Hexagon AB

STO:HEXA B

Earnings Call Transcript 2021-Q1

[Operator]

Hello, and welcome to Hexagon Q1 report for 2021. [Operator Instructions] I am now pleased to present Ola Rollén, CEO. Please go ahead with your meeting.

[Ola Rollén, CEO, President & Director]

Thank you very much. Welcome, everyone, to this first quarter interim report of 2021. And if we turn to Slide #4, overview of the first quarter in '21. Recorded sales increased by 10%. Organic growth, however, increased by 11%. And to the right, you have the sales bridge where you can see that organic growth, 11%, currency, minus 5%, primarily U.S. dollar and Chinese renminbi. And then structure, i.e., acquisitions, contributed with plus 4%. All in all, we recorded EUR 978 million in the quarter in sales, and we also recorded EUR 258 million in EBIT, and that is an increase of 34% compared to the first quarter of 2020. The adjusted operating margin was 26.4%, and the gross margin was 64.4% in the quarter. We now go to Slide 5. This is just for you to remember that the first quarter is typically the weakest quarter in our seasonal pattern, where Q3 is also weak. And the 2 strongest quarters are Q2 and Q4. Slide 6, the P&L statement. Net sales, EUR 977.9 million, 11% organic growth. Our EBITDA amounted to EUR 367 million or corresponding to an EBITDA margin of 37.5%. EBIT, EUR 258 million, an EBIT margin of 26.4%. And the earnings per share amounted to EUR 0.54, an increase of 32%. Slide 7, cash flow. Extraordinary cash flow for first quarter, cash conversion of 107% in the quarter. And as you can see, strong improvement across the board before taxes after working capital and after investments. If we move to Slide 8, we can also see how the working capital to sales ratio is evolving very favorably. So it was 4.9% of net sales in the first quarter. And we booked a lot of deferred revenue from software contracts in the third quarter, which helped this ratio. Market development. If we go to Slide 10, we have an overview of the sales mix across the regions of the world. And we still have the pattern that we have roughly 1/3 in the 3 major trading regions of the world. 4% decline in North America, but a 6% increase in China. We move to Slide 11. It's an overview how the regions traded where China indeed was very strong with 73% organic growth. But we saw good growth in Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa and in South America. Western Europe returned to growth. North America on the back of strong comps in the first quarter of 2020, we saw a decline. And we also saw a decline in Asia, excluding China. Slide 12 is an overview per business segment and geographic region, and it's for your own review at the later date. But if we move to Slide 13, EMEA market trends. Western Europe saw 7% organic growth. We saw demand -- strong demand in U.K. and Italy, primarily in Western Europe. Solid demand in surveying, infrastructure construction segments, sequential improvements in the manufacturing, power and energy segments. But still a bit to go in manufacturing areas such as aerospace and automotive in Central Europe. Russia and Eastern Europe recorded strong double-digit growth in the quarter.If we look at Americas, Slide 14, North America recorded minus 1% organic growth. Strong growth in surveying, infrastructure and construction, but weakness in aerospace, and power and energy. And if one has to remember that Americas in Q1 of 2020 was on home by the pandemic and grew by 6% in the first quarter of last year. South America, strong single-digit organic growth. We saw strong development in both agriculture, public safety and power and energy that came back. Moving on to Asia, Slide 15. China recorded amazing 73% organic growth. Yes, it was a significant decline this time last year, which makes it easier. But even compared to 2019, we see good growth in China. And it's a strong broad-based recovery in all our industrial segments. Moving to South Korea, Southeastern Asia and Australia, they all recorded solid growth as well in the quarter. But we saw weak demand in the manufacturing sector in Japan, and the power and energy sector in India in the quarter.Reporting segments. If we move to Geospatial Enterprise Solutions, Slide 17. We recorded 13% organic growth. Geosystems, fantastic 22% organic growth, supported by both strong demand from traditional segments such as surveying and construction, but also new solutions. SI, minus 2% organic growth, we saw weakness in defense, but it was offset by continuous growth in public safety. Autonomy & Positioning, minus 2%, negatively impacted by order delays in our defense markets and weak automotive demand in the quarter. Sales amount to EUR 503 million, and EBIT margin is a record 28.6% compared to 22.6% this time last year. Industrial Enterprise Solutions. Organic growth, 8%. MI, recovered strongly in the quarter, recorded 12% organic growth, and it was driven by the acceleration in demand in China from both automotive and electronics and general manufacturing. Weak demand in the aerospace segment continued. PP&M, minus 