Connect with us

Technology

Stoneridge Reports Second Quarter 2024 Results

Published

on

Q2 Operating Performance Significantly Outperforms Previously Provided Expectations Driven by Strong Margin Expansion

2024 Second Quarter Results

Sales of $237.1 millionGross profit of $53.7 million (22.7% of sales)Operating income of $3.4 million Adjusted operating income of $5.4 million (2.3% of sales)Adjusted EBITDA of $16.1 million (6.8% of sales)Earnings per share (“EPS”) of $0.10Adjusted EPS of $0.17

 2024 Full-Year Guidance Update

Reducing full-year 2024 revenue midpoint guidance by $45 million to reflect updated FX rates (~$12 million impact), updated OEM production volumes (~$18 million impact) and potential volatility in non-OEM and customer demand-based products (~$15 million impact)Revenue guidance of $940 million – $970 million (midpoint of $955 million)Increasing gross margin midpoint guidance by 50 basis points to reflect continued material cost improvement and operational excellenceGross margin guidance of 22.75% – 23.0%Reducing adjusted operating margin and EBITDA margin expectations to reflect lower contribution from reduced revenue expectations, offset by improved gross margin performance and continued operating cost controlAdjusted operating margin guidance of ~2.75%Adjusted EBITDA guidance of $58 million – $64 million (adjusted EBITDA margin of 6.2% – 6.6%)Adjusted EPS guidance of $0.18 – $0.28 (midpoint of $0.23)

NOVI, Mich., July 31, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Stoneridge, Inc. (NYSE: SRI) today announced financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2024, with sales of $237.1 million and earnings per share of $0.10. Adjusted EPS was $0.17.

For the second quarter of 2024, Stoneridge reported gross profit of $53.7 million (22.7% of sales), an increase of 250 basis points relative to the first quarter of 2024. Operating income of $3.4 million resulted in adjusted operating income of $5.4 million (2.3% of sales), an increase of 210 basis points relative to the first quarter of 2024.  Adjusted EBITDA was $16.1 million (6.8% of sales), an increase of 410 basis points relative to the first quarter of 2024.  Second quarter results were favorably impacted by non-operating foreign currency of approximately $2.3 million.

The exhibits attached hereto provide reconciliation detail on normalizing adjustments of non-GAAP financial measures used in this press release. 

Jim Zizelman, president and chief executive officer, commented, “Our second quarter performance highlights our continued focus on improving the fundamentals of our business leading to significantly improved margins and significant outperformance relative to our prior expectations. This was primarily driven by continued material cost reductions, improved operational excellence, including reduced quality-related costs, and operating cost control as we continue to execute on the key initiatives we set at the beginning of the year. Our efforts to reduce material costs and control operating costs contributed to a 250 basis point improvement in gross margin and a 210 basis point improvement in adjusted operating margin over the first quarter. Including the benefit of non-operating FX income, adjusted EBITDA margin improved by 410 basis points over the first quarter to 6.8% of sales. We continue to improve the financial performance of the business while maintaining our robust approach to technology innovation and growth.”

Zizelman continued, “While we continue to drive operational performance improvement, we remain focused on flawless execution of the program launches that will drive strong growth going-forward. We are excited to announce that during the second quarter we began shipping our first MirrorEye OEM systems to Volvo for the launch of their FH Aero model in Europe. Similarly, our MirrorEye program with Peterbilt launched on Models 579 and 567 in North America in July.  Both customers are focusing significant marketing efforts on MirrorEye as a differentiating product in the market. Initial customer feedback has been excellent. For example, Volvo recently announced one of their largest deals ever, in which they have received an order for 1,500 vehicles all of which will be equipped with MirrorEye to be delivered throughout 2024 and 2025. While we have experienced some volatility as new truck production and our programs ramp up, we expect volumes to continue to accelerate for the remainder of the year bringing take rates at least inline with our original expectations. We continue to expect MirrorEye to gain momentum in the second half of this year, as our first OEM program in Europe maintains its strong take rates and the two recently launched programs continue to ramp up in production.”

Zizelman concluded, “Our robust backlog continues to provide a strong foundation for our strategy focused on technologies and capabilities that will drive continued long-term growth. Last month, Volvo Bus announced they have selected Stoneridge to provide connected services and digital solutions using our artificial intelligence-based fuel advice system in a pilot program this year. This partnership is aligned with our ongoing focus on data services, software and AI to drive advanced system capabilities and expansion of our existing technology platforms and products to drive long-term profitable growth.”

