Albany International Reports Fourth-Quarter 2024 Results

Business Wire 26-Feb-2025 4:20 PM

Board Authorizes New $250 Million Share Repurchase Program

Albany International Corp. (NYSE:AIN) today reported operating results for its full year and fourth quarter of 2024, which ended December 31, 2024.

"We continue to perform well in both our businesses, as evidenced by strong results at Machine Clothing and ongoing operational progress steered by new leadership at Engineered Composites," said Gunnar Kleveland, President and Chief Executive Officer. "For the full year we reported record revenues of nearly one and a quarter billion dollars driven by organic growth and our Heimbach acquisition. With increased focus on working capital and cash flow, we generated Free Cash Flow of $59 million in the fourth quarter, and $137 million for the full year underlining the strength of the combined businesses. Our balance sheet continues to be in excellent shape giving us the ability to execute our growth strategy.

"With our proven ability to both grow and generate excess cash, as part of our capital allocation strategy, we have re-initiated our share repurchase program. In the fourth quarter of 2024 we repurchased $15 million of shares. The Board has also authorized a new share repurchase program which supersedes our current program and is now up to $250 million."

For the fourth-quarter ended December 31, 2024:

• Net revenues were $286.9 million, down 11.3%, or 11.0% after adjusting for currency translation, when compared to the prior year. MC's net revenues decreased 1.9%, driven by decreased sales in packaging and publication grades, in part offset by increased sales in engineered fabrics. AEC's net revenues decreased 25.0%, driven by a decrease of net revenues across commercial and defense programs, most notably on the LEAP and CH-53K programs.
• Gross profit of $90.3 million was 24.6% lower than the $119.9 million reported for the same period of 2023, driven by reductions in the estimated profitability of long-term contracts at AEC and by lower Heimbach gross margins at MC.
• Selling, General, and Administrative expenses were $48.4 million, compared to $67.7 million in the same period of 2023; the decrease was driven primarily by reductions in expense at Heimbach, decreases in marketing and personnel-related costs at AEC and Corporate, and decreases due to changes in currency translation rates.
• Operating income was $24.3 million, compared to $41.8 million in the prior year, a decrease of 41.8%, driven by decreased Gross profit and increased Restructuring expenses, which was partially offset by lower Selling, General, and Administrative expenses.
• The effective tax rate for the quarter was 28.0% compared to a 22.6% effective tax rate in the fourth quarter of 2023. The increase in tax rate was due to a shift in taxable income to higher-rate jurisdictions, as well as due to less favorable discrete tax adjustments as compared to the prior year.
• Net income attributable to the Company was $17.7 million ($0.56 per share), compared to $30.5 million ($0.97 per share) in the fourth quarter of 2023. Adjusted Diluted earnings per share (or Adjusted EPS, a non-GAAP measure) was $0.58 per share, compared to $1.22 per share for the same period of last year.
• Adjusted EBITDA (a non-GAAP measure) was $50.0 million, compared to $75.0 million in the fourth quarter of 2023, a decrease of 33.4%.

Please see the tables below for a reconciliation of non-GAAP measures to their comparable GAAP measures.

"We are on sound financial footing as we enter 2025," said Robert Starr, Chief Financial Officer. "Our businesses continue to perform and generated healthy cash flow this year.

"Starting in the fourth quarter our Global Information System costs (or GIS), which were previously included in Corporate SG&A expenses, are now allocated to the business segments. This presentation better reflects the performance of the individual segments and is how we will review segment performance on a go-forward basis. Our consolidated EPS remains unchanged, but our Adjusted EBITDA margins for the individual segments will be impacted by this allocation."

Outlook for the Full-Year 2025:

Albany International's initial financial guidance for the full-year 2025:

• Machine Clothing revenue between $705 and $755 million;
• Machine Clothing Adjusted EBITDA between $220 and $240 million;
• Albany Engineered Composites revenue between $460 and $510 million;
• Albany Engineered Composites Adjusted EBITDA between $60 and $70 million;
• Total company revenue between $1.165 and $1.265 billion;
• Total company Adjusted EBITDA between $240 and $260 million;
• Effective income tax rate at approximately 31%;
• Capital expenditures in the range of $85 to $95 million; and
• Diluted Earnings Per Share between $3.00 and $3.40.

Financial tables and reconciliation of non-GAAP measures to comparable GAAP measures

The following tables present Net revenues and the effect of changes in currency translation rates:

The following tables present Gross profit and Gross profit margin:

A reconciliation from Net income/(loss) (GAAP) to Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP) for the current-year and comparable prior-year periods has been calculated as follows:

Per share impact of the adjustments to diluted earnings per share are as follows:

The following table provides a reconciliation of Earnings per share to Adjusted Diluted Earnings per share:

The calculations of net debt are as follows:

Free cash flow is defined as GAAP "Net cash provided by operating activities" in a period less "Purchases of property, plant and equipment" and "Purchased software" in the same period. Management believes free cash flow provides an important perspective on our ability to generate cash from our business operations and, as such, that it is an important financial measure for use in evaluating the Company's financial performance. Management uses free cash flow internally to assess overall liquidity. The following table illustrates the calculation of free cash flow:

The calculation of net leverage ratio as of December 31, 2024 is as follows:

The tables below provide a reconciliation of initial outlook for the full-year 2025 Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EPS (non-GAAP measures) to the comparable GAAP measures:

About Albany International Corp.

