Encore Wire Corporation (NASDAQ:WIRE) Q4 2023 Earnings Call Transcript

Encore Wire Corporation (NASDAQ:WIRE) Q4 2023 Earnings Call Transcript February 14, 2024

Encore Wire Corporation isn’t one of the 30 most popular stocks among hedge funds at the end of the third quarter (see the details here).

Operator: Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for standing by. I would like to welcome everyone to the Fourth Quarter Full-Year 2023 Earnings Conference Call. At this time, all lines have been placed on mute to prevent any background noise. After the speakers’ remarks, there will be a question-and-answer session. [Operator Instructions] Thank you. I will now hand the call over to Mr. Bret Eckert, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. You may begin your conference.

Bret Eckert: Thanks, Bhavesh. Good morning and welcome to the Encore Wire Corporation Quarterly Conference Call. I’m Bret Eckert, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Encore Wire. With me this morning is Daniel Jones, President, CEO and Chairman of the Board. Before we begin our comments, we’d like to remind everyone that today’s earnings release and certain of our comments on the call include forward-looking statements and actual results may differ materially from such forward-looking statements. I’d like to refer everyone to the cautionary language included in our earnings release and to the risk factors described in our SEC filings. I’ll now turn the call over to Daniel for some opening remarks. Daniel?

Daniel Jones: Thank you, Bret. Thank you, Bhavesh. Good morning, everyone. Thank you for joining us on the call and for your interest in Encore Wire. We appreciate your continued investment, confidence and support. Over the past several years, we have invested and continued to invest in improving our service model and efficiency levels to reduce cost, increase capacity, and deepen our vertical integration. We believe these investments have strengthened our ability to compete today and should contribute to higher gross margin levels when compared to pre-COVID baselines. We experienced increased copper wire and cable demand from mid-2023, which continued through the fourth quarter. This resulted in us shipping a record number of copper pounds in the fourth quarter, representing the strongest volume quarter over the course of the full-year.

Specifically, copper pounds shipped in the fourth quarter grew by 5.9% over the third quarter of 2023 and grew by 18.8% over the fourth quarter of 2022. These results represent a positive shift in volume shift when compared to a pre-COVID baseline. Copper and aluminum pounds shipped in 2023 increased by 21% and 74% respectively when compared to 2019 levels. We captured this demand by leveraging our single site, vertically integrated campus, deep supplier relationships and motivated workforce to quickly manufacture and ship finished goods to our customers despite the macro challenges facing the sector. The strong performance is also a reflection of our steadfast commitment to outstanding customer service and our constant focus on quickly shipping complete orders combined with our expanded reinvestment initiatives such as the XLPE compounding facility that was substantially completed at the end of the third quarter of this year.

Since our inception, we have grown organically under the same value proposition that we were founded on, manufacturing innovative products while providing exceptional customer service centered on quickly shipping complete orders coast to coast. We believe our focus on fill rates continues to provide a competitive advantage in the marketplace. We also believe that our one location business model affords us a higher level of agility in adapting to changing market conditions, structuring our operations to quickly service areas of new and growing demand such as data centers and renewable energy, while servicing our core market segments. As noted above, demand for our copper wire and cable products remains strong in 2023 and our build to ship model combined with the throughput of our modern service center positions us well to compete for future demand.

We believe that we have made and will continue to make appropriate, sustainable investments to meet future demand, will facilitate the broad electrification of our economy. Additionally, we believe that the current federal legislation providing funds for the infrastructure needed for broad electrification should bolster demand for our products. We firmly believe that our historical, recent and future success is a direct reflection of our unique culture and the strength of our experienced team. We also believe that our one campus location, deep vertical integration, strong supplier and customer relationships and our ability to quickly shift complete orders will remain critical differentiators in our future success. With that, I’ll now turn the call over to Bret to cover our financial performance in the fourth quarter.

Bret.

Bret Eckert: Thank you, Daniel. Fourth quarter and full year 2023 highlights include fourth quarter earnings per diluted share of $4.10, full year 2023 earnings per diluted share of $21.62. Fourth quarter net income of $66.1 million, full year 2023 net income of $372.4 million. Fourth quarter gross profit of 21.5% and full year 2023 gross profit of 25.5%. Fourth quarter copper unit volumes were up 5.9% over the third quarter of 2023. Fourth quarter copper unit volumes were up 18.8% over the fourth quarter of 2022. And on a full year basis, it was up 6.7%. We had $560.6 million of cash on hand at the end of December of 2023 compared to $730.6 million as of the end of December 2022. Capital expenditures of $164.5 million in 2023.

