Itron Announces Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2022 Financial Results and 2023 Guidance

LIBERTY LAKE, Wash.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Itron, Inc. (NASDAQ:ITRI), which is innovating the way utilities and cities manage energy and water, announced today financial results for its fourth quarter and full year ended Dec. 31, 2022. Highlights for the quarter and full year include:

  • Quarterly and full year revenue of $467 million and $1.8 billion;
  • Quarterly and full year gross margin of 30.1% and 29.1%;
  • Quarterly GAAP net income of $22 million and a full year loss of $(10) million;
  • Quarterly GAAP diluted earnings per share of $0.49 and a full year loss per share of $(0.22);
  • Quarterly and full year non-GAAP diluted earnings per share of $0.71 and $1.13;
  • Quarterly and full year adjusted EBITDA of $34 million and $95 million; and
  • Total backlog of $4.6 billion.

“Strong market demand continued in the fourth quarter with our total backlog setting a new record for the third consecutive quarter,” said Tom Deitrich, Itron’s president and CEO.

“Our fourth quarter results were a step in the right direction. The supply environment remains volatile but is showing signs of improvement.”

Summary of Fourth Quarter Consolidated Financial Results

(All comparisons made are against the prior year period unless otherwise noted)

Revenue

Total revenue of $467 million decreased 4% compared with the fourth quarter of 2021, or flat excluding the impact of changes in foreign currency exchange rates. Revenue declined due to the sale of the C&I gas business in our Device Solutions segment, offset by higher sales in the Network Solutions and Outcomes segments.

Outcomes revenue increased 4% driven by higher software license and product sales, partially offset by the decline in EMEA prepay business. Networked Solutions revenue increased 14% primarily due to higher volume and improved pricing. Device Solutions revenue decreased (36%). Normalized for the sale of the C&I gas business and changes in foreign exchange rates, Devices revenue was down (11%).

Gross Margin

Consolidated gross margin of 30.1% increased 510 basis points compared with the fourth quarter of 2021 driven by favorable mix, partially offset by elevated component costs.

Operating Income (loss), Net Income (loss) and Earnings (loss) per Share (EPS)

GAAP operating income of $12 million compared with an operating loss of $(107) million in 2021. The increase was primarily due to lower GAAP operating expenses driven by less restructuring and divestiture activities. The increase was also driven by higher gross profit in Q4 2022.

Non-GAAP operating income of $25 million compared with non-GAAP operating loss of $(7) million in 2021. The increase was due to higher gross profit and lower non-GAAP operating expenses.

GAAP net income attributable to Itron, Inc. for the quarter was $22 million, or $0.49 per diluted share, compared with a net loss of $(59) million, or $(1.30) per share, in 2021. The increase in net income and EPS was primarily due to higher GAAP operating income, partially offset by a lower tax benefit.

Non-GAAP net income was $32 million, or $0.71 per diluted share, compared with $34 million, or $0.75 per diluted share in 2021. The decrease was due to a prior year non-GAAP tax benefit driven by the impact of certain transfers of business activities and assets, partially offset by higher non-GAAP operating income.

Cash Flow

In the fourth quarter, net cash provided by operating activities was $(13) million compared with $14 million in 2021. Free cash flow was $(18) million compared with $7 million in the prior year. The decrease in cash flow was due to working capital outflow, partially offset by higher non-GAAP EBITDA.

Other Measures

Bookings in the fourth quarter totaled $898 million driving a book to bill ratio of 1.9 to 1. Ending total backlog is at a new record level of $4.6 billion, at the end of the quarter.

Financial Guidance

Itron’s guidance for the full year 2023 is as follows:

  • Revenue between $1.85 and $1.95 billion
  • Non-GAAP diluted EPS between $0.70 and $1.10

Guidance assumes an average euro to U.S. dollar foreign currency exchange rate of $1.05 in 2023, diluted weighted average shares outstanding of approximately 45.7 million for the year, and a non-GAAP effective tax rate for the year of approximately 28%.

