TI Fluid Systems plc - Full year results 2022

Released: 16 March 2023

TI Fluid Systems plc

Results for the year ended 31 December 2022

Strong EV bookings confirm strategic pivot to electrification

TI Fluid Systems plc (TIFS), a leading global manufacturer of automotive fluid storage, carrying, delivery, and thermal management products and systems for light vehicles, announces its results for the year ended 31 December 2022.

*Adjusted measures are non - IFRS metrics and reconciled in Note 4 and defined in the glossary in Note 14

Group Highlights:           

-         New business bookings on a lifetime revenue basis of €1.3 billion for BEV platforms and €1.3 billion for HEV platforms, strengthening our conviction in our strategic pivot to electrification; 35% or €0.44 billion of BEV bookings were in China

-         Revenue of €3,268.3 million, up 10.5% at actual exchange rates and 5.2% at constant currency

-         Adjusted EBIT of €180.0 million

-         Adjusted Free Cash Flow generation of €78.4 million

-         Strong balance sheet and liquidity; cash position of €491.0 million at 31 December 2022; term loans mature in 2026 and unsecured senior notes in 2029 

-         Statutory Operating Loss of €217.0 million includes a €317.4 million non-cash exceptional impairment charge

-         Net cash generated from operating activities of €167.5 million

Proposed FY2022 final dividend of 1.54 euro cents per share, which when combined with the interim dividend of 1.00 euro per share, represents a full year pay-out in line with our 30% of Adjusted Net Income dividend policy.

Accelerating execution of the T³ - Take the Turn strategy:

-         Technology investment accelerated and bringing benefits with the launch of the e-Mobility Innovation Centre concept which is being rolled out across our key markets, and strong growth in new business awards on EV platforms;

-         Transforming our business to embrace environmental, social and governance (ESG) best practices as shown by progress on our sustainability journey.  Further commitments to CO₂(e) reductions based on science-based targets of 50% reduction of Scope 1 and 2 emissions and a 30% reduction in Scope 3 emissions by 2030 based on absolute 2021 emission levels;  improvements in diversity; and

-         Talent development has been accelerated by the adoption of the six mindsets for success across the Group to ensure the organisation is ready to embrace the knowledge and behaviour transition required to grow the business profitably and sustainably

Hans Dieltjens, Chief Executive Officer and President, commented:

"2022 was our centennial year during which continued to lay the foundations for securing the Group's future with 37% of our booking awards on BEV vehicles, in addition to year-on-year revenue growth.  The execution of our Take the Turn strategy is gaining momentum with the establishment of the first of five e-Mobility Innovation Centres in Germany, but even more so by our customers' enthusiasm for our enhanced product offerings.  These form strong indicators of how the Group is building a leadership position in the automotive industry pivot to electrification over the medium term.  Notwithstanding our good progress in the BEV business, the Group remains strong in its hybrid and internal combustion business, both from a bookings and revenue perspective.

"In 2022 our businesses in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific excluding China, showed revenue outperformance at constant currency compared to GLVP growth. The underperformance in China was a reflection of strong growth in domestic OEM production, where our representation is lower, but growing, and low growth from Global OEMs in China where our presence is stronger, ahead of important launches in 2023.  The adverse mix and phasing effect was exacerbated by the Chinese authorities unexpected and abrupt change in COVID-19 policy towards the end of the year.  However, the Group expects the situation in China to stabilise and return to outperformance during 2023, supported by several new EV launches with both Chinese and Global OEMs. Global production volumes continued to recover from the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021, a positive trend as supply constraints eased.  The Group's overall financial performance was adversely affected by continued operational volatility and most significantly by inflationary cost increases despite recoveries from customers at levels in line with our industry. 

"The team maintained focus through another difficult year and successfully balanced recoveries from customers with winning new business on electrified platforms.  Our balance sheet, liquidity and cash position remain robust, and provides scope for accelerating development of the Group. 

"In addition to our purpose to help make vehicles cleaner and greener to protect the environment and make our world a better place to live, we are committed to doing so sustainably.  The Board has recently approved targets to reduce Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions in line with the science-based target initiative (SBTi) by 2030, enhancing our previous commitment on Scope 1 and 2 emissions, from 37% reduction by 2039 on a 2019 base to a 50% reduction of scope 1 and 2 emissions and introducing a 30% reduction of scope 3 emissions both by 2030 on an absolute basis from a 2021 base.

"As production continues to recover to pre-pandemic levels, the Group is well positioned in the medium term to drive growth, build profitability back to historic levels, and increase market share in the expanding thermal management market. The Group remains confident in the execution of our strategy to implement technology improvements, ensure the transition to a sustainable business model, and to invest in our talent to create value for our shareholders."

