BRISTOL - Barnes Group Inc. (NYSE: B), a global provider of highly engineered products, differentiated industrial technologies, and innovative solutions, today reported financial results for the first quarter 2024.
'Barnes continues to advance our business transformation strategy with solid first-quarter results, additional long-term Aerospace agreements benefiting from our MB Aerospace acquisition, and the completed sale of the Associated Spring and Hanggi businesses in April,' said Thomas J. Hook, President and Chief Executive Officer of Barnes. 'Following the divestiture, an increasing majority of our earnings are driven by Aerospace, where we are investing to take full advantage of strong demand and attractive growth opportunities. And we continue to integrate, consolidate, and rationalize our Industrial business to further optimize our portfolio for long-term profitable growth. Our comprehensive strategic review is ongoing, and we remain committed to reshaping and positioning Barnes to maximize value for our shareholders. We look forward to sharing our ongoing progress.'
First Quarter 2024 Highlights
Sales of $431 million were up 28%, supported by organic growth(1) of 4% and acquisition-related growth of approximately 25%. The foreign exchange impact on sales was neutral. Operating income of $39.7 million was up 70%, and operating margin of 9.2% was up 230 bps.
Adjusted operating income of $51.1 million was up 37% and adjusted operating margin of 11.9% was up 80 bps. Adjusted operating income excludes restructuring and transformation related charges of $4.1 million, divestiture transaction costs of $3.1 million, MB Aerospace short-term purchase accounting adjustments of $2.1 million, and shareholder advisory costs of $2.0 million. Adjusted EBITDA(2) was $80.4 million, up 38% from a year ago and adjusted EBITDA margin was 18.7%, up 130 bps.
Interest expense was $24.8 million, up from $5.3 million a year ago, primarily due to higher average borrowings from the purchase of MB Aerospace and a higher average interest rate given the recapitalization of the Company's debt structure.
The effective tax rate for the quarter was 85% compared with 21% last year primarily driven by $6.8 million of tax expense relating to the sale of the Associated Spring and Hanggi businesses.
Net income was $1.9 million, or $0.04 per share, compared to $13.2 million, or $0.26 per share in the prior year. On an adjusted basis, net income per share of $0.38 was down 19% from $0.47. Adjusted net income per share excludes $0.06 of restructuring and transformation related charges, $0.02 of acquisition related costs, $0.20 of divestiture transaction costs, $0.03 of MB Aerospace short-term purchase accounting adjustments, and $0.03 of shareholder advisory costs.
Year-to-date cash used by operating activities was $2.3 million versus cash provided of $32.2 million a year ago. The decrease from the prior year was due to a use of cash for working capital, higher outflows for accrued liabilities, and an increase in other current assets. Capital expenditures of $12.8 million increased $1.9 million over the prior year, driven by investments related to the Company's restructuring program and investments for growth. Free cash flow was negative $15.2 million.
Segment Performance
Aerospace
First quarter sales in the Aerospace segment were $221 million, up 89%. Organic sales increased 19% and sales related to the acquisition of MB Aerospace added 70%. Aerospace original equipment manufacturing ('OEM') sales increased 85%, while aftermarket sales increased 94%. On an organic basis, OEM sales increased 16% and aftermarket sales increased 23%. Segment operating profit was $31.1 million, up 66%. Adjusted operating profit of $34.6 million was up 69%, while adjusted operating margin declined 180 bps to 15.7%. Adjusted operating profit excludes restructuring and transformation-related charges of $0.4 million, MB Aerospace short-term purchase accounting adjustments of $2.1 million, and allocated shareholder advisory costs of $1.0 million. Adjusted operating profit benefited from the contribution of higher organic sales volumes, inclusive of pricing, favorable aftermarket mix, and the contribution of MB Aerospace sales, partially offset by the amortization of long term acquired intangibles for the MB Aerospace acquisition and lower productivity. Aerospace adjusted EBITDA was $53.5 million, up 75%, and adjusted EBITDA margin was 24.2% versus 26.1% a year ago.
Aerospace OEM backlog ended the first quarter at $1.46 billion, up 19% sequentially from December 2023. The Company expects to convert approximately 45% of this backlog to revenue over the next 12 months.
Industrial
First quarter sales in the Industrial segment were $209 million, down 4% reported and organic. Operating profit was $8.6 million versus $4.5 million in the prior year. Adjusted operating profit was $16.4 million, down 1%, and adjusted operating margin was 7.8%, up 20 bps. Adjusted operating profit reflects lower organic sales volumes and unfavorable mix, partially offset by positive pricing and Barnes Transformation Office (BTO) cost initiatives. Adjusted operating profit excludes restructuring and transformation related charges of $3.7 million, divestiture-related costs of $3.1 million, and allocated shareholder advisory costs of $1.0 million. Adjusted EBITDA was $27.2 million, down 6% from a year ago, and adjusted EBITDA margin was 13.0%, down 30 bps.
