AKRON, Ohio, April 29, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company (NASDAQ: GT) today reported record earnings for the first quarter of 2015.

"Our strong first quarter provides solid momentum as we start 2015," said Richard J. Kramer, chairman and chief executive officer. "We overcame significant foreign currency headwinds and delivered record earnings led by North America, which achieved its fourth consecutive quarter of segment operating income margin of more than 10 percent," he added.

"Our volume growth was driven by market demand for our award-winning high-value-added products and gives us increased confidence in our outlook for the remainder of the year," Kramer said.

Goodyear's first quarter 2015 sales were $4.0 billion, down from $4.5 billion a year ago, with the decrease largely attributable to unfavorable foreign currency translation of $393 million.

Tire unit volumes totaled 40.8 million for the first quarter of 2015, up 2 percent from last year. Original equipment unit volume was up 3 percent. Replacement tire shipments were up 2 percent.

The company reported record first quarter segment operating income of $391 million in 2015, up from $373 million a year ago. The increase in segment operating income was driven by higher sales volume, a net benefit from changes in price/mix and raw material costs and improvements in other cost items. These improvements were partially offset by unfavorable foreign currency translation.

Goodyear's first quarter 2015 net income available to common shareholders was $224 million (82 cents per share). Net income includes a non-cash, one-time gain of $155 million ($99 million after taxes and minority interest) for the recognition of deferred royalty income resulting from the termination of a licensing agreement associated with the company's former Engineered Products business. Excluding certain significant items, adjusted net income was $148 million (54 cents per share). Per share amounts are diluted.

First quarter 2015 adjusted net income was also impacted by $29 million (11 cents per share) of U.S. tax expense following the release of the company's U.S. tax valuation allowance in the fourth quarter of 2014. Due to tax credits and prior tax-loss carryforwards, the company does not expect to pay significant cash income taxes in the United States for about five years.

For the first quarter of 2014, the net loss available to common shareholders was $58 million (23 cents per share), driven by a foreign currency exchange charge in Venezuela. Excluding certain significant items, adjusted net income was $156 million (56 cents per share). Per share amounts are diluted.

See the note at the end of this release for further explanation and reconciliation tables for Segment Operating Income and Margin; Free Cash Flow from Operations; Adjusted Net Income; and Adjusted Diluted Earnings per Share, reflecting the impact of certain significant items on the 2015 and 2014 periods.

Business Segment Results

North America

North America's first quarter 2015 sales decreased 1 percent from last year to $1.9 billion. Sales reflect a 2 percent increase in tire unit volume offset by lower sales in other tire-related businesses and unfavorable foreign currency translation. Replacement tire shipments were up 2 percent. Original equipment unit volume was up 2 percent.

First quarter 2015 segment operating income of $198 million was a 27 percent improvement over the prior year and a first quarter record. The improvement was driven primarily by lower raw material costs and higher tire unit volume.

Europe, Middle East and Africa

Europe, Middle East and Africa's first quarter sales decreased 21 percent from last year to $1.3 billion, primarily due to unfavorable foreign currency translation. Sales also reflect a 2 percent decrease in tire unit volume, due in part to the company's exit from the farm tire business. Replacement tire shipments were down 1 percent. Original equipment unit volume was down 2 percent.

First quarter 2015 segment operating income of $73 million was 34 percent below the prior year due to unfavorable foreign currency translation and higher conversion costs due to lower production in the fourth quarter of 2014.

Asia Pacific

While Asia Pacific's first quarter tire unit volumes increased 9 percent, total sales decreased 9 percent as the gain in volume was more than offset by reduced price/mix and unfavorable foreign currency translation. Replacement tire shipments were flat. Original equipment unit volume was up 20 percent, primarily in China and India.  

First quarter 2015 segment operating income of $67 million was up 3 percent from last year, primarily driven by higher volume.

Latin America

Latin America's first quarter sales decreased 9 percent from last year to $385 million, due to unfavorable foreign currency translation. Sales also reflect a 10 percent increase in tire unit volume. Replacement tire shipments were up 17 percent. Original equipment unit volume was down 12 percent, primarily in Brazil.

First quarter segment operating income of $53 million was up 26 percent from a year ago primarily due to improved price/mix and higher tire unit volume, partially offset by higher overall inflation costs and unfavorable foreign currency translation. Operating income in Venezuela was $22 million, up from 2014's first quarter loss, when a labor disruption and currency devaluation adversely affected earnings. The company previously indicated that it expected no earnings contribution from its Venezuelan operations for the full year of 2015.

Outlook

The company reaffirmed its 2015-2016 financial targets, which include:

• Segment Operating Income growth of between 10 percent and 15 percent per year;
• Annual positive Free Cash Flow from Operations and,
• An Adjusted Debt to EBITDAP ratio of 2.0x to 2.1x.

Common Stock Dividend

The company paid a quarterly dividend of 6 cents per share of common stock on March 2, 2015. The Board of Directors has declared a quarterly dividend of 6 cents per share payable June 1, 2015, to shareholders of record on May 1, 2015.

