North America
AGCO’s North American net sales increased 22.2% in the first nine months of 2018 compared to the same period of 2017, excluding the positive impact of currency translation. Precision Planting, which was acquired in the fourth quarter of 2017, contributed sales of approximately $97.2 million in the first nine months of 2018. Excluding the impact of acquisitions and currency translation, sales grew approximately 14.2% compared to the first nine months of 2017. The largest increases were in sprayers, high horsepower tractors and hay tools. Income from operations for the first nine months of 2018 improved approximately $42.5 million compared to the same period in 2017. The benefit of the Precision Planting acquisition and higher sales and production volumes contributed to the increase.
South America
Net sales in the South American region increased 8.6% in the first nine months of 2018 compared to the first nine months of 2017, excluding the impact of unfavorable currency translation. Sales growth in Brazil was partially offset by declines in Argentina. Income from operations increased in the third quarter, but dropped approximately $35.2 million for the first nine months of 2018 compared to the same period in 2017. The impacts of material cost inflation and costs associated with transitioning to new products with tier 3 emission technology contributed to the decrease in income from operations.
Europe/Middle East
Europe/Middle East net sales increased 15.0% in the first nine months of 2018 compared to the same period in 2017, excluding favorable currency translation impacts. Acquisitions benefited sales by approximately 3.3% during the first nine months compared to the same period last year. Sales growth was strongest in Germany, the United Kingdom and France. Income from operations improved approximately $85.4 million for the first nine months of 2018, compared to the same period in 2017, due to the benefit of higher sales and margin improvement partially offset by higher engineering costs.
Asia/Pacific/Africa
Net sales in AGCO’s Asia/Pacific/Africa region increased 7.1%, excluding the positive impact of currency translation, in the first nine months of 2018 compared to the same period in 2017. Higher sales in Australia produced most of the increase. Acquisitions benefited sales by approximately 2.5% during the first nine months of 2018 compared to the same period last year. Income from operations improved approximately $3.7 million in the first nine months of 2018, compared to the same period in 2017, due to higher sales and production levels.
Outlook
AGCO’s net sales for 2018 are expected to reach $9.3 billion, reflecting improved sales volumes, positive pricing as well as acquisition and foreign exchange impacts. Gross and operating margins are expected to improve from 2017 levels due to higher net sales as well as the benefits resulting from the Company’s cost reduction initiatives, partially offset by increased engineering expenses and higher material costs. Based on these assumptions, 2018 earnings per share are targeted at approximately $3.35 on a reported basis, or approximately $3.75 on an adjusted basis, which excludes restructuring expenses and costs associated with debt retirement.
Safe Harbor Statement
Statements that are not historical facts, including the projections of earnings per share, sales, industry demand, market conditions, commodity prices, currency translation, farm income levels, margin levels, investments in product and technology development, new product introductions, restructuring and other cost reduction initiatives, production volumes, tax rates and general economic conditions, are forwardlooking and subject to risks that could cause actual results to differ materially from those suggested by the statements. The following are among the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in or implied by the forward-looking statements.
• Our financial results depend entirely upon the agricultural industry, and factors that adversely affect the agricultural industry generally, including declines in the general economy, increases in farm input costs, lower commodity prices, lower farm income and changes in the availability of credit for our retail customers, will adversely affect us.
• A majority of our sales and manufacturing take place outside the United States, and, as a result, we are exposed to risks related to foreign laws, taxes, economic conditions, labor supply and relations, political conditions and governmental policies. These risks may delay or reduce our realization of value from our international operations.
• Most retail sales of the products that we manufacture are financed, either by our joint ventures with Rabobank or by a bank or other private lender. Our joint ventures with Rabobank, which are controlled by Rabobank and are dependent upon Rabobank for financing as well, finance 40% to 50% of the retail sales of our tractors and combines in the markets where the joint ventures operate. Any difficulty by Rabobank to continue to provide that financing, or any business decision by Rabobank as the controlling member not to fund the business or particular aspects of it (for example, a particular country or region), would require the joint ventures to find other sources of financing (which may be difficult to obtain), or us to find another source of retail financing for our customers, or our customers would be required to utilize other retail financing providers. As a result of the recent economic downturn, financing for capital equipment purchases generally has become more difficult in certain regions and in some cases, can be expensive to obtain. To the extent that financing is not available or available only at unattractive prices, our sales would be negatively impacted.
• Both AGCO and our finance joint ventures have substantial account receivables from dealers and end customers, and we would be adversely impacted if the collectability of these receivables was not consistent with historical experience; this collectability is dependent upon the financial strength of the farm industry, which in turn is dependent upon the general economy and commodity prices, as well as several of the other factors listed in this section.
• We have experienced substantial and sustained volatility with respect to currency exchange rate and interest rate changes, which can adversely affect our reported results of operations and the competitiveness of our products.
• Our success depends on the introduction of new products, particularly engines that comply with emission requirements, which requires substantial expenditures.
• Our production levels and capacity constraints at our facilities, including those resulting from plant expansions and systems upgrades at our manufacturing facilities, could adversely affect our results.
• Our expansion plans in emerging markets, including establishing a greater manufacturing and marketing presence and growing our use of component suppliers, could entail significant risks.
• Our business increasingly is subject to regulations relating to privacy and data protection, and if we violate any of those regulations or otherwise are the victim of a cyber attack, we could incur significant losses and liability. • We depend on suppliers for components, parts and raw materials for our products, and any failure by our suppliers to provide products as needed, or by us to promptly address supplier issues, will adversely impact our ability to timely and efficiently manufacture and sell products. We also are subject to raw material price fluctuations, which can adversely affect our manufacturing costs.
• We face significant competition, and if we are unable to compete successfully against other agricultural equipment manufacturers, we would lose customers and our net sales and profitability would decline.
• We have a substantial amount of indebtedness, and, as a result, we are subject to certain restrictive covenants and payment obligations that may adversely affect our ability to operate and expand our business.
Further information concerning these and other factors is included in AGCO’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017. AGCO disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements except as required by law.
About AGCO
AGCO (NYSE: AGCO) is a global leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of agriculture equipment and solutions that supports more productive farming through its full line of equipment and related services. AGCO products are sold through five core brands, Challenger®, Fendt®, GSI®, Massey Ferguson® and Valtra®, supported by Fuse® precision technologies and farm optimization services. Founded in 1990, AGCO is headquartered in Duluth, GA, USA. In 2017, AGCO had net sales of $8.3 billion. For more information, visit http://www.AGCOcorp.com. For company news, information and events, please follow us on Twitter: @AGCOCorp. For financial news on Twitter, please follow the hashtag #AGCOIR.
