Linde plc: Linde Reports Second-Quarter 2020 Results (Earnings Release Tables attached)

Financial Highlights

• Strong operating cash flow of $1.8 billion, up 76% versus prior year
• Operating profit margin flat versus prior year; adjusted operating profit margin up 230 basis points
• EPS of $0.87, down 7% versus prior year; adjusted EPS of $1.90, up 4%
• Full-year 2020 adjusted EPS guidance of $7.60 - $7.80, up 7% to 9% year-over-year, ex-FX*

GUILFORD, UK / ACCESSWIRE / July 30, 2020 / Linde plc (NYSE:LIN; FWB:LIN) today reported second-quarter 2020 income from continuing operations of $458 million and diluted earnings per share of $0.87. Excluding Linde AG purchase accounting impacts and other charges, adjusted income from continuing operations was $1,005 million, up 1% versus prior year and flat sequentially. Adjusted earnings per share were $1.90, 4% above prior year, or 8% higher when excluding negative currency translation effects. Sequentially, adjusted earnings per share increased 1%, or 3% when excluding negative currency translation effects.

Linde's sales for the second quarter were $6,377 million, 5% below prior year excluding negative currency translation, cost pass-through and divestitures. Price improved 2% and was attained across all geographic segments. Volume decreased 7% as growth from project start-ups and engineering was more than offset by the global macroeconomic slowdown as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Second-quarter operating profit was $591 million. Adjusted operating profit of $1,317 million was flat versus prior year, or 4% higher, when excluding unfavorable currency translation effects. Adjusted operating margin of 20.7% expanded 230 basis points versus prior year primarily due to price and cost actions underpinned by stable fixed payment revenues.

Second-quarter operating cash flow of $1,764 million increased $759 million or 76% over prior yearprimarily driven by higher cash earnings, lower merger-related cost and improved working capital. During the quarter, the company invested $783 million in capital expenditures and returned $506 million to shareholders through dividends.

Commenting on the financial results, Chief Executive Officer Steve Angel said, "I'm proud of how the Linde team came together to safely and reliably serve our customers and deliver high-quality financial results. Despite volume reductions from the pandemic, EPS excluding currency increased 8%, operating margin expanded 230 basis points and operating cash flow grew 76% from prior-year levels. These results demonstrate the resiliency of our integrated industrial gas supply model."

Angel continued, "Looking ahead, the full effects of COVID-19 and the rate of recovery are uncertain. However, the growth opportunities for Linde remain strong from our high-quality project backlog, defensive end markets and leading infrastructure and technology in support of the secular trend in clean energy. Our resilient business model combined with our ability to continuously optimize business performance, while capitalizing on short and long-term growth opportunities, gives me the confidence that Linde can grow earnings in any environment."

For the third quarter of 2020, Linde expects adjusted diluted earnings per share in the range of $1.90 to $1.95. This guidance assumes a negative currency impact of approximately 3% versus the prior-year quarter based on projected exchange rates.

For the full year, the company expects adjusted diluted earnings per share to be in the range of $7.60 to $7.80, up 4% to 6% versus prior year, or 7% to 9% excluding currency headwinds. Full-year capital expenditures are expected to between $3.0 billion to $3.4 billion to support maintenance and growth requirements including the $3.6 billion contractual sale of gas project backlog.

Second-Quarter 2020 Results by Segment
Americas sales of $2,417 million were 13% below prior-year quarter as 2% higher pricing was more than offset by 9% volume decline led mainly by manufacturing and metals end markets. Furthermore, currency was unfavorable by 4% and cost pass-through was down 1%. Operating profit of $622 million was 25.7% of sales, up 250 basis points versus prior year.

APAC (Asia Pacific) sales of $1,295 million were 13% below prior year. Price increased 1% versus prior year but was more than offset by negative 9% volumes driven by lower demand in the manufacturing end market and a prior-year sale of equipment. Additionally, currency was unfavorable by 4% and cost pass-through was down 1%. Operating profit of $294 million was 22.7% of sales, up 230 basis points versus prior year.