4% organic decline, and it's a challenging oil and gas market that drives the decline in the quarter. We saw solid growth in AEC and our newly acquired cybersecurity segment as well as asset information management. Sales amounted to EUR 475 million and EBIT equaled an EBIT margin of 25%, up almost 4% over Q1 of 2020. Slide 19 is just our 12-month rolling gross margin trend. For the quarter, we did 64% gross margin. Slide 20. Our EBIT margin was 26% in the quarter and for the 12 months. If you back out the currency impact, we would have reached 27% EBIT margin already in Q1. M&A orders and product releases. If we start on Slide 22. We are forming a strategic alliance with Boston Dynamics. And we're now using their robot called Spot, and using our sensors in combination with this robot. So it's an autonomous reality capture robot. It will help reduce time, cost and increase safety when working on potentially dangerous structures or hazardous areas. And this is the first configuration in a series of new robotics product solutions that we will launch in 2021. Slide 23. We launched the Leica CityMapper for low-altitude data capture. If we think about complex weather and congested flight areas, if you can fly at a lower altitude, you can still capture 3D data about cityscapes without really interfering with flight path or bad weather. Slide 24. We've already gotten orders for this new mapper. It's 2 components. It's Bluesky in the U.K. and it's Cyclomedia in the Netherlands. Slide 25, modernizing public safety with HxGN OnCall. We got 2 new orders for OnCall, one from the city of Milwaukee and one from Lee County in Florida. Slide 26. We have now got confirmation that we're going to fly at least 14 U.S. states this year an update the mapping data for those 14 states. This corresponds to 2.3 million square kilometers of flown area. Slide 27, keeping the lights on in the Amazon. I Thought the Amazon was pitch black at night. We got 2 orders, and this is from 2 utilities in the state in Brazil, where they choose our outage management system as well as our mobile workforce management solution to help them restore power quickly when an outage happens. Slide 28. This is a somewhat morbid application. It's multibody dynamics software in forensic investigations. If you have fatal disaster in the construction industry, you need to study what impact -- and what happens to the human body when you have a free fall. And you can use our software for that as well. And that is what the University of Perugia in Italy is doing. Slide 29, we streamline the innovative development at Hyundai. Hyundai needed to quickly -- more quickly and accurately define and develop multiple products for uses in electric vehicle and drivetrains. And they decided to opt for Hexagon's design and engineering software that will enable the company to optimize designs earlier in the development process of these components. Slide 30, we also launched a new reverse engineering solution called ReCreate. And reverse engineering is when something already exists, and you want to blueprint the CAD drawing of this already existing object. We've already sold this application to HyzonMotors, which will reverse engineered trucks for the fitment of their hydrogen fuel-cell technology. Moving on to Slide 31, INSPHERE automated shop-floor inspection for aerospace is a Bristol-based U.K. company, and it's a driving force behind robot-based inspection in the aerospace industry, and they choose our metrology solutions to create their systems. Slide 32. We've launched a cloud-based version of our very popular metrology software, PC-DMIS. It's in combination with HxGN SFX Asset Management, and it now exists as a mobile app, which makes PC-DMIS more accessible on the shop-floor, for example, and also easier to use. Slide 33, driving digital transformation at Numaligarh Refinery in India. The refinery choose to use our HxGN SDx suite of software to support their digital transformation of their refinery operations. Slide 34. This is just an example how we bring technologies together after we've acquired a company. We did the acquisition of PAS Global in Q4, and now we have the first integration with the Hexagon product, which is our j5 Shift Operations Management. Finally, Slide 35. Hexagon also launched new subsidiary called R-evolution, which is a new business venture focused on reinventing how industry addresses complex environmental challenges. We will use Hexagon's technology to accelerate the transition to a sustainable economy. And it's going to be a profit-driven venture where we will invest in green tech projects in combination with Hexagon Technologies. And with that, we've come to the summary for this quarter. If we go to the summary page, 11% organic growth. Continued strong development in Geosystems, acceleration in MI, strong recovery in China, 73% organic growth. So all in all, it's a record Q1 on sales, EBIT and cash flow, solid continuous cash conversion. And we remain confident in our continued growth trajectory. And with that, operator, I am ready to start the Q&A session.

