Net sales of $2.48 billion increased 12.3% year-over-year
Gross profit margin of 28.4%; $702.1 million gross profit – 2nd highest in Company’s history
GAAP EPS of $1.40
LOS ANGELES, July 27, 2017 -- Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. (NYSE:RS) today reported its financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2017.
Second Quarter 2017 Financial Highlights
- Sales were $2.48 billion, up 12.3% from $2.20 billion in the second quarter of 2016 and up 2.3% from $2.42 billion in the first quarter of 2017.
- Tons sold were up 1.4% from the second quarter of 2016 and flat with the first quarter of 2017, with the average selling price per ton sold up 11.3% from the second quarter of 2016 and up 2.4% from the first quarter of 2017.
- Gross profit margin was 28.4%, compared to 31.1% in the second quarter of 2016 and 29.8% in the first quarter of 2017. FIFO gross profit margin was 28.8%, compared to 31.1% in the second quarter of 2016 and 30.2% in the first quarter of 2017.
- Net income attributable to Reliance was $103.0 million, up 2.1% from $100.9 million in the second quarter of 2016 and down 7.8% from $111.7 million in the first quarter of 2017.
- Earnings per diluted share were $1.40, up 1.4% from $1.38 in the second quarter of 2016 and down 7.9% from $1.52 in the first quarter of 2017.
- Non-GAAP earnings per diluted share were $1.40, up 2.9% from $1.36 in the second quarter of 2016 and down 7.9% from $1.52 in the first quarter of 2017.
- Reliance recorded a pre-tax net LIFO inventory valuation charge, or expense, of $10.0 million in both the second quarter of 2017 and the first quarter of 2017, included in cost of sales. Reliance did not record a pre-tax LIFO inventory valuation adjustment in the second quarter of 2016.
- The effective tax rate was 31.2%, compared to 32.7% in both the second quarter of 2016 and the first quarter of 2017.
- A quarterly cash dividend of $0.45 per share was declared on July 25, 2017 for stockholders of record as of August 18, 2017 and will be payable on September 8, 2017.
Management Commentary
“Continued steady demand along with strong execution by our managers in the field resulted in a gross profit margin of 28.4%, driving our second highest quarterly gross profit dollars in the Company’s history of $702.1 million. Current pricing levels are higher than both the first quarter of 2017 and the second quarter of 2016, which positively contributed to our earnings,” said Gregg Mollins, President and Chief Executive Officer of Reliance. “However, mill prices were pressured in the second quarter of 2017, especially for carbon and stainless steel products, which prevented us from enhancing our gross profit margin as we did in both the first quarter of 2017, and the second quarter of 2016 when multiple metal price increases were announced by the mills. The absence of meaningful price increases and our receipt of higher cost metal during the second quarter of 2017 along with the added elements of a competitive landscape due to continued uncertainty around possible Section 232 action and increased imports in the marketplace, collectively pressured our gross profit margin more than we had anticipated. That said, we are very proud of our strong results in the second quarter of 2017.”
Mr. Mollins concluded, “We are very pleased with our ability to successfully increase our gross profit margin to our estimated sustainable range of 27% to 29%. This accomplishment is the result of our strategic targeted investments to increase our value-added processing capabilities and expand our specialty product offerings coupled with our focus on pricing discipline and inventory management. Thanks to the continued strong execution of our managers in the field, in the first six months of 2017, we increased our pretax income by $60.1 million, or 23.0%, compared to the first half of 2016. Looking forward, we remain optimistic about the potential for increased infrastructure and equipment spending which we believe should improve both metal demand and pricing that would support our efforts to drive our earnings higher.”
| Second Quarter 2017 Business Metrics | ||||||||
| (tons in thousands; percentage change) | ||||||||
| Q2 2017 | Q1 2017 | Sequential Quarter Change | Q2 2016 | Year-Over- Year Change | ||||
| Tons sold | 1,540.3 | 1,540.4 | (0.0 | %) | 1,519.4 | 1.4 | % | |
| Tons sold (same-store) | 1,517.8 | 1,519.6 | (0.1 | %) | 1,501.6 | 1.1 | % | |
| Average selling price per ton sold | $1,600 | $1,563 | 2.4 | % | $1,438 | 11.3 | % | |
| Average selling price per ton sold (same-store) | $1,592 | $1,555 | 2.4 | % | $1,431 | 11.3 | % | |
| Second Quarter 2017 Major Commodity Metrics | ||||||||||||
| Tons Sold (tons in thousands; percentage change) | Average Selling Price per Ton Sold (percentage change) | |||||||||||
| Q2 2017 Tons Sold | Q1 2017 Tons Sold | Sequential Quarter Change | Q2 2016 Tons Sold | Year-Over- Year Change | Sequential Quarter Change | Year-Over- Year Change | ||||||
| Carbon steel | 1,236.8 | 1,235.5 | 0.1 | % | 1,233.9 | 0.2 | % | 3.6 | % | 13.4 | % | |
| Aluminum | 93.2 | 92.7 | 0.5 | % | 91.9 | 1.4 | % | 0.4 | % | 4.0 | % | |
| Stainless steel | 78.6 | 79.8 | (1.5 | %) | 80.9 | (2.8 | %) | 1.7 | % | 15.4 | % | |
| Alloy | 53.7 | 56.3 | (4.6 | %) | 41.7 | 28.8 | % | 5.2 | % | 2.5 | % | |
| Sales ( | |||||||||||