Gentherm Reports 2024 Third Quarter Results

Strong Outperformance Over Light Vehicle Production

Secured Third Quarter Record $600 Million in Automotive New Business Awards

Updates 2024 Guidance

NORTHVILLE, Mich., Oct. 30, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Gentherm (NASDAQ:THRM), the global market leader of innovative thermal management and pneumatic comfort technologies for the automotive industry and a leader in medical patient temperature management systems, today announced its financial results for the third quarter ending September 30, 2024.

Third Quarter Highlights

• Product revenues of $371.5 million increased 1.5% from $366.2 million in the third quarter of 2023. Excluding the impact of foreign currency translation, product revenues increased 1.0% year over year
• Automotive revenues increased 1.1% year over year; excluding the impact of foreign currency translation, automotive revenues increased 0.7% year over year
• GAAP diluted earnings per share was $0.51 as compared with $0.48 for the prior-year period
• Adjusted diluted earnings per share (see table herein) was $0.75. Adjusted diluted earnings per share in the prior-year period was $0.64
• Secured automotive new business awards totaling $600 million in the quarter

He added, "We continue to execute on securing awards and launching new programs, particularly for our new innovative solutions. We had our first market launch of ClimateSense^® with a five-zone micro-climate solution on the Cadillac Escalade IQ. Additionally, we won an award for ComfortScale™, our patented, next generation integrated thermal, lumbar and massage system. We have seen an acceleration of new technology wins that we expect will fuel future growth.

He concluded, "Year to date, our relentless focus on operational excellence and financial discipline has yielded not only continued growth over market, but also a nearly 100 basis point expansion in Adjusted EBITDA margin. Including share repurchases in the quarter, we returned more than $100 million dollars to shareholders through share repurchases in the last twelve months. I would like to thank the Gentherm team for their unwavering efforts to drive our business and generate shareholder returns.”

2024 Third Quarter Financial Review

Product revenues for the third quarter of 2024 increased by $5.3 million, or 1.5%, as compared with the prior-year period. Excluding the impact of foreign currency translation, product revenues increased 1.0% year over year.

Automotive revenues increased 1.1% year over year. Adjusting for foreign currency translation, phasing out the non-automotive and contract manufacturing electronics business as well as one-time benefits from recoveries in both periods, Automotive revenues increased 1.2% year over year. Revenues from Automotive Climate and Comfort Solutions increased 3.3% in the third quarter compared to the prior-year period.

According to S&P Global Mobility's mid-October report, actual light vehicle production decreased by 4.5% in the third quarter when compared with the same quarter of 2023 in the Company's key markets of North America, Europe, China, Japan, and Korea.

Gentherm Medical revenue increased 11.3% year over year, primarily as a result of higher Blanketrol^® sales in the U.S., and Astopad^® in Europe. Adjusting for the impact of foreign currency translation, Medical revenues increased 10.4%.

See the "Revenues by Product Category and Reconciliation of Foreign Currency Translation Impact” table included below for additional detail.

Gross margin rate increased to 25.5% in the current-year period, as compared with 23.5% in the prior-year period. The increase from the prior-year period was driven by Fit-for-Growth 2.0 initiatives including supplier cost reductions, value engineering activities, as well as the impact of our previously announced exit of the non-automotive electronics business. These were partially offset by annual price reductions and start-up costs from our new plants opening in Monterrey, Mexico and Tangier, Morrocco.

Net research and development expenses of $23.0 million in the quarter were relatively unchanged compared to the prior-year period.

Selling, general and administrative expenses of $36.9 million in the quarter decreased $1.4 million, or 3.6%, versus the prior-year period. The year-over-year decrease was primarily driven by acquisition and integration expenses in the prior year.

Restructuring expenses, net of $2.7 million in the current-year period increased $1.6 million, versus the prior-year period primarily as a result of discrete restructuring activities associated with the Company's Fit-for-Growth 2.0 initiatives and previously announced footprint optimization.

As described more fully in the "Reconciliation of Net Income to Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin” table included below, the Company recorded Adjusted EBITDA of $48.1 million in the quarter compared with $47.7 million in the prior-year period, an increase of $0.4 million or 0.9%.

Income tax expense in the quarter was $3.4 million, as compared with $6.9 million in the prior-year period. The effective tax rate was approximately 18% in the quarter.

GAAP diluted earnings per share for the quarter was $0.51 compared with $0.48 for the prior-year period. Adjusted diluted earnings per share, excluding restructuring expenses, net, non-cash purchase accounting impact, non-automotive electronics inventory benefit, unrealized currency loss, and other items specified on the table below, was $0.75. Adjusted diluted earnings per share in the prior-year period was $0.64.

