CNMD CONMED Corporation

CONMED Corporation (Nasdaq: CNMD) today announced financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2015.

Third Quarter 2015 Highlights

• Sales were $169.2 million, a decrease of 3.3% compared to the third quarter of 2014. On a constant currency basis, sales increased 0.5% over the prior-year period.
• Diluted earnings per share (GAAP) were $0.32, compared to $0.07 in the third quarter of 2014.
• Adjusted diluted earnings per share were $0.38 versus $0.44 in the prior-year period.
• Appointed Nathan Folkert as Vice President and General Manager of Orthopedics.

“While I am pleased to see total Company constant currency sales break back into positive growth, the overall results indicate the transformative changes we are pursuing are taking longer to implement than we had anticipated,” commented Curt R. Hartman, CONMED’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “Weaker than expected performance in our export markets and in our domestic General Surgery business slowed our progress this quarter. I remain confident that CONMED has the right team of leaders and the sense of urgency necessary to advance our turnaround efforts.”

Sales Analysis

For the quarter ended September 30, 2015, domestic sales, which represented 51.9% of total revenue, increased 1.3%, driven by growth in capital equipment sales within Visualization and Orthopedics. International sales, which represented 48.1% of total revenue, declined 7.8% compared to the third quarter of 2014 on a reported basis. Foreign currency exchange rates, including the effects of the FX hedging program, had a negative impact of $6.6 million on third quarter sales. In constant currency, international sales decreased 0.4% versus the prior-year period as a result of a decline in sales of capital equipment, particularly within General Surgery and Visualization.

Earnings Analysis

Reported net earnings totaled $8.9 million in the quarter, compared to reported net earnings of $2.0 million in the prior year. Reported diluted net earnings per share were $0.32 in the quarter, compared to $0.07 in the prior-year period. Reported net earnings for the third quarter of 2014 included substantially higher costs related to restructuring and shareholder activism. The effect of each of these items on reported net earnings appears in the reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP measures provided below.

Excluding the impact of the items described above, adjusted net earnings of $10.6 million decreased 13.2% year over year and adjusted diluted net earnings per share of $0.38 decreased 13.6% year over year. The decline in adjusted net earnings was largely attributable to weaker than anticipated international sales, the negative impact of foreign currency, and a higher tax rate, partially offset by improved gross margin and lower operating expenses during the quarter.

2015 Outlook

Based on weaker than expected third quarter sales, the Company has reduced its 2015 constant currency organic sales growth estimate to 0% to 1%, compared to the previous estimate of 1% to 3%.

Using current exchange rates, the Company now forecasts total reported 2015 sales to be in the range of $715 to $720 million, compared to prior guidance of $723 to $738 million. Adjusted earnings per diluted share are now expected to be in the range of $1.65 to $1.70, compared to prior guidance of $1.82 to $1.92.

Conference Call

The Company’s management will host a conference call today at 4:30 p.m. ET to discuss its third quarter results.

To participate in the conference call, dial 800-884-5695 (domestic) or 617-786-2960 (international) and enter the passcode 44699196.

This conference call will also be webcast and can be accessed from the Investors section of CONMED's web site at www.conmed.com. The webcast replay of the call will be available at the same site approximately one hour after the end of the call.

A recording of the call will also be available from 8:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, October 21, 2015, until 11:59 p.m. ET on Wednesday, October 28, 2015. To hear this recording, dial 888-286-8010 (domestic) or 617-801-6888 (international) and enter the passcode 88091814.

About CONMED Corporation

CONMED is a medical technology company that provides surgical devices and equipment for minimally invasive procedures. The Company’s products are used by surgeons and physicians in a variety of specialties, including orthopedics, general surgery, gynecology, neurosurgery, and gastroenterology. The Company distributes its products worldwide from several manufacturing locations. CONMED has a direct selling presence in 16 countries outside the United States, and international sales constitute over 50% of the Company’s total sales. Headquartered in Utica, New York, the Company employs approximately 3,500 people. For more information, visit www.conmed.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements based on certain assumptions and contingencies that involve risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and relate to the Company's performance on a going-forward basis. The forward-looking statements in this press release involve risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results, performance or trends to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements herein or in previous disclosures. In addition to general industry and economic conditions, factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, the risks relating to forward-looking statements discussed in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014.