Given the supply environment, our outlook for the first quarter of 2023 is as follows:

  • Revenue between $460 and $475 million
  • Non-GAAP diluted EPS between $0.05 and $0.15

A reconciliation of forward-looking non-GAAP diluted EPS to the GAAP diluted EPS has not been provided because we are unable to predict with reasonable certainty the potential amount or timing of restructuring and acquisition and integration related expenses and their related tax effects without unreasonable effort. These items are uncertain, depend on various factors and could have a material impact on GAAP results for the guidance period.

Other Events

The company announced a new restructuring plan to optimize global supply chain and manufacturing operations and to reduce company overhead.

Earnings Conference Call

Itron will host a conference call to discuss the financial results and guidance contained in this release at 10 a.m. EST on Feb. 27, 2023. The call will be webcast in a listen-only mode. Webcast information and conference call materials will be made available 10 minutes prior to the start of the call and will be accessible on Itron’s website at http://investors.itron.com/events.cfm. A webcast replay of the conference call will be available through Mar. 4, 2023 and may be accessed on the company’s website at http://investors.itron.com/events.cfm.

About Itron

Itron® enables utilities and cities to safely, securely and reliably deliver critical infrastructure services to communities in more than 100 countries. Our portfolio of smart networks, software, services, meters and sensors helps our customers better manage electricity, gas and water resources for the people they serve. By working with our customers to ensure their success, we help improve the quality of life, ensure the safety and promote the well-being of millions of people around the globe. Itron is dedicated to creating a more resourceful world. Join us: www.itron.com.

Itron® is a registered trademark of Itron, Inc. All third-party trademarks are property of their respective owners and any usage herein does not suggest or imply any relationship between Itron and the third party unless expressly stated.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements

This release contains, contains, and our officers and representatives may from time to time make, “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are neither historical factors nor assurances of future performance. These statements are based on our expectations about, among others, revenues, operations, financial performance, earnings, liquidity, earnings per share, cash flows and restructuring activities including headcount reductions and other cost savings initiatives. This document reflects our current strategy, plans and expectations and is based on information currently available as of the date of this release. When we use words such as “expect”, “intend”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “plan”, “goal”, “seek”, “project”, “estimate”, “future”, “strategy”, “objective”, “may”, “likely”, “should”, “will”, “will continue”, and similar expressions, including related to future periods, they are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements rely on a number of assumptions and estimates. Although we believe the estimates and assumptions upon which these forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, any of these estimates or assumptions could prove to be inaccurate and the forward-looking statements based on these estimates and assumptions could be incorrect. Our operations involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are outside our control, and any one of which, or a combination of which, could materially affect our results of operations and whether the forward-looking statements ultimately prove to be correct. Actual results and trends in the future may differ materially from those suggested or implied by the forward-looking statements depending on a variety of factors. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. Some of the factors that we believe could affect our results include our ability to execute on our restructuring plans, our ability to achieve estimated cost savings, the rate and timing of customer demand for our products, rescheduling of current customer orders, changes in estimated liabilities for product warranties, adverse impacts of litigation, changes in laws and regulations, our dependence on new product development and intellectual property, future acquisitions, changes in estimates for stock-based and bonus compensation, increasing volatility in foreign exchange rates, international business risks, uncertainties caused by adverse economic conditions, including, without limitation those resulting from extraordinary events or circumstances such as the COVID-19 pandemic and other factors that are more fully described in Part I, Item 1A: Risk Factors included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended Dec. 31, 2021 and other reports on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Itron undertakes no obligation to update or revise any information in this press release.

