Patterson Companies Q4 2023 Earnings Call Transcript

Quartr
Provided by Quartr
June 21, 2023

There are 13 speakers on the call.

Operator

Hello, and welcome to the Patterson Companies, Inc. 4th Quarter Fiscal 2023 Earnings Conference Call. All lines have been placed on mute to prevent any background noise. After the speakers' remarks, there will be a question and answer session. I will now turn the conference over to John Wright, Vice President of Investor Relations.

Operator

Please go ahead.

Speaker 1

Thank you, operator. Good morning, everyone, and thank you for participating in Patterson Companies Fiscal 2023 4th Quarter and Full Year Conference Call. Joining me today are Patterson President and Chief Executive Officer, Don Zerbe Patterson's Chief Financial Officer, Kevin Barry. After a review of our results and outlook by management, we will open the call to your questions. Before we begin, let me remind you that certain statements made during this conference call are forward looking in nature and subject to certain risks and uncertainties.

Speaker 1

These factors, which could cause actual results to materially differ from those indicated in such forward looking statements, are discussed in detail in our Form 10 ks and our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We encourage you to review this material. In addition, comments about the markets we serve, including growth rates Market shares are based upon the company's internal analysis and estimates. The content of this conference call contains time sensitive information and is accurate only as of the date of the live broadcast, June 21, 2023. Patterson undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this call.

Speaker 1

Also, a financial slide presentation can be found in the Investor Relations section of our website at pattersoncompanies.com. Please note that in this morning's conference call, we will reference our adjusted results for the Q4 and full year fiscal 'twenty three. The reconciliation table in our press release is provided to adjust reported GAAP measures, namely operating income, other income, expense, net income before taxes, income tax expense, Net income, net income attributable to Patterson Companies, Inc. And diluted earnings per share attributable to Patterson Companies, Inc. 4, The impact of deal amortization, integration and business restructuring expenses, legal reserves, inventory donation charges and gains on investments, along with the related tax effects of these items.

Speaker 1

We will also discuss free cash flow as defined in our earnings release, which is a non GAAP measure, and use the term internal sales to represent net sales adjusted to exclude the impact of foreign currency, contributions from recent acquisitions and the extra week of selling results in the Q1 of fiscal 'twenty two. These non GAAP measures are not intended to be a substitute for our GAAP results. This call is being recorded and will be available for replay starting at 10 am Central Time for a period of 1 week. Now, I'd like to hand the call over to Don Zerbe.

Speaker 2

Thanks, John, and good morning, everyone. Patterson had an exceptionally strong Q4, including a fiscal year in which we achieved our financial goals and delivered value for our customers and shareholders. On the top line, year over year internal sales increased approximately 6% during the 4th quarter increased nearly 3% for the fiscal year, including sales growth across both the Dental and Animal Health segments. We delivered year over year adjusted operating margin expansion in both of our business segments and for Patterson overall, achieving adjusted operating margin of nearly 7% for the 4th quarter and approximately 5% for the fiscal year. Our strong performance enabled us to return $157,000,000 to shareholders during fiscal 2023 in the form of cash dividends and share repurchases.

Speaker 2

And we delivered fiscal 2023 adjusted EPS growth of 7% year over year, culminated by a record 4th quarter of $0.84 per diluted share, an 18% increase compared to the prior year. These results are that our value proposition continues to resonate with customers, progress we are making to drive margin improvement and outstanding execution against our strategic plan. I'm proud of the entire Patterson team and grateful for their continued hard work and dedication. Before we jump into the details of the quarter, I'd like to take a step back to put our results in context. Our strong performance during the Q4 and throughout fiscal 2023 It's a continuation of the momentum we've been building for several years.

Speaker 2

I joined Patterson 5 years ago during the early months of fiscal 2019. At that time, Patterson was experiencing challenges that were reflected in several areas, including the company's financial results. In my previous role as CFO, I worked closely with the rest of our leadership team to develop a strategy to change the trajectory of the business, accelerate our performance and position Patterson for sustainable long term value creation. Thanks to the focused efforts of the entire Patterson team, I believe we have more than delivered on these objectives. During the period from fiscal 2019 to fiscal 23.

Speaker 2

We have increased reported net sales by $1,000,000,000 with average annual internal sales growth of 5%, Increased our adjusted operating margin from 3.7 percent for fiscal 2019 to 4.9% in fiscal 2023, with an average annual improvement of 30 basis points. And we increased our adjusted EPS from $1.40 fiscal 2019 to $2.42 per diluted share in fiscal 2023 with an average annual improvement of 15%. Our strong and continually improving year over year financial results is clear evidence that our strategy is working. And the numbers are particularly impressive given the past 5 years include the historic challenges posed by the pandemic and other macroeconomic factors. The key takeaway is that we have a great foundation to build from and a proven track record of success.

Speaker 2

And with the combination of our culture, strategy and people, I'm confident we will continue to drive improved performance over time. Now I'll provide some more detail on the growth drivers in each of our segments During the fiscal Q4 before sharing some perspective on the path ahead. Let's start with Dental. In the Q4, Dental segment internal sales increased 8% year over year, including growth across our consumables, Equipment and value added service categories. We also achieved year over year operating margin expansion in the Q4 and for the full fiscal year.