[Operator]

[Operator Instructions] We have a question from the line of Magnus Kruber from UBS.

[Magnus Kruber, Associate Director and Research Analyst]

Magnus here with UBS. A couple of questions from me. First, could you give us a bit of color on the growth progressed through the quarters in MI and Geosystems? And ideally, how -- if you can give some color on how April has started? That would be very useful.

[Ola Rollén, CEO, President & Director]

I think Geosystems ended last year on a strong note, and it continued and accelerated into Q1. MI is later in the cycle and has continued to improve month-by-month in the first quarter.

[Magnus Kruber, Associate Director and Research Analyst]

Got it. And on the very solid margins in the Geospatial in the quarter. How should we think about the margin seasonality through the year, given its very strong first quarter print?

[Ola Rollén, CEO, President & Director]

Yes. I mean we don't typically have seasonality like that. We typically have weaker margins, I should say, in the first quarter. However, this year, we don't seem to have started the year with weak margins. So we'll see.

[Magnus Kruber, Associate Director and Research Analyst]

Got it. And finally, if you could talk a little bit about the supply chain at the moment, any component shortages or bottlenecks that you see so far?

[Ola Rollén, CEO, President & Director]

We can't say that we've suffered greatly, but we've seen shortages of electronics components in the supply chain. But it hasn't had a material impact on our operations. And we do not believe that it's going to have a material impact going forward either.

[Operator]

Our next question comes from the line of Stacy Pollard from JPMorgan.

[Stacy Elizabeth Pollard, Head of Software and IT Equity Research]

So 2 questions for me -- or maybe 3. China's booming. So how much of that was some catch up? Or is it just really strong underlying demand that can be sustainable? Okay, maybe not 75% or 73%. But is this just really strong demand in a solid long-term way coming from China? Second question, is maybe PP&M, I know it has much easier year-on-year comps as you go into Q2, do you think this could be the turnaround quarter? Or are the challenges in oil and gas just too much still? And third question is really a follow up on the margin. I know you don't give the detailed guidance, but is it right to think that the cost savings program was already showing benefits in Q2 of last year, and therefore, we should think of something more normalized year-on-year increase range like instead of big leaps forward?

[Ola Rollén, CEO, President & Director]

Yes. If we start with China, it's obviously so that since China contracted by 40% this time last year. It's got easy comps, but there is an underlying growth and acceleration in growth that is coming from new activities, new projects, new solutions, which is going to propel growth in China for, hopefully, the remainder of the year. Maybe not, as you said at 73%, but definitely good growth in China in '21. If we look at PP&M, we believe that it's a second half story. We think we will still see weakness in the market in the second quarter. But as of the third quarter, we might see a more normalized situation in that market. And let's see, what was your third? It was on the cost savings?

[Stacy Elizabeth Pollard, Head of Software and IT Equity Research]

Yes, and the margin.

[Ola Rollén, CEO, President & Director]

Yes. The short-term cost savings were at their peak in Q2 of 2020. But we didn't see much long term savings. And in the second half of 2020, we saw short-term savings being replaced by more longer-term savings. So yes, I think this would be the best quarter comparing Q1 cost structure against Q1 cost structure of '21. This is obviously the quarter where you would see most of the cost savings in '21.

[Operator]

Our next question comes from the line of Joachim Gunell from D&B markets.

[Joachim Gunell, Junior Analyst]

So perhaps just a follow-up on your North American business. And the somewhat challenging growth prospects there. Have you seen -- can you just comment a bit on the month-over-month development in North America for the submarkets where you have somewhat of a challenge to grow?

[Ola Rollén, CEO, President & Director]

We see a weak start, first of all, one must remember that North America grew by 6% in the first quarter of 2020. So it was the only area in the world that grew for Hexagon this time last year. So when we look at comps, it's much easier for both EMEA and Asia to beat Q1 of 2020 than North America. But having said that, we do see a recovery in general engineering, general manufacturing in North America. And we do see a recovery in the automotive sector that is improving month-by-month. Aerospace has been weak up to now. But I think we do believe that aerospace has hit bottom, and is slowly recovering.

[Joachim Gunell, Junior Analyst]

Very clear. And just the final one. Can you comment a bit on what your ambitions are in terms of new product launches here for the full year? And how much that should contribute to group organic growth?