China Development Center

On March 26, the company announced that it has established its first development center in China. Located at the company's state-of-the-art tire manufacturing facility in Pulandian, the new center expands Goodyear's capabilities in the Asia Pacific region and will enable it to increase the speed and efficiency of high-value-added tire development, especially for China-based automakers.

New Americas Factory Site Selected

On April 24, Goodyear announced that it has selected San Luis Potosi, Mexico as the site for its new consumer tire factory to serve customers in the Americas. The new factory, combined with investments in its existing factories, will enable the company to meet the strong and growing market demand for its high-value-added consumer tires in North America and Latin America.

Conference Call

Goodyear will hold an investor conference call at 9 a.m. today. Prior to the commencement of the call, the company will post the financial and other related information that will be presented on its investor relations Web site: http://investor.goodyear.com.

Participating in the conference call will be Richard J. Kramer, chairman and chief executive officer, and Laura K. Thompson, executive vice president and chief financial officer. 

Investors, members of the media and other interested persons can access the conference call on the Web site or via telephone by calling either 800-895-1085 or 785-424-1055 before 8:55 a.m. and providing the Conference ID "Goodyear." A taped replay will be available by calling 800-839-2485 or 402-220-7222. The replay will also remain available on the Web site.

Goodyear is one of the world's largest tire companies. It employs about 67,000 people and manufactures its products in 50 facilities in 22 countries around the world. Its two Innovation Centers in Akron, Ohio and Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg strive to develop state-of-the-art products and services that set the technology and performance standard for the industry. For more information about Goodyear and its products, go to www.goodyear.com/corporate.  GT-FN

Certain information contained in this press release constitutes forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. There are a variety of factors, many of which are beyond our control, that affect our operations, performance, business strategy and results and could cause our actual results and experience to differ materially from the assumptions, expectations and objectives expressed in any forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to: our ability to implement successfully our strategic initiatives; actions and initiatives taken by both current and potential competitors; foreign currency translation and transaction risks; increases in the prices paid for raw materials and energy; a labor strike, work stoppage or other similar event; deteriorating economic conditions or an inability to access capital markets; work stoppages, financial difficulties or supply disruptions at our suppliers or customers; the adequacy of our capital expenditures; our failure to comply with a material covenant in our debt obligations; potential adverse consequences of litigation involving the company; as well as the effects of more general factors such as changes in general market, economic or political conditions or in legislation, regulation or public policy. Additional factors are discussed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K. In addition, any forward-looking statements represent our estimates only as of today and should not be relied upon as representing our estimates as of any subsequent date. While we may elect to update forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we specifically disclaim any obligation to do so, even if our estimates change.

(financial statements follow)

 

 

 

 

Non-GAAP Financial Measures (unaudited)

This earnings release presents Total Segment Operating Income, Free Cash Flow from Operations, Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted Diluted Earnings Per Share (EPS) on a historical basis and our targeted Total Segment Operating Income growth rate for 2015-2016 and our targeted ratio of Adjusted Debt to EBITDAP for 2016, which are important financial measures for the company but are not financial measures defined by U.S. GAAP, and should not be construed as an alternative to corresponding financial measures presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP.

Total Segment Operating Income is the sum of the individual strategic business units' (SBUs) Segment Operating Income as determined in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Management believes that Total Segment Operating Income is useful because it represents the aggregate value of income created by the company's SBUs and excludes items not directly related to the SBUs for performance evaluation purposes.

Free Cash Flow from Operations is the company's Cash Flows from Operating Activities as determined in accordance with U.S. GAAP before pension contributions and direct payments and rationalization payments, less capital expenditures. Management believes that Free Cash Flow from Operations is useful because it represents the cash generating capability of the company's ongoing operations, after taking into consideration capital expenditures necessary to maintain its business and pursue growth opportunities.

Adjusted Net Income is Goodyear's Net Income as determined in accordance with U.S. GAAP adjusted for certain significant items. Adjusted Diluted EPS is the company's Adjusted Net Income divided by Weighted Average Shares Outstanding-Diluted as determined in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Management believes that Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted Diluted EPS are useful because they represent how management reviews the operating results of the company excluding the impacts of rationalizations, asset write-offs, accelerated depreciation, asset sales and certain other significant items.

Adjusted Debt is the sum of our total debt and our global pension liability, each as determined in accordance with U.S. GAAP, and EBITDAP, as adjusted, represents Net Income (the most directly comparable U.S. GAAP financial measure) before interest expense, income tax expense, depreciation and amortization expense, net periodic pension cost, rationalization charges and other (income) and expense. We refer to the ratio of Adjusted Debt to EBITDAP because we believe it is widely used by investors as a means of evaluating a company's leverage.

We are unable to present a quantitative reconciliation of our forward-looking non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable U.S. GAAP financial measures, because management cannot reliably predict all of the necessary components of those U.S. GAAP financial measures without unreasonable effort. These components could be significant to the calculation of those U.S. GAAP financial measures in the future.

It should be noted that other companies may calculate similarly-titled non-GAAP financial measures differently and, as a result, the measures presented herein may not be comparable to such similarly-titled measures reported by other companies.

See the tables below for reconciliations of historical Total Segment Operating Income, Free Cash Flow from Operations, Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted Diluted EPS to the most directly comparable U.S. GAAP measures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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SOURCE The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company