Q3 2024 DXP Enterprises Inc Earnings Call

Thank you for standing by.

Novi: My name is Novi and I will be your conference operator today.

At this time, I would like to welcome everyone to the DXB Enterprise's Inc. 3rd quarter 2024 earnings release in conference call.

Novi: All lines have been placed on yee to prevent any background noise.

After the speakers remarks, there will be a question and answer session. If you would like to ask a question during this time, simply press star, followed by the number one on your telephone keypad.

If you would like to withdraw your question, press star 1 again. Thank you. I would now like to turn the call over to Kent Yee Chief Financial Officer. Please go ahead.

Kent Yee: and welcome to DXB's Q3 2024 Conference Call to discuss our results for the third quarter of the next quarter. We need September 30th 2024. Joining me today is our Chairman and CEO David Little.

Before we get started, I want to remind you that today's calls being webcast and recorded and includes forward-looking statements. Actual results make different materialy from those contemplated by these forward-looking statements.

Kent Yee: A detailed discussion of the many factors that we believe may have a material effect on our business on an ongoing basis or contain in our SEC findings.

Novi: However, the XPS seems no obligation to update that information as a result of new information or future events.

During this call, we may present both GAP and non-Gap Financial measures. A reconciliation of GAP to non-Gap measures is included in our earnings press release.

Novi: The Press release and in the company investor presentation are now available on our website at IR.dxfete.com.

Speaker Change: I will now turn the call over to David Little, our chairman and CEO to provide his thoughts in a summary of our third quarter performance in financial results.

David Little: Thanks, Kent. And thanks for everyone on our 2024 third quarter conference call. Kent will take you through the key financial details after we arrive remarks. And after our prepared comments we will open for Q&A.

David Little: It is my privilege to share DXP's third quarter results with you on behalf of over 2,989 DX people.

Congratulations to all our stakeholders and a special thank to you and our DX people you can trust.

Novi: We are pleased to see in Market demand and the XP's performance continues through 2-3. We remain at record levels as we move into the last quarter of 2024.

Novi: This allows us to achieve another quarter of both solid sales growth and 10% plus Irgidot margins.

Novi: We are pleased to announce strong third quarter results with sales, operating income and earnings per share all up over the prior year.

Novi: This is a great way to start the second half of physical 2024.

Novi: We remain focused on serving our customers and providing products and services that help them save money, consolidate their MRO spend, manage inventory, and provide solutions to solve their revolving needs.

Being customer-driven and growing sales properly is our goal.

We continue to focus on driving organic and acquisition growth, increasing gross problem margins, and increasing productivity.

Novi: Our execution has resulted in physical 2023 and 2024 top line and bottom line growth both organically and through acquisitions.

Novi: That said, our gross strategies are working and our acquisition pipeline should add to our results as we close out physical 2020-24 and going into physical 2025.

Novi: We continue to be excited about the future and delivering a different, 280 customer experience, creating an engaging, winning culture for DXP.

Novi: and investing in our business to strengthen our core capabilities and drive long-term growth.

Novi: Here today through September 30, total sales were up 4.7% and adjusted it by the size of up 6.5%.

Novi: Last 12 months sales in adjusted EBITDA, we're 1.74 billion and 183 million respectively with adjusted EBITDA margins of 10.5%.

Moving to our third quarter, total DXP revenue of 47.9 million for the third quarter of 2024 was a 12.8% increase year over year with adjusted EBDA, a 52.4 million for the third quarter.

In terms of 2-3 financial results.

Novi: Innovative Pumping Solutions led the way growing sales 52.3% year over year to 89.8 million. Following by service centers growing sales 7.6% year over year to 336.8 million.

and Supply Chain Services, latter growing 0.7% year over year to 66.2 million.

Novi: In terms of IPS, our innovative pumping solutions, we have two broad markets tied to capital budgets and or project work.

Novi: The XPs Heritage Energy Related Project work and the XP Water.

Novi: Here today, the XP's water is 45% of IPS sales versus last year at this time, it was 31%.