Speaker 2

A few specific highlights from our Dental segment. 1st, equipment sales were up 19% in the 4th quarter on a tough prior year comparison, driven by strength across all equipment categories. As we've discussed previously, our quarterly equipment results can fluctuate quarter to quarter due to factors to influence the timing of sales. But when you widen the lens, the long term trend of our equipment sales performance provides a clear view of our strength in this category. Over the last 8 quarters, our average quarterly equipment internal sales growth is 8%, evidence that our dental customers are investing in their practices a testament to our value proposition and market leading capability to sell, finance, install and service new technology innovation.

Speaker 2

2nd, our consumables portfolio of non infection control products continued to perform well with over 4% internal sales growth. Within our infection control product portfolio, we are still experiencing deflationary impact for certain products compared to the year ago period. While this impact is moderating, we expect this trend to persist into fiscal 2024 and stabilize in the second half of the year. And third, our value added service category achieved double digit internal sales growth during the Q4, primarily due to strong performance in technical service, software and e services. Value added services represents a comprehensive We have offerings we provide to our customers that makes us an indispensable partner to their practice.

Speaker 2

These offerings are central to our value proposition, create sticky customer relationships and enhance profitability. Our comprehensive suite of software and e services products Includes on premise and cloud based solutions that handle everything from revenue cycle management to practice analytics and insights and patient communication. These products truly are the nerve center of a dental practice and help our customers operate efficiently, scale their business and provide a better patient experience. Software and e services are a key part of our strategy going forward and we will expand our investment in this area to ensure Patterson remains the partner of choice for dentists looking to modernize their practices. Additionally, our leading technical service offering both contributes to and benefits from our Strong equipment sales and allows us to serve our customers at a higher level.

Speaker 2

We believe our technical service offering is a competitive advantage for us As our customers turn to and trust Patterson for ensuring their equipment is delivering for their practice. Looking ahead, the dental market remains healthy and we are confident that our dental business will continue to benefit from strong fundamentals, including an aging population, demand for practice modernization, a growing appreciation for oral health as a key link to overall health and consistently strong traffic following a rebound from pandemic level. I'm proud of the dental team's execution and commitment to serving our customers. Let's now turn to Animal Health. During the Q4 of fiscal 2023, our internal sales increased 3% year over year, driven primarily by sales growth

Speaker 3

in the Companion Animal business.

Speaker 2

The Animal Health segment also achieved operating margin expansion in both the 4th quarter and for a healthy and growing market. This sustained growth demonstrates the successful continued execution of our plan, including excellent performance from our internal and external sales teams, operational discipline and our value added consultative approach. On the Production Animal side, 4th quarter internal sales decreased nearly 1% year over year from the impact of certain market headwinds, including the drought impact on cattle herds and antibiotic pricing pressure that we've discussed previously. Despite these challenges, Patterson delivered low single digit internal sales growth for the full fiscal year as we benefited from the depth of our offerings and omni channel presence. Patterson is well positioned to navigate different market cycles because of our comprehensive solutions for diverse customers across a wide range of animal species.

Speaker 2

Across the Animal Health segment, our value added services category delivered double digit growth during the Q4 and for the full fiscal year, largely attributed to strong sales Our software solutions and equipment service. Similar to our dental business, we offer a robust software portfolio to our veterinary customers and provides them with critical infrastructure to manage and execute their daily workflows. We remain focused on positioning Patterson Animal Health is the leading provider of technology, software, data insights, services and products to the animal health industry. As we enter fiscal 2024 with momentum across the business, I want to take a few minutes to touch on our key areas of focus going forward. We continue to execute and refine our overall strategy, which is designed to achieve 4 core objectives.

Speaker 2

1st, drive revenue growth above the current end market growth rates. 2nd, build upon the progress we've made to enhance our margin performance. 3rd, continually evolve our products, channels and services to best serve the customers in our end markets. And 4th, improved efficiency and optimization. This objective includes a rigorous focus on cost discipline as well as targeted investments to leverage best practices and advance operational excellence across the entire enterprise.

Speaker 2

Patterson is well positioned to achieve these objectives, and our team is aligned around several initiatives that build upon our momentum Advance our strategic goals. I'd like to highlight a few of the key areas of focus in the year ahead, which includes expanding our investments in strategic growth opportunities like software to value added services. There has been a growing demand among our customers and vendors for tightly integrated software, technology and actionable data and insights to drive top and bottom line growth and compete more effectively. As we've discussed today, Patterson already offers a robust suite of software solutions in both our dental and Animal Health segments. But we believe the opportunity for growth within software remains significant.

Speaker 2

As we move forward, we are expanding our investment in our existing solutions Beyond software, we are also focused on expanding our value added services more broadly. Customers are increasingly turning like Patterson to address their central business needs and ease their administrative burden. Value added services have been an important and differentiating category Patterson for some time. However, I believe we can achieve more in this area and it will remain a top priority. Importantly, our comprehensive value added services offerings are central to the value proposition of our core distribution categories and drive sales across consumables and equipment.

Speaker 2

While we expand investments in key areas, we are also focusing on adapting our business to meet evolving As our customers' needs change, we will adapt to meet them where they are and exceed their expectations, including a continued focus on product and channel optimization to ensure our go to market approach is designed to best serve and Strengthen the people who keep us and our animals healthy. To meet these changing expectations, we must also be willing to drive greater Across the business, we are committed to expanding our best practices, Managing our expenses and leveraging common platforms and eliminating redundancies. Taken together, our strategic areas of focus Build upon our strong foundation and success over the past several years to further distinguish our market position and drive enhanced growth, Profitability to value creation over the long term. Our strategy is reflected in the fiscal 2024 adjusted earnings guidance range $2.45 to $2.55 per diluted share that we initiated today. This guidance accounts for our plans to invest behind strategic growth opportunities as well as our commitment to deliver year over year internal sales growth Adjusted operating margin expansion for the total company and across both our Dental and Animal Health segments.

