Le Lézard
Classified in: Business
Subjects: EARNINGS, Conference, Webcast

Hunting PLC ("Hunting" or "the Company" or "the Group") Results for the year ended 31 December 2023


Hunting PLC (LSE:HTG), the precision engineering group, today announces its results for the year ended 31 December 2023.

Financial Highlights

Commenting on the results Jim Johnson, Chief Executive, said:

"Hunting has delivered a strong year of growth across most of its product groups, demonstrating the underlying strength of our market drivers, with security of supply and affordable energy remaining key investment themes.

"Our offshore and international businesses have delivered robust growth as we continue to build a more balanced and diversified business, underpinned by the strong technology and intellectual property that makes Hunting a market leader in precision engineered products across our markets.

"The growth and composition of our record order book demonstrates how much Hunting has evolved in terms of more diverse revenue and better visibility on earnings, and provides confidence in our near and longer-term outlook, as we deliver the Hunting 2030 Strategy."

Strategic Highlights

Financial Summary

Financial Performance measures as defined by the Group*

 

 

 

 

 

2023

2022

Variance

Revenue

$929.1m

$725.8m

+$203.3m

Non-oil and gas revenue

$75.9m

$47.6m

+$28.3m

EBITDA**

$103.0m

$52.0m

+$51.0m

EBITDA margin**

11%

7%

+4pp

Adjusted profit before tax**

$50.0m

$10.2m

+$39.8m

Adjusted diluted earnings per share**

20.3 cents

4.7 cents

+15.6 cents

Free cash flow**

$(0.5)m

$(60.4)m

+$59.9m

Total cash and bank**

$(0.8)m

$24.5m

-$25.3m

Net assets

$957.1m

$846.2m

+$110.9m

ROCE**

6%

1%

+5pp

 

 

 

 

Final dividend proposed***

5.0 cents

4.5 cents

+0.5 cents

 

 

 

 

Financial Performance measures as derived from IFRS

 

 

 

 

 

2023

2022

Variance

Operating profit

$61.0m

$2.0m

+$59.0m

Profit before tax

$50.0m

$(2.4)m

+$52.4m

Diluted earnings per share

70.0 cents

(2.8) cents

+72.8 cents

Net cash inflow (outflow) from operating activities

$49.3m

$(36.8)m

+$86.1m

 

 

 

 

* Adjusted results exclude adjusting items agreed by the Audit Committee and Board.

** Non-GAAP measure. Please see the 2023 Annual Report and Accounts pages 239 to 244.

*** Payable on 10 May 2024 to shareholders on the register on 12 April 2024, subject to approval at the Company's 2024 AGM.

Outlook Statement

The global outlook for energy in the year ahead will be driven by similar themes to those reported in 2023.

Geopolitical tensions and potential supply disruptions are a continuing threat to the oil and gas supply/demand balance, and while commodity prices trended lower in the past year, it is likely that they will remain in a range that supports sustained activity levels during 2024.

Offshore market momentum is poised to continue to increase in the coming years as major development cycles in South America and South West Africa continue to accelerate.

The North American onshore drilling market is likely to be stable during 2024, with the US more focused on oil production. Additional LNG capacity is likely to come on-stream later in the year, which will support new natural gas drilling in the second half. Projected growth in international sales should also offset shifts in US onshore market dynamics.

The Middle East will also likely show a continuation of the activity levels reported in 2023. Despite the pause in oil production expansion in Saudi Arabia being announced in recent weeks, natural gas drilling in-country will continue to grow to meet local demand, underpinning steady activity levels in the year ahead.

In India, the Group's facility is shortly to receive its API threading licence which will enable premium threading activities to accelerate. Management sees a positive profit contribution from our joint venture in 2024, given the growth momentum in-country.

Across Asia Pacific, traditional energy demand as well as energy transition initiatives will continue to drive growth, with geothermal opportunities being captured as market activity increases, particularly in the Philippines and Indonesia.

For Hunting, the Group's OCTG product group should deliver another year of growth, as activity in South America continues to increase, coupled with stable activity in the US and Canada. Our EMEA OCTG operations will continue to support projects in Brazil, while in Asia Pacific, larger tenders continue to be announced, which should lead to new orders being secured. Hunting's Perforating Systems business will continue to roll-out its leading technology to clients across North America, while continuing to grow internationally where markets such as Argentina present good opportunities due to reduced import tariffs being announced.