Outlook

The current S&P Global Mobility estimate for GLVP in 2023 is 85.1 million units although the Group remains slightly more cautious anticipating circa 83.0 million units due to the potential for demand moderation combined with ongoing supply constraints. The Group expects the first quarter of 2023 to be impacted by the disrupted situation in China, but expect this to resolve for a stronger second half of the year. Mindful of the geopolitical uncertainty, and the ongoing but improving global supply constraints, the Group expects revenue growth at constant currency to return to outperformance compared to GLVP volume growth this year. With a strong focus on cost management, cost recoveries, and a more stable production environment, the Group expects Adjusted EBIT margin to expand above 6% this year.  Adjusted Free Cash Flow is expected to return to approximately 30% of Adjusted EBITDA. Looking to the medium term, the Group is well placed to use its good position in the automotive industry transition to electric vehicles and expects strong new business bookings driving future revenue growth and outperformance, in addition to returning to historic profit margins.

Results presentation

TI Fluid Systems plc will host a teleconference for analysts and investors at 8.00 am UK time on 16 March 2023.

Analysts wishing to join may listen to the presentation live by using the details below.

Conference Call Dial-In Details:

You can pre-register using this link to receive a unique PIN to dial directly into the call.

The presentation will be available at 7:00 am UK time from www.tifluidsystems.com and an audio recording will be available on our website in due course.

Enquiries 

TI Fluid Systems plc

Tim Furber

Investor Relations

Tel: +44 1865 871 887

FTI Consulting

Richard Mountain

Nick Hasell

Tel: +44 20 3727 1340

Chief Executive Officer's review

I am pleased and proud to give my first full year report as the CEO of TI Fluid Systems.  It is especially meaningful given that 2022 was our Company's historic centennial year. I remain grateful for the opportunity to lead this great Company at such a pivotal time.

First and foremost, in 2022, the Group has enhanced, strengthened, and continued to progress our Take the Turn strategy that charts our path into vehicle electrification.  In 2022, electric vehicles (EVs) were 19% of total light vehicle production.  By 2030, EVs are expected to represent 62% of light vehicle production, a CAGR of 18.1% for EVs compared to an overall production CAGR of 2.1%.  Of course, this tremendous EV growth means declining production of traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles.  However, our plans show that we can profitably manage our ICE business during the transition to EVs.  We believe that our content per vehicle potential for battery electric vehicles (BEVs) is higher than for ICE vehicles and that our potential content per vehicle for hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), which are an important bridge from ICE vehicles to BEVs, is significantly higher than for traditional ICE vehicles.  Therefore, capitalising on EV growth is the Group's biggest opportunity and our key strategic focus. 

To position the Group to realise long-term benefits from the transition to EVs, we have developed a range of products specifically for EVs. In particular, our work on modular thermal systems to heat and cool EV batteries as well as weight-saving plastic refrigerant and coolant lines has progressed significantly as evidenced by the fact that 76% of our new business bookings in 2022 were for EVs (totalling €2.6 billion of lifetime sales).  Importantly, China, currently the world's largest market for battery electric vehicles (BEVs), represented 35% of our 2022 bookings for BEV platforms. 

In addition, with our eye on the longer term, we opened the first of our five planned e-Mobility Innovation Centres (eMICs) in April 2022 in Rastatt, Germany.  By 2024, we will have an eMIC in every major automotive region (Germany, China, Japan, Korea, and the US) in order to bring together key design, engineering and testing capabilities under one roof to support EV product innovation in collaboration with our OEM customers around the world for the next decade.

While we continue to look to a bright EV future, our financial performance in 2022 was below our high expectations.  However, 2022 results must be viewed in the context of high inflation, global supply disruptions, labour shortages, and volatile customer orders.  Our experienced management team, supported by the hard work and dedication of our entire workforce, did very well under the circumstances to deliver the level of financial performance achieved in 2022.  Importantly, I am convinced that the fundamental strengths of our business - an experienced management team, advanced product technology, diverse customer base, and a global footprint - remain and position the Group to realize improved financial performance as market conditions recover.

For the Group's 2023 Outlook, see the CFO's Report.  In summary, for 2023, our expectation is that production volumes will be modestly higher than 2022 and that our revenue growth (at constant currency) will outperform the growth in production volumes.   With a strong focus on cost management, cost recoveries, and a more stable production environment, we expect Adjusted EBIT margin to expand above 6% and Adjusted Free Cash Flow to return to the rate of approximately 30% of Adjusted EBITDA.

In the longer term, the Group is well positioned to be a winner in the transition to electrification, and we expect new EV business bookings to continue to increase, driving revenue growth and margin improvement.

Market conditions

In 2022, the automotive market was characterised by the current impacts of inflation, challenging operating conditions, and a sluggish production volume recovery set against a backdrop of ongoing acceleration of the long-term trend of vehicle electrification with 77% more global BEV production, mainly in China.

