October 25, 2022 11:45 ET | Source: Michelin Michelin
COMPAGNIE GÉNÉRALE DES ÉTABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN Financial information for the nine months ended September 30, 2022
Nine-month sales rose by 20.5% to €20.7 billion. In a highly inflationary environment, 2022 full-year guidance is confirmed for operating income and adjusted for structural free cash flow.
In a market environment shaped by continuing operational disruptions, widespread inflation and limited visibility as to future demand, Michelin delivered growth in sales and is steering operations to ensure adequate inventory levels.
Nine-month markets remained on an upward trend:
Consolidated sales for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 came in at €20.7 billion, up 20.5% year-on-year, including a 6.5% positive currency effect:
Market projections for Passenger Car and Light Truck tire markets are expected to end the year between +2% and -2%, Truck tire markets (excluding China) to expand by between 2% and 6%, and Specialty tire markets to grow by between 3% and 7%.
Within this scenario, full-year guidance is confirmed for segment operating income above €3.2 billion at constant exchange rates, and adjusted to €0.7 billion for structural free cash flow1.
Passenger Car and Light Truck
The number of Original Equipment and Replacement Passenger Car and Light Truck tires sold worldwide rose by a slight 1% year-on-year in the first nine months of 2022, reflecting stable demand in the Replacement segment (+0%) and a 7% gain in Original Equipment.
Worldwide OE demand, which was down 2% year-on-year in the first half, turned upwards in the third quarter (+26%), led by very favorable prior-year comparatives and by improvements in the semiconductor and other supply chains. However, the latter remained under severe pressure, however, and global demand ended the period 2% lower than in third-quarter 2019.
After contracting by around 8% year-on-year in the first half, primarily due to the disruptions in automaker supply chains caused by the conflict in Eastern Europe, demand in Europe climbed 26% in the third quarter, but nevertheless remained 19% below third-quarter 2019 levels.
In China, the resurgence of Covid-19 in April and May caused demand to hit new lows before rebounding sharply in June as health restrictions were lifted. Demand remained robust in the third quarter, with a 29% gain led by government new car incentives and fast-growing EV sales helping to push the market up 19% on third-quarter 2019.
After delivering 5% growth in the first half, the North and Central American market ended the first nine months up 11%, at a time of persistently low new vehicle inventory. In the third quarter alone, demand was down 7% on the 2019 period.
Over the first nine months of 2022, demand from Asian carmakers outside China was up 4% year-on-year but down 15% on the 2019 period.
Global demand for Replacement Passenger Car and Light Truck tires was stable year-on-year in the first nine months, following a slight 1% decline in the third quarter. The overall stability reflected situations that varied by region.
The European market ended the period up 5%, as a 7% increase in the first half was dampened by a 1% slippage in the third quarter. After two positive summer months (+2%) the demand was 7% down in september on unfavorable comparison bases due to price increases implemented on October 1st, 2021.
In China, nine-month demand was 12% below 2021 levels. After dropping 16% in the first half due to mobility restrictions in the wake of the spring lockdowns, demand is gradually recovering with a 3% contraction in the third quarter, despite the adverse impact of resurgent Covid-19 and local lockdowns.
The North and Central American market slipped 2% over the first nine months. Demand slowed 7% in the third quarter after gaining a slight 1% in the first half. At the same time, the sell-in market mix has been temporarily impacted by rising Asian import volumes as global supply chain constrictions eased.
The other Regions enjoyed sustained growth in demand, with increases of 10% in Asia excluding China (of which 17% in the third quarter) and of 5% in South America (of which 6% in the third quarter).
Truck tires & Bus (radial and bias)
The global Truck tire market ended the first nine months of 2022 down 5%, as a 4% increase in the third quarter helped to offset the 9% decline in the first half.
Excluding China, where the Group is not significantly present, the global market expanded by 6% over the period.
The worldwide OE market declined by 21% overall in the first nine months but was up 10% excluding China.
Markets in Europe (up 5% year-to-date and 14% in the third quarter), North and Central America (up 10% year-to-date and 12% in the third quarter) and South America (up 13% year-to-date and 15% in the third quarter) remain on a robust upward trend. Demand is being driven by fleet upgrades prompted by new environmental standards and driver shortages, which are keeping truck-maker order books full through to 2023.
The global Replacement Truck tire market was unchanged year-on-year over the first nine months, held back by the 19% contraction in China. Excluding China, the market ended the period up 5%.
Despite a slightly weaker third quarter, the European market rose by 9% year-on-year in the first nine months, buoyed by still strong freight demand.
In North and Central America, demand climbed 12% year-on-year in the nine-month period, with a 15% gain in the third quarter off more favorable prior-year comparatives.
Despite a slowdown (-3%) in the third quarter, demand in South America ended the first nine months up 4%.
Growth was also sustained in Asia excluding China, at 11% year-to-date and 18% in the third quarter.
Change – nine months 2022 / nine months 2021
Sales for the first nine months of 2022 totaled €20,732 million, an increase of 20.5% from prior year that was attributable to the net impact of the following factors:
Sales in the Automotive segment rose by 19.0% to €10,238 million in the nine months ended September 30, 2022.
In markets up 1%, Group volumes contracted by 4% over the period, reflecting both the segment’s significant exposure to Russia and China and high volatility in the sell-in market mix during the third quarter, particularly in North America and, to a lesser extent, in Europe3.
Segment sales were also lifted by a very favorable price effect, reflecting both (i) the price increases introduced in Replacement markets in the first half to offset higher costs and (ii) the application of indexation clauses on July 1 in OE.
The mix was supported by the sustained growth in the percentage of 18-inch and larger tires in the sales stream and by a favorable geographic mix. These favorable factors were mitigated by the relatively faster growth in OE sales.
