WestRock (WRK) Beats on Q2 Earnings, Scraps '20 Guidance

WestRock Company WRK delivered second-quarter fiscal 2020 (ended Mar 31, 2020) adjusted earnings of 67 cents per share, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 60 cents. However, earnings declined 16.2% from the prior-year quarter figure of 80 cents per share. During the quarter, the company witnessed solid demand in some key markets as the coronavirus pandemic impacted consumer buying habits.

Including one-time items, the company reported earnings per share of 57 cents in the reported quarter, down 8% from the prior-year quarter’s 62 cents.

Operational Update

WestRock’s total revenues slid 3.7% year over year to $4,447 million. Moreover, the revenue figure missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $4,485 million.

Cost of sales was down 2% year over year to $3,643 million in the fiscal second quarter. Gross profit declined 10.5% year over year to $805 million. Gross margin came in at 18.1% compared with the 19.5% reported in the prior-year period. Adjusted segment EBITDA was $708 million compared with the $757 million witnessed in the year-earlier quarter. Total segment income was around $335 million, down from the year-ago quarter’s $396 million.

WestRock Company Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

WestRock Company Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

WestRock Company price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | WestRock Company Quote

Segmental Performance

Corrugated Packaging: Sales in the segment dipped 3.6% year over year to $2,883 million in the March-end quarter primarily due to lower corrugated selling price/mix and unfavorable impacts of foreign currency, partly offset by higher volumes. Adjusted segment EBITDA declined 9.2% year over year to $502 million.

Consumer Packaging: Sales in the segment were down 3.1% year over year to $1,616 million. This downside resulted from lower selling price/mix, dismal volumes and unfavorable foreign-currency translation impact. Adjusted segment EBITDA edged down 1.8% year over year to $222 million.

Financial Position

As of Mar 31, 2020, cash and cash equivalents were $640 million, significantly up from $152 million as of Sep 30, 2019. As of Mar 31, 2020, total debt was $10.8 billion, up from $10.1 billion as of Sep 30, 2019. Cash flow from operations was $168 million in the fiscal second quarter compared with the $362 million reported in the year-earlier quarter. WestRock invested $241 million in capital expenditure and paid out $121 million in dividends in the reported quarter.

The company is executing strategies for financial strength and substantial liquidity to counter the pandemic-related setbacks. WestRock is decreasing salaries and retainers by up to 25% for the company’s senior executive team and board of directors as well as reducing its discretionary expenses. The company is lowering capital investments by approximately $150 million to $950 million for fiscal 2020 while reducing capital investments to $600-$800 million for fiscal 2021. It will pay a quarterly dividend of 20 cents per share for an annual rate of 80 cents per share.

WestRock expects to have an additional $1 billion in cash available for debt reduction through fiscal 2021.

Suspends Guidance

The company has withdrawn the fiscal 2020 guidance for net sales, adjusted segment EBITDA, adjusted operating cash flow and adjusted free cash on the coronavirus pandemic-related concerns.

Price Performance

Shares of WestRock have lost 21.1% over the past year compared with the industry’s decline of 34.6%.

Zacks Rank & Stocks to Consider

WestRock currently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).

Some better-ranked stocks in the basic materials space are Newmont Corporation NEM, Barrick Gold Corporation GOLD and Franco-Nevada Corporation FNV, each currently carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Newmont has an expected earnings growth rate of 90.2% for 2020. The company’s shares have surged 103.6% in the past year.

Barrick Gold has an estimated earnings growth rate of 60.8% for the ongoing year. Its shares have soared 112.7% over the past year. 
 
Franco-Nevada has a projected earnings growth rate of 19.2% for the current year. The company’s shares have appreciated 92.5% in a year’s time.

Breakout Biotech Stocks with Triple-Digit Profit Potential

The biotech sector is projected to surge beyond $775 billion by 2024 as scientists develop treatments for thousands of diseases. They’re also finding ways to edit the human genome to literally erase our vulnerability to these diseases.

Zacks has just released Century of Biology: 7 Biotech Stocks to Buy Right Now to help investors profit from 7 stocks poised for outperformance. Our recent biotech recommendations have produced gains of +50%, +83% and +164% in as little as 2 months. The stocks in this report could perform even better.

See these 7 breakthrough stocks now>>

Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
 
Newmont Corporation (NEM) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Franco-Nevada Corporation (FNV) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Barrick Gold Corporation (GOLD) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
WestRock Company (WRK) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
To read this article on Zacks.com click here.