Paul Mueller Company Announces Its First Quarter Earnings of 2022

·9 min read
Paul Mueller Company
Paul Mueller Company

SPRINGFIELD, Mo., April 29, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Paul Mueller Company (OTC: MUEL) today announced earnings for the quarter ended March 31, 2022.

PAUL MUELLER COMPANY

THREE-MONTH REPORT

Unaudited

(In thousands)

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME

Three Months Ended

Twelve Months Ended

March 31

March 31

2022

2021

2022

2021

Net Sales

$

40,775

$

45,279

$

180,109

$

204,235

Cost of Sales

31,861

31,838

136,190

141,852

Gross Profit

$

8,914

$

13,441

$

43,919

$

62,383

Selling, General and Administrative Expense

10,240

11,308

42,816

44,958

Goodwill Impairment Expense

-

-

-

15,397

Operating Income (Loss)

$

(1,326

)

$

2,133

$

1,103

$

2,028

Interest Expense

(388

)

(451

)

(679

)

(828

)

PPP Loan Forgiveness

-

-

1,884

-

Other Income

264

38

3,070

809

Income (Loss) before Provision (Benefit) for Income Taxes

$

(1,450

)

$

1,720

$

5,378

$

2,009

Provision (Benefit) for Income Taxes

(328

)

419

800

4,140

Net Income (Loss)

$

(1,122

)

$

1,301

$

4,578

$

(2,131

)

Earnings (Loss) per Common Share ––

Basic

$

(1.03

)

$

1.19

$

4.22

$

(1.94

)

Diluted

$

(1.03

)

$

1.19

$

4.22

$

(1.94

)


CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

Three Months Ended

March 31

2022

2021

Net Income (Loss)

$

(1,122

)

$

1,301

Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax:

Foreign Currency Translation Adjustment

(482

)

(1,275

)

Comprehensive Income (Loss)

$

(1,604

)

$

26


CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

March 31

December 31

2022

2021

Cash and Short-Term Investments

$

12,513

$

11,281

Accounts Receivable

23,747

25,774

Inventories

32,427

26,454

Current Net Investments in Sales-Type Leases

22

23

Other Current Assets

2,474

1,814

Current Assets

$

71,183

$

65,346

Net Property, Plant, and Equipment

40,913

41,250

Right of Use Assets

2,481

2,526

Other Assets

7,650

7,003

Long-Term Net Investments in Sales-Type Leases

193

164

Total Assets

$

122,420

$

116,289

Accounts Payable

$

14,137

$

14,470

Current Maturities and Short-Term debt

1,310

1,330

Current Lease Liabilities

471

483

Other Current Liabilities

36,914

27,691

Current Liabilities

$

52,832

$

43,974

Long-Term Debt

13,723

14,241

Long-Term Pension Liabilities

17,083

18,036

Other Long-Term Liabilities

2,450

1,848

Lease Liabilities

844

897

Total Liabilities

$

86,932

$

78,996

Shareholders' Investment

35,488

37,293

Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Investment

$

122,420

$

116,289


SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

March 31

December 31

2022

2021

Book Value per Common Share

$

32.69

$

34.32

Total Shares Outstanding

1,085,711

1,086,661

Backlog

$

130,763

$

78,357


CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF SHAREHOLDERS' INVESTMENT

Common Stock

Paid-in Surplus

Retained Earnings

Treasury Stock

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)

Total

Balance, December 31, 2021

$

1,508

$

9,708

$

72,764

$

(10,749

)

$

(35,938

)

$

37,293

Add (Deduct):

Net Income (Loss)

(1,122

)

(1,122

)

Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax

(482

)

(482

)

Dividends, $.15 per Common Share

(163

)

(163

)

Treasury Stock Acquisition

(38

)

(38

)

Balance, March 31, 2022

$

1,508

$

9,708

$

71,479

$

(10,787

)

$

(36,420

)

$

35,488


CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS

Three Months Ended March 31, 2022

Three Months Ended March 31, 2021

Operating Activities:

Net Income (Loss)

$

(1,122

)

$

1,301

Adjustment to Reconcile Net Income to Net Cash Provided (Required) by Operating Activities:

Pension Contributions (Greater) Less than Expense

(953

)

(960

)

Bad Debt Expense (Recovery)

(4

)

(32

)

Depreciation & Amortization

1,503

1,652

(Gain) Loss on Sales of Equipment

(1

)

(3

)

Change in Assets and Liabilities

Dec (Inc) in Accts and Notes Receivable

2,031

(1,460

)

(Inc) Dec in Cost in Excess of Estimated Earnings and Billings

-

(478

)

(Inc) in Inventories

(5,129

)

(3,213

)

(Inc) in Prepayments

(660

)

(118

)

(Inc) in Net Investment in Sales-type leases

(28

)

(15

)

Dec (Inc) in Other LT Assets

13

(72

)

(Dec) Inc in Accounts Payable

(152

)

2,225

(Dec) in Accrued Income Tax

(1

)

-

Inc (Dec) in Other Accrued Expenses

705

(4,131

)

Inc in Advanced Billings

8,142

5,580

Inc (Dec) in Billings in Excess of Costs and Estimated Earnings

377

(1,204

)

Inc in Lease Liability for Operating

90

24

Inc in Lease Liability for Financing

-

43

Principal payments of Lease Liability for Operating

(73

)

(69

)

(Dec) in Long Term Liabilities

(24

)

(72

)

Net Cash Provided (Required) by Operating Activities

$

4,714

$

(1,002

)

Investing Activities

Proceeds from Sales of Equipment

1

9

Additions to Property, Plant, and Equipment

(1,935

)