Speaker 2

Now, I'll turn the call over to Kevin Barry to provide more detail on our financial results.

Speaker 3

Thank you, Don, and good morning, everyone. In my prepared remarks, I will cover the financial results for our Q4 of fiscal 2023, which ended on April 29, 2023, as well as our full year results for fiscal 2023. I will also discuss our fiscal 2024 earnings guidance we issued this morning, along with several modeling assumptions related to the financial outlook for the next fiscal year. Consolidated reported sales for Patterson Companies in our fiscal 2023 4th quarter $1,700,000,000 an increase of 5.0% versus the Q4 1 year ago. Internal sales for the Q4 of fiscal 2023, which are adjusted for the effects of currency translation and contributions from recent acquisitions, Increased 5.7% compared to the same period last fiscal year.

Speaker 3

For the full year of fiscal 2023, Consolidated reported sales for Patterson Companies were $6,500,000,000 a decrease of 0.4% versus the same period 1 year ago. Internal sales for fiscal 2023, which are adjusted for the effects of currency translation, contributions from recent acquisitions And the extra week of selling results in the Q1 of fiscal 2022 increased 2.9% compared to fiscal 2022. Our Q4 fiscal 2023 gross margin was 22.6%, an increase of 140 basis points compared to the prior year. Our gross margin in the Q4 of fiscal 2023 was negatively impacted by 10 basis points by the mark to market accounting adjustment from rising interest rates on our equipment financing portfolio. Any positive or negative impact related to our equipment financing portfolio is nearly offset by our corresponding hedging instrument, which is reflected in the interest and other expense line on our P and L.

Speaker 3

So the net result has a minimal impact on our adjusted earnings per share. If you recall, this dynamic also occurred in the Q4 of last fiscal year, when the negative impact of the mark to market accounting calculation was 50 basis points. When normalizing for mark to market accounting adjustments in both periods, our gross margin rate in the Q4 of fiscal 2023 It's 100 basis points higher than the Q4 of fiscal 2022. Remember, the accounting impact of the mark to market adjustment impacts our total company gross margin, but not the gross margin within our business segment. For the full year of fiscal 2023, our adjusted gross margin was 21.2%, improvement of 138 basis points compared to the full year of fiscal 2022.

Speaker 3

Normalizing for the impact of the mark to market accounting adjustment Importantly, during the fiscal Q4 and for the entire fiscal 'twenty three year, each of our business units posted a year over year increase to their respective gross margins versus the prior year period. Across the company, we continue to focus on pricing and cost execution and improving our mix by driving higher growth of margin accretive Adjusted operating expenses as a percentage of net sales for the Q4 of fiscal 2023 were 16.0 percent and favorable by 26 basis points compared to the Q4 of fiscal 2022. For the full year of fiscal 2023, Adjusted operating expenses as a percentage of net sales were 16.4% and slightly unfavorable to the prior year by 15 basis points compared to fiscal 2022. In the Q4 of fiscal 2023, our consolidated adjusted operating margin was 6.7%, an increase of 166 basis points compared to the Q4 of last year. For the full year fiscal 2023, Our consolidated adjusted operating margin was 4.9%, an improvement of 48 basis points over the prior fiscal year.

Speaker 3

Again, when normalizing for the accounting impact of the mark to market adjustment in both periods related to gross margin, our consolidated adjusted operating margin for the Q4 Fiscal 2023 expanded by 110 basis points compared to the Q4 of fiscal 2022. And for the full year of fiscal 2023, consolidated operating margin expanded by 40 basis points over the full year of fiscal 2022. I'm proud of our team's efforts to deliver on our commitment to drive operating margin expansion in each of our business segments and for the total company in fiscal 2023. Foundational initiatives we put in place improve gross margin, pricing and cost execution, working more closely with strategic vendors who reward us for our sales performance, Driving improved mix, exercising expense discipline and leveraging our cost structure have certainly translated to a higher level of profitability for Patterson. Our adjusted tax rate for the Q4 of fiscal 2023 was 24.4%, an increase of 140 basis points compared to the prior year.

Speaker 3

For the full year of fiscal 2023, our adjusted tax rate was 23.6%, a decrease of 20 basis points compared to full year fiscal 2022. Reported net income attributable to Patterson Companies Inc. For the Q4 of fiscal 2023 $75,000,000 or $0.77 per diluted share. This compares to reported net income in the Q4 of last year of $63,900,000 or $0.65 per diluted share. Adjusted net income attributable to Patterson Companies in the Q4 of fiscal 'twenty three, which excludes deal amortization and gain on investments, with $82,400,000 or $0.84 per diluted share, Your record quarter for Patterson.

Speaker 3

This compares to $70,400,000 or $0.71 per diluted share in the Q4 of fiscal 2022. This 18% year over year increase in adjusted earnings per diluted share for the Q4 is primarily due to increased sales of dental equipment and value added services as well as operating margin expansion in both business segments. Both reported and adjusted net income The fiscal 2023 Q4 contained a one time gain of $3,600,000 or $0.03 per diluted share related to the sale of real estate asset. For the full year of fiscal 2023, reported net income attributable to Patterson Companies Inc. Was $207,600,000 $2.12 per diluted share compared to $203,200,000 or $2.06 per diluted share in fiscal 2022.

