UTAH MEDICAL PRODUCTS INC quarterly report, Q3 FY2012

Utah Medical Products, Inc. — Q3 2012 Form 10-Q

Reporting period: Quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2012. Financial amounts are in thousands of dollars, except per-share data. The company manufactures and markets primarily single-use specialty medical devices. Comparisons with 2011 are affected by the March 2011 Femcare acquisition, which contributed only part of that year’s nine-month results.

Financial performance

MetricQ3 2012Q3 20119M 20129M 2011
Net sales$10,489$10,784$31,719$27,954
Operating income$3,960$3,539$11,627$8,929
Net income$2,721$2,237$7,910$5,556
Diluted EPS$0.73$0.61$2.13$1.53
Gross margin61.7%60.4%60.8%59.0%
Operating margin37.8%32.8%36.7%31.9%
Net margin25.9%20.7%24.9%19.9%

Q3 sales declined 2.7% year over year, while operating income rose 11.9% and net income rose 21.6%. For nine months, sales increased 13.5%, operating income 30.2%, and net income 42.4%. Management attributed stronger margins to Femcare-related manufacturing and distribution synergies, lower operating expenses relative to sales, and the absence of prior-year acquisition costs. A stronger U.S. dollar also reduced the reported Q3 sales decline; management said it accounted for about 60% of the decrease.

International sales were 51% of total sales in both Q3 and the nine-month period. Q3 international sales declined 3%, while nine-month international sales increased 17%. U.S. domestic sales declined 2% in Q3 and increased 10% for nine months; direct U.S. end-user device sales were down 6% in both periods.

Cash flow, financial position and debt

  • Cash from operations was $10,499 for the first nine months, compared with $7,859 in 2011. Capital expenditures were $195; dividends paid were $1,762.
  • Cash increased to $9,288 at September 30 from $6,534 at year-end 2011. Working capital was $8,642, up from $7,385. Current assets were $20,057 and current liabilities $11,415.
  • Total notes payable were $14,865 at September 30, down from $21,672 at year-end 2011. The company repaid $7,174 during the nine months and reported that all notes were scheduled to be repaid by April 2016.
  • UTMD reported compliance with all loan financial covenants. Its total-liabilities-to-total-assets ratio was 38%, versus 47% at year-end 2011.
  • Total assets were $78,803 and stockholders’ equity was $48,710 at September 30. Goodwill and net intangible assets together were approximately 64% of total assets.

Outlook, risks and other notable items

Management said nine-month performance was consistent with its 2012 objectives: capture Femcare integration synergies, begin direct sales in Ireland, introduce three gynecology products, maintain strong financial performance, and use cash generation to reduce debt while continuing dividends. It expected remaining-2012 capital expenditures to be below depreciation. The filing provides no numerical earnings or revenue guidance.

Management cited continued weakness in medical-device utilization and pricing, foreign-exchange fluctuations, regulatory and premarketing-approval burdens, healthcare reform-related costs, hospital purchasing bureaucracy and GPO pressures, product-liability exposure, distributor dependence in some overseas markets, and acquisition debt as risks. The company does not use separate foreign-currency hedges. No litigation was identified as likely to have a material effect, and no material subsequent events were reported. Disclosure controls were assessed as effective; no material change in internal control over financial reporting was reported.

Most important facts for investors to verify

  • Whether the Q3 sales decline and softness in direct U.S. hospital sales persist, and how product-category trends develop.
  • Whether Femcare integration benefits continue to support margins and operating performance, given the acquisition’s effect on year-over-year comparisons.
  • Debt repayment progress, covenant compliance, interest costs and liquidity needs.
  • Exposure to currency movements, healthcare regulation, medical-device taxes and hospital purchasing practices.
  • The pace and commercial contribution of planned new products and direct sales in Ireland; the filing gives no quantified forecast.