Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis
Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
OVERVIEW
We are an integrated producer of high-performance advanced engineered materials used in a variety of electrical, electronic, thermal, and structural applications. Our products are sold into numerous end markets, including semiconductor, industrial, aerospace and defense, automotive, consumer electronics, energy, and telecom and data center.
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RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
First Quarter
First Quarter Ended
March 31, April 1, $ %
(Thousands, except per share data) 2023 2022 Change Change
Net sales $ 442,526 $ 449,045 $ (6,519) (1) %
Value-added sales 298,558 259,124 39,434 15 %
Gross margin 91,336 75,291 16,045 21 %
Gross margin as a % of value-added sales 31 % 29 %
Selling, general, and administrative (SG&A) expense 40,336 41,662 (1,326) (3) %
SG&A expense as a % of value-added sales 14 % 16 %
Research and development (R&D) expense 7,621 7,074 547 8 %
R&D expense as a % of value-added sales 3 % 3 %
Restructuring (income) expense 664 1,076 (412) NM
Other—net 5,775 5,873 (98) (2) %
Operating profit 36,940 19,606 17,334 88 %
Other non-operating (income)—net (730) (1,169) 439 (38) %
Interest expense—net 7,502 3,735 3,767 101 %
Income before income taxes 30,168 17,040 13,128 77 %
Income tax expense (benefit) 4,580 3,021 1,559 52 %
Net income $ 25,588 $ 14,019 $ 11,569 83 %
Diluted earnings per share $ 1.23 $ 0.68 $ 0.55 81 %
NM = Not Meaningful
Net sales of $442.5 million in the first quarter of 2023 decreased $6.5 million from $449.0 million in the first quarter of 2022. Increased net sales in the Performance Materials was partially offset by a decrease in net sales in the Electronic Materials and Precision Optics segments. Volume and price increases in the aerospace and defense end market (15%) and incremental sales from the clad strip project of $36.2 million were offset by decreased sales in the semiconductor (16%), industrial (5%) and consumer electronics (31%) end markets when compared to the same period last year. Additionally, there was a $8.9 million year over year decrease in the volume of raw material beryllium hydroxide sales compared to the first quarter of 2022. See Note B - Segment Reporting for additional details on the year over year changes in our net sales by segment and market.
The change in precious metal and copper prices unfavorably impacted net sales during the first quarter of 2023 by $4.8 million.
Value-added sales is a non-GAAP financial measure that removes the impact of pass-through metal costs and allows for analysis without the distortion of the movement or volatility in metal prices and changes in mix due to customer-supplied material. Internally, we manage our business on this basis, and a reconciliation of net sales, the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure, to value-added sales is included herein. Value-added sales of $298.6 million in the first quarter of 2023 increased $39.4 million, or 15%, compared to the first quarter of 2022. The increase was driven by increased value-added sales into the aerospace and defense (21%) and automotive (23%) end markets as well as $36.2 million of incremental sales from the clad strip project , slightly offset by a year over year decrease in the volume of raw material beryllium hydroxide sales of $8.9 million compared to the first quarter of 2022.
Gross margin in the first quarter of 2023 was $91.3 million, which was up 21% compared to the first quarter of 2022. Gross margin expressed as a percentage of value-added sales increased to 31% in the first quarter of 2023 from 29% in the first quarter of 2022. Gross margin increased from the prior year primarily due to $7.5 million of inventory step up amortization from the HCS-Electronic Material acquisition that was recorded during the first quarter of 2022, that did not recur in 2023. In addition, the production tax credit recorded in the first quarter of 2023 favorably impacted gross margin. See Note E to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further discussion.
SG&A expense was $40.3 million in the first quarter of 2023, compared to $41.7 million in the first quarter of 2022. The decrease in SG&A expense from the prior year period was primarily driven by $2.1 million of merger and acquisition costs
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related to the acquisition of HCS-Electronic Materials incurred in the first quarter of 2022, that did not recur in 2023. Expressed as a percentage of value-added sales, SG&A expense was 14% and 16% in the first quarter of 2023 and 2022, respectively.
R&D expense consists primarily of direct personnel costs for pre-production evaluation and testing of new products, prototypes, and applications. R&D spend was 3% of value-added sales in both the first quarter of 2023 and 2022.
Restructuring (income) expense consists primarily of cost reduction actions taken in order to reduce our fixed cost structure. In the first quarter of 2023, we recorded a combined total of $0.7 million of restructuring charges in our Precision Optics and Electronic Materials segments, compared to $1.1 million of restructuring charges in the first quarter of 2022 recorded in our Precision Optics, Electronic Materials and Other segments.
