Avery Dennison Announces Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2023 Results

Highlights:

• 4Q23 Reported EPS of $1.77
  • 4Q23 Adjusted EPS (non-GAAP) of $2.16, up 31%
• 4Q23 Net sales of $2.1 billion, up 4%
  • Sales change ex. currency (non-GAAP) up 3%
  • Organic sales change (non-GAAP) up 1%
• FY23 Reported EPS of $6.20
  • FY23 Adjusted EPS of $7.90
• FY23 Net sales of $8.4 billion, down 8%
  • Sales change ex. currency down 7%
  • Organic sales change down 8%
• FY24 Reported EPS guidance of $8.65 to $9.15
  • Adjusted EPS guidance of $9.00 to $9.50

Avery Dennison Corporation (NYSE:AVY) today announced preliminary, unaudited results for its fourth quarter and full year ended December 30, 2023. Non-GAAP financial measures referenced in this release are reconciled from GAAP in the attached financial schedules. Unless otherwise indicated, comparisons are to the same period in the prior year.

“Earnings per share were in line with our expectations for the fourth quarter, increasing sequentially for the fourth consecutive quarter,” said Deon Stander, president and CEO. “Volume in both Label Materials and Apparel Solutions improved sequentially, continuing to recover from slow market conditions, largely due to inventory destocking, while our Intelligent Labels platform continues to accelerate.

“In Intelligent Labels, we are targeting to deliver significant growth in 2024, as apparel rebounds and we accelerate the adoption of our solutions that help address key industry challenges in logistics, food and general retail, further advancing our leadership position at the intersection of the physical and digital.

“Following a challenging 2023 which included significant inventory destocking downstream from us, we expect to deliver strong earnings growth in 2024 and make progress toward our 2025 goals,” added Stander.

“We remain confident that the consistent execution of our strategies will enable us to meet our long-term goals for superior value creation through a balance of profitable growth and capital discipline.

“Once again, I want to thank our entire team for their continued resilience, focus on excellence and commitment to addressing the unique challenges at hand.”

Fourth Quarter 2023 Results by Segment

Materials Group

• Reported sales decreased 2% to $1.4 billion. Sales were down 4% ex. currency and on an organic basis.
  • Label Materials sales were down mid-single digits on an organic basis.
    • Volume was up low-single digits.
    • Inventory destocking was largely complete as of year end.
  • Sales increased by mid-single digits organically in the Graphics and Reflectives businesses.
  • Sales decreased by low-to-mid single digits organically in the combined Performance Tapes and Medical businesses.
• Reported operating margin was 12.0%. Adjusted EBITDA margin (non-GAAP) was 16.2%, up 340 basis points driven by productivity and the net benefit of pricing and raw material input costs.

Solutions Group

• Reported sales increased 18% to $692 million. Sales were up 19% ex. currency and 14% on an organic basis.
  • Apparel Solutions volume was up sequentially.
  • Sales in high-value categories were up more than 20% on an organic basis.
  • Sales were up mid-single digits organically in base solutions.
• Reported operating margin was 10.2%. Adjusted EBITDA margin was 18.2%, up 230 basis points compared to prior year and 180 basis points sequentially, driven primarily by volume.

Other

Balance Sheet and Capital Deployment

During 2023, the company deployed $225 million for acquisitions and returned $394 million in cash to shareholders through a combination of dividends and share repurchases. The company repurchased 0.8 million shares at an aggregate cost of $138 million. Net of dilution from long-term incentive awards, the company’s share count was down 0.6 million compared to the same time last year.

The company continues to deploy capital in a disciplined manner, executing its long-term capital allocation strategy. The company’s balance sheet remains strong. Net debt to adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP) was 2.4x at the end of the fourth quarter.

Income Taxes

The company’s reported effective tax rate was 29.0% in the fourth quarter and 27.6% for the full year. The adjusted tax rate (non-GAAP) was 25.8% in both the fourth quarter and the full year.

Cost Reduction Actions

During 2023, the company realized approximately $69 million in pre-tax savings from restructuring, net of transition costs, and incurred approximately $79 million in pre-tax restructuring charges.

Guidance

In its supplemental presentation materials, “Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2023 Financial Review and Analysis,” the company provides a list of factors that it believes will contribute to its 2024 financial results. Based on the factors listed and other assumptions, the company expects 2024 reported earnings per share of $8.65 to $9.15.