Our Subsea Spring and Stafford businesses should also deliver a further year of strong results as orders for ExxonMobil and other major operators across South America continue to be progressed. The Enpro business should also support this growth profile given the orders secured in the second half of 2023.

Hunting will continue to drive its non-oil and gas diversification through the Advanced Manufacturing businesses. Momentum remains strong, with opportunities in aerospace and defence being pursued, supporting our 2030 strategic objectives.

In summary, the Board sees a further year of growth ahead, given our diverse, international product offering, with management remaining comfortable with current market guidance.

Operational and Corporate Highlights - Delivering on the Hunting 2030 Strategy

Record $91m OCTG contract award with Cairn Oil and Gas

Continued launch of new technology and innovative products

Expansion into high growth Indian energy markets

Strong growth in Subsea businesses

Enhanced strategic supply channels for OCTG to support energy transition strategy

Entered new marketing, manufacturing and technology partnership to expand product offering

Continued restructuring to increase operational efficiencies and returns on capital

Group Results Narrative

For access to narrative on the Group's results (incorporating the Company Chair's and Chief Executive's Statements, Outlook, Market Analysis, Product Line and Segmental Review and Group Financial Review) for the year ended 31 December 2023 please click on the following link.

http://www.rns-pdf.londonstockexchange.com/rns/8690E_1-2024-2-28.pdf

Financial Statements and Notes to the Accounts

For access to the Financial Statements and Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 31 December 2023 please click on the following link.

http://www.rns-pdf.londonstockexchange.com/rns/8690E_2-2024-2-28.pdf

Listing Rules / Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules Information

For access to Hunting's Key Performance Indicators, Business Model and Strategy, ESG and Sustainability, Risk Management (including Principal Risks), and the Statement of the Directors' Responsibilities for the year ended 31 December 2023, please click on the following link.

http://www.rns-pdf.londonstockexchange.com/rns/8690E_3-2024-2-28.pdf

Page number references refer to the full Annual Report when available.

The linked documents provide access to all major financial and operational disclosures contained in the Group's 2023 Annual Report and Accounts. The complete 2023 Annual Report and Accounts will be published on 14 March 2024 and can then be accessed at www.huntingplc.com.

The financial information set out in the above links does not constitute the Company's statutory accounts for the years ended 31 December 2023 or 31 December 2022, but is extracted from those accounts. Statutory accounts for 2022 have been delivered to the Registrar of Companies and those for 2023 will be delivered in due course. The auditor has reported on those accounts; their reports were unqualified, did not draw attention to any matter by way of emphasis without qualifying their report and did not contain statements under s498(2) or (3) of the Companies Act 2006. Whilst the financial information included in this preliminary announcement has been computed in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards, this announcement does not itself contain sufficient information to comply with IFRS.

Analyst Briefing and Webcast

Hunting PLC will host an analyst briefing and webcast at the offices of CMS Cannon Place, 78 Cannon St, London EC4N 6AF on 29 February 2024 commencing at 9:00a.m. GMT. Attendees should arrive by 8:45a.m. to clear building security in good time.

The live webcast can be accessed by copying and pasting the following link into your browser:

https://stream.buchanan.uk.com/broadcast/65b93d2f6371e5b884f62831

Analysts and investors wishing to participate in a Q&A session can do so by submitting questions via the chat function of the webcast and these will be addressed by management during the live webcast. If you have any queries relating to this then please email [email protected].

Notes to Editors:

About Hunting PLC

Hunting is a global engineering group that provides precision-engineered equipment and premium services, which add value for our customers. Established in 1874, it is a premium listed public company traded on the London Stock Exchange. The Company maintains a corporate office in Houston and is headquartered in London. As well as the United Kingdom, the Company has operations in China, Indonesia, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, United Arab Emirates and the United States of America.

The Group reports in US dollars across five operating segments: Hunting Titan; North America; Subsea Technologies; Europe, Middle East and Africa ("EMEA"); and Asia Pacific.

Hunting PLC's Legal Entity Identifier is 2138008S5FL78ITZRN66.


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