. Any forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release, and the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances arising after the date of this press release.

In accordance with the SEC's Regulation G, the following tables provide non-GAAP measures used in this earnings release and a reconciliation to the most closely related U.S. GAAP measure. See the above text for additional information on our non-GAAP measures. Although Libbey believes that the non-GAAP financial measures presented enhance investors' understanding of Libbey's business and performance, these non-GAAP measures should not be considered an alternative to U.S. GAAP.

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SOURCE Libbey Inc.