On October 23, 2019 Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE: TMO), the world leader in serving science, reported its financial results for the third quarter ended September 28, 2019 (Press release, Thermo Fisher Scientific, OCT 23, 2019, View Source [SID1234542429]).

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Third Quarter 2019 Highlights

Third quarter revenue increased 6% to $6.27 billion.
Third quarter GAAP diluted earnings per share (EPS) increased 7% to $1.88.
Third quarter adjusted EPS increased 12% to $2.94.
Launched innovative new products for clinical, life sciences and bioproduction applications, highlighted by the FDA-cleared Thermo Scientific TSQ Altis and Quantis MD mass spectrometers and the Vanquish MD HPLC for clinical diagnostic laboratories, a new Real-time PCR solution for respiratory pathogen detection, the Thermo Scientific Krios G4 compact electron microscope for structural biology and the Thermo Scientific TruBio Discovery bioproduction automation system.
Strengthened global capabilities to enhance our unique customer value proposition, including opening a new Center of Excellence for transplant diagnostics near Los Angeles and, in China, establishing a new Biosciences Customer Exploration Center in Shanghai and expanding our clinical trials logistics facility in Suzhou.
Completed acquisition of active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) manufacturing facility in Cork, Ireland, from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) on September 30 to expand global capacity for API development and manufacturing services.
After quarter end, repurchased $750 million worth of shares and completed refinancing of $5.6 billion of debt.
Adjusted EPS, adjusted operating income, adjusted operating margin and free cash flow are non-GAAP measures that exclude certain items detailed later in this press release under the heading "Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures."

"We’re pleased to continue our strong momentum in the third quarter, with excellent performance on the top and bottom line," said Marc N. Casper, president and chief executive officer of Thermo Fisher Scientific. "Our team executed very well and captured opportunities to gain share and drive growth.

"We continued to enhance our value proposition to be an even stronger partner for our customers. Among the highlights, we launched innovative new products across our analytical instrument, bioproduction and genetic sciences businesses. We further strengthened our global capabilities to support growth, opening new facilities in the U.S. and China. We were also pleased to close our acquisition of the GSK site in Ireland, significantly expanding our API manufacturing network to meet customer demand for our pharma services."

Casper added, "With a strong nine months behind us, we are in a great position to deliver another excellent year."

Third Quarter 2019

Revenue for the quarter grew 6% to $6.27 billion in 2019, versus $5.92 billion in 2018. Organic revenue growth was 7% and currency translation decreased revenue by 1%.

GAAP Earnings Results

GAAP diluted EPS in the third quarter of 2019 increased 7% to $1.88, versus $1.75 in the same quarter last year. GAAP operating income for the third quarter of 2019 grew to $0.95 billion, compared with $0.91 billion in the year-ago quarter. GAAP operating margin was 15.1%, compared with 15.4% in the third quarter of 2018.

Non-GAAP Earnings Results

Adjusted EPS in the third quarter of 2019 increased 12% to $2.94, versus $2.62 in the third quarter of 2018. Adjusted operating income for the third quarter of 2019 grew 9% compared with the year-ago quarter. Adjusted operating margin increased to 22.7%, compared with 22.1% in the third quarter of 2018.

2019 Guidance Update

Thermo Fisher is raising its 2019 revenue and earnings guidance primarily to reflect stronger operational performance and the benefits of refinancing activities, partially offset by a more adverse foreign exchange environment. The company is raising its revenue guidance to a new range of $25.34 to $25.50 billion versus its previous guidance of $25.30 to $25.50 billion. This would result in 4 to 5% revenue growth over 2018. The company is also raising its adjusted EPS guidance to a new range of $12.28 to $12.34, versus its previous guidance of $12.16 to $12.26, for 10 to 11% growth year over year.

Segment Results

Management uses adjusted operating results to monitor and evaluate performance of the company’s four business segments, as highlighted below. Since these results are used for this purpose, they are also considered to be prepared in accordance with GAAP.

Life Sciences Solutions Segment

In the third quarter of 2019, Life Sciences Solutions Segment revenue grew 13% to $1.70 billion, compared with revenue of $1.50 billion in the third quarter of 2018. Segment adjusted operating margin increased to 34.5%, versus 32.9% in the 2018 quarter.

Analytical Instruments Segment

Analytical Instruments Segment revenue grew 2% to $1.36 billion in the third quarter of 2019, compared with revenue of $1.33 billion in the third quarter of 2018. Segment adjusted operating margin increased to 23.0%, versus 22.0% in the 2018 quarter.

