<p class="canvas-atom canvas-text Mb(1.0em) Mb(0)–sm Mt(0.8em)–sm" type="text" content="Avnet Inc. AVT recently reported second-quarter fiscal 2020 results wherein the bottom line missed estimates but the top line beat the same.
Its non-GAAP earnings were 40 cents per share, lagging the consensus estimate by 2.4%. The metric also plunged 61.5% year over year.
Revenues of $4.5 billion surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.3% but decreased 10% year over year. Nonetheless, the top line came within the company’s guided range of $4.2-$4.6 billion.
Persistent weakness in the components industry due to macroeconomic woes hurt the top line. Softness in the industrial and automotive segments due to the downturn in Asia was further aggravated by the headwinds from Europe. Moreover, shorter lead times and lower average selling prices induced higher-than-expected pricing and margin pressures in the Farnell business, affecting the bottom line.
However, pricing stabilized as the quarter progressed. Strong performance in the vertical markets of defense and aerospace and new opportunities in retail and healthcare were positives. This industrial sector started to witness a rebound after a lull, which was an upside.” data-reactid=”11″>Avnet Inc. AVT recently reported second-quarter fiscal 2020 results wherein the bottom line missed estimates but the top line beat the same.
Its non-GAAP earnings were 40 cents per share, lagging the consensus estimate by 2.4%. The metric also plunged 61.5% year over year.
Revenues of $4.5 billion surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.3% but decreased 10% year over year. Nonetheless, the top line came within the company’s guided range of $4.2-$4.6 billion.
Persistent weakness in the components industry due to macroeconomic woes hurt the top line. Softness in the industrial and automotive segments due to the downturn in Asia was further aggravated by the headwinds from Europe. Moreover, shorter lead times and lower average selling prices induced higher-than-expected pricing and margin pressures in the Farnell business, affecting the bottom line.
However, pricing stabilized as the quarter progressed. Strong performance in the vertical markets of defense and aerospace and new opportunities in retail and healthcare were positives. This industrial sector started to witness a rebound after a lull, which was an upside.
<p class="canvas-atom canvas-text Mb(1.0em) Mb(0)–sm Mt(0.8em)–sm" type="text" content="Avnet, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise” data-reactid=”12″>Avnet, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Avnet, Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Avnet, Inc. Quote
<p class="canvas-atom canvas-text Mb(1.0em) Mb(0)–sm Mt(0.8em)–sm" type="text" content="Quarter in Detail
Electronic Components segment fell 10.2% year over year to $4.2 billion due to the demand correction that began in December 2018.
Revenues from the Americas declined 8.8% year over year. However, revenues appear to be stabilizing, indicating that the downfall in the semiconductor space is bottoming out.
Revenues from the EMEA region were down 14.6%, particularly due to weakness in Europe.
Further, Asia revenues dipped 1.1% year over year due to macroeconomic issues. However, after a recent macroeconomic slowdown, revenues from Asia displayed stabilizing trends.
Purchasing Manager Index (PMI), which should be greater than 50 to indicate industrial expansion, showed signs of stabilization in the United States and Asia toward the end of the quarter.
Premier Farnell segment’s revenues of $331 million dropped 10.1% year over year. Nonetheless, the construction of a new Farnell distribution facility in Europe was a positive. SKU expansion is also making a steady progress, which is expected to boost this segment. Moreover, e-commerce global order penetration witnessed a significant increase.
During the quarter, Avnet completed the acquisition of software and embedded systems provider Witekio in a bid to expand and enhance its end-to-end IoT strategy. Witekio’s solutions help developers address the challenges that crop up while developing IoT solutions. This is expected to add more capabilities in terms of embedded software, edge computing and security to Avnet’s IoT business. The deal will also bolster Avnet’s focus on simplifying the process of launching IoT products for client companies besides time and cost efficiently.
The company began to deploy PayPal PYPL in Europe, and WeChat Pay, Ali Pay and Union Pay in China to streamline business processes between Avnet and customers.
Avnet also saw lower revenues from Texas Instruments TXN due to the ending of their 40-year distribution partnership in the previous reported quarter.
Margins
Avnet reported gross profit of $525.6 million, down 16.6% year over year. Gross margin shrank 90 basis points (bps) to 11.6%, primarily due to dwindling revenues and contracting margins in Farnell as well as global pricing pressures.
Adjusted operating income was $82.2 million, plunging 54% year over year. Adjusted operating margin came in at 1.8%, down 170 bps.
Adjusted operating expenses increased primarily due to a reserve for a potential bad debt from one customer.
However, focus on cost-reduction efforts was a boon, leading to $50 million in savings during the quarter.
Balance Sheet and Cash Flow
Avnet exited the fiscal second quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $488.8 million compared with $664.1 million recorded sequentially.
Long-term debt was $1.19 billion, same as the prior reported quarter.
The company returned $109 million to its shareholders in the form of $88 million as repurchased shares and $21 million worth of dividend.
Cash flow of $149 million was generated in the quarter.
Guidance
For third-quarter fiscal 2020, the company estimates sales in the range of $4.1-$4.5 billion with mid-point being $4.3 billion.
Non-GAAP earnings per share are estimated in the range of 38-48 cents with mid-point at 43 cents.
Market pressures are expected to persist in the near term. Avnet estimates operating margins at Farnell to lie below 10% in the forthcoming quarters.
Assuming modest improvement in the macro environment for both EMEA and Americas, management anticipates Electronic Components segment’s operating margins between 2.2% and 2.5% by this summer.
Avnet expects to replace the Texas Instruments revenues with higher margin revenues by the end of fiscal 2022.
Zacks Rank and Key Pick
Avnet currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). A better-ranked stock in the broader technology sector is Splunk Inc. SPLK, sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Long-term earnings growth rate for Splunk is currently pegged at 31.24%.
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Access Zacks Top 10 Stocks for 2020 today >>” data-reactid=”25″>Quarter in Detail
Electronic Components segment fell 10.2% year over year to $4.2 billion due to the demand correction that began in December 2018.
Revenues from the Americas declined 8.8% year over year. However, revenues appear to be stabilizing, indicating that the downfall in the semiconductor space is bottoming out.
Revenues from the EMEA region were down 14.6%, particularly due to weakness in Europe.
Further, Asia revenues dipped 1.1% year over year due to macroeconomic issues. However, after a recent macroeconomic slowdown, revenues from Asia displayed stabilizing trends.
Purchasing Manager Index (PMI), which should be greater than 50 to indicate industrial expansion, showed signs of stabilization in the United States and Asia toward the end of the quarter.
Premier Farnell segment’s revenues of $331 million dropped 10.1% year over year. Nonetheless, the construction of a new Farnell distribution facility in Europe was a positive. SKU expansion is also making a steady progress, which is expected to boost this segment. Moreover, e-commerce global order penetration witnessed a significant increase.
During the quarter, Avnet completed the acquisition of software and embedded systems provider Witekio in a bid to expand and enhance its end-to-end IoT strategy. Witekio’s solutions help developers address the challenges that crop up while developing IoT solutions. This is expected to add more capabilities in terms of embedded software, edge computing and security to Avnet’s IoT business. The deal will also bolster Avnet’s focus on simplifying the process of launching IoT products for client companies besides time and cost efficiently.
The company began to deploy PayPal PYPL in Europe, and WeChat Pay, Ali Pay and Union Pay in China to streamline business processes between Avnet and customers.
Avnet also saw lower revenues from Texas Instruments TXN due to the ending of their 40-year distribution partnership in the previous reported quarter.
Margins
Avnet reported gross profit of $525.6 million, down 16.6% year over year. Gross margin shrank 90 basis points (bps) to 11.6%, primarily due to dwindling revenues and contracting margins in Farnell as well as global pricing pressures.
Adjusted operating income was $82.2 million, plunging 54% year over year. Adjusted operating margin came in at 1.8%, down 170 bps.
Adjusted operating expenses increased primarily due to a reserve for a potential bad debt from one customer.
However, focus on cost-reduction efforts was a boon, leading to $50 million in savings during the quarter.
Balance Sheet and Cash Flow
Avnet exited the fiscal second quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $488.8 million compared with $664.1 million recorded sequentially.
Long-term debt was $1.19 billion, same as the prior reported quarter.
The company returned $109 million to its shareholders in the form of $88 million as repurchased shares and $21 million worth of dividend.
Cash flow of $149 million was generated in the quarter.
Guidance
For third-quarter fiscal 2020, the company estimates sales in the range of $4.1-$4.5 billion with mid-point being $4.3 billion.
Non-GAAP earnings per share are estimated in the range of 38-48 cents with mid-point at 43 cents.
Market pressures are expected to persist in the near term. Avnet estimates operating margins at Farnell to lie below 10% in the forthcoming quarters.
Assuming modest improvement in the macro environment for both EMEA and Americas, management anticipates Electronic Components segment’s operating margins between 2.2% and 2.5% by this summer.
Avnet expects to replace the Texas Instruments revenues with higher margin revenues by the end of fiscal 2022.
Zacks Rank and Key Pick
Avnet currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). A better-ranked stock in the broader technology sector is Splunk Inc. SPLK, sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Long-term earnings growth rate for Splunk is currently pegged at 31.24%.
Zacks Top 10 Stocks for 2020
In addition to the stocks discussed above, would you like to know about our 10 finest buy-and-hold tickers for the entirety of 2020?
Last year’s 2019 Zacks Top 10 Stocks portfolio returned gains as high as +102.7%. Now a brand-new portfolio has been handpicked from over 4,000 companies covered by the Zacks Rank. Don’t miss your chance to get in on these long-term buys.
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Splunk Inc. (SPLK) : Free Stock Analysis Report
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Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
Splunk Inc. (SPLK) : Free Stock Analysis Report
PayPal Holdings, Inc. (PYPL) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Avnet, Inc. (AVT) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Texas Instruments Incorporated (TXN) : Free Stock Analysis Report
To read this article on Zacks.com click here.
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