Titan International, Inc. Reports Third Quarter Financial Performance
Delivers Results Reflective of Industry Conditions, with strong Free Cash Flow of $42 Million and Adjusted EBITDA of $20 Million
Recent Interest Rate Decreases and Expected Clarity on Trade Policy Should Support Improving Conditions in 2025
WEST CHICAGO, Ill., Oct. 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Titan International, Inc. (NYSE:TWI) ("Titan" or the "Company"), a leading global manufacturer of off-highway wheels, tires, assemblies, and undercarriage products, today reported financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2024.
Paul Reitz, President and Chief Executive Officer stated, "I have been spending a lot of time with customers in recent months, and it is clear that Titan's position as a valued partner centers on the innovative nature of the products we have developed and continue to develop. The Low-Side Wall ("LSW") wheel/tire assemblies continue to capture attention in the marketplace and I recently heard that directly from some very large farmers. They raved about the field performance, reduced soil compaction and highlighted fuel savings, according to their records, that far exceeds the 10 to 15% savings that Titan has stated. All of their major equipment on a 25,000 acre farm is using LSWs. This visit made it clear that we have proven that LSW provides improved economics and field performance for the farmer."
Mr. Reitz continued, "We are also working on tooling up to add the deep drop wheel to our LSW tires, which will improve field performance even further. The bottom-line is that I see a big opportunity ahead of us to educate more end-users that LSW is not just for combines and the largest tractors - the technology also works better on almost every piece of equipment, including mid-size tractors. That market size is easily another 25,000 new tractors produced annually, so tapping into a fraction of that would move the needle in our sales and EBITDA. There is simply no reason to run duals and we will be increasing our efforts and resources to reach more end-users to create further awareness of the LSW benefits for all sizes of Ag equipment to capture those significant opportunities."
Mr. Reitz added, "Across the entire business we are busy working to drive growth via product development from our flagship LSWs to growth via the Carlstar acquisition, all exemplifying that we are not simply sitting back and going with the flow of the market. We are excited to have recently launched our VPO™ Technology under the Carlstar brand, which offers a versatile solution as an alternative to tweel wheels and can operate machinery at various inflation pressures, even down to zero psi. We will soon be launching the first Titan branded high speed trailer tire. Beyond that we have extensive opportunities via the Carlstar acquisition to bring LSWs into their product mix, allowing us to grow into new geographies and underserved markets. I mentioned last quarter that we see a strong opportunity to gain back military sales that have diminished over the past 10 to 15 years. Our product innovations that perform well in Ag and Construction will also make military equipment perform better. We are expanding our outreach with some influential leaders in the military industry and will continue working to capture those sales."
Mr. Reitz continued, "Beyond our focus on growth, we are managing costs and focusing on what we can control. Cashflow was a bright spot for the quarter, driven by our steadfast focus on working capital management. We reduced debt, while continuing to buy back shares, and, on the whole, delivered solid results within the context of our end market conditions. We have reduced expenses to align costs with lower production schedules, including an approximate 15% reduction in our headcount from the cycle peak in 2022 while still maintaining adequate manufacturing capabilities. The integration of Carlstar continues to move forward very well, and we have pushed hard on cross-selling opportunities and other top line synergies. Most importantly, we are basing our decisions on our ability to serve our customers when demand for equipment improves. When it does, it is critical that we are there to meet our customers' needs."
Mr. Reitz concluded, "The large Ag OEMs and dealers have been vocal in recent months about their actions to further reduce inventory levels by the end of 2024. This is an encouraging sign as it suggests no further de-stocking activity of any magnitude entering 2025. Potential interest rate declines represent an additional positive factor, and the trade policy risk tied to the election should also abate as we turn the page to 2025. I remain exceptionally proud of our team at Titan to take actions with conviction to deliver for our customers and believe it is an exciting time for Titan to capitalize on growth opportunities."