Second Quarter in Review

Electronics sales of $153.5 million decreased by 6.4% relative to adjusted sales of the second quarter of 2023. This decrease was primarily driven by lower sales in both the European and North American commercial vehicle end markets and the impact of retroactive pricing recognized in the second quarter of 2023 of approximately $3.3 million. This is partially offset by higher sales in the European off-highway vehicle end market. Second quarter adjusted operating margin of 7.6% improved by 230 basis points relative to the adjusted operating margin of the second quarter of 2023, primarily due to lower direct material costs as a percentage of sales, as well as lower D&D and SG&A costs. 

Control Devices sales of $80.9 million decreased by 13.1% relative to sales of the second quarter of 2023. This decrease was primarily due to lower sales in the North American passenger vehicle end market due to lower customer volumes and the expected wind-down of end-of-life programs as well as lower China automotive sales. Second quarter operating margin of 4.6% decreased by 130 basis points relative to the adjusted operating margin of the second quarter of 2023, primarily due to lower contribution from lower sales, partially offset by lower direct material costs as a percentage of sales and lower D&D costs.

Stoneridge Brazil sales of $11.8 million decreased by $3.1 million relative to sales in the second quarter of 2023. This decrease was primarily due to lower sales in local OEM products, tracking devices and monitoring service fees. Second quarter operating performance of approximately break-even decreased by approximately $0.9 million relative to the second quarter of 2023, primarily due to lower contribution from lower sales volumes partially offset by lower direct material costs.

Relative to the first quarter of 2024, Electronics adjusted sales of $153.5 million, decreased by $2.6 million, or 1.7%. This slight decrease was driven primarily by the unfavorable impact of foreign currency of approximately $2.2 million. Second quarter adjusted operating margin increased by 310 basis points relative to the first quarter of 2024, primarily due to material cost improvements, lower quality-related costs and lower engineering costs.

Relative to the first quarter of 2024, Control Devices sales increased by 3.7%. This increase was primarily due to higher sales in the North American passenger vehicle end market as well as higher commercial vehicle sales in China. Second quarter adjusted operating margin increased by 180 basis points relative to the first quarter of 2024, primarily due to benefits recognized from completed negotiations related to price and volume, improved operational execution and lower SG&A and D&D costs as a result of operating cost control efforts.

Relative to the first quarter of 2024, Stoneridge Brazil sales decreased by $0.4 million. This was primarily the result of the unfavorable foreign currency impact of approximately $0.6 million. Second quarter operating performance decreased by $0.2 million relative to the first quarter of 2024, primarily due to unfavorable foreign currency impact of approximately $0.2 million.

Cash and Debt Balances

As of June 30, 2024, Stoneridge had compliance net debt of $161.4 million resulting in a net debt to trailing twelve-month EBITDA compliance leverage ratio of 2.89x, an improvement of 0.24x compared to December 31, 2023.

The Company continues to focus on both operating performance and working capital improvement to drive cash performance, particularly related to inventory reduction. During the first half of the year, inventory balances declined by $9.0 million. The Company expects to continue to reduce inventory balances throughout the year. The Company expects a net debt to EBITDA ratio for compliance purposes of approximately 2.5x by the end of 2024.

2024 Outlook

The Company is updating its previously provided full-year 2024 guidance ranges including sales guidance of $940 million to $970 million, gross margin guidance of 22.75% to 23.0%, adjusted operating margin guidance of approximately 2.75%, adjusted earnings per share guidance of $0.18 to $0.28 and adjusted EBITDA guidance of $58 million to $64 million, or 6.2% to 6.6% of sales.

Matt Horvath, chief financial officer, commented, “We are updating our full-year 2024 revenue guidance to reflect updated foreign currency rates, updated OEM production volumes and current expectations for non-OEM and customer demand-based products. This results in a midpoint of $955 million for the year. Due primarily to our year-to-date performance, expectation of continued reduction in material costs and a continued focus on operational excellence, we are increasing our full-year gross margin expectations by 50 basis points. We are expecting improved gross margin and operating cost control to significantly offset the decremental impact of reduced revenue. As a result, we are reducing our adjusted EBITDA margin midpoint guidance by 30 basis points, or $61 million of adjusted EBITDA. This results in a 130 basis point margin improvement and 27% growth in adjusted EBITDA over 2023. Finally, we are reducing our full-year adjusted EPS guidance to a midpoint of $0.23 to reflect the lower contribution from reduced sales partially offset by improved operating performance.”