Excluding an estimated $0.35 per share impact of restructuring charges and other items, the company expects 2024 adjusted earnings per share of $9.00 to $9.50.

For more details on the company’s results, see the summary tables accompanying this news release, as well as the supplemental presentation materials, “Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2023 Financial Review and Analysis,” posted on the company’s website at www.investors.averydennison.com, and furnished to the SEC on Form 8-K.

Throughout this release and the supplemental presentation materials, amounts on a per share basis reflect fully diluted shares outstanding.

About Avery Dennison

Avery Dennison Corporation (NYSE: AVY) is a global materials science and digital identification solutions company that provides a wide range of branding and information solutions that optimize labor and supply chain efficiency, reduce waste, advance sustainability, circularity and transparency, and better connect brands and consumers. Our products and solutions include labeling and functional materials, radio frequency identification (RFID) inlays and tags, software applications that connect the physical and digital, and a variety of products and solutions that enhance branded packaging and carry or display information that improves the customer experience. Serving an array of industries worldwide — including home and personal care, apparel, general retail, e-commerce, logistics, food and grocery, pharmaceuticals and automotive — we employ approximately 35,000 employees in more than 50 countries. Our reported sales in 2023 were $8.4 billion. Learn more at www.averydennison.com.

“Safe Harbor” Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995

Certain statements contained in this document are "forward-looking statements" intended to qualify for the safe harbor from liability established by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements, and financial or other business targets, are subject to certain risks and uncertainties.

We believe that the most significant risk factors that could affect our financial performance in the near term include: (i) the impacts to underlying demand for our products from global economic conditions, political uncertainty, and changes in environmental standards and governmental regulations; (ii) competitors' actions, including pricing, expansion in key markets, and product offerings; (iii) the cost and availability of raw materials; (iv) the degree to which higher costs can be offset with productivity measures and/or passed on to customers through price increases, without a significant loss of volume; (v) foreign currency fluctuations; and (vi) the execution and integration of acquisitions.

Actual results and trends may differ materially from historical or anticipated results depending on a variety of factors, including but not limited to, risks and uncertainties related to the following:

• International Operations – worldwide and local economic and market conditions; changes in political conditions, including those related to China, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Israel-Hamas war and tensions in the Middle East; and fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates and other risks associated with foreign operations, including in emerging markets
• Our Business – fluctuations in demand affecting sales to customers; fluctuations in the cost and availability of raw materials and energy; changes in our markets due to competitive conditions, technological developments, environmental standards, laws and regulations, and customer preferences; the impact of competitive products and pricing; execution and integration of acquisitions; selling prices; customer and supplier concentrations or consolidations; financial condition of distributors; outsourced manufacturers; product and service quality; timely development and market acceptance of new products, including sustainable or sustainably-sourced products; investment in development activities and new production facilities; successful implementation of new manufacturing technologies and installation of manufacturing equipment; our ability to generate sustained productivity improvement; our ability to achieve and sustain targeted cost reductions; collection of receivables from customers; and our environmental, social and governance practices
• Income Taxes – fluctuations in tax rates; changes in tax laws and regulations, and uncertainties associated with interpretations of such laws and regulations; retention of tax incentives; outcome of tax audits; and the realization of deferred tax assets
• Information Technology – disruptions in information technology systems or data security breaches, including cyber-attacks or other intrusions to network security; and successful installation of new or upgraded information technology systems
• Human Capital – recruitment and retention of employees and collective labor arrangements
• Our Indebtedness – credit risks; our ability to obtain adequate financing arrangements and maintain access to capital; fluctuations in interest rates; volatility of financial markets; and compliance with our debt covenants
• Ownership of Our Stock – potential significant variability of our stock price and amounts of future dividends and share repurchases
• Legal and Regulatory Matters – protection and infringement of intellectual property; impact of legal and regulatory proceedings, including with respect to environmental, anti-corruption, health and safety, and trade compliance
• Other Financial Matters – fluctuations in pension costs and goodwill impairment

For a more detailed discussion of these factors, see “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in our 2022 Form 10-K, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 22, 2023, and subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q.

The forward-looking statements included in this document are made only as of the date of this document, and we undertake no obligation to update these statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances, other than as may be required by law.

