10-QPeriod: Q3 FY2001

Air Products & Chemicals, Inc. Quarterly Report for Q3 Ended Jun 30, 2001

Filed August 10, 2001For Securities:APD

Summary

Air Products & Chemicals, Inc. (APD) reported a significant turnaround in its financial performance for the nine months ending June 29, 2001, compared to the same period in the prior year. The company achieved a net income of $362.5 million, or $1.65 per diluted share, a substantial improvement from a net loss of $94.3 million, or $(0.44) per diluted share, in the prior year. This recovery was largely driven by a substantial reduction in costs related to the failed BOC transaction, which heavily impacted the prior year's results. Excluding these special items, the company's net income saw a modest decline of 2% year-over-year, indicating underlying operational pressures despite the headline improvement. For the third quarter of fiscal year 2001, APD posted net income of $132.3 million, or $0.60 per diluted share, up from a net loss of $192.5 million, or $(0.90) per diluted share, in the prior year. However, excluding the significant charges from the BOC transaction and a cost reduction plan in the prior year, APD's adjusted net income for the quarter was $138.8 million, and adjusted diluted EPS was $0.64. This indicates a slight sequential decline in adjusted performance from the prior year's adjusted figures, highlighting ongoing challenges in certain business segments, particularly Chemicals.

Key Highlights

  • 1Net income for the nine months ended June 29, 2001, was $362.5 million, a significant improvement from a net loss of $94.3 million in the prior year, primarily due to the absence of large transaction-related expenses.
  • 2Diluted earnings per share for the nine months improved to $1.65 from a loss of $(0.44) in the prior year, demonstrating a strong recovery in profitability.
  • 3Third quarter net income was $132.3 million ($0.60/share), a substantial improvement from the prior year's net loss of $192.5 million ($(0.90)/share).
  • 4Excluding special items, adjusted diluted EPS for the third quarter declined slightly by 6% compared to the prior year's adjusted EPS, indicating some operational headwinds.
  • 5Sales for the nine months increased by 8% to $4,355.5 million, driven by the Gases segment, while the Chemicals segment saw a decline.
  • 6Total debt decreased to $2,914.9 million as of June 30, 2001, from $3,045.0 million as of September 30, 2000, and the company had no commercial paper outstanding.
  • 7The company announced its intention to reactivate its share repurchase program, with $75 million repurchased in the first nine months of fiscal 2001 and plans to purchase approximately $100 million in total for fiscal 2001.

Frequently Asked Questions

The primary driver was the absence of substantial charges related to the failed BOC transaction, which heavily impacted the prior year's results. In the nine months ended June 30, 2000, Air Products incurred an after-tax charge of $456.5 million for costs related to the BOC transaction, whereas these charges were not present in the current fiscal year.

The Gases segment showed strong performance, with sales increasing significantly for both the quarter and nine-month periods, driven by higher shipments of HYCO products and growth in Asia. The Equipment segment saw a slight decline in sales but an increase in its sales backlog. The Chemicals segment experienced a notable decline in sales and operating income, impacted by economic slowdown, customer outages, and market share losses.

Air Products maintained a solid liquidity position. Total debt decreased to $2,914.9 million from $3,045.0 million at the end of the previous fiscal year. The company had no commercial paper outstanding and fully available revolving credit commitments of $600.0 million. Total debt as a percentage of total capital was 48%, down from 51% in the prior year.

Yes, the company implemented global cost reduction plans. For the nine months ended June 30, 2001, there was an after-tax charge of $20.0 million for a cost reduction program. In the prior year, a similar plan resulted in an after-tax charge of $35.0 million. The company is also exploring divestitures of its power generation facilities.