Horvath, concluded, “By continuing to focus on improving the fundamentals of our business, we drove significant margin expansion across our business in the second quarter. Additionally, we continue to focus on inventory reduction to improve our cash position and reduce our leverage profile. We expect to continue those efforts in the second half of the year to help drive financial performance. Stoneridge remains well positioned to outpace our underlying end market growth and drive significant earnings expansion going forward.”

Conference Call on the Web
A live Internet broadcast of Stoneridge’s conference call regarding 2024 second quarter results can be accessed at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, August 1, 2024, at www.stoneridge.com, which will also offer a webcast replay.

About Stoneridge, Inc.
Stoneridge, Inc., headquartered in Novi, Michigan, is a global designer and manufacturer of highly engineered electrical and electronic systems, components and modules for the automotive, commercial, off-highway and agricultural vehicle markets. Additional information about Stoneridge can be found at www.stoneridge.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
Statements in this press release contain “forward-looking statements” under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements appear in a number of places in this report and may include statements regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of the Company, with respect to, among other things, our (i) future product and facility expansion, (ii) acquisition strategy, (iii) investments and new product development, (iv) growth opportunities related to awarded business, and (v) operational expectations. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the words “will,” “may,” “should,” “designed to,” “believes,” “plans,” “projects,” “intends,” “expects,” “estimates,” “anticipates,” “continue,” and similar words and expressions. The forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by the statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, among other factors:

the ability of our suppliers to supply us with parts and components at competitive prices on a timely basis, including the impact of potential tariffs and trade considerations on their operations and output;fluctuations in the cost and availability of key materials and components (including semiconductors, printed circuit boards, resin, aluminum, steel and copper) and our ability to offset cost increases through negotiated price increases with our customers or other cost reduction actions, as necessary;global economic trends, competition and geopolitical risks, including impacts from ongoing or potential global conflicts and any related sanctions and other measures, or an escalation of sanctions, tariffs or other trade tensions between the U.S. and other countries;our ability to achieve cost reductions that offset or exceed customer-mandated selling price reductions;the reduced purchases, loss or bankruptcy of a major customer or supplier;the costs and timing of business realignment, facility closures or similar actions;a significant change in automotive, commercial, off-highway or agricultural vehicle production;competitive market conditions and resulting effects on sales and pricing;foreign currency fluctuations and our ability to manage those impacts;customer acceptance of new products;our ability to successfully launch/produce products for awarded business;adverse changes in laws, government regulations or market conditions affecting our products, our suppliers, or our customers’ products;our ability to protect our intellectual property and successfully defend against assertions made against us;liabilities arising from warranty claims, product recall or field actions, product liability and legal proceedings to which we are or may become a party, or the impact of product recall or field actions on our customers;labor disruptions at our facilities, or at any of our significant customers or suppliers;business disruptions due to natural disasters or other disasters outside of our control;the amount of our indebtedness and the restrictive covenants contained in the agreements governing our indebtedness, including our revolving Credit Facility;capital availability or costs, including changes in interest rates;the failure to achieve the successful integration of any acquired company or business;risks related to a failure of our information technology systems and networks, and risks associated with current and emerging technology threats and damage from computer viruses, unauthorized access, cyber-attack and other similar disruptions; andthe items described in Part I, Item IA (“Risk Factors”) in our Form 10-K filed with the SEC.

The forward-looking statements contained herein represent our estimates only as of the date of this release and should not be relied upon as representing our estimates as of any subsequent date. While we may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we specifically disclaim any obligation to do so, whether to reflect actual results, changes in assumptions, changes in other factors affecting such forward-looking statements or otherwise.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Information
This press release contains information about the Company’s financial results that is not presented in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”). Such non-GAAP financial measures are reconciled to their closest GAAP financial measures at the end of this press release. The provision of these non-GAAP financial measures for 2024 and 2023 is not intended to indicate that Stoneridge is explicitly or implicitly providing projections on those non-GAAP financial measures, and actual results for such measures are likely to vary from those presented. The reconciliations include all information reasonably available to the Company at the date of this press release and the adjustments that management can reasonably predict.

