Lindsay Corporation, a global manufacturer and distributor of irrigation and infrastructure equipment and technology, today announced results for its fourth quarter and fiscal year, which ended on Aug. 31, 2021.

Fourth Quarter and Full Year Summary

Revenues for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021 were $153.6 million, an increase of $25.2 million, or 20%, compared to revenues of $128.4 million in the prior year fourth quarter. Net earnings for the quarter were $5.8 million, or $0.53 per diluted share, compared with net earnings of $14.7 million, or $1.35 per diluted share, for the prior year fourth quarter. Net earnings for the quarter were reduced by an after-tax LIFO impact of approximately $4.5 million, or $0.41 per diluted share.

Revenues for the year ended Aug. 31, 2021, were $567.6 million, an increase of $93 million, or 20%, compared to revenues of $474.7 million in the prior year. Net earnings for the year were $42.6 million, or $3.88 per diluted share, compared with net earnings of $38.6 million, or $3.56 per diluted share, in the prior year.

"Fiscal 2021 was an extraordinary year in which our team demonstrated agility and resiliency in the face of the ongoing global pandemic," said Randy Wood, president and CEO. "We were able to capitalize on market tailwinds in irrigation while navigating persistent headwinds created by pandemic-related project delays in our infrastructure business, significant raw material inflation, logistics challenges, and a tight labor market. We also remained highly focused on innovation, maintaining strong organizational health and safety, and increasing our commitment to sustainability initiatives."

Fourth Quarter Segment Results

Irrigation segment revenues for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021 were $125.3 million, an increase of $48.2 million, or 63%, compared to $77 million in the prior year fourth quarter. North America irrigation revenues of $53.5 million increased $12.3 million, or 30%, compared to the prior year fourth quarter. The increase in North America irrigation revenues resulted from a combination of higher irrigation equipment unit sales volume and higher average selling prices. International irrigation revenues of $71.7 million increased $35.9 million, or 100%, compared to the prior year fourth quarter. The increase in international irrigation revenues resulted primarily from higher unit sales volumes, along with higher selling prices and a favorable foreign currency translation impact of $2.8 million. The largest sales volume increases were in the Brazil and Middle East markets.

Irrigation segment operating income for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021 was $10.6 million, an increase of $4.6 million, or 78%, compared to the prior year fourth quarter. Operating margin was 8.4% of sales, compared to 7.8% of sales in the prior year fourth quarter. The impact of higher irrigation system unit volume was partially offset by the impact of higher raw material and other costs. Fourth quarter operating results were also reduced by approximately $5 million resulting from the impact of the LIFO method of accounting for inventory, under which higher raw material costs are recognized in cost of goods sold rather than in ending inventory values.

The backlog of unfilled orders at Aug. 31, 2021 was $149.1 million compared with $58.7 million at Aug. 31, 2020. A higher backlog of orders in irrigation was partially offset by a lower backlog in infrastructure.

Outlook

"Although agricultural commodity prices have come down from their peak earlier in the year, they remain at multi-year highs," said Wood. "This supports a solid outlook for North America irrigation equipment demand for the fall selling season. We expect growth in international irrigation to be led by continued momentum in Brazil and other markets and from new agricultural development being driven by increased concerns regarding food security."

Wood continued, "In our infrastructure business, we expect a slower start to fiscal 2022 due to specific project delays. However, prospects for year-over-year growth are supported by the quality of our project sales funnel."