The Company provides various non-GAAP financial measures in this release. See "Use of Non-GAAP Measures” below for additional information, including definitions, usefulness for investors and limitations, as well as reconciliations below to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures.

Guidance

The Company's full-year 2024 guidance as of October 30, 2024 is shown below:

As previously announced, Gentherm will conduct a conference call today at 8:00 am Eastern Time to review these results. The dial-in number for the call is 1-877-407-4018 (callers in the U.S.) or +1-201-689-8471 (callers outside this U.S.). The passcode for the live call is 13749599.

A live webcast and one-year archived replay of the call can be accessed on the Events page of the Investor section of Gentherm's website at www.gentherm.com.

A telephonic replay will be available at approximately two hours after the call until 11:59 pm Eastern Time on November 13, 2024. The replay can be accessed by dialing 1-844-512-2921 (callers in the U.S.), or +1-412-317-6671 (callers outside the U.S.). The passcode for the replay is 13749599.

Investor Contact 

Gregory Blanchette

[email protected]  

248.308.1702 

Media Contact 

Melissa Fischer 

[email protected]  

248.289.9702 

About Gentherm

Gentherm (NASDAQ: THRM) is the global market leader of innovative thermal management and pneumatic comfort technologies for the automotive industry and a leader in medical patient temperature management systems. Automotive products include variable temperature Climate Control Seats^®, heated automotive interior systems (including heated seats, steering wheels, armrests and other components), battery performance solutions, cable systems, lumbar and massage comfort solutions, valve system technologies, and other electronic devices. Medical products include patient temperature management systems. The Company is also developing a number of new technologies and products that will help enable improvements to existing products and to create new product applications for existing and new markets. Gentherm has more than 14,000 employees in facilities in the United States, Germany, China, Czech Republic, Hungary, Japan, Malta, Mexico, Morocco, North Macedonia, South Korea, United Kingdom, Ukraine, and Vietnam. For more information, go to www.gentherm.com. 

Forward-Looking Statements 

Except for historical information contained herein, statements in this release are forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements represent Gentherm Incorporated's goals, beliefs, plans and expectations about its prospects for the future and other future events. The forward-looking statements included in this release are made as of the date hereof or as of the date specified herein and are based on management's reasonable expectations and beliefs. In making these statements we rely on assumptions and analysis based on our experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors we consider appropriate under the circumstances. Such statements are subject to a number of important assumptions, significant risks and uncertainties (some of which are beyond our control) and other factors that may cause actual results or performance to differ materially from that described in or indicated by the forward-looking statements, including but not limited to:

• macroeconomic, geopolitical and similar global factors in the cyclical Automotive industry;
• increasing U.S. and global competition, including with non-traditional entrants;
• our ability to effectively manage new product launches and research and development, and the market acceptance of such products and technologies;
• the evolution and recent challenges of the automotive industry towards electric vehicles, autonomous vehicles and mobility on demand services, and related consumer behaviors and preferences;
• our ability to convert automotive new business awards into product revenues;
• the recent supply-constrained environment, and inflationary and other cost pressures;
• the production levels of our major customers and OEMs in our key markets and sudden fluctuations in such production levels;
• our business in China, which is subject to unique operational, competitive, regulatory and economic risks;
• our ability to attract and retain highly skilled employees and wage inflation;
• a tightening labor market, labor shortages or work stoppages impacting us, our customers or our suppliers, such as recent labor strikes among certain OEMs and suppliers;
• our achievement of product cost reductions to offset customer-imposed price reductions or other pricing pressures;
• our product quality and safety and impact of product safety recalls and alleged defects in products;
• our ability to execute efforts to optimize our global supply chain and manufacturing footprint, including opening new facilities and transferring production;
• our ability to integrate our recent acquisitions and realize synergies, as well as to consummate additional strategic acquisitions, investments and exits, and achieve planned benefits;
• any security breaches and other disruptions to our information technology networks and systems, as well as privacy, data security and data protection risks;
• the impact of our global operations, including our global supply chain, operations within Ukraine, economic and trade policies, and foreign currency and exchange risk;
• any loss or insolvency of our key customers and OEMs, or key suppliers;
• our ability to project future sales volume based on third-party information, based on which we manage our business;
• the protection of our intellectual property in certain jurisdictions;
• our compliance with anti-corruption laws and regulations;
• legal and regulatory proceedings and claims involving us or one of our major customers;
• the extensive regulation of our patient temperature management business;
• risks associated with our manufacturing processes;
• the effects of climate change and catastrophic events, as well as regulatory and stakeholder-imposed requirements to address climate change and other sustainability issues;
• our product quality and safety;
• our borrowing availability under our revolving credit facility, as well ability to access the capital markets, to support our planned growth; and
• our indebtedness and compliance with our debt covenants.

