Mativ Holdings, Inc. ("Mativ" or the "Company") (NYSE: MATV) reported earnings results for the three months ended March 31, 2024. On November 30, 2023, Mativ Holdings, Inc. (“Mativ” or the “Company”) completed the sale of its Engineered Papers business. Financial results for continuing operations exclude Engineered Papers in all periods.

Adjusted measures are reconciled to GAAP at the end of this release. Financial comparisons are versus the prior year period unless stated otherwise. Figures may not sum to total due to rounding. "Comparable" non-GAAP measures used to compare current period Mativ results reflect prior period results revised to align with our new segment reporting structure. Along with its earnings report on Form 8-K, the Company filed a separate Form 8-K on May 8, 2024, which includes comparable financial statements for all fiscal quarters of 2023 revised to align with the new segment reporting structure.

Mativ First Quarter 2024 Highlights (Continuing Operations)

• Sales of $500.2 million increased 10.6% sequentially versus Q4 2023, and decreased 8.9% versus the prior year, reflecting sequential volume recovery

• GAAP loss was $(28.0) million, GAAP EPS was $(0.52), which included organizational realignment, integration and purchase accounting expenses

• Adjusted income was $1.1 million, Adjusted EPS was $0.02, and Adjusted EBITDA was $45.8 million (see non-GAAP reconciliations). Adjusted EBITDA was down 6% versus the prior year, as impacts from lower volumes and higher production costs more than offset net benefits of input costs/selling price and synergies realization

Management Commentary

Chief Executive Officer Julie Schertell commented, "As expected, we saw meaningful sequential improvement in volume in Q1. And while EBITDA was slightly lower than Q4, the sequential decrease was primarily due to higher cost inventories, which do not repeat. Volume recovery is continuing into Q2, and we continue to believe that we will deliver meaningfully improved EBITDA year-over-year for the remainder of 2024."

"Earlier this year, we initiated an organizational restructuring initiative that will reduce our corporate costs and create a more streamlined business reporting structure. This enables a more agile organization, and we expect will reduce non-operating costs by up to $20 million annually as we exit 2024. These decisions, coupled with actions we took in 2023 to divest Engineered Papers, consolidate our footprint, and invest in new assets in filtration and release liners support future top line growth and increase our operating leverage as volume continues to recover."

Ms. Schertell concluded, "Less than two years after the merger, Mativ is a more agile and effective enterprise that engineers innovative solutions that connect, protect, and purify our world. We are relentless in our pursuit to reduce complexity and prioritize our efforts toward those activities that create the most value for our customers. As we continue to see improving demand, we remain confident that our decisions and actions over the past year will deliver incremental value to our customers and shareholders.”

Mativ First Quarter 2024 Financial Results (Continuing Operations)

Note: The Reported Results below reflect consolidated Mativ results presented in our revised segment reporting structure in the current and prior year period. See the supplemental tables titled Business Segment Reporting From Continuing Operations for additional information regarding the revised segment reporting structure.

Filtration & Advanced Materials (FAM) segment sales, comprised primarily of filtration media and components, advanced films, coating and converting solutions, and extruded mesh products, were $202.7 million, up 11% sequentially versus Q4 2023, and down 8% versus the prior year period. Lower volume across the segment reflects customer caution in the current uncertain economic environment.

GAAP Operating Profit in 2024 included $3.2 million of restructuring, restructuring related, impairment, and other expenses primarily related to organizational realignment and footprint rationalization. Adjusted EBITDA (see non-GAAP reconciliations) decreased 23% versus prior year as favorable net input costs/selling price and lower SG&A were more than offset by lower volumes, associated fixed cost absorption, and higher production costs.

Sustainable & Adhesive Solutions (SAS) segment sales, comprised primarily of tapes, labels, liners, specialty paper, packaging and healthcare solutions, of $297.5 million were up 10% sequentially versus Q4 2023, and down 9% versus the prior year period. Lower volume across the segment reflects customer caution in the current uncertain economic environment.

GAAP Operating Profit included $7.6 million in restructuring, restructuring related, impairment, and other expenses primarily related to organizational realignment and footprint rationalization. Adjusted EBITDA (see non-GAAP reconciliations) increased 19% compared to the prior year period, driven by favorable net input costs/selling price, as well as reduced distribution and SG&A cost, partially offset by lower volumes, and associated fixed cost absorption. Adjusted EBITDA margin increased 260 basis points versus the prior year.

Adjusted unallocated expenses (EBITDA) (see non-GAAP reconciliations) were in line with prior year. GAAP operating expenses included $1.5 million of EP divestiture expenses, $3.1 million in restructuring, restructuring related, impairment, and other expenses related footprint rationalization, and $4.4 million related to organizational realignment.

Interest expense was $18.3 million versus $15.6 million in the prior year period. The increase was primarily due to higher average interest rates and higher average balances on the floating portion of our outstanding debt in 2024.

