PPG reports third quarter 2024 financial results

PPG (NYSE:PPG) today reported financial results for the third quarter 2024.

Third Quarter Consolidated Results

Chairman and CEO Comments

Tim Knavish, PPG chairman and chief executive officer, commented on the quarter:

We delivered record third quarter EPS driven by positive volume growth in seven of our ten businesses, including strong growth in several of our key technology businesses and despite deterioration in automotive original equipment manufacturer (OEM) build rates during the quarter. Our reported EPS was $2.00, and adjusted EPS of $2.13 grew 3% year over year even with an unfavorable impact from a higher effective income tax rate, which reduced the year-over-year EPS comparison by $0.08. The third quarter was our seventh consecutive quarter of adjusted EPS growth. Our aggregate segment margin improved 60 basis points year over year aided by business mix and lower costs, marking our eighth consecutive quarter of increases.

We delivered year-over-year sales volume growth of 2% in the Performance Coatings segment, offset by increasingly challenged global industrial production, which constrained demand in the Industrial Coatings segment. Performance Coatings growth was catalyzed by sustained strength in aerospace demand, refinish coatings share gains, and strong performance in the architectural coatings Americas and Asia Pacific business. This growth was offset by Industrial Coatings segment declines in Europe and the U.S. where automotive OEM build rates weakened, especially late in the quarter and general industrial production remained soft. In the Asia-Pacific region, both reporting segments delivered solid sales growth in China and India, driven by our share gains.

During the quarter, we extended our heritage of rewarding our shareholders. We repurchased approximately $200 million of stock during the third quarter and have repurchased about $500 million year to date. In July, we increased our quarterly dividend by 5%, and we paid about $160 million in dividends in the quarter with approximately $465 million paid year to date. Our balance sheet remains strong, which continues to provide us with the financial flexibility to drive shareholder value creation going forward.

Looking ahead, we maintain our full-year 2024 sales and EPS guidance, expecting organic sales to be flat and adjusted earnings per share to be at the low end of the $8.15 to $8.30 range. The pending closure of the silicas products business divestiture and the architectural coatings U.S. and Canada strategic review reflects the execution of our enterprise growth strategy to focus our resources on businesses where we have the greatest growth and margin opportunities. Finally, we remain committed to our heritage of strong cost management and improved productivity that reinforces our ability to maintain momentum in driving higher margins and earnings growth.

This strong performance would not be possible without the dedication of our employees to deliver growth for PPG. Thank you to our PPG team around the world who make it happen and deliver on our purpose every day: We protect and beautify the world®.

Third Quarter 2024 Reportable Segment Financial Results

Performance Coatings segment

Performance Coatings net sales increased, as higher sales volumes and selling prices were partially offset by the divestitures of the non-North American portion of the traffic solutions business and unfavorable foreign currency translation.

Sales volumes increased 2% year over year with growth in five of the six businesses in this segment led by aerospace coatings, protective and marine coatings, and architectural coatings Americas and Asia Pacific. PPG’s aerospace coatings business delivered record quarterly sales stemming from double-digit percentage organic sales growth and ended the quarter with an order backlog of approximately $290 million, even though we improved our production capacity this year through debottlenecking and other productivity gains. Protective and marine coatings organic sales increased by a low single-digit percentage compared to the prior year, driven by share gains in Europe and Asia Pacific. Organic sales for architectural coatings Americas and Asia Pacific were higher by a low single-digit percentage, with solid volume growth in the professional contractor segment in the U.S. and Canada. PPG continues to benefit from our well-established concessionaire network in Mexico. Organic sales in automotive refinish coatings grew by a mid-single-digit percentage, including high single-digit percentage increases in U.S. collision-related products and despite lower overall industry collision claims. Year-over-year organic sales for architectural coatings Europe, Middle East and Africa were flat which is a positive trend after several quarters of declines. This was supported by growth in central and eastern Europe, offset by lower sales volumes across western Europe.

Segment income increased by 13% versus the prior year, and segment operating margin improved 190 basis points year over year to 17.6%, driven by higher sales volumes and targeted price increases partially offset by general cost inflation.

Industrial Coatings segment

Industrial Coatings segment net sales were lower compared to the third quarter 2023 due to lower sales volumes and lower selling prices from certain index-based customer contracts.

Automotive OEM coatings organic sales decreased more than initially forecasted, declining by a double-digit percentage due to lower U.S. and European industry build rates, which deteriorated notably late in the quarter, partly offset by PPG growth in China and Mexico. Similar to prior quarters, industrial activity in the U.S. and Europe was lackluster. As a result, industrial coatings organic sales declined by a mid-single-digit percentage, more than offsetting solid growth in emerging markets. Packaging coatings organic sales were up a low single-digit percentage year over year with improved sales volumes stemming from share gains partially offset by lower selling prices.

Segment income decreased 19%, and segment margin declined by 190 basis points compared to the third quarter 2023 driven by lower sales volumes and lower selling prices on certain index-based pricing contracts.

