Air Products Reports Fiscal 2020 Second Quarter GAAP EPS# of $2.21, Up 16 Percent, and Adjusted EPS* of $2.04, Up Six Percent

Q2 FY20 (comparisons versus prior year):

• GAAP EPS of $2.21, including an estimated $0.06 to $0.08 negative impact from COVID-19, up 16 percent; GAAP net income, including discontinued operations, of $490 million, up 13 percent; and GAAP net income margin of 22.1 percent, up 230 basis points
• Adjusted EPS* of $2.04, including an estimated $0.06 to $0.08 negative impact from COVID-19, up six percent; adjusted EBITDA margin* of 40.3 percent, up 260 basis points

Q2 FY20 Highlights:

• Safely maintained plant operations and business continuity, provided essential products to customers, mobilized to meet urgent needs for medical oxygen, and continued to pursue and win new on-site opportunities during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Stable onsite business; Asia merchant volumes were impacted by COVID-19 but have since recovered; limited Americas and EMEA merchant volume impact during Q2
• Secure financial position with robust cash flow, $2.2 billion cash on hand and modest net debt* of $1.1 billion as of March 31, 2020
• Announced and closed on purchase of five operating hydrogen plants in the U.S. and began long-term hydrogen supply to PBF Energy 
• Signed agreement to provide proprietary liquefied natural gas (LNG) technology, equipment and related process license and advisory services to the first onshore LNG project in the Republic of Mozambique 

^#Earnings per share is calculated and presented on a diluted basis from continuing operations and attributable to Air Products.

*Certain results in this release, including in the highlights above, include references to non-GAAP financial measures on both a consolidated, continuing operations basis and a segment basis. These measures exclude the impacts of the gain on the sale of property at our current corporate headquarters and impacts from the India Finance Act of 2020. Additional information regarding these measures and a reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP historical results can be found below.

Air Products’ (NYSE:APD) Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Seifi Ghasemi, today expressed solidarity in the world's collective fight against COVID-19 and thanked the global Air Products team for playing a critical role and making a real difference in people's lives.

He noted that Air Products is considered an essential business by governments around the world and expressed his pride in the Air Products team's efforts to keep plants running and provide essential industrial gases for critical needs, including medical oxygen.

"The true character of an individual, or a company, is revealed during times of crisis. The world is certainly going through a crisis—something none of us has experienced in our lifetime," Ghasemi said. "I am very proud of our people's tireless efforts to maintain business continuity, keep our plants running safely, reliably serve our customers, and care for our communities during this especially challenging time.

"Their hard work enabled us to deliver the fiscal second quarter results that we are reporting today. Meanwhile, Air Products remains in a secure financial position with a strong balance sheet and resilient business model, particularly our onsite business, which represents more than half of our sales and continues to drive our growth. Our strategy to create shareholder value has not changed—we continue to invest in high return project opportunities and are committed to increasing the dividend as we move forward."

For its fiscal 2020 second quarter, Air Products reported GAAP EPS from continuing operations of $2.21, up 16 percent, which includes an estimated $0.06 to $0.08 per share negative impact from COVID-19; GAAP net income of $490 million, up 13 percent, which was driven primarily by higher pricing and volumes in all three regions, as well as a gain on the sale of property at the company's current corporate headquarters and impacts from the India Finance Act of 2020; and GAAP net income margin of 22.1 percent, which was up 230 basis points, each versus prior year.

For the quarter, on a non-GAAP basis, adjusted EPS from continuing operations of $2.04 was up six percent, which includes an estimated $0.06 to $0.08 per share negative impact from COVID-19; adjusted EBITDA of $893 million was up eight percent, primarily driven by higher volumes and pricing in all three regions; and adjusted EBITDA margin of 40.3 percent was up 260 basis points, each versus prior year.

