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Lennox International Inc. (LII)

Q4 2014 Earnings Call· Mon, Feb 2, 2015

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Transcript

Operator

Operator

Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for standing by. Welcome to the Lennox International Fourth Quarter 2014 Earnings Conference Call. At the request of your host, all lines are in a listen-only mode. There will be a question-and-answer session at the end of the presentation. As a reminder, this conference call is being recorded. I would now like to turn the conference over to Steve Harrison, Vice President of Investor Relations. Please go ahead.

Steve Harrison

Management

Good morning. Thank you for joining us for this review of Lennox International's financial performance for the fourth quarter and full year 2014. I am here today with Chairman and CEO, Todd Bluedorn; and CFO, Joe Reitmeier. Todd will review key points for the quarter and year and Joe will take you through the company's financial performance and outlook. Financial results in prior periods have been revised to reflect sold businesses and discontinued operations. In the earnings release we issued this morning, we have included the necessary reconciliation of the financial metrics that will be discussed to GAAP measures. You can find a direct link to the webcast of today's conference call on our website at www.lennoxinternational.com. We will archive the webcast on that site for replay. I’d like to remind everyone that in the course of this call to give you a better understanding of our operations, we will be making certain forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to numerous risk and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from such statements. For information concerning these risk and uncertainties, see Lennox International's publicly available filings with the SEC. The company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Now, let me turn the call over to Chairman and CEO, Todd Bluedorn.

Todd Bluedorn

Management

Thanks, Steve good morning, and thank you for joining us. Lennox International’s strong business momentum continued in 2014, with record margin and profit, revenue was up 5% and EBIT margin expanded 70 basis points to a record 10.1%. Adjusted EPS from continuing operations rose 18% to $4.38 and GAAP EPS from continuing operations rose 21% to $4.28. Throughout 2014 revenue growth was led by our residential business followed by our commercial business. Both businesses set records for segment margin and profit for the year. And residential revenue was up 11% at constant currency and profit increased 31%, but the replacement and new construction business saw strong growth in 2014 and we capture price and realized improved mix. In Commercial revenue is up 5% in constant currency. Profit was also up 5% in a year of significant investments for future growth including entrance in the VRF market as well as FX headwinds. Commercial growth was led by strength in national account, equipment and service as loss from our continuing expansion in emergency replacement market. In North America, our high single digit shipment growth doubled the pace of the commercial unitary market. North America revenue was up high single-digits for the year at constant currency. In Europe Commercial HVAC revenue was down low single-digits to constant currency on soft macro economic conditions and political uncertainty over the course of the year. In Refrigeration, revenue was flat at constant currency for the year. Segment margin and profit were down significantly due to the repeal of the carbon tax in Australia, North America product mix investments for future growth and FX headwinds. Looking at 2015 we continue to expect revenue, margin and profits to be up. The Australia year-over-year negative comparison will be behind us after the first half of the year and we…

Joe Reitmeier

Management

Thank you, Todd and good morning everyone. I will provide some additional comments and financial details on the business segments for the quarter and the full year starting with Residential Heating & Cooling. In the fourth quarter, revenue from Residential Heating & Cooling was $404 million, which was up 13%. Volume was up 10% and price and mix combined was up 4%. Foreign exchange had a negative 1% impact on revenue. Residential profit in the fourth quarter was a fourth quarter record of $57 million up 57% from the prior year quarter. Segment profit margin was a fourth quarter record 14.1%, which was up 390 basis points. Segment profit was positively impacted by higher volume, favourable price mix and lower material costs and reduced product warranty costs. Partial offsets in the fourth quarter included unfavourable foreign exchange, higher SG&A and strategic investments and distribution expansion. For the full year, residential segment revenue was $1.7 billion which was up 10%, volume was up 9% and pricing mix combined was up 2%. Foreign exchange had a negative 1% impact on revenue and segment profit was a record $236 million which was up 31%. Segment profit margin was a record 13.6%, up 220 basis points. Turning to our Commercial Heating & Cooling business, in the fourth quarter, Commercial revenue was $223 million, up 5%. Volume was up 8%, and price and mix combined was flat on a revenue basis. Foreign exchange had a negative 3% impact on revenue. North American Commercial HVAC equipment and service revenue was up high single-digits. Europe Commercial HVAC revenue was down high single-digits including negative foreign exchange impact although up at constant currency as Todd mentioned. Commercial segment profit in the fourth quarter was $33 million, which was flat with the prior year fourth quarter. Segment profit margin…

Operator

Operator

[Operator Instructions] And we will begin with the line of Jeff Hammond with KeyBanc Capital. Please go ahead.

