Velan Inc. Reports Its Second Quarter 2022/23 Financial Results Showing Improvement Over Its First Quarter

Velan Inc.

MONTREAL, Oct. 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Velan Inc. (TSX: VLN) (the “Company”), a world-leading manufacturer of industrial valves, announced today its financial results for its second quarter ended August 31, 2022.

Highlights:

• As the volatility across various macro economic factors continues across the globe, the Company has managed to improve performance over its first quarter by prudently managing the business while facing headwinds in logistics, operations and their related impact on deliveries.

• Sales for the quarter amounted to $85.1 million, an improvement of $10.1 million or 13.4% compared to the first quarter of the current fiscal year, but a decrease of $16.8 million or 16.5% compared to the second quarter of the previous fiscal year. The decrease in sales for the quarter compared to the prior year is partly due to the continued weakening of the euro average rate against the U.S. dollar, stronger shipments in the prior year related to one major contract and the timing of the delivery schedule on open orders in the current quarter.

• During the second quarter of the current fiscal year, the company shipped a large order which was expected to reach its destination prior to the closing of the quarter. As a result of logistics delays, the final acceptance of this shipment will be completed in the third quarter. The impact of this delayed shipment on the quarter was $10.9 million.

• Gross profit for the quarter amounted to $23.5 million or 27.6%, an improvement of $3.4 million or 80 basis points compared to the first quarter of the current fiscal year, but a decrease compared to last year’s $31.4 million or 30.8%. The decrease in gross profit percentage for the quarter was primarily due to the previously explained lower sales volume which impacted the absorption of fixed production overhead costs. The decrease was also due to the unfavourable effect of the product mix. Finally, the gross profit was lower than last year by $0.5 million as the Company did not receive funds from the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidies («CEWS») program.

• Net loss¹ of $3.7 million and EBITDA² of $1.4 million for the quarter compared to a net income¹ of $5.0 million and EBITDA² of $10.7 million last year. The decrease in EBITDA² is primarily attributable to the previously mentioned reduction in gross profit combined with an increase in administration costs in the quarter.

• Order backlog² remains strong at $477.6 million, a decrease of $23.6 million or 4.7% since the beginning of the year which is primarily attributable to the weakening of the euro spot rate against the U.S. dollar and lower upstream oil and gas net new orders (“bookings”)² for the half year. The portion of the current backlog² deliverable in the next twelve months increased to $347.2 million primarily due to the shipment delays encountered in the quarter.

• Bookings² of $73.5 million for the quarter, a decrease of $8.1 million or 9.9% compared to last year. The decrease in bookings² compared to last year resulted mainly from the current geo-political uncertainties which created slower project awards. The Company nonetheless continues to observe a strong amount of activity ongoing. The Company’s book-to-bill ratio² for the half-year remains favorable at 1.04.

• The Company’s net cash amounted to $29.7 million at the end of the quarter, a decrease of $23.7 million since the beginning of the fiscal year. The decrease in net cash for the quarter is primarily attributable to the lower EBITDA², combined with unfavorable non-cash working capital items. The overall available liquidity remains strong with $137.8 million of available cash-on-hand and facilities.

Bruno Carbonaro, CEO and President of Velan Inc., said, “As the volatility across various macro economic factors continues across the globe, we managed to improve our performance over our first quarter by prudently managing our business while facing headwinds in logistics, operations and their related impact on deliveries. We are nonetheless not pleased with our second quarter results and believe that our success in the second half of the fiscal year will rely on our plant effectiveness, with continuous improvements that will lead to sustainable performance, and a strong performance in bookings, targeting certain key projects that will allow us to maintain our strong backlog. Important to note that the decrease in backlog this fiscal year is largely related to foreign exchange conversion as our book-to-bill ratio is positive since the beginning of the fiscal year. Finally, we believe that our success will be possible thanks to our highly qualified employees who have continued to show great discipline and dedication.”