Novi: We have grown our DXP water platform. We have increased both gross margins and operating income margins for this segment and for DXP.

Novi: Our energy-related bookings and backlog continues show resilience and perform above our long-term averages albeit not at all time high.

Novi: Additionally, our year-to-date average remains above our long-term average energy IPS backlog going back to 2015, which we mentioned first occurred in 21 of this year.

Novi: What this indicates is that we are continuing to get bookings and we feel good at this point in the cycle on the energy and water and wastewater related project work.

Novi: We look forward to seeing how this impact our results and project revenue in both energy and water and wastewater as we move through 2020 for an end to 2025.

Novi: We have booked a few large projects in both energy and water that should start recognizing revenue starting in Q1 or Q2 of next year.

Novi: That said, as we maintain growth, the XP's focus within IPS will be to continue to manage the demand levels we have, finding opportunities.

Novi: and all markets such as energy, biofuels, food and beverage, and water and wastewater, and manage pricing and delivery while improving and maintaining margins.

Novi: In terms of service centers, the diversity of in-market, multiple product division approach, and our MRO nature within service centers allows us to continue to remain resilient and continue to experience consistent top-line year-over-year growth.

Novi: From a regional perspective, regions that experience year-old weird growth included in North Central, North Texas, South Rockies, Southwest, and our Canadian rotating equipment does.

Novi: We continue to expect our in markets will remain constructive over the near future. We have all seen strengthened.

Novi: Excuse me, we have also seeing shrink and our US Safety Services Division and metalworking products division which is great to see.

Novi: Supply Chain Services Sails have continued to align with performance trends observed in the second half of 2023. Historically, the later half of the year impacted his impact his biology season.

Novi: and there being fewer billing days.

Novi: Poweriverse, Blockchain Services is anticipating an increase in new accounts implemented in Q4 of 2024 and Q1 of 2025.

Novi: SES has also invested in a customer care model, allowing customers to utilize the XPs remote technology within the need for full without the need of full-time on-site presence.

Novi: This model enables the XP to extend supply-churn services technology to accounts with smaller sites and expand the business relationship.

Novi: SES remains committed to expanding our industrial custom base through enhanced marketing and lead generation to.

Novi: We will focus on extending the XP service and repair offering for rotating equipment and safety services to our existing customers.

Novi: Flaraging the broader DXP capability.

Novi: We anticipate this could happen in early 2025. Demand for splotching services services is increasing because of proven technology and a patient see they perform for all of their industrial customers.

Novi: The XC's overall gross problem margins for the third quarter were 30.9%. A 94 basis point improvement over 2023.

Novi: Over on please with our gross margins and our steady improvement over the last seven quarters.

Novi: S.G. and A for the third quarter in Chris 16.8 million versus Q3 of 2023.

Novi: S.G. and A. S.A. for a cent of sales increase.

Novi: Going from 21.4% with Q3 of 23, 22.5% and Q3 of 24.

Novi: As a unit, continues to reflect our investment in our people and our gross strategies, along with improvements in technology and processes to gain future efficiencies.

Novi: As always, there's my privilege to share DXB's financial results on behalf of our DX people.

Novi: DXP's overall operating income margin was 8.4% Our 39.6 million, which includes corporate expense and amortization.

Novi: This reflects an 18 basis point, the Cline and margin versus Q3 of 2023.

Novi: We still feel there is opportunity in our operations to be more efficient and we have chosen to invest in the business for your people and our operations as we have been focused on growth.

Novi: Service Center's operating income margins were 14.6%.

Novi: IPS is operating income margins for 20.3%.

Novi: and Scycling Services, Operating and Commargins, were 8.4%.

Novi: O'Reilly, the XP produced a just a deba-dye, a 52.4 million in the third quarter of 2024, versus 44 million in the same period of 2023.

Novi: This turned into a year over your increase of 8.4 million or 19.1%.

Novi: Joseph I've just advised a percent of sales was 11.1% of 59 basis points versus Q3 of 23 and up 27 basis points versus Q2 of 2024.