Management believes the non-GAAP financial measures used in this press release are useful to both management and investors in their analysis of the Company’s financial position and results of operations. In particular, management believes that adjusted sales, adjusted operating income and margin, adjusted income (loss) before tax, adjusted income tax expense (benefit), adjusted net income, adjusted EPS, EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted net debt, adjusted debt and adjusted cash are useful measures in assessing the Company’s financial performance by excluding certain items that are not indicative of the Company’s core operating performance or that may obscure trends useful in evaluating the Company’s continuing operating activities. Management also believes that these measures are useful to both management and investors in their analysis of the Company’s results of operations and provide improved comparability between fiscal periods.

Adjusted sales, adjusted operating income and margin, adjusted income (loss) before tax, adjusted income tax expense (benefit), adjusted net income, adjusted EPS, EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted net debt, adjusted debt and adjusted cash should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for sales, operating income, income (loss) before tax, income tax expense (benefit), net income, EPS, debt, cash and cash equivalents, cash provided by operating activities or other income statement or cash flow statement data prepared in accordance with GAAP.

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(in thousands)

June 30,
2024

December 31,
2023

(Unaudited)

ASSETS

Current assets:

Cash and cash equivalents

$            42,112

$            40,841

Accounts receivable, less reserves of $620 and $1,058, respectively

168,215

166,545

Inventories, net

178,749

187,758

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

32,882

34,246

Total current assets

421,958

429,390

Long-term assets:

Property, plant and equipment, net

103,061

110,126

Intangible assets, net

43,586

47,314

Goodwill

34,244

35,295

Operating lease right-of-use asset

8,722

10,795

Investments and other long-term assets, net

55,080

46,980

Total long-term assets

244,693

250,510

Total assets

$         666,651

$         679,900

LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY

Current liabilities:

Current portion of debt

$              2,064

$              2,113

Accounts payable

108,085

111,925

Accrued expenses and other current liabilities

76,098

64,203

Total current liabilities

186,247

178,241

Long-term liabilities:

Revolving credit facility

187,417

189,346

Deferred income taxes

6,276

7,224

Operating lease long-term liability

5,814

7,684

Other long-term liabilities

10,446

9,688

Total long-term liabilities

209,953

213,942

Shareholders’ equity:

Preferred Shares, without par value, 5,000 shares authorized, none issued

—

—

Common Shares, without par value, 60,000 shares authorized, 28,966 and

28,966 shares issued and 27,679 and 27,549 
shares outstanding at June 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively,

with no stated value

—

—

Additional paid-in capital

224,599

227,340

Common Shares held in treasury, 1,287 and 1,417 shares at June 30, 2024

and December 31, 2023, respectively, at cost

(39,066)

(43,344)

Retained earnings

193,169

196,509

Accumulated other comprehensive loss

(108,251)

(92,788)

Total shareholders’ equity

270,451

287,717

Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity

$         666,651

$         679,900

 

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

Three months ended
June 30,

Six months ended
June 30,

(in thousands, except per share data)

2024

2023

2024

2023

Net sales

$         237,059

$         266,814

$         476,216

$         508,139

Costs and expenses:

Cost of goods sold

183,319

206,326

374,119

404,849

Selling, general and administrative

31,876

33,491

62,299

63,354

Design and development

18,457

22,666

36,060

39,634

Operating income

3,407

4,331

3,738

302

Interest expense, net

3,801

3,120

7,435

5,866

Equity in loss of investee

52

329

329

500

Other (income) expense, net

(2,296)

2,387

(260)

3,535

Income (loss) before income taxes

1,850

(1,505)

(3,766)

(9,599)

(Benefit) provision for income taxes

(936)

1,487

(426)

779

Net income (loss)

$              2,786

$            (2,992)

$            (3,340)

$          (10,378)

Income (loss) per share:

Basic

$                0.10

$              (0.11)

$              (0.12)

$              (0.38)

Diluted

$                0.10

$              (0.11)

$              (0.12)

$              (0.38)

Weighted-average shares outstanding:

Basic

27,611

27,452

27,570

27,400

Diluted

27,853

27,452

27,570

27,400

 

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

Six months ended June 30, (in thousands)

2024

2023

OPERATING ACTIVITIES:

Net loss

$              (3,340)

$            (10,378)

Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by (used for) operating activities:

Depreciation

13,054

13,161

Amortization, including accretion and write-off of deferred financing costs

4,440

4,004

Deferred income taxes

(7,004)

(3,782)

Loss of equity method investee

329

500

Loss (gain) on sale of fixed assets

258

(854)

