Connection (CNXN) Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2020 Results

February 24, 2021

FOURTH QUARTER SUMMARY:

  • Gross profit: $108.9 million, down 6.2% y/y
  • Net income: $16.3 million, down 25.8% y/y
  • Diluted EPS: $0.62, compared to $0.83 y/y

FULL YEAR SUMMARY:

  • Gross profit: $418.8 million, down 7.2% y/y
  • Net income: $55.8 million, down 32.1% y/y
  • Diluted EPS: $2.12, compared to $3.10 y/y
  • Cash balance: $95.7 million

MERRIMACK, N.H.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 24, 2021-- Connection (PC Connection, Inc.; NASDAQ: CNXN), a leading information technology solutions provider to business, government, and education markets, today announced results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2020.

“Our Q4 performance reflected the continued recovery trend in business conditions that we began to see very late in Q2,” said Tim McGrath, President and CEO of Connection. “Our year-over-year revenue growth in our Business and Public Sector Solutions segments was offset by a decline in Enterprise Solutions, which had a strong Q4 2019. We believe current momentum will continue in the months ahead. There was solid demand in mobility, security, software, and managed services. In Q4, we experienced greater than 20% growth in both SLED and our manufacturing vertical market.”

McGrath continued, “The pandemic had a significant impact on our business in 2020. Our people rose to the occasion and worked tirelessly through the year under difficult conditions to help our customers succeed. We are optimistic about 2021 and look forward to continuing to deliver the value-added services and products that enable our customers to transform their businesses.”

Net sales for the quarter ended December 31, 2020 decreased by 5.7% to $675.7 million, compared to $716.6 million for the prior year quarter. The reduction in revenue year over year is primarily due to the continuing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Enterprise and supply chain constraints. Net income for the quarter ended December 31, 2020 decreased by 25.8% to $16.3 million, or $0.62 per diluted share, compared to net income of $22.0 million, or $0.83 per diluted share, for the prior year quarter.

Net sales for the year ended December 31, 2020 decreased by 8.1% to $2.6 billion, compared to $2.8 billion for the year ended December 31, 2019. Net income for the year ended December 31, 2020 decreased by 32.1% to $55.8 million, or $2.12 per diluted share, compared to net income of $82.1 million, or $3.10 per diluted share, for the year ended December 31, 2019.

Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, adjusted for stock-based compensation expense and restructuring and other charges (“Adjusted EBITDA”) totaled $90.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, compared to $128.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2019. 1

 

Quarterly Highlights

  • Our Manufacturing vertical market had impressive quarter-over-quarter and year-over-year revenue growth. Manufacturers are using technology to drive top and bottom line growth. We are seeing strong demand associated with business resiliency and security solutions.
  • Healthcare, our largest vertical market, saw 12.5% sequential revenue growth, while our Finance vertical experienced 15.5% sequential revenue growth.
  • We experienced record demand for notebooks and other mobility solutions as customers continue to advance their workplace transformation strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Our Technology Solutions Group saw strong demand and growth across lifecycle and managed services. Specific areas included end user service desk, cloud consulting and workplace transformation.

Quarterly Performance by Segment:

  • Net sales for the Business Solutions segment increased by 1.1% to $265.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2020, compared to $262.3 million in the prior year quarter. Gross profit decreased by 3.7% to $50.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2020, compared to $52.6 million in the prior year quarter. Gross margin decreased by 95 basis points to 19.1% primarily due to changes in product mix.
  • Net sales for the Public Sector Solutions segment increased by 1.8% to $134.9 million in the fourth quarter of 2020, compared to $132.5 million in the prior year quarter. Sales to state and local government and educational institutions increased by 23.0%, compared to the prior year quarter, while sales to the federal government decreased by 27.8%. Gross profit decreased by 11.6% to $18.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2020, compared to $20.9 million in the prior year quarter. Gross margin decreased by 209 basis points to 13.7%. Our federal business declined against record Q4 net sales in 2019.
  • Net sales for the Enterprise Solutions segment decreased by 14.4% to $275.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2020, compared to $321.9 million in the prior year quarter. Gross profit decreased by 6.7% to $39.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2020, compared to $42.6 million in the prior year quarter. Gross margin increased by 118 basis points to 14.4% primarily due to changes in customer mix.
 

