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Operator
Greetings and welcome to the DMC Global First Quarter Earnings Release and Conference Call. At this time, all participants are in a listen-only mode. A brief question and answer session will follow the formal presentation. If anyone should require operator assistance during the conference, please press star zero on your telephone keypad. As a reminder, this conference is being recorded. It is now my pleasure to introduce your host, Jeff High, Vice President of IR. Thank you, Jeff. You may begin.
Jeff High
Hello and welcome to DMC's first quarter conference call. Presenting today are DMC CEO Michael Kuda and Chief Financial Officer Eric Walter. I'd like to remind everyone that matters discussed during this call may include forward-looking statements that are based on our estimates, projections, and assumptions as of today's date and are subject to risks and uncertainties that are disclosed in our filings with the SEC. Our business is subject to certain risks that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in our forward-looking statements. DMC assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements that become untrue because of subsequent events. Today's release and a related presentation on our first quarter performance are available on the Investors page of our website located at dmcglobal.com. A webcast replay of today's presentation will be available at our website shortly after the conclusion of this call. With that, I'll now turn the call over to Michael Kuda. Michael?
Michael Kuda
Hello, and thank you for joining us for today's call. DNC's first quarter financial results included consolidated sales of $167 million, down 9% from the first quarter a year ago. This decrease was largely due to soft demand, and lower pricing at Arcadia Products, our architectural building products business. Arcadia's sales of $61.9 million were down 23% compared with the year-ago first quarter. We noted during our last earnings call that Arcadia was experiencing a slow start to the year due to weak market conditions in the western and southwestern United States. Demand declined further in March, particularly for short-cycle orders at several of our large regional service centers, as well as for our ultra-high-end residential products. The weakness in our short-cycle commercial business aligns with the Architectural Billings Index, which is a leading indicator for commercial construction activity. March was the 14th consecutive month the ABI declined nationally. In the western U.S., the index fell sharply during last year's third quarter. Since the ABI tends to lead non-residential construction by nine to 12 months, we believe we are now seeing the impact of that decline. We are seeing signs of improving activity at Arcadia's commercial divisions. The backlog for long cycle projects has increased in the past month, and quoting activity for both large projects and short cycle orders is picking up. Based on these indicators, we expect to see sequential quarterly improvements in sales and earnings in the coming quarters. Dyna Energetics, our oil-filled products business, reported first quarter sales of $78.1 million, up 4% sequentially and down 5% versus last year's first quarter. International demand remained healthy, and in North America, unit sales of our industry-leading DynaStage system were again at record levels. North American sales also benefited from increased demand for our premium-oriented perforating systems. Dyna continues to execute on a series of operational excellence and cost reduction programs are designed to mitigate pricing pressure in North America. These initiatives are expected to strengthen margins during the back half of the year and include automating certain manufacturing and assembly processes and streamlining product designs. Nobel Clatter composite metals business reported sales of $26.8 million, up 22% from the same quarter last year. Earlier this week, Nobel-CLAD received a $19 million order from an international petrochemical customer. This represents the largest order in Nobel-CLAD's history and involves the production of CLAD plates that will be used to fabricate heat exchangers, reactors, and associated equipment for a petrochemical facility being built in Asia. Nobel-CLAD expects to ship the majority of the order during 2025. Nobel-CLAD has made significant progress. expanding manufacturing capacity for its Solyndra cryogenic transition joints. Demand for Solyndra from the liquefied natural gas industry remains strong, and Novoclad's commercial team is tracking more than 90 global LNG projects that have either been announced or are in the planning phases. While the first quarter sales shortfall of Arcadia Products was disappointing, we remain confident in its differentiated business model, strong brand, and the growth strategy we are executing. As its markets recover, we believe Arcadia is well positioned to benefit. DMC's financial strength continues to grow and is benefiting from our improved free cash flow and our aggressive efforts to deliver our balance sheet. We're also making progress in our review of strategic alternatives for Dyna Energetics and NovoClad as we seek to unlock shareholder value. It is too early to discuss the details of our efforts, but we look forward to providing an update in the coming months. I'll now turn the call over to Eric for a closer look at our first quarter financial performance and a review of our guidance. Eric?
