Hub Group, Inc. Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2022

Highlights:

  • Diluted earnings per share (EPS) of $2.42 for the quarter, and $10.64 for the full year which is growth of 110%
  • Full year revenue of $5.3 billion, up 26%, with double-digit growth in all business lines; Fourth quarter revenue of $1.3 billion
  • Quarterly operating income of $104 million (8.1% of revenue) driven by diversification of our business and focus on transportation cost containment, yield management and operating efficiency
  • Ended the quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $287 million
  • Introduced 2023 outlook, with expected revenue of $5.2-$5.4 billion and diluted EPS of $7.00-$8.00

OAK BROOK, Ill., Feb. 02, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hub Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:HUBG) announced fourth quarter 2022 net income of $79 million, and diluted earnings per share of $2.42. Net income for fourth quarter 2021 was $84 million, or $2.48 per diluted share. Full year 2022 net income was $357 million, or $10.64 per diluted share.

“Hub Group had a record year in 2022, delivering 26% revenue growth while more than doubling our earnings per share. We grew ITS to over $3 billion in revenue and grew both Brokerage and Logistics to $1 billion in revenue, while we supported our customers with high service levels and innovative supply chain solutions. Our strategy of service line diversification, and our focus on transportation cost containment, yield improvement and operating efficiency led to a significant increase in profitability. Market conditions softened during the quarter, but we anticipate demand will return by mid-2023. We remain focused on managing our costs and capital structure, while supporting our customers with great service and investing for growth to drive success in a variety of market conditions,” said Phil Yeager, Hub Group’s President and Chief Executive Officer.

Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2022 Results

Revenue for the fourth quarter of 2022 increased by 2% to $1.3 billion compared to fourth quarter 2021. Full year 2022 revenue was $5.3 billion, up 26% as compared to 2021. Gross margin for the quarter was 15.9% of revenue, with operating income of $104 million (8.1% of revenue). EBITDA (non-GAAP)1 for the quarter was $148 million.

Fourth quarter Intermodal and Transportation Solutions (“ITS”) revenue increased 5% to $802 million, while full year revenue grew to $3.3 billion. Intermodal revenue per load for the quarter increased 19% and volume decreased 12% as compared to prior year. Volume for the quarter was impacted by softer demand conditions as retailers’ inventory levels improved from the lows seen in 2021, which impacted demand for our services. ITS gross margin decreased compared to the prior year due to lower volume, higher transportation and equipment costs, and lower surcharges, partially offset by higher pricing and accessorial revenue.

Fourth quarter Logistics revenue increased 9% to $245 million due to organic growth with existing customers, and revenue from recently acquired TAGG Logistics, LLC (“TAGG”), partially offset by exited customers. Revenue for the full year increased 11% to $989 million. Fourth quarter gross margin increased due to growth with existing customers, new business onboardings, yield management initiatives and the contribution from TAGG, partially offset by higher warehousing and transportation costs.

Full year Truck Brokerage revenue grew 52% to $1.0 billion due to growth in revenue per load and the acquisition of Choptank but declined 11% in the fourth quarter to $238 million as higher transaction volumes were more than offset by lower revenue per load. Gross margin for the quarter decreased relative to fourth quarter 2021 due to lower revenue per load, partially offset by lower costs for purchased transportation.

Costs and expenses increased to $100 million in the fourth quarter of 2022 due to incremental operating costs from TAGG, higher expenses for outside services, and lower gains on the sale of equipment as compared to prior year, partially offset by lower compensation expense.

Capital expenditures for the fourth quarter of 2022 totaled $61 million. As of December 31, 2022, we had cash and cash equivalents of $287 million.

2023 Outlook

We expect our 2023 diluted earnings per share will range from $7.00 to $8.00. We estimate revenue will range from $5.2 to $5.4 billion, and that gross margin as a percentage of revenue will range from 14.5% to 15.0%. We estimate our costs and expenses will range from $420 to $440 million for the year. We project our effective tax rate for the year will be 24-25%. We expect capital expenditures for containers, tractors, warehousing equipment and technology will range from $170 to $190 million.

