INFICON with solid start and improved margins
INFICON Holding AG / Key word(s): Quarter Results
INFICON with solid start and improved margins
25-Apr-2024 / 07:00 CET/CEST
Release of an ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 LR
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this
announcement.
____________________________________________________________
Corporate Contact
Matthias Tröndle
Chief Financial Officer
+423 388 3510
matthias.troendle@inficon.com
'Ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 LR'
Announcement of INFICON Holding AG
Bad Ragaz/Switzerland, April 25, 2024
* First quarter 2024 sales of USD 154.2 million nearly flat compared with
first quarter of last year (-2.5%) and 11.6% below record-high fourth
quarter of 2023
* Stronger gross profit margin of 47.8% (Q1 2023: 45.8%), operating income
up 4.3%
to USD 31.3 million (Q1 2023: 30.0 million), margin of 20.3% (Q1 2023:
19.0%)
* Unchanged Guidance 2024: Sales of USD 650-700 million; Operating income
margin around 20%
INFICON (SIX Swiss Exchange: IFCN) reports solid first quarter 2024 sales of
USD 154.2 million. This equals organically a decline of 2.1% or - including
negative currency effects of 0.4 percentage points - a minus of 2.5% over
the same period of last year. It is 11.6% below the record-high last quarter
of 2023. The gross profit margin increased to 47.8%, up from 45.8% a year
ago, and the operating income margin improved to 20.3% after 19.0% recorded
for the same period of last year. Sales generated in the first three months
of the year softened compared with the prior-year period and the strong and
record-high preceding quarter due to the short-term weaker market dynamic.
This reflects in particular the slower momentum in the semiconductor related
business, and in Asia at the beginning of the year. Based on the situation
in the four target markets, a solid order intake, and an expected
acceleration in the second half of the year, INFICON maintains its guidance
for 2024 with sales of USD 650-700 million and an operating income margin of
around 20%.
INFICON reports growth in three of its four target markets. In its largest
target Semiconductor & Vacuum Coating, INFICON generated sales of USD 65.2.
million. This represents 42.3% of Group sales and a decline of 15.0%
compared with the first quarter of 2023. The level is 20.6% below the
record-high figures of the preceding fourth quarter 2023. In Asia,
especially sales to China slowed slightly in the first quarter due to the
general business and industry trends. The prospects are looking promising
for the remainder of the year, backed by INFICON's broad product and service
offering in the smart manufacturing environment. INFICON achieved sales of
USD 53.3 million with customers in the General Vacuum market. This
represents 29.8% of overall sales and a plus of 4.0% over the same period of
last year, yet a decline of 13.9% when compared with the last quarter of
2023 when the business with Asian and especially Chinese business was
extremely strong. INFICON assesses the current sales level as solid and in
line with the overall macroeconomic development. In the Refrigeration, Air
Conditioning, and Automotive market, sales grew robustly both year-over-year
(+7.5%) and quarter-on-quarter (+7.2%) to USD 32.7 million. This market
therefore contributed 21.2% to the consolidated sales. The transition from
combustion engines to electric drives in the automotive industry continues
stably at a high, yet slower pace than in the strongly growing last
quarters. The strongest sales increases were achieved in the Security &
Energy market. Sales reached a new quarterly record level of USD 10.3
million or 6.7% of Group Sales. This is an increase of 49.4% over the same
prior-year period and 21.2% over the preceding fourth quarter. This surge
reflects especially a gradually normalizing supply chain and both strong
demand in the security as well as the energy/utility sub-markets.
Regional sales development
Year-over-year, quarterly sales grew in Europe (USD 41.3%; +2.5%, 26.8% of
Group sales) and America (USD 45.5 million; +9.4%, 29.5% of Group sales),
while Asia - still the largest sales region with a sales contribution of
43.0% - reported lower figures with USD 66.4 million (-12.0%). INFICON is
confident that the sales to Asian customers, mostly impacted by a slower
momentum in the Semiconductor and General Vacuum market, will gradually pick
up again.
