WASTE CONNECTIONS REPORTS FIRST QUARTER 2024 RESULTS
- Revenue of $2.073 billion, above outlook and up 9.1% year over year
- Net income of $230.1 million and adjusted EBITDA of $650.7 million, above outlook and up 14.8% year over year
- Adjusted EBITDA margin of 31.4%, above outlook and up 160 basis points year over year
- Adjusted net income of $0.89 per share and adjusted EBITDA margin of $1.04 per share, respectively
- Year-to-date acquired annualized revenue of over $375 million
- Continued acquisition activity with solid waste acquisitions totaling approximately $150 million in annualized revenue closed to date
- President and CEO Ronald J. Mittelstaedt highlighted the company's strong performance and industry-leading outlook
- Improvements in employee retention and safety performance were noted, along with rising commodity values driving momentum
- Decentralized operating model and culture of accountability were credited for positive results
- Acquisition activity remains strong with flexibility for continued outlays in 2024
- Company to provide second quarter 2024 outlook for revenue, price plus volume growth for solid waste, and adjusted EBITDA
- None.
Insights
The reported revenue growth of 9.1% year over year, combined with a 14.8% increase in net income and a notable improvement in EBITDA margin from 29.8% to 31.4%, indicates a robust financial performance for Waste Connections. This performance is particularly impressive given that it was achieved in what is traditionally the weakest quarter for the industry. The margin expansion is a strong indicator of efficient cost management and the successful integration of recent acquisitions, which have contributed to revenue growth. Investors might see this as a potential signal of operational excellence and strong management execution.
The company's acquisition strategy, with over $375 million in annualized revenue added year-to-date, demonstrates aggressive growth and market consolidation. While this could lead to synergy benefits and economies of scale in the long-term, there is an inherent risk of integration challenges that could impact future financials. However, Waste Connections appears to have a solid track record in this area, as evidenced by its improved safety performance and employee retention, which can be critical in maintaining operational stability post-acquisition.
Given the company’s adjusted free cash flow of $324.8 million, investors might appreciate the firm's ability to fund acquisitions and potentially increase returns to shareholders. However, it is important to scrutinize whether these capital allocation decisions will sustain value creation over the long term.
Waste Connections' reported results might resonate well with trends observed in the waste management industry, where price-led organic growth is often a key driver. The firm's ability to increase base prices or maintain pricing power reflects a competitive advantage in what is a relatively inelastic market, as waste management services are essential regardless of economic conditions.
The acquisition of new market entries in Indiana and Michigan represents a strategic geographic expansion that should be monitored for its potential to tap into new customer bases and further strengthen market share. Waste Connections seems to be capitalizing on the rising commodity values, which could also have a positive impact on the company's recycling and resource recovery operations.
Within the context of employee retention and safety, the company's performance improvements could indicate a strengthening of operational efficiency. This may bode well for future cost control and risk mitigation, potentially supporting the company's bottom line.
- Strong start to 2024 on price-led organic growth in solid waste, improving operating trends and continued acquisition activity
- Revenue of
, above outlook and up$2.07 3 billion9.1% year over year - Net income(a) of
and adjusted EBITDA(b) of$230.1 million , above outlook and up$650.7 million 14.8% year over year - Adjusted EBITDA margin of
31.4% , above outlook and up 160 basis points year over year - Net income and adjusted net income(b) of
and$0.89 per share, respectively$1.04 - Net cash provided by operating activities of
and adjusted free cash flow(b) of$490.3 million $324.8 million - Year-to-date acquired annualized revenue of over
$375 million
"We are extremely pleased by the strong start to the year driving better than expected operating and financial results, which, along with recently completed acquisitions, positions us well for the remainder of 2024. Adjusted EBITDA(b) margin expansion of 160 basis points to
"We're encouraged to see improvements in employee retention driving some of our best safety performance in years, with monthly incidents down to three-year lows in spite of outsized growth from acquisitions during that period," continued Mr. Mittelstaedt. "These results reflect the value of our decentralized operating model and our commitment to a culture of accountability."