Persistent inflationary pressures in 2022 caused significant cost increases throughout the value chain, including raw materials, energy, and labour costs.  The Russian invasion of Ukraine and the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in production volatility, supply chain disruptions, labour shortages, and manufacturing instabilities.  Our management team responded by addressing cost inflation through negotiation of recoveries with our OEM customers and further executing on our restructuring programmes together with performance enhancement initiatives to offset some of the post-pandemic impacts.  Despite achieving customer recoveries to offset approximately 70% of the cost inflation (in line with peers), 2022 margins were impacted.

Global light vehicle production volumes increased 6.7% in 2022 to 82.4 million units (still 7.8% less than 2019), far less than initially expected.  Furthermore, production growth was not uniform across regions or powertrains.  North America production volume was up 9.7% in 2022, but production volumes in Europe were only 0.6% higher than 2021, being negatively impacted by the conflict in Ukraine.  Production volumes in Asia Pacific, by far the largest automotive market, were 8.2% higher than 2021, driven primarily from the increased production and adoption of BEVs in China which increased by 93% year on year, mostly BEVs produced by domestic Chinese OEMs.   S&P Global Mobility show that global production volume is now forecast to grow at a 2.1% CAGR from 2022-2030, including a gradual return to 2019 levels by 2025.

Beyond the challenging operating environment, 2022 clearly reflected the sustained, long-term automotive trend of EV growth.  More EVs were produced by our OEM customers in 2022 than prior years, with HEVs representing 8.7% of total production and BEVs representing 10.7%.   Business awards and sourcing in 2022 were also dominated by new EV platforms.

In 2022 it also became evident that, while our OEM customers are focused on launching and producing many 'early generation' EV platforms, they are also working to rapidly progress the design and engineering of their EVs in order to reduce costs and improve performance, both of which are necessary to support increased consumer adoption of EVs.  In particular, more efficient and cost-effective thermal management solutions must be developed and deployed for EVs, with a desire for modular solutions rather than components.

2022 performance

Overall, the team at TI Fluid Systems is not content with the results achieved in 2022, but is committed and focused on improvement in 2023, driving cost savings and ongoing customer recoveries for inflation and benefiting from potential market stabilisation and volume increases.

The Group delivered revenue of €3.3 billion (+10.5% vs. 2021 and +5.2% at constant currency) representing a 1.5% underperformance of global light vehicle production, which increased 6.7% from 2021.  The Group's underperformance was almost entirely related to Asia Pacific, where we had underperformance of 8.7% compared to production volumes due to COVID-19-related closures in China as well as production growth in China coming predominately from BEVs produced by domestic Chinese OEMs.

In 2022, the Group experienced inflationary cost increases of €143 million for the full year, partially offset by customer recoveries.  Adjusted EBITDA was €333.3 million (10.2% margin), Adjusted EBIT was €180.0 million (5.5% margin), and Adjusted Free Cash Flow amounted to €78.4 million.  The Statutory Loss for the year was €(279.0) million was impacted by the exceptional impairment charge after tax of €297.3 million which reflects the reduction in medium-term GLVP growth, impact of cost pressures, and increase in discount rates, all of which act to reduce the current value of future cash flows.  The majority of impairment was applied to the goodwill.

The Group also continued its restructuring initiatives to optimise fixed costs, closing six facilities and downsized another seven in 2022.

Amidst the difficult operating environment, the transition to vehicle electrification continued at an accelerating pace.  As such, we were pleased that 31% of the BEV launches in 2022 included TIFS content.  We were also pleased that EV bookings represented 76% of the Group's total bookings in 2022 (based on lifetime revenue), with our 2022 EV bookings totalling €2.6 billion (BEV awards of €1.3 billion and HEV awards of €1.3 billion). Our accelerated focus on China's growth market through our light weight and energy saving product lines for Thermal management resulted in BEV booking awards of €0.44 billion lifetime sales, with a majority allocated to domestic Chinese OEMs.  I can also confirm that these new business awards should produce similar margins to our historic, ICE platform awards.

Strategy update    

Our OEM customers have all introduced ambitious plans to launch a record number of HEV and BEV programmes in the next few years. HEVs and BEVs are forecast to become a significant portion of the global light vehicle market - from 19% of total production volume in 2022 (16 million units) to 62% in 2030 (60 million units).  As previously mentioned, in order to support increased EV production, our OEM customers are working to rapidly progress the design and engineering of their EVs in order to reduce costs and improve performance, both of which are necessary to support increased consumer adoption of EVs.  In particular, more efficient and cost-effective thermal management solutions must be developed and deployed for EVs.

In response, our Take the Turn strategy charts the Group's own path to realise significant EV growth opportunities by developing innovative, cost-efficient thermal fluid management components, modules and systems solutions in collaboration with our OEM customers to reduce costs and improve EV performance in both the near-term and long-term.  An important statement is 'in collaboration with our OEM customers' as standards have not been set and regional differences occur both in technology and in speed of adaptation.  To do so, we will leverage the Group's existing strengths - our deep customer relationships, especially in engineering, our global footprint, and our fluid management expertise in manufacturing and design capabilities.  Furthermore, to support this collaborative development and product expansion, the Group is establishing a global network of e-Mobility Innovation Centres (eMICs), which are collaborative engineering and lab spaces, close to the customer base, where digitalisation is key. At an eMIC, we will be able to work with our customers to simulate, design, process, prototype, product test and vehicle test thermal systems for EVs and take into consideration the local requirements and needs from our customer base.