Fourth Quarter 2024 Outlook
David Martin, Chief Financial Officer, added, "In the fourth quarter, we expect to see sales between $375 million and $425 million, and adjusted EBITDA at breakeven to $10 million. We continue to be focused on driving free cash flow and we expect to see it around breakeven, reflecting continued solid working capital management. Our profitability profile has been lifted significantly from where we have seen traditional cyclical lows. That ability to hold on to margins enabled us to drive a strong free cash flow of $42 million in the third quarter. We used that cash to continue reducing our debt, with net debt down to $291 million on September 30th, compared with $326 million as of June 30th, while also continuing our share repurchase program, under which we repurchased 1,050,000 shares of our common stock totaling $8.3 million during the three months ended September 30, 2024. Our financial condition is solid, and it allows for the flexibility to operate more efficiently, invest for the future and wisely allocate capital to deliver returns for the long-term."
Results of Operations
Net sales for the three months ended September 30, 2024, were $448.0 million, compared to $401.8 million in the comparable period of 2023. This growth was primarily driven by higher volumes in the consumer segment, bolstered by the net sales contribution from the Carlstar acquisition completed on February 29, 2024. The sales increase was partially offset by reduced sales in the agricultural and earthmoving/construction segments, stemming from reduced global end customer demand. Furthermore, the net sales increase was impacted by negative price effects and an unfavorable currency translation impact of 3.3%.
Gross profit for the three months ending September 30, 2024 was $58.8 million, or 13.1% of net sales, compared to $66.1 million, or 16.4% of net sales, for the three months ended September 30, 2023. The changes in gross profit and margin were attributed to negative price/mix, reduced fixed cost leverage, a slight increase in material costs, and inventory revaluation step-up of $0.8 million related to the purchase price allocation for Carlstar. Excluding the inventory revaluation step-up, the adjusted gross margin for the three months ended September 30, 2024 would have been 13.3% of net sales.
Selling, general and administrative expenses (SG&A) for the three months ended September 30, 2024 were $49.5 million, or 11.1% of net sales, compared to $33.6 million, or 8.4% of net sales, for the three months ended September 30, 2023. This change was attributed to the ongoing SG&A associated with Carlstar operations.
Income from operations for the three months ended September 30, 2024 was $2.8 million, compared to income from operations of $27.0 million for the three months ended September 30, 2023. The change was primarily due to lower gross profit and the net result of the items previously discussed.
The Company recorded income tax expense of $12.9 million and $4.7 million for the three months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively. For the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, the Company recorded income tax expense of $38.1 million and $28.4 million, respectively. The Company's effective income tax rate was (244.4)% and 19.4% for the three months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively, and 114.4% and 25.0% for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively. For the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, the income tax expense differed in each period due to an overall decrease in pre-tax income. For the nine months ended September 30, 2024, the rate was negatively impacted by non-deductible interest expense in the United States, foreign branch income related to the Carlstar acquisition, and one-time impacts associated with transaction costs, which were also not fully deductible for income tax purposes. Additionally, the rate was impacted by the results of foreign income tax rate differential on the mix of earnings, non-deductible royalty expenses in certain jurisdictions, and certain foreign inclusion items on the domestic provision. Without these impacts, the income tax rate would have been about 36% of pre-tax income, a slightly elevated rate due to the majority of pre-tax income being derived from foreign jurisdictions. Income taxes paid (net of refunds received) on a year-to-date basis through September 30, 2024, were $16.4 million.
Segment Information
Agricultural Segment
(Amounts in thousands, except percentages)
Three months ended
Nine months ended
September 30,
September 30,
2024
2023
% Decrease
2024
2023
% Decrease
Net sales
$ 175,439
$ 212,967
(17.6) %
$ 631,442
$ 787,973
(19.9) %
Gross profit
16,720
37,026
(54.8) %
89,642
135,012
(33.6) %
Profit margin
9.5 %
17.4 %
(45.4) %
14.2 %
17.1 %
(17.0) %
Income from operations
1,910
21,383
(91.1) %
41,692
86,071
(51.6) %
Net sales in the agricultural segment were $175.4 million for the three months ended September 30, 2024, as compared to $213.0 million for the comparable period in 2023. The net sales change was primarily attributed to a significant reduction in global demand for agricultural equipment, particularly in North America and Europe. Additionally, an unfavorable foreign currency translation impact of 4.9% further contributed to the change in net sales, mainly due to the weakening Brazilian real and Argentine peso.
