Reported EPS (diluted) of $0.55; Adjusted EPS (diluted) of $0.67, up 22% year-on-year

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Net income of $31 million; Adjusted EBITDA of $123 million up 12% and Adjusted EBITDA margin up 160 basis points year-on-year

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Cash flow from operations increased $42 million year-on-year

 H.B. Fuller Company (NYSE: FUL)  reported financial results for its first quarter that ended March 2, 2024.

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First Quarter 2024 Noteworthy Items:

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Net revenue was $810 million, up slightly year-on-year; organic revenue decreased modestly year-on-year due primarily to anticipated pricing changes;

Gross profit margin was 29.5%; adjusted gross profit margin was 30.1%, up 320 basis points year-on-year, driven principally by favorable net pricing and raw material cost impact and restructuring benefits;

Net income was $31 million; adjusted EBITDA was $123 million, up 12% year-on-year; adjusted EBITDA margin expanded 160 basis points year-on-year to 15.2%;

Reported EPS (diluted) was $0.55; adjusted EPS (diluted) was $0.67, up 22% versus the prior year, driven by strong operating income growth;

Net working capital, as a percentage of annualized net revenue, decreased 270 basis points year-on-year from 19.8% to 17.1%;

Cash flow from operations increased $42 million year-on-year to $47 million, driven by reductions in net working capital requirements and improved profitability.

Summary of First Quarter 2024 Results:

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The Company’s net revenue for the first quarter of fiscal 2024 was $810 million, up 0.2% versus the first quarter of fiscal 2023. Organic revenue declined 4.2% year-on-year, with pricing adjustments reducing organic revenue by 3.3% and volume reducing organic revenue by 0.9%. Foreign currency translation reduced net revenue by 0.6% and acquisitions increased net revenue by 5.0%.

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Gross profit in the first quarter of fiscal 2024 was $239 million. Adjusted gross profit was $244 million. Adjusted gross profit margin of 30.1% increased 320 basis points year-on-year. Favorable net pricing and raw material cost actions and restructuring benefits principally drove the year-on-year increase in adjusted gross profit margin.

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Selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expense was $172 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2024 and adjusted SG&A was $165 million versus $149 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2023. The impact of acquisitions as well as inflation in wages and services and higher variable compensation expense, partially offset by restructuring savings, drove the year-on-year increase in adjusted SG&A.

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Net income attributable to H.B. Fuller for the first quarter of fiscal 2024 was $31 million, or $0.55 per diluted share. Adjusted net income attributable to H.B. Fuller for the first quarter of fiscal 2024 was $38 million. Adjusted EPS was $0.67 per diluted share, up 22% year-on-year driven by strong operating income growth.

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Adjusted EBITDA in the first quarter of fiscal 2024 was $123 million, up 12% year-on-year driven principally by favorable net pricing and raw material cost developments, ramping restructuring savings, and benefits from the 2023 collection of acquisitions. Adjusted EBITDA margin increased 160 basis points year-on-year to 15.2%.

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“We are off to a good start to the year, with first quarter financial results largely consistent with our expectations. Our team is maintaining commercial discipline, proactively innovating to create win-win opportunities for our customers and pricing to that value, while also driving synergy realization and restructuring savings. As a result, we continue to drive strong adjusted EBITDA growth, margin expansion, and robust cash flow in a highly dynamic market environment,” said Celeste Mastin, H.B. Fuller president and chief executive officer.

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“Looking ahead, we remain on track for another year of strong profit growth, continued margin expansion, and improved volume trends in fiscal 2024. As we continue to strengthen the portfolio through targeted organic investments and complete new highly synergistic strategic acquisitions, we are confident in our ability to achieve our long-term growth and profitability goals.”

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Balance Sheet and Working Capital:

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Net debt at the end of the first quarter of fiscal 2024 was $1,665.5 million, essentially flat sequentially versus the fourth quarter and down $82 million year-on-year. Flat net debt and growth in adjusted EBITDA, reduced the ratio of net debt-to-adjusted EBITDA from 2.9X to 2.8X sequentially from the fourth quarter of fiscal 2023.

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Net working capital in the first quarter of fiscal 2024 declined $25 million sequentially versus the fourth quarter and $87 million year-on-year. As a percentage of annualized net revenue, net working capital decreased 270 basis points year-on-year, to 17.1%.

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Fiscal 2024 Outlook:

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As a result of our good start to the year, which was largely consistent with our expectations, we are reiterating our previously communicated financial guidance for fiscal 2024:

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Net revenue growth is expected to be in the range of up 2% to 6% with organic revenue flat to up 3% year-on-year;

Adjusted EBITDA is expected to be in the range of $610 million to $640 million, equating to growth of approximately 5% to 10% year-on-year;

Adjusted EPS (diluted) is expected to be in the range of $4.15 to $4.45, equating to year-on-year growth of between 7% and 15%;

Operating cash flow is expected to be between $300 million and $350 million.