Financial Highlights:

Three-month periods ended			Six-month periods ended
(thousands of U.S. dollars, excluding per share amounts)	August 31, 2022	August 31, 2021	August 31, 2022	August 31, 2021
Sales	$85,054	$101,893	$160,059	$176,422
Gross profit	23,482	31,391	43,555	51,385
Gross profit %	27.6%	30.8%	27.2%	29.1%
Net income (loss)1	(3,676)	5,015	(11,028)	(58)
Net income (loss)1 per share – basic and diluted	(0.17)	0.23	(0.51)	(0.00)
EBITDA2	1,365	10,657	(1,513)	9,716
EBITDA2 per share – basic and diluted	0.06	0.49	(0.07)	0.45

Second Quarter Fiscal 2023 (unless otherwise noted, all amounts are in U.S. dollars and all comparisons are to the second quarter of fiscal 2022):

• Sales amounted to $85.1 million for the quarter, decreasing by $16.8 million or 16.5% compared to the same quarter last year. The negative effect of the weakening of the euro average rate against the U.S. dollar on sales for the quarter amounted to $6.0 million compared to the second quarter of last fiscal year. The decrease in sales for the quarter is primarily attributable to the delivery of significant orders by the Company’s Italian operations destined to the upstream oil and gas sector in the prior fiscal year. The decrease is also attributable to the timing of delivery dates on open orders caused by lower bookings recorded in the second half of the previous year. The Company still faced, in the current quarter, supply chain delays as well as customer related issues which had a negative effect on sales.

• Bookings² for the quarter amounted to $73.5 million, a decrease of $8.1 million or 9.9% compared to the second quarter of last year. The effect of the weakening of the euro average rate against the U.S. dollar on order bookings² for the Company’s European operations resulted in a negative impact of $4.5 million in the second quarter compared to the prior year. Additionally, the decrease for the quarter is primarily attributable to lower orders recorded in the Company’s Italian and German operations. The decrease for the quarter is also attributable to the disposal of the Company’s Korean foundry at the end of the previous fiscal year. The Korean foundry had recorded $1.5 million of bookings² in the second quarter of the previous fiscal year. Finally, the decrease for the quarter was partially offset by an increase in the Company’s MRO bookings² compared to last year.

• Gross profit for the quarter amounted to $23.5 million, a decrease of $7.9 million or 25.2%. The gross profit percentage for the quarter of 27.6% was a decrease of 320 basis points compared to last year’s second quarter. The decrease in gross profit percentage for the quarter is primarily attributable to the lower sales volume which impacted the absorption of fixed production overhead costs. The decrease in gross profit percentage was also due to the unfavorable effect of the product mix delivered. Additionally, The Company’s gross profit for the quarter was negatively impacted by less favorable foreign exchange movements, when compared to similar movements from the previous year, which were primarily made up of unrealized foreign exchange translations related to the fluctuation of the U.S. dollar against the euro and Canadian dollar. The gross profit in the prior year was positively impacted by the recording of $0.5 million for the quarter of CEWS while the Company was not eligible for such subsidies in the current fiscal year. The subsidies were allocated between cost of sales and administration costs. Prior year’s gross profit percentage without CEWS would have been 30.2% for the quarter.

• Administration costs for the quarter amounted to $24.7 million, an increase of $0.7 million or 2.9%. The increase in administration costs for the quarter is primarily attributable to the reassessment of the Company’s long-term legal provision. The increase is also due to higher outbound freight costs caused by the current global supply chain issues which are impacting freight costs and shipping delays. The administration costs in the prior year benefited from the recording of $0.5 million for the quarter of CEWS while the Company was not eligible for such subsidies in the current quarter. The subsidies were allocated between cost of sales and administration costs. The increase for the quarter was partially offset by lower sales commissions recorded on the delivery of large orders over the course of the quarter and a general reduction of the remaining administration costs.

• Net loss¹ amounted to $3.7 million or $0.17 per share compared to a net income¹ of $5.0 million or $0.23 per share last year. EBITDA² for the quarter amounted to $1.4 million or $0.06 per share compared to $10.7 million or $0.49 per share last year. The unfavorable movements in EBITDA² for the quarter is primarily attributable to the previously explained decrease in gross profit combined with an increase in administration costs. A portion of the effects on the EBITDA² caused by the weakening of the euro against the U.S. dollar were hedged by the company. The negative movement in the Company’s results was primarily attributable to the previously mentioned factors, partially offset by favorable movements in finance costs and in income taxes for the quarter.
  