Jeff Hammond

Analyst

Hi, good morning guys.

Todd Bluedorn

Management

Hi, Jeff. Having trouble hearing you Jeff, can you - I don’t know I think it's on your end, operator, can you hear him?

Operator

Operator

I cannot hear him either. Jeff, your line is open.

Jeff Hammond

Analyst

So on the FX it just seems like a high margin applied to the FX had something in it, and that would drive that?

Todd Bluedorn

Management

The impact that we're seeing on FX has to do primarily with Canada and Australia. We saw a negative FX impact to EBIT of approximately $5 million in fourth quarter and as Joe talked about, we are now expecting $20 million in 2015. And that assumes we get some price in Canada. And obviously with the issues in Canada we're producing a product in the U.S. and U.S. dollars, then we’re selling it in Canada at Canadian dollars since Canadian dollars weakens then we get less pack. And Canada is one of our obviously largest furnace markets, we make very nice margins there and so when we have this weakness it impacts us. As Joe talked about in the call, it's meaningful to us. We do about 7% of our revenue last year in Canada and so it's an important market for us.

Jeff Hammond

Analyst

Okay. And then on Refrigeration the growth in the quarter is that U.S. grocery - and how sustainable is that?

Todd Bluedorn

Management

The major driver of the growth was U.S. grocery and we think it’s sustainable as we go into 2015 although more second half for the year than first half of the year but up full year significantly year-over-year. But as we've talked about multiple times that will be offset and we’ll have headwinds both from Australia on the carbon tax change and we’ll also have headwinds in North America from North American grocery mix.

Jeff Hammond

Analyst

Okay. Thanks guys.

Operator

Operator

And next we will go to the line of Steve Tusa with JPMorgan. Please go ahead.

Steve Tusa

Analyst

Hello, can you hear me?

Todd Bluedorn

Management

Yeah, I can.

Steve Tusa

Analyst

Hey sorry about that. Well some weather issues here, working from home. So, just on the Resi stuff, how much pre-build benefit your margin in the fourth quarter?

Todd Bluedorn

Management

No, we think from absorption of pre-build, it was a $0.02 in the quarter.

Steve Tusa

Analyst

Okay. And is something - I guess the $77 million in inventory kind of gets you to - the industry has been talking about a million one of pre-build, so you know just kind of apply your market share to that, that's kind of the right unit number?

John Torres

Analyst

To answer you Steve we haven't back, we done the math on that. But let us take it offline, we’ll do the math and see if that sort of gets us close.

Steve Tusa

Analyst

Okay. And as far as the view of next year, what should be on - you said flat mix in Resi next year. So does that basically mean that you’re going to have enough 13 SEER to kind of get these guys through most of the season next year?

John Torres

Analyst

Our expectation on 2015 is -- look a lot like 2014 where we and the industry will have 13 SEER to get through the summer selling season. And from your comment about 1.1 million units and - our sense of what others are doing in the industry, people are doing what we did which is there is a lot of 13 SEER pre-build and we’ll be able to have a normal transaction as we go into 2016.

Steve Tusa

Analyst

Okay, great. And then one last question just on the underlying tone of the commercial market, you guys have a lot of stuff going on that's specific to you and you're executing extremely well there. What's your sense of the underlying trend in your commercial business heading into next year? Do you feel better, worse or the same as you did a few months ago?

Todd Bluedorn

Management

We feel the same. What we called at on December was - low single-digits for the commercial market and that still feels about right. I mean Christmas season was okay, not great. I continue to be convinced that low fuel cost is good for the American consumer even though we haven't quite seen all that playout yet. And so I think that will help us too. So yeah, we're about the same as we were in December.

