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Zimmer Biomet (ZBH) Q3 Earnings Top Estimates, Margins Down

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Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc. (ZBH - Free Report) reported third-quarter 2018 adjusted earnings per share of $1.63, down 5.2% year over year but ahead of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.60.

Reportedly, net earnings came in at 79 cents per share, a 64.6% increase from the year-ago quarter’s figure.

Revenue Details

Third-quarter net sales came in at $1.84 billion, marking a 1.3% increase (up 2.3% at constant exchange rate or CER) year over year. Net sales exceeded the Zacks Consensus Estimate by a small margin.

During the quarter under review, sales generated in the Americas totaled $1.15 billion (up 1.5% year over year at CER), while the same in EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa) grossed $372 million (flat year over year at CER). Asia-Pacific, however, registered 7.6% growth at CER to $311 million.

Segments

Sales at Knees were up 2.1% year over year at CER to $628 million. Hips recorded a 3.9% increase at CER from the prior-year quarter to $445 million. Revenues from S.E.T. (Surgical, Sports Medicine, Foot and Ankle, Extremities and Trauma) were up 3.1% year over year to $415 million.

Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise | Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc. Quote

Among the other segments, Spine & CMF were up 0.7% at CER to $185 million, while Dental declined 0.2% to $92 million. Other revenues were down 3.3% to $72 million.

Margins

Gross margin came in at 71.2%, reflecting a contraction of 117 bps in the third quarter. Selling, general and administrative expenses were up 10.7% to $787.7 million. Further, research and development expenses rose 4.9% to $95.7 million. Adjusted operating margin declined 499 bps to 23.1% during the quarter.

Cash Position

Zimmer Biomet exited the third quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $524.6 million, compared with $481.2 million at the end of the second quarter. Total long-term debt was $9.19 billion compared with $9.51 billion as of preceding quarter-end.

Year-to-date operating cash flow was $1.37 billion compared with $1.18 billion in the year-ago period. The company also paid $48.8 million in dividends during the quarter.

Update on 2018 Outlook

The company has made minor update to its full-year 2018 guidance which are as follows:

Zimmer Biomet now expects the positive impact of foreign currency translation to be slightly below the low end of the previous range of 100 to 150 basis points.

It also expects the adjusted effective tax rate for 2018 to be slightly below the low end of the previous range of 18.5% to 19.5%.

Our Take

Zimmer Biomet ended the quarter on a mixed note. While the quarterly earnings and revenue figures exceeded the respective consensus estimates, the year over year decline in adjusted EPS remains a cause of concern. We believe, escalating costs and expenses are putting huge pressure on the bottom line.

We are however encouraged by the company’s consistent efforts in product and renovation through research and development. The improvement within the company’s global Knee and Hip sales performance and ongoing growth within the Asia Pacific region are encouraging. 

Banking on its firm focus on priority areas like quality remediation, supply recovery efforts and product launches, Zimmer Biomet once again reported strong topline numbers within its S.E.T. However, the company’s declining dental sales at CER disappoint.

Zacks Rank & Key Picks

Zimmer Biomet has a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).

A few top-ranked stocks in the broader medical space are Amedisys, Inc. (AMED - Free Report) , Baxter International Inc (BAX - Free Report) and Masimo Corp. (MASI - Free Report) .

Amedisys is expected to release third-quarter 2018 results on Oct 29. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for adjusted EPS is 77 cents and for revenues $410.2 million. The stock carries a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Baxter is expected to release third-quarter 2018 results on Oct 31. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter's EPS is pegged at 74 cents and for revenues at $2.79 billion. The stock also sports a Zacks Rank #2.

Masimo Corporation is slated to release third-quarter 2018 results on Oct 31. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for EPS is pinned at 68 cents and for revenues at $206.3 million. The stock is a Zacks #2 Ranked player.

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