Honeywell CEO proves Loeb wrong as aerospace boosts first-quarter profits
HONEYWELL International’s confidence in its aerospace business was bolstered by expanding sales of in- flight internet and cockpit controls that drove first- quarter earnings higher than analysts’ expected. The company raised its 2018 profit target.
A drag on earnings as recently as last year, the aerospace business is taking off on higher demand for commercial aircraft parts and service, increased defense spending and a nascent rebound for business aircraft. Anticipating the turnaround, Chief Executive Officer Darius Adamczyk ignored pressure last year from activist investor Daniel Loeb to sell the business.
Sales in the unit rose 12 per cent to US$ 3.98 billion ( RM15 billion), compared with a 4.3 per cent decline a year earlier when the outlook was still bleak. Aerospace organic sales, which strip out currency swings and acquisitions, rose eight per cent, contributing to a “strong quarter with clean operational upside,” said Steve Tusa, an analyst with JP Morgan Chase.
“We had flagged aerospace as a potential source of upside heading into the quarter, but eight per cent organic was well above what we had contemplated,” Tusa said in a Friday note to clients.
The company is benefiting from robust economic growth in most regions, especially the US, where a corporate tax cut has boosted business confidence. A recovery in the oil market is driving stronger sales at the company’s energy-related business, and the e- commerce boom is ratcheting up demand for Honeywell’s warehouse-efficiency products.
Honeywell had total sales of US$ 10.39 billion in the first quarter, up from US$ 9.49 billion a year earlier, the company reported. That beat analysts’ projections of US$ 10 billion, according to the average of estimates compiled by Bloomberg. Adjusted earnings were US$ 1.95 a share, excluding costs related to planned spinoffs, topping expectations of US$ 1.91.
Overall organic sales rose five per cent, topping the company’s own forecast of a gain between two per cent and four per cent. Adamczyk has emphasised growth by expanding the salesforce and pushing for more software content on products.
“Honeywell had a very strong start to 2018, with first- quarter results that were driven by exceptional sales and operational performance,” Adamczyk said in a statement.
Loeb’s Third Point announced a stake in Honeywell less than a month after Adamczyk had taken over as CEO and immediately urged him to dump the aerospace business. Instead, Adamczyk decided to spin off its automobile turbocharger unit by the end of September and the home-products segment, which includes the iconic Honeywell brand thermostat, by the end of the year.
Exiting those two businesses will cleave US$ 7.5 billion off Honeywell’s sales and pressure Adamczyk to expand the company through acquisitions, whittling down the company’s growing cash pile of about US$ 11 billion.
Honeywell is “very aggressively” pursuing acquisition targets, Adamczyk said on a conference call with analysts. The company wants to purchase companies for about US$ 3 billion or less and isn’t looking to make any “megadeals,” he said.
“I do hope that one or two deals materialise here in the next quarter or two,” he said on the call.
Honeywell raised its 2018 earnings target to a range of US$ 7.85 to US$ 8.05 a share, up from US$ 7.75 to US$ 8.