A key area of focus in the near-term is the application of plastic line and hose solutions for cabin comfort systems (i.e. passenger heating and air conditioning). These systems, for both ICE vehicles and EVs, are currently constructed using a range of aluminium and rubber components, which can be replaced with thermoplastic refrigerant lines (TPRL) developed by the Group to generate important weight and cost savings.

With regards to product solutions for the thermal management of EV batteries, the Group is developing plastic line solutions for current coolant and refrigerant systems in the near-term to mid-term.

The Group is working with our OEM customers on the development of modular thermal management solutions for EVs, including manifolds and modules for both coolant and refrigerant systems, given the increasing importance of the space, weight and cost savings these modular product lines offer.

As BEV platforms increase, revenues from our ICE products are expected to decline.  In the near-term, that decline will be moderated by the fact that HEVs will continue to require significant ICE content.  In the longer-term, the decline is expected to be offset by a significant opportunity to increase the Group's revenue on BEVs, especially thermal products, to manage the heating and cooling of batteries, and other EV components.  Nonetheless, at all phases of the transition, we must carefully manage the operation of our ICE-related assets. 

While the Group's overall level of capital investment (capital assets plus research and development) is expected to remain at 4% to 5% of revenue, the allocation will shift to support investments in the EV thermal fluid management business with a tight control on assets related to ICE. The Group has sufficient capacity installed to accommodate the expected life of ICE products, so that any investment in future ICE programmes is expected to be limited and linked to specific customer requirements and volume commitments.  In addition, there will be the opportunity to repurpose some of the blow moulding machines used to manufacture fuel tanks to produce integrated thermal manifold assemblies (ITMa) for EVs.   As fewer engineers and other personnel are needed to support ICE-related projects, they will be reassigned to support the growth of the thermal fluid management business for EV platforms.

Sustainability update

Our Take the Turn strategy reflects three main pillars that combine to drive sustainable growth: Technology (Electrification), Transformation (Sustainability), and Talent (Learning).  In other words, our Take the Turn strategy addresses not only the transitional risks and opportunities associated with vehicle electrification but also the need to operate our business in a more sustainable manner to address climate change and maintain a diverse and talented workforce.

The Group is taking climate change impacts very seriously and has performed extensive analysis of the ways that our business can support the effort to limit global warming. We have determined that our previously announced CO₂(e) emissions reduction target (37% reduction of Scope 1 and 2 emissions from 2019 to 2039) is no longer in line with the current expectations.  The COP27 Conference held in November 2022 clearly demonstrated the critical need for both the public and private sectors to take urgent action by 2030, to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, using science‑based targets as a first, critical step to a longer-term net zero world.   So, consistent with the science-based target initiative (SBTi), we have now committed to a 50% reduction of our Scope 1 and 2 emissions and a 30% reduction of our Scope 3 emissions, in each case on an absolute basis by 2030 from a 2021 baseline.

We have developed achievement plans that include significantly increased use of renewable electricity, extensive energy efficiency improvements, and supplier engagement. Importantly, these initiatives have been modelled and incorporated into our budget process in terms of operational costs, capital investments and human resources.  In addition, we are working on plans to eliminate landfill waste and conserve water.

In addition to environmental stewardship, we recognise that the Group's success and sustainability is also directly linked to our ability to recruit, retain, motivate, educate and develop a diverse and talented workforce.  We are committed to creating a safe and inclusive workplace culture in which diversity is valued, and diverse experiences are appreciated.

To those ends, the Group has implemented a formal Diversity Policy together with diversity and inclusion training for all senior managers within the business.  The Group's recruitment processes have been reviewed and guidance issued to all locations to minimise unconscious bias and promote diverse hiring. Our progress will be tracked by monitoring against diversity targets based on local university graduation rates. A women's mentorship programme has also been established to support and guide women within the organisation and advise on strategies for success.

To prepare the next generation of women to succeed in the automotive industry, the Group has awarded 55 scholarships at leading universities in Germany, Poland, Mexico, the US and China, for female students enrolling to study STEM subjects to help with the costs of tuition, room, board and other educational costs. In addition, these scholarship recipients are connected to local TI facilities for internships and other extracurricular learning opportunities.

Ultimately, we aspire to be a company that is environmentally and socially responsible and a valued member of our local communities around the globe.

Looking ahead

Despite lower margins in 2022, the Group is confident that we will return to its historic margin levels in the mid term.

Our path to achieving historic Adjusted EBIT margins has three main components: (i) production volume recovery, (ii) pricing economics, and (iii) enhanced productivity.

