ST. LOUIS - Belden Inc . (NYSE: NYSE:BDC), a global provider of network infrastructure and digitization solutions, announced during its 2024 Investor Day at its Chicago Innovation Center, a new share repurchase program and outlined financial targets through 2028. The company's new $300 million share buyback authorization, in addition to the existing $115 million, totals $415 million in potential repurchases, signaling confidence in its strategic direction and commitment to shareholder returns.
President and CEO Ashish Chand emphasized the company's progress through its Solutions Transformation strategy, which focuses on customer outcomes. Despite challenges such as destocking headwinds, Chand expressed satisfaction with Belden's performance, which aligns with the value creation framework set in 2022. The company aims for an Adjusted EPS of $8.00 by 2025, contingent on a modest demand improvement next year.
Belden's long-term financial goals include mid-single-digit annual revenue growth, incremental Adjusted EBITDA Margins of 25% to 30%, a free cash flow margin nearing 10%, net leverage around 1.5 times, and an annual Adjusted EPS growth of 10% to 12%.
The company also announced the renaming of its segments to better reflect its focus on data infrastructure solutions. The Industrial Automation Solutions segment will now be known as Automation Solutions, and the Enterprise Solutions segment will be renamed Smart Infrastructure Solutions, with no changes to the composition of the segments.
Chief Financial Officer Jeremy Parks highlighted the company's operational discipline and its ability to generate through-cycle revenue growth, margin improvement, and healthy free cash flow. He reaffirmed Belden's commitment to advancing its Solutions Transformation and returning cash to shareholders.
The webcast of the Investor Day is available on Belden's Investor Relations website, with a replay and related presentations accessible for a limited time.
Belden's financial targets incorporate non-GAAP measures such as Adjusted EPS and free cash flow margin. The company acknowledges the potential for future events to impact these targets and therefore cannot provide quantitative reconciliations to the most directly comparable GAAP measures.
This news is based on a press release statement from Belden Inc. and reflects the company's current outlook and strategic initiatives.
In other recent news, Belden Inc. reported a successful Q2 in 2024, surpassing its own guidance with earnings per share (EPS) of $1.51 and revenue of $604 million. The company also saw a 9% sequential increase in orders and maintains a book-to-bill ratio of 1.0. Belden's Broadband Solutions business showed significant growth, with a proforma revenue of approximately $660 million, and the strategic acquisition of Precision Optical Technologies is set to strengthen Belden's position in the market.
Moreover, Belden anticipates benefiting from the $42.5 billion BEAD program funding between 2025 and 2030. The company's Q3 revenues are projected to be between $635 million and $650 million, with an adjusted EPS of $1.55 to $1.65. The company is on track to achieve a 25% solutions revenue share by 2028 and is currently aiming for low-to-mid-teens by year's end.
These are recent developments that highlight Belden's resilience and strategic growth amidst global market challenges. The upcoming Investor Day, scheduled for September 12th in Chicago, will provide further insights into the company's strategies and outlook.
InvestingPro Insights
As Belden Inc. (NYSE: BDC) continues to navigate through its Solutions Transformation strategy, the company's recent share repurchase program announcement reflects a strong commitment to shareholder value. Belden's management has demonstrated confidence in the company's future, underscored by aggressive share buybacks. This aligns with a notable InvestingPro Tip that highlights management's active role in repurchasing shares, suggesting a positive outlook on the company's valuation.
Belden's financial health appears robust, with a market capitalization of $4.04 billion and a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio that has slightly decreased to 19.96 in the last twelve months as of Q2 2024. This adjustment in the P/E ratio could indicate that the company is becoming more attractively priced relative to its earnings. Additionally, Belden has maintained a track record of dividend payments for 21 consecutive years, which is a testament to its financial stability and commitment to returning cash to shareholders. These dividends have been sustained even with recent revenue challenges, as indicated by a -12.97% revenue growth rate in the last twelve months as of Q2 2024.
Investors may also take comfort in the fact that Belden's liquid assets exceed its short-term obligations, providing a cushion for operational needs and potential investments. Furthermore, with analysts predicting profitability for the current year and the company having been profitable over the last twelve months, Belden seems well-positioned to meet its financial targets. This is reinforced by the InvestingPro Tip that analysts expect the company to be profitable this year.
For those interested in a deeper analysis of Belden Inc., InvestingPro offers additional insights and metrics. Currently, there are 5 more InvestingPro Tips available on the platform, offering a comprehensive view of the company's performance and prospects. Visit https://www.investing.com/pro/BDC for a more detailed analysis and to access these valuable tips.
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