Flextronics International Ltd.’s (
FLEX
- Snapshot Report
)
second quarter 2012 earnings per share (EPS) of 20 cents (including stock-based compensation but excluding intangible amortization and restructuring charges) was down 4.8% from the year-ago quarter and also lagged the company’s guidance range of 21cents -23 cents. However, the earnings came in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate.
Revenues
The quarter’s total revenue jumped 8% on a year-on-year basis to $8.04 billion. The revenues not only managed to surpass the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $7.71 billion, but also exceeded the higher end of management’s guided range of $7.6 billion-$8.0 billion.
The year-over-year growth in High Velocity Solutions, Integrated Solutions and High Reliability Solutions offset the decline in the Industrial and Emerging Industries segment.
Specifically, High Velocity Solutions (44% of the revenues) increased 8.0% year over year to $3.53 billion. This segment includes mobile smartphone business, consumer electronics that includes game consoles and printers, and a high-velocity computing that includes the original design manufacturer (ODM) PC business, which the company plans to exit, and the EMS PC business. The segment’s mobile and consumer businesses were up and strengths from new program ramps combined with favorable seasonality in the game-console market to drive the majority of the growth.
Integrated Network Solutions (37% of the revenues) increased 9.0% year over year to $2.97 billion. Results were positively impacted by the strength in core data networking, telecom and storage customers.
High Reliability Solutions (7% of the revenues) increased 32.0% year over year to $585.0 million. This segment comprises medical, automotive aerospace and defense business. Strong momentum in the medical and auto space led to the double-digit growth in the segment.
Industrial and Emerging Industries (12% of the revenues) decreased 4.0% year over year to $957.0 million. The decline in the segment was driven by a broad-based weakness, including a substantial decline in the capital equipment business, which focuses on both semiconductor and solar capital equipment.
Margins
Gross Profit for the quarter was down 5.6% from the year-ago quarter to $375.4 million. Gross profit margin decreased 70 basis points (bps) year over year to 4.7%. Gross margin was primarily impacted by lower revenues from the capital equipment, which is considered a high-margin business and restructuring charges.
Operating income decreased 18.8% year over year to $161.3 million. Operating margin was 2.0% for the quarter versus 2.7% in the year-ago quarter. Margins were negatively impacted by losses in ODM PC business, equating to approximately 50 basis points. The company plans to exit the ODM PC business and excluding the business, the company expects the upcoming fourth quarter to yield margin in the range of 3% to 3.5%.
Interest & Other Expenses decreased by $20.7 million year over year to $1.5 million on the back of greater foreign exchange gains and a reduction in other non-operating expenses. Operating tax rate was 9.2%, down from 10.0% in the last quarter.
Balance Sheet
Flextronics exited the quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $1.59 billion, compared with $1.56 billion at the end of the previous quarter. At quarter end, the cash conversion cycle was flat from the previous quarter at 19 days. Inventory increased to $3.87 billion from $3.74 billion in the previous quarter and inventory turns increased to 8.1x from previous quarter’s 7.8x.
Total debt decreased marginally from the prior quarter and was $2.20 billion. Net debt (debt less cash) came in at $613 million versus $656 million in the previous quarter. Cash flow from operations was $300 million during the quarter. Net capital expenditures for the quarter were $124 million and free cash flow amounted to $176 million.
During the quarter, Flextronics repurchased 19 million shares for $100.0 million.
Outlook
For the forthcoming quarter, management expects EPS to range between 18 cents and 22 cents, which include cost of approximately 6 cents per share associated with the exit of the ODM PC business. The Zacks Consensus Estimate is pegged at 23 cents. The GAAP EPS is expected to be lower by approximately 4 cents per diluted share, due to the quarterly intangible amortization and stock-based compensation expense.
Total revenue is expected to be in the range of $7.3 billion to $7.7 billion, reflecting a sequential decrease of approximately $550 million from ODM PC revenue due to company’s decision of exiting from this business. The Zacks Consensus Estimate projects Flextronics to earn $7.95 billion in revenues in the forthcoming quarter.
Management expects high reliability solutions business to be flat next quarter. However, management expects the segment to grow greater than 20% on a year-over-year basis. Additionally, next quarter, management expects a high-single digit decline in High Velocity Solutions business, driven by the significant decline in revenues in relation to the planned exit from the ODM PC business and less seasonal demand for consumer electronics.
Management expects the third quarter to be a transitional quarter when it exits its ODM PC business. Subsequently, this led to a conservative guidance, owing to the fact that the measures would impact its revenues and margins alike.. However, management expectations for the fourth quarter remained upbeat.
Conclusion
Flextronics believes problems related to component supply shortages will gradually ease out in 2012, which is expected to emerge as a profitable year. Further, growth is expected from traditional sectors (consumer electronics, computing, networking, communications), and from new areas (automotive, medical, industrial).
Flextronics continues to face tough competition from Celestica Inc. (
CLS
- Snapshot Report
)
and Jabil Circuit Inc. (
JBL
- Analyst Report
)
. Moreover, sluggish macro-economic environment is likely to act as a headwind going forward. .
We have an Underperform recommendation on Flextronics in the long term. Currently, Flextronics has a Zacks #5 Rank, which implies a short-term 'Strong Sell' rating (for the next 1-3 months).
