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Sep 30, 2020
Badger Meter Q3 2020 Earnings Report
Badger Meter reported an increase in sales and earnings compared to the prior year quarter, driven by municipal water market resilience and strong profitability.
Key Takeaways
Badger Meter reported a 5% increase in sales, driven by an 11% increase in municipal water sales. The company's operating profit margins increased by 210 basis points, and diluted earnings per share grew to $0.51.
Consolidated sales increased by 5% compared to the prior year quarter, reaching $113.6 million.
Municipal water sales grew by 11% year-over-year, demonstrating market resilience.
Operating profit margins improved by 210 basis points.
Cash provided by operations was $21 million, resulting in a quarter-end cash balance of $94 million.
Badger Meter
Badger Meter
Forward Guidance
The company anticipates the municipal water industry will be more resilient, while end markets for flow instrumentation products are expected to remain challenged. They aim to leverage successes from the first nine months into the fourth quarter and 2021.
Positive Outlook
- Backlog and bid funnel of attractive opportunities remains solid.
- Critical municipal water industry in general will be more resilient.
- Long term opportunities for growth remain intact.
- COVID-19 has spotlighted some of the benefits of our smart water solutions including remote-read AMI offerings and remote-actuated flow control meters.
- Strong cash generation and balance sheet allow us to nimbly execute our capital allocation strategy.
Challenges Ahead
- Unsettled market conditions and related customer budget uncertainty, primarily in North America, could impact a portion of our large and diverse customer base.
- End markets and product applications served by the flow instrumentation product line are expected to remain challenged.
- There have been sporadic, short-term award delays.
- Far-reaching implications of the pandemic.
- Cannot control the cadence of orders.