Release Details

PITTSBURGH--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Wesco International (NYSE: WCC), a leading provider of business-to-business distribution, logistics services, and supply chain solutions, announces its results for the first quarter of 2022.

“Our first quarter results speak volumes about the new Wesco’s foundation for accelerating growth and profitability,” said John Engel, Chairman, President and CEO. "After delivering an exceptional performance in fiscal 2021, we’re off to an even more impressive start in 2022. Once again, we achieved new company records for sales, backlog and profitability while continuing our rapid deleveraging which now stands at 3.6x adjusted EBITDA, compared to 5.7x when we closed the Anixter merger. With each quarter, the power of Wesco’s scale, expanded portfolio and industry-leading positions becomes more evident as we build momentum and deliver superior value to our customers.”

Mr. Engel continued, “The demonstrated strength of Wesco’s business model and the success of our almost two year integration effort is clearly apparent in the achievement of our three business units which all delivered double-digit sales and profit growth results in the quarter in spite of supply chain challenges in certain categories. Our exceptional financial results continue to support our investment in our digital transformation effort which when completed will raise Wesco to an even higher level of performance, operating efficiency and customer loyalty.”

Mr. Engel added, “As a result of our outstanding start to the year and the accelerating momentum across our business, we are substantially raising our outlook for 2022. We now expect sales for the year to increase 12% to 15% and adjusted EBITDA margin to expand to between 7.3% and 7.6%, equating to $1.54 billion of adjusted EBITDA at the midpoint of the outlook range. We are also increasing our outlook for adjusted EPS to a range of $14.00 to $15.00. Given this robust anticipated growth, we are adjusting our full year 2022 outlook for free cash flow to 80% of adjusted net income to reflect our continued strategic investment in inventory to support our record backlog. The new Wesco is proving to be an integral partner to our customers across each of our business segments. Our financial results continue to prove the extraordinary value of the Wesco and Anixter combination and point to a future of sustained growth and market outperformance.”

The following are results for the three months ended March 31, 2022 compared to the three months ended March 31, 2021:

• Net sales were $4.9 billion for the first quarter of 2022 compared to $4.0 billion for the first quarter of 2021, an increase of 22.0% reflecting continued strong demand, price inflation, expanded product and service offerings afforded by the combination of Wesco and Anixter, as well as secular growth trends in electrification, automation, communications and security. Organic sales for the first quarter of 2022 grew by 21.2% as the number of workdays positively impacted reported net sales by 1.6%, and foreign exchange rates and Canadian business divestitures negatively impacted reported net sales by 0.5% and 0.3%, respectively. Sequentially, net sales grew 1.7% and organic sales were flat. Backlog at the end of the first quarter of 2022 increased by more than 90% to a record level compared to the end of the first quarter of 2021. Sequentially, backlog grew approximately 25%, marking the fifth consecutive quarter of sequential growth.

• Cost of goods sold for the first quarter of 2022 was $3.9 billion compared to $3.2 billion for the first quarter of 2021, and gross profit was $1,049.1 million and $811.0 million, respectively. As a percentage of net sales, gross profit was 21.3% and 20.1% for the first quarter of 2022 and 2021, respectively. Gross profit as a percentage of net sales for the first quarter of 2022 reflects our focus on value-driven pricing and continued momentum of our gross margin improvement program, along with higher supplier volume rebate income. The first quarter of 2021 included a write-down to the carrying value of certain personal protective equipment inventories that unfavorably impacted gross profit as a percentage of net sales by 20 basis points. Sequentially, gross profit as a percentage of net sales increased 50 basis points from 20.8% for the fourth quarter of 2021.

• Selling, general and administrative ("SG&A") expenses were $718.1 million, or 14.6% of net sales, for the first quarter of 2022, compared to $636.6 million, or 15.8% of net sales, for the first quarter of 2021. SG&A expenses for the first quarter of 2022 include merger-related and integration costs of $25.6 million. Adjusted for this amount, SG&A expenses were $692.5 million, or 14.0% of net sales, for the first quarter of 2022. SG&A expenses for the first quarter of 2022 reflect higher salaries and variable compensation expense, as well as volume-related costs driven by significant sales growth. In addition, digital transformation initiatives contributed to higher information technology expenses in the first quarter of 2022. The realization of integration cost synergies partially offset these increases. SG&A expenses for the first quarter of 2021 included $46.3 million of merger-related and integration costs, as well as a net gain of $8.9 million resulting from the divestiture of Wesco's legacy utility and data communications businesses in Canada. Adjusted for these amounts, SG&A expenses were $599.2 million, or 14.8% of net sales, for the first quarter of 2021.