First Six months Fiscal 2023 (unless otherwise noted, all amounts are in U.S. dollars and all comparisons are to the first six months of fiscal 2022):

• Sales for the half year totaled $160.1 million, a decrease of $16.3 or 9.3% compared to the last fiscal year. The negative effect of the weakening of the euro average rate against the U.S. dollar on sales for the half year amounted to $10.5 million compared to the first half year of the last fiscal year. The decrease for the half year is also attributable to the timing of delivery dates on open orders caused by lower bookings recorded in the second half of the previous year. The Company still faced supply chain delays as well as customer related issues which had a negative effect on sales for the half year.

• Bookings² for the half year amounted to $166.9 million, a decrease of $31.0 million or 15.7% compared to the prior fiscal year. The weakening of the euro average rate against the U.S. dollar on order bookings² for the Company’s European operations resulted in a negative impact of $7.8 million on the half year compared to the prior year. Additionally, the decrease for the half year is primarily attributable to lower upstream oil and gas and marine orders recorded in the Company’s Italian and North American operations. The current geo-political uncertainties have created slower project awards resulting in lower bookings² for the Company in the half-year. The Company nonetheless continues to observe a strong amount of activity ongoing. The decrease for the half year is also attributable to the disposal of the Company’s Korean foundry at the end of the previous fiscal year. The Korean foundry had recorded $4.3 million of bookings² for the six-month period of the previous year.

• The total backlog² decreased by $23.6 million or 4.7% since the beginning of the fiscal year, settling at $477.6 million at the end of the quarter. The decrease in backlog² is primarily attributable to the weakening of the euro spot rate against the U.S. dollar since the beginning of the fiscal year which represented $30.5 million for the six-month period. The decrease since the beginning of the fiscal year was partially offset by a positive book-to-bill ratio² of 1.04 as a result of bookings outpacing sales for the half year.

• Gross profit for the half year amounted to $43.6 million, a decrease of $7.8 million or 15.2%. The gross profit percentage for the six-month period of 27.2% represented a decrease of 190 basis points compared to the same period last year. The decrease in gross profit percentage for the half year is primarily attributable to the lower sales volume which impacted the absorption of fixed production overhead costs. The decrease in gross profit percentage was also due to the unfavorable effect of the product mix delivered. The Company’s gross profit for the six-month period was positively impacted by more favorable foreign exchange movements, when compared to similar movements from the previous year, which were primarily made up of unrealized foreign exchange translations related to the fluctuation of the U.S. dollar against the euro and Canadian dollar. The gross profit in the prior year was positively impacted by the recording of $1.1 million for the half year of CEWS while the Company was not eligible for such subsidies in the current fiscal year. The subsidies were allocated between cost of sales and administration costs. Prior year’s gross profit percentage without CEWS would have been 28.5% for the half year.

• Administration costs for the half year amounted to $50.5 million, an increase of $2.7 million or 5.7%. The increase in administration costs for the half year is primarily attributable to the reassessment of the Company’s long-term legal provision. The increase is also due to higher outbound freight costs caused by the current global supply chain issues which are impacting freight costs and shipping delays. The administration costs in the prior year benefited from the recording of $0.9 million for the half year period of CEWS while the Company was not eligible for such subsidies in the current six-month period. The subsidies were allocated between cost of sales and administration costs. The increase for the half year was partially offset by lower sales commissions recorded on the delivery of large orders over the course of the quarter.

• Net loss¹ for the half year amounted to $11.0 million or $0.51 per share compared to $0.1 million or $0.00 per share last year. EBITDA² for the half year amounted to negative $1.5 million or negative $0.07 per share compared to $9.7 million or $0.45 per share last year. The unfavorable movements in EBITDA² for the six-month period are primarily attributable to the previously explained decrease in gross profit combined with an increase in administration costs. A portion of the effects on the EBITDA² caused by the weakening of the euro against the U.S. dollar were hedged by the company. The negative movement in the Company’s results was primarily attributable to the same factors as previously explained combined with an unfavorable movement in income taxes, partially offset by favorable movements in finance costs.

