On October 27, 2021Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE: TMO), the world leader in serving science, reported its financial results for the third quarter ended October 2, 2021 (Press release, Thermo Fisher Scientific, OCT 27, 2021, View Source [SID1234591998]).
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Third Quarter 2021 Highlights
Third quarter revenue increased 9% to $9.33 billion.
Third quarter GAAP diluted earnings per share (EPS) was $4.79.
Third quarter adjusted EPS was $5.76.
Another quarter of high-impact innovation with a number of product launches, including the Applied Biosystems QuantStudio Absolute Q Digital PCR System to enable advancements in oncology, cell and gene therapy and other research applications, the Thermo Scientific TSQ Plus Triple Quadrupole mass spectrometer (MS) portfolio to offer faster throughput and increased sensitivity across a range of applications including biopharma, food safety and environmental analysis, the Thermo Scientific Vanquish Neo UHPLC System and Thermo Scientific PepMap Neo Columns to provide increased sensitivity in low-flow liquid chromatography and designed for use in proteomics, precision medicine and translational research.
The company continued to expand capacity and capabilities to better serve customers. Our Pharma Services business brought additional capacity online to support vaccine and therapy production. In South Korea, we opened a Bioprocess Design Center, to advance bioprocessing innovation and collaboration with biopharma customers, and as part of the previously announced strategic partnership with CSL Limited, we assumed operating responsibility of a new state-of-the-art biologics site in Lengnau, Switzerland. Additionally, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Defense, we are building a new manufacturing site in North Carolina to ensure reliable domestic production of pipette tips which are used for liquid handling in research and diagnostic laboratories.
Building on our environmental social and governance initiatives and to further enable customers to achieve their own sustainability goals, the company committed to expand use of ACT Label for its entire cold temperature storage portfolio by the end of 2021. Additionally, the company extended its support of COVID-19 testing at historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) to deliver accurate COVID-19 testing to all students and staff, helping to ensure campus safety and the ability to confidently deliver in-person learning.
Adjusted EPS, adjusted operating income, adjusted operating margin and free cash flow are non-GAAP measures that exclude certain items detailed later in this press release under the heading "Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures."
"Our incredibly strong performance in the third quarter demonstrates our proven growth strategy powered by our PPI Business System," said Marc N. Casper, chairman, president, and chief executive officer of Thermo Fisher Scientific. "We continue to deliver exceptional performance in revenue, earnings and free cash flow. And we are launching innovative new products and expanding our capabilities and capacity to enhance our customer value proposition."
Casper added, "Our team executed at a very high level during the first nine months of the year, and we are on track to deliver another outstanding year and set the company up for an even brighter future."
Third Quarter 2021
Revenue for the quarter grew 9% to $9.33 billion in 2021, versus $8.52 billion in 2020. Organic revenue growth was 7%; acquisitions increased revenue by 1% and currency translation increased revenue by 1%. Organic revenue growth from the base business was 10%. COVID-19 response revenue was $2.05 billion.
GAAP Earnings Results
GAAP diluted EPS in the third quarter of 2021 was $4.79, versus $4.84 in the same quarter last year. GAAP operating income for the third quarter of 2021 was $2.28 billion, compared with $2.43 billion in the year-ago quarter. GAAP operating margin was 24.4%, compared with 28.5% in the third quarter of 2020.
Non-GAAP Earnings Results
Adjusted EPS in the third quarter of 2021 increased 2% to $5.76, versus $5.63 in the third quarter of 2020. Adjusted operating income for the third quarter of 2021 was $2.78 billion, compared with $2.80 billion in the year-ago quarter. Adjusted operating margin was 29.8%, compared with 32.9% in the third quarter of 2020.
2021 Guidance Update
Thermo Fisher is raising its 2021 revenue and earnings guidance. The company is raising its revenue guidance by $1.2 billion to $37.1 billion; this would result in 15% revenue growth over 2020. The company is raising its adjusted EPS guidance by $1.30 to $23.37, which would represent 20% growth year over year.
Segment Results
Management uses adjusted operating results to monitor and evaluate performance of the company’s four business segments, as highlighted below. Since these results are used for this purpose, they are also considered to be prepared in accordance with GAAP.
Life Sciences Solutions Segment
Life Sciences Solutions Segment revenue grew 9% to $3.72 billion in the third quarter of 2021, compared with revenue of $3.42 billion in the third quarter of 2020. Segment adjusted operating margin was 48.9%, versus 54.9% in the 2020 quarter.
Analytical Instruments Segment
Analytical Instruments Segment revenue grew 11% to $1.48 billion in the third quarter of 2021, compared with revenue of $1.34 billion in the third quarter of 2020. Segment adjusted operating margin was 17.8%, versus 12.8% in the 2020 quarter.