Share-based compensation expense

2,207

1,271

Excess tax deficiency related to share-based compensation expense

238

66

Changes in operating assets and liabilities:

Accounts receivable, net

(6,094)

(28,100)

Inventories, net

3,438

(23,142)

Prepaid expenses and other assets

(1,038)

3,313

Accounts payable

(849)

27,069

Accrued expenses and other liabilities

12,123

12,184

Net cash provided by (used for) operating activities

17,762

(4,688)

INVESTING ACTIVITIES:

Capital expenditures, including intangibles

(12,920)

(18,025)

Proceeds from sale of fixed assets

222

1,729

Investment in venture capital fund, net

(260)

—

Net cash used for investing activities

(12,958)

(16,296)

FINANCING ACTIVITIES:

Revolving credit facility borrowings

57,000

42,000

Revolving credit facility payments

(58,000)

(38,068)

Proceeds from issuance of debt

17,677

16,402

Repayments of debt

(17,690)

(18,086)

Repurchase of Common Shares to satisfy employee tax withholding

(666)

(1,325)

Net cash (used for) provided by financing activities

(1,679)

923

Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents

(1,854)

(32)

Net change in cash and cash equivalents

1,271

(20,093)

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period

40,841

54,798

Cash and cash equivalents at end of period

$             42,112

$             34,705

Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:

Cash paid for interest, net

$               8,003

$               5,622

Cash paid for income taxes, net

$               4,372

$               5,927

 

Regulation G Non-GAAP Financial Measure Reconciliations

Exhibit 1 – Reconciliation of Adjusted EPS

Reconciliation of Q2 2024 Adjusted EPS

(USD in millions, except EPS)

Q2 2024

Q2 2024 EPS

Net Income

$               2.8

$             0.10

Add: After-Tax Business Realignment Costs

1.9

0.07

Adjusted Net Income

$               4.7

$             0.17

 

Exhibit 2 – Reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA

(USD in millions)

Q1 2023

Q2 2023

Q3 2023

Q4 2023

Q1 2024

Q2 2024

Income (Loss) Before Tax

$     (8.1)

$     (1.5)

$       4.4

$       3.2

$      (5.6)

$      1.9

Interest expense, net

2.7

3.1

3.3

3.8

3.6

3.8

Depreciation and amortization

8.3

8.4

8.5

8.4

8.6

8.5

EBITDA

$       3.0

$     10.0

$     16.2

$     15.5

$       6.6

$    14.2

Add: Pre-Tax Business Realignment Costs

1.3

1.9

1.2

0.1

—

1.9

Less: Pre-Tax Gain on Disposal of Fixed Assets

(0.8)

—

—

—

—

—

Add: Pre-Tax Environmental Remediation Costs

0.1

—

—

—

—

—

Add: Pre-Tax Brazilian Indirect Tax Credits, Net

—

—

(0.5)

—

—

—

Adjusted EBITDA

$       3.6

$     11.9

$     17.0

$     15.6

$       6.6

$    16.1

 

Exhibit 3 – Reconciliation of Adjusted Operating Income

(USD in millions)

Q1 2024

Q2 2024

Operating Income

$           0.3

$           3.4

Add: Pre-Tax Business Realignment Costs

—

1.9

Adjusted Operating Income

$           0.3

$           5.4

 

Exhibit 4 – Segment Adjusted Operating Income

 

Reconciliation of Control Devices Adjusted Operating Income

(USD in millions)

Q2 2023

Q1 2024

Q2 2024

Control Devices Operating Income

$       5.1

$       2.2

$       3.7

Add: Pre-Tax Business Realignment Costs

0.4

—

—

Control Devices Adjusted Operating Income

$       5.5

$       2.2

$       3.7

Reconciliation of Electronics Adjusted Operating Income

(USD in millions)

Q2 2023

Q1 2024

Q2 2024

Electronics Operating Income

$       7.4

$       7.1

$       9.8

Add: Pre-Tax Business Realignment Costs

1.3

—

1.9

Electronics Adjusted Operating Income

$       8.8

$       7.1

$     11.7

 

Exhibit 5 – Reconciliation of Electronics Adjusted Sales

(USD in millions)

Q2 2023

Q1 2024

Q2 2024

Electronics Sales

$   168.3

$   156.1

$   153.5

Less: Sales from Spot Purchases Recoveries

(4.4)

—

—

Electronics Adjusted Sales

$   163.9

$   156.1

$   153.5

 