Steve Tusa

Analyst

Okay, great. Thanks.

Operator

Operator

All right. Next we'll go to the line of Jeff Sprague with Vertical Research. Please go ahead.

Jeff Sprague

Analyst

Thank you. Good morning, John. Just a couple questions back at the cost structure. Could you update us on where you're at on copper and aluminum, the size of your buy and how you're hedged for the year? You gave us the benefit obviously in dollars that you're expecting, but how does that really play through? I assume you're partially hedged for the year?

John Torres

Analyst

As we entered the year we’re probably 70% or so hedged in copper and aluminum. We don’t hedge steel. So we’ve locked in our corporate pricing at this point, we do have some exposed to the market. But as things move, we'll benefit from that. We’ve factored all that in our guidance.

Jeff Sprague

Analyst

Can you drive any color on millions of pounds, the size you buy or anything?

John Torres

Analyst

We've talked about the number of pounds by historically.

Todd Bluedorn

Management

Order of magnitude we do 35 million or so pounds of copper. And order of magnitude 45 million or so pounds of aluminum and that's based on 2014.

Jeff Sprague

Analyst

And then just back to the refrigeration on grocery, where are you seeing that strength? Is it - it sounds like - could be fairly broad based, but is there anything that stands out regionally or kind of large players versus medium size any of the color you could add there?

Todd Bluedorn

Management

What we've been talking about Jeff, in our North America grocery businesses as we need to diversify and have a broader portfolio of customers and we’ve been focused on doing that. But its also driven by a couple of large customers who we won last year and one of them in Arkansas and that sort of helping us as we go into 2015.

Jeff Sprague

Analyst

Right. Thank you.

Todd Bluedorn

Management

Thanks.

Operator

Operator

All right. Next we’ll go to line of Rich Kwas with Wells Fargo Securities. Please go ahead.

Rich Kwas

Analyst

Hi. Good morning.

Todd Bluedorn

Management

Hey, Rich.

Rich Kwas

Analyst

Just a follow-up on the Refrigeration, so I think, Todd back in December you talked about modest margin expansion for the full year? Can you just remind us on the cadence of that as we think about first part of the year versus second half of the year?

Todd Bluedorn

Management

We’re going to see all the margin expansion in the second half of the year, Rich. So first half of the year we’re going have – still have significant headwind from Australia, and the majority of that will be in first quarter, but some of them will be in second quarter. We also won’t see the benefits or the full benefits of some the fixes we’ve done in our North America business, and revenue ramp up in the North America grocery segment, although up this quarter and will be up first half, we’ll have even more benefit second half. So, we still have another two quarters of margin deterioration in refrigeration on a year-over-year basis than second half of the year when we start to see the pickup.

Rich Kwas

Analyst

The Cadence of the Arkansas customer, is that player out as expected here?

Todd Bluedorn

Management

Yes, so far.

Rich Kwas

Analyst

Thanks. And then on FX are you benchmarking where we are just now here in the last few days in terms of euro C dollar etcetera?

Todd Bluedorn

Management

Yeah, the foreign exchange rates that we use are the current spot rates, so that’s what we’re using our forecast and our guidance.

Rich Kwas

Analyst

Okay. And then Todd, what’s – I know, first quarter is really not all of that important, but just early read on furnace season and what’s you’re seeing in terms of underlying demand trends?

Todd Bluedorn

Management

Yes. We’re seeing solid business trends continue in Resi and Commercial. Orders are solid. We are in good momentum. But especially in Resi half the quarter is the month of March so that’s still in front of us. In refrigeration sort of as we talked about supermarket business will continue to grow on the top line, but we’ll have some headwinds in Australia in mix, but we would hope we would be at the end of January for first quarter.

Rich Kwas

Analyst

Thanks. I’ll pass it on.

Todd Bluedorn

Management

Thanks.

Operator

Operator

Next, we’ll go to the line of Robert Barry with Susquehanna. Please go ahead.

Robert Barry

Analyst

Hey, guys. Good morning.

Todd Bluedorn

Management

Hey, Robert.

Robert Barry

Analyst

So I just wanted to clarify, it sounds like what’s changed the guidance is a net negative of $5 million at the EBIT line, is that right, currency and commodities?