Novi: I am pleased by our performance in the third quarter. The XP continues to make it.

Novi: Great efforts in the depth as we grow and evolve the XP in a more diversified and less cyclical business. The next chapter.

Novi: We still have substantial work to do to achieve our goals, but I am confident that the team will continue to execute and drive sales and profitability. We're growing sales more than the market and expect that into the near future.

Novi: We continue to make progress on our growth strategies and our commitment to our customers'

Novi: We are driving growth and improvements at DXT. We look forward to navigating and working through the remainder of physical 2024.

Novi: and launched into physical 2025, further developing in the next chapter.

Novi: We continue to build our capabilities to provide a technical set of products and services and all our markets. We make the XP very unique in our industry and gives us more ways to help our customers win.

Novi: Finally, I would like to thank our DX people for continuing to maintain 10% plus EBITDA margins and hitting a new quarter sales high and Q3. Let's do it again.

Novi: 2,4. Q3 was another great quarter as we continue to have success in 2024 and prepared a launch ourselves in the 2025. We remain excited for what is next.

Speaker Change: With that, I will now turn it back to Kent to review our financials and more detail.

Kent Yee: Thank you, David, and thank you to everyone for joining us for our review of the third quarter, 2024 financial results.

Kent Yee: Q3 financial performance reflects the HP's ability to continue to successfully navigate through the market and execute and create value for all our stakeholders.

Novi: Our third quarter results also reflect another record sales watermark, along with a new all-time high in adjusted EBITDA margins.

Novi: As it pertains specifically to our third quarter, DXP's third quarter financial results reflect solid sales growth within IPS and continued strength within the energy and water bookings and backlog, along with an accelerating contribution from DXP Water.

Novi: year-to-date inline service center performance marked by gross margin strength and stability and a pickup in sales performance from Q2 to Q3.

Novi: Continued contribution from acquisitions along with closing an additional acquisition during the third quarter and closing two subsequent to the quarter or bringing the total completed year-to-date to seven acquisitions and consistent operating leverage leading to sustained adjusted EBITDA margins.

Novi: Total sales for the third quarter increased 6% sequentially to a record 472.9 million. Acquisitions that had been with DXP for less than a year contributed 28.5 million in sales during the quarter.

Novi: Average daily sales for the third quarter were $7.39 million per day, versus $6.96 million per day in Q2, and $6.66 million per day in Q3 2023.

Novi: Adjusting for acquisitions, average daily organic sales were $6.94 million per day for the third quarter of 2024, versus $6.59 million per day during the third quarter of 2023.

Novi: That said, the average daily sales trend during the quarter went from $6.62 million per day in July to $8.77 million per day in September, reflecting a quarter-end push and benefit from acquisitions as we closed out the third quarter.

Novi: In terms of our business segments, innovative pumping solutions grew 22.42% sequentially and 52.34% year-over-year. This was followed by service centers growing 3.36% sequentially and sales increasing 7.6% year-over-year.

Novi: Supply chain services grew 0.94% sequentially and increased 0.69% year over year.

Novi: In terms of innovative pumping solutions, we continue to experience increases in the energy-related bookings and backlog, as well as the water and wastewater bookings and backlog.

Novi: Our Q3 Energy Related Average Backlog grew 39.1% over our Q2 Average Backlog and continues to be ahead of all our averages.

Novi: It is worth noting that our Q3 energy backlog includes a significant project wind that is currently estimated to meaningfully impact our sales performance in Q1 or Q2 of next year. Adjusting for this project, our Q3 energy backlog grew 8.9% sequentially.

Novi: The conclusion continues to remain that we are trending meaningfully above all notable sales levels and we're moving towards 2018 and 2019 levels based upon where our backlog stands today.

Novi: On a nine-month comparative basis, our native energy IPS business is up 31.1% year-over-year.

Novi: We expect this to continue for the remainder of 2024. We also see strength in our IPS water backlog as it continues to grow due to a combination of organic and acquisition additions.