Supplemental Information - Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Financial Measures

The Company supplements the reporting of its financial information determined under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (GAAP) with certain non-GAAP financial measures, including percentage sales growth in constant currency; adjusted gross profit; cost of sales excluding specified items; adjusted selling and administrative expenses; adjusted operating income; adjusted effective income tax rate; adjusted net earnings and adjusted diluted net earnings per share (EPS). The Company believes that these non-GAAP measures provide meaningful information to assist investors and shareholders in understanding our financial results and assessing our prospects for future performance. Management believes percentage sales growth in constant currency and the other adjusted measures described above are important indicators of our operations because they exclude items that may not be indicative of, or are unrelated to, our core operating results and provide a baseline for analyzing trends in the Company’s underlying businesses. Further, the presentation of EBITDA is a non-GAAP measurement that management considers useful for measuring aspects of the Company’s cash flow. Management uses these non-GAAP financial measures for reviewing the operating results and analyzing potential future business trends in connection with our budget process and bases certain management incentive compensation on these non-GAAP financial measures.

To measure percentage sales growth in constant currency, the Company removes the impact of changes in foreign currency exchange rates that affect the comparability and trend of sales. To measure earnings performance on a consistent and comparable basis, the Company excludes certain items that affect the comparability of operating results and the trend of earnings. These adjustments are irregular in timing, may not be indicative of our past and future performance and are therefore excluded to allow investors to better understand underlying operating trends.

Because non-GAAP financial measures are not standardized, it may not be possible to compare these financial measures with other companies' non-GAAP financial measures having the same or similar names. These adjusted financial measures should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for reported sales growth, gross profit, cost of sales, selling and administrative expenses, operating income, effective income tax rate, net earnings and diluted net earnings per share, the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures. These non-GAAP financial measures are an additional way of viewing aspects of our operations that, when viewed with our GAAP results and the reconciliations to corresponding GAAP financial measures below, provide a more complete understanding of our business. The Company strongly encourages investors and shareholders to review our financial statements and publicly-filed reports in their entirety and not to rely on any single financial measure.

Consolidated Condensed Statements of Income (in thousands except per share amounts, unaudited)       Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended September 30, September 30, 2015   2014 2015   2014   Net sales $ 169,184 $ 174,961 $ 528,151 $ 545,052 Cost of sales   75,638       78,547     248,825       245,028   Gross profit   93,546       96,414     279,326       300,024   % of sales 55.3 % 55.1 % 52.9 % 55.0 % Selling and administrative expense 72,056 87,055 220,423 243,653 Research and development   6,652       6,910     20,695       20,674   Income from operations   14,838       2,449     38,208       35,697   % of sales 8.8 % 1.4 % 7.2 % 6.5 % Interest expense   1,504       1,540     4,453       4,572   Income before income taxes 13,334 909 33,755 31,125 Provision (benefit) for income taxes   4,461       (1,063 )   11,109       10,272   Net income $ 8,873     $ 1,972   $ 22,646     $ 20,853     Basic EPS $ 0.32 $ 0.07 $ 0.82 $ 0.76 Diluted EPS $ 0.32 $ 0.07 $ 0.81 $ 0.75   Basic shares 27,701 27,454 27,636 27,354 Diluted shares 27,898 27,688 27,853 27,777   Consolidated Condensed Balance Sheets (in thousands, unaudited)   September   December 2015 2014 Assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 65,326 $ 66,332 Accounts receivable, net 124,697 129,287 Inventories 161,555 148,149 Other current assets   32,116   37,382 Total Current Assets 383,694 381,150 Property, plant and equipment, net 130,717 133,429 Goodwill 260,755 256,232 Other intangible assets, net 308,059 316,440 Other assets   10,822   10,943 Total Assets $ 1,094,047 $ 1,098,194   Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity Current liabilities $ 111,656 $ 115,956 Long-term debt, excluding current maturities 260,545 240,201 Other liabilities 144,421 160,739 Shareholders' equity   577,425   581,298 Total liabilities and shareholders' equity $ 1,094,047 $ 1,098,194   Consolidated Condensed Statements of Cash Flows Nine Months Ended September 2015 and 2014 (in thousands, unaudited)   2015   2014 Operating Activities Net income $ 22,646 $ 20,853 Depreciation and amortization 32,308 34,020 Changes in operating assets and liabilities and other, net   (16,234 )   (15,344 ) Net cash provided by operating activities   38,720     39,529     Investing Activities Payments related to business acquisitions (6,104 ) (1,245 ) Purchases of property, plant, and equipment   (11,478 )   (12,250 ) Net cash used in investing activities   (17,582 )   (13,495 )   Financing Activities Proceeds of debt 21,000 33,000 Payment related to distribution agreements (16,667 ) (16,667 ) Payment related to contingent consideration (2,423 ) - Dividend payments on common stock (16,565 ) (16,455 ) Repurchase of common stock - (16,862 ) Other, net   (600 )   4,378   Net cash used in financing activities (15,255 ) (12,606 )   Effect of exchange rate change on cash and cash equivalents   (6,889 )   (3,257 ) Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents (1,006 ) 10,171 Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period   66,332     54,443   Cash and cash equivalents at end of period $ 65,326   $ 64,614     Sales Summary (in millions, unaudited)   Three Months Ended September   Nine Months Ended September     % Change       % Change   2015   2014