(812

)

Net Cash (Required) for Investing Activities

$

(1,934

)

$

(803

)

Financing Activities

Principal payments of Lease Liability for Financing

(57

)

(69

)

(Repayment) of Short-Term Borrowings, Net

-

(605

)

(Repayment) of Long-Term Debt

(380

)

(353

)

Dividends Paid

(163

)

-

Treasury Stock Acquisitions

(38

)

(4,001

)

Net Cash (Required) for Financing Activities

$

(638

)

$

(5,028

)

Effect of Exchange Rate Changes

(910

)

(551

)

Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents

$

1,232

$

(7,384

)

Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Year

11,281

22,943

Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Quarter

$

12,513

$

15,559

PAUL MUELLER COMPANY
SUMMARIZED NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(In thousands)

A. The chart below depicts the net revenue on a consolidating basis for the three months ended March 31.

Three Months Ended March 31

Revenue

2022

2021

Domestic

$

28,116

$

33,497

Mueller BV

$

12,980

$

12,027

Eliminations

$

(321

)

$

(245

)

Net Revenue

$

40,775

$

45,279

The chart below depicts the net revenue on a consolidating basis for the twelve months ended March 31.

Twelve Months Ended March 31

Revenue

2022

2021

Domestic

$

131,698

$

158,761

Mueller BV

$

49,773

$

46,439

Eliminations

$

(1,362

)

$

(965

)

Net Revenue

$

180,109

$

204,235

The chart below depicts the net income on a consolidating basis for the three months ended March 31.

Three Months Ended March 31

Net Income

2022

2021

Domestic

$

(885

)

$

1,683

Mueller BV

$

(238

)

$

(394

)

Eliminations

$

1

$

12

Net Income

$

(1,122

)

$

1,301

The chart below depicts the net income on a consolidating basis for the twelve months ended March 31.

Twelve Months Ended March 31

Net Income

2022

2021

Domestic

$

4,760

$

12,942

Mueller BV

$

(209

)

$

(15,098

)

Eliminations

$

27

$

25

Net Income

$

4,578

$

(2,131

)

B. Key headlines for the quarter,

  • Backlog is at an all-time high with much of this increase to be realized in the last half of this year and the first part of 2023.

  • The year has started out slower than expected. Shortage or delay of key components and cost increases against older backlog have contributed to this slow start and lower margins.

  • Earnings were dampened by a $2.1 million increase in the LIFO reserve from general inflation and an increase in inventory from planned early purchases to protect margin.

  • Finding enough qualified workers to meet our backlog is our greatest challenge.

C. The following backlog comparisons exclude Mueller Field Operations which was sold on December 31, 2021. March 31, 2022 backlog is $130.8 million compared to $78.4 million at December 31, 2021 and $59.3 million at March 31, 2021. All business segments have higher backlogs than a year ago especially the pharmaceutical group in the U.S. which received a large order in February, 2022. The U.S. backlog is up 130% from a year ago to $118.4 million, the largest in our history. In the Netherlands, the backlog is up 54% from March 31, 2021, to $13.0 million.

D. Revenue is down to last year at three months and twelve months primarily from Mueller Field Operations no longer being part of the Company and from the pharmaceutical group which was finishing a large project in the first quarter of 2021. We anticipate the revenue shortfall from the slow start in 2022 to be reduced later in the year as the current large backlog is being produced.

E. Similar to revenue, net income is down $2.4 million for the three months primarily from lower earnings from the pharmaceutical groups and a greater negative affect by the increase in the LIFO reserve by $1.2 million (pretax).

Net Income was improved for the trailing twelve months by $6.7 million. In the U.S., earnings were down by $8.2 million. The pretax effect of LIFO was $4.7 million of this negative variance but was offset by the pretax gain of $1.9 million from the forgiveness of the PPP loan and $2.9 million pretax gain on the sale of Mueller Field Operations. The remainder of the negative variance is primarily from the large pharmaceutical order manufactured in 2020 and finishing in early 2021 and the large juice storage facility project for Mueller Field Operations which was profitable for the first part of the project in 2020, but had warranty issues as the job was nearing completion in 2021. Mueller BV was favorable by $15.3 million due to the goodwill impairment of $15.4 million at the end of 2020.

F. The pre-tax results for the three months ended March 31, 2022, were unfavorably affected by $2.1 million increase in the LIFO reserve. The pre-tax results for the twelve months ended March 31, 2022 were unfavorably affected by $5.2 million increase in the LIFO reserve. The pre-tax results for three months ended March 31, 2021, were unfavorably affected by $0.9 million increase in the LIFO reserve. The pre-tax results for the twelve months ended March 31, 2021, were unfavorably affected by $0.5 million increase in the LIFO reserve.

G. The consolidated financials are affected by the euro to dollar exchange rate when consolidating Mueller B.V., the Dutch subsidiary. The month-end euro to dollar exchange rate was 1.17 for March, 2021; 1.13 for December, 2021 and 1.11 for March, 2022, respectively.

This press release contains forward-looking statements that provide current expectations of future events based on certain assumptions. All statements regarding future performance growth, conditions, or developments are forward-looking statements. Actual future results may differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements due to a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, the factors described in the Company’s Annual Report under “Safe Harbor for Forward-Looking Statements”, which is available at paulmueller.com. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to update these forward-looking statements to reflect any future events or circumstances.

The accounting policies related to this report and additional management discussion and analysis are provided in the 2021 annual report, available at
www.paulmueller.com.

Press Contact: Ken Jeffries | Paul Mueller Company | Springfield, MO 65802 | (417) 575-9346

kjeffries@paulmueller.com | https://paulmueller.com