Mr. Mittelstaedt added, "Acquisition activity continues at outsized levels following the Secure Energy transaction completed in February, with solid waste acquisitions totaling approximately
Q1 2024 Results
Revenue in the first quarter totaled
Adjusted net income(b) in the first quarter was
Q1 2024 Earnings Conference Call
Waste Connections will be hosting a conference call related to first quarter earnings on April 25th at 8:30 A.M. Eastern Time. A live audio webcast of the conference call can be accessed by visiting investors.wasteconnections.com and selecting "News & Events" from the website menu. Alternatively, conference call participants can preregister by clicking here. Registered participants will receive dial-in instructions and a personalized code for entry to the conference call. A replay of the conference call will be available until May 2, 2024, by calling 877-344-7529 (within
Waste Connections will be filing a Form 8-K on EDGAR and on SEDAR (as an "Other" document) prior to markets opening on April 25th, providing the Company's second quarter 2024 outlook for revenue, price plus volume growth for solid waste, and adjusted EBITDA(b).
About Waste Connections
Waste Connections (wasteconnections.com) is an integrated solid waste services company that provides non-hazardous waste collection, transfer and disposal services, including by rail, along with resource recovery primarily through recycling and renewable fuels generation. The Company serves approximately nine million residential, commercial and industrial customers in mostly exclusive and secondary markets across 46 states in the
Safe Harbor and Forward-Looking Information
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the
– financial tables attached –
CONTACT: | |
Mary Anne Whitney / (832) 442-2253 | Joe Box / (832) 442-2153 |
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(a) All references to "Net income" refer to the financial statement line item "Net income attributable to Waste Connections". |
WASTE CONNECTIONS, INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF NET INCOME THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, 2023 AND 2024 (Unaudited) (in thousands of | ||||||
Three months ended | ||||||
2023 | 2024 | |||||
Revenues | $ | 1,900,503 | $ | 2,072,653 | ||
Operating expenses: | ||||||
Cost of operations | 1,146,941 | 1,221,783 | ||||
Selling, general and administrative | 193,667 | 220,735 | ||||
Depreciation | 204,059 | 222,691 | ||||
Amortization of intangibles | 39,282 | 40,290 | ||||
Impairments and other operating items | 1,865 | 354 | ||||
Operating income | 314,689 | 366,800 | ||||
Interest expense | (68,353) | (78,488) | ||||
Interest income | 2,715 | 2,051 | ||||
Other income (expense), net | 3,174 | (1,823) | ||||
Income before income tax provision | 252,225 | 288,540 | ||||
Income tax provision | (54,389) | (59,413) | ||||
Net income | 197,836 | 229,127 | ||||
Plus (Less): Net loss (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests | (23) | 927 | ||||
Net income attributable to Waste Connections | $ | 197,813 | $ | 230,054 | ||
Earnings per common share attributable to Waste Connections' common shareholders: | ||||||
Basic | $ | 0.77 | $ | 0.89 | ||
Diluted | $ | 0.77 | $ | 0.89 | ||
Shares used in the per share calculations: | ||||||
Basic | 257,372,942 | 257,801,116 | ||||
Diluted | 257,988,971 | 258,482,473 | ||||
Cash dividends per common share | $ | 0.255 | $ | 0.285 |
WASTE CONNECTIONS, INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Unaudited) (in thousands of | |||||||
December 31, | March 31, | ||||||
ASSETS | |||||||
Current assets: | |||||||
Cash and equivalents | $ | 78,399 | $ | 111,985 | |||
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for credit losses of | 856,953 | 896,682 | |||||
Prepaid expenses and other current assets | 206,433 | 208,387 | |||||
Total current assets | 1,141,785 | 1,217,054 | |||||
Restricted cash | 105,639 | 105,683 | |||||
Restricted investments | 70,350 | 74,655 | |||||
Property and equipment, net | 7,228,331 | 7,827,304 | |||||
Operating lease right-of-use assets | 261,782 | 273,371 | |||||
Goodwill | 7,404,400 | 7,597,175 | |||||
Intangible assets, net | 1,603,541 | 1,877,226 | |||||
Other assets, net | 100,048 | 110,192 | |||||
Total assets | $ | 17,915,876 | $ | 19,082,660 | |||
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY | |||||||
Current liabilities: | |||||||
Accounts payable | $ | 642,455 | $ | 589,861 | |||
Book overdraft | 14,855 | 14,584 | |||||
Deferred revenue | 355,203 | 370,380 | |||||
Accrued liabilities | 521,428 | 507,259 | |||||
Current portion of operating lease liabilities | 32,533 | 36,430 | |||||
Current portion of contingent consideration | 94,996 | 96,931 | |||||
Current portion of long-term debt and notes payable | 26,462 | 16,096 | |||||