Exhibit 6 – Reconciliation of Adjusted Tax Rate

Reconciliation of Q2 2024 Adjusted Tax Rate

(USD in millions)

Q2 2024

Tax Rate

Income Before Tax

$             1.9

Add: Pre-Tax Business Realignment Costs

1.9

Adjusted Income Before Tax

$             3.8

Income Tax Benefit

(0.9)

(50.6) %

Add: Tax Impact from Pre-Tax Adjustments

–

Adjusted Income Tax Benefit on Adjusted Income Before Tax

$            (0.9)

(24.3) %

 

Exhibit 7 – Reconciliation of Compliance Leverage Ratio

Reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA for Compliance Calculation

(USD in millions)

Q1 2023

Q2 2023

Q3 2023

Q4 2023

Q1 2024

Q2 2024

Income (Loss) Before Tax

$     (8.1)

$     (1.5)

$       4.4

3.2

(5.6)

1.9

Interest Expense, net

2.7

3.1

3.3

3.8

3.6

3.8

Depreciation and Amortization

8.3

8.4

8.5

8.4

8.6

8.5

EBITDA

$       3.0

$     10.0

$     16.2

$     15.5

$       6.6

$     14.2

Compliance adjustments:

Add: Non-Cash Impairment Charges and Write-offs or Write Downs

—

—

—

—

0.2

—

Add: Adjustments from Foreign Currency Impact

1.4

3.1

0.4

(0.7)

2.2

(2.4)

Add: Extraordinary, Non-recurring or Unusual Items

0.2

—

0.5

—

—

—

Add: Cash Restructuring Charges

1.4

0.5

0.1

0.3

1.6

0.5

Add: Charges for Transactions, Amendments, and Refinances

—

—

—

0.3

—

—

Add: Adjustment to Autotech Fund II Investment

0.2

0.3

0.1

(0.1)

0.3

0.1

Adjusted EBITDA (Compliance)

$       6.1

$     13.9

$     17.4

$     15.3

$     10.9

$     12.3

Adjusted TTM EBITDA (Compliance)

$     52.7

$     57.5

$     55.9

 

Reconciliation of Adjusted Cash for Compliance Calculation

(USD in millions)

Q4 2023

Q1 2024

Q2 2024

Total Cash and Cash Equivalents

$       40.8

$       48.4

$      42.1

Less: 35% of Cash in Foreign Locations

(12.8)

(14.8)

(12.5)

Total Adjusted Cash (Compliance)

$       28.0

$       33.6

$      29.6

Reconciliation of Adjusted Debt for Compliance Calculation

(USD in millions)

Q4 2023

Q1 2024

Q2 2024

Total Debt

$     191.5

$     196.5

$     189.5

Outstanding Letters of Credit

1.6

1.6

1.6

Total Adjusted Debt (Compliance)

$     193.0

$     198.1

$     191.1

Adjusted Net Debt (Compliance)

$     165.0

$     164.5

$     161.4

Compliance Leverage Ratio (Net Debt / TTM EBITDA)

3.13x

2.86x

2.89x

 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/stoneridge-reports-second-quarter-2024-results-302211592.html

SOURCE Stoneridge, Inc.

Continue Reading

Technology

Sophia Space and MIT Lincoln Laboratory Announce Research Collaboration on Space-Based Weather Modeling

Published

on

By

CRADA and related SpaceWERX Phase I research will explore space-based computing approaches for weather-modeling applications

PASADENA, Calif., Oct. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Sophia Space today announced a new Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with MIT Lincoln Laboratory to investigate how space-based computing approaches could support high-resolution weather-modeling research for remote operating environments.

The collaboration combines MIT Lincoln Laboratory’s weather-modeling research expertise with Sophia Space’s edge-compute concepts. The effort will explore whether distributed computing can support more timely environmental information for planning and decision-support applications.

Under the agreement, MIT Lincoln Laboratory will contribute weather-modeling research expertise, including the identification of modeling configurations, parameters, and data sources for evaluation. The team will develop representative test data and assess weather-model performace against defined research metrics using frameworks compatible with Sophia Space’s initial hardware configurations.

Sophia Space will provide the AI-inference compute environment for evaluating representative weather-model workloads, including terrestrial and potential space-based computing configurations. The organizations will explore high-level system and service architectures that may inform future research into space-based computing applications.