AsReported

 

ConstantCurrency

2015   2014

AsReported

 

ConstantCurrency

Orthopedic Surgery $ 89.4 $ 92.8 -3.6 %   1.4 % $ 284.8 $ 301.1 -5.4 %   -1.0 % General Surgery 66.1 69.7 -5.2 % -3.2 % 203.3 203.9 -0.3 % 1.5 % Surgical Visualization   13.7     12.5 9.6 % 13.8 %   40.1     40.1 0.1 % 3.6 % $ 169.2   $ 175.0 -3.3 % 0.5 % $ 528.2   $ 545.1 -3.1 % 0.3 %   Single-use products $ 134.9 $ 142.4 -5.2 % -1.6 % $ 420.4 $ 439.0 -4.2 % -0.9 % Capital products   34.3     32.6 5.2 % 9.6 %   107.8     106.1 1.6 % 5.1 % $ 169.2   $ 175.0 -3.3 % 0.5 % $ 528.2   $ 545.1 -3.1 % 0.3 %   Reconciliation of Reported Net Earnings to Adjusted Net Earnings (in thousands, except per share amounts, unaudited)   Three Months Ended September 2015

Gross Profit

 

Selling &AdministrativeExpense

 

OperatingIncome

 

NetIncome

 

EffectiveTax Rate

 

DilutedEPS

As reported $ 93,546     $ 72,056     $ 14,838     $ 8,873   33.5 %   $ 0.32 % of sales 55.3 %     8.8 %       Restructuring costs (1)   1,316       (1,331 )     2,647       1,694   0.4 %     0.06 Adjusted $ 94,862     $ 70,725     $ 17,485     $ 10,567   33.9 %   $ 0.38 % of sales 56.1 % 10.3 %   Three Months Ended September 2014

Gross Profit

 

Selling &AdministrativeExpense

 

OperatingIncome

 

NetIncome

 

EffectiveTax Rate

 

DilutedEPS

As reported $ 96,414     $ 87,055     $ 2,449     $ 1,972   -116.9 %   $ 0.07 % of sales 55.1 % 1.4 % Restructuring costs (1) 1,448 (687 ) 2,135 1,366 1.8 % 0.05 Management restructuring costs (2) - (11,022 ) 11,022 7,054 141.2 % 0.25 Patent dispute and other matters (3) - (334 ) 334 214 0.2 % 0.01 Shareholder activism (4)   -       (2,441 )     2,441       1,562   1.4 %     0.06 Adjusted $ 97,862     $ 72,571     $ 18,381     $ 12,168   27.7 %   $ 0.44 % of sales 55.9 % 10.5 %   Reconciliation of Reported Net Earnings to Adjusted Net Earnings (in thousands, except per share amounts, unaudited)   Nine Months Ended September 2015 Gross Profit  