Except as required by law, the Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to update any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in its expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based. 

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

In addition to the results reported in accordance with GAAP throughout this release, the Company has provided here or elsewhere information regarding: adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization ("Adjusted EBITDA”); Adjusted EBITDA margin; adjusted earnings per share ("Adjusted earnings per share” or "Adjusted EPS”); free cash flow; Net Debt, revenue, segment revenue and product revenue excluding foreign currency translation and other specified gains and losses; Automotive Climate and Comfort Solutions revenues; and adjusted operating expenses, each a non-GAAP financial measure. The Company defines Adjusted EBITDA as earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, deferred financing cost amortization, non-cash stock based compensation expenses, and other gains and losses not reflective of the Company's ongoing operations and related tax effects including transaction expenses, debt retirement expenses, impairment of assets held for sale, impairment of goodwill, gain or loss on sale of business, restructuring expenses, net, unrealized currency gain or loss and unrealized revaluation of derivatives. The Company defines Adjusted EBITDA margin as Adjusted EBITDA divided by product revenues. The Company defines Adjusted EPS as earnings adjusted by gains and losses not reflective of the Company's ongoing operations and related tax effects including transaction expenses, debt retirement expenses, impairment of assets held for sale, impairment of goodwill, gain or loss on sale of business, restructuring expenses, net, unrealized currency gain or loss and unrealized revaluation of derivatives. The Company defines Free Cash Flow as Net cash provided by operating activities less Purchases of property and equipment. The Company defines Net Debt as the principal amount of all Consolidated Funded Indebtedness (as defined in the Credit Agreement) less cash and cash equivalents. The Company defines revenue, segment revenue or product revenue excluding foreign currency translation and other specified gains and losses as such revenue, excluding the estimated effects of foreign currency exchange on revenue by translating actual revenue using the prior period foreign currency exchange rates and excluding the other items specified in the reconciliation tables herein. The Company defines Automotive Climate and Comfort Solutions revenues as Automotive revenue excluding specified product revenues and the impact of non-automotive electronics and contract manufacturing electronics revenues. The Company defines adjusted operating expenses as operating expenses excluding impairment of intangible assets and property and equipment, restructuring expenses, net, related non-cash stock based compensation, acquisition, integration and divestiture expenses.

The Company's reconciliations are included in this release or can be found in the supplemental materials furnished as Exhibit 99.2 to the Company's Form 8-K dated October 30, 2024.

In evaluating its business, the Company considers and uses Free Cash Flow and Net Debt as supplemental measures of its liquidity and the other non-GAAP financial measures as supplemental measures of its operating performance. Management provides such non-GAAP financial measures so that investors will have the same financial information that management uses with the belief that it will assist investors in properly assessing the Company's performance on a period-over-period basis by excluding matters not indicative of the Company's ongoing operating or liquidity results and therefore enhance the comparability of the Company's results and provide additional information for analyzing trends in the business. In evaluating our non-GAAP financial measures, you should be aware that in the future we may incur revenues, expenses, and cash and non-cash obligations that are the same as or similar to some of the adjustments in our presentation of non-GAAP financial measures. Our presentation of non-GAAP financial measures should not be construed as an inference that our future results will be unaffected by unusual or non-recurring items. There also can be no assurance that we will not modify the presentation of our non-GAAP financial measures in the future, and any such modification may be material. Other companies in our industry may define and calculate these non-GAAP financial measures differently than we do and those calculations may not be comparable to our metrics. These non-GAAP measures have limitations as analytical tools, and when assessing the Company's operating performance or liquidity, investors should not consider these non-GAAP measures in isolation, or as a substitute for net income (loss), revenue or other consolidated income statement or cash flow statement data prepared in accordance with GAAP.

Non-GAAP measures referenced in this release and other public communications may include estimates of future Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA margin and Adjusted EPS. The Company has not reconciled the non-GAAP forward-looking guidance included in this release to the most directly comparable GAAP measures because this cannot be done without unreasonable effort due to the variability and low visibility with respect to taxes and non-recurring items, which are potential adjustments to future earnings. We expect the variability of these items to have a potentially unpredictable, and a potentially significant, impact on our future GAAP financial results.