Segment sales were also positively impacted by the consolidation of Allopneus.com operations, as well as by exchange rate movements.
Nine-month sales in the Road Transportation segment amounted to €5,403 million, a year-on-year increase of 20.0%.
In markets outside China, which rose by 6%, Group volumes were virtually stable, with a 0.5% decline reflecting (i) high volatility in the sell-in market mix, particularly in the third quarter3 and (ii) the ongoing deployment of the Group’s strategic focus on the division’s highest value market segments.
Sales were buoyed by a favorable price effect which, as in the other segments, stemmed from price increases introduced to offset higher costs and the application of indexation clauses on July 1 in OE.
The mix, however, was hurt by the strong relative outperformance of OE sales compared with Replacement sales.
Sales in the Specialty business segment rose by 24.2% year-on-year to €5,091 million in the first nine months of 2022.
Segment volumes edged back by 1.2% over the period but rose year-on-year in the third quarter, driven by the expected rebound in Mining tire shipments.
The segment also enjoyed a very positive price effect, reflecting the price adjustments on July 1 in application of indexation clauses, whose adjustment periods are longer on average than in the Group’s other B2B businesses.
Michelin is included in the leading socially responsible investment (SRI) indices. The Group, whose environmental, social and governance performance has been assessed since 2003 by the main non-financial rating agencies, is today widely recognized for its engagement and outcomes.
*Full details concerning the position and distribution of these scores are available at www.michelin.com/en
Ratings assigned during the period:
- August 2022 – [ECOVADIS]: EcoVadis has renewed Michelin’s Platinum rating, the highest distinction attributed to companies scoring in the top 1% in overall sustainability performance.
July 14, 2022 – [Beyond Tires] – Fenner Conveyors acquires all outstanding shares of Conveyor Products & Solutions (CPS), a global, Australian-based leader in innovative design, engineering and manufacturing of high-quality conveyor rollers, idlers and pulleys. The acquisition has strengthened Fenner Conveyors’ access to global markets and expanded its services portfolio.
August/October 2022 – [Beyond Tires] – The MICHELIN Guide is enhanced with new curated selections making their debut in Tainan and Kaohsiung (Taiwan), Toronto (Canada) and Istanbul (Turkey).
September 12, 2022 – [Group] – Capital reduction: following the cancellation of 4,326,536 treasury shares, representing 0.61% of total shares outstanding, the Company’s issued share capital consists of 709,795,312 shares. The cancellation was in line with the Group’s commitment to offsetting dilution from new shares issued or vesting under employee share ownership plans and performance share plans.
September 14 to 29, 2022 – [Group] - Strong take-up for the new “BIB'Action 2022” employee share ownership plan. Open to more than 120,000 employees in 47 countries, the new plan, which offers more attractive terms, illustrates Michelin’s determination to have its employees collectively rank among its main shareholders. With half of all employees participating in the plan, including 30% who became new shareholders, take-up was high, demonstrating the confidence and commitment of Group employees.
October 5, 2022 – [Tires] – In a world first, Michelin unveils two new tires, one for cars and the other for buses, approved for road use and containing 45% and 58% sustainable materials respectively. The Group has once again demonstrated its technological leadership in materials and intends to bring the innovation to market by 2025.
October 5, 2022 – [Group] – Michelin presents the changes in tire markets and the transformation of its facilities at the 2022 Media Day event. Michelin also reviewed both the major transformations underway in its production facilities to respond to emerging environmental, technological and human challenges and its core objectives for the years ahead: reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050 while striving to cut these emissions in half between 2010 and 2030; catalyzing business performance with digitalization, leveraging artificial intelligence and increasing employee empowerment.
October 6, 2022 – [Beyond Tires] – Symbio, the Group’s hydrogen joint-venture with Faurecia, announces the start-up of its Innoplate joint-venture with Schaeffler, which will produce fuel cell bipolar plates to support global mobility and energy solutions. Located in Haguenau, in France’s Alsace region, the Innoplate plant will begin production in early 2024.
October 6, 2022 – [Beyond Tires] – Symbio, the Group’s hydrogen joint-venture with Faurecia, unveils the global scale of its game-changing HyMotive project, which is accelerating its roadmap towards leadership in the global fuel cell market. HyMotive has been selected as a Hy2Tech hydrogen IPCEI (Important Project of Common European Interest), with the support of the France Relance/France 2030 program. It will enable Symbio to fast-forward its process engineering and disruptive innovation capabilities, while increasing total production capacity in France to 100,000 systems a year by 2028 and creating 1,000 jobs. The Saint-Fons gigafactory will begin production in late 2023.
The complete list of the latest news is available on the Group's website: www.michelin.com/en
Nine-month 2022 sales will be reviewed with analysts and investors during a presentation Tuesday, October 25, 2022 at 6:30 p.m. CEST.
The presentation will be webcast live on: www.michelin.com/en
Please dial-in on one of the following numbers from 6:20 pm CEST:
Financial information for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 (press release, presentation) may also be viewed at www.michelin.com/en, along with practical information concerning the conference call.
First-half 2023 (date to be specified)
DISCLAIMER This press release is not an offer to purchase or a solicitation to recommend the purchase of Michelin shares. To obtain more detailed information on Michelin, please consult the documents filed in France with the Autorité des Marchés Financiers, which are also available from the www.michelin.com website. This press release may contain a number of forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that these statements are based on reasonable assumptions at the time of publishing this document, they are by nature subject to risks and contingencies liable to translate into a difference between actual data and the forecasts made or inferred by these statements.
1 Structural free cash flow corresponds to free cash flow before acquisitions, adjusted for the impact of changes in raw material costs on trade payables, trade receivables and inventories. 2 and related distribution 3 see comments on Group volumes above.