Eric
Thanks, Michael. Our consolidated first quarter sales were $167 million, down 9% from the first quarter last year. Consolidated gross margin was 25.4%, down from 28.3% in the 2023 first quarter, due primarily to industry consolidation at Dyna. which was partially offset by a more favorable project mix at Nobleclad. Excluding one-time expenses, our first quarter SG&A expense was $28 million, or 16.9% of net sales, down approximately 120 basis points from the first quarter of last year. The improvement was driven primarily by lower litigation expenses at Dyna, which were partially offset by a $500,000 bad debt charge also at Dyna. First quarter adjusted EBITDA attributable to DMT was $16.7 million compared with $20 million in the prior year quarter. The decline was driven by lower sales at Arcadia and the previously mentioned gross margin contraction at Dyna. Inclusive of the Arcadia non-controlling interest, consolidated adjusted EBITDA was $19 million for 11.4% of sales. compared with 13.2% of sales in the prior year quarter. At the business level, Arcadia reported first quarter adjusted EBITDA of approximately $6 million, or 9.5% of sales, of which $3.5 million, or 60%, was attributable to DMC. Arcadia's adjusted EBITDA declined 44% year over year due mostly to lower sales that Michael explained earlier. Dyna reported first quarter adjusted EBITDA of $10.5 million, or 13.5% of sales, which was lower than the prior year quarter due to a decline in average selling price. Compared with the fourth quarter, Dyna's adjusted EBITDA improved 13% due to a higher volume of Dyna stage units and lower SG&A. Novoclad reported adjusted EBITDA of almost $6 million, which was 21.9% of sales compared with 15.3% of sales in the first quarter of 2023. Even a margin improved due to a more favorable project mix and better absorption of fixed manufacturing overhead costs. First quarter adjusted net income attributable to DMC was $4.2 million, while adjusted EPS attributable to DMC was 21 cents versus 32 cents in last year's first quarter. During the quarter, DMC generated free cash flow of $10.5 million, which was more than double the prior year quarter. We used this year's first quarter free cash flow primarily for voluntarily de-levering on our debt and distributions to our Arcadia joint venture partner. In terms of liquidity, we ended the first quarter with cash of approximately $20 million and debt of $90 million. We ended the first quarter with a debt to adjusted EBITDA leverage ratio of 1.0, which was well below our covenant threshold of 3.0 and represents the ninth quarter in a row that we have delivered. On a pro forma net debt basis, after subtracting cash, our leverage ratio was 0.77 at the end of the first quarter. Now, turning to guidance for the second quarter of 2024. Consolidated sales are expected in a range of $161 to $171 million. We expect activity in Arcadia's primary markets to remain soft in the second quarter, while activity in Dyna's North American markets is expected to remain relatively flat versus the first quarter. Second quarter adjusted EBITDA attributable to DMC is expected to be in a range of $14 to $17 million. Arcadia EBITDA margins are forecasted to improve from the first quarter due to stronger volumes and lower SG&A. At Dyna, we anticipate EBITDA margins will remain relatively flat quarter over quarter, while Noble-CLAD's EBITDA margins are expected to moderate due to a less favorable project mix. With that, we're ready to take any questions from our analysts. Operator?
Operator
Thank you. We will now be conducting a question and answer session. If you'd like to ask a question, please press star 1 on your telephone keypad. A confirmation tone will indicate your line is in the question queue. You may press star 2 if you'd like to remove your question from the queue. For participants using speaker equipment, it may be necessary to pick up your handset before pressing the star keys. One moment, please, while we poll for questions. Thank you. Our first question is from Ken Newman with KeyBank Capital Markets. Please proceed with your question.
Ken Newman
Hi, guys. Thanks for taking the questions. Hi, Ken. Hey there. You know, maybe just starting with Arcadia, Michael or Eric, could you just size the revenue that went through the short cycle channel versus the project-related sales that you're expecting? Just hoping you can help us. bridge your comments on this idea of segment sales sequentially improving in coming quarters?
Michael Kuda
Yeah, so thanks, Ken. So what we've seen is a decline in a couple of our regional branches or service centers for our short cycle work. We call that our storefront business. And so those – regional branches, service centers, that's about 50% to 60% of our sales that track with general commercial construction activity. And the rest of our business is project-based, whether it's on the commercial side or the resi side. And our project business, it's exposed a broader range of end markets, so that's where you're seeing more government, civic, education, Things like that featured in our earnings deck. So they don't necessarily line up as much with the short cycle business. And so what we're seeing is, you know, we saw quite a bit of a dip in the back half of the first quarter and we're seeing improved, I'd say significantly improved quoting on short cycle currently. And we've got some good project business we see coming through as well. So we think we're in the valley right now, Ken. Okay.
Ken Newman
So if this is transitory on the short-slagged Arcadia side on the volumes, you know, I know you're bringing on paint capacity later this year. You know, just assuming that the volumes stay relatively muted, Are there levers that you can pull to mitigate under absorption?