In the near term, the Group will benefit from upside margin conversion on revenue growth which will come from general global production volume increases as well as the Group having an improved BEV business mix in China over the next few years as our global OEM customers increase their BEV production in China and by the Group pursuing increased BEV content with domestic Chinese OEMs.

In addition, we will maintain our focus on pricing economics, including customer recoveries to offset the impacts of cost inflation and continued efficiency initiatives, and restructuring to optimise fixed costs.

Finally, the Group will realise productivity benefits from more stable volumes, less volatile customer ordering, diminishing supply disruptions, and series production on new products.

In the longer term, the Group will leverage its strengths, including deep and diversified customer engineering relationships, and a global footprint, to develop innovative, cost-efficient thermal fluid management products and system solutions in collaboration with our OEM customers to improve performance and realise significant EV growth opportunities.

The Group's most immediate financial priorities for 2023 are to increase pricing and customer recoveries to offset the impacts of cost inflation, to continue cost rationalisation efforts, to optimise fixed and other costs, and to complete new launches at the right price and cost level using indices where possible.

At the same time, it is imperative that we continue in 2023 to lay the foundation for future EV growth by furthering our activities with our OEM customers to develop cost-efficient thermal fluid management products and system solutions.   To do so, we will expand our global network of e-Mobility Innovation Centres (eMICs) so we can work with our customers to simulate, design, process, prototype, product test and vehicle test thermal systems for EVs.

Leadership changes

In November 2022, Ron Hundzinski announced his retirement from the Group as its Chief Financial Officer and he will leave during 2023.  Ron joined the Group in January 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic threw the world into turmoil.  We are all grateful to Ron, and wish him well for his retirement. His years of experience were pivotal in ensuring the Group survived an exceptionally difficult period, remaining well positioned to pivot through the industry change to electrification.

Replacing Ron will be Alexander de Bock who will be joining on 31 March 2023 from ZF Friedrichshafen AG where he was the CFO and Senior Vice President of Commercial Vehicles.  Prior to joining ZF, Alexander had been CFO of WABCO Holdings Inc (NYSE: WBC), a publicly listed leading global supplier of vehicle controls systems to the Commercial Vehicle industry. Alexander brings with him a broad range of finance experience and will play a key role in executing the Group's strategy to embrace the industry change to electrification.

Hans Dieltjens

Chief Executive Officer and President

15 March 2023

Chief Financial Officer's Report

Our revenue grew year over year despite some unfavourable mix impacts in China, and we have made significant progress in our cost recovery efforts and maintained cash generation even with prolonged pressures on working capital. Our balance sheet remains strong, and our liquidity position is healthy.

The Group continued to focus on strengthening operational performance and its underlying business, which will improve results in the medium and longer term. Notably, we continue to make impressive bookings in our BEV and HEV orders, recording €1.3 billion of lifetime revenue in each category in 2022, representing 76% of the total new business wins.

Our margin profile reflects the inflationary pressures that were present in all areas of our cost base, but an approximately 70% recovery of these costs from our customer base offset a large portion.

Table 1: Key performance measures

*Adjusted measures are non-IFRS metrics as defined in Note 4 and defined in the glossary in Note 14

Global light vehicle production (GLVP) remains a principal driver of the Group's performance, and in 2022 increased to 82.4 million vehicles or by 6.7% compared to the prior year. Post-pandemic volume recovery in the industry continues to be uneven, with different regions experiencing different supply chain constraints in addition to challenging global macroeconomic conditions. Russia's invasion of Ukraine created supply chain issues in the automotive industry during the first half of the year and this adversely impacted light vehicle production in Europe.

2022 revenue at actual rates increased by €311.7 million, or 10.5% year over year to €3,268.3 million, with growth in every significant region except China, where the product mix was affected by the rapid transition to BEV platforms from domestic OEMs fuelled by government incentives and unexpected COVID-19 related closures. Growth included a positive currency impact of €149.9 million, mainly as a result of a stronger US dollar exchange rate against the Euro throughout 2022. On a constant currency basis, revenue increased by €161.8 million or 5.2% year over year, providing slightly lower growth in comparison to GLVP volumes at 150 bps in the year.

We generated Adjusted EBIT of €180.0 million with an adjusted margin of 5.5%. The adjusted margin is a reflection of the significant global inflationary pressures, which resulted in higher operating costs, the impact of COVID-19 in China, and the volatility caused by continuing semi-conductor shortages. Operating loss of €217.0 million (2021: €126.8 million profit) includes an exceptional impairment charge of €317.4 million. This is covered in more detail in the Operating Profit, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBIT discussion in this report.

Adjusted Net Income was €43.5 million, compared to €58.3 million in the prior year. The reported loss for the year was €279.0 million compared to €16.0 million profit in 2021, with 2022 being impacted by the €297.3 million exceptional impairment charge net of tax. Basic EPS was (54.39) Euro cents (2021: 2.76 Euro cents) and Adjusted Basic EPS was 8.48 Euro cents, compared with 11.23 Euro cents in 2021.

