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AECOM's (ACM) Q3 Earnings Beat, Revenues Miss Estimates
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AECOM (ACM - Free Report) reported third-quarter fiscal 2019 results, wherein earnings topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate but revenues missed the same.
Delving Deeper
Adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of 72 cents topped the consensus mark of 71 cents by 1.4% and increased 16% year over year, backed by solid EBITDA growth and continued near record backlog across the business.
Revenues of $4,980.2 million missed the consensus estimate of $5,170 million by 3.7% and decreased 3.3% year over year, mainly due to expected lower levels of storm recovery work in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Nonetheless, AECOM achieved 10% organic growth in the Management Services or MS business and underlying growth in the Americas design business in the quarter.
Segment Details
Design & Consulting Services (DCS) revenues were down 2% year over year to $2,055.3 million. Strong performance in the Americas and varied growth in international design markets led to the improvement. On a constant-currency basis, organic revenues remained flat year over year. Adjusted operating income of $151 million grew 18% year over year.
Construction Services (CS) revenues were down 10% on a year-over-year basis to $1,898.2 million. On a constant-currency basis, organic revenues decreased 9% from the prior-year quarter. The downside was due to lower contribution from Building Construction and Power businesses. Adjusted operating income in the segment was down 44.1% from a year ago to $49 million.
Management Services (MS) revenues recorded a year-over-year increase of 10% to $1,025.3 million. Also, on an organic basis, revenues recorded growth of 10% from the prior-year quarter, reflecting stellar improvement in backlog, and strong funding for the U.S. Departments of Defense and Energy clients. Adjusted operating income, however, decreased 19.7% from a year ago to $61 million in the reported quarter.
AECOM Capital (ACAP), which develops real estate, public private partnership and infrastructure projects, contributed $1.4 million to its total revenues. The segment recorded operating income of $0.7 million.
AECOM’s gross margin expanded 60 basis points (bps) from the prior-year figure to 4.2%. Adjusted operating income in the quarter under review amounted to $226.4 million, up 12.1% from the year-ago level. Adjusted EBITDA also increased 10% year over year to $244 million.
At the end of the fiscal third quarter, the company’s total backlog was $58.9 billion, up 10% from a year ago.
New order wins during the quarter were recorded at $3.4 billion. The company’s total book-to-burn ratio was 0.6, with 1 book-to-burn ratio in DCS, 0.5 in CS and 0.4 in the MS segment.
Liquidity & Cash Flow
As of Jun 30, 2019, AECOM’s cash and cash equivalents totaled $794 million compared with $886.7 million on Sep 30, 2018.
As of Jun 30, 2019, total debt (excluding unamortized debt issuance cost) was $3.93 billion, increasing from $3.67 billion on Sep 30, 2018. AECOM provided $71.9 million cash from operating activities in the quarter versus $76.9 million a year ago. It had $48.4 million of free cash flow in the quarter versus $52.2 million a year ago.
Fiscal 2019 Guidance Reaffirmed
AECOM reaffirmed its fiscal 2019 guidance, with adjusted EBITDA in the range of $920-$960 million. Adjusted EPS is expected within $2.60-$2.90.
For fiscal 2019, the company’s adjusted interest expenses (excluding amortization of deferred financing fees) are expected to be nearly $200 million and capital expenditure is projected at about $120 million. Free cash flow is likely to be at the lower end of its prior guided range of $600-$800 million. AECOM is expected to incur $79 million of restructuring costs in fiscal 2019.
Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. reported better-than-expected results in third-quarter fiscal 2019 (ended Jun 28, 2019). Notably, the company lifted its earnings and adjusted EBITDA guidance for fiscal 2019, given continuous innovation, solid project execution and diversification into new high-margin growth opportunities.
Quanta Services Inc. (PWR - Free Report) reported lower-than-expected results in second-quarter 2019. During the quarter, adjusted earnings came in at 31 cents per share, missing the consensus estimate of 84 cents by 63.1% and decreasing 47.5% from the year-ago period. Total revenues of $2.84 billion also lagged the consensus mark of $2.89 billion by 1.8%. However, the said metric increased 6.8% year over year.
KBR, Inc. (KBR - Free Report) reported strong second-quarter 2019 results, buoyed by continued solid organic growth in Government Services and Technology businesses. It reported adjusted earnings of 41 cents per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 40 cents by 2.5%. The reported figure also increased 17.1% from 35 cents per share registered a year ago. Total revenues of $1.42 billion surpassed the consensus mark by 3.3% and increased 12.2% year over year.
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AECOM's (ACM) Q3 Earnings Beat, Revenues Miss Estimates
AECOM (ACM - Free Report) reported third-quarter fiscal 2019 results, wherein earnings topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate but revenues missed the same.
