CommScope Reports Second Quarter 2020 Results

CommScope Holding Company, Inc. (NASDAQ: COMM), a global leader in infrastructure solutions for communications networks, reported results for the quarter ended June 30, 2020.

“The network connectivity we provide to our customers and business partners has never been more essential. Our business model has once again demonstrated its strength and resiliency as we delivered results in the second quarter above our expectations in an incredibly challenging operating environment. Our talented employees quickly adapted to new ways of working, managed the global supply chain dynamically to mitigate the impacts of pandemic related disruptions and remain committed to building a stronger foundation for the future,” said President and Chief Executive Officer Eddie Edwards.

Edwards continued, “We are focused on delivering innovative solutions that keep people connected around the world. Our team is actively evolving our business to better position us for growth and success. We are focused on right-sizing our operations, reprioritizing investments, and focusing on the key technologies that empower our connected society. The Board and leadership team are proud of our accomplishments to date and are confident we will build momentum and continue to enhance shareholder value in the near- and long-term.”

Alex Pease, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, said, “While market conditions remain dynamic, we are focused on controlling what we can control, strengthening our liquidity position and improving our cost structure. We continue to take decisive actions to enhance our financial flexibility, including the recent refinancing of $700 million of senior unsecured notes. In the first half of the year we prudently managed cash on the balance sheet in light of the significant uncertainty related to the global pandemic and its impact on the global banking system. As we look ahead to the second half of the year, we believe some of that risk has abated, our business has strengthened, and our liquidity remains very strong. As a result, we plan to resume debt repayment in the third quarter, and we will evaluate additional opportunities before year-end depending on business performance and the macro economic environment.”

Second Quarter Results and Comparison

For comparisons described below as a combined company, the second quarter of 2019 includes historical ARRIS results for April 1 to April 3, 2019, the three days within the calendar second quarter before the acquisition date of April 4, 2019 with certain classification changes to align to CommScope’s presentation. Reconciliations of the combined company amounts and reported GAAP results to non-GAAP adjusted segment results can be found at https://ir.commscope.com/.

Net sales in the second quarter of 2020 decreased 18.1% year over year to $2.10 billion. On a combined company basis, net sales decreased 19.0% year over year due to reduced spending from cable operators and wireless carriers, primarily in the Home Networks and Outdoor Wireless Networks segments. The Company estimates that net sales were negatively impacted by approximately $50 million due to supply constraints related to COVID-19.

CommScope generated a net loss of $(321.1) million, or $(1.71) per basic share, in the second quarter, compared to the prior year period’s net loss of $(334.0) million, or $(1.81) per basic share. Due to indicators of goodwill impairment found in our Home Networks reporting unit during the second quarter of 2020, we performed an interim goodwill impairment test; and we recorded $206.7 million of goodwill impairment charges related to our Home Networks segment during the period. Non-GAAP adjusted net income for the second quarter of 2020 was $76.9 million, or $0.32 per diluted share, versus $152.8 million, or $0.66 per diluted share, in the second quarter of 2019.

Non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA decreased 29.3% to $279.8 million compared to the same period last year. On a combined company basis, non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA for the second quarter of 2020 decreased by 26.5% and was 13.3% of net sales compared to 14.7% of net sales in the second quarter of 2019. The Company estimates that second-quarter 2020 non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA was negatively impacted by approximately $30 million related to supply chain disruptions as a result of COVID-19, as well as certain other COVID-19 related incremental costs.

Second Quarter Sales by Region

Second Quarter Segment Results

Sales by Segment ⁽¹⁾

Segment Operating Income (Loss) ⁽¹⁾

NM – Not meaningful

Segment Adjusted EBITDA (See Description of Non-GAAP Financial Measures) ⁽¹⁾

⁽¹⁾ Starting January 1, 2020, the Company began reporting in the following four operating segments: Broadband Networks (Broadband), Home Networks (Home), Outdoor Wireless Networks (OWN) and Venue & Campus Networks (VCN). All prior period amounts have been restated to reflect these operating segment changes.