Novi: In terms of our service centers, our service center performance reflects our internal growth initiatives along with our diversified and evolving end market dynamics.

Novi: On a comparative basis, our third quarter of 2024 is now our strongest quarter within service centers over the last seven quarters and sets a new sales high watermark.

Novi: Regions within our service center business segment which experience year-over-year sales growth include the South Rockies, Southeast, Southwest, Alaska, and North Central.

Novi: From a product perspective, we also experience strength in our U.S. Safety Services and Metalworking Product Divisions and Canadian Rotating Equipment, which is all great to see and points to strength in our energy markets and our exposure.

Novi: As discussed in Q2, supply chain services sales continue to perform in line with the performance we experienced in the second half of 2023.

Novi: Supply chain services sales grew 0.94% sequentially and increased 0.69% year over year. Our results have been impacted by facility closures with existing customers as well as the streamlining efficiency we bring to our customers that we mentioned back in Q4 of last year.

Speaker Change: As David mentioned in terms of our outlook, we are anticipating an increase in new accounts implemented in Q4 of this year and Q1 of next year.

Speaker Change: SES has also created a customer care model that focuses on remote technologies.

Novi: without the need for a full-time on-site presence. Additionally, as we go into fiscal 2025, SES will focus on extending DXP services and repair offerings, excuse me, for rotating equipment and safety services to our existing customers, leveraging the broader DXP capabilities.

Novi: We anticipate this could happen in early 2025.

Novi: Turning to our gross margins, DXP's total gross margins were 30.89%, a 94 basis point improvement over Q3 of 2023.

Novi: This improvement is attributed to strength and gross profit margins within service centers, or 99% of service centers in the U.S.

Novi: basis point improvement from Q3 of last year. Additionally, the creative contribution from acquisitions at a higher overall relative gross margin versus our base DXP business helped drive consistent IPS gross margins.

Novi: Acquisitions continue to be accretive to both our gross and operating margins.

Novi: That said, from a mixed sales contribution, service centers contributed 66.99 percent, innovative pumping solutions 18.99 percent, and supply chain services was 14.01 percent.

Novi: IPS has notably contributed more to the overall mix at DXP going from 15% of sales in Q1 to 19% in Q3.

Novi: In terms of operating income combined, all three business segments increased 64 basis points sequentially. In business segment, operating income margins are $6.9 million versus the second quarter of this year. This primarily was driven by improvements in operating income margins across service centers and IPS, but more notably within IPS.

Novi: The improvement in innovative pumping solution reflects the impact of our water and wastewater acquisitions at a higher relative operating income margin and a growing percentage of revenue or sales mix along with improvements in this quarter within our pump manufacturing operations.

Novi: DXP Water has gone from 28% of sales in Q1

Novi: of 2023 to over 43% of sales of IPS in the third quarter of 2024.

Novi: Our SG&A for the quarter increased 16.8 million from Q3 of 2023 and 6.1 million from Q2 of this year to 106.5 million.

Novi: The increase reflects the growth in the business and associated incentive compensation and DXP investing in its people through merit and pay raises.

Novi: Additionally, this also reflects some unique one-time costs and expenses associated with our horizontal pump offering.

Novi: SG&A's percentage of sales increased 112 basis points year over year to 22.52% of sales and was essentially flat sequentially for Q2 of this year.

Novi: Turning to EBITDA. Q3 2024 adjusted EBITDA was $52.4 million. Adjusted EBITDA margins were 11.1%. As discussed in Q1, we expect this to pick up and margins have improved as we move through the first half and into the second half of 2024.

Novi: We continue to benefit from the fixed cost SG&A leverage we experience as we grow cells as well as the margin accretion and growing scale of the EXP water acquisitions.

Novi: In terms of EPS, our net income for Q3 was $21.1 million.

Novi: Our earnings per diluted share for Q3 was $1.27 per share versus $0.93 per share last year. Conservatively adjusting for one-time items, adjusted earnings per diluted share for Q3 2024 was $1.43 per share.