Non-GAAP Financial Information

To supplement our consolidated financial statements, which are prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (GAAP), we use certain adjusted or non-GAAP financial measures, including non-GAAP operating expense, non-GAAP operating income, non-GAAP net income, non-GAAP diluted earnings per share (EPS), adjusted EBITDA, free cash flow, and constant currency. We provide these non-GAAP financial measures because we believe they provide greater transparency and represent supplemental information used by management in its financial and operational decision making. We exclude certain costs in our non-GAAP financial measures as we believe the net result is a measure of our core business. We believe these measures facilitate operating performance comparisons from period to period by eliminating potential differences caused by the existence and timing of certain expense items that would not otherwise be apparent on a GAAP basis. Non-GAAP performance measures should be considered in addition to, and not as a substitute for, results prepared in accordance with GAAP. We strongly encourage investors and shareholders to review our financial statements and publicly-filed reports in their entirety and not to rely on any single financial measure. Our non-GAAP financial measures may be different from those reported by other companies. A more detailed discussion of why we use non-GAAP financial measures, the limitations of using such measures, and reconciliations between non-GAAP and the nearest GAAP financial measures are included in this press release.

ITRON, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(Unaudited, in thousands, except per share data)

Three Months Ended

December 31,

Twelve Months Ended

December 31,

2022

2021

2022

2021

Revenues

Product revenues

$

392,744

$

412,725

$

1,500,243

$

1,678,195

Service revenues

74,747

72,912

295,321

303,377

Total revenues

467,491

485,637

1,795,564

1,981,572

Cost of revenues

Product cost of revenues

283,836

322,307

1,102,475

1,231,230

Services cost of revenues

42,857

42,043

170,900

177,173

Total cost of revenues

326,693

364,350

1,273,375

1,408,403

Gross profit

140,798

121,287

522,189

573,169

Operating expenses

Sales, general and administrative

77,729

78,546

290,453

300,520

Research and development

46,627

49,856

185,098

197,235

Amortization of intangible assets

6,266

8,887

25,717

35,801

Restructuring

(2,528

)

55,453

(13,625

)

54,623

Loss on sale of businesses

323

36,015

3,505

64,289

Goodwill impairment

38,480

Total operating expenses

128,417

228,757

529,628

652,468

Operating income (loss)

12,381

(107,470

)

(7,439

)

(79,299

)

Other income (expense)

Interest income

1,266

231

2,633

1,557

Interest expense

(1,793

)

(1,531

)

(6,724

)

(28,638

)

Other income (expense), net

(1,073

)

(746

)

(4,213

)

(17,430

)

Total other income (expense)

(1,600

)

(2,046

)

(8,304

)

(44,511

)

Income (loss) before income taxes

10,781

(109,516

)

(15,743

)

(123,810

)

Income tax benefit

11,169

51,093

6,196

45,512

Net income (loss)

21,950

(58,423

)

(9,547

)

(78,298

)

Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests

(262

)

443

185

2,957

Net income (loss) attributable to Itron, Inc.

$

22,212

$

(58,866

)

$

(9,732

)

$

(81,255

)

Net income (loss) per common share – Basic

$

0.49

$

(1.30

)

$

(0.22

)

$

(1.83

)

Net income (loss) per common share – Diluted

$

0.49

$

(1.30

)

$

(0.22

)

$

(1.83

)

Weighted average common shares outstanding – Basic

45,179

45,246

45,101

44,301

Weighted average common shares outstanding – Diluted

45,419

45,246

45,101

44,301

ITRON, INC.

SEGMENT INFORMATION

(Unaudited, in thousands)

Three Months Ended

December 31,

Twelve Months Ended

December 31,

2022

2021

2022

2021

Product revenues

Device Solutions

$

99,142

$

154,295

$

433,354

$

635,103

Networked Solutions

270,798

238,134

1,002,156

974,531

Outcomes

22,804

20,296

64,733

68,561

Total Company

$

392,744

$

412,725

$

1,500,243

$

1,678,195

Service revenues

Device Solutions

$

1,190

$

2,827

$

5,356

$

10,001

Networked Solutions

30,316

26,627

117,112

118,100

Outcomes

43,241

43,458

172,853

175,276

Total Company

$

74,747

$

72,912

$

295,321

$

303,377

Total revenues

Device Solutions

$

100,332

$

157,122

$

438,710

$

645,104

Networked Solutions

301,114

264,761

1,119,268

1,092,631

Outcomes

66,045

63,754

237,586

243,837

Total Company

$

467,491

$

485,637

$

1,795,564

$

1,981,572

Gross profit

Device Solutions

$

11,289

$

14,127

$

61,778

$

99,355

Networked Solutions

98,820

80,006

361,975

378,633

Outcomes

30,689

27,154

98,436

95,181

Total Company

$

140,798

$

121,287

$

522,189

$

573,169

Operating income (loss)