Dividend

For the current quarter, no dividend will be declared. The Company will revisit the declaration of dividends in subsequent quarters.

Conference call

Financial analysts, shareholders, and other interested individuals are invited to attend the second quarter conference call to be held on Friday, October 14, 2022, at 4:00 p.m. (EDT). The toll free call-in number is 1-800-908-1236, access code 22020915. Live content to support the discussion will be presented to participants at the following link for the duration of the call: https://cc.callinfo.com/r/1f133bi14afpj&eom. A recording of this conference call will be available for seven days at 1-416-626-4100 or 1-800-558-5253, access code 22020915.

About Velan

Founded in Montreal in 1950, Velan Inc. (www.velan.com) is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of industrial valves, with sales of US$411.2 million in its last reported fiscal year. The Company employs approximately 1,650 people and has manufacturing plants in 9 countries. Velan Inc. is a public company with its shares listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol VLN.

Safe harbour statement

This news release may include forward-looking statements, which generally contain words like “should”, “believe”, “anticipate”, “plan”, “may”, “will”, “expect”, “intend”, “continue” or “estimate” or the negatives of these terms or variations of them or similar expressions, all of which are subject to risks and uncertainties, which are disclosed in the Company’s filings with the appropriate securities commissions. While these statements are based on management’s assumptions regarding historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors that it believes are reasonable and appropriate in the circumstances, no forward-looking statement can be guaranteed and actual future results may differ materially from those expressed herein. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements contained herein whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by the applicable securities laws. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

Non-IFRS and supplementary financial measures

In this press release, the Company has presented measures of performance or financial condition which are not defined under IFRS (“non-IFRS measures”) and are, therefore, unlikely to be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. These measures are used by management in assessing the operating results and financial condition of the Company and are reconciled with the performance measures defined under IFRS. Company has also presented supplementary financial measures which are defined at the end of this report. Reconciliation and definition can be found on the next page.

Net earnings (loss) before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization ("EBITDA")

Three-month periods ended					Six-month periods ended
(thousands, except amount per shares)	August 31, 2022 $		August 31, 2021 $		August 31, 2022 $		August 31, 2021 $
Net income (loss)1	(3,676	)	5,015		(11,028	)	(58	)
Adjustments for:
Depreciation of property, plant and equipment	2,023		2,394		4,184		4,808
Amortization of intangible assets	556		451		1,124		1,009
Finance costs – net	378		526		614		1,055
Income taxes	2,084		2,271		3,593		2,902
EBITDA	1,365		10,657		(1,513	)	9,716
EBITDA per share
- Basic and diluted	0.06		0.49		(0.07	)	0.45

The term “EBITDA” is defined as net income or loss attributable to Subordinate and Multiple Voting Shares plus depreciation of property, plant & equipment, plus amortization of intangible assets, plus net finance costs plus income tax provision. The terms “EBITDA per share” is obtained by dividing EBITDA by the total amount of subordinate and multiple voting shares. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

Definitions of supplementary financial measures

The term “Net new orders” or “bookings” is defined as firm orders, net of cancellations, recorded by the Company during a period. Bookings are impacted by the fluctuation of foreign exchange rates for a given period. The measure provides an indication of the Company’s sales operation performance for a given period as well as well as an expectation of future sales and cash flows to be achieved on these orders.

The term “backlog” is defined as the buildup of all outstanding bookings to be delivered by the Company. The Company’s backlog is impacted by the fluctuation of foreign exchange rates for a given period. The measure provides an indication of the future operational challenges of the Company as well as an expectation of future sales and cash flows to be achieved on these orders.

The term “book-to-bill” is obtained by dividing bookings by sales. The measure provides an indication of the Company’s performance and outlook for a given period.

The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

^{_____________________________
1} Net earnings or loss refer to net income or loss attributable to Subordinate and Multiple Voting Shares.
² Non-IFRS and supplementary financial measures – See explanation above.