Albany International is a leading developer and manufacturer of engineered components, using advanced materials processing and automation capabilities, with two core businesses.

• Machine Clothing is the world's leading producer of custom-designed, consumable belts essential for the manufacture of paper, paperboard, tissue and towel, pulp, non-wovens and a variety of other industrial applications.
• Albany Engineered Composites is a growing designer and manufacturer of advanced materials-based engineered components for demanding aerospace applications, supporting both commercial and military platforms.

Albany International is headquartered in Rochester, New Hampshire, operates 30 facilities in 13 countries, employs approximately 5,400 people worldwide, and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (Symbol AIN). Additional information about the Company and its products and services can be found at www.albint.com.

Non-GAAP Measures

This release, including the conference call commentary associated with this release, contains certain non-GAAP measures, that should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the related GAAP measures. Such non-GAAP measures include net revenues and percent change in net revenues, excluding the impact of currency translation effects; EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, and Adjusted EBITDA margin; Net debt; Net leverage ratio; and Adjusted Diluted earnings per share (or Adjusted EPS). Management believes that these non-GAAP measures provide additional useful information to investors regarding the Company's operational performance.

Presenting Net revenues and change in Net revenues, after currency effects are excluded, provides management and investors insight into underlying revenues trends. Net revenues, or percent changes in net revenues, excluding currency rate effects, are calculated by converting amounts reported in local currencies into U.S. dollars at the exchange rate of a prior period. These amounts are then compared to the U.S. dollar amount as reported in the current period.

EBITDA (calculated as net income excluding interest, income taxes, depreciation and amortization), Adjusted EBITDA, and Adjusted EPS are performance measures that relate to the Company's continuing operations. The Company defines Adjusted EBITDA as EBITDA excluding costs or benefits that are not reflective of the Company's ongoing or expected future operational performance. Such excluded costs or benefits do not consist of normal, recurring cash items necessary to generate revenues or operate our business. Adjusted EBITDA margin represents Adjusted EBITDA expressed as a percentage of net revenues.

The Company defines Adjusted EPS as diluted earnings per share (GAAP), adjusted by the after tax per share amount of costs or benefits not reflective of the Company's ongoing or expected future operational performance. The income tax effects are calculated using the applicable statutory income tax rate of the jurisdictions where such costs or benefits were incurred or the effective tax rate applicable to total company results.

The Company's Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA margin, and Adjusted EPS may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies.

Net debt aids investors in understanding the Company's debt position if all available cash were applied to pay down indebtedness.

Net leverage ratio informs the investors of the Company's financial leverage at the end of the reporting period, providing an indicator of the Company's ability to repay its debt.

We encourage investors to review our financial statements and publicly-filed reports in their entirety and not to rely on any single financial measure.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain statements, estimates, guidance or projections that constitute "forward-looking statements" as defined under U.S. federal securities laws. Generally, the words "believe," "expect," "intend," "estimate," "anticipate," "project," "will," "should," "look for," "guidance," "guide," and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements, which generally are not historical in nature. Because forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties (including, without limitation, those set forth in the Company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K or Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q), actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements in this release or in the webcast include, without limitation, statements about macroeconomic conditions, including inflationary cost pressures, as well as global events, which include but are not limited to geopolitical events; paper-industry trends and conditions during 2025 and in future years; expectations in 2025 and in future periods of revenues, EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA (both in dollars and as a percentage of net revenues), Adjusted EPS, income, gross profit, gross margin, cash flows and other financial items in each of the Company's businesses, and for the Company as a whole; the timing and impact of production and development programs in the Company's AEC business segment and the revenues growth potential of key AEC programs, as well as AEC as a whole; the amount and timing of capital expenditures, future tax rates and cash paid for taxes, depreciation and amortization; future debt and net debt levels and debt covenant ratios; and changes in currency rates and their impact on future revaluation gains and losses. Furthermore, a change in any one or more of the foregoing factors could have a material effect on the Company's financial results in any period. Such statements are based on current expectations, and the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements.

Statements expressing management's assessments of the growth potential of its businesses, or referring to earlier assessments of such potential, are not intended as forecasts of actual future growth, and should not be relied on as such. While management believes such assessments to have a reasonable basis, such assessments are, by their nature, inherently uncertain. This release and earlier releases set forth a number of assumptions regarding these assessments, including historical results, independent forecasts regarding the markets in which these businesses operate, and the timing and magnitude of orders for our customers' products. Historical growth rates are no guarantee of future growth, and such independent forecasts and assumptions could prove materially incorrect in some cases.

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Investor / Media Contact:

JC Chetnani VP-Investor Relations and Treasurer jc.chetnani@albint.com