Novi: Turning to the balance sheet and cash flow, in terms of working capital, our working capital increased $11.6 million from June and $26.5 million from December to $298.6 million.

Novi: As a percentage of the last 12-month sales, this amounted to 17.2%.

Novi: This is an uptick from where we have been and reflects the impact of acquisitions and an increase in DXP's capital project work. As we move into fiscal 2025, we will grow into the working capital as a percentage sales and particularly the impact from recent acquisitions.

Novi: In terms of cash, we have $35 million in cash on the balance sheet as of September 30th. This is a decrease of $104.7 million compared to the end of Q1 and reflects our acquisition activity, as well as an additional $5 million in share repurchases in Q3.

Novi: In terms of CapEx.

Novi: CapEx in the third quarter was $4 million, or a decrease of $4.9 million compared to Q2, and a $2.5 million increase versus Q3 of 2023. We continue to expect CapEx to pick up in 2024 versus 2023.

Novi: We are continuing to make investments in our business, software, our facilities, and operations for our employees. As we move forward, we will continue to invest in the business as we focus on growth and the next evolution or phase of DXP.

Novi: Turning to free cash flow, free cash flow for the third quarter was $24.4 million versus $38.3 million in Q3 of 2023.

Novi: This primarily reflects the impacts from our project work, which we have highlighted in the past, as requiring investments in inventory, product, and cost and accessibility.

Novi: That said, we continue to focus on tightly managing this aspect of our business from a cash flow perspective and look to align billings with the investments, which slip backwards on us during the third quarter or increasing or impacting us by $13.1 million during Q3.

Novi: Return on invested capital or ROIC at the end of the third quarter was 36% and reflects the improvements in EBITDA on the operating leverage inherent within the business.

Novi: Additionally, it also points to our recent acquisitions' performance and their positive contribution and the creative impact of both gross profit and EBIT dollar.

Novi: As of September 30th, our fixed charge coverage ratio was 1.7 to 1 and our secured leverage ratio was 2.5 to 1 with a covenant EBITDA for the last 12 months of $200.7 million. Total debt outstanding on September 30th was $544.5 million.

Novi: In terms of liquidity, as of the third quarter, we were undrawn on our ABL with $3.4 million in letters of credit, with $131.6 million of availability and liquidity of $166.6 million, including $35 million in cash. Subsequent to the quarter end, we successfully reduced borrowing costs by 100 basis points and raised an incremental $105 million.

Novi: DXP

Novi: It's positioning itself to continue to execute on our acquisition strategy.

Novi: In terms of acquisitions, we have closed seven acquisitions year-to-date, including two subsequent to the quarter end, and we will look to close at minimum another two before the end of the first quarter. DXP's acquisition pipeline continues to remain active and the market continues to present compelling opportunities.

Novi: That said, we remain comfortable with our ability to execute on our pipeline and valuations continue to remain reasonable.

Novi: Regarding capital allocation, we repurchased or returned $5 million to shareholders for your share repurchases in Q3.

Novi: We finished our previous program and we have put in place a new $85 million or $2.5 million share repurchase program. As previously mentioned, we will continue to be opportunistic and support our shareholders as we move through the cycles.

Novi: In summary, we are excited about the future and building the next chapter. We will keep our eyes focused on those things we can control and what is ahead of us. We are excited because there is substantial value embedded in DXP, and we continue to believe that what is next is greater than what we have already achieved.

Novi: Lastly, it is worth mentioning that as of Q3 2024, we have remediated and cured all our existing material weaknesses noted in our Controls Opinion under Item 4, Controls and Procedures as of September 30, 2024.

Novi: Thank you to our DXP team for all their effort and commitment to remediate and enhance the financial controls and procedures at DXP. We look forward to great with great confidence to a future of sustained growth and market outperformance. We will now turn the call over for questions.

Speaker Change: At this time, I would like to remind everyone, in order to ask a question, press star, then the number one on your telephone keypad.

Speaker Change: Your first question comes from the line of Tommy Maul with Stevens.

Tommy Maul: Please go ahead. Good morning and thanks for taking my questions.