Strengthened profitability
INFICON strengthened its profitability on all levels: The gross profit
margin increased by 2.0 percentage points to now 47.8%. After same-level
investments into R&D of USD 12.2 million and tightly managed selling,
general, and administrative costs of USD 30.2 million, the operating income
for the period was USD 31.3 million after 30.0 million a year ago. This
represents a stronger operating income margin of 20.3% after 19.0% at the
end of March last year. INFICON's business model, its systematic cost
management, and operational set-up allow the Group to flexibly adjust to
varying business trends. The net result for the period increased by 15.8% to
USD 25.6 million or a margin of 16.6% of sales, up from 14.0% twelve months
ago. Earnings per share were thus USD 10.47 after USD 9.06 at the end of the
first quarter 2023.
Cash flow and balance sheet
INFICON increased its operating cash flow in the reporting quarter to USD
22.5 million, up from USD 15.3 million a year ago. Inventories are still
high. The strong receivables collection, however, led to an overall lower
working capital of USD 215.6 million, down by USD 4 million compared with
last year's first quarter. The balance sheet remains robust as underlined by
a higher net cash position of USD 54 million and a strong equity ratio of
69.8% after 64.9% a year ago.
Web conference
INFICON discusses its first quarter 2024 results in more detail today at
09:30 a.m. CEST in an English-language web conference. You can access the
web conference via the following links:
https://www.inficon.com/web-conference
The presentation is available from 07:00 a.m. in the investors' area of the
INFICON website www.inficon.com.
Communication Calendar
The communication calendar of INFICON is continuously updated and available
on online in the Investors' section of the INFICON website www.inficon.com
or directly at https://ir.inficon.com/financial-calendar/
E-Mail Alerts
To automatically receive notification via e-mail of the latest financial
information from INFICON, sign-up for e-mail Alerts in the Investors section
of the INFICON website at
https://ir.inficon.com/contact-and-information-request/
About INFICON
INFICON is a leading provider of innovative instrumentation, critical sensor
technologies, and Smart Manufacturing /Industry 4.0 software solutions that
enhance productivity and quality of tools, processes and complete factories.
These analysis, measurement, and control products are essential for gas leak
detection in air conditioning/refrigeration, and automotive manufacturing.
They are vital to equipment manufacturers and end-users in the complex
fabrication of semiconductors and thin film coatings for optics, flat panel
displays, solar cells and industrial vacuum coating applications. Other
users of vacuum based processes include the life sciences, research,
aerospace, packaging, heat treatment, laser cutting and many other
industrial processes. We also leverage our expertise in vacuum technology to
provide unique, toxic chemical analysis products for emergency response,
security, and environmental monitoring. INFICON is headquartered in
Switzerland and has world-class manufacturing facilities in Europe, the
United States and China, as well as subsidiaries in China, Denmark, Finland,
France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Liechtenstein, Malaysia, Mexico,
Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, the United Kingdom and the United
States. INFICON registered shares (IFCN) are listed on SIX Swiss Exchange.
For more information about INFICON and its products, please visit
www.inficon.com.
This press release and oral statements or other written statements made, or
to be made by us contain forward-looking statements that do not relate
solely to historical or current facts. These forward-looking statements are
based on the current plans and expectations of our management and are
subject to a number of uncertainties and risks that could significantly
affect our current plans and expectations, as well as future results of
operations and financial condition. We undertake no obligation to publicly
update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new
information, future events or otherwise.
News Source: INFICON Holding AG
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End of Inside Information
____________________________________________________________
Language: English
Company: INFICON Holding AG
Hintergasse 15 B
7310 Bad Ragaz
Switzerland
Phone: 0813004980
Fax: 081 300 49 88
E-mail: matthias.troendle@inficon.com
Internet: www.inficon.com
ISIN: CH0011029946
Valor: 1102994
Listed: SIX Swiss Exchange
EQS News ID: 1888919
End of Announcement EQS News Service
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1888919 25-Apr-2024 CET/CEST