Other-net was $5.8 million of expense in the first quarter of 2023, or a $0.1 million decrease from the first quarter of 2022, primarily driven by a $0.1 million decrease in metal consignment fees. Refer to Note D to the Consolidated Financial Statements for details of the major components within Other-net.
Other non-operating (income) expense-net includes components of pension and post-retirement expense other than service costs. Refer to Note I to the Consolidated Financial Statements for details of the components.
Interest expense-net was $7.5 million and $3.7 million in the first quarter of 2023 and 2022, respectively. The increase in interest expense is primarily due to an increase in interest rates compared to the prior year.
Income tax expense for the first quarter of 2023 was expense of $4.6 million, compared to $3.0 million in the first quarter of 2022. The effective tax rate for the first quarter of 2023 and 2022 was 15.2% and 17.7%, respectively. The effective tax rate for the first quarter of 2023 was lower than the statutory tax rate primarily due to the impact of percentage depletion, the foreign derived intangible income deduction, and research and development credits. See Note E to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional discussion.
Value-Added Sales - Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measure
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A reconciliation of net sales to value-added sales, a non-GAAP financial measure, for each reportable segment and for the total Company for the first quarter of 2023 and 2022 is as follows:
First Quarter Ended
March 31, April 1,
(Thousands) 2023 2022
Net sales
Performance Materials $ 187,014 $ 149,630
Electronic Materials 228,820 270,836
Precision Optics 26,692 28,579
Other — —
Total $ 442,526 $ 449,045
Less: pass-through metal costs
Performance Materials $ 19,004 $ 20,512
Electronic Materials 124,942 168,604
Precision Optics 22 49
Other — 756
Total $ 143,968 $ 189,921
Value-added sales
Performance Materials $ 168,010 $ 129,118
Electronic Materials 103,878 102,232
Precision Optics 26,670 28,530
Other — (756)
Total $ 298,558 $ 259,124
Internally, management reviews net sales on a value-added basis. Value-added sales is a non-GAAP financial measure that deducts the value of the pass-through metal costs from net sales. Value-added sales allow management to assess the impact of differences in net sales between periods, segments, or markets, and analyze the resulting margins and profitability without the distortion of movements in pass-through metal costs. The dollar amount of gross margin and operating profit is not affected by the value-added sales calculation. We sell other metals and materials that are not considered direct pass-throughs, and these costs are not deducted from net sales when calculating value-added sales. Non-GAAP financial measures, such as value-added sales, have inherent limitations and should not be considered in isolation, or as a substitute for analyses of results as reported under GAAP.
The cost of gold, silver, platinum, palladium, copper, ruthenium, iridium, rhodium, rhenium, and osmium can be quite volatile. Our pricing policy is to directly pass the cost of these metals on to the customer in order to mitigate the impact of metal price volatility on our results from operations. Trends and comparisons of net sales are affected by movements in the market prices of these metals, but changes in net sales due to metal price movements may not have a proportionate impact on our profitability.
Our net sales are also affected by changes in the use of customer-supplied metal. When we manufacture a precious metal product, the customer may purchase metal from us or may elect to provide its own metal, in which case we process the metal on a toll basis and the metal value does not flow through net sales or cost of sales. In either case, we generally earn our margin based upon our fabrication efforts. The relationship of this margin to net sales can change depending upon whether or not the product was made from our metal or the customer’s metal. The use of value-added sales removes the potential distortion in the comparison of net sales caused by changes in the level of customer-supplied metal.
By presenting information on net sales and value-added sales, it is our intention to allow users of our financial statements to review our net sales with and without the impact of the pass-through metals.
Segment Results
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The Company consists of four reportable segments: Performance Materials, Electronic Materials, Precision Optics, and Other. The Other reportable segment includes unallocated corporate costs.
The primary measurement used by management to measure the financial performance of each segment is EBITDA. Refer to Note B to the Consolidated Financial Statements for the reconciliation of EBITDA by segment to consolidated net income.
