PPG Reports Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2024 Financial Results

PPG reported financial results for the fourth quarter and full-year 2024.

Fourth quarter highlights

• Completed divestitures of silica products and architectural coatings U.S. and Canada businesses, improving company margin and growth profile
• Recast financials to reflect architectural coatings U.S. and Canada as discontinued operations
• Net sales from continuing operations of $3.7 billion
• Reported earnings per diluted share from continuing operations (EPS) of $0.01 and adjusted EPS of $1.61, an increase of 3% year over year
• Delivered ninth consecutive quarter of segment margin and segment EBITDA margin expansion
• Share repurchases of approximately $250 million in the quarter

Full-year 2024 highlights

• Full-year financials reflect architectural coatings U.S. and Canada as discontinued operations
• Net sales from continuing operations of $15.8 billion
• Reported EPS of $5.72 and adjusted EPS of $7.87, an increase of 6% year over year
• Segment margin of 17.1% and segment EBITDA margin of 19.9%, an increase of 70 basis points year over year
• Company net income margin of 8.5% and adjusted EBITDA margin of 18.1%, an increase of 100 basis points year over year
• Operating cash flow of $1.4 billion; share repurchases and dividends of $1.4 billion

Chairman and CEO Comments

Tim Knavish, PPG chairman and chief executive officer, commented on the year and quarter:

Throughout 2024, we demonstrated resilience in a challenging macro environment by growing our adjusted EPS by 6%, improving aggregate segment margins and generating $1.4 billion in operating cash flow which we returned to shareholders. During the quarter, we repurchased approximately $250 million of stock, and about $750 million for the full year, which represented approximately 3% of our outstanding shares. Combined with our dividend, we have returned $1.4 billion to our shareholders throughout the year.

In 2024, we took significant steps to optimize our business portfolio through the divestitures of both our silica products and our architectural coatings U.S. and Canada businesses. These divestitures strengthen our financial profile, including an improvement in our adjusted EBITDA margin to 18.1%, and results in a more focused organization which positions the company to deliver sustainable organic growth.

In both the fourth quarter and full-year 2024, organic sales declined a low single-digit percentage year over year with growth in Mexico, China and India as well as growth in the aerospace, protective and marine, and traffic solutions businesses offset by declines in the automotive original equipment manufacturer (OEM), industrial and architectural EMEA coatings businesses. Despite lower organic sales, adjusted EPS and aggregate segment EBITDA margin improved in both comparison periods driven by sales of our technology-advantaged products, moderated input costs and structural cost actions.

Fourth quarter adjusted EPS was $1.61, including an unfavorable foreign currency translation impact of $0.05 as many currencies weakened versus the U.S. dollar during the quarter. Our full-year 2024 adjusted EPS was $7.87 which grew 6% year over year and excludes $0.27 of EPS that have been reclassified to discontinued operations, which reflects the results of the divested U.S and Canada architectural business absent certain allocated costs, consistent with U.S. GAAP requirements.

Given the revised portfolio, we have expanded our segment reporting structure and will now report all our architectural coatings businesses as a separate segment, Global Architectural Coatings. The reporting of the remainder of the businesses within the Performance Coatings and Industrial Coatings segments will remain the same. This expanded segmentation will provide investors with enhanced visibility as we drive the company’s growth and performance.

Looking ahead, I am excited about 2025 and beyond. We anticipate a slow start to 2025 as demand in Europe and in global industrial end-use markets remains challenged. Despite the macroeconomic environment, we expect to deliver organic sales growth of a low single-digit percentage for the year, with first quarter organic growth flat to slightly down and stronger results in the second half of the year driven by share gains. As we announced in October, we are taking decisive actions to reduce costs, including global structural costs and European manufacturing consolidations. Our balance sheet remains strong, which continues to provide us with financial flexibility, and we remain committed to driving shareholder value creation. Thus, we are deploying about $400 million toward share repurchases during the first quarter of 2025.

The successful divestitures and solid performance this year would not be possible without the dedication of our employees. We are now a much more focused organization dedicated to driving sustainable organic growth. Thank you to our PPG team around the world who make it happen and deliver on our purpose every day: We protect and beautify the world®.

Fourth Quarter 2024 Reportable Segment Financial Results

Global Architectural Coatings segment

The Global Architectural Coatings segment, which was previously reported as part of the Performance Coatings segment, is comprised of architectural coatings Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and architectural coatings Latin America and Asia Pacific. Net sales were lower compared to the fourth quarter 2023, primarily driven by unfavorable foreign currency translation.

Organic sales for architectural coatings EMEA declined by a low single-digit percentage, driven by lower sales volumes as demand was lower year-over-year across the region. Year-over-year organic sales for architectural coatings Latin America and Asia Pacific were flat but slightly positive.

Segment EBITDA decreased by 8% versus the prior year driven by unfavorable foreign currency translation, primarily the Mexican peso, and lower sales volumes, partially offset by cost control actions and positive net price.