We repurchased 476,300 shares in the fourth quarter of 2023, repurchased 2,661,792 shares for the full year 2023. Total cash outlay for share repurchases of $85.1 million in the fourth quarter of 2023 and $460.2 million in the full year of 2023. There is a share repurchase reauthorization that was approved by our Board for the repurchase of up to 2 million shares of the company’s common stock through March 31st, 2025. As Daniel mentioned, we experienced increased copper wire and cable demand from mid-2023, which continued through the fourth quarter. This resulted in us shipping a record number of copper pounds in the fourth quarter, representing the strongest volume quarter over the course of the full year. In addition, for the first time in at least our recent history, every quarter in 2023 showed copper volume growth over the sequential quarter in the current year.

The decrease in net sales dollars in both the fourth quarter and year ended 2023 was driven by an anticipated decrease in the average selling prices in the current year periods compared to the prior year periods, which is consistent with the gradual margin abatement we have been discussing since mid-2021 that was offset by increased copper volume shift in the current year that were just highlighted above. Gross profit percentage for the fourth quarter of 2023 was 21.5% compared to 23.3% in the third quarter of 2023. The average selling price of wire per copper pound sold decreased 3.2% in the fourth quarter of 2023 versus the third quarter of 2023, while the average cost of copper per pound purchased decreased 1.2%. This resulted in the continued gradual, albeit slowing in abatement of copper spreads during the quarter, primarily driven by the decrease in average selling prices noted above, partially offset by decrease in the average cost per copper pound purchase, which resulted in the decreased gross profit margin in the fourth quarter of 2023, compared to the third quarter of 2023.

Aluminum wire represented 9.9% of net sales in the fourth quarter of 2023 and 12.9% of sales on a full year basis. Aluminum volumes in the current quarter were effectively flat compared to the prior year quarter and down slightly on a full year basis in 2023 compared to 2022. We believe the earnings in the fourth quarter and for the full year ended 2023 were strong and remained significantly above historic levels. This is a testament to our organic growth strategy, one location business model, historic and recent reinvestments in the business and our hardworking employees, all driven by a culture of constant attention to detail and continuous improvement. At a macro level, persistent tightness in the availability of certain raw materials, ongoing global uncertainties and the continued suppressed availability of skilled labor kept overall margins elevated in the fourth quarter of 2023.

Our balance sheet and cash flow generation remained strong. During the quarter, we repurchased 476,300 shares of our common stock for a total cash outlay of $85.1 million. Since the first quarter of 2020, we have repurchased 5,634,069 shares of our common stock and have returned almost $785 million in capital to shareholders through share repurchases and dividends. Incremental investments to deepen vertical integration in our manufacturing processes as well as other projects focused on driving efficiency and increasing capacity should continue to improve our service model. These types of organic investments have fueled our growth since inception and position us favorably to continue to compete in the future. In 2022, we began construction on a cross-link polyethylene XLPE compounding facility to deepen vertical integration related to wire and cable insulation.

XLPE insulation is used in many applications, including data centers, oil and gas, transit, wastewater treatment facilities, utilities, and wind and solar applications. As Daniel mentioned, the new facility was substantially completed in the third quarter of 2023. Capital spending in 2024 through 2026 will further expand vertical integration in our manufacturing processes to reduce costs as well as modernize select wire manufacturing facilities to increase capacity and efficiency and improve our position as a sustainable and environmentally responsible company. Total capital expenditures were $164.5 million in 2023. We expect total capital expenditures to range from $130 million to $150 million in 2024, $130 million to $150 million in 2025 and $100 million to $120 million in 2026.

We expect to continue to fund these investments with existing cash reserves and operating cash flows. I will now turn the floor over to Daniel for a few final remarks.

Daniel Jones: Thank you, Bret. Our ability to capture the demand we experienced in 2023 and deliver unmatched speed and agility in servicing our customers is a testament to our single site build a ship model and important competitive advantage. It also positions us well for the future. The opening of the new service center in May of 2021, the opening of Plant 7 in third quarter of 2022, the new XLPE facility that opened in the third quarter of 2023 and the other capital projects under construction or planned should provide us the capacity and efficiency to remain competitive in the future. Our unique business model continues to serve us well in current market conditions and remains a competitive advantage, giving us unmatched operational agility and speed to market in serving our customers evolving needs.

Despite persistent tightness in the availability of certain raw materials, our supplier partners continue to uphold their commitments to Encore. We wouldn’t have this level of success without the consistent, exceptional performance of our suppliers. Looking ahead, we remain focused on executing upon the core values of our company, unbeatable customer service, nimble operations and quick deliveries coast to coast. I remain confident in the strength of the Encore team in place as we stand ready to navigate any challenges that line our path. I want to close by thanking our employees for their hard work and commitment to safety, quality and excellence. Our continued success would not have happened without their outstanding contributions. Our strong financial results have allowed us the opportunity to incrementally invest in our team as we position Encore as an employer of choice in the sector.