Speaker 3

Adjusted net income attributable to Patterson Companies Inc. In fiscal 2023, which excludes deal amortization, integration and business restructuring expenses, Legal reserves, inventory donation charges and gains on investments totaled $236,400,000 or $2.42 per diluted share compared to $223,700,000 or $2.27 per diluted share in the prior fiscal year. Now let's turn to our business segments, starting with our dental business. In the Q4 of fiscal 2023, internal sales for our dental business increased 8.0% compared to the Q4 of fiscal 2022. Excluding the impact of price deflation of infection control products, internal sales for our dental business increased 10.8% the Q4 of fiscal 2023 compared to the Q4 of fiscal 20 50.

Speaker 3

Internal sales of Dental consumables in the 4th quarter increased 0.3% compared to 1 year ago and again were impacted by the continued moderation of infection control products compared to the pandemic related performance last Internal sales of noninfection control products increased 4.4% in the fiscal Q4 compared to the year ago period. For the full year of fiscal 2023, internal sales of consumables declined by 2.1% due to the price deflation of PPE products during the year. Excluding the impact of these products, dental consumables increased by 3.1% in fiscal 2023 compared to fiscal 2022. In the Q4 of fiscal 2023, internal sales of dental equipment increased 19.2% compared to the Q4 of fiscal 2022, with strong growth across all product categories. Our sales team drove equipment demand to finish our fiscal 2023 with strong momentum as dental customers Continue to invest to maintain and improve their practices or open additional offices.

Speaker 3

For the full year fiscal 2023, Internal sales of dental equipment increased 4.9% over fiscal 2022. Internal sales of value added services Q4 of fiscal 2023 increased 13.4% over the prior year period, led by solid year over year performance of our technical service team and continued growth of our software and e services business. Value added services represent the entire suite of offerings we provide to our customers and help make us an indispensable partner to their practice and these valuable offerings are also mixed favorable to our P and L. For the full year of fiscal 2023, internal sales of value added services increased 8.1% compared to fiscal 2022. Adjusted operating margins in dental were 12.1 percent in the fiscal 4th quarter and a 2 0 5 basis point improvement over the prior year period.

Speaker 3

This operating margin performance in the Q4 of fiscal 2023 reflects the continued efforts of our dental team to improve gross margins through driving higher growth Margin accretive products as well as exercising continued expense discipline to deliver operating margin expansion in the fiscal Q4 of fiscal 2023. In addition, the dental operating margin contained a one time gain of $3,600,000 related to the sale of a real estate asset in the 4th quarter. For the full year of fiscal 2023, adjusted operating margins in our dental business were 10.0%, a 65 basis point improvement over the prior Now let's move on to our Animal Health segment. In the Q4 of fiscal 2023, Internal sales for our Animal Health business increased 3.2% compared to the same period 1 year ago. For the full year of fiscal 2023, Internal sales for our Animal Health business were up 3.4% compared to fiscal year 2022.

Speaker 3

Internal sales for our Companion Animal business in the Q4 of fiscal 2023 increased 6.7% compared to the prior year. For the full year of fiscal 2023, internal sales in our companion animal business increased 5.3% compared to fiscal 2022. Internal sales for our production animal business in the Q4 of fiscal 2023 decreased by 0.7% compared to the same period 1 year ago. For the full year of fiscal 2023, internal sales in our production animal business increased 1.2% compared to fiscal 2022. Adjusted operating margins in our Animal Health segment in the fiscal 4th quarter were 5.5%, an increase of 57 basis points from the prior year.

Speaker 3

For the full year of fiscal 2023, adjusted operating margins in our Animal Health segment were 4.2%, which represents 36 basis points Margin expansion compared to fiscal 2022. Our Animal Health team continues to drive business with strategic manufacturing partners We value our ability to increase sales while also exercising expense discipline as our animal health team delivered operating margin expansion for the Q4 of fiscal 2023 and for the full year of fiscal 2020. Now, let me cover free cash flow and capital allocation. During fiscal 2023, our free cash flow declined by $14,400,000 compared to the same period 1 year ago. This is primarily due to an increased level of capital spending in fiscal 2023 as well as a slightly higher level of receivables related to the strong sales month we had in April.

Speaker 1

Now turning to capital allocation. We continue to execute on our strategy

Speaker 3

to return cash to our shareholders. In the Q4 of fiscal 2023, we declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.26 per diluted share, which is Lend paid at the beginning of the Q1 of fiscal 20 24. Also in the Q4 of fiscal 2023, the company repurchased approximately 1,500,000 shares of stock. During fiscal 'twenty three, Patterson Companies returned $156,800,000 of cash to shareholders in the form of dividends and share repurchases. Let me conclude with our financial outlook for fiscal 2024.

Speaker 3

This morning, we issued a GAAP earnings guidance range for fiscal $2,026.14 to $2.24 per diluted share and an adjusted earnings guidance range of $2.45 $2.55 per diluted share. For modeling purposes, let me highlight a few additional items To consider as you think about our guidance for fiscal 2024. First, as mentioned earlier, our fiscal 2023 adjusted EPS of $2.42 Benefited from a one time gain related to the sale of real estate asset, which represented approximately $0.03 of adjusted EPS. 2nd, we are modeling lowtomidsingledigitrevenuegrowthinfiscal 2024. This is inclusive of some continued deflation of PPE products compared to the pricing of these products during fiscal 2023.