The Group delivered Adjusted Free Cash Flow of €78.4 million (2021: €117.3 million). With financing net cash outflows amounting to €62.4 million (2021: €122.5 million), including €12.6 million (2021: €45.0 million) in respect of dividend payments and a favourable currency impact of €3.4 million (2021: €24.3 million), year-end net debt was €624.9 million (2021: €600.3 million), inclusive of cash balances of €491.0 million (2021: €499.1 million).

Automotive markets

Global light vehicle production volumes increased by 6.7% in 2022 to 82.4 million vehicles as shown in Table 2, with Europe impacted by the conflict in Ukraine, and Asia Pacific benefiting from the accelerated adoption of local BEVs in China due to time-limited government incentives.

Table 2: Global light vehicle production volumes: millions of units

Revenue

Our revenue in each of the regions, and by segment, is included in Table 3.

Table 3: Revenue by region and by segment €m

In Europe and Africa, where we ceased operations in Russia due to its invasion of Ukraine, revenue at constant currency increased by 5.8% year over year compared to a light vehicle production (LVP) volume change of 0.6%, giving an outperformance of 520 bps. This outperformance was driven by the successful launch of new HEV/BEV programmes for both FTDS and FCS.

In Asia Pacific, revenue at constant currency decreased by 0.5% year over year compared to an LVP increase of 8.2%, giving an underperformance of 870 bps. Underperformance in the region was entirely in China and was impacted by the transition to BEVs by domestic OEMs, as previously highlighted and compounded by COVID-19 related closures towards the end of the year.

In North America, revenue at constant currency increased by 12.9% year over year compared to an LVP increase of 9.7%, reflecting an outperformance of 320 bps. Outperformance in this region was mainly driven by strong growth in FCS due to thermal business launches and ramp ups. FCS outperformed the market in that region by 660 bps.

FCS revenue increased by €174.8 million, or 10.3% at constant currency from the prior year to €1,869.7 million, giving an outperformance of 360 bps when compared to GLVP growth. The strong FCS revenue increase is driven by successful launches of thermal programmes in Europe and North America, as well as cost recoveries from customers.

FTDS revenue at constant currency decreased by 0.9% to €1,398.6 million, underperforming GLVP growth by 760 bps, primarily driven by the growth in BEV production which reduced the addressable market, and the impact of the COVID-19 related shutdowns in China, where key manufacturing facilities are located.  Revenue was also impacted by the planned exit of part of the business in Latin America.

Revenue at actual rates increased by 10.5% to €3,268.3 million due to a net positive currency exchange rate impact of €149.9 million compared with the prior year, in addition to the regional volume differences. Compared to the same period last year, the US Dollar depreciated by 11% against the Euro, and the Chinese Renminbi by 7.2%. With just under half of the Group's revenue denominated in these currencies, these foreign exchange rate movements against the Euro had a significant positive impact on the Group's revenue performance. On a constant currency basis, revenue increased by 5.2%.

Operating loss, Adjusted EBITDA* and Adjusted EBIT* 

We use several financial measures to manage our business, including Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBIT, which are non-IFRS measures, but are measures of profitability that have been used consistently by the Group and give insight into the underlying operating performance of the business. The metrics are also used in certain of our compensation plans and to communicate to our investors. A reconciliation between the reported measures and Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBIT is shown in Note 4.

* See Non-IFRS measures in Note 4 and defined in the glossary in Note 14

The operating loss of €217.0 million (2021: €126.8 million profit) was principally due to the exceptional impairment charge of €317.4 million.  This was recognised following a full impairment review triggered by a reduction in the projected GLVP volumes over the five-year review period, and rising discount rates.  Our full impairment review is included in Note 9 and shows that goodwill arising from the Bain acquisition of €217.1 million was impaired and other assets including property, plant and equipment, other intangibles and right of use assets of €100.3 million were also impaired. The impairment was primarily caused by the reduction of medium-term GLVP forecasts, impact of cost pressures, and increases in discount rates arising from the increase in interest rates.  Operating profit before exceptional items was €100.4 million, €26.4 million lower than last year (2021: €126.8 million), where the operating gains from higher revenues were more than offset by the impact of the adverse macroeconomic pressures that we continue to face, most notably the inflationary effects on raw materials and energy costs not fully recovered from customers.

The Group continues its business rationalisation programme, with the cost saving activity started in 2020 continuing into 2022, and in this regard, we incurred further restructuring charges of €22.8 million related to permanent headcount reductions across all our businesses and the planned closure and downsizing of manufacturing plants in Europe, North America and Latin America. At the end of 2022, there was a restructuring provision of €7.8 million (2021: €15.8 million). The closure of two plants in Russia were included as part of the restructuring activities.