Non-GAAP Financial Measure

In this press release, we present EBITDA, a non-GAAP financial measure of profitability defined as earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization. As required by the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), we have provided herein a reconciliation of this non-GAAP financial measure to Net Income, the most directly comparable measure under GAAP. Management believes that EBITDA provides relevant and useful information, which is used by our management as well as by many analysts, investors and competitors in our industry. By providing this non-GAAP measure, management intends to provide investors with a meaningful, consistent comparison of the Company’s profitability for the periods presented. EBITDA should be viewed in addition to, and not as an alternative to or substitute for, measures determined in accordance with GAAP, and is not necessarily comparable to non-GAAP measures that may be presented by other companies.

CONFERENCE CALL

Hub Group, Inc. will hold a conference call at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on February 2, 2023, to discuss our fourth quarter 2022 results.

Hosting the conference call will be Phil Yeager, President and CEO. Also participating on the call will be Brian Alexander, Chief Operating Officer, and Geoff DeMartino, Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer.

This call is being webcast and can be accessed through the Investors link on Hub Group’s web site at www.hubgroup.com. The webcast is listen-only. Those interested in participating in the question and answer session should follow the telephone dial-in instructions below.

To participate in the conference call by telephone, please pre-register at https://register.vevent.com/register/BI0e495bb799694c1cb3763152fcd01ebf to receive the dial-in number and unique PIN. On the day of the call, dial in approximately ten minutes prior to the scheduled call time and enter the unique participant PIN received during registration. The call will be limited to 60 minutes, including questions and answers. An audio replay will be available through the Investors link on the Company's web site at www.hubgroup.com. This replay will be available for 30 days.

CERTAIN FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS: Statements in this press release that are not historical may express or imply projections of revenues or expenditures, statements of plans and objectives or future operations or statements of future economic performance. Forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain and subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that might cause the actual performance of Hub Group, Inc. to differ materially from those expressed or implied by this discussion and, therefore, should be viewed with caution. All forward-looking statements and information are provided pursuant to the safe harbor established under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and should be evaluated in the context of these factors. Forward-looking statements generally may be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “trends”, “assumptions”, “target”, “guidance”, “outlook”, “opportunity”, “future”, “plans”, “goals”, “objectives”, “expects”, “anticipate”, “expected”, “may”, “will”, “would”, “could”, “intend”, “believe”, “potential”, “projected”, “estimate” (or the negative or derivative of each of these terms), or similar words, and include our statements regarding our outlook, profit improvement initiatives and capital expenditures. These statements are based on Hub Group’s current beliefs and expectations of future events or future results, and involve risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict and subject to change. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, among other things, general or regional economic conditions, including inflation and changes in trade policy; the effect of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic (including any spikes, outbreaks or variants of the virus) and any future government actions taken in response to the pandemic, on our business operations and general economic and financial market conditions; governmental or regulatory requirements affecting tax, wage and hour matters, health and safety, labor and employment, insurance or other areas; shipping and intermodal costs and prices, the integration of acquisitions and expenses relating thereto; driver shortages; the amount and timing of strategic investments or divestitures by Hub Group; the failure to implement and integrate critical information technology systems; cyber security incidents; and retail and other customers encountering adverse economic conditions. Further information on these factors and other risks that may affect the Hub Group’s business is included in filings it makes with the SEC from time to time, including but not limited to those discussed under the “Risk Factors” section in Hub Group’s Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, and other filings with the SEC and in other investor communications of Hub Group from time to time. Hub Group assumes no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements.

SOURCE: Hub Group, Inc.CONTACT: Geoff DeMartino of Hub Group, Inc., +1-630-271-3623



HUB GROUP, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF EARNINGS
(in thousands, except per share amounts)
(unaudited)
        
   Three Months Ended December 31,
    2022   2021 
    % of  % of
   AmountRevenue AmountRevenue
Revenue$1,285,503 100.0% $1,256,403 100.0%
        
Transportation costs 1,081,086 84.1%  1,043,671 83.1%
 Gross margin 204,417 15.9%  212,732 16.9%
        
Costs and expenses:     
 Salaries and benefits 62,422 4.9%  70,544 5.6%
 General and administrative 25,684 2.0%  13,418 1.1%
 Depreciation and amortization 12,024 0.9%  11,185 0.9%
  Total costs and expenses 100,130 7.8%  95,147 7.6%
        