Speaker 3

We are also modeling operating margin expansion for both business units and the total business units. 3rd, as Don noted, our guidance reflects expanded investments Further develop and grow our software and value added services capabilities. 4th, we are modeling a higher overall tax rate of approximately 25%. This is higher than where we finished fiscal 2023 due to increased tax rates in the UK and other adjustments to our tax expense. And finally, we expect to face additional headwinds in fiscal 2024 regarding higher interest rates on our variable rate debt.

Speaker 3

If you exclude the one time $0.03 per share benefit associated with the sale of the real estate asset from our fiscal 2023 adjusted EPS performance, Our fiscal 2024 adjusted EPS guidance range of $2.45 to $2.55 Per diluted share implies 5% year over year growth at the midpoint and 7% year over year growth at the top end of our range. And now, I will turn the call back over to Don for some additional comments.

Speaker 2

Thanks, Kevin. Before we open it up for Q and A, I'd like to reiterate Few key takeaways from our call this morning. Patterson had an exceptionally strong Q4, including a fiscal year in which we achieved our financial goals of delivering year over year sales growth and adjusted operating margin expansion. Our performance during the Q4 and throughout fiscal 2023 is a continuation of our track record of success over the past several years. We continue to execute and refine our proven strategy to build upon this momentum.

Speaker 2

And we are well positioned to drive enhanced growth, Profitability and value creation over the long term. That concludes our prepared remarks. Kevin and I will be glad to take questions. Operator, please open the line.

Operator

Thank you. Your first question comes from the line of Jason Bednar of Piper Sandler. Please go ahead.

Speaker 4

Hey, good morning and congrats on a real nice quarter to close out

Speaker 3

the fiscal

Speaker 4

year. Don or Kevin, the margin performance here was extremely impressive in the Q4. We've been going along a path of modest margin expansion And here for the last, call it, few years. Over the last couple of quarters, you just blown that out of the water. I understand the dental equipment strength this quarter probably helped, But you're sitting at multiyear highs in each of dental and animal health, even after adjusting for that one time gain in dental that you mentioned.

Speaker 4

So it's been a long road to get to where we're at, but could you talk about how you think about these multiyear high margin performances as we think forward to the coming years? I know you don't have

Speaker 2

Yes. Thanks, Jason, and appreciate the comments. I think the margin journey has really been the last I mean, you could say the last 4 or 5 years, but what we're looking at is the fact that the programs we put in place are working. The things that we're doing, we think are impactful and sustainable. And so as you look forward, I think we would talk about I think we have talked about our profit margins for the company.

Speaker 2

We like the 20 to 30 basis point improvement on a year over year basis. That could go up or down and certainly As we make some investment decisions that could impact that, but we're committed to operating profit improvement in both of the business units and the overall company. And that's a drumbeat that's Constance here, we work really hard. There's a lot of programs in place. And the focus, as I mentioned, when we talk about those programs are So, I don't know, maybe, Kevin, if you have any additional comments or thoughts on Some specific things that you might mention, but we're pretty pleased with it.

Speaker 2

We're not surprised by it. And more importantly, we're excited about What that looks like going forward?

Speaker 3

Yes, Jason, I think the strength this year and this quarter, it really starts with the gross margin performance and that speaks to some of these Internal initiatives and focus areas that we've implemented around our mix of products, our efficiencies in our distribution network, Our ability to drive that gross margin line really helps. And I think what's also long term for us too is we feel like we've got a cost Space that we can leverage. So as we're out, winning with our customers and driving that top line, we feel really good that we We can get some leverage over our operating expenses with our operating day. That's going to allow us to both reinvest in the business as we need to, but also continue that margin expansion journey we're on.

Speaker 4

Okay, great. That's helpful. And it sounds like a lot of sustainability there. The dental equipment strength was probably the other Big outlier in the quarter, at least to me. It seems like a nice improvement in demand and tone from you all regarding just overall demand across the portfolio.

Speaker 4

How much of this is real time and therefore an improvement in demand trends from what we've seen across the last couple of quarters versus How much is that maybe a clearing of demand backlog that's been in place? Anything you can share on the order book exiting the quarter And maybe your confidence in seeing dental equipment sales grow in fiscal 2024 within that low to mid single digit company wide revenue guide you gave today? Thank you.

Speaker 2

Yes, I think you'd have to look at both things really. I mean, certainly the second half of our year, Q4, just given the cadence of some of the things we do, shows strength. So there's always a little bit of a second half bias. There's probably some clearing of the backlog. I think the most important thing though and if you go back here, Equipment is lumpy.

Speaker 2

It was a very good quarter. We're not going to minimize it because we know what's behind it and it was across the whole equipment Portfolio. But I look back and we've talked about this before, 3 month increments are important, but In equipment particularly, I think you look back over longer periods of time and I'm particularly proud of 8% growth average Yes, we think that's above the market growth. We think it's our it shows kind of our advantage that we have in this area and kind of the full suite of products and really the lifecycle management that we use when we talk to our customers about equipment sales. So, I think a little of all that, but again, I think kind of step back and say how are we doing?

Speaker 2

We're doing better than the market and we're pretty proud of

Operator

Your next question comes from the line of Michael Cherny of Bank of America. Please go ahead.