Sophia Space and MIT Lincoln Laboratory are also pursuing related work under Department of the Air Force STTR Topic SF25D-T1201 through the SpaceWERX Futures Series: Adaptive and Intelligent Space Challenge. The related effort examines technologies relevant to autonomous, resilient, and networked space-system operations.

“This partnership reflects our conviction that space-based computing infrastructure should be developed through rigorous collaboration between commercial innovators and world-class research institutions,” said Rob DeMillo, Co-founder and CEO of Sophia Space. “MIT Lincoln Laboratory brings unmatched weather sensing, forecasting and decision-support research expertise, and together we will explore the potential application of space-based computing to weather-modeling research.”

The collaboration aligns with Sophia Space’s research interests in edge-compute architectures, distributed processing, and sensor fusion integration for environments.

“Timely weather information is critical for operations in remote and contested environments,” said Dr. Timothy Bonin, Assistant Group Leader of the Air Traffic Control & Weather Systems Group at MIT Lincoln Laboratory. “This collaboration allows us to explore how space-based computing can help process satellite observations and other environmental data closer to the point of collection, while assessing potential impacts on communications demands and information-delivery timelines.”

About Sophia Space Inc.
Sophia Space is building the future of orbital computing and in-space data centers. Its modular TILE (Thermal-Integrated LEO Edge) technology enables passive computing alongside in-situ data processing, AI acceleration, and edge computing for satellites, defense systems, and commercial space stations—dramatically reducing latency and delivering actionable insights where and when they are needed. Learn more at www.sophia.space.

About MIT Lincoln Laboratory
MIT Lincoln Laboratory is a federally funded research and development (R&D) center chartered to apply advanced technology to problems of national security. Since 1951, the Laboratory has developed technology that has transformed the activities of the defense, scientific, and industry communities. Its mission focuses on long-term technology development as well as rapid system prototyping and demonstration. Through several mechanisms, it facilitates partnerships with companies to advance R&D and increase U.S. technical competitiveness. Learn more at www.ll.mit.edu.

 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sophia-space-and-mit-lincoln-laboratory-announce-research-collaboration-on-space-based-weather-modeling-302913439.html

SOURCE Sophia Space

Continue Reading

Technology

Oracle and AstraZeneca Partner to Advance AI-enabled Healthcare Innovation

Published

on

By

Collaboration to connect AstraZeneca’s scientific and therapeutic expertise with Oracle’s real-world data, cloud, AI, and clinical capabilities to accelerate clinical research and bring evidence-driven insights into care workflows to help improve patient care

AUSTIN, Texas and ABU DHABI, UAE, Oct. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Oracle today announced an agreement with AstraZeneca to explore how AI and real-world data can help clinicians identify eligible patients for clinical trials, accelerate evidence generation, and bring relevant research insights into everyday care. The collaboration is expected to combine AstraZeneca’s scientific and therapeutic expertise with Oracle’s health data, cloud, AI, analytics, and clinical workflow capabilities.

Through a non-binding agreement, the companies plan to explore selected use cases that could improve clinical-trial efficiency and success by leveraging modern applications and AI to help care teams identify eligible patients earlier and easier, resulting in greater access to clinical trials for patients in need and helping to overcome one of the largest obstacles in clinical trials – patient recruitment. Initial disease areas to be explored could include oncology; cardiovascular, renal and metabolic diseases; respiratory and immunology; and rare diseases.

Pascal Soriot, Chief Executive Officer, AstraZeneca said: “This unique collaboration brings leaders in healthcare and AI together at a global scale to accelerate the journey from the discovery of medicine to patient care. Combining AstraZeneca’s world class science with Oracle’s deep data and technology expertise, we can help clinicians identify patients sooner, optimize clinical trials, and generate evidence continuously across the lifecycle of a medicine.”

“Some of the most important opportunities for AI are in healthcare, where better use of data can help turn scientific innovation into better outcomes for patients,” noted Mike Sicilia, chief executive officer, Oracle. “By bringing AstraZeneca’s scientific expertise together with Oracle’s data, cloud, AI, and healthcare capabilities, we have an opportunity to help accelerate research, connect more patients to clinical trials, and ultimately bring relevant insights into care faster.”

Connecting Research and Care

Anne-Claire Gerbaldi, Chief Digital, Data and AI Officer, AstraZeneca, added: “Too many patients are diagnosed late or face a long journey to get the care they need. To build the next decade of medicine, we aim to harness AI to connect learnings across science, clinical trials, and everyday care, generating insights that continuously strengthen research, accelerate innovation, and enhance patient outcomes. Bringing together the unique capabilities of Oracle and AstraZeneca, we believe we can support smarter clinical trials, strengthen safety monitoring, and help ensure patients are diagnosed sooner and receive the right care.”