Consolidated Statements of Financial Position
(in thousands of U.S. dollars)
		As at
	August 31,	February 28,
	2022	2022
	$	$
Assets
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents	32,938	54,015
Short-term investments	9,097	8,726
Accounts receivable	109,106	115,834
Income taxes recoverable	5,570	2,955
Inventories	216,666	223,198
Deposits and prepaid expenses	6,078	6,877
Derivative assets	694	553
	380,149	412,158
Non-current assets
Property, plant and equipment	68,403	73,906
Intangible assets and goodwill	15,605	16,693
Deferred income taxes	3,665	4,774
Other assets	699	897
	88,372	96,270
Total assets	468,521	508,428
Liabilities
Current liabilities
Bank indebtedness	3,213	550
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	69,517	80,503
Income taxes payable	1,985	3,806
Customer deposits	47,306	41,344
Provisions	15,204	18,444
Derivative liabilities	284	560
Current portion of long-term lease liabilities	1,274	1,360
Current portion of long-term debt	7,744	8,111
	146,527	154,678
Non-current liabilities
Long-term lease liabilities	9,536	11,073
Long-term debt	21,980	22,927
Income taxes payable	1,079	1,244
Deferred income taxes	4,178	4,025
Customer deposits	23,547	30,139
Provisions	16,204	13,101
Other liabilities	5,056	5,731
	81,580	88,240
Total liabilities	228,107	242,918
Total equity	240,414	265,510
Total liabilities and equity	468,521	508,428

Consolidated Statements of Income (loss)
(in thousands of U.S. dollars, excluding number of shares and per share amounts)
	Three-month periods ended					Six-month periods ended
	August 31,		August 31,			August 31,		August 31,
	2022		2021			2022		2021
	$		$			$		$
Sales	85,054		101,893			160,059		176,422
Cost of sales	61,572		70,502			116,504		125,037
Gross profit	23,482		31,391			43,555		51,385
Administration costs	24,678		23,977			50,490		47,756
Other expense (income)	7		(79	)		(134	)	42
Operating profit (loss)	(1,203	)	7,493			(6,801	)	3,587
Finance income	78		118			168		290
Finance costs	(456	)	(644	)		(782	)	(1,345	)
Finance costs – net	(378	)	(526	)		(614	)	(1,055	)
Income (loss) before income taxes	(1,581	)	6,967			(7,415	)	2,532
Income tax expense	2,084		2,271			3,593		2,902
Net income (loss) for the period	(3,665	)	4,696			(11,008	)	(370	)
Net income (loss) attributable to:
Subordinate Voting Shares and Multiple Voting Shares	(3,676	)	5,015			(11,028	)	(58	)
Non-controlling interest	11		(319	)		20		(312	)
Net income (loss) for the period	(3,665	)	4,696			(11,008	)	(370	)
Net income (loss) per Subordinate and Multiple Voting Share
Basic and diluted	(0.17	)	0.23			(0.51	)	(0.00	)
Dividends declared per Subordinate and Multiple	-		-			0.02		-
Voting Share	(CA$ - )		(CA$ - )			(CA$0.03)		(CA$-)
Total weighted average number of Subordinate and
Multiple Voting Shares
Basic and diluted	21,585,635		21,585,635			21,585,635		21,585,635

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss
(in thousands of U.S. dollars)
	Three-month periods ended					Six-month periods ended
	August 31,		August 31,			August 31,		August 31,
	2022		2021			2022		2021
	$		$			$		$
Comprehensive loss
Net income (loss) for the period	(3,665	)	4,696			(11,008	)	(370	)
Other comprehensive loss
Foreign currency translation	(7,760	)	(4,817	)		(13,591	)	(3,422	)
Comprehensive loss	(11,425	)	(121	)		(24,599	)	(3,792	)
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to:
Subordinate Voting Shares and Multiple Voting Shares	(11,437	)	254			(24,619	)	(3,448	)
Non-controlling interest	12		(375	)		20		(344	)
Comprehensive loss	(11,425	)	(121	)		(24,599	)	(3,792	)
Other comprehensive loss is composed solely of items that may be reclassified subsequently to the consolidated statement of income (loss).

