Matrix Service Company Reports Second Quarter Results; Maintains Full Year EPS Guidance


TULSA, Okla., Feb. 07, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Matrix Service Company (Nasdaq:MTRX), a leading contractor to the energy, power and industrial markets across North America, today reported financial results for its second quarter ended December 31, 2017.

Key highlights:

  • Company earned $0.17 per fully diluted share in the second quarter
  • Consolidated gross margins increased year over year to 9.4%
  • Consolidated book-to-bill was 1.0 on awards of $279.1 million, with the largest quarterly awards in Storage Solutions since the fourth quarter of fiscal 2015
  • Industrial segment revenue increased 137% while Oil Gas & Chemical segment revenue increased 59% compared to the same period in the prior year
  • Net income and tax expense benefited by $1.9 million as a result of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act

“Our diversified business model continues to serve us well, with strong second quarter results in our Industrial and Oil Gas & Chemical segments. These positive results were offset by an expected reduction in power generation revenue as well as less spending in the high voltage business," said Matrix Service Company President and CEO John R. Hewitt. "Additionally, in our Storage Solutions segment, while revenues were lower as a result of delayed project awards, we achieved a book-to-bill of 1.8  in the quarter. Subsequent to the closing of the quarter, we received a number of additional significant and strategic project awards; announcements on which will be forthcoming."

The delay in the award of these anticipated projects has shifted revenue to later periods. Said Hewitt, "These and other delayed awards, combined with lower than anticipated spending in our Northeastern based high voltage electrical business, will impact our full year revenue. Our EPS guidance remains unchanged, however we are modifying full year revenue guidance from between $1.225 billion and $1.325 billion to between $1.150 billion and $1.225 billion.”

Second Quarter Fiscal 2018 Results

Consolidated revenue was $282.9 million for the three months ended December 31, 2017, compared to $312.7 million in the same period in the prior fiscal year.  Storage Solutions revenue declined primarily as a result of delays in project awards which have not allowed the Company to replace higher revenue experienced in the prior year in connection with work on the construction of crude gathering terminals for the Dakota Access pipeline.  Electrical Infrastructure segment revenue also declined due to a combination of a reduction in high voltage revenue and revenue associated with the construction of a large power generating facility in the prior year.  These decreases were partially offset by higher maintenance, turnaround and construction volumes in our Oil Gas & Chemical segment and higher volumes in our Industrial segment attributable to work in the iron and steel industry.

Consolidated gross profit was $26.7 million in the three months ended December 31, 2017 compared to $28.2 million in the three months ended December 31, 2016.  The gross margin was 9.4% in the three months ended December 31, 2017 compared to 9.0% in the same period in the prior fiscal year.  The increase in gross margin in fiscal 2018 is primarily attributable to improved construction overhead cost recovery.  Consolidated SG&A expenses were $21.5 million in the three months ended December 31, 2017 compared to $20.0 million in the same period a year earlier.  The increase in fiscal 2018 is primarily attributable to overhead and amortization on intangible assets associated with a December 2016 acquisition that expanded the Company's engineering business.

As a result of the factors discussed above, the Company earned net income of $4.5 million, or $0.17 per fully diluted share in the second quarter of fiscal 2018 compared to $5.3 million, or $0.20 in the prior year.

Six Month Fiscal 2018 Results

Consolidated revenue was $552.8 million for the six months ended December 31, 2017, compared to $654.4 million in the same period in the prior fiscal year.  Storage Solutions revenue declined primarily as a result of delays in project awards which have not allowed the Company to replace higher revenue experienced in the prior year in connection with work on the construction of crude gathering terminals for the Dakota Access pipeline.  Electrical Infrastructure segment revenue also declined due to a combination of a reduction in high voltage revenue and revenue associated with the construction of a large power generating facility in the prior year.  These decreases were partially offset by higher maintenance, turnaround and construction volumes in our Oil Gas & Chemical segment and higher volumes in our Industrial segment attributable to work in the iron and steel industry.

