- Sales amounted to EUR 5.0 billion, with 10% comparable sales growth
- Comparable order intake increased 3% excluding the partial termination of the ventilator contract with HHS*); reported comparable order intake declined 18%
- Income from continuing operations increased to EUR 341 million, compared to EUR 211 million in Q3 2019
- Adjusted EBITA margin increased to 15.4% of sales, compared to 12.4% of sales in Q3 2019
- Income from operations improved to EUR 476 million, compared to EUR 320 million in Q3 2019
- EPS from continuing operations (diluted) amounted to EUR 0.37; Adjusted EPS increased to EUR 0.60, compared to EUR 0.46 in Q3 2019
- Operating cash flow improved to EUR 770 million, compared to EUR 356 million in Q3 2019
Bengaluru, NFAPost: Here are some excerpts from the comments of Frans van Houten, CEO:
“It is clear that the COVID-19 pandemic is far from over, and our teams remain fully focused on delivering against our triple duty of care: meeting critical customer needs, safeguarding the health and safety of our employees, and ensuring business continuity.
I am pleased that, under challenging circumstances, we have been able to execute our plans and return to growth and improved profitability for the Group in the third quarter. Driven by the successful conversion of the Connected Care order book for patient monitors and ventilators, and a robust rebound of demand for our Personal Health portfolio, Philips recorded a strong 10% comparable sales growth and delivered an Adjusted EBITA margin improvement of 300 basis points to 15.4%.
The Connected Care businesses delivered a very strong 42% comparable sales growth, and our Personal Health businesses delivered a healthy 6% comparable sales growth. I am encouraged by the performance improvement of our Diagnosis & Treatment businesses to a low-single-digit comparable sales decline from a high-single-digit decline in the previous quarter.
In August, we provided the update that Philips’ April 2020 hospital ventilator contract with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) had been unexpectedly partially terminated. As a result, we recorded a comparable order intake decline for the Group of 18%. Excluding this partial termination, comparable order intake grew 3%, further building on the solid growth in the previous quarters.
The work we are doing to support healthcare providers and medical staff with the provision of both COVID-19 and regular care remains a top priority for all of us at Philips. In close collaboration with our suppliers and partners, we have steeply ramped up the production volumes of products and solutions to help diagnose, treat, monitor and manage COVID-19 patients. We introduced a new Rapid Equipment Deployment Kit for ICU ramp-ups, allowing hospital staff to quickly deploy patient monitoring capabilities when additional critical care capacity is needed. To enhance patient care and improve care provider productivity, Philips entered into 11 long-term strategic partnerships with hospitals in the US, Europe and Asia. We announced a new multi-year partnership with Tampa General Hospital, one of the largest hospitals in the US, to replace all of its patient monitors and upgrade key imaging technologies in the catheterization laboratories and interventional radiology rooms. We will also provide this hospital with unique workflow solutions and operational performance management services.
Looking ahead, we continue to see uncertainty and volatility related to the impact of COVID-19 across the world, but our order book remains solid. For the full year 2020, we continue to expect to deliver modest comparable sales growth, with an Adjusted EBITA margin of around the level of last year.”
Business segment performance
The Diagnosis & Treatment businesses recorded a 3% comparable sales decline, compared to a 9% sales decline in Q2 2020. The postponement of installations and gradual recovery of elective procedures resulted in a low-single-digit comparable sales decline in Diagnostic Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy and a double-digit decline in Ultrasound. Comparable order intake showed a 5% decrease, compared to a 20% decrease in Q2 2020. The Adjusted EBITA margin decreased to 9.7%, mainly due to lower volumes and factory coverage, as well as mix changes.
Comparable sales in the Connected Care businesses increased 42%, with double-digit growth in Monitoring & Analytics and Sleep & Respiratory Care. Excluding the partial termination of the ventilator contract with HHS, comparable order intake showed a double-digit increase, with strong growth across all businesses. The Adjusted EBITA margin increased to 27.1%, driven by higher volumes and operating leverage.
The Personal Health businesses delivered a comparable sales increase of 6%, driven by high-single-digit growth in Personal Care and Domestic Appliances. The Adjusted EBITA margin amounted to 14.5%, which includes an adverse currency impact.
