AKRON, Ohio, Oct. 29, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company (NASDAQ: GT) today reported record segment operating income for the third quarter of 2014.

"We delivered outstanding earnings growth in the quarter and achieved a segment operating income margin of more than 11 percent, the highest in more than a decade, despite an increasingly challenged global economy," said Richard J. Kramer, chairman and chief executive officer.

"These results reflect our focus on capturing the value of our branded products in the marketplace and continued progress generating cost savings through our operational excellence activities," he added.

Goodyear's third quarter 2014 sales were $4.7 billion, compared to $5.0 billion a year ago. Sales were negatively impacted by $137 million in unfavorable foreign currency translation. Tire unit volumes totaled 41.9 million for the third quarter of 2014, down 2 percent year-over-year. Original equipment unit volume was down 3 percent, primarily due to reduced vehicle production in Brazil. Replacement tire shipments were down 1 percent, due primarily to a decline in North America where markets were disrupted due to significant stockpiling of imported low-end tires in advance of potential tariffs being imposed in 2015.

"In the distorted North American industry environment, we remained committed to our strategy of pursuing profitable volume and we achieved record segment operating income in the quarter," said Kramer.

The company reported segment operating income of $520 million in the third quarter of 2014, a record for any quarter. Segment operating income was up 21 percent from the year-ago quarter driven by significant improvement in North America; Europe, Middle East and Africa, and Asia Pacific.

Goodyear's third quarter 2014 net income available to common shareholders was $161 million (58 cents per share). Excluding certain significant items, adjusted net income was $242 million (87 cents per share). 

For the third quarter of 2013, net income available to common shareholders was $166 million (62 cents per share). Excluding certain significant items, adjusted net income was $190 million (68 cents per share). Per share amounts are diluted.

Year to date

Goodyear's sales for the first nine months of 2014 were $13.8 billion, compared to $14.8 billion in the 2013 period. Tire unit volumes totaled 122.5 million for the first nine months of 2014, up 1 percent from 2013. Replacement tire shipments were up 2 percent. Original equipment unit volume was down 3 percent.

The company's year-to-date segment operating income of $1.4 billion was up 17 percent from last year and a record. Compared to the prior year, year-to-date segment operating income reflects significant earnings growth in North America and Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Goodyear's year-to-date net income available to common shareholders was $316 million ($1.15 per share). Excluding certain significant items, adjusted net income was $621 million ($2.22 per share).

For the first nine months of 2013, net income available to common shareholders was $372 million ($1.43 per share). Excluding certain significant items, adjusted net income was $517 million ($1.87 cents per share). All 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; and Adjusted Net Income, reflecting the impact of certain significant items on the 2014 and 2013 periods.

Business Segment Results

North America

North America's third quarter 2014 sales decreased 6 percent from last year to $2.1 billion. Sales reflect a 4 percent decrease in tire unit volume and unfavorable currency translation. Replacement tire shipments were down 4 percent. Original equipment unit volume was down 4 percent.

Third quarter 2014 segment operating income of $210 million was a 30 percent improvement over the prior year and a record for any quarter. The improvement was driven primarily by lower conversion and raw material costs.

Europe, Middle East and Africa

Europe, Middle East and Africa's third quarter sales decreased 8 percent from last year to $1.6 billion. Sales reflect a 1 percent decrease in tire unit volume, lower price/mix and unfavorable currency translation. Replacement tire shipments were down 1 percent. Original equipment unit volume was down 3 percent.

Third quarter 2014 segment operating income of $181 million was 57 percent above the prior year primarily due to lower conversion and raw material costs as well as cost reduction actions, including savings from the closure of a tire plant in Amiens, France.

Latin America

Latin America's third quarter sales decreased 14 percent from last year to $451 million. Sales reflect a 5 percent decrease in tire unit volume and unfavorable foreign currency translation, partially offset by improved price/mix. Replacement tire shipments were up 4 percent. Original equipment unit volume was down 27 percent, primarily in Brazil.

Third quarter segment operating income of $49 million was down 45 percent from a year ago primarily due to the effects of continuing challenges in the operating environment in Venezuela, lower original equipment volume and increased plant expansion expenses in Brazil.

Asia Pacific

Asia Pacific's third quarter sales decreased 1 percent from last year to $531 million. Sales reflect a 7 percent increase in tire unit volume, which was more than offset by unfavorable price/mix and lower off-the-road tire sales. Replacement tire shipments were up 4 percent. Original equipment unit volume was up 11 percent.

Third quarter segment operating income of $80 million was up 21 percent from last year, driven by higher volume and lower SAG expenses.

Outlook
The company reaffirmed its 2014-2016 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.

The company now anticipates Segment Operating Income growth in 2014 will be near the high end of the 10 percent to 15 percent range. Based on year-to-date performance, the company now expects unit volumes to be flat to up 1 percent for 2014 over 2013.

Common Stock Dividend
The company paid a quarterly dividend of 6 cents per share of common stock on September 2, 2014. Directors have declared a quarterly dividend of 6 cents per share payable December 1, 2014 to shareholders of record on October 31, 2014.

Common Stock Share Repurchase
As a part of its previously announced $450 million share repurchase program, the company repurchased 1,200,000 shares of its common stock at an average price of $24.75 per share during the third quarter. Year-to-date, Goodyear has repurchased 3,200,000 shares of its common stock at an average price of $26.03 per share.

Based on recent trading prices of its common stock, the company plans to acquire up to $150 million of its common stock under its existing share repurchase program during the fourth quarter of 2014.

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 800-753-4606 or 402-220-2103. The replay will also remain available on the Web site.

Goodyear is one of the world's largest tire companies. It employs about 68,000 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 may constitute 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 strategic initiatives; actions and initiatives taken by both current and potential competitors; 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
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 2014-2016 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 Flow from Operations 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.

 

 

Amounts are calculated from the consolidated Statements of Cash Flows except for pension expense, which is as reported in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements. 

(1) Working Capital represents total changes in accounts receivable, inventories and accounts payable – trade.
(2) Pension expense is the net periodic pension cost (before curtailments, settlements and termination benefits) as reported in the pension-related note in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
(3) Other includes amortization and write-off of debt issuance costs, deferred income taxes, net pension curtailments and settlements, net rationalization charges, net (gains) losses on asset sales, net Venezuela currency remeasurement loss, customer prepayments and government grants, insurance proceeds, compensation and benefits less pension expense, other current liabilities, and other assets and liabilities.

 

 

 

 

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20050204/GTLOGO

SOURCE The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company