Hill-Rom's (HRC) Earnings And Revenues Top Estimates In Q1

Hill-Rom Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:HRC) delivered first-quarter fiscal 2019 adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $1.02, after excluding certain special items, reflecting an increase of 10.9% from the year-ago quarter. The bottom line beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 98 cents by 4.1%.

Starting from the fiscal first quarter, Hill-Rom has adopted a new revenue recognition accounting standard, ASC 606, on a modified retrospective basis. These results reflect the impact of this move by the company.

However, before the adoption of ASC 606 and on a comparable basis, Hill-Rom’s adjusted EPS was $1.03, up 12% year over year. The figure was above the company’s projected range of 97-99 cents as well.

The strong performance was backed by a solid core revenue rise, continued margin expansion and growth-driving strategic investments. This in turn marked the 14th consecutive quarter of double-digit earnings growth for the company.

Hill-Rom Holdings, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

Hill-Rom Holdings, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise | Hill-Rom Holdings, Inc. Quote

Revenue Details

Per management, the adoption of ASC 606 on a comparable basis did not have a material impact on revenue growth for the company or by reporting segment in the fiscal first quarter. Revenues per ASC 606 in the fiscal first quarter came in at $683.5 million. The top line exceeded the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $675 million by 1.3% on sturdy growth in core business.

Before the adoption of ASC 606 and on a comparable basis, revenues in the fiscal first quarter rose 2.2% year over year to $684.2 million (up 3.1% at constant exchange rate or CER).

Geographically, U.S. revenues grew 3.6% in the reported quarter while the metric outside the United States declined 0.9% (up 2.1% at CER). Core revenue growth (after excluding foreign currency, divestitures, and non-strategic assets the company may exit, including the Surgical Solutions international OEM business) was 6%, exceeding the company’s guidance of roughly 4% growth.

Segmental Performance

Before the adoption of ASC 606 and on a compared basis, in the quarter under review, Patient Support Systems revenues inched up 2.3% year over year (up 3.3% at CER) to $342.2 million. This segment’s domestic revenues were up 2.2%, representing solid performance by all key capital product categories. This is the third consecutive quarter of double-digit growth in med-surg bed systems, Clinical Workflow Solutions and U.S. safe patient handling equipment. Outside the United States, core Patient Support Systems revenues rose 2.6% (up 6% at CER).

Revenues at the Front Line Care segment increased 3.7% to $232.9 million (up 4.5% at CER). The upside was driven by contribution from new products in respiratory care, vital signs monitoring and the Vision Care portfolio. Domestic revenues grew 5% with 0.6% rise in international revenues (up 3.1% at CER). Globally, the company witnessed solid performance across Europe, Latin America and the Asia Pacific.

The Surgical Solutions segment revenues slipped 1.4% to $109.1 million.

Outlook Updated for ASC 606

Hill-Rom has updated its fiscal 2019 adjusted earnings per share guidance in order to include the impact of ASC 606 adoption. The updated 2019 financial guidance compares to the 2018 financial results modified to reflect ASC 606.

Adjusted EPS for the year is now expected in the $4.98 to $5.06 range. This reflects the ASC 606 earnings impact of 10 cents per diluted share. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2019 earnings stands at $5.13, above the company’s guided band.

The company continues to expect revenue growth of 1-2% on a reported basis (up 2-3% at CER) and core revenue rise of 4-5%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2019 revenues is pegged at $2.89 billion.

For the second-quarter fiscal 2019, under ASC 606, Hill-Rom expects revenues to remain flat on a reported basis (or up 2% at CER). Core revenues are likely to increase 4% year over year. The company estimates adjusted earnings per share of $1.09-$1.11. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for second-quarter earnings is $1.22 on revenues of $714.4 million.

Our Take

Hill-Rom exited the first quarter of fiscal 2019 on a strong note. The company saw a solid year-over-year increase in revenues on robust domestic growth, driven by a sturdy performance in Patient Support Systems and Front Line Care.

The company is currently focusing on product innovation through research and development. Hill-Rom has recorded around $100 million in new product revenues during the first quarter. The company also integrated EarlySense’s continuous contact-free heart rate and respiratory rate sensing and analytics technology with its Centrella Smart+ bed platform in the quarter.

Zacks Rank & Key Picks

Hill-Rom carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). A few better-ranked stocks in the broader medical space are Varian Medical Systems (NYSE:VAR) , AngioDynamics (NASDAQ:ANGO) and CONMED Corporation (NASDAQ:CNMD) .

AngioDynamics’ fiscal second-quarter adjusted earnings of 22 cents per share beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by a penny. Revenues totaled $91.5 million, surpassing the consensus estimate by 2.9%. The stock flaunts a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Varian’s fiscal first-quarter adjusted earnings of $1.06 per share were in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Revenues of $741 million outpaced the consensus mark of $717.9 million. The stock has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

CONMED’s fourth-quarter adjusted earnings per share of 73 cents met the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Revenues of $242.4 million surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $229.2 million. The stock carries a Zacks Rank #2.

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