Performance Coatings segment

The Performance Coatings segment, which is now comprised of aerospace coatings, automotive refinish coatings, protective and marine coatings, and traffic solutions delivered 4% organic sales growth. This growth was partially offset by the divestitures of the non-North American portion of the traffic solutions business.

Sales volumes increased 1% year over year with growth led by aerospace coatings, protective and marine coatings, and traffic solutions. PPG’s aerospace order backlog increased to about $300 million despite the business delivering double-digit percentage organic sales growth in the quarter reflecting further strengthening of demand for our technologies in this end-use market. Organic sales in automotive refinish coatings declined by a low single-digit percentage with share gains more than offset by lower industry collision claims. Protective and marine coatings organic sales increased by a mid-single-digit percentage compared to the prior year, driven by share gains in Europe and Asia. Traffic solutions benefited from share gains across North America coupled with favorable weather in the fourth quarter.

Segment EBITDA increased by 15% versus the prior year, and segment EBITDA margin improved 260 basis points year over year to 23.1%, driven by price increases stemming from our advantaged products and digital-technology subscriptions, along with cost-control actions partially offset by general cost inflation.

Industrial Coatings segment

Industrial Coatings segment net sales declined compared to the fourth quarter 2023 primarily due to lower sales volumes and lower selling prices from certain index-based customer contracts.

Automotive OEM coatings organic sales decreased as expected, declining by a high single-digit percentage due to lower U.S. and European industry build rates, partly offset by PPG growth in China and Mexico. Industrial production in the U.S. and Europe continued the trend of year-over-year declines. As a result, industrial coatings organic sales declined by a mid-single-digit percentage, more than offsetting solid growth in Mexico. Packaging coatings organic sales decreased by a low single-digit percentage year over year with growth in Europe and Latin America offset by lower sales volume in the U.S., in comparison to strong growth in the prior year period.

Segment EBITDA decreased 18%, and segment EBITDA margin declined by 160 basis points compared to the fourth quarter 2023 driven by lower sales volumes and lower selling prices due to certain index-based pricing contracts.

Full-Year 2024 Financial Results

Full-year 2024 net sales were $15.8 billion, down 2% versus the prior year, with sales volumes declining 1% and the combination of unfavorable foreign currency translation and divestitures reducing net sales by 1%. Despite decreased organic sales due to lower industry demand in automotive OEM coatings, industrial coatings and architectural coatings in Europe, results were supported by record sales in aerospace coatings and growth in several other key technology-driven businesses.

In a challenging macro environment, the company delivered strong adjusted EPS growth of 6%, supported by favorable business mix, driven by sales of our technology-advantaged products and strong brands, as we delivered record results in several of our businesses including aerospace coatings, automotive refinish coatings and architectural coatings Latin America.

In 2024, the company paid approximately $620 million in dividends. The company repurchased $750 million of stock in 2024 and ended the year with approximately $2.8 billion remaining on its current share repurchase authorization. Capital expenditures totaled about $720 million.

Additional Financial Information

• At quarter end, the company had cash and short-term investments totaling $1.4 billion.
• Net debt was $4.5 billion, down approximately $30 million year over year.
• Corporate expenses were $87 million in the fourth quarter, which was $27 million lower than the prior year due to lower incentive-based compensation and cost savings actions.
• Net interest expense was $15 million in the fourth quarter.
• The reported effective tax rate on continuing operations was 86% for the fourth quarter, as certain business restructuring-related costs and portfolio optimization items did not have a tax benefit. The adjusted effective tax rate was 22% for the fourth quarter.

Outlook

The company anticipates that adjusted earnings per share for the full year 2025 will be in the range of $7.75 to $8.05, which at the mid-point represents EPS growth of 7% excluding the impact of foreign currency translation and a higher tax rate. This range is based on current global economic activity and foreign exchange rates, ongoing soft global industrial production, and mixed demand across the various regions in which we operate. The company expects that annual EPS growth will be weighted toward the second half of 2025 as global industrial demand weakened and the U.S. dollar strengthened in the second half of 2024. Additionally, we expect to realize more than $100 million in annualized share gains in our Industrial Coatings segment beginning in the second half of the year.

Additional information related to 2025 financial projections is posted within the slides and prepared commentary associated with the fourth quarter earnings documents on the Investors section of PPG.com.

The term organic sales as used in this press release is defined as net sales excluding the impact of currency, acquisitions and divestitures.

PPG: WE PROTECT AND BEAUTIFY THE WORLD®

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About PPG Industries

At PPG (NYSE:PPG), we work every day to develop and deliver the paints, coatings and specialty materials that our customers have trusted for more than 140 years. Through dedication and creativity, we solve our customers’ biggest challenges, collaborating closely to find the right path forward. With headquarters in Pittsburgh, we operate and innovate in more than 70 countries and reported net sales of $18.2 billion in 2023. We serve customers in construction, consumer products, industrial and transportation markets and aftermarkets. To learn more, visit www.ppg.com.

The PPG Logo and We protect and beautify the world are registered trademarks of PPG Industries Ohio, Inc.

Contact:

Mark Silvey – Corporate Communications – silvey@ppg.com

Source: PPG Industries, Inc.