Seema Verma, executive vice president and general manager, Oracle Health and Life Sciences, said: “Healthcare progress depends on shortening the distance between scientific insight and the decisions clinicians make every day. AstraZeneca brings deep scientific and therapeutic expertise, and Oracle will deliver the secure data, cloud, AI, and clinical workflow capabilities. This collaboration has the potential to help health systems identify eligible patients sooner, broaden access to clinical trials, and generate evidence that supports the next decision, all under the governance of the health systems delivering care.”

AstraZeneca and Oracle intend to explore a continuous learning model in which insights from clinical research and routine care help inform future study design, safety monitoring, and patient care. The companies plan to establish shared governance, reusable technical components, and agreed outcome measures to assess results and determine whether successful approaches could extend across disease areas and geographies.

About Oracle
Oracle offers integrated suites of applications plus secure, autonomous infrastructure in the Oracle Cloud. For more information about Oracle (NYSE: ORCL), please visit www.oracle.com.

Trademarks
Oracle, Java, MySQL and NetSuite are registered trademarks of Oracle Corporation. NetSuite was the first cloud company – ushering in the new era of cloud computing.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/oracle-and-astrazeneca-partner-to-advance-ai-enabled-healthcare-innovation-302913441.html

SOURCE Oracle

Continue Reading

Technology

Loyyal Unveils Perxi AI Business Suite to Help SMEs Run Their Business on WhatsApp

Published

on

By

Branded AI assistant brings everyday business activities into messaging channels, reducing the need for separate software and specialist teams

DUBAI, UAE, Oct. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Loyyal today unveiled the Perxi AI Business Suite, enabling small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to manage everyday business activities through WhatsApp. Building on its introduction as a loyalty assistant, Perxi brings commerce, customer engagement and business management into one conversational interface, with capabilities including ordering, customer service and loyalty.

The suite helps SMEs and direct-to-consumer brands manage these activities without purchasing separate ordering systems, customer relationship management software or support tools. Its conversational approach reduces the need to hire specialists or train employees to operate multiple systems.

“Small business owners should be able to focus on growth without assembling a collection of software tools,” said Ashish Kumar Singh, Founder and CEO of Loyyal.

“Perxi brings everyday business capabilities into WhatsApp under each business’s own brand. We want to make these tools affordable and accessible while helping businesses retain greater control over their customer relationships, data and decisions.”

Perxi provides the underlying technology, while each business launches its assistant under its own brand name. Customers engage directly with the business they recognise, rather than entering a separate Perxi marketplace.

Customers can place orders, ask questions, receive assistance and access rewards within a familiar conversation. There is no additional branded application to install or separate login to remember. This approach is designed to appeal to younger consumers accustomed to discovering and interacting with brands through mobile messaging.

Beyond WhatsApp, Perxi can be deployed across messaging channels suited to each business and market, including Instagram, WeChat and KakaoTalk.
Multilingual capabilities enable businesses to serve customers in their preferred languages, supporting brands operating beyond English and those engaging diverse communities.

As conversational commerce and AI assistants become more prominent, SMEs face growing expectations for convenient, responsive interactions. Bringing business services into messaging channels offers a way to meet those expectations while building direct customer relationships.

Marketplaces and aggregators offer a fast route to market, but access to customer information and engagement opportunities varies. Perxi helps businesses establish a direct channel and gain insights from their own customer conversations and transactions.

These insights can inform service improvements, personalised engagement and retention, while reducing dependence on intermediaries for customer access.

Pricing is designed to remain simple and affordable. Loyyal plans further services under the same umbrella.

Perxi will return to exhibit at Dubai AI Festival on October 26–27, 2026, at Dubai World Trade Centre.

About Loyyal

Loyyal is a US-born, UAE-based enterprise technology company helping businesses turn loyalty and customer engagement into growth and revenue. Combining patented blockchain technology with AI, its modular portfolio spans loyalty management, rewards, points exchange, offers, gift cards, gamification and conversational business assistants.

Media Contact

Marketingdepartment@loyyal.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/loyyal-unveils-perxi-ai-business-suite-to-help-smes-run-their-business-on-whatsapp-302913064.html

Continue Reading

Trending