• Depreciation and amortization for the first quarter of 2022 was $47.0 million compared to $41.2 million for the first quarter of 2021, an increase of $5.8 million. In connection with an integration initiative to review the Company's brand strategy, certain legacy trademarks are migrating to a master brand architecture, which resulted in $5.3 million of accelerated amortization expense for the first quarter of 2022.

• Operating profit was $284.0 million for the first quarter of 2022 compared to $133.3 million for the first quarter of 2021, an increase of $150.8 million, or 113.2%. Operating profit as a percentage of net sales was 5.8% for the current quarter, compared to 3.3% for the first quarter of the prior year. Operating profit for the first quarter of 2022 includes the merger-related and integration costs, and accelerated trademark amortization described above. Adjusted for these amounts, operating profit was $314.9 million, or 6.4% of net sales. For the first quarter of 2021, operating profit was $170.6 million, or 4.2% of net sales, adjusted for merger-related and integration costs of $46.3 million, and the net gain on the Canadian divestitures of $8.9 million. Adjusted operating margin was up 220 basis points compared to the prior year.

• Net interest expense for the first quarter of 2022 was $63.6 million compared to $70.4 million for the first quarter of 2021. The decrease reflects the repayment of fixed rate debt with variable debt that has lower borrowing rates.

• The effective tax rate for the first quarter of 2022 was 17.2% compared to 9.9% for the first quarter of 2021. For the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021, the effective tax rates reflect discrete income tax benefits of $13.4 million and $8.3 million, respectively, resulting from reductions to the valuation allowance recorded against foreign tax credit carryforwards, as well as deductible stock-based compensation. These discrete income tax benefits reduced the estimated annual effective tax rate by approximately 8.7 and 14.4 percentage points, respectively.

• Net income attributable to common stockholders was $166.9 million for the first quarter of 2022 compared to $44.8 million for the first quarter of 2021. Adjusted for merger-related and integration costs, accelerated trademark amortization expense, and the related income tax effects, net income attributable to common stockholders was $189.8 million for the first quarter of 2022. Adjusted for merger-related and integration costs, the net gain on the Canadian divestitures, and the related income tax effects, net income attributable to common stockholders was $74.1 million for the first quarter of 2021. Adjusted net income attributable to common stockholders increased 156.2% year-over-year.

• Earnings per diluted share for the first quarter of 2022 was $3.19, based on 52.2 million diluted shares, compared to $0.87 for the first quarter of 2021, based on 51.7 million diluted shares. Adjusted for merger-related and integration costs, accelerated trademark amortization expense, and the related income tax effects, earnings per diluted share for the first quarter of 2022 was $3.63. Adjusted for merger-related and integration costs, net gain on Canadian divestitures, and the related income tax effects, earnings per diluted share for the first quarter of 2021 was $1.43. Adjusted earnings per diluted share increased 153.8% year-over-year.

• Operating cash flow for the first quarter of 2022 was an outflow of $171.9 million, compared to an inflow of $120.5 million for the first quarter of 2021. The net cash outflow in the first quarter of 2022 was primarily driven by changes in working capital, including an increase in trade accounts receivable of $324.6 million resulting from higher sales in the latter part of the quarter. An increase in inventories of $214.2 million also contributed to the net cash outflow due to investments over the last several months to both address supply chain challenges and support our strong sales growth opportunities, partially offset by a corresponding increase in accounts payable of $200.0 million. Net working capital days as of March 31, 2022, calculated on a trailing twelve month basis using the preceding four quarter income statements and the average of the preceding five quarter-end balance sheets, improved more than five days from the end of the first quarter of 2021.

Segment Results

The Company has operating segments that are comprised of three strategic business units consisting of Electrical & Electronic Solutions ("EES"), Communications & Security Solutions ("CSS") and Utility & Broadband Solutions ("UBS").