Joe Reitmeier

Management

Correct.

Robert Barry

Analyst

And is that $20 million FX headwind going to be felt mostly in the Refrigeration business? Or have it would apportion it?

Todd Bluedorn

Management

I really proposition it to the Resi and Commercial. I mean, so the biggest impact to us is in where you’re seeing another multinationals where it’s the euro. Where we’re having the biggest impact is in the Canadian dollar and our sales of Residential and Commercial in the Canada from our U.S. factories to a lesser its Refrigeration in Australia and then to a lesser degree Europe.

Robert Barry

Analyst

Go you. And the degree shifting Commercial on Refrigeration margins saw I think flat in Commercial, down a lot in Refrigeration. Are those tracking to your plan?

Todd Bluedorn

Management

Yes. What we saw in commercial was as you suggested essential flat and dollars down a little bit in margin. And that was from FX headwind in the quarter – in fourth quarter, investments we’re making in VRF and we also just have some customer mix issues. We added higher volume of lower profitable customers and sometimes we have that, it sort of a lumpy business. But underlying the profitability, margin expansion in Commercial we had a record year and as we go in the 2015, its all lined up to have another record year. In Refrigeration its more complicated, it sort of when I’ve talked about over and over that we have the Australia headwind, we had North America mix and as I answered earlier on the call, I think with Rich, its prior going to be second half of the year before we start to see margins pickup in Refrigeration.

Robert Barry

Analyst

Fair enough. But it sounds like the scale of the pressures in 4Q were kind of been line with your plan when you gave the outlook in December?

Todd Bluedorn

Management

Yes. I’ll answer directly. No surprises for us. It’s as we expect to maybe even a hair better in Commercial.

Robert Barry

Analyst

Okay. And then, I apologize if you touched on this in the prepared remarks, I jumped on a little late. But at the Analyst Day in mid December I remember you joking about people at football games and short sleeves, which didn’t bode for the Resi business. Yet it seems to have pulled through pretty strongly despite the headwinds you were mentioning in Canada both on the revenue and the margin. So, any incremental color there and is this tracking ahead of your plan in December or is also in line?

Todd Bluedorn

Management

I mean, we had a good December in Resi. We were up maybe what you miss was, we were up 14%. We said two points of that was pre-buy with our Allied brands [ph] in independent distribution. So two points of the 2014 were pre-buy, but 12 points was just sort of underlying growth in the business. We continue to have momentum. I think we’re gaining share as we have over the last couple of years. And I think we saw that in fourth quarter.

Robert Barry

Analyst

Yes. I mean the margin was almost what it was in third quarter which is the seasonally strong quarter?

Todd Bluedorn

Management

Yes, we did well.

Robert Barry

Analyst

Okay.

Todd Bluedorn

Management

Residential business did well.

Robert Barry

Analyst

And is that also kind of in line with your expectation or is that ahead of the plan?

Todd Bluedorn

Management

The margins were as we hope that would be. That wasn’t a big surprise. I think we got a couple of points in revenue more than what we were talking about in December, and I think that’s we’re little higher in the range than what we thought we might have been on the December call.

Robert Barry

Analyst

Okay. Thanks, Todd.

Todd Bluedorn

Management

Thanks.

Operator

Operator

All right. And next we’ll go to the line of Josh Pokrzywinski with Buckingham Research. Please go ahead.

Josh Pokrzywinski

Analyst

Hi, good morning, guys.

Todd Bluedorn

Management

Hey, Josh.

Josh Pokrzywinski

Analyst

So I guess, the first question on the price cost dynamic, should we expect that layer in more second half and first half and then thinking back to first quarter of last year where it was more investment heavy. Should we think of more pronounced weakness in early margin than strengthening through the year?

Todd Bluedorn

Management

On the material cost side we always tend to have more second half of the year than the first of the year and I think that will continue to be the case. Same with price, you set price early in the year and then as volume comes in to the business we able to get price in the sort of the peak season second and third quarter. So, we’ll see less price in first quarter, less material cost reduction in first quarter, we’ll see it more as we get into the middle of the year.

