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Avery Dennison Announces Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2017 Results

GLENDALE, Calif.--()--Avery Dennison Corporation (NYSE:AVY) today announced preliminary, unaudited results for its fourth quarter and year ended December 30, 2017. All non-GAAP financial measures referenced in this document are reconciled to GAAP in the attached tables. Unless otherwise indicated, comparisons are to the same period in the prior year.

“2017 marked the company’s sixth consecutive year of strong top-line growth, margin expansion, and double-digit adjusted EPS growth,” said Mitch Butier, President and CEO. “Strong top-line performance in 2017 reflected a balance of contributions from acquisitions and organic growth, driven by our focus on faster-growing high value categories and large presence in emerging markets.

“Label and Graphic Materials delivered another year of strong growth and continued margin expansion. Retail Branding and Information Solutions’ operating income rose significantly, reflecting outstanding performance in terms of both top-line growth and margin expansion. And we expanded the platform for Industrial and Healthcare Materials, through both acquisitions and a return to solid organic growth in the back half of the year.

“In 2018, we expect to once again deliver a strong top-line and double-digit EPS growth, while further increasing our level of investment for the future,” said Butier. “I would like to thank our employees for their dedication to creating superior value for our customers, investors, and the communities in which we operate. We remain confident that the consistent execution of our strategies will enable us to continue this momentum for years to come.”

For more details on the company’s results, see the summary table accompanying this news release, as well as the supplemental presentation materials, “Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2017 Financial Review and Analysis,” posted on the company’s website at www.investors.averydennison.com, and furnished to the SEC on Form 8-K.

Fourth Quarter 2017 Results by Segment

Sales change ex. currency refers to the increase or decrease in sales excluding the estimated impact of currency translation. The estimated impact of currency translation is calculated on a constant currency basis, with prior period results translated at current period average exchange rates to exclude the effect of currency fluctuations. Organic sales change refers to the increase or decrease in sales excluding the estimated impact of currency translation, product line exits, and acquisitions and divestitures. Adjusted operating margin refers to income before interest expense and taxes, excluding restructuring charges and other items, as a percentage of sales.

Label and Graphic Materials

  • Reported sales increased 9.2 percent. Sales ex. currency increased 5.6 percent; on an organic basis, sales grew 4.6 percent. Sales increased mid-single digits on an organic basis in Label and Packaging Materials, as well as in the combined Graphics and Reflective Solutions businesses.
  • Reported operating margin increased 60 basis points to 11.9 percent as the benefits of increased volume and productivity more than offset higher employee-related costs and the net impact of pricing and raw material costs. Adjusted operating margin increased 70 basis points to 12.2 percent.

Retail Branding and Information Solutions

  • Reported sales increased 5.2 percent; on an organic basis, sales grew 4.7 percent driven by strength in both RFID and the base business.
  • Reported operating margin increased 150 basis points to 10.8 percent as the benefits from productivity, increased volume, and reduced amortization expense were partially offset by higher employee-related costs and the net impact of pricing and raw material costs. Adjusted operating margin increased 190 basis points to 11.9 percent.

Industrial and Healthcare Materials

  • Reported sales increased 60.3 percent. Sales ex. currency increased 56.9 percent; on an organic basis, sales grew 5.7 percent. Sales on an organic basis increased high-single digits in industrial categories and increased low-single digits in healthcare categories.
  • Reported operating margin declined 160 basis points to 7.2 percent, with roughly half of the decline due to acquisitions, and the balance reflecting near-term operational challenges and investments. Adjusted operating margin declined 210 basis points to 7.6 percent.

Other

Share Repurchases / Equity Dilution from Long-Term Incentives

In 2017, the company repurchased 1.5 million shares at an aggregate cost of $130 million ($108 million net of proceeds from stock option exercises). Net of dilution, the company’s share count increased by 0.1 million.

Income Taxes

The enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“TCJA”) in December 2017 resulted in a charge of $172 million in the fourth quarter. This charge includes a tax on deemed repatriation of accumulated untaxed foreign earnings and the revaluation of deferred tax assets and liabilities, reflecting the company’s provisional estimate of the new legislation’s impact under recent SEC guidance. As new information becomes available, including issuance of interpretations by regulatory bodies, the company may update this estimate.

The company’s effective tax rate, including the impact of the TCJA, was 138 percent for the fourth quarter, and 52 percent for the full year. The company’s adjusted (non-GAAP) tax rate was 28 percent for both the fourth quarter and full year; this rate excludes the charge associated with the TCJA and incorporates $29 million of estimated charges related to repatriation actions previously planned for the fourth quarter that were not implemented as a result of U.S. tax reform.

The company’s 2018 tax rate is expected to be in the mid-twenty percent range, which reflects the company’s current estimated impact of the TCJA.

Cost Reduction Actions

In 2017, the company realized approximately $59 million in pre-tax savings from restructuring, net of transition costs, and incurred pre-tax restructuring charges of approximately $33 million, the majority of which represents cash charges.

Outlook

In its supplemental presentation materials, “Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2017 Financial Review and Analysis,” the company provides a list of factors that it believes will contribute to its 2018 financial results. Based on the factors listed and other assumptions, the company expects 2018 reported earnings per share of $5.50 to $5.75.

Excluding an estimated $0.20 per share for restructuring charges and other items, the company expects adjusted earnings per share of $5.70 to $5.95.

Note: Throughout this release and the supplemental presentation materials, amounts on a per share basis reflect fully diluted shares outstanding.

About Avery Dennison

Avery Dennison (NYSE:AVY) is a global materials science company specializing in the design and manufacture of a wide variety of labeling and functional materials. The company’s products, which are used in nearly every major industry, include pressure-sensitive materials for labels and graphic applications; tapes and other bonding solutions for industrial, medical, and retail applications; tags, labels, and embellishments for apparel; and radio frequency identification (RFID) solutions serving retail apparel and other markets. Headquartered in Glendale, California, the company employs approximately 30,000 employees in more than 50 countries. Reported sales in 2017 were $6.6 billion. 

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