Michael Kuda
Yeah, absolutely, Ken. I'd say a couple things on that. I think we've got a couple quarters as we march through this current environment. You know, we can certainly push out to pass the investments until we see a sustained increase in demand so we can pull back on CapEx. And I think there's a lot of – operational initiatives we're in the middle of where we can save from a cost standpoint and drive EBITDA north from here off of Q1. So we've got some projects in the works there. And then in any event, from a capacity standpoint, there are outside sources that we can leverage as our volume picks up. Okay.
Ken Newman
Maybe just switching to the other segments, I mean, what's the confidence level in the TVQ Revenue Guide beyond Arcadia, maybe for Dinah specifically? And, you know, what are you kind of assuming or expecting at the lower end of the range as it relates to, you know, levels of conservatism?
Michael Kuda
I mean, what we're seeing in Dinah's market is fairly stable, steady activity. And so I think we see Q2 as maybe modestly soft or flattish. You know, I'll say that, you know, we had a pretty decent April. We also had a pretty decent April in Arcadia as well. But in Dyna, you know, we're just seeing pretty steady activity levels right now. And that's what we see in the front view mirror. Got it.
Ken Newman
Maybe I'll ask one more and I'll jump back in line. Do you have a view for gross margins across all the segments as we move through the back half of the year?
Michael Kuda
I think you're going to see consistency in Arcadia as well as Noble, Plaid. In Dyna Energetics, we expect some improvements there with some of the automation projects and things we're doing, not only in our plant, but also the, you know, new products that we're putting in the marketplace. And it's not as much new products, but new product design, I would say.
Ken Newman
Thanks. I'll jump back in line.
Michael Kuda
Thanks, Ken.
Operator
Thank you. Our next question is from Steven Kangara with Stifel. Please proceed with your question.
Steven Kangara
Thanks. Good afternoon, everybody. On the DynAnergic side, can you talk about the cost-out initiatives and just kind of how we should think about margin progression as we move through the next couple of quarters?
Michael Kuda
Yeah. Eric, you can speak to the margin progression, which I think is relatively flat in our guidance. Most of the initiatives that we have that I'll speak to are in progress right now, for the most part on track, and we'll have those in place at the end of the year. I think the biggest item on our list, or a couple of large items on our list, is one, automating our assembly in our Blum facility, so that's going to improve our cost base, that's going to improve our quality, and so I think we're going to see benefits from that. We've also got some projects on where we think we can purchase better from a supply chain management standpoint, how we can pull together purchases of metal, so we think there's quite a bit of savings in there. And then a lot of them are just, I'd call it smaller projects as we execute on a more operational excellence program in Dyna Energetics. And then maybe another big one, I want to make sure I don't forget this, is on the product, product design. So we're doing a lot to take metal out of our products, and taking metal out takes out quite a bit of cost. and that's enabled by our design and how we package our perforating systems together. So maybe, Eric, you talk a little bit about the margin regression.
Eric
Yeah, so, Stephen, these initiatives, as Michael mentioned, are being implemented right now. We're probably not going to get a full-year benefit this year, but what we would expect is when you get into the second half of the year that there's going to be probably 100 to 150 basis points, even a margin level. So it should take us up to the, you know, the mid-teens from an impact standpoint.
Steven Kangara
Gotcha. Okay, good. Thank you. And then the other one on Dyna is given, you know, what's going on in the market and kind of assuming that maybe the rig count seems to be flattish from these levels for the next, let's say, through year end, what's the driver of that? I mean, is it just kind of, should we think about it as following the rig count and completion activity or is there longer laterals or some technology that maybe can, can bump the top line as well?
Michael Kuda
I'd probably think about it as more steady, stable. Now, you know, um, one of the key ways we win is with our customers and we, and, um, So our customers that we're aligned with, you know, our key is delivering technology at the well site, quality service delivery, and then partnering with the right customers and how they're performing with the E&P. So I think we're aligned with the right customers there. So I think probably stable to steady. And, you know, we tend to outperform the market there. So we, you know, we feel confident. pretty good about, you know, even in a flat rig count environment, we're doing what we can do to control our destiny here.
Steven Kangara
Got it. Great. And just one final quick one. Any guess on, well, not guess, but I guess one is any guess on kind of where your share stands and just not a guess, what's the current pricing environment look like for the PERF businesses?
Michael Kuda
So, Cher, we've been in that, I think, 25%-ish, maybe a bit north of 25%. We kind of bounce between 25% and 30%. And the pricing environment kind of remains as is. It's been a fairly challenged environment over the last couple of, I'd say, a couple of years, quite frankly. But, you know, I think it's relatively stable pricing right now.
Steven Kangara
Okay, great. Thanks for the details.
Michael Kuda
Thank you, Stephen.
Operator
Thank you. Our next question is from Jerry Sweeney with Roth Capital Partners. Please proceed with your questions.