Josh Pokrzywinski

Analyst

Should we think of the investment spending being more first quarter directed on top of that?

Todd Bluedorn

Management

Well, I think what happens is on the distribution side, we make the investments and sort of see the payback so we get into the volume part of the year, which is mid year. I think something VRF I think it’s equitable throughout the year.

Josh Pokrzywinski

Analyst

Got you. And then, the numbers you gave on price cost, I want to say, is it $10 million versus were you were before if I wrote that down correctly?

Todd Bluedorn

Management

Let me do the math as I think that yes, so commodities are $10 million better than what we thought, prices the same. And then FX is $50 million worst than what we saw.

Josh Pokrzywinski

Analyst

Got you. So on the price cost side or on the material equation is that at current spot prices is that – I guess where is the float or you guys assuming that numbers move around at all between now and 4Q or 3Q when you not hedged?

Todd Bluedorn

Management

I think its based on Joe said, where mathematically what we do is we have – we know what are hedges are, right, so that order of magnitude 70% of copper and aluminum hedged. We know what that is. And then we take a futures of what it would be in the out periods and that what we use to sort of calculate the math.

Josh Pokrzywinski

Analyst

Got you. And then, just one last cleanup, ending share count for the fourth quarter?

Todd Bluedorn

Management

I’ll look around the room. People are whispering to me, 46. So I’ll say 46 plus someone corrects me, 46.2.

Josh Pokrzywinski

Analyst

Oh, I thought that was average. Is that? We can follow-up…?

Todd Bluedorn

Management

Okay. Let’s follow-up, just make sure we give you the right number.

Josh Pokrzywinski

Analyst

All right. Thanks.

Todd Bluedorn

Management

Yes. Thanks.

Operator

Operator

All right. Next we’ll move to the line of Julian Mitchell with Credit Suisse. Please go ahead.

Julian Mitchell

Analyst

Hi. Thank you. Just the question on the margin profile, last you obviously had a very good EBIT margin expansion firmwide. All of it really coming leverage around SG&A with gross margins being sort of flattish. I just wondered when you look at this year, all the moving parts around price mix and so forth. You think it will be the same trend again, or seeing our gross margin can start to move up?

Todd Bluedorn

Management

Well, I mean, I guess sort of underneath the hood, I would have categorized 2014 a little different than just SG&A leverage. I’d say the gross margin level, there were conflicting forces. We did another great job of material cost reduction and a nice job in price. And then we had extreme headwinds in Australia that sort of flew into gross margins. And we also had negative mix North America grocery that’s flowed in the gross margin. So, I think 2015 will look a lot like 2014, where we’ll have nice material cost reduction, decent price. Now we’re signaling material amount of lower commodities, volume on the high end to get SG&A leverage, but we’ll still have some Australia a negative mix that offsets that North America grocery.

Julian Mitchell

Analyst

Got it. Thanks. And then on Australia, I understand the currency moves and so on. But just how you’re feeling about the organic outlook there, because I guess we heard from some other buildings, products companies like Tyco last week that Australia organic is looking worst for them again having seem to stabilized four or five months ago, just what you are seeing there?

Todd Bluedorn

Management

We’re seeing some pressure on Australia business and we’re obviously tied to the weather. We’re having a decent summer there right now. But when I think about Australia, it’s more of the pressure that we’re seeing on the year-over-year comp on the carbon tax in the underlying organic markets. We think our sort of revenue; organic revenue will be fine in Australia market.

Julian Mitchell

Analyst

Thanks. And then lastly on the capital allocation, you have the $450 million cash out for buyback in Q4. You talked about leverage coming down steadily through the year. So should we expect to be very quiet on capital allocation or maybe the year end?

Todd Bluedorn

Management

Yes. I mean, I think I would give the $450 share buyback that we announced I guess in December, our third quarter call, when we announced the $450 million share buyback. In my mind that would view that as our share buyback in 2015 and then we will get to the end of the year and we delever, we’ll sort of revisit the subject.

Julian Mitchell

Analyst

Great. Thank you.

Operator

Operator

Next we’ll go line of Shannon O'Callaghan with UBS. Please go ahead.

Shannon O'Callaghan

Analyst

Good morning, guys.