Adjusted EBITDA was €333.3 million (2021: €352.9 million) and Adjusted EBITDA margin was 10.2% (2021: 11.9%), impacted by higher input costs due to rapid and high levels of inflation, which added €143.0 million of commodities, energy, freight and labour costs, which were offset by customer recoveries of €101.0 million, an approximately 70% recovery rate.  The operating costs have been impacted by macroeconomic challenges relating to inflationary cost pressures, the conflict in Ukraine, which has adversely affected the supply chain, as well as persistent global semi-conductor shortages.

Adjusted EBIT was €180.0 million (2021: €212.6 million) and Adjusted EBIT margin was 5.5% (2021: 7.2%), mainly reflecting the cost pressures discussed above. During the year there were programme-specific impairment charges of €1.4 million (2021: €2.0 million).

By segment, FCS Adjusted EBIT was €95.0 million (2021: €117.9 million) with an Adjusted EBIT margin of 5.1% (2021: 7.4%). This reflects the adverse macroeconomic conditions experienced in the year, particularly rising material and labour costs, which were only partially offset by savings from restructuring activities and manufacturing efficiencies.

FTDS Adjusted EBIT was €85.0 million (2021: €94.7 million) with an Adjusted EBIT margin of 6.1% (2021: 7.0%). The margin reflects the tough operating conditions, particularly inflationary pressures, some of which was partially mitigated by having customer contracts with indexing clauses for resin cost changes.

Net finance expense

Net finance expense, before exceptional items for the year was €58.7 million, an improvement of €1.3 million from the prior year excluding exceptional items. This was mainly due to lower capitalised fee amortisation expense following the refinancing carried out in April 2021, and higher interest income due to higher interest rates, which was partially offset by higher interest expense, particularly on the US Term Loan due to higher base lending rates for the US LIBOR.  The exceptional finance expense in 2021 related to the write-off of previously capitalised fees upon refinancing in April 2021.

Taxation

The Group income tax charge, before exceptional items, is €23.4 million, down €17.5 million from 2021. This lower income tax charge results in a decrease in the Effective Tax Rate to 56.1% (2021: 62.0%) on revised Group Profit Before Tax of €41.7 million (2021: €67.0 million). The high effective tax rate is reflective of the mix effect of the increase in the level of profits generating a tax charge and an increase in the level of losses where no deferred tax asset is recognised. See Note 6 for more details.

The 2022 exceptional impairment charge of €317.4 million has an associated deferred tax credit of €20.1 million, which results in an effective tax rate of 6.3%. The lower effective tax rate is due to the fact that the majority of the impairment is related to goodwill that does not carry a deferred tax balance and, therefore, this portion of the impairment is not tax effected.

For 2021, the Group reported an exceptional US refinancing charge of €11.8 million with a corporate tax benefit of €1.8 million and a deferred tax benefit of €1.0 million, which results in an exceptional effective tax rate of 23.7% (the US 2021 effective tax rate).

Adjusted Net Income* and Loss for the year

Adjusted Net Income is a component of the Adjusted Basic EPS calculation and is also used to guide our dividend policy calculation.

Adjusted Net Income was €43.5 million in 2022, compared to €58.3 million in 2021, primarily driven by the unrecovered inflationary cost increases discussed.  The loss for the year was €279.0 million (2021: €16.0 million profit) reflecting the lower operating performance and the exceptional impairment charge, net of tax of €297.3 million (2021: €9.0 million charge relating to refinancing).

*See Non-IFRS measures in Note 4 and defined in the glossary in Note 14

Basic EPS and Adjusted Basic EPS*

On a statutory basis, Basic Earnings per Share ('EPS') was (54.39) Euro cents for the year (2021: 2.76 Euro cents), reflecting the significant impairment charge booked in the year. Adjusted Basic EPS was 8.48 Euro cents per share for the year (2021: 11.23 Euro cents per share) reflecting the decrease in Adjusted Net Income as noted above.

*See EPS Note 7 and defined in the glossary in Note 14

Dividend

The Company's dividend policy is to target an annual dividend of approximately 30% of Adjusted Net Income, one-third payable following the half year results and two-thirds following the Group's final results.

The Board has decided to recommend a final dividend of 1.54 Euro cents per share amounting to €7.9 million. This final dividend, together with the 2022 interim dividend of 1.00 Euro cents per share paid in September 2022, makes a total dividend for 2022 of 2.54 Euro cents per share, totalling €13.0 million. The total dividend is 30% of Adjusted Net Income. Subject to shareholder approval at the Annual General Meeting on 16 May 2023, the final dividend will be paid on 23 June 2023 to those on the register on 26 May 2023, the Dividend Record Date and will be converted to Sterling at a fixed rate on the same date.

The Group continues to remain confident in its business model, cost flexibility, strong cash generation, experienced management team, and successful transition to electrification.

Cash flow performance

The Group uses Adjusted Free Cash Flow as its primary operating measure of cash flow performance.