Corporate primarily incurs costs related to treasury, tax, information technology, legal and other centralized functions. Segment results include depreciation expense or other allocations related to various corporate assets. Interest expense and other non-operating items are either not allocated to the segments or reviewed on a segment basis. Corporate expenses not directly identifiable with our reportable segments are reported in the tables below to reconcile the reportable segments to the consolidated financial statements.

The following are results by segment for the three months ended March 31, 2022 compared to the three months ended March 31, 2021:

• EES reported net sales of $2.1 billion for the first quarter of 2022 compared to $1.7 billion for the first quarter of 2021, an increase of 21.5%. Organic sales for the first quarter of 2022 grew by 20.8% as the number of workdays positively impacted reported net sales by 1.6%, and foreign exchange rates and the Canadian divestitures described above negatively impacted reported net sales by 0.4% and 0.5%, respectively. Sequentially, reported net sales grew 4.8% and organic sales increased 3.4%, reflecting continued strong demand. The increase compared to the prior year quarter reflects double-digit sales growth in our construction, original equipment manufacturer, and industrial businesses, reflecting business expansion, price inflation, as well as the benefits of cross selling and secular growth trends in electrification and automation. Operating profit was $178.8 million for the first quarter of 2022 compared to $100.1 million for the first quarter of 2021, an increase of $78.7 million, or 78.6%. The increase primarily reflects the factors impacting the overall business, as described above. Additionally, operating profit for the first quarter of 2022 was negatively impacted by accelerated trademark amortization expense of $2.2 million. EBITDA, adjusted for other non-operating income and non-cash stock-based compensation expense, was $192.4 million for the first quarter of 2022, or 9.2% of net sales, compared to $112.0 million for the first quarter of 2021, or 6.5% of net sales. Adjusted EBITDA increased $80.4 million, or 71.8% year-over-year.

• CSS reported net sales of $1.4 billion for the first quarter of 2022 compared to $1.3 billion for the first quarter of 2021, an increase of 14.7%. Organic sales for the first quarter of 2022 grew by 13.9% as the number of workdays positively impacted reported net sales by 1.6% and foreign exchange rates negatively impacted reported net sales by 0.8%. Sequentially, reported net sales declined 5.3% and organic sales decreased 6.7%, which primarily reflects the effect of supply chain constraints. The increase compared to the prior year quarter reflects double-digit growth in our network infrastructure business led by global hyper-scale data center customers and an increase in structured cabling driven by accelerating return-to-work activities, as well as growth in our security solutions business driven by IP-based surveillance and the adoption of cloud-based technologies. Operating profit was $104.0 million for the first quarter of 2022 compared to $74.0 million for the first quarter of 2021, an increase of $30.0 million, or 40.6%. The increase primarily reflects the factors impacting the overall business, as described above, as well as the absence of the personal protective equipment inventory value write-down described in the Company's overall results above. Additionally, operating profit for the first quarter of 2022 was negatively impacted by accelerated trademark amortization expense of $2.6 million. EBITDA, adjusted for other non-operating expenses and non-cash stock-based compensation expense, was $123.0 million for the first quarter of 2022, or 8.6% of net sales, compared to $90.7 million for the first quarter of 2021, or 7.3% of net sales. Adjusted EBITDA increased $32.3 million, or 35.6% year-over-year.

• UBS reported net sales of $1.4 billion for the first quarter of 2022 compared to $1.1 billion for the first quarter of 2021, an increase of 31.6%. Organic sales for the first quarter of 2022 grew by 30.4% as the number of workdays positively impacted reported net sales by 1.6% and the Canadian divestitures described above negatively impacted reported net sales by 0.4%. Sequentially, reported net sales grew 4.9% and organic sales increased 3.4%. The increase compared to the prior year quarter, as well as sequentially, reflects broad-based growth driven by investments in grid modernization, connectivity demand and rural broadband development, as well as expansion in our integrated supply business. Operating profit was $129.9 million for the first quarter of 2022 compared to $87.0 million for the first quarter of 2021, an increase of $42.9 million, or 49.3%. The increase primarily reflects the factors impacting the overall business, as described above, offset by the benefit in the corresponding prior year quarter from the net gain on the Canadian divestitures. EBITDA, adjusted for other non-operating income, non-cash stock-based compensation expense, and the net gain on the Canadian divestitures in the first quarter of 2021 was $136.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022, or 9.7% of net sales, compared to $83.7 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021, or 7.8% of net sales. Adjusted EBITDA increased $52.7 million, or 63.0% year-over-year.