Todd Bluedorn

Management

Hey, Shannon.

Shannon O'Callaghan

Analyst

Hey, just on little bit more on this fourth quarter Residential margin, even if you take out what seems like a fairly modest benefits of pre-build, that’s some pretty strong year-over-year margin expansion for us all to assume, continues at that run rate, is there – as you think through 2015, does the mix benefit is through the year is sort of 2014 SEER becomes the new bottom or there are other things that would cost that kind of conversion rate to moderate?

Todd Bluedorn

Management

I think we’re going to have – we’ve signed up for another nice year in Residential next year its half our business that’s implied in our guidance. Also when you look at our three-year targets for Residential, we’ve set some healthy targets there. And so, I think it implies that we need to continue to do the things we’ve done in fourth quarter more broadly speaking that we’ve done during all 2014 to drive margins in our Residential business, investment we’re making in distribution, in products and our ability to support our dealer network I think it’s paying off and I think we’re getting paid for.

Shannon O'Callaghan

Analyst

Okay. And then in terms of the share gains was there any sort of difference in terms of SHEER level or geography or anything in terms of those share gains where you think you’re having the most success or what help drive such a strong finish to the year?

Todd Bluedorn

Management

No. I think geographically where you see is we’re putting in PartsPlus stores. I think it’s clearly tied to the strategy that we put in place to go to the market. I also think we’re seeing nice mix up on the equipment side. So we tend to win where we make our investments whether it’s a product innovation or distribution, that’s where we tend to ensure.

Shannon O'Callaghan

Analyst

Okay. Great. Thanks guys.

Todd Bluedorn

Management

Thanks.

Operator

Operator

Next we’ll move to line of Mark Douglass with Longbow Research. Please go ahead.

Mark Douglass

Analyst

Hi, good morning, gentlemen.

Todd Bluedorn

Management

Hi, Mark.

Mark Douglass

Analyst

On Canada given that a lot of competitors also import into Canada. I would think you should be able to get lot of pricing you want. But what about the Canadian consumer with oil prices down, I mean, I would think that are you facing a volume headwind in Canada as well that you anticipate and put it in to your guidance?

Todd Bluedorn

Management

Yes. I mean, everything is in the guidance. So there’s parts of Canada obviously Calgary for example where you have the headwind from the drop in the oil and gas industry, but obviously there’s large loss of Canada both in the East and on the far West that aren’t impacted by that. So the point around price, we’re focused on getting additional price in Canada to review what we’ve done so far back in January of 2014. So year ago, we had a North America wide price increase of 3% to 5% that included Canada. In April 2014, so April last year we had a 5% increase in Canada only in effective March 1 of 2015, so coming up here we’ve already announced an additional 6% Canadian price only – Canadian only price increase. So, we’re trying to be aggressive in the market to your point sort of balancing what’s happening with the consumer. Carrier, Trane, Daikin, Goodman have all announced Canadian specific price increases effective early 2015. So again, we’re – as you suggested we’re focused on trying to offset the FX impact by getting price in Canada.

Mark Douglass

Analyst

Great. And then looking at U.S. Residential, you’d say, you’re thinking Resi mix flat, but it seems that there has been a mix up even outside of the regulations. Are you thinking there’s going some mix just not material in 2015 or is that just upside?

Todd Bluedorn

Management

Yes. I think the answer is it could probably be upside. When we gave that guidance in December I think I put words around that of – there’s a lot of moving pieces in 2015 with the regulatory change. And we have a pretty good view. And so far it’s playing out like we had hope which is there’s enough 13 SEER that at the bottom and stays 13 SEER, we’re able to get price on 14 SEER, so the mix looks the same. But there are some scenarios where all that doesn’t happen and so we thought it was prudent to sort of guide to no mix up and therefore able to do better than that’s upside to the numbers.

Mark Douglass

Analyst

Okay. Great. Thank you.

Todd Bluedorn

Management

Thanks.

Operator

Operator

All right. And next we’ll go to the line of Walt Liptak with Global Hunter. Please go ahead.

Walt Liptak

Analyst

Hi, thanks, good morning.

Todd Bluedorn

Management

Good morning.