Device Solutions

$

2,600

$

3,433

$

26,703

$

57,217

Networked Solutions

70,339

49,363

248,268

254,434

Outcomes

17,458

15,984

46,247

50,631

Corporate unallocated

(78,016

)

(176,250

)

(328,657

)

(441,581

)

Total Company

$

12,381

$

(107,470

)

$

(7,439

)

$

(79,299

)

ITRON, INC.

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(Unaudited, in thousands)

December 31, 2022

December 31, 2021

ASSETS

Current assets

Cash and cash equivalents

$

202,007

$

162,579

Accounts receivable, net

280,435

298,459

Inventories

228,701

165,799

Other current assets

118,441

123,092

Total current assets

829,584

749,929

Property, plant, and equipment, net

140,123

163,184

Deferred tax assets, net

211,982

181,472

Other long-term assets

39,901

42,178

Operating lease right-of-use assets, net

52,826

65,523

Intangible assets, net

64,941

92,529

Goodwill

1,038,721

1,098,975

Total assets

$

2,378,078

$

2,393,790

LIABILITIES AND EQUITY

Current liabilities

Accounts payable

$

237,178

$

193,129

Other current liabilities

42,869

81,253

Wages and benefits payable

89,431

113,532

Taxes payable

15,324

12,208

Current portion of warranty

18,203

18,406

Unearned revenue

95,567

82,816

Total current liabilities

498,572

501,344

Long-term debt, net

452,526

450,228

Long-term warranty

7,495

13,616

Pension benefit obligation

57,839

87,863

Deferred tax liabilities, net

833

2,000

Operating lease liabilities

44,370

57,314

Other long-term obligations

124,887

138,666

Total liabilities

1,186,522

1,251,031

Equity

Common stock

1,788,479

1,779,775

Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net

(94,674

)

(148,098

)

Accumulated deficit

(525,332

)

(515,600

)

Total Itron, Inc. shareholders’ equity

1,168,473

1,116,077

Noncontrolling interests

23,083

26,682

Total equity

1,191,556

1,142,759

Total liabilities and equity

$

2,378,078

$

2,393,790

ITRON, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(Unaudited, in thousands)

Year Ended

December 31,

2022

2021

Operating activities

Net loss

$

(9,547

)

$

(78,298

)

Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by operating activities:

Depreciation and amortization of intangible assets

66,763

84,153

Non-cash operating lease expense

16,257

17,107

Stock-based compensation

21,881

23,618

Amortization of prepaid debt fees

3,499

18,253

Deferred taxes, net

(32,635

)

(85,574

)

Loss on sale of businesses

3,505

64,289

Loss on extinguishment of debt, net

10,000

Goodwill impairment

38,480

Restructuring, non-cash

(624

)

8,744

Other adjustments, net

11,678

2,930

Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions and sale of businesses:

Accounts receivable

5,064

60,242

Inventories

(68,124

)

(3,721

)

Other current assets

(16,695

)

41,461

Other long-term assets

(5,436

)

4,515

Accounts payable, other current liabilities, and taxes payable

45,085

(23,330

)

Wages and benefits payable

(21,749

)

30,915

Unearned revenue

18,466

(29,366

)

Warranty

(5,497

)

(8,169

)

Restructuring

(40,981

)

15,967

Other operating, net

(4,890

)

1,058

Net cash provided by operating activities

24,500

154,794

Investing activities

Net proceeds related to the sale of businesses

55,933

3,142

Acquisitions of property, plant, and equipment

(19,747

)

(34,682

)

