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PPG Industries (PPG) Q1 Earnings Top, Sales Miss Estimates

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PPG Industries Inc. (PPG - Free Report) logged net income from continuing operations of $312 million or $1.31 per share in first-quarter 2019 compared with the year-ago quarter’s tally of $328 million or $1.31.

Barring one-time items, adjusted earnings per share (EPS) were $1.38, down around 2.8% from $1.42 a year ago. The figure beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.21.

Net sales were down 4.5% year over year to $3,624 million. The figure missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3,712.8 million. Unfavorable currency swings affected net sales by more than 4% and acquisition-related sales, net of divestitures, contributed to less than 1% growth in sales.

PPG Industries, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

 

PPG Industries, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise | PPG Industries, Inc. Quote

Segment Highlights

Net sales in the Performance Coatings segment were $2,108 million in the first quarter, down around 2.4% on a year-over-year. Sales volume in the segment declined around 2%, which lowered sales by more than 2%. Unfavorable foreign currency translation affected net sales by roughly 4%.

Segment income rose roughly 6% year over year to $297 million on higher selling prices, consistent cost management and restructuring actions. This was offset by raw material and logistics cost inflation along with lower architectural coatings do-it-yourself (DIY) retail sales volumes in the United States.

Sales in the Industrial Coatings segment totaled $1,516 million, down roughly 6.5% from the prior-year quarter’s figure. Unfavorable foreign currency translation lowered sales by roughly 5% on a year-over-year basis.

Net income in the segment was $218 million, down around 9% year over year. Income was affected by persistent raw material and logistics cost inflation along with lower sales volumes associated with sluggish global industrial activity. This was partly offset by selling price improvement and robust cost management.

Financial Position

As of Mar 31, 2019, PPG Industries had cash and cash equivalents of $784 million, down around 41.8% year over year. Long-term debt fell around 11% year over year to $4,626 million.

Outlook

PPG Industries stated that it expects industry demand for several of its markets to remain mixed in the second quarter compared with the prior year. It will continue to manage cost structure, secure additional pricing to reflect products value and integrate recent acquisitions.

Currently, the company expects second-quarter EPS in the range of $1.76-$1.86, which includes unfavorable currency translation impacts similar to the first quarter.

On a broader perspective, the company is optimistic that economic activity will improve in the second half of 2019, especially in China. PPG Industries stated that it will continue to monitor the macro environment. It is also prepared to implement further cost-savings initiatives, if necessary. The company reaffirmed 2019 sales growth target of 3-5% and adjusted EPS growth of 7-10%, both excluding currency translation impacts.

Price Performance

Shares of PPG Industries have gained 3.7% in the past year, against the 23.2% decline of the industry.



Zacks Rank & Key Picks

PPG Industries currently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).

Some better-ranked stocks in the basic materials space are Kirkland Lake Gold Ltd. , Innospec Inc. (IOSP - Free Report) and Fortescue Metals Group Ltd. (FSUGY - Free Report) , each currently sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Kirkland has an expected earnings growth rate of 8.8% for 2019. The company’s shares have surged 84.8% in the past year.

Innospec has an expected earnings growth rate of 3.5% for the current year. The company’s shares have gained 16.6% in a year’s time.

Fortescue Metals has an expected earnings growth rate of 101.5% for 2019. Its shares have rallied 48.4% in a year’s time.

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