In 2022, we generated Adjusted Free Cash Flow of €78.4 million (2021: €117.3 million). The Adjusted EBITDA generated by the Group was used to fund investment in capital equipment and intangibles. There was a €5.7 million decrease in property, plant and equipment and intangibles expenditure and tax cash payments were €4.2 million higher. The outflow from working capital of €22.7 million was driven by the increase in working capital balances arising from higher sales and also the adverse impact from the prolonged challenges in the macroeconomic environment, and the increasing inventory valuation driven by raw materials inflation. The net cash outflow on restructuring was €23.6 million, predominantly severance payments (2021: €21.3 million).

Free cash flows of €50.9 million (2021: €111.5 million) were offset by cash outflows from financing of €62.4 million (2021: €122.5 million), resulting in a reported decrease in cash and cash equivalents of €11.5 million (2021: €11.0 million). Financing outflows include €11.4 million for the Group's purchase of its own shares (2021: €8.3 million) associated with the Group's liabilities under the long-term incentive plans, scheduled repayments of borrowing €5.5 million (2021: €22.1 million including the net impact of the 2022 refinancing), and €32.9 million (2021: €31.6 million) lease principal repayments. In December 2021, the Associate holding in SeAH FS Co. Ltd was sold for €15.5 million; the proceeds of this transaction are excluded from the calculation of Adjusted Free Cash Flow.

The 2022 total dividend cash outflow amounted to €12.6 million (2021: €45.0 million).

Retirement benefits

We operate funded and unfunded defined benefit schemes across multiple territories with the largest being the US pension and retiree healthcare schemes, which represent 53% of our net unfunded position at 31 December 2022 (2021: 52%), and Germany pension and retiree schemes 19% (2021: 20%). We also have funded schemes in the UK and Canada, which were fully funded at 31 December 2022 (2021: 1%). While all our major plans are closed to new entrants, a few allow for future accrual. Our schemes are subject to periodic actuarial valuations. Our net unfunded position improved by €23.9 million from 31 December 2021 to €104.2 million at 31 December 2022, primarily due to discount rates differential year-on-year and overall pension investment performance.

Net debt* and net leverage*

Net debt, a non-IFRS measure, as at 31 December 2022 was €624.9 million, an increase of €24.6 million from the prior year-end mainly due to foreign exchange movements on the US dollar Term Loan of €16.4 million and lower cash compared to the prior year.

The Group's net leverage ratio, also a non-IFRS measure, was 1.9 times Adjusted EBITDA as at 31 December 2022 (31 December 2021: 1.7 times), reflecting the lower Adjusted EBITDA and higher Net Debt.

The Group excludes IFRS 16 lease liabilities from its net debt and net leverage ratio. If the IFRS 16 lease liabilities were to be included, the Group's net debt would be €774.5 million (31 December 2021: €750.2 million) and net leverage ratio would be 2.3 times Adjusted EBITDA (31 December 2021: 2.1 times).

*Defined in the glossary Note 14

Liquidity

Our principal sources of liquidity have historically been cash generated from operating activities and amounts available under our credit facilities, which consist of a revolving facility under our cash flow credit agreement of $225.0 million (€210.8 million). Total available liquidity (cash plus available facilities) on 31 December 2022 was €699.9 million (31 December 2021: €695.3 million).

Outlook

The current S&P Global Mobility estimate for GLVP in 2023 is 85.1 million units although the Group remains slightly more cautious anticipating circa 83.0 million units due to the potential for demand moderation combined with ongoing supply constraints. The Group expects the first quarter of 2023 to be impacted by the disrupted situation in China, but expect this to resolve for a stronger second half of the year. Mindful of the geopolitical uncertainty, and the ongoing but improving global supply constraints, the Group expects revenue growth at constant currency to return to outperformance compared to GLVP volume growth this year. With a strong focus on cost management, cost recoveries, and a more stable production environment, the Group expects Adjusted EBIT margin to expand above 6% this year.  Adjusted Free Cash Flow is expected to return to approximately 30% of Adjusted EBITDA. Looking to the medium term, the Group is well placed to use its good position in the automotive industry transition to electric vehicles and expects strong new business bookings driving future revenue growth and outperformance, in addition to returning to historic profit margins.

Ronald Hundzinski

Chief Financial Officer

15 March 2023

Cautionary Statement

This announcement contains certain forward-looking statements with respect to the financial condition, results of operations and business of TI Fluid Systems plc (the "Group"). The words "believe", "expect", "anticipate", "intend", "estimate", "forecast", "project", "will", "may", "should" and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. Others can be identified from the context in which they are made. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, and such forward-looking statements are made only as of the date of this presentation. Accordingly, no assurance can be given that the forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate and you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements due to the inherent uncertainty therein. Past performance of the Company cannot be relied on as a guide to future performance. Nothing in this announcement should be construed as a profit forecast.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Group Financial Statements

Consolidated Income Statement

For the year ended 31 December

Refer to Note 4 for reconciliation to adjusted performance measures (APMs).