Consolidated gross profit was $55.6 million in the six months ended December 31, 2017 compared to $60.5 million in the six months ended December 31, 2016.  The gross margin was 10.1% in the six months ended December 31, 2017 compared to 9.2% in the same period in the prior fiscal year.  The increase in gross margin in fiscal 2018 is primarily attributable to strong project execution as well as improved construction overhead cost recovery.  Consolidated SG&A expenses were $43.1 million in the six months ended December 31, 2017 compared to $38.0 million in the same period a year earlier.  The increase in fiscal 2018 is primarily attributable to overhead and amortization on intangible assets associated with a December 2016 acquisition that expanded the Company's engineering business.

As a result of the factors discussed above, the Company earned net income of $8.4 million, or $0.31 per fully diluted share during the six months ended December 31, 2017 compared to $14.6 million, or $0.54 in the prior year.

Impact of Tax Cuts and Jobs Act

The Company’s financial statements have been adjusted to account for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Act”).  The Act affected the Company’s second quarter and full year results as follows:

  • Resulted in a reduced effective tax rate of 32% for fiscal 2018 based on a blended statutory tax rate of 28%.
  • Resulted in a $1.2 million tax benefit related to the remeasurement of the Company’s domestic deferred tax assets and liabilities.
  • Resulted in a $0.7 million tax benefit related to reducing the first half of the year income tax expense to the new reduced fiscal 2018 effective rate of 32%.
  • The Company does not expect to record a one-time transition tax on unrepatriated earnings of certain foreign entities.

Backlog

Backlog at December 31, 2017 was $725.0 million compared to $728.8 million at September 30, 2017.   Quarterly book-to-bill ratio was 1.0 on project awards of $279.1 million.  The six month ended December 31, 2017 book-to-bill ratio was 1.1 on project awards of $595.6 million.

Financial Position

The Company's cash balance increased to $74.1 million in the quarter. The cash balance combined with availability under the credit facility provides the Company with liquidity of  $99.7 million at December 31, 2017, a decrease of $32.1 million since September 30, 2017.  This decrease in liquidity is primarily attributable to an increase in the capacity constraint of the credit facility along with an increase in project related letters of credit.  The Company's liquidity continues to support its long-term strategic growth plans. The Company expects liquidity improvement as we work through the third and fourth quarters of fiscal 2018.  Since December 31, 2017,  the  Company repaid $35.0 million of borrowings under the credit facility while maintaining a cash balance in excess of $60.0 million, further strengthening the Company's liquidity.

Earnings Guidance

The Company is maintaining fiscal 2018 earnings guidance of between $0.55 and $0.75 per fully diluted share. Revenue guidance is being reduced from between $1.225 billion and $1.325 billion to between $1.150 billion and $1.225 billion.

Conference Call / Webcast Details

In conjunction with the earnings release, Matrix Service Company will host a conference call / webcast with John R. Hewitt, President and CEO, and Kevin S. Cavanah, Vice President and CFO.  The call will take place at 10:30 a.m. (Eastern) / 9:30 a.m. (Central) on Thursday, February 8, 2018 and will be simultaneously broadcast live over the Internet which can be accessed at the Company’s website at matrixservicecompany.com on the Investors’ page under Conference Calls/Events.  Please allow extra time prior to the call to visit the site and download the streaming media software required to listen to the Internet broadcast.  The conference call will be recorded and will be available for replay within one hour of completion of the live call and can be accessed following the same link as the live call.

About Matrix Service Company

Founded in 1984, Matrix Service Company is parent to a family of companies that include Matrix Service Inc., Matrix NAC, Matrix PDM Engineering and Matrix Applied Technologies.  Our subsidiaries design, build and maintain infrastructure critical to North America's energy, power and industrial markets. Matrix Service Company is headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma with subsidiary offices located throughout the United States and Canada, as well as Sydney, Australia and Seoul, South Korea.

The Company reports its financial results based on four key operating segments: Electrical Infrastructure, Storage Solutions, Oil Gas & Chemical and Industrial.  To learn more about Matrix Service Company, visit matrixservicecompany.com.

This release contains forward-looking statements that are made in reliance upon the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are generally accompanied by words such as “anticipate,” “continues,” “expect,” “forecast,” “outlook,” “believe,” “estimate,” “should” and “will” and words of similar effect that convey future meaning, concerning the Company’s operations, economic performance and management’s best judgment as to what may occur in the future. Future events involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those we currently anticipate. The actual results for the current and future periods and other corporate developments will depend upon a number of economic, competitive and other influences, including those factors discussed in the “Risk Factors” and “Forward Looking Statements” sections and elsewhere in the Company’s reports and filings made from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Many of these risks and uncertainties are beyond the control of the Company, and any one of which, or a combination of which, could materially and adversely affect the results of the Company's operations and its financial condition. We undertake no obligation to update information contained in this release, except as required by law.

For more information, please contact:

Matrix Service Company
Kevin S. Cavanah
Vice President and CFO
T: 918-838-8822
Email:kcavanah@matrixservicecompany.com

Matrix Service Company
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income
(unaudited)
(In thousands, except per share data)
     
  Three Months Ended Six Months Ended
  December 31,
 2017
 December 31,
 2016
 December 31,
 2017
 December 31,
 2016
Revenues $282,911  $312,655  $552,821  $654,436 
Cost of revenues 256,208  284,443  497,227  593,946 
Gross profit 26,703  28,212  55,594  60,490 
Selling, general and administrative expenses 21,529  19,975  43,099  37,952 
Operating income 5,174  8,237  12,495  22,538 
Other income (expense):        
Interest expense (819) (497) (1,437) (740)
Interest income 65  26  104  38 
Other (135) 47  14  54 
Income before income tax expense 4,285  7,813  11,176  21,890 
Provision (benefit) for federal, state and foreign income taxes (247) 2,563  2,820  7,298 
Net income $4,532  $5,250  $8,356  $14,592 
         
Basic earnings per common share $0.17  $0.20  $0.31  $0.55 
Diluted earnings per common share $0.17  $0.20  $0.31  $0.54 
Weighted average common shares outstanding:        
Basic 26,771  26,553  26,713  26,470 
Diluted 27,078  26,832  26,933  26,842 
             


Matrix Service Company
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
(unaudited)
(In thousands)
 
 December 31,
 2017
 June 30,
 2017
Assets   
Current assets:   
Cash and cash equivalents$74,087  $43,805 
Accounts receivable, less allowances (December 31, 2017— $6,342 and June 30, 2017—$9,887)183,451  210,953 
Costs and estimated earnings in excess of billings on uncompleted contracts64,221  91,180 
Inventories4,525  3,737 
Income taxes receivable3,396  4,042 
Other current assets7,826  4,913 
Total current assets337,506  358,630 
Property, plant and equipment at cost:   
Land and buildings39,622  38,916 
Construction equipment90,710  94,298 
Transportation equipment48,647  48,574 
Office equipment and software37,169  36,556 
Construction in progress3,719  5,952 
Total property, plant and equipment - at cost219,867  224,296 
Accumulated depreciation(143,680) (144,022)
Property, plant and equipment - net76,187  80,274 
Goodwill113,845  113,501 
Other intangible assets25,364  26,296 
Deferred income taxes2,794  3,385 
Other assets2,170  3,944 
Total assets$557,866  $586,030 
    


Matrix Service Company
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (continued)
(unaudited)
(In thousands, except share data)
 
 December 31,
 2017
 June 30,
 2017
Liabilities and stockholders’ equity   
Current liabilities:   
Accounts payable$71,253  $105,649 
Billings on uncompleted contracts in excess of costs and estimated earnings66,376  75,127 
Accrued wages and benefits19,378  20,992 
Accrued insurance8,691  9,340 
Income taxes payable17  169 
Other accrued expenses4,183  7,699 
Total current liabilities169,898  218,976 
Deferred income taxes1,158  128 
Borrowings under senior secured revolving credit facility50,908  44,682 
Other liabilities316  435 
Total liabilities222,280  264,221 
Commitments and contingencies   
Stockholders’ equity:   
Common stock—$.01 par value; 60,000,000 shares authorized; 27,888,217 shares issued
as of December 31, 2017, and June 30, 2017; 26,811,676 and 26,600,562 shares
outstanding as of December 31, 2017 and June 30, 2017
279  279 
Additional paid-in capital128,235  128,419 
Retained earnings231,330  222,974 
Accumulated other comprehensive loss(5,788) (7,324)
 354,056  344,348 
Less: Treasury stock, at cost — 1,076,541 shares as of December 31, 2017, and 1,287,655 shares as of June 30, 2017(18,470) (22,539)
Total stockholders' equity335,586  321,809 
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity$557,866  $586,030 
    