Performance Materials
First Quarter
First Quarter Ended
March 31, April 1, $ %
(Thousands) 2023 2022 Change Change
Net sales $ 187,014 $ 149,630 $ 37,384 25 %
Value-added sales 168,010 129,118 38,892 30 %
EBITDA 42,770 24,792 17,978 73 %
Net sales from the Performance Materials segment of $187.0 million in the first quarter of 2023 increased 25% compared to net sales of $149.6 million in the first quarter of 2022. The increase in sales was due to higher volume in the aerospace and defense (24%), energy (25%) and automotive (14%) end markets as well as $36.2 million of incremental sales from the clad strip project, slightly offset by a $8.9 million year over year decrease in the volume of raw material beryllium hydroxide sales compared to the first quarter of 2022.
Value-added sales of $168.0 million in the first quarter of 2023 were 30% higher than value-added sales of $129.1 million in the first quarter of 2022. The increase in value-added sales was due to the same factors driving the increase in net sales.
EBITDA for the Performance Materials segment was $42.8 million in the first quarter of 2023 compared to $24.8 million in the first quarter of 2022. The increase in EBITDA was primarily due to the same factors driving the increase in net sales as well as a lower merger and acquisition costs of $2.7 million compared to the first quarter of 2022. In addition, we recorded a portion of the expected $8 million annual benefit from the production credit in the first quarter of 2023 which favorably impacted EBITDA. See Note E to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further discussion.
Electronic Materials
First Quarter
First Quarter Ended
March 31, April 1, $ %
(Thousands) 2023 2022 Change Change
Net sales $ 228,820 $ 270,836 $ (42,016) (16) %
Value-added sales 103,878 102,232 1,646 2 %
EBITDA 13,955 12,148 1,807 15 %
Net sales from the Electronic Materials segment of $228.8 million in the first quarter of 2023 decreased 16% from net sales of $270.8 million in the first quarter of 2022. The decrease in net sales was primarily due to lower precious metal sales volumes in the semiconductor (16%) and energy (14%) end markets. Additionally, pass-through metal price reductions reduced net sales by $3.6 million compared to the first quarter of 2022.
Despite the decrease in sales, value-added sales were up slightly to $103.9 million in the first quarter of 2023, compared to value-added sales of $102.2 million in the first quarter of 2022, representing an increase of 2%, due to an increase in non-precious metal sales, primarily in tantalum shipments.
EBITDA for the Electronic Materials segment was $14.0 million in the first quarter of 2023 compared to $12.1 million in the first quarter of 2022. The increase in EBITDA is primarily due to no HCS-Electronic Materials acquisition costs recorded in the current period, compared to $6.0 million recorded in the first quarter of 2022. This was partially offset by mix, year over year tantalum costs increases and the impact of lower production late in the first quarter of 2023 resulting in manufacturing cost inefficiencies.
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Precision Optics
First Quarter
(Thousands) First Quarter Ended
March 31, April 1, $ %
2023 2022 Change Change
Net sales $ 26,692 $ 28,579 $ (1,887) (7) %
Value-added sales 26,670 28,530 (1,860) (7) %
EBITDA 2,692 2,191 501 23 %
Net sales from the Precision Optics segment of $26.7 million in the first quarter of 2023 decreased 7% compared to net sales of $28.6 million in the first quarter of 2022. The decrease was primarily due to lower sales volumes in the consumer electronics end market (39%).
Value-added sales of $26.7 million in the first quarter of 2023 decreased 7% compared to value-added sales of $28.5 million in the first quarter of 2022. The decrease in value-added sales was due to the same factors driving the decrease in net sales.
EBITDA for the Precision Optics segment was $2.7 million in the first quarter of 2023, compared to EBITDA of $2.2 million in the first quarter of 2022. The increase in EBITDA was primarily driven by targeted cost reduction initiatives and spend control.
Other
First Quarter
(Thousands) First Quarter Ended
March 31, April 1, $ %
2023 2022 Change Change
Net sales $ — $ — $ — — %
Value-added sales — (756) 756 (100) %
EBITDA (6,655) (5,177) (1,478) 29 %
The Other reportable segment in total includes unallocated corporate costs.
Corporate costs were $6.7 million in the first quarter of 2023 compared to $5.2 million in the first quarter of 2022. Corporate costs accounted for 2% of Company-wide value-added sales in the first quarter of 2023 and 2022. The increase in corporate costs in the first quarter of 2023 compared to the first quarter of 2022 is is reflective of investments to execute our strategic initiatives and variable costs associated with improved financial performance.