Speaker Change: Good morning, Army.

Tommy Maul: On the acquisition front, I want to make sure I heard you correctly, Kent. So there were five year-to-date through when you closed the books, third quarter.

Novi: Then I guess there were two more for total of seven in October and then I think I heard you say another two more either by year end or by first quarter end

Novi: Thank you for inviting us today. We closed 5 as of the end of Q3 and then subsequent to the quarter end.

Speaker Change: Just this past Friday, meaning November 1st, we closed an additional two acquisitions, so that brings us to seven years today, and we'll be putting out a press release in the next 24 to 36 hours regarding those.

Speaker Change: and then my comments in the script also pointed to that obviously we still got a strong pipeline and we anticipate closing another two if you will before the end of Q1 of next year.

Speaker Change: Got it.

Speaker Change: And anything you can share at this point on the two that you closed.

Speaker Change: first of the month even just in terms of end markets or any of the contours that you can share now

Speaker Change: They were both more typical in the smaller size of our acquisition program. One was another water, wastewater acquisition.

Speaker Change: in the Nebraska market, so we're excited to get a little bit of a foothold in Nebraska. And then the other one was a vacuum pump acquisition in California, so continuing to grow our California region.

Novi: But it's on the vacuum pump side, which means there's more end market diversification. So everything from semiconductors, food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, etc.

Novi: So if we roll it all together, I'm going to pivot just to the fourth quarter here, which is always tricky from a revenue standpoint to try to have a view on, but

Speaker Change: If you just, if you include some of the benefits of the acquisitions that you announced and you look at the $473 million you did in the third quarter

Speaker Change: Does it feel like...

Speaker Change: maybe flat up or down, quarter over quarter into Q4, inclusive of the acquisitions that you've announced. But obviously, we haven't seen how big they are yet. But just trying to roll all that together to set an expectation. Yeah, yeah, no, no. And I get it. You know, we don't formally provide guidance. But you know, we have our KPIs, including sales for business.

Speaker Change: Business Day. I think, you know, Tommy, the way to think about it as we go is, yes, there's fewer days as we head into, um...

Novi: and Sue, I think everybody's got to factor that in. That said, let me walk you through the sales per business day trend, and then if you have a follow-up, we can go from there. But I always think that as a broad KPI, kind of directionally.

Novi: kind of can can point people in a certain direction and then David may have some comments, but If you start off and just let's just go back to May and then I'll pull it forward May We were at six point four three million per day June 7.63 million per day

Novi: July 6.62 million per day, August 6.89 million per day, September 8.

Novi: 7.7 million per day. And in October, we've got 6.99 million per day. So that's kind of the sales per business day trend.

Novi: But once again, we will have fewer days, and you know, you get stuck between the days after those holidays as well, practically.

Novi: And then I would just add that historically, uh...

Novi: The fourth quarter

Novi: Um.

Novi: I guess from our perspective, bookings are still really strong, our backlog is strong, but I'm not.

Novi: I'm not necessarily thinking what will ship or recognize as revenue in the fourth quarter.

Novi: Kent Yee Kent Yee Kent Yee Kent Yee Kent Yee

Novi: I think it'll be a little soft.

Speaker Change: And Kent, I appreciate the monthly cadence progression you provided there. Just to confirm, those are all on an as-reported basis, so that would be inclusive of whatever acquisitions had closed during those months? Yes, yes, yes.

Novi: And the two more recent ones are once again on the smaller end. We'll have more detail when we put the press releases out, but call it combined together, you know, less than $10 million in sales for those two on an annual basis.

Novi: So.

Speaker Change: Okay, that's very helpful. And just in terms of the days for Q4, do you know what you're dialing in this year? Should it be a fairly similar number of sailing days as in the past?

Speaker Change: Yeah, I think we're coming in at around, once again, just in my level, 61 to 62, just, you know,

Speaker Change: Practically I think I have 62, but you know how the holidays fall. Oh yeah.

Speaker Change: Oh yeah, okay.