Delving Deeper
Adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of 72 cents topped the consensus mark of 71 cents by 1.4% and increased 16% year over year, backed by solid EBITDA growth and continued near record backlog across the business.
Revenues of $4,980.2 million missed the consensus estimate of $5,170 million by 3.7% and decreased 3.3% year over year, mainly due to expected lower levels of storm recovery work in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Nonetheless, AECOM achieved 10% organic growth in the Management Services or MS business and underlying growth in the Americas design business in the quarter.
Segment Details
Design & Consulting Services (DCS) revenues were down 2% year over year to $2,055.3 million. Strong performance in the Americas and varied growth in international design markets led to the improvement. On a constant-currency basis, organic revenues remained flat year over year. Adjusted operating income of $151 million grew 18% year over year.
Construction Services (CS) revenues were down 10% on a year-over-year basis to $1,898.2 million. On a constant-currency basis, organic revenues decreased 9% from the prior-year quarter. The downside was due to lower contribution from Building Construction and Power businesses. Adjusted operating income in the segment was down 44.1% from a year ago to $49 million.
Management Services (MS) revenues recorded a year-over-year increase of 10% to $1,025.3 million. Also, on an organic basis, revenues recorded growth of 10% from the prior-year quarter, reflecting stellar improvement in backlog, and strong funding for the U.S. Departments of Defense and Energy clients. Adjusted operating income, however, decreased 19.7% from a year ago to $61 million in the reported quarter.
AECOM Capital (ACAP), which develops real estate, public private partnership and infrastructure projects, contributed $1.4 million to its total revenues. The segment recorded operating income of $0.7 million.
AECOM Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
AECOM price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | AECOM Quote
Operating Highlights
AECOM’s gross margin expanded 60 basis points (bps) from the prior-year figure to 4.2%. Adjusted operating income in the quarter under review amounted to $226.4 million, up 12.1% from the year-ago level. Adjusted EBITDA also increased 10% year over year to $244 million.
At the end of the fiscal third quarter, the company’s total backlog was $58.9 billion, up 10% from a year ago.
New order wins during the quarter were recorded at $3.4 billion. The company’s total book-to-burn ratio was 0.6, with 1 book-to-burn ratio in DCS, 0.5 in CS and 0.4 in the MS segment.
Liquidity & Cash Flow
As of Jun 30, 2019, AECOM’s cash and cash equivalents totaled $794 million compared with $886.7 million on Sep 30, 2018.
As of Jun 30, 2019, total debt (excluding unamortized debt issuance cost) was $3.93 billion, increasing from $3.67 billion on Sep 30, 2018. AECOM provided $71.9 million cash from operating activities in the quarter versus $76.9 million a year ago. It had $48.4 million of free cash flow in the quarter versus $52.2 million a year ago.
Fiscal 2019 Guidance Reaffirmed
AECOM reaffirmed its fiscal 2019 guidance, with adjusted EBITDA in the range of $920-$960 million. Adjusted EPS is expected within $2.60-$2.90.
For fiscal 2019, the company’s adjusted interest expenses (excluding amortization of deferred financing fees) are expected to be nearly $200 million and capital expenditure is projected at about $120 million. Free cash flow is likely to be at the lower end of its prior guided range of $600-$800 million. AECOM is expected to incur $79 million of restructuring costs in fiscal 2019.
Zacks Rank & Peer Releases
AECOM currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. reported better-than-expected results in third-quarter fiscal 2019 (ended Jun 28, 2019). Notably, the company lifted its earnings and adjusted EBITDA guidance for fiscal 2019, given continuous innovation, solid project execution and diversification into new high-margin growth opportunities.
Quanta Services Inc. (PWR - Free Report) reported lower-than-expected results in second-quarter 2019. During the quarter, adjusted earnings came in at 31 cents per share, missing the consensus estimate of 84 cents by 63.1% and decreasing 47.5% from the year-ago period. Total revenues of $2.84 billion also lagged the consensus mark of $2.89 billion by 1.8%. However, the said metric increased 6.8% year over year.
KBR, Inc. (KBR - Free Report) reported strong second-quarter 2019 results, buoyed by continued solid organic growth in Government Services and Technology businesses. It reported adjusted earnings of 41 cents per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 40 cents by 2.5%. The reported figure also increased 17.1% from 35 cents per share registered a year ago. Total revenues of $1.42 billion surpassed the consensus mark by 3.3% and increased 12.2% year over year.
The Hottest Tech Mega-Trend of All
Last year, it generated $8 billion in global revenues. By 2020, it's predicted to blast through the roof to $47 billion. Famed investor Mark Cuban says it will produce ""the world's first trillionaires,"" but that should still leave plenty of money for regular investors who make the right trades early.
See Zacks' 3 Best Stocks to Play This Trend >>