[Ola Rollén, CEO, President & Director]

I believe that this year, the big launches will come in the third quarter. And the big benefit from those launches will only be seen in Q4, but it could be interesting, relevant numbers.

[Operator]

[Operator Instructions] We have a question from the line of Erik Golrang from SEB.

[Erik Golrang, Analyst]

I've got 3 questions. First one, returning to Geosystems and the very strong growth there. You mentioned new solutions toward the end. Could you elaborate a bit more on that? Is that the Black series, various situations there, GS18 I, perhaps, what are the big drivers there?

[Ola Rollén, CEO, President & Director]

It's all of them that drove growth. But within Geosystems, you also have business like our Imagery Program, Mining and so forth. That also launched new products in the quarter.

[Erik Golrang, Analyst]

And if we think of the more software-focused platforms, there, I guess, you just mentioned them. But are they growing as fast or is this more of a traditional hardware expansion?

[Ola Rollén, CEO, President & Director]

Yes.

[Erik Golrang, Analyst]

Okay. Okay.

[Ola Rollén, CEO, President & Director]

No. We saw growth, but I think that commentary goes throughout Hexagon that hardware actually outgrew software in the quarter simply because software didn't contract as much last year.

[Erik Golrang, Analyst]

Very good. And then returning to the seasonality. Is there any reason to expect something else than normal sales seasonality into the second quarter?

[Ola Rollén, CEO, President & Director]

No. I don't think so. Not -- I mean we haven't seen much of the second quarter, but we have the April numbers. And there is no reason to believe that this second quarter would be different than any of the second quarters.

[Erik Golrang, Analyst]

And then 2 more questions. The balance sheet is obviously growing stronger by the day, debt versus profit is though what we've seen in a very long time. So any color on the M&A pipeline? And then the last question. I got to ask on the collaboration with Boston Dynamics. It there a proper material business case behind that or more of a gimmick?

[Ola Rollén, CEO, President & Director]

I will start with Boston Dynamics, we believe it to be the future. We believe that you will see robots like that in all sorts of industries ranging from mechanical engineering, manufacturing, to construction, to security applications and so forth, not necessarily just the dummy, the Spot that you saw on the picture, but there are other solutions as well. And then you have another question?

[Erik Golrang, Analyst]

On M&A.

[Ola Rollén, CEO, President & Director]

Yes. M&A might happen. It might happen.

[Erik Golrang, Analyst]

You previously said multiples were high. Any change there? Any sort of refocus on targets or...

[Ola Rollén, CEO, President & Director]

No. We -- prices are still high for quality assets. If you're looking for SaaS business with recurring revenue, and strong double-digit margin, then you have to pay a lot for those assets. And that seems to continue into 2021.

[Operator]

Our next question comes from the line of Mohammed Moawalla from Goldman Sachs.

[Mohammed Essaji Moawalla, Equity Analyst]

Great. A couple for me. Firstly, I may have missed it earlier, but could you remind us kind of what was the mix of the software growth versus the hardware growth around the kind of 11% more growth that you did? And then secondly, as we think both PP&M and Geosystems, do you think that Geosystems were kind of hitting now the sort of peak growth around Q2 and thereafter, we kind of revert back to trend? Or is the activity in China so robust that double-digit growth can continue? And on PP&M, I know that you've sort of cautioned that the market is weak, but can that business return back to growth by the second half of the year? Or is that too optimistic?

[Ola Rollén, CEO, President & Director]

I think that, first of all, software grew at roughly 5% organic growth. So hardware, as I said previously, outgrew software in the quarter. So that was the first question. And then you had a question on PP&M. And yes, we believe that PP&M will return to growth, but it's probably a story for the second half of this year, and not in Q2. And then you had 1 more question.

[Mohammed Essaji Moawalla, Equity Analyst]

Yes. On Geosystems, is doubled. Do you think this growth rate can continue in the back half where we start to normalize the trend growth then?

[Ola Rollén, CEO, President & Director]

Well, I mean since we don't give forecasts, I guess I have to repeat what I always say. And that is if you're alive in the future, you will see it.

[Operator]

I have no other questions registered, so I hand back to the speaker for any closing remarks.

[Ola Rollén, CEO, President & Director]

Yes. And thank you, everyone, for listening in to this first quarter call, and we're going to do this again in late July. So goodbye.