Specialty Diagnostics Segment
Specialty Diagnostics Segment revenue was $1.36 billion in the third quarter of 2021, compared with revenue of $1.43 billion in the third quarter of 2020. Segment adjusted operating margin was 22.7%, versus 27.9% in the 2020 quarter.
Laboratory Products and Services Segment
Laboratory Products and Services Segment revenue grew 12% to $3.49 billion in the third quarter of 2021, compared with revenue of $3.11 billion in the third quarter of 2020. Segment adjusted operating margin was 11.0%, versus 11.4% in the 2020 quarter.
Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures
In addition to the financial measures prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), we use certain non-GAAP financial measures, including adjusted EPS, adjusted operating income and adjusted operating margin, which exclude certain acquisition-related costs, including charges for the sale of inventories revalued at the date of acquisition and significant transaction costs; restructuring and other costs/income; and amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets. Adjusted EPS also excludes certain other gains and losses that are either isolated or cannot be expected to occur again with any predictability, tax provisions/benefits related to the previous items, and the impact of significant tax audits or events. We exclude the above items because they are outside of our normal operations and/or, in certain cases, are difficult to forecast accurately for future periods. We also use a non-GAAP measure, free cash flow, which is operating cash flow, excluding net capital expenditures to provide a view of the continuing operations’ ability to generate cash for use in acquisitions and other investing and financing activities. We believe that the use of non-GAAP measures helps investors to gain a better understanding of our core operating results and future prospects, consistent with how management measures and forecasts the company’s performance, especially when comparing such results to previous periods or forecasts.
For example:
We exclude costs and tax effects associated with restructuring activities, such as reducing overhead and consolidating facilities. We believe that the costs related to these restructuring activities are not indicative of our normal operating costs.
We exclude certain acquisition-related costs, including charges for the sale of inventories revalued at the date of acquisition and significant transaction costs. We exclude these costs because we do not believe they are indicative of our normal operating costs.
We exclude the expense and tax effects associated with the amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets because a significant portion of the purchase price for acquisitions may be allocated to intangible assets that have lives of up to 20 years. Based on acquisitions closed through the end of the third quarter of 2021, adjusted EPS will exclude approximately $3.36 of expense for the amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets. Exclusion of the amortization expense allows comparisons of operating results that are consistent over time for both our newly acquired and long-held businesses and with both acquisitive and non-acquisitive peer companies.
We also exclude certain gains/losses and related tax effects, the impact of significant tax audits or events (such as changes in deferred taxes from enacted tax rate changes), which are either isolated or cannot be expected to occur again with any predictability and that we believe are not indicative of our normal operating gains and losses. For example, we exclude gains/losses from items such as the sale of a business or real estate, gains or losses on significant litigation-related matters, gains on curtailments of pension plans and the early retirement of debt.
We also report free cash flow, which is operating cash flow, excluding net capital expenditures to provide a view of the continuing operations’ ability to generate cash for use in acquisitions and other investing and financing activities.
Thermo Fisher Scientific’s management uses these non-GAAP measures, in addition to GAAP financial measures, as the basis for measuring the company’s core operating performance and comparing such performance to that of prior periods and to the performance of our competitors. Such measures are also used by management in their financial and operating decision-making and for compensation purposes.
The non-GAAP financial measures of Thermo Fisher Scientific’s results of operations and cash flows included in this press release are not meant to be considered superior to or a substitute for Thermo Fisher Scientific’s results of operations prepared in accordance with GAAP. Reconciliations of such non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures are set forth in the accompanying tables. Thermo Fisher Scientific does not provide GAAP financial measures on a forward-looking basis because we are unable to predict with reasonable certainty and without unreasonable effort items such as the timing and amount of future restructuring actions and acquisition-related charges as well as gains or losses from sales of real estate and businesses, the early retirement of debt and the outcome of legal proceedings. The timing and amount of these items are uncertain and could be material to Thermo Fisher Scientific’s results computed in accordance with GAAP.
Conference Call
Thermo Fisher Scientific will hold its earnings conference call today, October 27, 2021, at 8:30 a.m. Eastern time. To listen, dial (833) 714-0931 within the U.S. or (778) 560-2662 outside the U.S. The conference ID is 6971977. You may also listen to the call live on our website, www.thermofisher.com, by clicking on "Investors." You will find this press release, including the accompanying reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures and related information, in that section of our website under "Financial Results." An audio archive of the call will be available under "Webcasts and Presentations" through Friday, November 12, 2021.