EMEA (Europe, Middle East & Africa) sales of $1,448 million were down 13% versus prior year as 1% higher pricing was more than offset by negative 7% volumes primarily due to lower demand in the manufacturing and metals end market. Currency was unfavorable by 5% and cost pass through was down 1%. Operating profit of $303 million was 20.9% of sales, up 110 basis points versus prior year.

Linde Engineering sales were $810 million and operating profit was $138 million or 17% of sales. Operating profit grew 39% versus prior year due primarily to strong project execution and productivity initiatives.

Earnings Call
A teleconference on Linde's second-quarter 2020 results is being held today at 10:00 am EDT.

Materials to be used in the teleconference are also available on the website.

About Linde
Linde is a leading global industrial gases and engineering company with 2019 sales of $28 billion (€25 billion). We live our mission of making our world more productive every day by providing high-quality solutions, technologies and services which are making our customers more successful and helping to sustain and protect our planet.

The company serves a variety of end markets including chemicals & refining, food & beverage, electronics, healthcare, manufacturing and primary metals. Linde's industrial gases are used in countless applications, from life-saving oxygen for hospitals to high-purity & specialty gases for electronics manufacturing, hydrogen for clean fuels and much more. Linde also delivers state-of-the-art gas processing solutions to support customer expansion, efficiency improvements and emissions reductions.

For more information about the company and its products and services, please visit www.linde.com

See the attachments (Earnings release tables: https://eqs-cockpit.com/c/fncls.ssp?u=4cb147174c9402ec0c86c3f53613b793) for a summary of non-GAAP reconciliations and calculations for adjusted amounts.

Attachments: Summary Non-GAAP Reconciliations, Statements of Income, Balance Sheets, Statements of Cash Flows, Segment Information and Appendix: Non-GAAP Measures and Reconciliations.

*Note: We are providing adjusted earnings per share ("EPS") guidance for 2020. This is a non-GAAP financial measure that represents diluted earnings per share from continuing operations (a GAAP measure) but excludes the impact of certain items that we believe are not representative of our underlying business performance, such as cost reduction and other charges, the impact of potential divestitures or other potentially significant items. Given the uncertainty of timing and magnitude of such items, we cannot provide a reconciliation of the differences between the non-GAAP adjusted EPS guidance and the corresponding GAAP EPS measure without unreasonable effort.

Forward-looking Statements
This document contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are identified by terms and phrases such as: anticipate, believe, intend, estimate, expect, continue, should, could, may, plan, project, predict, will, potential, forecast, and similar expressions. They are based on management's reasonable expectations and assumptions as of the date the statements are made but involve risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include, without limitation: the performance of stock markets generally; developments in worldwide and national economies and other international events and circumstances, including trade conflicts and tariffs; changes in foreign currencies and in interest rates; the cost and availability of electric power, natural gas and other raw materials; the ability to achieve price increases to offset cost increases; catastrophic events including natural disasters, epidemics, pandemics such as COVID-19 and acts of war and terrorism; the ability to attract, hire, and retain qualified personnel; the impact of changes in financial accounting standards; the impact of changes in pension plan liabilities; the impact of tax, environmental, healthcare and other legislation and government regulation in jurisdictions in which the company operates; the cost and outcomes of investigations, litigation and regulatory proceedings; the impact of potential unusual or non-recurring items; continued timely development and market acceptance of new products and applications; the impact of competitive products and pricing; future financial and operating performance of major customers and industries served; the impact of information technology system failures, network disruptions and breaches in data security; and the effectiveness and speed of integrating new acquisitions into the business. These risks and uncertainties may cause actual future results or circumstances to differ materially from accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, International Financial Reporting Standards or adjusted projections, estimates or other forward-looking statements.

Linde plc assumes no obligation to update or provide revisions to any forward-looking statement in response to changing circumstances. The above listed risks and uncertainties are further described in Item 1A. Risk Factors in Linde plc's Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019 filed with the SEC on March 2, 2020 and in Item 1A. of Linde plc's Form 10-Q for the period ending March 31, 2020 filed with the SEC on May 7, 2020, which should be reviewed carefully. Please consider Linde plc's forward-looking statements in light of those risks.

Additional features:

File: Q2 2020 Earnings Tables

SOURCE: Linde plc