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FINANCIAL POSITION
Cash Flow
A summary of cash flows provided by (used in) operating, investing, and financing activities is as follows:
Three Months Ended
March 31, April 1, $
(Thousands) 2023 2022 Change
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities $ 38,105 $ (14,304) $ 52,409
Net cash used in investing activities (29,802) (18,966) (10,836)
Net cash provided by financing activities (6,291) 39,305 (45,596)
Effects of exchange rate changes 130 (260) 390
Net change in cash and cash equivalents $ 2,142 $ 5,775 $ (3,633)
Net cash provided by operating activities totaled $38.1 million in the first three months of 2023 compared to net cash used in operating activities of $14.3 million in the prior-year period. Working capital requirements used cash of $6.4 million in the first quarter of 2023 compared to $47.4 million during the first three months of 2022. The decrease in cash used for working capital was primarily due to stronger cash collection and continued inventory management.
Net cash used in investing activities was $29.8 million in the first quarter of 2023 compared to $19.0 million in the prior-year period. The increase in cash used in investing activities is due to increased capital expenditures, as expected, to support continued business growth.
Capital expenditures are made primarily for new product development, replacing and upgrading equipment, infrastructure investments, and implementing information technology initiatives. For the full year 2023, the Company expects payments for property, plant, and equipment to be approximately $100 million.
Net cash used by financing activities totaled $6.3 million in the first three months of 2023 compared to net cash provided by financing activities of $39.3 million in the prior-year period. The net financing cash outflow in 2023 was primarily due to debt repayments, compared to financing used to support continued business growth.
CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires the inherent use of estimates and management’s judgment in establishing those estimates. For additional information regarding critical accounting policies, please refer to our 2022 Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Liquidity
We believe cash flow from operations plus the available borrowing capacity and our current cash balance are adequate to support operating requirements, capital expenditures, projected pension plan contributions, the current dividend program, environmental remediation projects, and strategic acquisitions for at least the next twelve months and for the foreseeable future thereafter. At March 31, 2023, cash and cash equivalents held by our foreign operations totaled $14.0 million. We do not expect restrictions on repatriation of cash held outside of the United States to have a material effect on our overall liquidity, financial condition, or results of operations for the foreseeable future.
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A summary of key data relative to our liquidity, including outstanding debt, cash, and available borrowing capacity, as of March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022 is as follows:
March 31, December 31,
(Thousands) 2023 2022
Cash and cash equivalents $ 15,243 $ 13,101
Total outstanding debt 433,209 431,981
Net debt $ (417,966) $ (418,880)
Available borrowing capacity $ 186,788 $ 185,294
Net debt is a non-GAAP financial measure. We are providing this information because we believe it is more indicative of our overall financial position. It is also a measure our management uses to assess financing and other decisions. We believe that based on our typical cash flow generated from operations, we can support a higher leverage ratio in future periods.
The available borrowing capacity in the table above represents the additional amounts that could be borrowed under our revolving credit facility and other secured lines existing as of the end of each period depicted. The applicable debt covenants have been taken into account when determining the available borrowing capacity, including the covenant that restricts borrowing capacity to a multiple of the twelve-month trailing earnings before interest, income taxes, depreciation and amortization, and other adjustments.
In January 2023, we amended the agreement governing our $375.0 million revolving credit facility (Credit Agreement). Pursuant to the amendment, we transitioned U.S. dollar denominated borrowings from LIBOR to SOFR for both the revolving credit agreement and the term loan and increased the cap on precious metals consignment line from $600 million to $615 million.
The Company had previously amended and restated the Credit Agreement in connection with the HCS-Electronic Materials acquisition in November 2021. A $300 million delayed draw term loan facility was added to the Credit Agreement and the maturity date of the Credit Agreement was extended from 2024 to 2026. Moreover, the Credit Agreement also provides for an uncommitted incremental facility whereby, under certain conditions, the Company may be able to borrow additional term loans in an aggregate amount not to exceed $150.0 million. The Credit Agreement provides the Company and its subsidiaries with additional capacity to enter into facilities for the consignment of precious metals and copper, and provides enhanced flexibility to finance acquisitions and other strategic initiatives. Borrowings under the Credit Agreement are secured by substantially all of the assets of the Company and its direct subsidiaries, with the exception of non-mining real property, precious metal, copper and certain other assets.
The Credit Agreement allows the Company to borrow money at a premium over SOFR, following the January 2023 amendment, or prime rate and at varying maturities. The premium resets quarterly according to the terms and conditions stipulated in the agreement. The Credit Agreement includes restrictive covenants relating to restrictions on additional indebtedness, acquisitions, dividends, and stock repurchases. In addition, the Credit Agreement includes covenants that limit the Company to a maximum leverage ratio and a minimum interest coverage ratio. We were in compliance with all of our debt covenants as of March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022. Cash on hand up to $25 million can benefit the covenants and may benefit the borrowing capacity under the Credit Agreement.
In November 2021, we completed the acquisition of HCS-Electronic Materials. The Company financed the purchase price for the HCS-Electronic Materials acquisition with a new $300 million five-year term loan pursuant to its delayed draw term loan facility under the Credit Agreement and $103 million of borrowings under its amended revolving credit facility. The interest rate for the term loan is based on SOFR, following the January 2023 amendment, plus a tiered rate determined by the Company's quarterly leverage ratio.
Portions of our business utilize off-balance sheet consignment arrangements allowing us to use metal owned by precious metal consignors as we manufacture product for our customers. Metal is purchased from the precious metal consignor and sold to our customer at the time of product shipment. Expansion of business volumes and/or higher metal prices can put pressure on the consignment line limitations from time to time. In August 2022, we entered into a precious metals consignment agreement, maturing on August 31, 2025, which replaced the consignment agreements that would have matured on August 27, 2022. The available and unused capacity under the metal consignment agreements expiring in August 2025 totaled approximately $247.5 million as of March 31, 2023, compared to $241.9 million as of December 31, 2022. The availability is determined by Board approved levels and actual capacity.
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In January 2014, our Board of Directors approved a plan to repurchase up to $50.0 million of our common stock. The timing of the share repurchases will depend on several factors, including market and business conditions, our cash flow, debt levels, and other investment opportunities. There is no minimum quantity requirement to repurchase our common stock for a given year, and the repurchases may be discontinued at any time. We did not repurchase any shares under this program in the first quarter of 2023. Since the approval of the repurchase plan, we have purchased 1,254,264 shares at a total cost of $41.7 million, or an average of $33.23 per share.
We paid cash dividends of $2.6 million on our common stock in the first quarter of 2023. We intend to pay a quarterly dividend on an ongoing basis, subject to a determination that the dividend remains in the best interest of our shareholders.
OFF-BALANCE SHEET ARRANGEMENTS AND CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS
We maintain the majority of the precious metals and portions of the copper we use in production on a consignment basis in order to reduce our exposure to metal price movements and to reduce our working capital investment. The notional value of off-balance sheet precious metals and copper was $367.5 million and $373.1 million as of March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively. We were in compliance with all of the covenants contained in the consignment agreements as of March 31, 2023. For additional information on our contractual and other obligations, refer to our 2022 Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Forward-looking Statements: Portions of the narrative set forth in this document that are not statements of historical or current facts are forward-looking statements. Our actual future performance may materially differ from that contemplated by the forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors. These factors include, in addition to those mentioned elsewhere herein: the global economy, including inflationary pressures, potential future recessionary conditions and the impact of tariffs and trade agreements; the impact of any U.S. Federal Government shutdowns or sequestrations; the condition of the markets which we serve, whether defined geographically or by segment; changes in product mix and the financial condition of customers; our success in developing and introducing new products and new product ramp-up rates; our success in passing through the costs of raw materials to customers or otherwise mitigating fluctuating prices for those materials, including the impact of fluctuating prices on inventory values; our success in identifying acquisition candidates and in acquiring and integrating such businesses; the impact of the results of acquisitions on our ability to fully achieve the strategic and financial objectives related to these acquisitions; our success in implementing our strategic plans and the timely and successful start-up and completion of any capital projects; other financial and economic factors, including the cost and availability of raw materials (both base and precious metals), physical inventory valuations, metal consignment fees, tax rates, exchange rates, interest rates, pension costs and required cash contributions and other employee benefit costs, energy costs, regulatory compliance costs, the cost and availability of insurance, credit availability, and the impact of the Company’s stock price on the cost of incentive compensation plans; the uncertainties related to the impact of war, terrorist activities, and acts of God; changes in government regulatory requirements and the enactment of new legislation that impacts our obligations and operations; the conclusion of pending litigation matters in accordance with our expectation that there will be no material adverse effects; the disruptions in operations from, and other effects of, catastrophic and other extraordinary events including the COVID-19 pandemic and the conflict between Russia and Ukraine; realization of expected financial benefits expected from the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022; and the risk factors set forth in Part 1, Item 1A of the Company's 2022 Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk
For information regarding market risks, refer to Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk in our 2022 Annual Report on Form 10-K. There have been no material changes in our market risks since the inclusion of this discussion in our 2022 Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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