POWER SOLUTIONS INTERNATIONAL, INC. quarterly report, Q1 FY2016

Power Solutions International, Inc. — Q1 2016 Form 10-Q

Reporting period: Three months ended March 31, 2016; unaudited. Financial amounts are in U.S. dollars, generally in thousands unless noted.

Business context and reporting period

PSI designs, manufactures, distributes and supports power systems for industrial OEMs and on-road markets, including alternative-fuel systems and custom-engineered power generation systems. It operates as one business and geographic segment. Q1 2016 results include Powertrain and Bi-Phase, acquired in 2015; Q1 2015 did not include those businesses.

Key financial metrics

MetricQ1 2016Q1 2015 or prior date
Net sales$61.814 million$86.139 million
Gross profit / margin$4.056 million / 6.6%$16.457 million / 19.1%
Operating income (loss)$(8.681) million$4.070 million
Net loss$(5.251) million$(1.456) million
Loss per diluted share$(0.49)$(0.13)
Cash provided by (used in) operations$9.995 million$(9.731) million
Cash at period end$1.495 million$8.445 million at Dec. 31, 2015
Working capital$133.706 million$153.413 million at Dec. 31, 2015
Revolver borrowings$80.568 million$97.299 million at Dec. 31, 2015
Senior Notes, net$53.946 million$53.820 million at Dec. 31, 2015

Operating cash flow improved mainly from collections of receivables and lower inventory, partially offset by payments to suppliers and other liabilities. Investing cash outflow was $0.214 million; financing cash outflow was $16.731 million, principally reflecting net revolver repayments. The company reported $21.1 million of unused and available revolver capacity at quarter-end. Cash plus stated revolver availability was therefore limited relative to its operating needs.

Material changes versus the prior comparable period

  • Sales fell $24.325 million, or 28.2%. Management attributed the organic sales decline of $29.1 million primarily to lower oil and gas end-market sales; acquired businesses added $4.8 million of sales.
  • Gross profit declined 75.4%, and gross margin contracted to 6.6% from 19.1%. Lower sales, a mix shift away from higher-margin oil and gas products, and weaker absorption of production costs contributed.
  • Operating results swung from $4.070 million of income to an $8.681 million loss. Research and development was broadly stable in dollars, while amortization rose to $1.429 million from $0.814 million, largely reflecting acquisition-related intangibles.
  • Interest expense increased to $1.421 million from $0.489 million, mainly due to the Senior Notes. The warrant liability generated $1.256 million of noncash income in 2016, compared with $3.614 million of noncash expense in 2015; these fair-value changes affected reported pretax results.
  • Operating cash flow turned positive, while cash declined by $6.950 million over the quarter after financing outflows. Receivables and inventory fell, as did accounts payable.

Outlook, commentary, risks and unusual items

  • The filing gives no specific sales, earnings or margin guidance. Management cautions that quarterly results may fluctuate and that Q1 results are not necessarily indicative of full-year results.
  • On April 1, 2016, after quarter-end, PSI amended the Senior Notes indenture: it eliminated the special mandatory offer to purchase, raised permitted indebtedness temporarily, and increased the notes’ interest rate from 5.50% to 6.50%. PSI paid a $275,000 consent fee. The notes mature May 1, 2018.
  • The revolver is secured by substantially all tangible and intangible assets other than real property; borrowing capacity depends partly on eligible receivables and inventory. Senior Notes are unsecured and effectively subordinated to secured debt. Management said funding availability and refinancing terms cannot be assured.
  • Management decided to sell an operating facility, reclassified $1.343 million of property to assets held for sale, and expected completion in 2016. No sale outcome is reported here.
  • The private placement warrants expired April 29, 2016. Subsequent to quarter-end, 153,916 shares were issued on warrant exercises and PSI received $2.001 million. This creates share dilution; the quarter-end warrant liability was $0.226 million.
  • Key business risks include continued weakness in oil and gas demand, customer and supplier concentration, competition, product-mix shifts, inventory exposure, interest-rate and refinancing risk, and execution of acquisitions and on-road or alternative-fuel growth plans. A one-percentage-point change in interest rates was estimated to change annual interest expense by about $805,700 at quarter-end debt levels.
  • Management reported disclosure controls were effective and no material change in internal control over financial reporting during the quarter. Pending legal matters were not expected to have a material adverse effect; federal tax audits for 2013 and state audits for 2011–2012 remained open, with no material outcome expected by management.

Most important facts for investors to verify

  • Whether sales and gross margin stabilize, particularly in oil and gas markets, and whether the reported mix and volume pressures persist.
  • Whether positive operating cash flow is repeatable after the quarter’s substantial receivables and inventory reductions, given cash of only $1.495 million at quarter-end.
  • Revolver borrowing-base availability, covenant compliance, debt maturity and refinancing plans, and the cost impact of the Senior Notes’ 6.50% coupon.
  • Whether the planned facility sale closes and what proceeds or operating effects result; also monitor post-quarter warrant exercises and resulting dilution.
  • Customer payment terms extending up to 150 days, customer and supplier concentration, inventory quality, and any changes in legal or tax contingencies.