Gross profit in the agricultural segment was $16.7 million for the three months ended September 30, 2024, as compared to $37.0 million in the comparable period in 2023. The change in gross profit was attributed to the lower sales volume, reduced fixed cost leverage, adverse price/mix effects, and increased material costs. Excluding the impact of the Carlstar purchase price allocation, adjusted gross margins in the Agriculture segment were 9.6% and 14.5% for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, respectively.
Earthmoving/Construction Segment
(Amounts in thousands, except percentages)
Three months ended
Nine months ended
September 30,
September 30,
2024
2023
% Decrease
2024
2023
% Decrease
Net sales
$ 136,313
$ 155,045
(12.1) %
$ 467,085
$ 528,652
(11.6) %
Gross profit
11,653
22,257
(47.6) %
55,929
88,583
(36.9) %
Profit margin
8.5 %
14.4 %
(41.0) %
12.0 %
16.8 %
(28.6) %
(Loss) income from operations
(1,911)
8,501
(122.5) %
13,970
46,561
(70.0) %
The Company's earthmoving/construction segment net sales were $136.3 million for the three months ended September 30, 2024, as compared to $155.0 million in the comparable period in 2023. The change in net sales was primarily attributed to reduced sales volume due to softer demand in North America and Europe, which was partially offset by positive contributions from the Carlstar acquisition. Additionally, adverse price/mix effects and a 1.1% unfavorable impact from foreign currency translation contributed to the overall change.
Gross profit in the earthmoving/construction segment was $11.7 million for the three months ended September 30, 2024, as compared to $22.3 million for the three months ended September 30, 2023. The change in gross profit was primarily attributed to lower sales volume in North America and Europe, and reduced fixed cost leverage.
Consumer Segment
(Amounts in thousands, except percentages)
Three months ended
Nine months ended
September 30,
September 30,
2024
2023
% Increase
2024
2023
% Increase / (Decrease)
Net sales
$ 136,233
$ 33,769
303.4 %
$ 363,837
$ 114,976
216.4 %
Gross profit
30,432
6,790
348.2 %
71,046
23,930
196.9 %
Profit margin
22.3 %
20.1 %
10.9 %
19.5 %
20.8 %
(6.3) %
Income from operations
11,282
4,526
149.3 %
22,844
17,183
32.9 %
Consumer segment net sales were $136.2 million for the three months ended September 30, 2024, as compared to $33.8 million for the three months ended September 30, 2023. This growth was primarily attributed to higher sales volumes following the Carlstar acquisition, although it was partially offset by reduced sales in the Americas due to challenging market conditions and a 3.2% negative impact from foreign currency translation, mainly due to the weakening Brazilian real.
Gross profit from the consumer segment was $30.4 million for the three months ended September 30, 2024, as compared to $6.8 million for the three months ended September 30, 2023. The increase in gross profit and profit margin was largely driven by the benefits derived from the Carlstar acquisition. Excluding the impact of the Carlstar purchase price allocation, adjusted gross margins in the Consumer segment were 22.9% and 22.1% for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, respectively.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
Adjusted EBITDA was $20.5 million for the third quarter of 2024, compared to $40.5 million in the comparable prior year period. The Company utilizes EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA, which are non-GAAP financial measures, as a means to measure its operating performance. A reconciliation of net income to EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA can be found at the end of this release.
Adjusted net income applicable to common shareholders for the third quarter of 2024 was income of $(13.9) million, equal to income of $(0.19) per basic and diluted share, compared to adjusted net income of $18.4 million, equal to income of $0.29 per basic and diluted share, in the third quarter of 2023. The Company utilizes adjusted net income applicable to common shareholders, which is a non-GAAP financial measure, as a means to measure its operating performance. A reconciliation of net income applicable to common shareholders and adjusted net income applicable to common shareholders can be found at the end of this release.
Financial Condition
The Company ended the third quarter of 2024 with total cash and cash equivalents of $227.3 million, compared to $220.3 million at December 31, 2023. Long-term debt at September 30, 2024, was $503.4 million, compared to $409.2 million at December 31, 2023. Short-term debt was $15.0 million at September 30, 2024, compared to $16.9 million at December 31, 2023. Net debt (total debt less cash and cash equivalents) was $291.2 million at September 30, 2024, compared to $205.8 million at December 31, 2023.