Specialty Diagnostics Segment

Specialty Diagnostics Segment revenue was $0.88 billion in the third quarter of 2019, compared with revenue of $0.89 billion in the third quarter of 2018, reflecting the divestiture of the Anatomical Pathology business in June 2019. Segment adjusted operating margin increased to 25.3%, versus 25.0% in the 2018 quarter.

Laboratory Products and Services Segment

In the third quarter of 2019, Laboratory Products and Services Segment revenue grew 6% to $2.62 billion, compared with revenue of $2.47 billion in the third quarter of 2018. Segment adjusted operating margin was 11.6%, versus 12.1% in the 2018 quarter.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

In addition to the financial measures prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), we use certain non-GAAP financial measures, including adjusted EPS, adjusted operating income and adjusted operating margin, which exclude certain acquisition-related costs, including charges for the sale of inventories revalued at the date of acquisition and significant transaction costs; restructuring and other costs/income; and amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets. Adjusted EPS also excludes certain other gains and losses that are either isolated or cannot be expected to occur again with any predictability, tax provisions/benefits related to the previous items, the impact of significant tax audits or events and the results of discontinued operations. We exclude the above items because they are outside of our normal operations and/or, in certain cases, are difficult to forecast accurately for future periods. We also use a non-GAAP measure, free cash flow, which is operating cash flow, excluding net capital expenditures, and also excludes operating cash flows from discontinued operations to provide a view of the continuing operations’ ability to generate cash for use in acquisitions and other investing and financing activities. We believe that the use of non-GAAP measures helps investors to gain a better understanding of our core operating results and future prospects, consistent with how management measures and forecasts the company’s performance, especially when comparing such results to previous periods or forecasts.

For example:

We exclude costs and tax effects associated with restructuring activities, such as reducing overhead and consolidating facilities. We believe that the costs related to these restructuring activities are not indicative of our normal operating costs.

We exclude certain acquisition-related costs, including charges for the sale of inventories revalued at the date of acquisition and significant transaction costs. We exclude these costs because we do not believe they are indicative of our normal operating costs.

We exclude the expense and tax effects associated with the amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets because a significant portion of the purchase price for acquisitions may be allocated to intangible assets that have lives of 3 to 20 years. Based on acquisitions closed through the end of the third quarter of 2019, adjusted EPS for full year 2019 will exclude approximately $3.31 of expense for the amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets. Exclusion of the amortization expense allows comparisons of operating results that are consistent over time for both our newly acquired and long-held businesses and with both acquisitive and non-acquisitive peer companies.

We also exclude certain gains/losses and related tax effects, the impact of significant tax audits or events (such as changes in deferred taxes from enacted tax rate changes or the estimated initial impacts of U.S. tax reform legislation), which are either isolated or cannot be expected to occur again with any predictability and that we believe are not indicative of our normal operating gains and losses. For example, we exclude gains/losses from items such as the sale of a business or real estate, gains or losses on significant litigation-related matters, gains on curtailments of pension plans, the early retirement of debt and discontinued operations.

We also report free cash flow, which is operating cash flow, excluding net capital expenditures, and also excludes operating cash flows from discontinued operations to provide a view of the continuing operations’ ability to generate cash for use in acquisitions and other investing and financing activities.

Thermo Fisher’s management uses these non-GAAP measures, in addition to GAAP financial measures, as the basis for measuring the company’s core operating performance and comparing such performance to that of prior periods and to the performance of our competitors. Such measures are also used by management in their financial and operating decision-making and for compensation purposes.

The non-GAAP financial measures of Thermo Fisher’s results of operations and cash flows included in this press release are not meant to be considered superior to or a substitute for Thermo Fisher’s results of operations prepared in accordance with GAAP. Reconciliations of such non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures are set forth in the accompanying tables. Thermo Fisher does not provide GAAP financial measures on a forward-looking basis because we are unable to predict with reasonable certainty and without unreasonable effort items such as the timing and amount of future restructuring actions and acquisition-related charges as well as gains or losses from sales of real estate and businesses, the early retirement of debt and the outcome of legal proceedings. The timing and amount of these items are uncertain and could be material to Thermo Fisher’s results computed in accordance with GAAP.

Conference Call

Thermo Fisher Scientific will hold its earnings conference call today, October 23, 2019, at 8:30 a.m. Eastern time. To listen, dial (877) 273-7122 within the U.S. or (647) 689-5496 outside the U.S. You may also listen to the call live on our website, www.thermofisher.com, by clicking on "Investors." You will find this press release, including the accompanying reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures and related information, in that section of our website under "Financial Results." An audio archive of the call will be available under "Webcasts and Presentations" through Friday, November 8, 2019.