Business acquisitions, net of cash and cash equivalents acquired

23

(8,670

)

Other investing, net

4,307

5,326

Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities

40,516

(34,884

)

Financing activities

Proceeds from borrowings

460,000

Payments on debt

(946,094

)

Issuance of common stock

3,452

5,080

Proceeds from common stock offering

389,419

Proceeds from sale of warrants

45,349

Purchases of convertible note hedge contracts

(84,139

)

Repurchase of common stock

(16,972

)

(8,028

)

Prepaid debt fees

(697

)

(12,031

)

Other financing, net

(4,520

)

(2,443

)

Net cash used in financing activities

(18,737

)

(152,887

)

Less: Cash classified within assets held for sale

(9,750

)

Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents

(6,851

)

(1,627

)

Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents

39,428

(44,354

)

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period

162,579

206,933

Cash and cash equivalents at end of period

$

202,007

$

162,579

About Non-GAAP Financial Measures

To supplement our consolidated financial statements, which are prepared in accordance with GAAP, we use certain non-GAAP financial measures, including non-GAAP operating expense, non-GAAP operating income, non-GAAP net income, non-GAAP diluted EPS, adjusted EBITDA, free cash flow, and constant currency. The presentation of this financial information is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for, or superior to, the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP, and other companies may define such measures differently. For a reconciliation of each non-GAAP measure to the most comparable financial measure prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP, please see the table captioned Reconciliations of Non-GAAP Financial Measures to the Most Directly Comparable GAAP Financial Measures.

We use these non-GAAP financial measures for financial and operational decision making and/or as a means for determining executive compensation. Management believes that these non-GAAP financial measures provide meaningful supplemental information regarding our performance and ability to service debt by excluding certain expenses that may not be indicative of our recurring core operating results. These non-GAAP financial measures facilitate management’s internal comparisons to our historical performance, as well as comparisons to our competitors’ operating results. Our executive compensation plans exclude non-cash charges related to amortization of intangibles and certain discrete cash and non-cash charges, such as restructuring, loss on sale of businesses, strategic initiative expenses, software project impairment, Russian currency translation write-off, goodwill impairment, or acquisition and integration related expenses. We believe that both management and investors benefit from referring to these non-GAAP financial measures in assessing our performance and when planning, forecasting and analyzing future periods. We believe these non-GAAP financial measures are useful to investors because they provide greater transparency with respect to key metrics used by management in its financial and operational decision making and because they are used by our institutional investors and the analyst community to analyze the health of our business.

Non-GAAP operating expenses and non-GAAP operating income – We define non-GAAP operating expenses as operating expenses excluding certain expenses related to the amortization of intangible assets, restructuring, loss on sale of businesses, strategic initiative expenses, software project impairment, Russian currency translation write-off, goodwill impairment, and acquisition and integration. We define non-GAAP operating income as operating income (loss) excluding the expenses related to the amortization of intangible assets, restructuring, loss on sale of businesses, strategic initiative expenses, software project impairment, Russian currency translation write-off, goodwill impairment, and acquisition and integration. Acquisition and integration related expenses include costs, which are incurred to affect and integrate business combinations, such as professional fees, certain employee retention and salaries related to integration, severances, contract terminations, travel costs related to knowledge transfer, system conversion costs, and asset impairment charges. We consider these non-GAAP financial measures to be useful metrics for management and investors because they exclude the effect of expenses that are not related to our core operating results. By excluding these expenses, we believe that it is easier for management and investors to compare our financial results over multiple periods and analyze trends in our operations. For example, in certain periods, expenses related to amortization of intangible assets may decrease, which would improve GAAP operating margins, yet the improvement in GAAP operating margins due to this lower expense is not necessarily reflective of an improvement in our core business. There are some limitations related to the use of non-GAAP operating expenses and non-GAAP operating income versus operating expenses and operating income calculated in accordance with GAAP.

Contacts

Itron, Inc.
David Means

Director, Investor Relations

(737) 242-8448

david.means@itron.com

Read full story here

#FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM