Yahoo Finance Avery Dennison (AVY) Beats on Q2 Earnings & Sales, Hikes '21 View
Avery Dennison Corporation AVY reported second-quarter 2021 adjusted earnings of $2.25 per share, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.07. The bottom line surged 77% on a year-over-year basis.
Including one-time items, the company reported earnings per share of $2.19 compared with the year-ago quarter’s 95 cents per share.
Total revenues increased 37.5% year over year to $2.10 billion as well as beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.96 billion. Sales were up 28.1%, year over year, on an organic basis.
Cost of sales in the quarter grew 33.2% year over year to $1,526 million. Gross profit climbed 51%, year over year, to $576 million. Gross margin expanded to 27.4% in the second quarter compared with the prior-year quarter’s 25%.
Marketing, general and administrative expenses were $307 million compared with the $219 million incurred in the year-ago period. Adjusted operating profit amounted to around $269 million, up 65% from the prior-year quarter’s $164 million. Adjusted operating margin was 12.8% in the quarter compared with the prior-year quarter’s 10.7%.
Avery Dennison Corporation Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Avery Dennison Corporation price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Avery Dennison Corporation Quote
Segment Highlights
Revenues in the Label and Graphic Materials (LGM) segment increased 25% year over year to $1,376 million in the reported quarter. Label and Packaging Materials sales were up 12%, with stellar growth witnessed in both the high value product categories and the base business.
Sales jumped 49% in the combined Graphics and Reflective Solutions businesses. On an organic basis, sales were up 16%. The segment’s adjusted operating profit increased 22% year on year to $199.6 million.
Revenues in the Retail Branding and Information Solutions (RBIS) segment climbed 79.5% year over year to $529 million. On an organic basis, sales were up 72%, reflecting solid growth in both the high value categories and the base business. The segment’s adjusted operating income was $69.6 million compared with the year-ago quarter’s $2.2 million.
Net sales in the Industrial and Healthcare Materials (IHM) segment totaled $196.5 million, up 49% from the $132.1 million recorded in the prior-year quarter. This highlights a 60% increase in industrial categories and a high-single digit decline in healthcare categories. The segment reported adjusted operating income of $23 million compared with the prior-year quarter’s $9 million.
Financial Updates
Free cash flow in the reported quarter was $206 million compared with the prior-year quarter’s $144 million. The company returned $203 million in cash to shareholders through share repurchases and dividend payment during the first half of the current year.
Avery Dennison ended the second quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $345 million compared with $263 million at the end of the prior-year quarter. As of the end of second-quarter 2021, the company’s net debt to adjusted EBITDA ratio was 1.3, well below the company’s long-term target of 2.3-2.6.
Guidance
Backed by an impressive performance in the second quarter, Avery Dennison raised its adjusted earnings per share guidance for 2021 to the band of $8.65-$8.95 from the previous estimate of $8.40-$8.80.
Business Update
Recently, Avery Dennison entered into an agreement to acquire Vestcom for $1.45 billion in a bid to expand RBIS capabilities. Vestcom is a provider of retail shelf-edge pricing, productivity and branding labeling solutions for retailers and consumer packaged goods companies. This buyout will expand the company’s foothold in high value categories. The deal is expected to close in the third quarter.
Price Performance
Shares of Avery Dennison have gained 76.5%, in the past year, outperforming the industry’s growth of 73.2%.
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Zacks Rank and Stocks to Consider
Avery Dennison currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
Better-ranked stocks in the Industrial Products sector include Greif, Inc. GEF, Lindsay Corp. LNN and Pentair plc PNR. All of these stocks sport a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Greif has an anticipated earnings growth rate of 47.2% for fiscal 2021. The company’s shares have gained 29.9%, in the past year.
Lindsay has an estimated earnings growth rate of 1% for the ongoing fiscal year. In a year's time, the company’s shares have rallied 22.3%.
Pentair has a projected earnings growth rate of 26% for the current year. The stock has appreciated 36.7%, over the past year.
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