NCI Building Systems Reports First Quarter 2018 Results

March 6, 2018

HOUSTON, March 6, 2018 – NCI Building Systems, Inc. (NYSE: NCS) ("NCI" or the "Company") today reported financial results for the first fiscal quarter ended January 28, 2018.

First Quarter 2018 Financial and Operational Highlights:

• Sales rose 7.6% to $421.3 million for the quarter, compared to $391.7 million in the prior year’s first quarter

• Gross profit for the quarter was $91.9 million or 21.8% of revenues, compared to $84.0 million or 21.4% of revenues in the prior year’s first quarter

• Net income was $5.2 million for the quarter, compared to $2.0 million in the prior year’s first quarter. Adjusted Net Income was $9.5 million this quarter, compared to $3.6 million in the prior year’s first quarter

• Net income per diluted common share for the quarter was $0.08, compared to $0.03 in the prior year’s first quarter. Adjusted Net Income was $0.14 per diluted common share, compared to $0.05 in the prior year’s first quarter

• Adjusted EBITDA was $32.9 million, or 7.8% of revenues, for the quarter, compared to Adjusted EBITDA of $26.2 million, or 6.7% of revenues, in the prior year’s first quarter

• Total consolidated backlog increased to $569.9 million, up 8.1% year-over-year

"We are pleased with our first quarter results across our businesses, led by the strong performance from our Insulated Metal Panels segment," said Donald R. Riley, President and Chief Executive Officer. "These results demonstrate our commitment to maintaining commercial discipline in an environment of increasing costs.

Looking ahead, our internal economic indicators are tracking to expectations and our year-over-year growth in both backlog and bookings continues to support our favorable outlook. The NCI team is focused on and is making good progress on successfully executing our advanced manufacturing and continuous improvement initiatives. The successful execution of these initiatives and our backlog should position NCI well for the future."

First Quarter 2018 Results

First quarter 2018 sales increased to $421.3 million, up 7.6%, from $391.7 million in last year's first quarter, primarily due to continued commercial discipline in the pass-through of higher material costs across our segments, combined with strong volume growth in both the Metal Components and Insulated Metal Panels (IMP) segments.

Gross profit was $91.9 million this quarter, compared to $84.0 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2017 and gross profit margins were 21.8% for the year’s first quarter compared to 21.4% in the first quarter of fiscal 2017. Gross margins in the first quarter of the year increased primarily as a result of growth in the IMP segment and favorable commercial discipline, partially offset by higher transportation costs.

Engineering, selling, general and administrative ("ESG&A") expenses were $74.8 million for the quarter, compared to $69.0 million in the prior year’s first quarter. As a percentage of revenues, ESG&A expenses were 17.7% in the fiscal 2018 first quarter compared to 17.6% in the prior year’s first quarter. The first quarter of fiscal 2018 included a special charge of $4.6 million related to the acceleration of retirement benefits of the Company’s former Chief Executive Officer. Excluding the effects of the acceleration of share-based compensation, ESG&A, as a percentage of revenues, improved to 16.7% in the first quarter of 2018.

Operating income for the quarter was $13.9 million, compared to $9.9 million in the prior year’s first quarter. Adjusted Operating Income, a non-GAAP measure which excludes certain identified items, was $19.3 million in the current quarter, compared to $12.5 million in the prior year’s first quarter.

Net income applicable to common shares in the quarter was $5.2 million, or $0.08 per diluted common share, compared to $2.0 million, or $0.03 per diluted common share in the prior year’s first quarter. Net income was impacted by the following special items: a $4.6 million charge related to the acceleration of retirement benefits of the former CEO, $1.1 million charge for restructuring activities predominately attributable to severance costs and $0.7 million strategic development and acquisition related costs, partially offset by a discrete $0.3 million benefit from the December enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and $1.8 million from the associated tax effect of these items. Excluding the impact of these special items, Adjusted Net Income, a non-GAAP measure, was $9.5 million, or $0.14 per diluted common share, compared to $3.6 million, or $0.05 per diluted common share, in the prior year’s first quarter.

Adjusted EBITDA, a non-GAAP measure, defined in accordance with the Company's credit agreement as earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, and certain other cash and non-cash items, was $32.9 million this quarter, compared to $26.2 million in the prior year’s first quarter. Please see the reconciliation of Adjusted Operating Income, Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted EBITDA in the accompanying financial tables.

Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the first quarter were $12.4 million, compared to $15.8 million at the end of the first quarter of fiscal 2017. Cash and cash equivalents decreased sequentially $53.3 million from $65.7 million at the end of the fourth quarter of fiscal 2017 primarily as a result of $46.7 million of share repurchases during the first quarter. NCI’s net debt leverage ratio (net debt/EBITDA) at the end of the first quarter was 2.3x. As of January 28, 2018, the Company had utilized $10.0 million of the Company’s $150.0 million ABL facility.

As of the first quarter of fiscal 2018, the Company changed its reportable business segments to the following:

Prior Reporting Segments
Engineered Building Systems
Metal Components
Metal Coil Coating

New Reporting Segments
Engineered Building Systems
Metal Components
Insulated Metal Panels
Metal Coil Coating

Two years of historical financial results for previously reported quarterly and annual periods for fiscal 2016 and 2017 have been recast to reflect the four new business segments. An 8-K with this historical information was filed on February 28, 2018.

First Quarter 2018 Segment Performance

Sales in the Engineered Building Systems segment were $157.0 million in the first quarter, compared to $151.3 million in the prior year period, as a result of commercial discipline passing through higher input costs, offset by lower tonnage volumes. Operating income increased to $8.3 million this quarter, compared to $6.5 million in the prior year’s first quarter. Adjusted Operating Income, a non-GAAP measure, increased to $9.6 million this quarter, compared to $8.4 million in the prior year’s first quarter. Operating margins increased as a result of lower ESG&A costs and improved commercial discipline, partially offset by lower plant utilization and higher transportation costs.

The Metal Components segment generated $146.8 million in sales during the quarter, an increase of 9.4% from $134.2 million in the prior year’s first quarter, led by higher external volumes across the segment and the pass-through of increasing materials costs. Operating income was $17.1 million for the quarter compared to $12.4 million in the prior year’s first quarter. Adjusted Operating Income was $15.7 million, compared to $12.7 million in the prior year’s first quarter. The Metal Components segment’s operating margins increased as a result of improved operating leverage across the cost structure on higher volumes, partially offset by higher transportations costs.

The Insulated Metal Panels segment generated $110.8 million in sales during the quarter, an increase of 16.4% from $95.2 million in the prior year’s first quarter, as a result of commercial discipline on rising input costs and increasing sales volumes. Operating income was $7.1 million for the quarter compared to $2.2 million in the prior year’s first quarter. Adjusted Operating Income was $8.7 million, compared to $2.2 million in the prior year’s first quarter. The IMP segment’s operating margins increased as a result of improved operating leverage across the cost structure on higher volumes and committed commercial discipline on rising input costs.

Sales in the Metal Coil Coating segment were $88.3 million in the first quarter of both fiscal 2018 and fiscal 2017. Operating income and Adjusted Operating Income was $5.4 million for the quarter compared to $6.7 million in the prior year’s first quarter, respectively. Operating margins in the Metal Coil Coating segment were impacted by less favorable product mix and lower margins in the CENTRIA coil coating operations as that entity was further integrated and aligned with the legacy coil coating operations.

Market Commentary

The key leading indicators that NCI follows and that typically have the most meaningful correlation to nonresidential low-rise construction starts are the American Institute of Architects’ ("AIA") Architecture Mixed Use Index, the Dodge Residential single family starts and the Conference Board Leading Economic Index ("LEI"). Historically, there has been a very high correlation to nonresidential low-rise construction starts when the three leading indicators are combined and then seasonally adjusted. The combined forward projection of these metrics, based on a 9- to 14-month historical lag for each metric, indicates an expected positive growth of 2.0% to 4.0% for new nonresidential low-rise construction starts for the Company’s addressable market in fiscal 2018.

Recent Developments

In February 2018, NCI entered into a new $415 million secured term loan facility and used the proceeds to redeem and retire the Company’s existing 8.25% senior notes due 2023 and refinance its existing $144 million senior secured term loan and to pay related call premiums, fees and expenses, including accrued and unpaid interest in respect of the existing term loan facility and the senior notes. The Company also announced the closing of the refinancing of its existing ABL facility with a new $150.0 million facility. As a result of these refinancing transactions, the Company expects to reduce its current effective cash interest rate from approximately 7.0% to 3.6%, which represents a reduction in annual interest expense of approximately $12.5 million based on current LIBOR rates. The company expects to record a loss, primarily related to the early extinguishment of the 8.25% senior notes ranging from $23.0 - $25.0 million during the quarter ending April 29, 2018.

