Quanex (NYSE: NX) reported Q4 EPS of $0.67, $0.21 better than the analyst estimate of $0.46. Revenue for the quarter came in at $255.4 million versus the consensus estimate of $238.1 million.

George Wilson, President and Chief Executive Officer, commented, “Our business performed extremely well in the fourth quarter as we continued to effectively navigate the complications and uncertainty of a COVID-19 world. Demand for our products remained strong throughout the quarter, with consolidated net sales increasing 6.3% year-over-year as compared to the fourth quarter of 2019. Volumes during the quarter were especially strong in Europe, and we remain optimistic on the global economic outlook despite the recent worldwide surge in COVID-19 cases.

“In addition to the lift provided by strong demand during the fourth quarter, our relentless focus on managing working capital and generating cash continued to bear fruit throughout the fiscal year. As a result, we achieved $100.8 million in cash provided by operating activities in 2020, representing an increase of 4.6% as compared to 2019. We generated Free Cash Flow of $75.1 million in 2020, representing a year-over-year increase of over 5%. We also repaid $35 million of bank debt during the fourth quarter, which allowed us to improve our leverage ratio of Net Debt to LTM Adjusted EBITDA to a level well below our original goal of exiting 2020 at 1.0x. Overall, I am extremely pleased with our ability to successfully manage both the challenges and the opportunities presented by the pandemic. Our balance sheet is stronger now than it was prior to COVID-19, and we are well positioned to benefit from future tailwinds in the residential housing industry.”

Outlook

George Wilson, President and Chief Executive Officer, stated, “We continue to be optimistic about the economic recovery and our current outlook is positive, especially as regards our end markets. Based on conversations with our customers, the latest macro data, and our research into current market trends, we expect mid-to-high single-digit sales growth in our North American Fenestration segment, low single-digit sales growth in our North American Cabinet Components segment, and mid-single-digit sales growth in our European Fenestration segment. Overall, on a consolidated basis and assuming there is no adverse impact from the ongoing pandemic, we believe this will equate to net sales of approximately $900 million to $920 million, which we expect will generate between $108 million and $118 million in Adjusted EBITDA* in fiscal 2021. Our balance sheet is strong and we intend to concentrate on executing our plan with a continued focus on creating shareholder value.”

For earnings history and earnings-related data on Quanex (NX) click here.