Other income (expense), net of $1.7 million increased $2.4 million compared with the prior year expense of $0.7 million. The increase in 2024 was primarily driven by foreign currency gains.

Tax rate was 7.9% during the three months ended March 31, 2024. The unusually low tax rate was driven by one-time tax adjustments. Excluding the impact of these one-time tax adjustments, the Company's tax rate was 16.8%.

Non-GAAP Adjustments reflect items included in GAAP operating profit, income, and EPS, but excluded from adjusted results (see non-GAAP reconciliation tables for additional details). The most significant adjustments to first quarter 2024 results were as follows:

• $0.23 per share of purchase accounting expenses (purchase accounting expenses reflect primarily ongoing non-cash intangible asset amortizations associated with mergers and acquisitions)
• $0.19 per share of restructuring, restructuring related, impairment, and other expenses

Cash Flow & Debt

Year-to-date 2024 cash used in operating activities was $13.0 million. Capital spending and software costs totaled $12.6 million. Working capital was a $12.7 million use of cash due to an increase in accounts receivable, partially offset by an increase in accounts payable and decreased inventories.

Total debt was $1,158.0 million as of March 31, 2024 and total cash was $128.9 million resulting in net debt of $1,029.1 million. Total liquidity was approximately $409 million, consisting of $129 million of cash and $280 million of revolver availability. The Company's debt matures on a staggered basis between 2026 and 2028.

Dividend & Share Repurchases

On May 8, 2024 the Company announced its next quarterly cash dividend of $0.10 per share payable on June 21, 2024 to stockholders of record as of May 24, 2024.

During the first quarter, the company did not repurchase shares. The Company intends to repurchase shares periodically and opportunistically to offset dilution due to stock compensation.

Conference Call

Mativ will hold a conference call to review first quarter 2024 results with investors and analysts at 8:30 a.m. Eastern time on Thursday, May 9, 2024. The earnings conference call will be simultaneously broadcast over the Internet at http://ir.mativ.com. To listen to the call, please go to the Company’s website at least 15 minutes prior to the call to register and to download and install any necessary audio software. For those unable to listen to the live broadcast, a replay will be available on the Company’s website shortly after the call.

About Mativ

Mativ Holdings, Inc. is a global leader in specialty materials, solving our customers’ most complex challenges by engineering bold, innovative solutions that connect, protect, and purify our world. Mativ manufactures globally through our family of business-to-business and consumer product brands. Mativ targets premium applications across diversified and growing end-markets, from filtration to healthcare to sustainable packaging and more. Our broad portfolio of technologies combines polymers, fibers, and resins to optimize the performance of our customers’ products across multiple stages of the value chain.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the "Act") that are subject to the safe harbor created by that Act and other legal protections. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, those regarding EPS and other financial guidance, acquisition integration and performance, growth prospects, future end-market trends, future macro-economic trends, the future effects of supply chain challenges and price increases, future cash flows, net leverage, purchase accounting impacts, effective tax rates, planned investments, profitability, and cash flow, the expected benefits of the Neenah merger and integration, whether the strategic benefits and accretion of the sale of the Company's Engineered Papers business can be achieved, the expected benefits, of our organizational restructuring, our ability to execute our growth strategy for 2024, and integration and other statements generally identified by words such as "believe," "expect," "intend," "guidance," "plan," "forecast," "potential," "anticipate," "confident," "project," "appear," "future," "should," "likely," "could," "may," "will," "typically," and similar words. In addition, the amount of the goodwill impairment charge previously announced is based in part on estimates of future performance, so this announcement should also be considered a forward-looking statement.

These forward-looking statements are prospective in nature and not based on historical facts, but rather on current expectations and on numerous assumptions regarding the business strategies and the environment in which Mativ will operate in the future and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by those statements. No assurance can be given that such expectations will prove to have been correct and persons reading this presentation are therefore cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements which speak only as at the date of this press release. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks and uncertainties, and assumptions that may cause actual results to differ materially from our expectations as of the date of this release. These risks include, among other things, the following factors:

• Risks associated with the implementation of our strategic growth initiatives, including diversification, and the Company's understanding of, and entry into, new industries and technologies;
• Risks associated with acquisitions, dispositions, strategic transactions and global asset realignment initiatives of Mativ, including the sale of the Company's Engineered Papers business;
• Adverse changes to our end-market sectors impacting key customers;
• Changes in the source and intensity of competition in our commercial end-markets;
• Adverse changes in sales or production volumes, pricing and/or manufacturing costs;
• Seasonal or cyclical market and industry fluctuations which may result in reduced net sales and operating profits during certain periods;
• Risks associated with our technological advantages in our intellectual property and the likelihood that our current technological advantages are unable to continue indefinitely;
• Supply chain disruptions, including the failure of one or more material suppliers, including energy, resin, fiber, and chemical suppliers, to supply materials as needed to maintain our product plans and cost structure;
• Increases in operating costs due to inflation and continuing increases in the inflation rate or otherwise, such as labor expense, compensation and benefits costs;
• Business disruptions from the Merger that will harm the Company’s business, including current plans and operations;
• Changes in general economic, financial and credit conditions in the U.S., Europe, China and elsewhere, including the impact thereof on currency exchange rates (including any weakening of the Euro and Real) and on interest rates;
• A failure in our risk management and/or currency or interest rate swaps and hedging programs, including the failures of any insurance company or counterparty;
• Changes in the manner in which we finance our debt and future capital needs, including potential acquisitions;
• Changes in tax rates, the adoption of new U.S. or international tax legislation or exposure to additional tax liabilities;
• Uncertainty as to the long-term value of the common stock of Mativ;
• Changes in employment, wage and hour laws and regulations in the U.S. and elsewhere, including the unionization rule and regulations by the National Labor Relations Board, equal pay initiatives, additional anti-discrimination rules or tests and different interpretations of exemptions from overtime laws;
• The impact of tariffs, and the imposition of any future additional tariffs and other trade barriers, and the effects of retaliatory trade measures;
• Existing and future governmental regulation and the enforcement thereof that may materially restrict or adversely affect how we conduct business and our financial results;
• Weather conditions, including potential impacts, if any, from climate change, known and unknown, and natural disasters or unusual weather events;
• International conflicts and disputes, such as the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the conflict between Israel and Hamas and the broader regional conflict in the Middle East, which restrict our ability to supply products into affected regions, due to the corresponding effects on demand, the application of international sanctions, or practical consequences on transportation, banking transactions, and other commercial activities in troubled regions;
• Compliance with the FCPA and other anti-corruption laws or trade control laws, as well as other laws governing our operations;
• Risks associated with pandemics and other public health emergencies, including the COVID-19 pandemic and its variant strains;
• The number, type, outcomes (by judgment or settlement) and costs of legal, tax, regulatory or administrative proceedings, litigation and/or amnesty programs;
• Increased scrutiny from stakeholders related to environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) matters, as well as our ability to achieve our broader ESG goals and objectives;
• Costs and timing of implementation of any upgrades or changes to our information technology systems;
• Failure by us to comply with any privacy or data security laws or to protect against theft of customer, employee and corporate sensitive information;
• The impact of cybersecurity risks related to breaches of security pertaining to sensitive Company, customer or vendor information, as well as breaches in the technology that manages operations and other business processes; and
• Other factors described elsewhere in this document and from time to time in documents that we file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”).

All forward-looking statements made in this document are qualified by these cautionary statements. Forward-looking statements herein are made only as of the date of this document, and Mativ undertakes no obligation, other than as may be required by law, to update or revise any forward-looking or cautionary statements to reflect changes in assumptions, the occurrence of events, unanticipated or otherwise, or changes in future operating results over time or otherwise. For a more detailed discussion of these factors, also see the information under the captions “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in Mativ's most recent annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 and any material updates to these factors contained in any of Mativ’s future filings with the SEC. The discussion of these risks is specifically incorporated by reference into this release. The financial results reported in this release are unaudited.

Comparisons of results for current and any prior periods are not intended to express any future trends or indications of future performance unless expressed as such and should only be viewed as historical data. The financial results reported in this release are unaudited.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

Certain financial measures and comments contained in this press release exclude restructuring and impairment expenses, certain purchase accounting adjustments related to prior acquisitions, organizational realignment and integration costs, divestiture costs, interest expense, stock compensation expense, inventory step-up expense, the effect of income tax provisions and other tax impacts, capital spending, capitalized software costs, cloud-based software costs and depreciation and amortization. This press release also provides certain information regarding the Company's financial results excluding currency impacts. This information estimates the impact of changes in foreign currency rates on the translation of the Company's current financial results as compared to the applicable comparable period and is derived by translating the current local currency results into U.S. Dollars based upon the foreign currency exchange rates for the applicable comparable period. Financial measures which exclude or include these items have not been determined in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (GAAP) and are therefore "non-GAAP" financial measures. Reconciliations of these non-GAAP financial measures to the most closely analogous measure determined in accordance with GAAP are included in the financial schedules attached to this release.

The Company believes that the presentation of non-GAAP financial measures in addition to the related GAAP measures provides investors with greater transparency on the information used by the Company’s management in its financial and operational decision-making. Management also believes that the non-GAAP financial measures provide additional insight for analysts and investors in evaluating the Company’s financial and operational performance in the same way that management evaluates the Company's financial performance. Management believes that providing this information enables investors to better understand the Company’s operating performance and financial condition. These non-GAAP financial measures are not calculated or presented in accordance with, and are not intended to be considered in isolation or as alternatives or substitutes for, or superior to, financial measures prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP, and should be read only in conjunction with the Company's financial measures prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP. The non-GAAP financial measures used in this release may be different from the measures used by other companies.

N.M. - Not Meaningful

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240508763160/en/