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PHILADELPHIA — It has been quite a few quarters since Carpenter Technology could report a net profit and positive earnings per share, however, the company, which has several manufacturing facilities in Berks County, managed to eke out a $6.2 million net profit and $0.13 earnings per share in its second quarter of fiscal 2023, it reported Thursday morning.
Carpenter, which relocated its headquarters from Reading to Philadelphia in 2016, achieved these results as it continues to dig out from the workforce disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We have about 85% to 90% of the workforce we need,” Tony R. Thene, the company’s president and CEO, told analysts on the earnings webcast. “We’re ramping up manufacturing operations and increasing productivity.”
Another positive sign for the company, Thene said, is that it has more than 52 weeks of order backlog.
“The second quarter of fiscal year 2023 was a meaningful step on our path back to pre-pandemic levels and further long-term growth,” Thene noted. “Our return to profitability was driven by ongoing strong demand in each of our end-use markets, as evidenced by the continued growth of our backlog, and increased throughput across our manufacturing facilities.”
Operating results
Carpenter’s net sales for the second quarter of fiscal year 2023 were $579.1 million, compared with $396.0 million in the second quarter of fiscal year 2022, an increase of 46 %, on a 17 % increase in shipment volume. Sequentially, net sales increased $56.2 million above the first quarter. Net sales excluding surcharge were $420.8 million, an increase of $105.9 million, or 34 percent, from the same period a year ago.
Operating income was $22.6 million compared to operating loss of $31.5 million in the prior year period. Earnings per share in the second quarter of fiscal year 2023 was $0.13 compared to loss of $0.61 per share in the prior year quarter. According to the company, the improvement in operating income and earnings per share is primarily the result of increased shipments, as activity levels continued to ramp up to meet improving conditions in key markets compared to the prior year period.
Cash used for operating activities in the second quarter of fiscal year 2023 was $86.4 million compared to $89.2 million in the same quarter last year. Free cash flow in the second quarter of fiscal year 2023 was negative $113.7 million, compared to negative $116.3 million in the same quarter last year. The operating cash flow and free cash flow performance in the second quarter of fiscal year 2023 reflects improved earnings offset by higher cash used for inventory to meet growing demand.
Capital expenditures in the second quarter of fiscal year 2023 were $17.5 million, compared to $19.1 million in the same quarter last year.
Segment results
Carpenter has two reportable segments, specialty alloys operations (SAO) and performance engineered products (PEP).
“The specialty alloys operations (SAO) segment demonstrated continued improvement with operating income of $30.3 million for the second quarter of fiscal year 2023,” said Thene. “The results for SAO were driven by the ongoing aerospace ramp and our focus on increasing our productivity and throughput.”
The SAO segment is comprised of Carpenter’s major premium alloy and stainless-steel manufacturing operations. This includes operations performed at mills primarily in Reading and Latrobe, Pennsylvania, and surrounding areas as well as South Carolina and Alabama.
The segment sold 49,442,000 pounds in the second quarter of fiscal 2023 compared to 43,248,000 in fiscal 2022. Fiscal second quarter net sales were $495.8 million compared to $330.8 million the previous year. Operating income in fiscal second quarter 2023 was $22.6 million compared to a loss of -31.5 million in fiscal 2022.
“The performance engineered products (PEP) segment,” Thene noted, “had another strong quarter with operating income of $9.3 million, led by our Dynamet Titanium and Additive businesses.”
The PEP segment is comprised of the company’s differentiated operations. This segment includes the Dynamet titanium business, the Carpenter Additive business and the Latrobe and Mexico distribution businesses. The businesses in the PEP segment are managed with an entrepreneurial structure to promote flexibility and agility to quickly respond to market dynamics. Carpenter said it believes this model will ultimately drive overall revenue and profit growth.
In the fiscal second quarter, the company sold 2,978,000 pounds, while in fiscal 2022, 2,776,000 pounds were sold. Net sales for the PEP segment were $107.7 million in fiscal second quarter 2023 versus $85.7 million the previous year. Operating income reached $9.3 million, up from $3.0 million in fiscal 2022’s first quarter.
By end-use markets, net sales in the quarter were $200.4 million for aerospace and defense; $62.7 million for medical; $27.3 million for transportation; $22.6 million for energy; $78.6 million for industrial and consumer; and $29.2 million for distribution.
“Looking ahead,” Thene noted, “we remain confident in our growth trajectory. We continue to see strong demand across each of our end-use markets and are focused on driving operational improvements. As a result, we expect to realize accelerating sales momentum and improved margins.” He told the analysts that the company is anticipating sales growth of 12% to 13% per quarter in the second half of fiscal 2023.
Carpenter Technology Corporation (NYSE:CRS) markets high-performance specialty alloy-based materials and process solutions for the aerospace, defense, medical, transportation, energy, industrial and consumer electronics markets. Founded in 1889, the company specializes in premium alloys, including titanium, nickel, and cobalt, as well as alloys specifically engineered for additive manufacturing processes and soft magnetics applications.
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