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Organic Growth Accelerates for Littelfuse

By Timothy Green Fool.com

Image source: Littelfuse.

Circuit-protection product manufacturer Littelfuse (NASDAQ: LFUS) reported its fourth-quarter results before the market opened on Feb. 1. Revenue and profits soared due to both acquisitions and solid organic growth, and despite continued trouble in the industrial segment. Here's what investors need to know about Littelfuse's fourth-quarter results.

Littelfuse results: The raw numbers

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Data source: Littelfuse. YOY = year over year.

What happened with Littelfuse this quarter?

Organic revenue growth accelerated during the fourth quarter, although the bulk of Littelfuse's growth was due to acquisitions.

  • Excluding revenue from acquisitions, divestitures, and the extra week during the fourth quarter of 2015, revenue grew by 6% year over year. This compares to adjusted revenue growth of just 2% during the third quarter.
  • Electronics revenue rose 60% year over year to $156.5 million. On an adjusted basis, revenue grew by 19%.
  • Automotive revenue rose 19% year over year to $105.6 million. On an adjusted basis, revenue grew by 2%.
  • Industrial revenue dropped 33% year over year to $22.5 million. The company pointed to continued end market weakness across its industrial segment as the reason behind the decline. On an adjusted basis, revenue slumped by 26%.
  • Electronics segment operating income soared 112% to $34.8 million. The automotive segment produced $10.9 million of operating income, down 22% year over year. The industrial segment posted a slight operating loss, down from a $5.4 million operating profit during the prior-year period.

Littelfuse provided guidance for the first quarter along with some full-year targets.

  • For the first quarter: Revenue is expected between $278 million and $288 million, and adjusted EPS is expected between $1.56 and $1.70.
  • For the full year: Revenue and earnings are expected to grow by a double-digit percentage.

What management had to say

Littelfuse CEO David Heinzmann pointed to strength in most of the company's segments:

Executive Chairman Gordon Hunter discussed the company's accomplishments and its future:

Looking forward

While acquisitions drove much of Littelfuse's growth during the fourth quarter, an acceleration of organic revenue growth helped things along. The industrial segment continues to be a drag on the business as a whole, but strong performance in other areas, particularly the electronics segment, more than offset this weakness.

The company expects to continue growing revenue and earnings this year. The stock has soared about 57% over the past year as Littelfuse's results have consistently beat expectations. Another year of solid growth could reward investors further.

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Timothy Green has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Littelfuse. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.