ARW - Arrow Electronics Reports Fourth-Quarter and Year-End 2018 Results

Arrow Electronics, Inc. (NYSE:ARW) today reported fourth-quarter 2018 sales of $7.92 billion, an increase of 5 percent from sales of $7.54 billion in the fourth quarter of 2017. Fourth-quarter net income of $231 million, or $2.63 per share on a diluted basis, compared with net income of $54 million, or $.60 per share on a diluted basis, in the fourth quarter of 2017. Excluding certain items¹, net income would have been $225 million, or $2.57 per share on a diluted basis, in the fourth quarter of 2018, compared with net income of $222 million, or $2.49 per share on a diluted basis, in the fourth quarter of 2017. In the fourth quarter of 2018, changes in foreign currencies had negative impacts on growth of approximately $107 million or 2 percent on sales and $.06 or 3 percent on earnings per share on a diluted basis compared to the fourth quarter of 2017.

“We are helping customers create, make, and manage their electronic products at unmatched scale. This is driving tremendous growth for our suppliers, and for Arrow, as evidenced by our second consecutive year of growing sales by more than $3 billion,” said Michael J. Long, chairman, president, and chief executive officer. “We are proud to be enabling next-generation technologies and products that are making our world better.”

Global components fourth-quarter sales of $5.26 billion increased 6 percent year over year. Americas components sales increased 5 percent year over year. Europe components sales increased 9 percent year over year. Sales in the region, as adjusted, increased 13 percent year over year. Asia-Pacific components sales increased 7 percent year over year. “We are well-aligned to the long-term trends of growing electronic content in key end markets such as transportation, industrial, and aerospace and defense,” said Mr. Long.

Global enterprise computing solutions fourth-quarter sales of $2.66 billion increased 2 percent year over year. Global enterprise computing solutions sales, as adjusted, increased 6 percent year over year. Americas sales increased 4 percent year over year. Sales in the region, as adjusted, increased 9 percent year over year. Europe sales decreased 1 percent year over year. Sales in the region, as adjusted, were flat year over year. “We have positioned the company to lead the edge computing paradigm with our leading software, hardware, and security capabilities,” added Mr. Long.

FULL-YEAR RESULTS

Full-year 2018 sales of $29.68 billion increased 12 percent from sales of $26.55 billion in 2017. Net income for 2018 was $716 million, or $8.10 per share on a diluted basis, compared with net income of $402 million, or $4.48 per share on a diluted basis, in 2017. Excluding certain items¹, net income would have been $781 million, or $8.83 per share on a diluted basis, in 2018 compared with net income of $674 million, or $7.51 per share on a diluted basis, in 2017. In 2018, changes in foreign currencies had positive impacts on growth of approximately $252 million, or 1 percent on sales, and $.06, or 1 percent, on earnings per share on a diluted basis compared to 2017.

“We executed well in 2018, and continue to see good returns on our organic investments. Operating income, excluding certain items¹, increased 16 percent compared to a 12 percent increase in sales. Fourth-quarter cash flow from operations was $263 million as our business model generates substantial cash in lower growth environments,” said Chris Stansbury, senior vice president and chief financial officer. “In the fourth quarter, we reduced leverage, and we returned approximately $150 million to shareholders through our stock repurchase program. With the recent authorization of an additional $600 million of repurchases, we had approximately $729 million of remaining authorization under our share repurchase programs at the end of the year.”

¹ A reconciliation of non-GAAP adjusted financial measures, including sales, as adjusted, operating income, as adjusted, net income attributable to shareholders, as adjusted, and net income per share, as adjusted, to GAAP financial measures is presented in the reconciliation tables included herein.

GUIDANCE

“As we look to the first quarter, we believe that total sales will be between $6.775 billion and $7.175 billion, with global components sales between $4.975 billion and $5.175 billion, and global enterprise computing solutions sales between $1.8 billion and $2.0 billion. As a result of this outlook, we expect earnings per share on a diluted basis, to be in the range of $1.61 to $1.73, and earnings per share on a diluted basis, excluding certain items¹, to be in the range of $1.84 to $1.96 per share. Our guidance assumes an average tax rate at the high end of the long-term range of 23.5 to 25.5 percent, and average diluted shares outstanding of 87 million. We are expecting interest expense will total approximately $58 million. We are expecting the average USD-to-Euro exchange rate for the first quarter to be approximately $1.14 to €1. We estimate changes in foreign currencies will have a negative impact on growth of approximately $160 million, or 2 percent on sales, and $.08, or 4 percent, on earnings per share on a diluted basis compared to the first quarter of 2018,” said Mr. Stansbury.

Please refer to the CFO commentary, which can be found at investor.arrow.com, as a supplement to the company’s earnings release.

Arrow Electronics guides innovation forward for over 200,000 leading technology manufacturers and service providers. With 2018 sales of $30 billion, Arrow develops technology solutions that improve business and daily life. Learn more at fiveyearsout.com.

Information Relating to Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes forward-looking statements that are subject to numerous assumptions, risks, and uncertainties, which could cause actual results or facts to differ materially from such statements for a variety of reasons, including, but not limited to: industry conditions, the company's implementation of its new enterprise resource planning system, changes in product supply, pricing and customer demand, competition, other vagaries in the global components and global enterprise computing solutions markets, changes in relationships with key suppliers, increased profit margin pressure, the effects of additional actions taken to become more efficient or lower costs, risks related to the integration of acquired businesses, changes in legal and regulatory matters, and the company’s ability to generate additional cash flow. Forward-looking statements are those statements which are not statements of historical fact. These forward-looking statements can be identified by forward-looking words such as "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "may," "will," "believes," "seeks," "estimates," and similar expressions. Shareholders and other readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they are made. The company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any of the forward-looking statements.

For a further discussion of factors to consider in connection with these forward-looking statements, investors should refer to Item 1A Risk Factors of the company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018.

Certain Non-GAAP Financial Information

In addition to disclosing financial results that are determined in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”), the company also provides certain non-GAAP financial information relating to sales, operating income, net income attributable to shareholders, and net income per basic and diluted share. The company provides sales on a non-GAAP basis adjusted for the impact of changes in foreign currencies and the impact of acquisitions/dispositions by adjusting the company's operating results, including the amortization expense related to acquired/disposed intangible assets, as if the acquisitions/dispositions had occurred at the beginning of the earliest period presented (referred to as "impact of acquisitions" and "impact of dispositions"). Operating income, net income attributable to shareholders, and net income per basic and diluted share are adjusted to exclude identifiable intangible amortization, restructuring, integration, and other charges, and certain charges, credits, gains, and losses that the company believes impact the comparability of its results of operations. These charges, credits, gains, and losses arise out of the company’s efficiency enhancement initiatives, acquisitions/dispositions (including intangible assets amortization expense), the impact of tax reform, and financing activities. A reconciliation of the company’s non-GAAP financial information to GAAP is set forth in the tables below.

The company believes that such non-GAAP financial information is useful to investors to assist in assessing and understanding the company’s operating performance and underlying trends in the company’s business because management considers these items referred to above to be outside the company’s core operating results. This non-GAAP financial information is among the primary indicators management uses as a basis for evaluating the company’s financial and operating performance. In addition, the company’s Board of Directors may use this non-GAAP financial information in evaluating management performance and setting management compensation.

The presentation of this additional non-GAAP financial information is not meant to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for, or alternative to, sales, operating income, net income and net income per basic and diluted share determined in accordance with GAAP. Analysis of results and outlook on a non-GAAP basis should be used as a complement to, and in conjunction with, data presented in accordance with GAAP.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190207005191/en/