Operating income 104,287 8.1%  117,585 9.3%
        
Other income (expense):     
 Interest expense (1,381)-0.1%  (1,747)-0.1%
 Other, net 315 0.0%  137 0.0%
  Total other expense, net (1,066)-0.1%  (1,610)-0.1%
        
Income before provision for income taxes 103,221 8.0%  115,975 9.2%
        
Provision for income taxes 23,947 1.9%  31,661 2.5%
        
Net income$79,274   $84,314  
        
Earnings per share     
 Basic$2.45   $2.52  
 Diluted$2.42   $2.48  
        
Basic weighted average number of shares outstanding 32,397    33,456  
Diluted weighted average number of shares outstanding 32,815    33,983  
        


HUB GROUP, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF EARNINGS
(in thousands, except per share amounts)
(unaudited)
        
   Twelve Months Ended December 31,
    2022   2021 
    % of  % of
   AmountRevenue AmountRevenue
Revenue$5,340,490 100.0% $4,232,383 100.0%
        
Transportation costs 4,450,985 83.3%  3,632,743 85.8%
 Gross margin 889,505 16.7%  599,640 14.2%
        
Costs and expenses:     
 Salaries and benefits 264,891 5.0%  247,240 5.9%
 General and administrative 103,933 1.9%  76,476 1.8%
 Depreciation and amortization 45,960 0.9%  37,467 0.9%
  Total costs and expenses 414,784 7.8%  361,183 8.6%
        
Operating income 474,721 8.9%  238,457 5.6%
        
Other income (expense):     
 Interest expense (6,632)-0.1%  (7,302)-0.2%
 Other, net (131)-0.0%  (245)-0.0%
  Total other expense, net (6,763)-0.1%  (7,547)-0.2%
        
Income before provision for income taxes 467,958 8.8%  230,910 5.5%
        
Provision for income taxes 111,010 2.1%  59,436 1.4%
        
Net income$356,948   $171,474  
        
Earnings per share     
 Basic$10.75   $5.13  
 Diluted$10.64   $5.06  
        
Basic weighted average number of shares outstanding 33,209    33,434  
Diluted weighted average number of shares outstanding 33,559    33,892  
        


HUB GROUP, INC.
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(in thousands, except share data)
(unaudited)
     December 31, December 31,
      2022   2021 
        
ASSETS   
 CURRENT ASSETS:   
  Cash and cash equivalents$286,642  $159,784 
  Accounts receivable trade, net 716,190   701,512 
  Accounts receivable other 3,967   3,022 
  Prepaid taxes 16,987   2,191 
  Prepaid expenses and other current assets 32,914   27,779 
    TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS 1,056,700   894,288 
        
 Restricted investments 18,065   24,256 
 Property and equipment, net 783,683   681,451 
 Right-of-use assets - operating leases 102,114   44,036 
 Right-of-use assets - financing leases 1,194   1,252 
 Other intangibles, net 197,386   196,672 
 Goodwill 629,402   576,913 
 Other assets 21,537   18,426 
    TOTAL ASSETS$2,810,081  $2,437,294 
        
        
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY   
 CURRENT LIABILITIES:   
  Accounts payable trade$344,751  $424,923 
  Accounts payable other 15,563   12,493 
  Accrued payroll 66,669   56,938 
  Accrued other 132,324   82,827 
  Lease liability - operating leases 29,547   11,364 
  Lease liability - financing leases 1,175   1,251 
  Current portion of long term debt 101,741   97,273 
    TOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES 691,770   687,069 
        
 Long term debt 240,724   177,479 
 Non-current liabilities 43,505   41,572 
 Lease liability - operating leases 78,557   34,916 
 Deferred taxes 155,923   155,944 
        
 STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY:   
  Preferred stock, $.01 par value; 2,000,000 shares authorized;   
   no shares issued or outstanding in 2022 and 2021. -   - 
  Common stock   
   Class A: $.01 par value; 97,337,700 shares authorized; 41,312,185 shares issued   
    in 2022 and 41,224,792 shares issued in 2021; 32,646,621 shares   
    outstanding in 2022 and 33,907,734 shares outstanding in 2021. 413   412 
   Class B: $.01 par value; 662,300 shares authorized;   
    574,903 shares issued and outstanding in 2022 and 662,296 shares issued and 6   7 
    outstanding in 2021.   
  Additional paid-in capital 208,165   189,256 
  Purchase price in excess of predecessor basis, net of tax   
  benefit of $10,306 (15,458)  (15,458)
  Retained earnings 1,781,582   1,424,634 
  Accumulated other comprehensive loss (214)  (207)
  Treasury stock; at cost, 8,665,564 shares in 2022   
   and 7,317,058 shares in 2021 (374,892)  (258,330)
   TOTAL STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY 1,599,602   1,340,314 
    TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY$2,810,081  $2,437,294 
        