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Flextronics International Ltd.’s ( FLEX - Snapshot Report ) second quarter 2012 earnings per share (EPS) of 20 cents (including stock-based compensation but excluding intangible amortization and restructuring charges) was down 4.8% from the year-ago quarter and also lagged the company’s guidance range of 21cents -23 cents. However, the earnings came in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate.
Revenues
The quarter’s total revenue jumped 8% on a year-on-year basis to $8.04 billion. The revenues not only managed to surpass the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $7.71 billion, but also exceeded the higher end of management’s guided range of $7.6 billion-$8.0 billion.
The year-over-year growth in High Velocity Solutions, Integrated Solutions and High Reliability Solutions offset the decline in the Industrial and Emerging Industries segment.
Specifically, High Velocity Solutions (44% of the revenues) increased 8.0% year over year to $3.53 billion. This segment includes mobile smartphone business, consumer electronics that includes game consoles and printers, and a high-velocity computing that includes the original design manufacturer (ODM) PC business, which the company plans to exit, and the EMS PC business. The segment’s mobile and consumer businesses were up and strengths from new program ramps combined with favorable seasonality in the game-console market to drive the majority of the growth.
Integrated Network Solutions (37% of the revenues) increased 9.0% year over year to $2.97 billion. Results were positively impacted by the strength in core data networking, telecom and storage customers.
High Reliability Solutions (7% of the revenues) increased 32.0% year over year to $585.0 million. This segment comprises medical, automotive aerospace and defense business. Strong momentum in the medical and auto space led to the double-digit growth in the segment.
Industrial and Emerging Industries (12% of the revenues) decreased 4.0% year over year to $957.0 million. The decline in the segment was driven by a broad-based weakness, including a substantial decline in the capital equipment business, which focuses on both semiconductor and solar capital equipment.
Margins
Gross Profit for the quarter was down 5.6% from the year-ago quarter to $375.4 million. Gross profit margin decreased 70 basis points (bps) year over year to 4.7%. Gross margin was primarily impacted by lower revenues from the capital equipment, which is considered a high-margin business and restructuring charges.
Operating income decreased 18.8% year over year to $161.3 million. Operating margin was 2.0% for the quarter versus 2.7% in the year-ago quarter. Margins were negatively impacted by losses in ODM PC business, equating to approximately 50 basis points. The company plans to exit the ODM PC business and excluding the business, the company expects the upcoming fourth quarter to yield margin in the range of 3% to 3.5%.
Interest & Other Expenses decreased by $20.7 million year over year to $1.5 million on the back of greater foreign exchange gains and a reduction in other non-operating expenses. Operating tax rate was 9.2%, down from 10.0% in the last quarter.
Balance Sheet
Flextronics exited the quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $1.59 billion, compared with $1.56 billion at the end of the previous quarter. At quarter end, the cash conversion cycle was flat from the previous quarter at 19 days. Inventory increased to $3.87 billion from $3.74 billion in the previous quarter and inventory turns increased to 8.1x from previous quarter’s 7.8x.
Total debt decreased marginally from the prior quarter and was $2.20 billion. Net debt (debt less cash) came in at $613 million versus $656 million in the previous quarter. Cash flow from operations was $300 million during the quarter. Net capital expenditures for the quarter were $124 million and free cash flow amounted to $176 million.
During the quarter, Flextronics repurchased 19 million shares for $100.0 million.
Outlook
For the forthcoming quarter, management expects EPS to range between 18 cents and 22 cents, which include cost of approximately 6 cents per share associated with the exit of the ODM PC business. The Zacks Consensus Estimate is pegged at 23 cents. The GAAP EPS is expected to be lower by approximately 4 cents per diluted share, due to the quarterly intangible amortization and stock-based compensation expense.
Total revenue is expected to be in the range of $7.3 billion to $7.7 billion, reflecting a sequential decrease of approximately $550 million from ODM PC revenue due to company’s decision of exiting from this business. The Zacks Consensus Estimate projects Flextronics to earn $7.95 billion in revenues in the forthcoming quarter.
Management expects high reliability solutions business to be flat next quarter. However, management expects the segment to grow greater than 20% on a year-over-year basis. Additionally, next quarter, management expects a high-single digit decline in High Velocity Solutions business, driven by the significant decline in revenues in relation to the planned exit from the ODM PC business and less seasonal demand for consumer electronics.
Management expects the third quarter to be a transitional quarter when it exits its ODM PC business. Subsequently, this led to a conservative guidance, owing to the fact that the measures would impact its revenues and margins alike.. However, management expectations for the fourth quarter remained upbeat.
Conclusion
Flextronics believes problems related to component supply shortages will gradually ease out in 2012, which is expected to emerge as a profitable year. Further, growth is expected from traditional sectors (consumer electronics, computing, networking, communications), and from new areas (automotive, medical, industrial).
Flextronics continues to face tough competition from Celestica Inc. ( CLS - Snapshot Report ) and Jabil Circuit Inc. ( JBL - Analyst Report ) . Moreover, sluggish macro-economic environment is likely to act as a headwind going forward. .
We have an Underperform recommendation on Flextronics in the long term. Currently, Flextronics has a Zacks #5 Rank, which implies a short-term 'Strong Sell' rating (for the next 1-3 months).
Read the full reports :
Analyst Report on JBL
Snapshot Report on FLEX
Snapshot Report on CLS