Speaker 5

Good morning. I want to echo the comments on a strong quarter and robust outlook. Maybe a 2 part question kind of interlocked, but You mentioned some of the dynamics regarding the pricing on PPE. Can you give us a sense aside from that about any Variations to either the up or downside you expect over the course of the year? And I guess alongside that as well, any dynamics either quarterly or at least A total perspective of the magnitude of some of the innovation investments that you'll be making?

Speaker 2

Maybe I'll let Kevin kind of walk through a little of that, as much as we're going to share here. Yes.

Speaker 3

I think on the PPE dynamics, Michael, What we expect going forward is that we're starting to see the prices of that basket of products stabilize. But on a year over year basis, when you compare back Q1 F24 to 2023, we still expect to see a bit of a headwind That really should dissipate as we go through the first half of the year. That's really when we should lap it. That is built into our guidance. So, we're in the guidance details I gave on the call.

Speaker 3

That's all built in there. I'd say, some of the investments that we're anticipating making here this year. I'd say, those we're starting those now. There probably will be a bit of a ramp as we go over the course of the here on the OpEx line.

Speaker 5

And anything else that's seasonally different from what you'd expect normally? Obviously, I think Jason asked about coming off the strong equipment quarter, but any other moving pieces, any product launches on either segment that you're expecting to have a meaningful Variation versus what you normally expect in a given year or what's built in the guidance?

Speaker 2

No, I don't think so. And again, I think Kevin mentioned some things that Year over year, you can look at the impact that we talked about guidance. Obviously, the increasing Interest rate environment, at least just on a year over year basis, is a headwind and the software investments and those kinds of things. But that's all built into the guidance. I think what it really shows is even with the guidance we've given, which is strong, We feel the underlying business is really set up to overcome those headwinds.

Operator

Thank you. And your next question comes from the line of Nathan Rich of Goldman Sachs. Please go ahead.

Speaker 6

Hi, good morning. Thanks for the questions. I wanted to start on Dental Consumables. I think up 3.1% for the fiscal year X, infection control. And Don, I think you called out kind of consistently strong patient traffic.

Speaker 6

Can you maybe talk about how you feel about the health of the end market? And maybe for the fiscal year, how Kind of compared to price and should we think about a similar level of dental consumables growth into fiscal 2024?

Speaker 2

Yes. I think this is an area where at least in our business what we're seeing is very steady traffic. I think our own internal data and the ADA data on utilization really It's kind of bearing that out, but we're certainly seeing that in our customer base. And it's a combination of price and And I think, as we look into next year, we're really not modeling any significant Fluctuations in that, I think that's a good proxy right now for the way the business is operating and probably if you're modeling it for next year, For us at least, you'd look at that same kind of dynamic.

Speaker 6

Great. That's helpful. And As a follow-up, I wanted to go back to the earlier comments on margins. I think you had talked about the 20 to 30 basis points as being a good target. But could you maybe just frame the opportunity from here relative to what it was in fiscal 2019?

Speaker 6

You obviously talked about the progress that you made, But margins are kind of now kind of back above where they were kind of 5 years ago. Where do you kind of see the longer term margin potential For this business, it used to be a kind of 6% to 7% margins. Is that eventually where you can get back to if we look Over the next 3, 5 years and play this forward.

Speaker 2

Yes, Nigel. Well, I think I'd like to stay away from too much long term guidance on So, I think over the last 5 years, in the earlier years on that cycle, we probably benefited a little bit more just from the idea that we were getting the business back on track and improving what was where we were. But at the same time, we were putting in programs that were sustainable and that we thought would benefit our margin On a more consistent basis and long term basis going forward. And so right now, what we're seeing is the benefit of those types of things. And again, when we look at this and we really think through margin initiatives, we're thinking through it from the standpoint Not a one time or short term basis, but really what's a long term sustainable program.

Speaker 2

And For me, as I look forward and we kind of talk about future, I would say for our horizons of Seable future, we're looking at that again at that 20 to 30 basis point improvement each year.

Operator

Thank you. And your next question comes from the line of Jonathan Block of Stifel. Please go ahead.

Speaker 7

Great. Thanks guys. Good morning. Just the first one, maybe just in light of some of the recent news from other companies. Can you talk to trends throughout The most recent quarter and Kevin, if I heard you correctly, you might have touched on it a little bit regarding the AR comments.

Speaker 7

It seems like April was strong. Is that correct? How did that sort of continue into May? And then importantly, What are you extrapolating when we think about the full year guidance? If the recent trends were strong April May, is it a continuation in the recent guide?

Speaker 7

Or Building any conservatism around that? Thanks.

Speaker 3

Yes. I think talking about The dental market specifically, I'd probably just reiterate what Don said. We're just seeing very steady End market patient traffic. And for us, we start with kind of our consumables business, our value added services I think that's been steady throughout the Q4. Like Don said, we see that being fairly consistent as we look forward.

Speaker 3

Equipment, we did have stronger equipment quarter that was more back ended in the quarter for us. But again, I think we have as we look forward, like we saw strength across All subcategories within equipment, which again to us speaks to the health of the end market, dentists continue to invest And their practices, whether through expansion or optimizing within the practice, they have new technology and that's a strength of ours. And so as we look forward, We're going to continue to work with those dentists and make sure that we're meeting them where they need to go with the products that we offer. So I see those dynamics continuing as we go into F24 here, John.

Speaker 8

Okay. Fair enough. Thanks for that.