Selling &AdministrativeExpense

 

OperatingIncome

 

NetIncome

 

EffectiveTax Rate

 

DilutedEPS

As reported $ 279,326     $ 220,423     $ 38,208     $ 22,646   32.9 %   $ 0.81 % of sales 52.9 %     7.2 %       Restructuring costs (1)   5,179       (9,795 )     14,974       9,583   1.0 %     0.35 Adjusted $ 284,505     $ 210,628     $ 53,182     $ 32,229   33.9 %   $ 1.16 % of sales 53.9 % 10.1 %   Nine Months Ended September 2014 Gross Profit  

Selling &AdministrativeExpense

 

OperatingIncome

 

NetIncome

 

EffectiveTax Rate

 

DilutedEPS

As reported $ 300,024     $ 243,653     $ 35,697     $ 20,853   33.0 %   $ 0.75 % of sales 55.0 % 6.5 % Restructuring costs (1) 3,754 (1,855 ) 5,609 3,590 0.3 % 0.13 Management restructuring costs (2) - (11,022 ) 11,022 7,055 0.8 % 0.26 Patent dispute and other matters (3) - (3,677 ) 3,677 2,353 0.1 % 0.08 Shareholder activism (4) - (3,966 ) 3,966 2,538 0.1 % 0.09 New York State corporate tax reform (5)   -       -       -       2,258   -4.1 %     0.08 Adjusted $ 303,778     $ 223,133     $ 59,971     $ 38,647   30.2 %   $ 1.39 % of sales 55.7 % 11.0 %   (1) In 2014 and 2015, the Company continued the operational restructuring, including the consolidation of our Centennial, Colorado manufacturing operations into other existing CONMED manufacturing facilities. Additionally, in 2014 and 2015, the Company restructured certain sales, marketing and administrative functions and incurred severance and other related costs. (2) In 2014, the Company incurred certain costs associated with executive management restructuring, including our then Chief Executive Officer. (3) In 2014, the Company incurred legal and settlement costs associated with a patent infringement claim, costs associated with a legal matter in which we prevailed at trial and business acquisition costs. (4) In 2014, the Company incurred certain costs associated with shareholder activism. (5) In 2014, New York State enacted corporate tax reform changing the tax rate of a manufacturing company such as CONMED to essentially 0%. As a result, our previously recorded New York State net deferred tax asset were written off to income tax expense.   Reconciliation of Reported Net Income to EBITDA & Adjusted EBITDA (in thousands, unaudited)       Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended September 30, September 30, 2015   2014 2015   2014   Net income $ 8,873     $ 1,972   $ 22,646     $ 20,853   Provision (benefit) for income taxes 4,461 (1,063 ) 11,109 10,272 Interest expense 1,504 1,540 4,453 4,572 Depreciation 4,723 5,229 13,919 14,702 Amortization   6,354       6,341     17,943       18,880   EBITDA $ 25,915     $ 14,019   $ 70,070     $ 69,279     Stock based compensation 1,784 1,646 4,822 4,164 Restructuring costs 2,647 2,135 14,974 5,609 Management restructuring costs - 11,022 - 11,022 Patent dispute and other matters - 334 - 3,677 Shareholder activism   -       2,441     -       3,966   Adjusted EBITDA $ 30,346     $ 31,597   $ 89,866     $ 97,717     EBITDA Margin EBITDA 15.3 % 8.0 % 13.3 % 12.7 % Adjusted EBITDA 17.9 % 18.1 % 17.0 % 17.9 %

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CONMED CorporationLuke A. Pomilio, 315-624-3202Chief Financial OfficerLukePomilio@conmed.com