Webcast and Teleconference Access

Wesco will conduct a webcast and teleconference to discuss the first quarter of 2022 earnings as described in this News Release on Thursday, May 5, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. E.T. The call will be broadcast live over the internet and can be accessed from the Investor Relations page of the Company's website at https://investors.wesco.com. The call will be archived on this internet site for seven days.

Wesco International (NYSE: WCC) builds, connects, powers and protects the world. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Wesco is a FORTUNE 500® company with more than $18 billion in annual sales and a leading provider of business-to-business distribution, logistics services and supply chain solutions. Wesco offers a best-in-class product and services portfolio of Electrical and Electronic Solutions, Communications and Security Solutions, and Utility and Broadband Solutions. The Company employs approximately 18,000 people, partners with the industry’s premier suppliers, and serves thousands of customers around the world, including more than 90% of FORTUNE 100® companies. With nearly 1,500,000 products, end-to-end supply chain services, and leading digital capabilities, Wesco provides innovative solutions to meet customer needs across commercial and industrial businesses, contractors, government agencies, institutions, telecommunications providers, and utilities. Wesco operates approximately 800 branches, warehouses and sales offices in more than 50 countries, providing a local presence for customers and a global network to serve multi-location businesses and multi-national corporations.

Forward-Looking Statements

All statements made herein that are not historical facts should be considered as forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the expected benefits and costs of the transaction between Wesco and Anixter International Inc., including anticipated future financial and operating results, synergies, accretion and growth rates, and the combined company's plans, objectives, expectations and intentions, statements that address the combined company's expected future business and financial performance, and other statements identified by words such as "anticipate," "plan," "believe," "estimate," "intend," "expect," "project," "will" and similar words, phrases or expressions. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and beliefs of Wesco's management, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, Wesco's management, current market trends and market conditions and involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are outside of Wesco's and Wesco's management's control, and which may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on such statements.

Those risks, uncertainties and assumptions include the risk of any unexpected costs or expenses resulting from the transaction, the risk that the transaction could have an adverse effect on the ability of the combined company to retain customers and retain and hire key personnel and maintain relationships with its suppliers, customers and other business relationships and on its operating results and business generally, or the risk that problems may arise in successfully integrating the businesses of the companies, which may result in the combined company not operating as effectively and efficiently as expected, the risk that the combined company may be unable to achieve synergies or other anticipated benefits of the transaction or it may take longer than expected to achieve those synergies or benefits, the risk that the leverage of the company may be higher than anticipated, the impact of natural disasters (including as a result of climate change), health epidemics, pandemics and other outbreaks, such as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain disruptions, and the impact of Russia's recent invasion of Ukraine, including the impact of sanctions or other actions taken by the U.S. or other countries, the increased risk of cyber incidents and exacerbation of key materials shortages, inflationary cost pressures, material cost increases, demand volatility, and logistics and capacity constraints, which may have a material adverse effect on the combined company's business, results of operations and financial condition, and other important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. All such factors are difficult to predict and are beyond each company's control. Additional factors that could cause results to differ materially from those described above can be found in Wesco's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021 and Wesco's other reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC").

NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES

In addition to the results provided in accordance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ("U.S. GAAP") above, this earnings release includes certain non-GAAP financial measures. These financial measures include organic sales growth, gross profit, gross margin, earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA), adjusted EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA margin, financial leverage, free cash flow, adjusted income from operations, adjusted operating margin, adjusted provision for income taxes, adjusted income before income taxes, adjusted net income, adjusted net income attributable to WESCO International, Inc., adjusted net income attributable to common stockholders, and adjusted earnings per diluted share. The Company believes that these non-GAAP measures are useful to investors as they provide a better understanding of financial performance, and the use of debt and liquidity on a comparable basis. Additionally, certain non-GAAP measures either focus on or exclude items impacting comparability of results such as merger-related and integration costs, and the related income tax effect of such items, allowing investors to more easily compare the Company's financial performance from period to period. Management does not use these non-GAAP financial measures for any purpose other than the reasons stated above.