Second quarter sales of $2.2 billion increased one percent over prior year on six percent volume growth and two percent higher pricing, partially offset by five percent lower energy pass-through and two percent unfavorable currency. Volume growth was primarily driven by base business growth, new plants, acquisitions, and a short-term contract in Asia, which were partially offset by an approximately one percent negative volume impact due to COVID-19. The negative COVID-19 impact was primarily due to Asia merchant volumes, which declined by about 25 percent for approximately six weeks following the Lunar New Year holiday before recovering in late March. Americas and EMEA merchant volumes declined modestly during the last week of March but only had a negligible impact on the quarter's results. Air Products did not see an impact on its onsite business from COVID-19 during its fiscal second quarter.

Fiscal Second Quarter Results by Business Segment

 (comparisons versus prior year)

• Industrial Gases - Americas sales of $932 million decreased six percent, as three percent higher pricing and two percent higher volumes were more than offset by nine percent lower energy pass-through and two percent unfavorable currency. The higher volumes were primarily driven by strong hydrogen refinery demand in the U.S. Gulf Coast and Canada. Operating income of $268 million increased five percent, primarily driven by price and volume, and operating margin of 28.7 percent increased 290 basis points, with about 250 basis points of the margin improvement due to lower energy cost pass-through. Adjusted EBITDA of $425 million increased seven percent, primarily driven by price and volume, and adjusted EBITDA margin of 45.6 percent increased 540 basis points, with about 350 basis points of the margin improvement due to lower energy cost pass-through.

• Industrial Gases - EMEA sales of $493 million were flat with the prior year. Volumes increased four percent— primarily due to new projects and an acquisition, with solid refinery hydrogen demand—and higher pricing contributed three percent, offset by four percent lower energy pass-through and three percent unfavorable currency. Operating income of $125 million increased two percent, primarily driven by higher pricing, and operating margin of 25.3 percent increased 50 basis points. Adjusted EBITDA of $186 million increased two percent, primarily driven by higher pricing, and adjusted EBITDA margin of 37.7 percent increased 90 basis points.

• Industrial Gases - Asia sales of $658 million increased five percent. Volumes increased six percent, driven by new plants and a short-term contract, which more than offset the negative four percent impact from COVID-19 on merchant volumes. Pricing increased two percent, while currency had a negative three percent impact. Operating income of $209 million increased five percent, primarily on improved pricing, and operating margin of 31.8 percent declined 10 basis points. Adjusted EBITDA of $327 million increased 10 percent on improved volumes and pricing, and adjusted EBITDA margin of 49.7 percent increased 200 basis points.

Outlook

Ghasemi said, "It is encouraging to see some improvement in the number of COVID cases and a flattening of the curve in certain areas around the world; however, significant economic uncertainty remains. Despite this, our strong financial position and robust business model will allow us to continue to execute our strategy to create long-term shareholder value through capital deployment and successful execution of the projects in our backlog. Our dividend growth remains a top priority. Most importantly, we will not let up our efforts to protect our people’s health and safety and take care of their welfare – they are what make the continued success of Air Products possible."

Air Products expects declines in Americas and EMEA merchant volumes to continue and be more significant in its fiscal third quarter and potentially longer depending on the duration and impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Given the significant uncertainty that remains regarding the duration of the crisis, the pace of recovery and the negative impact on the global economy from the rapidly evolving COVID-19 pandemic, Air Products is not providing Q3 FY20 EPS guidance. In addition, in light of current conditions, Air Products also believes it is prudent to withdraw its FY20 EPS and capital expenditure guidance; the Company advises its investors that such guidance should no longer be relied upon. Air Products is not providing new FY20 guidance at this time.

New Accounting Guidance
Effective October 1, 2019, Air Products adopted accounting standards pertaining to leases and hedging activities. In accordance with the new lease guidance, we recorded lease liabilities and right-of-use assets on our consolidated balance sheets for operating leases where we are the lessee. In adopting the new hedging guidance, we presented the impacts of excluded components from our cash flow hedges on intercompany loans in other non-operating income (expense), net. In the prior year, these impacts were included in interest expense. The adoption of these accounting standards did not have a significant impact on the Company’s net income.

Earnings Teleconference
Access the Q2 earnings teleconference scheduled for 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time on April 23, 2020 by calling 323-794-2551 and entering passcode 1932129, or access the Event Details page on Air Products’ Investor Relations web site.

View entire earnings release with all financial tables.