Speaker Change: Thank you for unpacking that. That's helpful. David, you commented on the margins, which were a

Speaker Change: Again, in the double-digit range in Q.

Novi: 3 and I think you I heard you say let's do it again here in Q4 so I just want to make sure I heard that correctly that there isn't any kind of

Novi: reason that should not be the case again in Q4, and also just get your latest and greatest on that performance. You've been solidly in the double digits for a number.

Novi: Of course, now there's some acquisition benefits in there, but if there's any kind of operating tailwinds otherwise you want to call out, please do. Thank you.

Novi: Sure

Novi: And I assume you're talking about EBITDA margins. Yes, adjusted EBITDA.

Speaker Change: probably as a percent of sales was a little high and so we're I think it's important to note that we're not

Novi: to grow sales, and some of those are working out really nicely, as you can see, and then some of them are

Novi: are a little slower and taking bigger investments. So, I think that that's good news. You know, the good news is that...

Novi: Go down and I don't think there's any reason to think that the margins are going to are going to go down either. Some of the margin.

Novi: Growth has been in the water and wastewater area, which is the real focal point of what we're trying to do, and in our traditional pump business, so

Novi: And so I'm like, okay guys, let's keep up the good work and let's do it again.

Speaker Change: Thank you, David. This one's probably for Kent, just to unpack some of the refinancing you did there in October, Kent.

Speaker Change: Your gross debt will be up, or is up, I guess now.

Speaker Change: But then the cost of that debt was reduced, I think, by 100 basis points. So, are you able to help us dial in what you're thinking just for interest expense here in the fourth quarter? And then, to the extent there's a lot of noise in that number with one-time fees?

Speaker Change: They're going to fall away.

Speaker Change: Can you just calibrate us on what a run rate would look like in the current SOFR environment?

Speaker Change: Yeah, no, absolutely, Tommy. I think, you know,

Speaker Change: The absolute run rate interest expense you're seeing, even with the incremental.

Speaker Change: The punchline will be roughly the same. We're running around, I'll call it $15.5 to $16 million a quarter.

Speaker Change: and I don't think that will change.

Speaker Change: The benefit we got, obviously, was...

Speaker Change: The 100 basis points reduction as well as the dry powder, right? And that's really to fuel our acquisition activity.

Speaker Change: I think that's the way to think about it, if you're thinking about just in terms of how it impacts the P&L. Yeah, there'll be the one time. We have to go through the analysis. We haven't completed it yet, where you look at the...

Speaker Change: We've been talking about existing issuance costs and some of it you'll write through. And obviously we'll be clear about that in Q4. But we haven't necessarily gone through that 100%. But I think the point you're getting at is you want to know the run rate interest cost. And I think the $15.5 to $16 million is fair. Keep in mind the facility still amortizes.

Speaker Change: 1% per year so as time goes on we'll be paying down the facility.

Speaker Change: at 1% per year. And so if that answers your question, Tommy, that's, I think, how we think about it. You know, it was favorable market conditions.

Speaker Change: and with our pipeline, and then kind of with one of the acquisitions we did earlier this year, being pretty significant and a contributor in this quarter, it felt right to just re-prime, if you will, the balance sheet and go into 2025.

Speaker Change: putting us in a position to do something similar.

Speaker Change: So.

Speaker Change: Sure, and on that front, Kent, with regard to capital deployment, did I hear you correctly say that that seller expectations currently appear reasonable? I realize that's not specific to any particular deal, but just in general, did I hear you provide that characterization?

Kent Yee: Yeah, I think that's fair, right? I think, you know, sellers in general understood where we were and still are, relatively speaking, in a higher interest rate environment, and so valuations...

Speaker Change: I think, from what we've seen, have been fair and reasonable, and our pipeline continues to reflect that, and so we don't feel like we're having to be too aggressive. Obviously, the businesses...

Speaker Change: that are growing and are highly strategic in many ways to DXP. We're willing to push the valuation pendulum a little bit more, but all in all, I think

Speaker Change: We're still buying on a blended average across all our deals, where we've always historically been and what we've communicated to the market.