Walt Liptak

Analyst

I wonder follow-up on the market share discussion, I wonder if you been able to quantify the 2014 share gains in percentage and it’s been – you’ve been gaining share with PartsPlus and products for a couple of years now, is there a point in which we start to see which share gains decelerating?

Todd Bluedorn

Management

Well, I think we continue – you know this is an industry where if you gain half a point of market share, here you’re doing very well. And if you do it with systemic changes like building out distribution and innovating in product and focusing on taking Carrier dealers with innovation and investments. I think its share that you continue to grow. And so, as we’ve talk about in our PartsPlus we’re not reaching, diminishing returns yet, we’re still putting these stores in and still wining where we put them in and we’re winning with our product innovation. We have another great suite of new products that we’re launching in first quarter. So yeah, I think our momentum in the marketplace continues in Resi.

Walt Liptak

Analyst

Okay. Great. And just wondered by your thoughts on the $77 million inventory build, I think you’ve got 18 months to liquidate that. Is there any change on timing on and when that converts to cash? Are you seeing anything early in the year – I’m sure it’s already too early, but any early thoughts on the cash conversion?

Todd Bluedorn

Management

Yes. Short answer is it’s early. I mean the guidance we gave in December of cash conversion or cash generation for 2015 we still think it’s the right number. We just got to place at through. And again as we talked about the pre-build in effect was taking a spike in production that you would typically have in first quarter and move it into fourth quarter of prior year which is what we done. Also it’s not lettuce, it’s not going to go bad, the product that we build we can sell in the north if we need to. So short answers, we build it, we have it and we have 18 months to sell it in the south and we need to sell in the north we will.

Walt Liptak

Analyst

Okay. Great. Thank you.

Todd Bluedorn

Management

Thanks.

Operator

Operator

All right. The next we will go to line of Keith Hughes with SunTrust. Please go ahead.

Keith Hughes

Analyst

Thank you. Just you have listed in the press release and on the prepared statement some of the problems you had in Refrigeration in the quarter. Can you put those in just a list of the biggest impacts, margin [indiscernible]?

Todd Bluedorn

Management

Yes. I mean, I think, carbon tax in Australia was the biggest issue. The mix in North America was a close second and then third was FX and sort of all low to mid single millions of EBIT impact.

Keith Hughes

Analyst

The mix issue once you anniversary the – you mentioned the large customer earlier. Once you anniversary that, is that start to move back in the direction.

Todd Bluedorn

Management

Yes, we'll better state it. Once we get the full volume with them, then it starts to be grandfathered or laughed, but as I talked about we are sort of ramping up that volume through 2015, so we’ll be winding about mix headwind in North America as we go into 2016 Australia goes away first half of the year and we’ll also have some nice volume tailwind in North America as well as operational improvements around the enterprise, so second half of the year we’ll see margin improvement although we’ll still have mix headwind.

Keith Hughes

Analyst

2016 is the year when we should really succeed the benefits, correct?

Todd Bluedorn

Management

Correct.

Keith Hughes

Analyst

Thank you very much.

Operator

Operator

Okay, and next we’ll move onto Glenn Wortman with Sidoti & Company. Please go ahead.

Glenn Wortman

Analyst

Good morning everyone.

Todd Bluedorn

Management

Hey Glenn.

Glenn Wortman

Analyst

How much is left on the share repurchase program, it looks like most if not all that was completed in the fourth quarter?

Todd Bluedorn

Management

Yes, the way the program worked was you know we delivered $450 million in cash in the fourth quarter, 70% of the shares were delivered in the fourth quarter and then we have 30% that were completed in the second half of 2015.

Glenn Wortman

Analyst

Okay, that’s all I had. Thank you very much.

Operator

Operator

There are no further questions.

Todd Bluedorn

Management

Okay, great. I want to thank everyone for the time and for the questions. A few points I want to leave everyone with. We are well positioned and expect another record year in 2015 with EPS from continuing operations in the $5.20 to $5.60. We remain focussed on capitalizing on growth in our major end markets capturing additional market share and driving increased profitability through our operational initiatives in 2015. Thank you for joining us today and we look forward to the year ahead. Thank you, operator.