Consolidated Statements of Changes in Equity
(in thousands of U.S. dollars, excluding number of shares)
	Equity attributable to the Subordinate and Multiple Voting shareholders
	Share capital	Contributed surplus	Accumulated other comprehensive loss		Retained earnings		Total		Non-controlling interest		Total equity
Balance - February 28, 2021	72,695	6,260	(21,007	)	239,136		297,084		3,137		300,221
Net loss for the period	-	-	-		(58	)	(58	)	(312	)	(370	)
Other comprehensive loss	-	-	(3,390	)	-		(3,390	)	(32	)	(3,422	)
Comprehensive loss	-	-	(3,390	)	(58	)	(3,448	)	(344	)	(3,792	)
Balance - August 31, 2021	72,695	6,260	(24,397	)	239,078		293,636		2,793		296,429
Balance - February 28, 2022	72,695	6,260	(32,223	)	218,092		264,824		686		265,510
Net income (loss) for the period	-	-	-		(11,028	)	(11,028	)	20		(11,008	)
Other comprehensive loss	-	-	(13,591	)	-		(13,591	)	-		(13,591	)
Comprehensive income (loss)	-	-	(13,591	)	(11,028	)	(24,619	)	20		(24,599	)
Dividends
Multiple Voting Shares	-	-	-		(366	)	(366	)	-		(366	)
Subordinate Voting Shares	-	-	-		(131	)	(131	)	-		(131	)
Balance - August 31, 2022	72,695	6,260	(45,814	)	206,567		239,708		706		240,414

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flow
(in thousands of U.S. dollars)
	Three-month periods ended					Six-month periods ended
	August 31,		August 31,			August 31,		August 31,
	2022		2021			2022		2021
	$		$			$		$
Cash flows from
Operating activities
Net income (loss) for the period	(3,665	)	4,696			(11,008	)	(370	)
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to cash provided (used) by operating activities	6,072		3,645			4,317		6,057
Changes in non-cash working capital items	(13,931	)	(6,808	)		(7,898	)	(3,259	)
Cash provided (used) by operating activities	(11,524	)	1,533			(14,589	)	2,428
Investing activities
Short-term investments	107		(1,232	)		(1,181	)	(1,418	)
Additions to property, plant and equipment	(616	)	(1,830	)		(1,536	)	(3,569	)
Additions to intangible assets	(1,200	)	(522	)		(1,209	)	(810	)
Proceeds on disposal of property, plant and equipment	24		-			40		3,132
Net change in other assets	14		(15	)		28		(27	)
Cash used by investing activities	(1,671	)	(3,599	)		(3,858	)	(2,692	)
Financing activities
Dividends paid to Subordinate and Multiple Voting shareholders	(497	)	-			(497	)	-
Net change in revolving credit facility	16		(3,378	)		16		6,248
Increase in long-term debt	-		5,889			2,160		5,889
Repayment of long-term debt	(2,108	)	(1,379	)		(2,677	)	(4,546	)
Repayment of long-term lease liabilities	(362	)	(444	)		(732	)	(857	)
Cash provided (used) by financing activities	(2,951	)	688			(1,730	)	6,734
Effect of exchange rate differences on cash	(1,781	)	(1,728	)		(3,563	)	(1,292	)
Net change in cash during the period	(17,927	)	(3,106	)		(23,740	)	5,178
Net cash – Beginning of the period	47,652		71,237			53,465		62,953
Net cash – End of the period	29,725		68,131			29,725		68,131
Net cash is composed of:
Cash and cash equivalents	32,938		76,448			32,938		76,448
Bank indebtedness	(3,213	)	(8,317	)		(3,213	)	(8,317	)
Net cash – End of the period	29,725		68,131			29,725		68,131
Supplementary information
Interest paid	15		(484	)		(208	)	(834	)
Income taxes paid	(2,180	)	(463	)		(3,997	)	(1,584	)

For further information please contact:
Bruno Carbonaro, Chief Executive Officer and President
Tel: (438) 817-7593
or
Rishi Sharma, Chief Financial Officer
Tel: (438) 817-4430