INFICON Strongly on Track
· Second quarter sales of USD 126.3 million 31.3% over previous year and 2.9% over first quarter 2021 figures
· Operating profit of USD 22.8 million, operating profit margin of 18.1% after 16.6% a year ago
· Higher Sales Guidance of USD 480-500 million (previously USD 450-480 million) at operating profit margin of 18-20%
· Half-year report ready for download at https://ir.inficon.com/financial-results-and-presentations/
Bad Ragaz/Switzerland, July 29, 2021
INFICON Holding AG (SIX Swiss Exchange: IFCN) reports a markedly stronger (+31.3%) and record-high sales volume for its second quarter 2021 of USD 126.3 million compared with a weak prior year. Excluding currency (4.8 percentage points) and minimal acquisition (0.2 percentage points) effects, the organic plus was 26.3%. Compared with the first three months of the current year, sales increased by another 2.9%. In the Semi & Vacuum Coating market (USD 63.4 million; +18.3% over previous year; + 3.4% over Q1), especially the semiconductor business contributed to the strong sales development. INFICON benefitted here both from the globally ongoing high demand of the equipment manufacturers as well as the end users. INFICON’s biggest target market contributed in the reporting quarter as well as in the first half year just over 50% to Group sales. The sales generated in the Refrigeration, Air Conditioning & Automotive market (USD 26.4 million; +58.1% over previous year; +6.9% over Q1) reached a new high and accounted for a solid 20% of Group sales. Towards the warmer season, sales of service tools for traditional refrigeration and air conditioning applications picked up. In the automotive business, growth especially stemmed from testing and quality assurance applications for lithium ion batteries on all manufacturing levels. The sales recorded in the industrially broadly rooted General Vacuum market reached (USD 30.3 million; +30.6% over previous year; -7.9% over Q1) and thus contributed a fourth to Group sales. This business remained quite stable on a high level, despite the fact that a decline resulted compared with the strong first three months. Sales in the Security & Energy market were appealing with USD 6.2 million. The massive growth rates of +129.6% compared with the same period of last year and of +63% over Q1 reflect, however, also the weak comparison values.
In the second quarter, INFICON recorded a gross profit margin of 48.3% after 47.8% a year ago. The ongoing trade disputes as well as shortages on the global logistics and sourcing markets put the margins under pressure. INFICON invests at several locations into additional shop floor areas, equipment and processes, and hired new experts for its development and service teams. Accordingly, the quarter results reveal increased expenses for research and development and higher sales, general, and administrative costs. INFICON achieved an operating income of USD 22.8 million in its second quarter; this translates into a strengthened margin of 18.1%. After tax, net income amounted to USD 17.6 million after USD 12.9 million a year ago. Earnings per share were USD 7.20 compared with USD 5.28 for the same period last year.
Half-year 2021
In the first six months, sales grew by 32% to USD 249 million compared with USD 188.8 million in the first half of last year. The gross margin rose from 48.5% to 49.1%. The operating profit increased to USD 47.4 million, up from USD 30 million a year ago. The operating profit margin thus improved from 15.9% recorded in the first half year of 2020 to now 19.0%. The net profit for the first six months amounts to USD 37.2 million, up from USD 24.3 million recorded in the same period last year. Earnings per share were USD 15.22 for the first half of 2021 compared with USD 9.96 a year ago.
The regional sales decomposition shows for both the second quarter as well as the first half-year broadly based sales increases in all regions of the world. Compared with the first quarter of 2021, sales declined parallel to the trend in the General Vacuum market in Europe. In the first six months of 2021, INFICON generated 27.5% of its Group sales in Europe, 45.8% in Asia and 25.5% in America. In this last market, sales picked up considerably by 18.6% in the last quarter over the preceding first quarter.
The balance sheet of INFICON continues to be solid. At June 30, 2021, INFICON reports a net cash position of USD 26.8 million. Inventory turns improved from 2.8 to 3.0. After the dividend payments made in April this year, the equity ratio amounts to 62% (65% a year ago). INFICON generated in the first half of 2021 a substantially higher operating cash flow of USD 43.3 million when compared with the USD 14.8 million a year ago.
Outlook 2021
The situation in the supply chain is tense; multiple trade restraints continue to exist. The COVID 19 pandemic remains a risk factor. Based on the high capacity utilization and the continuously good order intake, INFICON assesses the perspectives for the current year quite optimistically. The sales expectations for the full business year are thus increased from previously USD 450-480 million to now USD 480-500 million. The expected operating profit margin is between 18-20%.
Half-year report 2021
The full half-year report is ready for download at https://ir.inficon.com/financial-results-and-presentations/.
Web Conference
INFICON discusses the second quarter and the half-year results 2021 today at 09:30 a.m. CEST in an English-language web conference. Participants will be in a listen-only mode during the presentation. Later, Management will take questions. The presentation is available for download at 07:00 a.m. in the investor section of the INFICON website www.inficon.com
You can access the Microsoft Teams Conference following these links:
http://bit.ly/IFCN_WebConference
https://ir.inficon.com/conference-calls-or-webcasts/
Communication Calendar
The communication calendar of INFICON is continuously updated and available on online in the Investor Relations section of the INFICON website, https://ir.inficon.com/financial-calendar/.
E-Mail Alerts
To automatically receive notification via e-mail of the latest financial information from INFICON, sign-up for news in the Investor Relations section of the INFICON website at https://ir.inficon.com/contact-and-information-request/.
ABOUT INFICON
INFICON is a leading provider of innovative instrumentation, critical sensor technologies, and advanced process control software that enhance productivity and quality in sophisticated industrial vacuum processes. These analysis, measurement and control products are essential for gas leak detection in air conditioning/ refrigeration, and automotive manufacturing. They are vital to equipment manufacturers and end-users in the complex fabrication of semiconductors and thin film coatings for optics, flat panel displays, solar cells and industrial vacuum coating applications. Other users of vacuum based processes include the life sciences, research, aerospace, packaging, heat treatment, laser cutting and many other industrial processes. We also leverage our expertise in vacuum technology to provide unique, toxic chemical analysis products for emergency response, security, and environmental monitoring. INFICON is headquartered in Switzerland and has world-class manufacturing facilities in Europe, the United States and China, as well as subsidiaries in China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Liechtenstein, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, the United Kingdom and the United States. INFICON registered shares (IFCN) are listed on SIX Swiss Exchange. For more information about INFICON and its products, please visit www.inficon.com.
This press release and oral statements or other written statements made, or to be made by us contain forward-looking statements that do not relate solely to historical or current facts. These forward-looking statements are based on the current plans and expectations of our management and are subject to a number of uncertainties and risks that could significantly affect our current plans and expectations, as well as future results of operations and financial condition. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
