Cummins Announces Third Quarter Results; Maintains Outlook for 2018
Third quarter revenues increase 12 percent from same quarter in 2017.
Third quarter revenues increase 12 percent from same quarter in 2017.
Third quarter revenue of $5.9 billion
GAAP1 Net Income of $692 million and EPS of $4.28
Record EBITDA of $983 million or 16.5 percent of sales
Full year revenues expected to increase 15 to 17 percent
Full year EBITDA is expected to be 14.8 percent to 15.2 percent of sales
Cummins Inc. (NYSE: CMI) today reported results for the third quarter of 2018.
Third quarter revenues of $5.9 billion increased 12 percent from the same quarter in 2017. The Company delivered growth in most major markets as demand for trucks, construction, and power generation equipment all improved. Currency negatively impacted revenues by 1 percent, primarily due to a weaker Brazilian Real.
Sales in North America improved by 17 percent while international revenues increased by 6 percent led by growth in India, China, Latin America, and Europe.
“We delivered record earnings this quarter due to increased demand in a number of key markets, growth in our market share and the benefits of cost reduction initiatives,” said Chairman and CEO Tom Linebarger. “We have completed our previously announced $500 million accelerated share repurchase plan and our Board of Directors recently authorized a new $2 billion share repurchase plan, which reflects our confidence in our long-term performance. Year to date, we have returned $1.4 billion to shareholders in the form of dividends and share repurchase, consistent with our plan to return 75 percent of Operating Cash Flow in 2018.”
Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) in the third quarter were $983 million, or 16.5 percent of sales, up from $788 million or 14.9 percent of sales a year ago.
Net income attributable to Cummins in the third quarter was $692 million ($4.28 per diluted share), compared to net income of $453 million ($2.71 per diluted share). Third quarter results were positively impacted by $37 million in discrete tax items, of which $34 million was related to U.S. tax reform. Excluding these items, net income attributable to Cummins in the third quarter was $655 million ($4.05 per diluted share). The company now expects its 2018 effective tax rate to be 21 percent, excluding discrete items, compared to the prior guidance of 23 percent.
Based on the current forecast, Cummins expects full year 2018 revenues to be up 15 to 17 percent and EBITDA of 14.8 to 15.2 percent of sales, unchanged from prior guidance.
Recent Highlights:
- Cummins was named to the Dow Jones Sustainability North American Index for a 13th consecutive year. The index is considered one of the most prestigious sustainability rankings.
- The Cummins PowerDrive, an advanced suite of plug-in hybrid electric powertrain solutions spanning light, medium and heavy-duty applications, was unveiled at the 2018 IAA Commercial Vehicle Show.
- The Company returned $682 million to shareholders in the form of dividends and share repurchases in the third quarter, including the recently completed the $500 million accelerated share repurchase announced in August.
1 Generally Accepted Accounting Principles
Information provided in this release that is not purely historical are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding our forecasts, guidance, preliminary results, expectations, hopes, beliefs and intentions on strategies regarding the future. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements relating to our plans and expectations for our revenues, EBITDA and agreement in principle to settle regulatory proceedings regarding our emissions certification and compliance process for pick-up truck applications. Our actual future results could differ materially from those projected in such forward-looking statements because of a number of factors, including, but not limited to: any adverse consequences resulting from entering into the Agreement in Principle, including required additional mitigation projects, adverse reputational impacts and potential resulting legal actions; increased scrutiny from regulatory agencies, as well as unpredictability in the adoption, implementation and enforcement of emission standards around the world; evolving environmental and climate change legislation and regulatory initiatives; changes in international, national and regional trade laws, regulations and policies; changes in taxation; global legal and ethical compliance costs and risks; future bans or limitations on the use of diesel-powered products; failure to successfully integrate and / or failure to fully realize all of the anticipated benefits of the acquisition of Meritor, Inc. (Meritor); raw material, transportation and labor price fluctuations and supply shortages; aligning our capacity and production with our demand; the actions of, and income from, joint ventures and other investees that we do not directly control; large truck manufacturers' and original equipment manufacturers' customers discontinuing outsourcing their engine supply needs or experiencing financial distress, or change in control; product recalls; variability in material and commodity costs; the development of new technologies that reduce demand for our current products and services; lower than expected acceptance of new or existing products or services; product liability claims; our sales mix of products; uncertainties and risks related to timing and potential value to both Atmus Filtration Technologies Inc. (Atmus) and Cummins of the planned separation of Atmus, including business, industry and market risks, as well as the risks involving the anticipated favorable tax treatment if there is a significant delay in the completion of the envisioned separation; climate change, global warming, more stringent climate change regulations, accords, mitigation efforts, greenhouse gas regulations or other legislation designed to address climate change; our plan to reposition our portfolio of product offerings through exploration of strategic acquisitions and divestitures and related uncertainties of entering such transactions; increasing interest rates; challenging markets for talent and ability to attract, develop and retain key personnel; exposure to potential security breaches or other disruptions to our information technology environment and data security; political, economic and other risks from operations in numerous countries including political, economic and social uncertainty and the evolving globalization of our business; competitor activity; increasing competition, including increased global competition among our customers in emerging markets; failure to meet environmental, social and governance (ESG) expectations or standards, or achieve our ESG goals; labor relations or work stoppages; foreign currency exchange rate changes; the performance of our pension plan assets and volatility of discount rates; the price and availability of energy; continued availability of financing, financial instruments and financial resources in the amounts, at the times and on the terms required to support our future business; and other risks detailed from time to time in our SEC filings, including particularly in the Risk Factors section of our 2023 Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Shareholders, potential investors and other readers are urged to consider these factors carefully in evaluating the forward-looking statements and are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements made herein are made only as of the date of this release and we undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. More detailed information about factors that may affect our performance may be found in our filings with the SEC, which are available at http://www.sec.gov or at http://www.cummins.com in the Investor Relations section of our website.
Cummins Inc., a global power solutions leader, comprises five business segments – Components, Engine, Distribution, Power Systems and Accelera by Cummins – supported by our global manufacturing and extensive service and support network, skilled workforce and vast technological expertise. Cummins is committed to its Destination Zero strategy, which is grounded in the company’s commitment to sustainability and helping its customers successfully navigate the energy transition with its broad portfolio of products. The products range from advanced diesel, natural gas, electric and hybrid powertrains and powertrain-related components including filtration, aftertreatment, turbochargers, fuel systems, valvetrain technologies, controls systems, air handling systems, automated transmissions, axles, drivelines, brakes, suspension systems, electric power generation systems, batteries, electrified power systems, hydrogen production technologies and fuel cell products. Headquartered in Columbus, Indiana (U.S.), since its founding in 1919, Cummins employs approximately 75,500 people committed to powering a more prosperous world through three global corporate responsibility priorities critical to healthy communities: education, environment and equality of opportunity. Cummins serves its customers online, through a network of company-owned and independent distributor locations, and through thousands of dealer locations worldwide and earned about $735 million on sales of $34.1 billion in 2023.