Net cash provided by operating activities for the first nine months of 2024 was $132.8 million, compared to net cash provided by operating activities of $140.1 million for the comparable prior year period. Operating cash flows decreased by $7.4 million when comparing the first nine months of 2024 to the comparable period in 2023. This decline was primarily attributed to lower net income, partially offset by the positive impact of focused working capital management. Key factors contributing to this management included a $34.2 million increase in accounts payable, a $11.4 million improvement due to collections efforts on accounts receivable, and a $21.7 million improvement in inventory management. Capital expenditures were $52.3 million for the first nine months of 2024, compared to $41.5 million for the comparable prior year period. Capital expenditures during the first nine months of 2024 and 2023 represent scheduled equipment replacement and improvements, along with new tools, dies and molds related to new product development, as the Company seeks to enhance the Company's manufacturing capabilities and drive productivity gains.
Teleconference and Webcast
Titan will be hosting a teleconference and webcast to discuss the third quarter financial results on Thursday, October 31, 2024, at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time.
The real-time, listen-only webcast can be accessed using the following link https://events.q4inc.com/attendee/566818353 or on our website at www.titan-intl.com within the "Investor Relations" page under the "News & Events" menu (https://ir.titan-intl.com/news-and-events/events/default.aspx). Listeners should access the website at least 10 minutes prior to the live event to download and install any necessary audio software.
A webcast replay of the teleconference will be available on our website (https://ir.titan-intl.com/news-and-events/events/default.aspx) soon after the live event.
In order to participate in the real-time teleconference, with live audio Q&A, participants should use one of the following dial in numbers:
United States Toll Free: 1 833 470 1428All other locations: https://www.netroadshow.com/conferencing/global-numbers?confId=56511
Participants Access Code: 971353
About Titan
Titan International, Inc. (NYSE:TWI) is a leading global manufacturer of off-highway wheels, tires, assemblies, and undercarriage products. Headquartered in West Chicago, Illinois, the Company globally produces a broad range of products to meet the specifications of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and aftermarket customers in the agricultural, earthmoving/construction, and consumer markets. For more information, visit www.titan-intl.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are covered by the safe harbor for "forward-looking statements" provided by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "plan," "would," "could," "potential," "may," "will," and other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, which are generally not historical in nature. These forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effect on us. Although we believe the assumptions upon which these forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, these assumptions are subject to significant risks and uncertainties, and are subject to change based on various factors, some of which are beyond Titan International, Inc.'s control. As a result, any of these assumptions could prove to be inaccurate and the forward-looking statements based on these assumptions could be incorrect. The matters discussed in these forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause actual results and trends to differ materially from those made, projected, or implied in or by the forward-looking statements depending on a variety of uncertainties or other factors including, but not limited to, the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on our operations and financial performance; the effect of a recession on the Company and its customers and suppliers; changes in the Company's end-user markets into which the Company sells its products as a result of domestic and world economic or regulatory influences or otherwise; changes in the marketplace, including new products and pricing changes by the Company's competitors; the Company's ability to maintain satisfactory labor relations; unfavorable outcomes of legal proceedings; the Company's ability to comply with current or future regulations applicable to the Company's business and the industry in which it competes or any actions taken or orders issued by regulatory authorities; availability and price of raw materials; levels of operating efficiencies; the effects of the Company's indebtedness and its compliance with the terms thereof; changes in the interest rate environment and their effects on the Company's outstanding indebtedness; unfavorable product liability and warranty claims; actions of domestic and foreign governments, including the imposition of additional tariffs; geopolitical and economic uncertainties relating to the countries in which the Company operates or does business; risks associated with acquisitions, including difficulty in integrating operations and personnel, disruption of ongoing business, and increased expenses; results of investments; the effects of potential processes to explore various strategic transactions, including potential dispositions; fluctuations in currency translations; risks associated with environmental laws and regulations; risks relating to our manufacturing facilities, including that any of our material facilities may become inoperable; risks relating to financial reporting, internal controls, tax accounting, and information systems; and the other risks and factors detailed in the Company's periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the disclosures under "Risk Factors" in those reports. These forward-looking ...