Matrix Service Company
Results of Operations
(unaudited)
(In thousands)
 
  Three Months Ended Six Months Ended
  December 31,
 2017
 December 31,
 2016
 December 31,
 2017
 December 31,
 2016
Gross revenues        
Electrical Infrastructure $64,852  $103,158  $144,823  $191,183 
Oil Gas & Chemical 88,396  56,913  174,257  94,741 
Storage Solutions 71,233  128,927  142,805  328,577 
Industrial 59,260  25,026  92,531  47,753 
Total gross revenues $283,741  $314,024  $554,416  $662,254 
Less: Inter-segment revenues        
Oil Gas & Chemical $37  $1,199  $245  $6,485 
Storage Solutions 792  170  1,349  298 
Industrial 1    1  1,035 
Total inter-segment revenues $830  $1,369  $1,595  $7,818 
Consolidated revenues        
Electrical Infrastructure $64,852  $103,158  $144,823  $191,183 
Oil Gas & Chemical 88,359  55,714  174,012  88,256 
Storage Solutions 70,441  128,757  141,456  328,279 
Industrial 59,259  25,026  92,530  46,718 
Total consolidated revenues $282,911  $312,655  $552,821  $654,436 
Gross profit        
Electrical Infrastructure $5,541  $7,225  $13,808  $12,475 
Oil Gas & Chemical 11,768  2,431  22,806  2,432 
Storage Solutions 5,298  17,071  12,838  43,524 
Industrial 4,096  1,485  6,142  2,059 
Total gross profit $26,703  $28,212  $55,594  $60,490 
Operating income (loss)        
Electrical Infrastructure $1,079  $2,164  $4,656  $3,221 
Oil Gas & Chemical 5,198  (1,950) 9,332  (4,855)
Storage Solutions (2,609) 8,242  (2,684) 25,015 
Industrial 1,506  (219) 1,191  (843)
Total operating income $5,174  $8,237  $12,495  $22,538 
                 

Backlog

We define backlog as the total dollar amount of revenue that we expect to recognize as a result of performing work that has been awarded to us through a signed contract, notice to proceed or other type of assurance that we consider firm.  The following arrangements are considered firm:

  • fixed-price awards;
  • minimum customer commitments on cost plus arrangements; and
  • certain time and material arrangements in which the estimated value is firm or can be estimated with a reasonable amount of certainty in both timing and amounts.

For long-term maintenance contracts with no minimum commitments and other established customer arrangements, we include only the amounts that we expect to recognize into revenue over the next 12 months.  For all other arrangements, we calculate backlog as the estimated contract amount less revenue recognized as of the reporting date.

The following table provides a summary of changes in our backlog for the three months ended December 31, 2017:

 Electrical
Infrastructure
 Oil Gas &
Chemical
 Storage
Solutions
 Industrial Total
 (In thousands)
Backlog as of September 30, 2017$119,642  $235,549  $133,138  $240,468  $728,797 
Project awards40,083  91,491  123,568  24,006  279,148 
Revenue recognized(64,852) (88,359) (70,441) (59,259) (282,911)
Backlog as of December 31, 2017$94,873  $238,681  $186,265  $205,215  $725,034 
Book-to-bill ratio(1)0.6  1.0  1.8  0.4  1.0 
               


              
(1) Calculated by dividing project awards by revenue recognized during the period.
  

The following table provides a summary of changes in our backlog for the six months ended December 31, 2017:

 Electrical
Infrastructure
 Oil Gas &
Chemical
 Storage
Solutions
 Industrial Total
 (In thousands)
Backlog as of June 30, 2017$162,637  $287,007  $141,551  $91,078  $682,273 
Project awards77,059  125,686  186,170  206,667  595,582 
Revenue recognized(144,823) (174,012) (141,456) (92,530) (552,821)
Backlog as of December 31, 2017$94,873  $238,681  $186,265  $205,215  $725,034 
Book-to-bill ratio(1)0.5  0.7  1.3  2.2  1.1 


  
     (1)     Calculated by dividing project awards by revenue recognized during the period.