I also want to thank our dedicated independent reps and our valued distribution partners for their continued support. Lastly, thank you to our shareholders for their confidence and investment. We’ll now take questions from our listeners, Bhavesh.

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Q&A Session

Operator: Thank you very much, sir. (Operator Instructions) Our first question comes from the line of Julio Romero from Sidoti & Company, LLC. Please go ahead.

Daniel Jones: Good morning, Julio.

Julio Romero: Thanks. Good morning, Daniel. Good morning, Bret. How are you guys?

Daniel Jones: Great.

Julio Romero: Excellent. So I guess I’ll stick to the operator instructions. Just — I guess the one question I’ll toss here is this. On volumes, really impressive volume output here in the fourth quarter. Can you maybe speak to what product lines drove the increased volumes where you are with regards to capacity utilization?

Daniel Jones: Yeah, the commercial market was pretty strong. We saw some healthy increases in individual jobs like hotels, government office buildings, data centers, that particular product category is somewhat broad. It also, comparatively speaking to residential or industrial, is our biggest piece. Pretty strong overall geographically with that product category as well. We are expecting and seeing or saw some positive signs on the residential side. And then the industrial piece also was doing very well for us.

Bret Eckert: Yeah, Julio, the only thing I’d jump on, on that is I think a lot of the strength you saw in the volume does align well with our service model. We really got back to our swagger early in 2023. Quick order to ship, very high, high order fill rates. And that service level is allowing us to continue to be competitive with those orders, but also to get some incremental demand during the year.

Julio Romero: Okay, excellent. I’ll hop back in queue. Thanks very much.

Operator: Thank you. Our next question comes from line of Chris Moore from CJS securities. Please go ahead.

Chris Moore: Hey, good morning, guys.

Daniel Jones: Good morning.

Chris Moore: Great quarter. If my math is right, I think the SARs impact was probably in the $0.20 range, so would have been even better. But maybe just a little bit on market share. So, obviously you guys picked up share over the last few years, your lead times are shorter, managed the supply chains better. There is less — now that supply chain issue got away, let’s talk about there. So, it still looks like you’re picking up share because of the quick turn model. Competitors — big competitors are private, so don’t see their numbers. But given your volumes are up 19% year-over-year on Q4, fair to assume that industry volumes were not up that level in Q4.

Daniel Jones: It’s a great question, Chris, and you alluded to it the right way. I mean, everyone’s private but us, right. So it’s really all anecdotal, right. I do think, as I mentioned to Julio’s question, our service level today has never been better and we’re able to turn these orders very, very quickly. Given the continued shortages of skilled labor, it’s very disruptive of a job site. If you have to get your load in four, five or six different deliveries, the last delivery may be the one real you need to start the process. And so being able to ship these orders complete very quickly is a differentiator. I think it’s a good assumption in your part. I think there’s clearly some growth, I think, in the sector and I think there’s some piece of that, that likely is taking share because of our service levels.

But keep in mind, it’s always one order at a time, right, continues to be a very price sensitive. Service is making a difference from our side of the fence and that’s really what allowed us to take on orders. From a capacity standpoint, we definitely have the capacity to continue to serve orders at these levels. And from that standpoint, ’23 was a fantastic year consistent from a volume perspective.

Chris Moore: Got it. Maybe I’ll just try to sneak one more in here. Obviously, the big question — or one of the big questions continues to be where gross margins will normalize. I guess, the question is, what are the puts and takes that you could reach a bottom in gross margins in ’24?

Daniel Jones: That’s a tough one. You tell me the price of copper and I can tell you how much we’re going to make, Chris, right. And that really why we don’t give guidance, right. I think, as Daniel stated, we’ve seen slowing abatement. I mean, if you just look at the fact that we talked about from the third — from the fourth quarter to the third quarter, a 3.2% decrease in the average sales price and a 1.2% decrease in the cost of copper pound purchase. If you look at the third quarter compared to the second quarter, ASP was down 4.3 and the cost was down 2. So you can see that gap is kind of closed. The abatement still is on the ASP level, right. Copper plays a big piece of it, right. We had a pretty supportive environment at copper in the fourth quarter, right.

We hit our low, I think, for the year at about 354, 355 early in October. And it steadily rose as you kind of went through the quarter and it peaked at 394 I think on the 28th of December. And so you had a building environment of copper, which is always an environment that we like. And — so that kind of plays a role in it. We’ve made a lot of investments over the last several years, right. And those investments I do think are paying dividends and obviously that impacts margin. Some of the other material costs that were up in the pandemic navigated down somewhat as you went throughout the year. And so that has a benefit to it. So there’s so many things that go into it. Everyone’s looking for where the bottom is. We’re trying to — we’re competing one order at a time.