NYSE$CBT

Cabot Corporation · Q1 2020 earnings

Q1 2020 earnings · · Investor relations

Briefing

Results for the first quarter of fiscal year 2020 were announced.

Cabot Corporation's first quarter fiscal year 2020 results declined compared to the first quarter of fiscal year 2019, which included $10 million of EBIT from the Specialty Fluids business that was divested in the third quarter of last year. Performance Chemicals EBIT increased 14% due to strong volumes. The company finalized 2020 Reinforcement Materials customer negotiations and announced the acquisition of Shenzhen Sanshun Nano.

  • Performance Chemicals EBIT up 14% compared to the first quarter of fiscal 2019 due to improved volumes
  • Strong cash flow generation driven by continued working capital improvements
  • Returned $54 million in the quarter to shareholders through share repurchases and dividends
  • Announced agreement to acquire Shenzhen Sanshun Nano – a leading producer of carbon nanotubes (CNT) for lithium-ion batteries

Headline financials

Total Revenue

$727M

Previous: $821M-11.4%
EPS

$0.70

Previous: $0.87-19.5%
Operating tax rate

26.0%

No prior period
Capital Expenditures

-$68M

Previous: -$54M-25.9%
Free Cash Flow

-$27M

Previous: $15M-280.0%
Net Income

$41M

Previous: $69M-40.6%
Operating Income

$63M

Previous: $77M-18.2%
Gross Profit

$141M

Previous: $166M-15.1%
Cash & Equivalents

$173M

Previous: $142M+21.8%
Total Assets

$3.15B

Previous: $3.26B-3.2%
Stock-Based Comp

$1M

Previous: $5M-80.0%

Revenue & EPS history

Cabot · Revenue · Quarterly

$727M

Q1 2020-11.4%vs Q1 2019
Beat estimate in 9 of 16 quarters(56%)
ActualEstimate

Revenue by segment

Cabot · $930M total across 2 segments · Q4 2023

  • Reinforcement Materials
    $624M-10.9%
  • Performance Chemicals
    $306M-9.5%

Forward guidance

While the first fiscal quarter was impacted by more pronounced year-end customer inventory management in Reinforcement Materials, we expect company earnings to improve as we move through this fiscal year. We expect full year Adjusted EPS to be in the $3.60 to $3.90 band of our previously communicated range. Impacts from recent developments with the coronavirus are difficult to predict and we have therefore not included impacts in our second quarter or full-year outlook.

Tailwinds

  • Reinforcement Materials will benefit from the calendar year 2020 customer agreements
  • Volumes will return to a more normalized level starting in the second fiscal quarter.
  • Volumes have stabilized at a higher level than the first half of fiscal 2019 in the specialty carbons and specialty compounds product lines
  • Purification Solutions segment will continue to see year-over-year improvement in quarterly EBIT.
  • Pleased to see the first phase of a trade deal between the U.S. and China

Headwinds

  • Challenging price environment for fumed silica in China and Europe that we experienced in the first quarter will continue in the near-term
  • Impacts from recent developments with the coronavirus are difficult to predict
  • Continuing uncertainty in the overall business environment, particularly in China
  • Continue to manage costs aggressively
  • Continue to manage net working capital aggressively

Historical earnings impact

How earnings announcements have historically affected this stock's price.

Avg. return before/after earnings

Based on 20 quarterly earnings reports · overlaid with Q1 2020

Historical avgQ1 2020

+1.0%

Avg return

Earnings day

+2.0%

Avg return

5 days after

+2.9%

Avg return

30 days after

60%

41 / 68 earnings

Positive

+13.5%

Q4 2015

Best reaction

-13.4%

Q1 2013

Worst reaction

Earnings price reactions
QuarterReport dateReaction (Day 0)+5 days+30 days
Q2 2026+4.1%+7.0%+2.4%
Q1 2026+10.3%+4.6%-1.8%
Q4 2025-7.0%-6.7%-2.7%
Q2 2025-6.8%-4.6%-3.3%
Q1 2025+3.9%+1.6%-0.9%
Q4 2024-0.1%+5.5%-1.3%
Q3 2024+12.6%+6.9%+12.6%
Q2 2024+7.4%+8.3%+4.6%
Q1 2024+5.8%+10.1%+18.3%
Q4 2023+5.7%+9.6%+13.6%
Q3 2023+1.9%+3.2%+4.4%
Q2 2023-4.5%-3.1%+6.2%
Q1 2023+1.1%+7.2%+1.4%
Q4 2022-7.1%-2.1%-5.3%
Q3 2022-2.3%+6.0%-1.8%
Q2 2022+5.6%+1.7%+12.5%
Q1 2022+11.8%+12.3%+31.7%
Q4 2021-1.3%-0.0%-3.2%
Q3 2021+0.2%+2.4%-4.8%
Q2 2021+4.6%+13.6%+16.4%
Q1 2021+5.4%+7.8%+13.6%
Q4 2020+7.2%+4.3%+6.1%
Q3 2020+0.1%+5.7%-0.1%
Q2 2020-9.3%-10.4%+21.8%
Q1 2020+5.8%+5.1%-3.5%
Q4 2019+8.7%+9.4%+0.6%
Q3 2019-5.7%-7.7%-3.4%
Q2 2019+0.5%-0.8%-6.5%
Q1 2019-9.7%-11.0%-3.9%
Q4 2018-3.9%-4.2%-7.9%
Q3 2018-4.4%-3.4%-4.4%
Q2 2018+6.5%+9.2%+14.0%
Q1 2018+6.5%-0.9%-3.5%
Q4 2017+5.2%+6.3%+1.8%
Q3 2017-2.9%-3.1%-3.0%
Q2 2017-6.6%-10.3%-13.2%
Q1 2017+4.1%+3.8%+5.5%
Q4 2016-3.1%-7.3%-2.1%
Q3 2016+5.6%+0.7%+2.7%
Q2 2016-8.0%
Q1 2016-1.1%
Q4 2015+13.5%
Q3 2015-1.1%
Q2 2015-7.4%
Q1 2015+4.7%
Q4 2014-4.1%
Q3 2014-5.4%
Q2 2014+1.3%
Q1 2014+0.5%
Q4 2013+2.0%
Q3 2013-2.5%
Q2 2013-2.3%
Q1 2013-13.4%
Q4 2012+1.2%
Q3 2012-5.4%
Q2 2012+3.5%
Q1 2012+13.5%
Q4 2011+9.3%
Q4 2010+2.1%
Q3 2011+2.1%
Q2 2011-0.4%
Q1 2010-0.0%
Q1 2011+2.5%
Q4 2008+2.9%
Q2 2010+2.9%
Q3 2009+0.1%
Q4 2009+0.1%
Q3 2010+0.1%

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