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Meritor (MTOR) Q2 Earnings Miss, Revenues Beat Estimates

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Meritor, Inc.  recorded adjusted earnings of 35 cents per share in the second quarter of 2017 (ended Mar 31, 2017), which missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 36 cents. Adjusted net income was $22 million compared with $32 million in the second quarter of 2016.

Revenues fell 2% year over year to $806 million. However, the top line surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $793 million. The decrease in sales was primarily due to a decline in the commercial truck volume in North America, caused by lower production of Class 8 trucks.

Meritor’s adjusted EBITDA increased to $82 million from $81 million in the year-ago quarter. Adjusted EBITDA margin was 10.2% compared with 9.9% in the year-ago quarter. The fiscal second-quarter figure includes a charge of $10 millionfor a legal contingency related to a dispute with a joint venture. Despite this charge, adjusted EBITDA and EBITDA margin increased on a year-over-year basis, driven by good material, labor and burden performance, favorable foreign exchange and mix.

Meritor, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

 

Meritor, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise | Meritor, Inc. Quote

Segment Results

Revenues from the Commercial Truck & Industrial segment fell $11 million to $620 million in the reported quarter. Segment adjusted EBITDA declined $2 million to $54 million. EBITDA margin decreased to 8.7% from 8.9% in the prior-year quarter, primarily due to legal charges and higher steel prices. This was partially offset by operational performance, foreign exchange and favorable mix.

Revenues from the Aftermarket & Trailer segment was $215 million compared with $218 million in a year-ago quarter due to lower U.S. trailer production, partially offset by higher aftermarket revenues. Segment EBITDA was $30 million, up $2 million from the year-ago quarter. EBITDA margin was 14% compared with 12.8% a year ago. The margin improvement was backed by robust labor and burden performance.

Financial Position

Meritor’s cash and cash equivalents totaled $138 million as of Mar 31, 2017 compared with $160 million as of Sep 30, 2016. Total debt decreased to $857 million as of Mar 31, 2017 from $982 million as of Sep 30, 2016.

In the first half of fiscal 2017, Meritor’s cash inflow from operating activities was $30 million down from $39 million in the year-ago period. Capital expenditures decreased to $40 million from the year-ago figure of $47 million. Free cash outflow was a $10 million compared with $8 million in the year-ago quarter.

Share Repurchases

The company didn’t repurchase any share in the reported quarter.

Outlook

Meritor remains on track to meet its guidance for fiscal 2017. The company expects revenues to be approximately $3.1 billion as against $3.2 billion generated in fiscal 2016. Adjusted EBITDA margin is likely to be 10%. Adjusted earnings from continuing operations are anticipated to be roughly $1.40 per share compared with the year-ago earnings of $1.64 per share.

For fiscal 2017, the company expects free cash flow of $50–$70 million and operating cash flow of $140–$160 million.

Price Performance

Meritor’s shares have outperformed the Zacks categorized Automotive-Original Equipmentindustry in the past six months. During this period, the company’s share price increased 65.3%, while the industry saw a 21% increase. Meritor benefited from new business and better-than-expected results.

Zacks Rank & Other Stocks to Consider

Meritor currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Other top-ranked auto stocks include Allison Transmission Holdings Inc. (ALSN - Free Report) , Cummins Inc. (CMI - Free Report) and Dana Incorporated (DAN - Free Report) . All the three stocks sport Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

The expected long term year earnings estimates for Allison, Cummins and Dana is 11%, 9.84% and 3%, respectively.

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