Total current liabilities | 1,687,932 | 1,631,541 | |||||
Long-term portion of debt and notes payable | 6,724,771 | 7,795,191 | |||||
Long-term portion of operating lease liabilities | 238,440 | 249,419 | |||||
Long-term portion of contingent consideration | 20,034 | 20,802 | |||||
Deferred income taxes | 1,022,480 | 1,052,508 | |||||
Other long-term liabilities | 524,438 | 542,239 | |||||
Total liabilities | 10,218,095 | 11,291,700 | |||||
Commitments and contingencies | |||||||
Equity: | |||||||
Common shares: 257,659,921 shares issued and 257,600,479 shares outstanding at | 3,276,661 | 3,279,130 | |||||
Additional paid-in capital | 284,284 | 272,450 | |||||
Accumulated other comprehensive loss | (9,826) | (62,836) | |||||
Treasury shares: 59,442 and 57,692 shares at December 31, 2023 and March 31, 2024, respectively | - | - | |||||
Retained earnings | 4,141,690 | 4,298,171 | |||||
Total Waste Connections' equity | 7,692,809 | 7,786,915 | |||||
Noncontrolling interest in subsidiaries | 4,972 | 4,045 | |||||
Total equity | 7,697,781 | 7,790,960 | |||||
Total liabilities and equity | $ | 17,915,876 | $ | 19,082,660 |
WASTE CONNECTIONS, INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, 2023 AND 2024 (Unaudited) (in thousands of | |||||||
Three months ended March 31, | |||||||
2023 | 2024 | ||||||
Cash flows from operating activities: | |||||||
Net income | $ | 197,836 | $ | 229,127 | |||
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities: | |||||||
Loss on disposal of assets and impairments | 1,910 | 1,649 | |||||
Depreciation | 204,059 | 222,691 | |||||
Amortization of intangibles | 39,282 | 40,290 | |||||
Deferred income taxes, net of acquisitions | 28,229 | 30,395 | |||||
Current period provision for expected credit losses | 2,247 | 3,730 | |||||
Amortization of debt issuance costs | 1,621 | 4,055 | |||||
Share-based compensation | 18,469 | 21,952 | |||||
Interest accretion | 4,884 | 11,279 | |||||
Adjustments to contingent consideration | (637) | - | |||||
Other | (2,937) | 902 | |||||
Net change in operating assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions | (52,605) | (75,761) | |||||
Net cash provided by operating activities | 442,358 | 490,309 | |||||
Cash flows from investing activities: | |||||||
Payments for acquisitions, net of cash acquired | (144,611) | (1,156,422) | |||||
Capital expenditures for property and equipment | (175,786) | (169,951) | |||||
Proceeds from disposal of assets | 1,260 | 1,085 | |||||
Other | 1,378 | (9,291) | |||||
Net cash used in investing activities | (317,759) | (1,334,579) | |||||
Cash flows from financing activities: | |||||||
Proceeds from long-term debt | 336,649 | 2,353,022 | |||||
Principal payments on notes payable and long-term debt | (320,027) | (1,350,932) | |||||
Payment of contingent consideration recorded at acquisition date | (1,319) | (11,295) | |||||
Change in book overdraft | 5,421 | (271) | |||||
Payments for cash dividends | (65,788) | (73,573) | |||||
Tax withholdings related to net share settlements of equity-based compensation | (22,966) | (30,850) | |||||
Debt issuance costs | - | (10,093) | |||||
Proceeds from issuance of shares under employee share purchase plan | 1,841 | 2,183 | |||||
Proceeds from sale of common shares held in trust | 765 | 286 | |||||
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities | (65,424) | 878,477 | |||||
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash | (54) | (577) | |||||
Net increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash | 59,121 | 33,630 | |||||
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period | 181,364 | 184,038 | |||||
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period | $ | 240,485 | $ | 217,668 | |||
ADDITIONAL STATISTICS
(in thousands of
Solid Waste Internal Growth: The following table reflects a breakdown of the components of our solid waste internal growth for the three months ended March 31, 2024:
Three months ended March 31, 2024 | |||
Core Price | 7.8 % | ||
Surcharges | (0.7 %) | ||
Volume | (3.8 %) | ||
Recycling | 0.8 % | ||
Foreign Exchange Impact | 0.0 % | ||
Total | 4.1 % |
Revenue Breakdown: The following table reflects a breakdown of our revenue for the three month periods ended March 31, 2023 and 2024:
Three months ended March 31, 2023 | ||||||||||||
Revenue | Inter-company | Reported | % | |||||||||
Solid Waste Collection | $ | 1,434,647 | $ | (5,514) | $ | 1,429,133 | 75.2 | % | ||||
Solid Waste Disposal and Transfer | 616,954 | (262,445) | 354,509 | 18.7 | % | |||||||
Solid Waste Recycling | 31,301 | (623) | 30,678 | 1.6 | % | |||||||
E&P Waste Treatment, Recovery and Disposal | 51,759 | (3,624) | 48,135 | 2.5 | % | |||||||
Intermodal and Other | 38,212 | (164) | 38,048 | 2.0 | % | |||||||