Speaker 7

And then maybe just a pivot From Dental to Animal Health, Animal Health had solid results and it seems like companion continues to lead the charge. But If I look at the companion animal numbers, if I've got it right, it looks like the 4th straight quarter of the 2 year stacked Decelerating by a decent clip, right? I mean, from like the crazy levels of, call it, mid-30s to low Double digits more recently. Maybe if you could just talk to the companion animal market, the amount of resiliency, And then what your rough expectations are going into fiscal 2024 again and most specific to companion? Thanks, guys.

Speaker 2

Okay. Yes. Well, thanks, John. I think over I think you're right. Look, over that period of time that you're referencing, there definitely There's been moderation.

Speaker 2

You kind of talk about all the dynamics of the pandemic and the other factors. What we're seeing right now is with that moderation, visits are down slightly, but spending is up. I think as people are bringing pest back to the vet, there's maybe a catch up element as well. But I think when we cut through it, again, we're in a healthy market. And I think from our data standpoint, we're outperforming the market.

Speaker 2

So we're a market share gainer, and that's where we want to be, Particularly, there'll be some movements in the market, but we think we're gaining share.

Operator

Thank you. And your next question comes from the line of Jeff Johnson of Baird. Please go ahead. Thanks, guys. Good morning.

Speaker 9

I think most of my questions have been answered, but and you've used the word stability here a lot around the dental business. So I probably already know the answer to this question as well. But Don, when I think about the Dental Equipment business, notwithstanding your 8% growth over the last 8 quarters, I think over the last 6 months, it's been 5 Percent growth over the last 12 months has been 5% growth. So is that a reasonably good with what you're seeing in the backlog and order trends? Is that kind of mid single digit on dental equipment a good jumping off place to be thinking about as we go into fiscal 2024 here?

Speaker 9

And then maybe if you could just talk about pricing around tech in equipment versus basic. I know basic is up very nicely. Is that helping that fully some of the deflationary pressures on the tax side or just how those 2 are balancing out on pricing? Thanks.

Speaker 2

Yes. Well, Jeff, I think, good question, I think on your 5% over the last 12 months and We have 8% over the last 8 quarters, but I think that mid single digit range is good. I think that's a good way to think about this Over the slightly longer term. On the pricing, I think for us, We're seeing, again, not to beat on stability, but I think we're seeing pretty good stability on our pricing in this area. Yes.

Speaker 2

We have a healthy program and a disciplined program. And the pricing has held up In spite of some of the macroeconomic trends and so has the demand. So for us, This has been a good story and expect it to continue to be.

Speaker 9

Yes, that's helpful. And then, I guess, a follow-up question just on the consumables Business, obviously, you guys are overweight kind of general consumables. But with the Dolphin business in that, I think you probably have some decent insights at least on the orthodontic side. One of the things we've been seeing in our survey work is clearly the patient volumes are holding in, but maybe spend per patient or some of the high end, High acuity mix coming down a little bit. So just what's your sense on kind of how much that steady patient It was really helping the hygiene and the general consumable side versus the spend per patient and maybe what you're seeing in some of your orthodontic data or anything like that that would help us understand kind of that higher acuity spend level versus the general hygiene?

Speaker 9

Thanks.

Speaker 2

Again, I think if you're getting at the mix Just demand and pricing. I mean, I think it's kind of a little of both. I guess I'm not the orthodontic data probably isn't quite as applicable to us. So I haven't I would reference those back to more of the dental data, the ADA utilization. And just again, All the different elements of data that we are looking at, really point to that kind of steady traffic, that steady traffic theme.

Operator

Thank you. And your next question comes from the line of Elizabeth Anderson of Evercore ISI. Please go ahead.

Speaker 10

Hey guys, thanks so much for the question. Talking about some of the investments that you guys are thinking about in I think I heard you on one of the prior questions say that that was sort of be reflected in the OpEx line. I guess I just wanted to A, confirm that and B, I'd like to just sort of understand a little bit more, do you have any sort of more details on specific areas? And then 2, like how do you think about that kind of buy versus build? Is that kind of at all in your Eletion or how do you guys think about that?

Speaker 10

Thanks.

Speaker 2

Yes, Elizabeth, thanks for the question. I think The let's maybe start with the buy versus build. I mean, we're looking Both as we continue to enhance our capabilities, we are generally committed to build. I think That's been our history and that's been where we've been with Fuze. The investments themselves, that it is reflected in the guidance.

Speaker 2

There's an element of operating expense. There is an element of capital that's involved. But overall, the higher investment is reflected in all the comments and the numbers we're talking through here today. And then additional capabilities, I guess, I wouldn't get into all the just competitively get into all the specific Capabilities, I think I would say that we are making investments in both our Eaglesoft platform and Fuze. I think our view is that, we really are excited about where these products are and where they're headed.

Speaker 2

It's a very fast paced and evolving area. So for us, having the features and functionality we need It's important, but again, not only on the on prem side, but on the cloud based side. And So there's a lot of things happening here, a lot of technology and innovation and it's happening quick. And so We're determined to stay ahead of that.

Speaker 10

Okay. That's very helpful. I guess my next question is, Should we think about the general dentistry market and sort of your presence among DSOs? How is that strategy at all Have you seen any new dynamics there? I mean, obviously, you have some large customers.

Speaker 10

How are those relationships? We haven't heard an update on that in a little while, so Sort of curious how you're viewing that in the current environment?