Associated Spring and Hanggi Divestiture
On April 4, 2024, Barnes completed the sale of the Associated Spring & Hanggi businesses to One Equity Partners. This divestiture materially reduces the Company's exposure to automotive component manufacturing and represents an important step in our ongoing strategy to integrate, consolidate and rationalize the Industrial business. Net cash proceeds of approximately $150 million will be used to reduce debt.
Balance Sheet and Liquidity
As of March 31, 2024, the Company had $82 million in cash and $344 million available capacity under its revolving credit facility. The 'Net Debt to EBITDA' ratio, as defined in our credit agreements, was 3.62 times, down slightly from 3.64 times at the end of 2023. Barnes remains committed to achieving a leverage ratio of 3.0x or lower by the end of 2024 and reaffirms its long-term leverage goal of 2.5x by 2025.
During the quarter, Barnes refinanced its Term Loan B facility, which resulted in a 60 bps decrease in the interest rate applied to outstanding borrowings. All other terms of the loan facility are essentially unchanged. The Company expects interest and tax savings from the refinancing of approximately $1.4 million in 2024 and $4.7 million in 2025.
About Barnes
Barnes Group Inc. (NYSE: B) leverages world-class manufacturing capabilities and market-leading engineering to develop advanced processes, automation solutions, and applied technologies for industries ranging from aerospace and medical & personal care to mobility and packaging. With a celebrated legacy of pioneering excellence, Barnes delivers exceptional value to customers through advanced manufacturing capabilities and cutting-edge industrial technologies. Barnes Aerospace specializes in the production and servicing of intricate fabricated and precision-machined components for both commercial and military turbine engines, nacelles, and airframes. Barnes Industrial excels in advancing the processing, control, and sustainability of engineered plastics and delivering innovative, custom-tailored solutions for industrial automation and metal forming applications. Established in 1857 and headquartered in Bristol, Connecticut, USA, the Company has manufacturing and support operations around the globe.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements often address our expected future operating and financial performance and financial condition, and often contain words such as 'anticipate,' 'believe,' 'expect,' 'plan,' 'estimate,' 'project,' 'continue,' 'will,' 'should,' 'may,' and similar terms. These forward-looking statements do not constitute guarantees of future performance and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, among others: the Company's ability to manage economic, business and geopolitical conditions, including rising interest rates, global price inflation and shortages impacting the availability of materials; the duration and severity of unforeseen events such as an epidemic or a pandemic, including their impacts across our business on demand, supply chains, operations and liquidity; failure to successfully negotiate collective bargaining agreements or potential strikes, work stoppages or other similar events; changes in market demand for our products and services; rapid technological and market change; the ability to protect and avoid infringing upon intellectual property rights; challenges associated with the introduction or development of new products or transfer of work; higher risks in global operations and markets; the impact of intense competition; the physical and operational risks from natural disasters, severe weather events, and climate change which may limit accessibility to sufficient water resources, outbreaks of contagious diseases and other adverse public health developments; acts of war, terrorism and other international conflicts; the failure to achieve anticipated cost savings and benefits associated with workforce reductions and restructuring actions; currency fluctuations and foreign currency exposure; impacts from goodwill impairment and related charges; our dependence upon revenues and earnings from a small number of significant customers; a major loss of customers; inability to realize expected sales or profits from existing backlog due to a range of factors, including changes in customer sourcing decisions, material changes, production schedules and volumes of specific programs; the impact of government budget and funding decisions; our ability to successfully integrate and achieve anticipated synergies associated with recently announced and future acquisitions, including the acquisition of MB Aerospace; government-imposed sanctions, tariffs, trade agreements and trade policies; changes or uncertainties in laws, regulations, rates, policies or interpretations that impact the Company's business operations or tax status, including those that address climate change, environmental, health and safety matters, and the materials processed by our products or their end markets; fluctuations in the pricing or availability of raw materials, freight, transportation, energy, utilities and other items required by our operations; labor shortages or other business interruptions at transportation centers, shipping ports, our suppliers' facilities or our facilities; disruptions in information technology systems, including as a result of cybersecurity attacks or data security breaches; the ability to hire and retain senior management and qualified personnel; the continuing impact of prior acquisitions and divestitures, and any ongoing and future strategic actions, and our ability to achieve the financial and operational targets set in connection with any such actions; the ability to achieve social and environmental performance goals; the outcome of pending and future litigation and governmental proceedings; the impact of actual, potential or alleged defects or failures of our products or third-party products within which our products are integrated, including product liabilities, product recall costs and uninsured claims; future repurchases of common stock; future levels of indebtedness; the impact of shareholder activism and other risks and uncertainties described in documents filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission ('SEC') by the Company, including, among others, those in the Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and Risk Factors sections of the Company's filings. The Company assumes no obligation to update its forward-looking statements.
Contact:
William Pitts
Vice President
Barnes Group Inc.
Tel: 860.583.7070
Email: ir@onebarnes.com
BARNES GROUP INC. 