Total | $ | 2,172,873 | $ | (272,370) | $ | 1,900,503 | 100.0 | % |
Three months ended March 31, 2024 | ||||||||||||
Revenue | Inter-company | Reported | % | |||||||||
Solid Waste Collection | $ | 1,515,060 | $ | (4,003) | $ | 1,511,057 | 72.9 | % | ||||
Solid Waste Disposal and Transfer | 655,360 | (282,978) | 372,382 | 17.9 | % | |||||||
Solid Waste Recycling | 49,025 | (1,839) | 47,186 | 2.3 | % | |||||||
E&P Waste Treatment, Recovery and Disposal | 97,408 | (4,543) | 92,865 | 4.5 | % | |||||||
Intermodal and Other | 49,541 | (378) | 49,163 | 2.4 | % | |||||||
Total | $ | 2,366,394 | $ | (293,741) | $ | 2,072,653 | 100.0 | % |
Contribution from Acquisitions: The following table reflects revenues from acquisitions, net of divestitures, for the three month periods ended March 31, 2023 and 2024:
Three months ended | ||||||
2023 | 2024 | |||||
Acquisitions, net | $ | 132,109 | $ | 77,988 |
ADDITIONAL STATISTICS (continued)
(in thousands of
Other Cash Flow Items: The following table reflects cash interest and cash taxes for the three month periods ended March 31, 2023 and 2024:
Three months ended | ||||||
2023 | 2024 | |||||
Cash Interest Paid | $ | 55,131 | $ | 66,384 | ||
Cash Taxes Paid | 11,326 | 28,406 |
Debt to Book Capitalization at March 31, 2024:
Internalization for the three months ended March 31, 2024:
Days Sales Outstanding for the three months ended March 31, 2024: 39 (23 net of deferred revenue)
Share Information for the three months ended March 31, 2024:
Basic shares outstanding | 257,801,116 | |
Dilutive effect of equity-based awards | 681,357 | |
Diluted shares outstanding | 258,482,473 |
NON-GAAP RECONCILIATION SCHEDULE
(in thousands of
Reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA:
Adjusted EBITDA, a non-GAAP financial measure, is provided supplementally because it is widely used by investors as a performance and valuation measure in the solid waste industry. Management uses adjusted EBITDA as one of the principal measures to evaluate and monitor the ongoing financial performance of Waste Connections' operations. Waste Connections defines adjusted EBITDA as net income attributable to Waste Connections, plus or minus net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests, plus income tax provision, plus interest expense, less interest income, plus depreciation and amortization expense, plus closure and post-closure accretion expense, plus or minus any loss or gain on impairments and other operating items, plus other expense, less other income. Waste Connections further adjusts this calculation to exclude the effects of other items management believes impact the ability to assess the operating performance of its business. This measure is not a substitute for, and should be used in conjunction with, GAAP financial measures. Other companies may calculate adjusted EBITDA differently.
Three months ended | ||||||
2023 | 2024 | |||||
Net income attributable to Waste Connections | $ | 197,813 | $ | 230,054 | ||
Plus/(Less): Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests | 23 | (927) | ||||
Plus: Income tax provision | 54,389 | 59,413 | ||||
Plus: Interest expense | 68,353 | 78,488 | ||||
Less: Interest income | (2,715) | (2,051) | ||||
Plus: Depreciation and amortization | 243,341 | 262,981 | ||||
Plus: Closure and post-closure accretion | 4,520 | 9,405 | ||||
Plus: Impairments and other operating items | 1,865 | 354 | ||||
Plus/(Less): Other expense (income), net | (3,174) | 1,823 | ||||
Adjustments: | ||||||
Plus: Transaction-related expenses(a) | 2,081 | 9,847 | ||||
Plus: Fair value changes to equity awards(b) | 373 | 1,286 | ||||
Adjusted EBITDA | $ | 566,869 | $ | 650,673 | ||
As % of revenues | 29.8 % | 31.4 % |
____________________________ | |
(a) | Reflects the addback of acquisition-related transaction costs. |
(b) | Reflects fair value accounting changes associated with certain equity awards. |
NON-GAAP RECONCILIATION SCHEDULE (continued)
(in thousands of
Reconciliation of Adjusted Free Cash Flow:
Adjusted free cash flow, a non-GAAP financial measure, is provided supplementally because it is widely used by investors as a liquidity measure in the solid waste industry. Waste Connections calculates adjusted free cash flow as net cash provided by operating activities, plus or minus change in book overdraft, plus proceeds from disposal of assets, less capital expenditures for property and equipment and periodic distributions to noncontrolling interests. Waste Connections further adjusts this calculation to exclude the effects of items management believes impact the ability to evaluate the liquidity of its business operations. This measure is not a substitute for, and should be used in conjunction with, GAAP liquidity or financial measures. Other companies may calculate adjusted free cash flow differently.