HUB GROUP, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(in thousands)
(unaudited)
      
     Twelve Months Ended December 31,
      2022   2021 
        
        
Cash flows from operating activities:   
 Net income$356,948  $171,474 
 Adjustments to reconcile net income   
  to net cash provided by operating activities:   
   Depreciation and amortization 153,726   130,629 
   Impairment of ROU asset 5,874   - 
   Deferred taxes 4,448   (3,992)
   Compensation expense related to share-based compensation plans 20,426   20,056 
   Gain on sale of assets (24,176)  (19,173)
 Changes in operating assets and liabilities:   
   Restricted investments 6,191   (903)
   Accounts receivable, net 8,298   (115,568)
   Prepaid taxes (14,796)  (856)
   Prepaid expenses and other current assets (3,111)  (647)
   Other assets (4,231)  (2,883)
   Accounts payable (89,103)  78,448 
   Accrued expenses 57,613   9,686 
   Non-current liabilities (19,944)  (13,436)
    Net cash provided by operating activities 458,163   252,835 
        
Cash flows from investing activities:   
 Proceeds from sale of equipment 42,929   45,177 
 Purchases of property and equipment (219,140)  (132,952)
 Cash used in acquisitions (102,661)  (122,360)
    Net cash used in investing activities (278,872)  (210,135)
        
Cash flows from financing activities:   
 Proceeds from issuance of debt 179,195   112,001 
 Repayments of long term debt (111,482)  (107,608)
 Purchase of treasury stock (75,000)  - 
 Purchase of treasury stock from related party (34,767)  - 
 Stock withheld for payments of withholding taxes (8,312)  (9,123)
 Finance lease payments (2,093)  (2,682)
    Net cash used in financing activities (52,459)  (7,412)
        
        
 Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents 26   (10)
        
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents 126,858   35,278 
Cash and cash equivalents beginning of period 159,784   124,506 
Cash and cash equivalents end of period$286,642  $159,784 
        


HUB GROUP, INC.
FINANCIAL INFORMATION BY BUSINESS LINE
(in thousands)
(unaudited)
        
 Three Months Twelve Months
 Ended December 31, Ended December 31,
        
  2022  2021  2022  2021
        
Intermodal and transportation solutions$802,268 $764,292 $3,301,835 $2,656,128
        
Logistics 244,998  223,767  988,922  887,388
        
Truck brokerage 238,237  268,344  1,049,733  688,867
        
Total revenue$1,285,503$1,256,403$5,340,490$4,232,383
        


RECONCILIATION OF NET INCOME TO EBITDA (1)
(in thousands)
(unaudited)
        
 Three Months
 Ended December 31,
     Change Change
  2022  2021 $ %
        
Net income$79,274 $84,314 $(5,040) -6.0%
        
Interest expense 1,381  1,747  (366) -21.0%
        
Depreciation and amortization 43,313  34,670  8,643  24.9%
        
Provision for income taxes 23,947  31,661  (7,714) -24.4%
        
EBITDA$147,915 $152,392 $(4,477) -2.9%
        


RECONCILIATION OF NET INCOME TO EBITDA (1)
(in thousands)
(unaudited)
        
 Twelve Months
 Ended December 31,
     Change Change
  2022  2021 $ %
        
Net income$356,948 $171,474 $185,474  108.2%
        
Interest expense 6,632  7,302  (670) -9.2%
        
Depreciation and amortization 153,726  130,629  23,097  17.7%
        
Provision for income taxes 111,010  59,436  51,574  86.8%
        
EBITDA$628,316 $368,841 $259,475  70.3%
        

(1) See the “Non-GAAP Financial Measure” section of this release for the definition of EBITDA and a discussion of this non-GAAP financial measure.


Hub Group, Inc. Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2022