On January 29, 2018, the Company closed on the sale of CENTRIA International LLC, which included the CENTRIA manufacturing facility in China. These operations were not considered material to the growth opportunities of the Company and had generated $9.9 million in revenues and an operating income of $1.2 million in fiscal 2017. The Company estimates that it will record a loss on the transaction ranging between $6.0 million and $7.5 million during the quarter ending April 29, 2018, of which approximately $3.5 to $4.0 million is considered a non-cash expense.

As the result of recently enacted Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the company’s effective income tax rate during the first quarter of fiscal 2018 decreased to 17.6% from 38.5% in the prior year’s first quarter. The first quarter included a $0.3 million discrete benefit related to the remeasurement of tax assets and liabilities net of expected repatriation taxes on foreign operations.

Guidance

Looking ahead, NCI’s internal economic indicators are tracking to expectation and year-over-year growth in both bookings and backlog support the Company’s favorable outlook for fiscal 2018. For the second quarter of fiscal 2018, NCI expects revenues to be in the range of $430 to $450 million and Adjusted EBITDA to be in the range of $29 to $39 million.

The Company has provided additional detailed financial guidance in the quarterly supplemental presentation at www.ncibuildingsystems.com under the "Investors" section.

Conference Call Information

The NCI Building Systems, Inc. first quarter fiscal 2018 conference call is scheduled for Wednesday, March 7, 2018, at 9:00 a.m. ET (8:00 a.m. CT). Please dial 1-412-902-0003 or 1-877-407-0672 (toll-free) to participate in the call. To listen to a live broadcast of the call over the Internet or to review the archived call, please visit the Company's website at www.ncibuildingsystems.com. To access the taped telephone replay, please dial 1-201-612-7415 or 1-877-660-6853 (toll-free) and the passcode 13676349# when prompted. The taped replay will be available two hours after the call through March 21, 2018. A replay of the webcast will be available on the Company’s website under the Event Calendar, Calls & Webcast section of the Investor Relations page of the NCI website for approximately 90 days.

About NCI Building Systems

NCI Building Systems, Inc. is one of North America's largest integrated manufacturers of metal products for the nonresidential building industry. NCI is comprised of a family of companies operating manufacturing facilities across the United States, Canada and Mexico with additional sales and distribution offices throughout the United States and Canada. 

Contact:

K. Darcey Matthews
Vice President, Investor Relations
281-897-7785

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "believe," "anticipate," "guidance," "plan," "potential," "expect," "should," "will," "forecast" and similar expressions are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements reflect our current expectations, assumptions and/or beliefs concerning future events. As a result, these forward-looking statements rely on a number of assumptions, forecasts, and estimates and, therefore, these forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause the Company's actual performance to differ materially from that projected in such statements. Such forward-looking statements may include, but are not limited to, statements concerning our market commentary and expectations for new nonresidential low-rise construction starts in fiscal 2018 and our financial outlook and guidance, including our second quarter fiscal 2018 forecasted revenues and Adjusted EBITDA and other consolidated financial performance guidance. Among the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, but are not limited to, industry cyclicality and seasonality; adverse weather conditions; challenging economic conditions affecting the nonresidential construction industry; volatility in the U.S. economy and abroad, generally, and in the credit markets; substantial indebtedness and our ability to incur substantially more indebtedness; our ability to generate significant cash flow required to service our existing debt, including our secured term loan facility, and obtain future financing; our ability to comply with the financial tests and covenants in our existing and future debt obligations; operational limitations or restrictions in connection with our debt; increases in interest rates; recognition of asset impairment charges; commodity price increases and/or limited availability of raw materials, including steel; interruptions in our supply chain; our ability to make strategic acquisitions accretive to earnings; retention and replacement of management and other key personnel; enforcement and obsolescence of intellectual property rights; fluctuations in customer demand; costs related to environmental clean-ups and liabilities; competitive activity and pricing pressure; increases in energy prices; volatility of the Company's stock price; effect on the price of the Company's common stock of future sales of the Company's common stock held by our sponsor; substantial governance and other rights held by our sponsor; breaches of our information system security measures and damage to our major information management systems; hazards that may cause personal injury or property damage, thereby subjecting us to liabilities and possible losses, which may not be covered by insurance; changes in laws or regulations, including the Dodd-Frank Act; the timing and amount of our stock repurchases; and costs and other effects of legal and administrative proceedings, settlements, investigations, claims and other matters. See also the "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended October 29, 2017, and other risks described in documents subsequently filed by the Company from time to time with the SEC, which identify other important factors, though not necessarily all such factors, that could cause future outcomes to differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation to release publicly any updates or revisions to these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.