Broadband Networks

• Net sales of $671.9 million, relatively unchanged from prior year; both Network Cable & Connectivity and Network & Cloud remained relatively unchanged.

Home Networks

• Net sales of $624.0 million, down 31.6% from prior year driven by declines in both Home Media Solutions and Broadband Connectivity Devices.

Outdoor Wireless Networks

• Net sales of $328.4 million, down 28.3% from prior year driven by declines in both Macro Tower Solutions and Metro Cell Solutions.

Venue and Campus Networks

• Net sales of $478.5 million, down 13.2% from prior year primarily driven by declines in indoor copper and RUCKUS, partially offset by growth in DAS and ONECELL^®.

Cash Flow and Balance Sheet

• GAAP cash flow from operations of $209.1 million.
• Non-GAAP adjusted free cash flow was $217.4 million after adjusting operating cash flow for $23.8 million of additions to property, plant and equipment, $23.0 million of cash paid for restructuring costs and $9.1 million of cash paid for transaction and integration costs.
• Ended the quarter with $823.4 million in cash and cash equivalents.
• As of June 30, 2020, the Company had $250.0 million outstanding borrowings under its asset-based revolving credit facility and had availability of $521.6 million, after giving effect to the borrowings outstanding, borrowing base limitations and outstanding letters of credit, resulting in total liquidity of approximately $1.34 billion. The Company repaid the $250.0 million of borrowings under its asset-based revolving credit facility in July 2020 after determining that the proceeds were not needed for future liquidity as cash flow generation has continued to improve and the broader financial markets have continued to stabilize.

Outlook

Due to the significant and evolving uncertainties related to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, CommScope is providing limited financial guidance for 2020.

While the Company is not providing specific guidance for the third quarter, the Company expects its third quarter sales and non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA to improve modestly compared to the second quarter. Additionally, the Company expects sales and non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA to sequentially improve in the fourth quarter.

Conference Call, Webcast and Investor Presentation

As previously announced, CommScope will host a conference call today at 8:30 a.m. ET in which management will discuss second quarter 2020 results. The conference call will also be webcast.

The live, listen-only audio of the call will be available through a link on the Events and Presentations page of CommScope’s Investor Relations website.

A webcast replay will be archived on CommScope’s website for a limited period of time following the conference call.

During the conference call, the Company may discuss and answer questions concerning business and financial developments and trends that have occurred after quarter-end. The Company’s responses to questions, as well as other matters discussed during the conference call, may contain or constitute information that has not been disclosed previously.

NOTE: See https://ir.commscope.com/ for financial statements, operational schedules and reconciliations to generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) for non-GAAP financial measures referenced in this document.

About CommScope:

CommScope (NASDAQ: COMM) is pushing the boundaries of technology to create the world’s most advanced wired and wireless networks. Our global team of employees, innovators and technologists empower customers to anticipate what’s next and invent what’s possible. Discover more at www.commscope.com.

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Non-GAAP Financial Measures

CommScope management believes that presenting certain non-GAAP financial measures enhances an investor’s understanding of our financial performance. CommScope management further believes that these financial measures are useful in assessing CommScope’s operating performance from period to period by excluding certain items that we believe are not representative of our core business. CommScope management also uses certain of these financial measures for business planning purposes and in measuring CommScope’s performance relative to that of its competitors. CommScope management believes these financial measures are commonly used by investors to evaluate CommScope’s performance and that of its competitors. However, CommScope’s use of the terms combined company net sales, non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA, combined company non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA and segment adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of sales, non-GAAP adjusted net income, non-GAAP adjusted diluted earnings per share, non-GAAP adjusted gross profit, non-GAAP adjusted operating expense and non-GAAP adjusted free cash flow may vary from that of others in its industry. These financial measures should not be considered as alternatives to operating income (loss), net income (loss), cash flow from operations or any other performance measures derived in accordance with U.S. GAAP as measures of operating performance, operating cash flows or liquidity.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release or any other oral or written statements made by us or on our behalf may include forward-looking statements that reflect our current views with respect to future events and financial performance. These statements may discuss goals, intentions or expectations as to future plans, trends, events, results of operations or financial condition or otherwise, in each case, based on current beliefs of management, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, such management. These forward-looking statements are generally identified by their use of such terms and phrases as “intend,” “goal,” “estimate,” “expect,” “project,” “projections,” “plans,” “potential,” “anticipate,” “should,” “could,” “designed to,” “foreseeable future,” “believe,” “think,” “scheduled,” “outlook,” “target,” “guidance” and similar expressions, although not all forward-looking statements contain such terms. This list of indicative terms and phrases is not intended to be all-inclusive.

These forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties, many of which are outside our control, including, without limitation, risks related to the ARRIS acquisition (including risks associated with the integration of the business and systems and that we may not realize estimated cost savings, synergies, growth or other anticipated benefits); our dependence on customers’ capital spending on data and communication systems; concentration of sales among a limited number of customers and channel partners; changes in technology; the scope, duration and impact of disease outbreaks and pandemics, such as COVID-19, on our business including employees, sites, operations, customers and supply chain; industry competition and the ability to retain customers through product innovation, introduction, and marketing; risks associated with our sales through channel partners; changes to the regulatory environment in which our customers operate; product quality or performance issues and associated warranty claims; our ability to maintain effective management information technology systems and to successfully implement major systems initiatives; cyber-security incidents, including data security breaches, ransomware or computer viruses; the risk our global manufacturing operations suffer production or shipping delays, causing difficulty in meeting customer demands; the risk that internal production capacity or that of contract manufacturers may be insufficient to meet customer demand or quality standards; the use of open standards; the long-term impact of climate change; changes in cost and availability of key raw materials, components and commodities and the potential effect on customer pricing; risks associated with our dependence on a limited number of key suppliers for certain raw materials and components; the risk that contract manufacturers we rely on encounter production, quality, financial or other difficulties; our ability to integrate and fully realize anticipated benefits from prior or future divestitures, acquisitions or equity investments; potential difficulties in realigning global manufacturing capacity and capabilities among our global manufacturing facilities or those of our contract manufacturers that may affect our ability to meet customer demands for products; possible future restructuring actions; substantial indebtedness and restrictive debt covenants; our ability to incur additional indebtedness; our ability to generate cash to service our indebtedness; possible future impairment charges for fixed or intangible assets, including goodwill; income tax rate variability and ability to recover amounts recorded as deferred tax assets; our ability to attract and retain qualified key employees; labor unrest; obligations under our defined benefit employee benefit plans requiring plan contributions in excess of current estimates; significant international operations exposing us to economic, political and other risks, including the impact of variability in foreign exchange rates; our ability to comply with governmental anti-corruption laws and regulations and export and import controls worldwide; our ability to compete in international markets due to export and import controls to which we may be subject; the impact of Brexit; changes in the laws and policies in the United States affecting trade, including the risk and uncertainty related to tariffs or a potential global trade war that may impact our products; cost of protecting or defending intellectual property; costs and challenges of compliance with domestic and foreign environmental laws; the impact of litigation and similar regulatory proceedings that we are involved in or may become involved in, including the costs of such litigation; risks associated with stockholder activism, which could cause us to incur significant expense, hinder execution of our business strategy and impact the trading value of our securities; and other factors beyond our control. These and other factors are discussed in greater detail in our 2019 Annual Report on Form 10-K and our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2020, and may be updated from time to time in our annual reports, quarterly reports, current reports and other filings we make with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Although the information contained in this press release represents our best judgment as of the date of this release based on information currently available and reasonable assumptions, we can give no assurance that the expectations will be attained or that any deviation will not be material. Given these uncertainties, we caution you not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. We are not undertaking any duty or obligation to update this information to reflect developments or information obtained after the date of this press release, except as otherwise may be required by law.

Source: CommScope

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