Philips’ ongoing focus on innovation and partnerships resulted in the following key developments in the quarter:
- Building on the strong results of its ‘Healthy people, Sustainable planet’ 2016-2020 program, Philips announced a new set of ambitious targets, commitments and detailed action plans across all the Environmental, Social and Governance dimensions, including improving the lives of 2 billion people a year by 2025 and further reduction of its carbon footprint across its entire value chain in line with the 1.5 oC global warming scenario.
- Philips signed 11 new long-term strategic partnerships across the world, including multi-year agreements with Buon Ma Thuot University Hospital in Vietnam, Mandaya Royal Hospital Puri in Indonesia and Franciscus Gasthuis & Vlietland in the Netherlands, to provide a comprehensive range of health technology solutions.
- Broadening its leading portfolio of power toothbrushes, the company launched the Philips One by Sonicare. An entry-level proposition to expand into new consumer segments, Philips One is a battery-operated power toothbrush developed as a step up from manual brushing. Users of this toothbrush can opt into a subscription service for brush head and battery replacements.
- Philips expanded its industry-leading image-guided therapy devices portfolio through the acquisition of Intact Vascular, adding an industry-first implantable device to treat peripheral artery disease. Moreover, Philips launched QuickClear, an all-in-one thrombectomy system for the removal of blood clots in peripheral vessels, and OmniWire, a solid-core pressure wire – also an industry-first – to guide coronary artery procedures.
- Philips launched major extensions to its industry-leading Azurion image-guided therapy platform, comprising a new range of configurations – covering more price segments – to innovate procedures in a broad range of therapeutic areas, and further integration between imaging and diagnostic devices.
- SimonMed Imaging, one of the largest outpatient medical imaging providers in the US, is partnering with Philips to deploy its most advanced 3T MRI technology, including software and services, at their outpatient practices to enhance diagnoses, from brain injuries, liver and cardiac disease to orthopedic injuries. Moreover, the partners are collaborating to further enhance the patient experience and flow.
- Building on its leadership in therapeutic care, Philips launched its new Tempus ALS remote monitoring and defibrillator solution for emergency medical responders in the US, to help accelerate the delivery of care in emergency settings outside the hospital.
Cost savings
In the third quarter, procurement savings amounted to EUR 62 million. Overhead and other productivity programs delivered savings of EUR 58 million. As a result, Philips is on track to deliver over EUR 400 million productivity savings for 2020 and exceed EUR 1.8 billion productivity savings for the Group for the 2017-2020 period.
Philips provides new financial targets for the 2021–2025 period
At the company’s Capital Markets Day with investors and financial analysts on November 6, 2020, Philips will provide further details of its strategic plan and performance trajectory for the 2021–2025 period.
“We are excited to continue our journey to create further value by improving growth and profitability, while recognizing that we are in very uncertain times, and with the assumption that the world economy will return to growth next year,” said Frans van Houten.
“The new targets are underpinned by our strategic imperatives to further improve customer and operational excellence, boost growth in our core businesses through geographical expansion and more customer partnerships, and win with innovative solutions along the health continuum. Our strategy to transform care along the health continuum – from healthy living and prevention to diagnosis and treatment, telehealth and home care – strongly resonates with customers and has been further validated during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Philips’ targets for accelerated growth, higher profitability and improved cash flow for the 2021–2025 period are [1]:
- An acceleration of the average annual comparable sales growth to 5-6%, with all business segments within this range. For 2021, Philips’ current view is that Group comparable sales will deliver low-single-digit growth, driven by solid growth in Diagnosis & Treatment and Personal Health, partly offset by lower Connected Care sales;
- An Adjusted EBITA margin improvement of 60-80 basis points on average annually from 2021, reaching the high teens for the Group by 2025;
- A free cash flow above EUR 2 billion by 2025;
- Organic Return on Invested Capital (ROIC) of mid-to-high teens by 2025.
Note: On August 31, 2020 Philips announced that its April 2020 ventilator supply contract with the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) had been partially terminated.
