Cummins recently posted fourth quarter revenues of $5.8 billion, a 5-percent increase from the same quarter in 2019. Sales in North America were flat while international revenues increased 12 percent driven by strong demand in China truck and construction markets as well as the growth in new product sales in India.
Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) in the fourth quarter were $837 million (14.4 percent of sales), compared to $682 million (12.2 percent of sales) excluding restructuring a year ago. Fourth quarter EBITDA included $36 million of expenses associated with reorganization activities and facility closures primarily driven by transformation initiatives in its Distribution segment.
Net income attributable to Cummins in the fourth quarter was $501 million ($3.36 per diluted share) compared to $390 million ($2.56 per diluted share) excluding restructuring in the fourth quarter of 2019. The tax rate in the fourth quarter was 19.7 percent.
Revenues for the full year were $19.8 billion, 16 percent lower than 2019. Sales in North America declined 21 percent and international revenues declined 7 percent. Sales declined in all major regions except China, where demand for trucks and construction equipment reached record levels.
“We faced many challenges in 2020 driven by the severe global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Chairman and CEO Tom Linebarger. “I want to thank all of our employees for their dedication to our company and our customers as they adjusted to the unprecedented slowdown in the global economy and then responded as demand accelerated sharply in the second half of the year, all while facing significant disruption to their daily routines at work and home.”
EBITDA for the year was $3.1 billion (15.7 percent of sales) compared to $3.7 billion (15.8 percent of sales) excluding restructuring in 2019.
Net income attributable to Cummins for the full year was $1.8 billion ($12.01 per diluted share), compared to net income of $2.4 billion ($15.05 per diluted share) excluding restructuring in 2019. The tax rate for 2020 was 22.5 percent.
Based on the current forecast, Cummins projects full year 2021 revenues to be up 8 to 12 percent, and EBITDA to be in the range of 15.0 and 15.5 percent of sales. The company said it expects revenues to increase in all regions and major markets except China where it expect demands to moderate after a record year in 2020.
“Current indicators point to improving demand in a number of key regions and markets in 2021,” said Linebarger. “However, significant uncertainty remains, requiring continued strong focus on managing costs and cash flow as our markets continue to recover around the world. We are still operating under a pandemic with extreme safety measures in place and our suppliers and customers are doing the same. This is presenting challenges to global supply chains as our industry responds to rising demand across multiple end markets. Having effectively managed through an extremely challenging 2020, Cummins is in a strong position to keep investing in future growth while continuing to return cash to shareholders.”
The company plans to return 75 percent of Operating Cash Flow to shareholders in the form of dividends and share repurchases.
2020 Highlights:
- The company announced the creation of the Cummins Advocates for Racial Equity Group to focus on police reform, criminal justice, social justice, and economic empowerment of Black people in the United States.
- Cummins increased its cash dividend for the 11th straight year and returned a total of $1.4 billion to shareholders in the form of dividends and share repurchases.
- In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the company used its filter technology to provide 146 tons of filtration media to mask manufacturers across the globe, which has been used to produce more than 108 million masks.
- The company established a joint venture called NPROXX to provide hydrogen storage tank solutions to customers in multiple applications including rail, truck, bus, and other on-highway applications to advance the adoption of hydrogen-based technologies.
- In November of 2020, Cummins was named to the S&P Dow Jones Sustainability Indices for North America, one of the premier measures of corporate sustainability, for a 15th consecutive year.
- Cummins is one of 21 companies named a “Culture Champion” in October 2020 by a partnership between the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Glassdoor, one of the world’s leading recruiting websites. The company receives high marks for creating cultures of integrity and respect while ranking first in the study’s category for promoting a diverse and inclusive workplace culture.
