Textron reports revenue increase in Q4
Textron Inc. announced financial results for the fourth quarter and full year of 2017, and provided guidance for its 2018 financial outlook.
Net earnings for the quarter were reduced by a provisional tax charge of $1.00 per share resulting from the enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“the Tax Act”), and $0.14 per share of restructuring charges. With these items that were disclosed in an 8-K filing earlier this month, the company reported a loss from continuing operations of $0.40 per share in the quarter, compared to income from continuing operations of $0.78 per share in the fourth quarter of 2016. Adjusted income from continuing operations, a non-GAAP measure that is defined and reconciled to GAAP in an attachment to this release, was $0.74 per share for the fourth quarter of 2017 compared to $0.80 per share in the fourth quarter of 2016.
Revenues in the quarter were $4.0 billion, up 5.0 percent from the fourth quarter of 2016. Textron segment profit in the quarter was $360 million, down $31 million from the fourth quarter of 2016.
For the full year, net earnings were reduced by a provisional tax charge of $0.99 per share resulting from the Tax Act, and $0.32 per share of restructuring charges. Including these items, full-year income from continuing operations was $1.14 per share compared to $3.09 per share last year. Full-year adjusted income from continuing operations, the non-GAAP measure, was $2.45 per share, compared to $2.62 in 2016.
Cash Flow
Net cash provided by operating activities of continuing operations of the manufacturing group for the full year was $947 million, compared to $988 million last year. Manufacturing cash flow before pension contributions, a non-GAAP measure that is defined and reconciled to GAAP in an attachment to this release, was $889 million compared to $573 million last year.
“We delivered strong cash performance throughout the year and returned $603 million to shareholders through share repurchases and dividends,” said Textron chairman and CEO Scott C. Donnelly.
Outlook
Textron is forecasting 2018 revenues of approximately $14.6 billion, up 3.0 percent from the prior year. Textron expects full-year 2018 earnings per share from continuing operations will be in the range of $2.95 to $3.15. The company will benefit from the Tax Act and expects an effective tax rate of 22.5% for 2018.
The company is estimating net cash provided by operating activities of continuing operations of the manufacturing group will be between $1,170 million and $1,270 million and manufacturing cash flow before pension contributions (the non-GAAP measure) will be between $700 and $800 million, with planned pension contributions of about $55 million.
Donnelly continued, “Our outlook reflects the continuation of our strategy around growth through new product investments and acquisitions to drive increases in long-term shareholder value. In 2018, we expect these investments to drive increasing organic sales along with margin expansion and strong cash generation.”
Q4 results by segment — Industrial
Industrial revenues were $1.1 billion, up 20 percent largely related to Arctic Cat.
Segment profit was up $10 million from the fourth quarter of 2016 due to favorable performance.