Jerry Sweeney
Hey, good afternoon, Mike, Eric, Jeff. Thanks for taking my call.
Michael Kuda
Thank you, Jerry. Jerry?
Jerry Sweeney
Just sticking with Arcadia. Obviously, I think that was a little bit more of this. Sounds like there was some, I guess, weakness at the storefront level, but I'm curious if anyone is, the competitors are maybe adjusting some of their strategy or anything's happening on that. after you, or is this just strictly a lower investment for the market?
Michael Kuda
Jerry, great question. I don't think it's competitive pressure as much as it is really the backdrop in the commercial business, which we see improving. So we don't see competitors doing anything different. But I think there's a second item, which is You know, we also saw a slowdown in our ultra-high-end resi division. And so, you know, we've done a lot of work in that business, which was, I'd say, you know, not a mature business. It was a small piece of the overall Arcadia. And we've done a lot of work to really improve the back end in terms of our operations, reducing lead times. So we see that business growing. you know, I think hit a valley in the first quarter, particularly at the end of the first quarter. So with all of these improvements in place, we're driving the front end of the business now, and there's a lot we're doing to add rigor to our sales processes and what we're doing on the front end in terms of close rates, pipeline, dealer performance. So we think that business is going to track favorably as we start moving through the year. So really we're kind of seeing a double whammy on the commercial storefront side as well as on residential. But it's more market-related and specific also to our residential business than customer or competitor.
Jerry Sweeney
Do you know how much of that storefront business is new build versus, like, replacement-type business, or is that just hard to gauge because it's – You have trucks lining up there just taking, you know, quote, unquote, sticks every day. You may not be curious if you have a – is it a new build or replacement or too hard to tell?
Michael Kuda
It's too hard to tell right now. We're actually getting a lot of good visibility now out of our ERP system. We're not there on that yet. Jerry, hopefully in the coming – months, quarters, we can start talking a little bit more about that. But it's certainly a mix of new build and repair and remodel.
Jerry Sweeney
Gotcha. And then speaking of the ERP system, I did a quick, you know, aluminum prices actually look like they kind of spiked a little bit through April. Yep. You know, there's been a little bit of mismatch between sort of inventory coming out and product going out with the ERP system, right? Any concern there, or we sort of move beyond that?
Michael Kuda
I don't see any concern there. There's a tick up there in aluminum. You know, hopefully, you know, we might even be able to capture some margin there. So I don't... I don't think anything to be concerned about, maybe even a little bit outside there as we kind of move through the year.
Eric
Yeah, and Jerry, what I'd say just to add to that, I think we've got more visibility into how those aluminum costs move through our production system versus where we were this time last year. So I think we're going to have a much better handle on how we can handle those cost increases and passes on to customers in a timely manner.
Jerry Sweeney
Then one last question. I'll jump back in line. You know, you mentioned, you know, you could pull back on CapEx, but, you know, there was paint lined, but there was anodizing as well, and anodizing was, you know, margin accretive or positive to margins, however you want to say it. Are you sticking with that, or has that changed with the CapEx on that front?
Michael Kuda
Yeah, I mean, that was going to be back-end loaded in 2024 anyway, so we're evaluating that. There's different opportunities and sources we're looking at there. So I don't think right now with where the market's at, we're leaving a lot of money on the table here. So we're continuing to evaluate that, Jerry.
Eric
Yeah, and I think what we would do as we evaluate it is to look for how we can get the highest ROI. So is it spending the CapEx and bringing those capabilities in-house, or is it actually looking at outsourcing some of this capacity to a third party where there may be some overcapacity in the industry, we might be able to get a better return that way. So that's going to be part of the analysis. And at the end of the day, we'll determine what we do based on the return we get from the different approaches.
Jerry Sweeney
Gotcha. And on that front, I mean, on that front, what's the lead time on adding anodizing rates? So theoretically, if you get a better return outsourcing at least for a year or two. You could always go back to anodizing later if things change. Is that fair?
Michael Kuda
Yeah, we could – I mean, you could put it – we could put something like that in in a couple quarters if we needed to. So not – yeah, not something that is – you know, it's not a multi-year project.
Jerry Sweeney
Right. Okay. Thanks a lot. I'll jump back in.
Michael Kuda
Thank you, Jerry.
Operator
Thank you. There are no further questions at this time. I would like to turn the floor back over to Michael Kuda for closing comments.
Michael Kuda
Thanks for joining our call today. I look forward to discussing Q2 results and progress on strategic initiatives in early August. Thank you.
Operator
This concludes today's conference. You may disconnect your lines at this time. Thank you for your participation.
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