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| Lehigh Valley, PA

Air Products Reports Strong Fiscal 2019 First Quarter Results

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Q1 FY19 (all from continuing operations; comparisons versus prior year):

Q1 FY19 Highlights

Guidance

*The results and guidance in this release, including in the highlights above, include references to non-GAAP continuing operations measures and are identified by the word “adjusted” preceding the measure. A reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP results can be found below.

Air Products (NYSE:APD) reported GAAP net income from continuing operations of $348 million and GAAP diluted EPS from continuing operations of $1.57 for its fiscal first quarter ended December 31, 2018. These results include a net $0.29 EPS charge from non-GAAP items. 

On a non-GAAP basis, quarterly adjusted net income from continuing operations of $410 million and diluted adjusted EPS from continuing operations of $1.86 both increased four percent over the prior year. Excluding the impact of a plant sale in the prior year, diluted adjusted EPS from continuing operations increased nine percent. 

First quarter sales of $2.2 billion were flat with the prior year, as one percent higher pricing and five percent higher energy pass-through were offset by three percent lower volumes and two percent unfavorable currency. In addition, a modification to an existing contract in India reduced sales by one percent but had no impact on profits. Excluding the prior-year plant sale, the India contract modification, and the Jazan project, sales were up nine percent. Excluding Jazan and the plant sale, volumes grew five percent, driven by positive base volumes in all three regions and the full onstream of the Lu'An gasification facility in Asia. Pricing improved in all three regions. 

Adjusted EBITDA of $795 million increased eight percent over the prior year, driven by the higher volumes, positive pricing and higher equity affiliate income, partially offset by higher costs and unfavorable currency. Excluding the prior-year plant sale, adjusted EBITDA increased 12 percent. Adjusted EBITDA margin of 35.7 percent increased 250 basis points over the prior year. 

Commenting on the results, Seifi Ghasemi, chairman, president and chief executive officer, said, "Delivering our 19th consecutive quarter of adjusted EPS growth, Air Products colleagues are executing against our Five-Point Plan to sustain the lead and be the best performing industrial gas company in the world. On an underlying basis, we delivered nearly 10 percent adjusted EPS growth, despite a headwind from currency. I am very proud of the team's efforts to safely execute very large and complex projects while at the same time, continuing to serve and innovate for customers across dozens of industries. Meanwhile, with our very strong financial position and significant cash flow, we can continue to invest in value-creating projects to profitably grow the company while also continuing to return cash to our shareholders. With the dividend increase we announced yesterday, we expect to return about $4.64 per share, or about $1 billion in cash, to our shareholders over the next year," he added.

First Quarter Results by Business Segment

Outlook

Ghasemi said, "We do not control events that impact economies around the world, but we do control the operational performance of Air Products. Therefore, we continue to feel confident that we will deliver on our previous adjusted EPS guidance for fiscal year 2019."

Air Products continues to expect full-year fiscal 2019 adjusted EPS of $8.05 to $8.30 per share, up 10 percent at midpoint over prior year. For the fiscal 2019 second quarter, Air Products expects adjusted EPS of $1.80 to 1.90 per share, up eight percent at midpoint over the fiscal 2018 second quarter.

Air Products continues to expect capital expenditures in the range of $2.3 to $2.5 billion for full-year fiscal 2019.

Effective October 1, 2018, Air Products adopted the new revenue recognition standard, which had no material impact on the company’s financial statements. Management has provided adjusted EPS on a continuing operations basis. While Air Products might have additional impacts from the U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act adopted in late 2017, or incur additional costs for items such as cost reduction actions and pension settlements in future periods, it is not possible, without unreasonable efforts, to identify the amount or significance of these events or the potential for other transactions that may impact future GAAP EPS or the effective tax rate. Management does not believe these items to be representative of underlying business performance. Management is unable to reconcile, without unreasonable effort, the Company’s forecasted range of adjusted EPS to a comparable GAAP range.

Earnings Teleconference
Access the Q1 earnings teleconference scheduled for 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time on January 25, 2019 by calling 323-994-2093 and entering passcode 1982379, or access the Event Details page on Air Products’ Investor Relations web site.

View entire earnings release with all financial tables.

About Air Products

Note

This release contains “forward-looking statements” within the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements about earnings guidance, business outlook and investment opportunities. These forward-looking statements are based on management’s expectations and assumptions as of the date of this release and are not guarantees of future performance. While forward-looking statements are made in good faith and based on assumptions, expectations and projections that management believes are reasonable based on currently available information, actual performance and financial results may differ materially from projections and estimates expressed in the forward-looking statements because of many factors, including, without limitation: changes in global or regional economic conditions, supply and demand dynamics in market segments we serve, or in the financial markets; risks associated with having extensive international operations, including political risks, risks associated with unanticipated government actions and risks of investing in developing markets; project delays, contract terminations or customer cancellations or postponement of projects and sales; future financial and operating performance of major customers and joint venture partners; our ability to develop, implement, and operate new technologies, or to execute the projects in our backlog; tariffs, economic sanctions and regulatory activities in jurisdictions in which we and our affiliates and joint ventures operate; the impact of environmental, tax or other legislation, as well as regulations affecting our business and related compliance requirements, including regulations related to global climate  change; changes in tax rates and other changes in tax law; the timing, impact and other uncertainties relating to acquisitions and divestitures, including our ability to integrate acquisitions and separate divested businesses, respectively; risks relating to cybersecurity incidents, including risks from the interruption, failure or compromise of our information systems; catastrophic events, such as natural disasters, acts of war, or terrorism; the impact of price fluctuations in natural gas and disruptions in markets and the economy due to oil price volatility; costs and outcomes of legal or regulatory proceedings and investigations; asset impairments due to economic conditions or specific events; significant fluctuations in interest rates and foreign currency exchange rates from those currently anticipated; damage to facilities, pipelines or delivery systems, including those we own or operate for third parties; availability and cost of raw materials; the success of productivity and operational improvement programs; and other risk factors described in the Company’s Form 10-K for its fiscal year ended September 30, 2018. Except as required by law, the Company disclaims any obligation or undertaking to update or revise any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in the assumptions, beliefs, or expectations or any change in events, conditions, or circumstances upon which any such forward-looking statements are based.