United Technologies Corp. Reports Operating Results (10-Q)

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Oct 25, 2010
United Technologies Corp. (UTX, Financial) filed Quarterly Report for the period ended 2010-09-30.

United Technologies Corp. has a market cap of $69.62 billion; its shares were traded at around $74.94 with a P/E ratio of 15.23 and P/S ratio of 1.32. The dividend yield of United Technologies Corp. stocks is 2.27%. United Technologies Corp. had an annual average earning growth of 10.7% over the past 10 years. GuruFocus rated United Technologies Corp. the business predictability rank of 4-star.UTX is in the portfolios of Oak Value of Oak Value Capital Management, Diamond Hill Capital of Diamond Hill Capital Management Inc, Diamond Hill Capital of Diamond Hill Capital Management Inc, David Williams of Columbia Value and Restructuring Fund, Kenneth Fisher of Fisher Asset Management, LLC, Pioneer Investments, Jeremy Grantham of GMO LLC, Andreas Halvorsen of Viking Global Investors LP, David Dreman of Dreman Value Management, John Buckingham of Al Frank Asset Management, Inc., Manning & Napier Advisors, Inc, Bill Frels of Mairs & Power Inc. , Mario Gabelli of GAMCO Investors, George Soros of Soros Fund Management LLC, Dodge & Cox, Jean-Marie Eveillard of First Eagle Investment Management, LLC, John Keeley of Keeley Fund Management.

Highlight of Business Operations:

The global economy, which experienced a downturn throughout 2009, has continued to show signs of gradual improvement through the first nine months of 2010. However, although some economic indicators continue to trend positively, the overall rate of global recovery experienced to date has been mixed. The global airline industry continues to gain traction as airlines kept capacity additions well below air traffic growth leading to higher yields and capacity utilization. Commercial construction markets, however, remain generally weak, with strength in some emerging markets. Despite the uneven global recovery, our order rates remain robust with a few exceptions. Commercial aerospace spares orders at Pratt & Whitney and Hamilton Sundstrand increased 35% and 13%, respectively, in the third quarter of 2010 compared to the same period of 2009. This is consistent with our expectation of higher commercial aerospace aftermarket revenues in the second half of 2010. Carriers U.S. residential heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) shipments declined in the third quarter of 2010 as a result of consumer spending related weakness, while orders at Hamilton Sundstrands short-cycle industrial businesses continue to grow. Orders in our long cycle businesses were mixed, as Otis new equipment orders were essentially flat, while both global new equipment orders at Carrier commercial HVAC and total orders at UTC Fire & Security each grew year-over-year in the third quarter of 2010. These improvements contributed to organic revenue growth of 3% in the third quarter of 2010. For the full year, we continue to expect organic revenue growth to be approximately 2%.

Total revenues increased 1% in the third quarter of 2010, as compared to the same period of 2009. This primarily reflects organic revenue growth (3%) partially offset by the impact of net adverse non-recurring items year-over-year, as further discussed below within Results of Continuing Operations. The beneficial impact from net acquisitions (1%) was offset by unfavorable foreign currency translation (1%). Along with the revenue increase, consolidated operating profit increased 10% in the third quarter of 2010, as compared with the same period of 2009. This year-over-year improvement reflects an increase in operational profit (11%) driven by higher volumes combined with the beneficial impact from our continued focus on cost reduction and previously initiated restructuring actions, as well as contributions from net acquisitions (2%), and the impact of currency hedges net of foreign currency translation (net combined 1%). The beneficial impact of lower restructuring costs (10%) was more than offset by the adverse impact of year-over-year non-recurring items, as further discussed below. For the remainder of the year, we expect operating performance to remain strong; however, we expect some adverse impacts on the rate of earnings growth, particularly from slower economic growth, tougher comparisons versus the prior year for Carrier, adverse foreign currency translation and higher research and development costs. Given the unevenness of the global economic recovery experienced to date, we will continue to focus on reducing structural costs to position us to grow earnings and drive margin expansion in 2011 and beyond.

Revenues at Otis decreased 1% in the first nine months of 2010 as lower volume (3%) was partially offset by the favorable impact of foreign currency translation (2%). The revenue decrease was due to a decline in new equipment sales, impacted by a weaker opening new equipment backlog, and partially offset by continued growth in contractual maintenance revenues. New equipment orders increased 6% (4% excluding the favorable impact of foreign currency translation) for the first nine months of 2010, as compared to the same period of 2009, primarily due to strong order growth in China and Europe, partially offset by continued weakness in North America. Pricing remained under pressure in all of Otis major markets.

Although total revenues at Carrier declined in the first nine months of 2010, compared to the same period of 2009, Carrier experienced organic revenue growth of 5% during the nine month period, as certain businesses benefited from strengthening market conditions, particularly the transport refrigeration business. In the third quarter of 2010, this continued strength in the transport refrigeration business as well as in the Asian and Latin American HVAC markets more than offset weakness in shipments of U.S. residential systems and led to organic revenue growth of 7% in the third quarter of 2010, compared to the same period of 2009. Additionally, Carrier commercial HVAC global new equipment orders increased 3% in the quarter, year-over-year. Carrier continued its transformation to a higher returns business, as evidenced by strong operating profit margin expansion in the third quarter of 2010.

As noted previously, the global airline industry continues to gain traction as airlines have kept capacity additions well below air traffic growth leading to higher yields and capacity utilization. Airline traffic continued to grow year-over-year, and as a result we expect RPMs to grow approximately 6% worldwide in 2010. Orders of shorter cycle commercial aerospace spares grew year-over-year in the third quarter of 2010, with 35% growth in Pratt & Whitneys large commercial spares orders and a 13% increase in Hamilton Sundstrands commercial spares orders. The improvement in commercial aerospace aftermarket order rates are in line with our expectation of higher commercial aerospace aftermarket revenues in the second half of 2010.

Revenues for the first nine months of 2010, as compared to the same period of 2009, grew 1% organically. The favorable impact from foreign currency translation (1%) combined with the beneficial impact from net acquisitions (1%) more than offset the net adverse impact of one time items (1%) recorded in Other income, net. Organic revenue growth principally reflects growth at Carrier and Sikorsky, partially offset by organic contraction at Otis. Carriers organic revenue growth was driven by continuing strength in the transport refrigeration business, while Sikorskys growth was attributable to higher military revenues. The organic contraction at Otis was due to a decrease in new equipment sales.

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