Speaker Change: Last one from me, David if you look back over the last handful of years you've you've been at this

Speaker Change: Capital Deployment Program for some time where you're diversifying your end markets.

Speaker Change: Finding pockets of faster growth, higher margin, etc, etc.

Speaker Change: Closed a number of deals this year, more in the pipeline. One topic that doesn't often get discussed is whether there may ever be a point in the future where you'd be a seller of any part of your portfolio. If you just play it forward and you keep shaping the portfolio as you have been now for some time.

Speaker Change: Do you ever look up and there's a situation where a piece, it would make sense to pry out of the portfolio? Or if the answer is too early to tell, that's fine too. I just...

Speaker Change: I was reflecting on the execution here over multiple years and the business today looks a lot different than it has in prior cycles so I figured it's worth an ask.

Speaker Change: Well, I appreciate you making that comment and I appreciate you recognize the diversification that we've been doing and

Speaker Change: And so I feel really...

Speaker Change: I'm good about...

Speaker Change: About that and I feel really good about the fact that you know We're not going to have any big downturns or anything like that that are

Speaker Change: They're hard on us.

Speaker Change: So, I feel really strong about DXP and where it is today. That said, I think you asked a very good question, one that we consider at most board meetings, and that is...

Speaker Change: that, you know, are there some pieces that really don't fit the new direction, or maybe they don't fit the...

Speaker Change: Again, I think where we land is that

Speaker Change: You know, everything we're doing.

Speaker Change: Mike's

Speaker Change: Pretty decent money, and so it's not like we're trying to sell something, it's just a...

Speaker Change: A dog over here and a

Speaker Change: And so we don't have any dogs. If we do, they're all really nice dogs.

Speaker Change: It's a consideration, and then because they're all performing to what they feel like they could do, and it's going well.

Speaker Change: It's just a timing issue. It's when do we think is the appropriate time to maximize

Speaker Change: and I'll be the first to admit that selling something has not been in my portfolio. It's not not what David Little is all about. I don't I can't remember selling something. So I'm going to acquire and.

Speaker Change: and then I try to make it as pretty as I can. But there's some, as we've gotten much, much bigger.

Speaker Change: There are clouds around us.

Speaker Change: Thank you both.

Speaker Change: perspective, we look at it, but we're known in the marketplace as a buy-and-hold guy. And so we look at things from a fiduciary perspective, but we take it seriously because sellers sell to us.

Kent Yee: That's part of the attraction to DXP, right? We're not like our competitors out there, and we're not flipping every day, so You know I just round out David's comments with that. We appreciate the question, but it's a delicate walk because

Kent Yee: One of the big differences for DXP in the marketplace is we're not private equity. We're not a lot of things and so we take pride in that. So I just kind of add that ending touch there a little bit.

Speaker Change: Yep, noted and I appreciate the insight from you both and I'll turn it back.

Kent Yee: www.kent.gov.uk

Speaker Change: I will now turn the call back over to David Little, Chairman and CEO, for closing remarks.

David Little: And first, Tommy, I would just ask if there's any...

David Little: Anything else you would like to ask? We appreciate you and the things you do to cover us.

David Little: If there's not, then thanks for everybody for joining us today. Thanks to all our DXP people out there. Thanks to all the acquisitions that we've done and those people that are joining our DXP team. I think they...

David Little: Learn to appreciate DXP and how we operate.

David Little: And we're all about growth. We're not about trying to whack expenses and take everybody, you know, just trying to maximize the last penny. That's not our style. I do appreciate Kent.

Kent Yee: Making a point that...

Kent Yee: that, you know, we're not a portfolio company buying and selling things.

Kent Yee: I'm very positive then as there are some things that may need to be looked at.

Kent Yee: With that said, again, thank you all of the DXP people for all you do, and let's...

Kent Yee: Let's finish the year strong and off into 2025. Here we go. Thanks.

Speaker Change: Ladies and gentlemen, that concludes today's call. Thank you all for joining. You may now disconnect.