Additional Financial Information

• At quarter end, the company had cash and short-term investments totaling $1.3 billion. Net debt was $5.2 billion, up $0.3 billion from the third quarter 2023.
• Corporate expenses were $72 million in the third quarter, which was $16 million lower than the prior year due to lower incentive-based compensation and cost savings initiatives.
• Net interest expense was $19 million in the third quarter.
• The reported and adjusted effective tax rates were approximately 22.5% in the third quarter. The adjusted effective tax rate was 19.5% in the third quarter 2023 due to certain nonrecurring discrete tax items.

Additional information related to the third quarter financial information is posted within the Investors section of PPG.com.

The term organic sales as used in this press release is defined as net sales excluding the impact of currency, acquisitions and divestitures.

PPG: WE PROTECT AND BEAUTIFY THE WORLD®

At PPG (NYSE:PPG), we work every day to develop and deliver the paints, coatings and specialty materials that our customers have trusted for more than 140 years. Through dedication and creativity, we solve our customers’ biggest challenges, collaborating closely to find the right path forward. With headquarters in Pittsburgh, we operate and innovate in more than 70 countries and reported net sales of $18.2 billion in 2023. We serve customers in construction, consumer products, industrial and transportation markets and aftermarkets. To learn more, visit www.ppg.com.

The PPG Logo and We protect and beautify the world are registered trademarks of PPG Industries Ohio, Inc.

Additional Information

PPG will provide detailed commentary regarding its financial performance, including presentation-slide content, on the PPG Investor Center at www.ppg.com at about 4:30 p.m. ET today, October 16. The company will hold a conference call to review its third quarter 2024 financial performance on October 17, at 8:00 a.m. ET. Participants can pre-register for the conference by navigating to https://www.netroadshow.com/events/login?show=d102d1c7&confId=71286. The conference call also will be available in listen-only mode via Internet broadcast from the PPG Investor Center at www.ppg.com. A telephone replay will be available October 17, beginning at approximately 11:00 a.m. ET, through October 31, at 11:59 p.m. ET. The dial-in numbers for the replay are: in the United States, 1-866-813-9403; Canada, 1-226-828-7578; UK (Local), 0204-525-0658; international, +44-204-525-0658; passcode 759218. A web replay also will be available shortly after the call on the PPG Investor Center at www.ppg.com, and will remain through Wednesday, October 15, 2025.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements contained herein relating to matters that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements reflecting PPG’s current view with respect to future events and financial performance. These matters within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, involve risks and uncertainties that may affect PPG’s operations, as discussed in the company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. Accordingly, many factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements contained herein. Such factors include statements related to global economic conditions, geopolitical issues, the effects o our business of COVID-19, the amount of future share repurchases, increasing price and product competition by our competitors, fluctuations in cost and availability of raw materials, energy, labor and logistics, the ability to achieve selling price increases, the ability to recover margins, customer inventory levels, PPG inventory levels, the ability to maintain favorable supplier relationships and arrangements, the timing of realization of anticipated cost savings from restructuring and other initiatives, the ability to identify additional cost savings opportunities, the timing and expected benefits of potential future and completed acquisitions, difficulties in integrating acquired businesses and achieving expected synergies therefrom, economic and political conditions in international markets, the ability to penetrate existing, developing and emerging foreign and domestic markets, foreign exchange rates and fluctuations in such rates, fluctuations in tax rates, the impact of future legislation, the impact of environmental regulations, unexpected business disruptions, the unpredictability of existing and possible future litigation, including asbestos litigation, and governmental investigations. However, it is not possible to predict or identify all such factors. Consequently, while the list of factors presented here and in our 2023 Annual Report on Form 10-K considered representative, no such list should be considered to be a complete statement of all potential risks and uncertainties. Unlisted factors may present significant additional obstacles to the realization of forward-looking statements. Consequences of material differences in results compared with those anticipated in the forward-looking statements could include, among other things, lower sales or earnings, business disruption, operational problems, financial loss, legal liability to third parties and similar risks, any of which could have a material adverse effect on PPG’s consolidated financial condition, results of operations or liquidity.

All information in this release speaks only as of October 16, 2024, and any distribution of this release after that date is not intended and will not be construed as updating or confirming such information. PPG undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as otherwise required by applicable law.

Regulation G Reconciliation

PPG believes investors’ understanding of the company’s performance is enhanced by the disclosure of net income, earnings per diluted share from continuing operations and PPG’s effective tax rate adjusted for certain items. PPG’s management considers this information useful in providing insight into the company’s ongoing performance because it excludes the impact of items that cannot reasonably be expected to recur on a quarterly basis or that are not attributable to our primary operations. Net income, earnings per diluted share from continuing operations and the effective tax rate adjusted for these items are not recognized financial measures determined in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”) and should not be considered a substitute for net income, earnings per diluted share, the effective tax rate or other financial measures as computed in accordance with U.S. GAAP. In addition, adjusted net income, adjusted earnings per diluted share and the adjusted effective tax rate may not be comparable to similarly titled measures as reported by other companies. PPG is not able to provide a reconciliation of full-year 2024 expected adjusted earnings per diluted share to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure without unreasonable effort because certain items that impact such measure are uncertain or cannot be reasonably predicted at this time.

CATEGORY Corporate

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