Three months ended | ||||||
2023 | 2024 | |||||
Net cash provided by operating activities | $ | 442,358 | $ | 490,309 | ||
Plus/(Less): Change in book overdraft | 5,421 | (271) | ||||
Plus: Proceeds from disposal of assets | 1,260 | 1,085 | ||||
Less: Capital expenditures for property and equipment | (175,786) | (169,951) | ||||
Adjustments: | ||||||
Transaction-related expenses(a) | 1,249 | 4,976 | ||||
Pre-existing Progressive Waste share-based grants(b) | (2) | 14 | ||||
Tax effect(c) | (519) | (1,369) | ||||
Adjusted free cash flow | $ | 273,981 | $ | 324,793 | ||
As % of revenues | 14.4 % | 15.7 % |
___________________________ | |
(a) | Reflects the addback of acquisition-related transaction costs. |
(b) | Reflects the cash settlement of pre-existing Progressive Waste share-based awards during the period. |
(c) | The aggregate tax effect of footnotes (a) through (b) is calculated based on the applied tax rates for the respective periods. |
NON-GAAP RECONCILIATION SCHEDULE (continued)
(in thousands of
Reconciliation of Adjusted Net Income attributable to Waste Connections and Adjusted Net Income per Diluted Share attributable to Waste Connections:
Adjusted net income attributable to Waste Connections and adjusted net income per diluted share attributable to Waste Connections, both non-GAAP financial measures, are provided supplementally because they are widely used by investors as valuation measures in the solid waste industry. Management uses adjusted net income attributable to Waste Connections and adjusted net income per diluted share attributable to Waste Connections as one of the principal measures to evaluate and monitor the ongoing financial performance of Waste Connections' operations. Waste Connections provides adjusted net income attributable to Waste Connections to exclude the effects of items management believes impact the comparability of operating results between periods. Adjusted net income attributable to Waste Connections has limitations due to the fact that it excludes items that have an impact on the Company's financial condition and results of operations. Adjusted net income attributable to Waste Connections and adjusted net income per diluted share attributable to Waste Connections are not a substitute for, and should be used in conjunction with, GAAP financial measures. Other companies may calculate these non-GAAP financial measures differently.
Three months ended | ||||||
2023 | 2024 | |||||
Reported net income attributable to Waste Connections | $ | 197,813 | $ | 230,054 | ||
Adjustments: | ||||||
Amortization of intangibles(a) | 39,282 | 40,290 | ||||
Impairments and other operating items(b) | 1,865 | 354 | ||||
Transaction-related expenses(c) | 2,081 | 9,847 | ||||
Fair value changes to equity awards(d) | 373 | 1,286 | ||||
Tax effect(e) | (11,024) | (13,162) | ||||
Adjusted net income attributable to Waste Connections | $ | 230,390 | $ | 268,669 | ||
Diluted earnings per common share attributable to Waste Connections' common shareholders: | ||||||
Reported net income | $ | 0.77 | $ | 0.89 | ||
Adjusted net income | $ | 0.89 | $ | 1.04 |
____________________________ | |
(a) | Reflects the elimination of the non-cash amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets. |
(b) | Reflects adjustments for impairments and other operating items. |
(c) | Reflects the addback of acquisition-related transaction costs. |
(d) | Reflects fair value accounting changes associated with certain equity awards. |
(e) | The aggregate tax effect of the adjustments in footnotes (a) through (d) is calculated based on the applied tax rates for the respective periods. |
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SOURCE Waste Connections, Inc.
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