For more information and to listen to a live broadcast or an audio replay of the quarterly conference call with analysts, visit the Avery Dennison website at www.investors.averydennison.com.

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Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures from GAAP

We report our financial results in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, or GAAP, and also communicate with investors using certain non-GAAP financial measures. These non-GAAP financial measures are not in accordance with, nor are they a substitute for or superior to, the comparable GAAP financial measures. These non-GAAP financial measures are intended to supplement the presentation of our financial results prepared in accordance with GAAP. We use these non-GAAP financial measures internally to evaluate trends in our underlying performance, as well as to facilitate comparison to the results of competitors for quarters and year-to-date periods, as applicable. Based on feedback from investors and financial analysts, we believe that the supplemental non-GAAP financial measures we provide are also useful to their assessments of our performance and operating trends, as well as liquidity. Reconciliations are provided in accordance with Regulations G and S-K and reconcile our non-GAAP financial measures with the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures.

Our non-GAAP financial measures exclude the impact of certain events, activities or strategic decisions. The accounting effects of these events, activities or decisions, which are included in the GAAP financial measures, may make it more difficult to assess our underlying performance in a single period. By excluding the accounting effects, positive or negative, of certain items (e.g., restructuring charges, outcomes of certain legal proceedings, certain effects of strategic transactions and related costs, losses from debt extinguishments, gains or losses from curtailment or settlement of pension obligations, gains or losses on sales of certain assets, gains or losses on venture investments, currency adjustments due to highly inflationary economies, and other items), we believe that we are providing meaningful supplemental information that facilitates an understanding of our core operating results and liquidity measures. While some of the items we exclude from GAAP financial measures recur, they tend to be disparate in amount, frequency or timing.

We use the non-GAAP financial measures described below in the accompanying news release.

Sales change ex. currency refers to the increase or decrease in net sales, excluding the estimated impact of foreign currency translation; the reclassification of sales between segments; where applicable, an extra week in our fiscal year and the calendar shift resulting from the extra week in the prior fiscal year; and currency adjustments for transitional reporting of highly inflationary economies. The estimated impact of foreign currency translation is calculated on a constant currency basis, with prior-period results translated at current period average exchange rates to exclude the effect of foreign currency fluctuations.

Organic sales change refers to sales change ex. currency, excluding the estimated impact of acquisitions and product line divestitures.

We believe that sales change ex. currency and organic sales change assist investors in evaluating the sales change from the ongoing activities of our businesses and enhance their ability to evaluate our results from period to period.

Adjusted operating income refers to net income adjusted for taxes; other expense (income), net; interest expense; and other non-operating expense (income), net.

Adjusted EBITDA refers to adjusted operating income before depreciation and amortization.

Adjusted operating margin refers to adjusted operating income as a percentage of net sales.

Adjusted EBITDA margin refers to adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of net sales.

Adjusted tax rate refers to the full-year GAAP tax rate, adjusted to exclude certain unusual or infrequent events that are expected to significantly impact that rate, such as effects of certain discrete tax planning actions, impacts related to enactments of comprehensive tax law changes, and other items.

Adjusted net income refers to income before taxes, tax-effected at the adjusted tax rate, and adjusted for tax-effected restructuring charges, and other items.

Adjusted net income per common share, assuming dilution (adjusted EPS) refers to adjusted net income divided by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding, assuming dilution.

We believe that adjusted operating margin, adjusted EBITDA margin, adjusted net income, and adjusted EPS assist investors in understanding our core operating trends and comparing our results with those of our competitors.

Net debt to adjusted EBITDA ratio refers to total debt (including finance leases) less cash and cash equivalents, divided by adjusted EBITDA for the last twelve months. We believe that the net debt to adjusted EBITDA ratio assists investors in assessing our leverage position.

Adjusted free cash flow refers to cash flow provided by operating activities, less payments for property, plant and equipment, software and other deferred charges, plus proceeds from company-owned life insurance policies, plus proceeds from sales of property, plant and equipment, plus (minus) net proceeds from insurance and sales (purchases) of investments. Where applicable, adjusted free cash flow is also adjusted for certain acquisition-related transaction costs. We believe that adjusted free cash flow assists investors by showing the amount of cash we have available for debt reductions, dividends, share repurchases, and acquisitions.

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