Speaker 2

I think really pretty steady This area, I mean, it's evolving, but our strategy It is consistent. And so overall, I think this is a good story. I don't really there There's the national side, there's regional side. Obviously, we're working on both of them. We think we have a good core competence, particularly on the regional DSO kind of area, but probably nothing new to report in terms of any Different dynamics.

Operator

Thank you. Your next question comes from the line of Kevin Caliendo of UBS.

Speaker 11

I guess first one is just on cadence. I know you don't like to give quarterly guidance and the like, But there is some lumpiness to some of the numbers and just any kind of color you can provide us or help you can provide us as we think about Modeling out the year to get to the guidance for the full year in terms of quarterly or first half, second half Or even just sort of revenue growth expectations or margin expectations?

Speaker 3

Yes, Ken. I'd say, I think As we look forward, our first half, second half splits should be fairly in line with the past couple of years in terms of how we're modeling it right now.

Speaker 11

Okay, great. And that's from an EPS perspective is what you're understanding? Right.

Speaker 3

Perfect. You talked a little bit

Speaker 11

on the equipment side and said there was strength across all three categories. I think you also said maybe there A little bit of a drawdown in backlog. Can you maybe talk about where you're seeing demand Worried, maybe you saw some of the backlog come in a little bit, where maybe demand increased a little bit across the categories. As best you can, any sort of color across the 3 about the changing dynamics between demand and backlog going but what do you expect To be going forward more than looking back.

Speaker 2

Yes. I think, again, as we mentioned, It is a bit lumpy. So to me, we watch it Backlog, can we watch it through each of the categories and look at the data? I think the backlog kind of reflects the lumpiness. So Backlog at times is high, other times is low.

Speaker 2

But I haven't I'm not drawing and I don't believe there's A correlation here between anything that's going on with our backlog at any time and kind of overall traffic and demand. It depends more on innovation cycle, inventory we're holding and then installation. So but nothing that I'm going to nothing that we think would be interesting in terms of Reporting this out right now that would give you more insight.

Speaker 8

If I can ask

Operator

Pardon for that. I'm going to go on move on to the next question. I'll bring up the person again in a second. And the next question comes from Brandon

Speaker 8

On equipment that we were talking about before, some of the other peers in the space have been talking about how equipment demand has Strong, but there's been a little bit of a shift maybe in some markets, especially like internal scanners towards lower price, maybe as we get higher in adoption curve. Curious if you guys are seeing any, maybe the answer is no, given how strong of a quarter you had within equipment, but curious if you're seeing any higher demand for Lower end prices within that segment or not?

Speaker 3

Yes. I think I guess what I'd say is, I think our teams do a really good job managing Those dynamics when they pop up and we've got a pretty broad selection of multiple equipment categories and technologies. And our team out in the field does a really good job of understanding what a dental practice needs and how to meet those needs. And most markets, as there is price declines, you generally see demand increase and adoption increase when those things happen. So I think that's what I'd say is, we benefit from a really skilled sales force that knows our customers and knows what's going to

Speaker 8

And then my second question, Looking back at the value added services and software segment, another great quarter for you guys there. And we asked a little bit earlier about What's in the pipeline, but maybe I'll ask that question slightly different. Is there any way you can frame the opportunity for us within value added services and software? Maybe any figures like what percent of your customers today are using your value added services or what kind of pocket share can you get incrementally from current customers, anything like that, just helpful to understand the market. Thanks.

Speaker 2

Yes. I appreciate the question and definitely I want to be helpful. Probably not going to give that level of data. It's something we track. I think maybe just suffice it to say that this is a very important part of our product Portfolio, it's a high margin part of our product portfolio, and a huge focus for us going forward.

Speaker 2

Again, kind of reflected in the additional investments we're going to make here. But yes, Probably at this point, not going to give you too much of a breakdown. I think it's a big addressable market for us.

Operator

Thank you. And your last question comes from the line of A. J. Rice of Credit Suisse. Please go ahead.

Speaker 12

Thanks. Hi, everybody. Maybe a couple of quick ones here. You mentioned a couple of times the impact of the rising rate I wondered as you are looking at equipment financing and how your buyers are approaching the market, has that changed their willingness to finance Equipment sales in any way, are you seeing any changes or opportunities there?

Speaker 3

Yes, Ajay, I'd say, we haven't seen a dramatic change in how much of our sales get financed. We've obviously adjusted our rates to reflect the higher rate environment. But we also we work closely with our manufacturer partners To drive smart promotions that can drive more demand and sometimes those are in the financing area. And so we participated with them, Some of those promotions that can help the ROI for a dentist as they look at the opportunity.

Speaker 12

Okay. And then maybe another sort of market oriented question. There's been obviously a lot of discussion about the tightness Supply of dental hygienists and so forth and you've also had some similar commentary in the veterinary space. We're seeing a little bit of easing in some other areas. Are you seeing in your ongoing customer base easing in either of those areas?

Speaker 12

And is that having any impact So wait times to get appointments or is that a potential help in the next year in your consumable side?

Speaker 2

Well, we're definitely aware there's some of those dynamics out there. It really has not shown up in the EDA data and on our data. And I think I go back to The comments on steady traffic, I think it's a challenge for dental office, Don't get me wrong. But for us, again, for what we're seeing right now, that's not been a major factor. Thank you.

Speaker 2

Anyway, that's our last question. And I thank everybody for their time today and Patterson Companies and we'll talk to you shortly after our next quarter.

Operator

This concludes today's conference call. You may

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Earnings Conference Call
Patterson Companies Q4 2023
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