Quarterly Sales by Product Mix:

  • Notebook/mobility sales, the Company’s largest product category, increased by 16% year over year and accounted for 34% of net sales in the fourth quarter of 2020, compared to 28% of net sales in the fourth quarter of 2019. The increase in this product category was due to the continued work-from-home trend.
  • Accessories sales decreased by 1% year over year and accounted for 13% of net sales in the fourth quarter of 2020, compared to 12% of net sales in the fourth quarter of 2019.
  • Software sales decreased by 11% year over year and accounted for 12% of net sales in the fourth quarter of 2020 and 2019. Software revenue recognized on a net basis, such as cloud-based software offerings, continues to grow rapidly.
  • Desktop sales decreased by 27% year over year and accounted for 9% of net sales in the fourth quarter of 2020, compared to 12% of net sales in the fourth quarter of 2019.

Selling, general and administrative (“SG&A”) expenses increased in the fourth quarter of 2020 to $89.1 million from $86.5 million in the prior year quarter. SG&A as a percentage of net sales, was 13.2%, compared to 12.1% in the prior year quarter. The increase in SG&A was primarily due to an increase in costs associated with our new ERP system, costs associated with the creation of our new Technical Sales Organization and one-time legal fees.

Cash and cash equivalents were $95.7 million at December 31, 2020, compared to $90.1 million at December 31, 2019. In January 2021, we paid a $0.32 per share special dividend to shareholders, which totaled $8.4 million.

Conference Call and Webcast

Connection will host a conference call and live web cast today, February 24, 2021 at 4:30 p.m. ET to discuss its fourth quarter financial results. To access the conference call (audio only), please dial 877-776-4016 (US) or 973-638-3231 (International). A web-cast of the conference call, which will be broadcast live via the Internet, and a copy of this press release, can be accessed on Connection’s website at ir.connection.com. For those unable to participate in the live call, a replay of the webcast will be available at ir.connection.com approximately 90 minutes after the completion of the call and will be accessible on the site for approximately one year.

Non-GAAP Financial Information

Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EPS and Adjusted Net Income are non-GAAP financial measures. These measures are included to provide additional information with respect to the Company’s operating performance and earnings. Non-GAAP measures are not a substitute for GAAP measures and should be considered together with the GAAP financial measures. Our non-GAAP financial measures may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures of other companies. A reconciliation to the most directly comparable GAAP measure is available in the tables at the end of this release.

 

About Connection

PC Connection, Inc. and its subsidiaries, dba Connection, (www.connection.com; NASDAQ: CNXN) is a Fortune 1000 company headquartered in Merrimack, NH. With offices throughout the United States, Connection delivers custom-configured computer systems overnight from its ISO 9001:2015 certified technical configuration lab at its distribution center in Wilmington, OH. In addition, the Company has over 2,500 technical certifications to ensure that it can solve the most complex issues of its customers. Connection also services international customers through its GlobalServe subsidiary, a global IT procurement and service management company. Investors and media can find more information about Connection at http://ir.pcconnection.com.

Connection–Business Solutions (800.800.5555) is a rapid-response provider of IT products and services serving primarily the small-and medium-sized business sector. It offers more than 425,000 brand-name products through its staff of technically trained sales account managers, publications, and its website at www.connection.com.

Connection–Enterprise Solutions (561.237.3300), www.connection.com/enterprise, provides corporate technology buyers with best-in-class IT solutions, in-depth IT supply-chain expertise, and access to over 425,000 products and 1,600 vendors through TRAXX™, a proprietary cloud-based eProcurement system. The team’s engineers, software licensing specialists, and project managers help reduce the cost and complexity of buying hardware, software, and services throughout the entire IT lifecycle.

Connection–Public Sector Solutions (800.800.0019), is a rapid-response provider of IT products and services to federal, state, and local government agencies and educational institutions through specialized account managers, publications, and online at www.connection.com/publicsector.

"Safe Harbor" Statement Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This release contains forward-looking statements that are based on currently available information, operating plans, and projections about future events and trends. Terms such as "believe," "expect," "intend," "plan," "estimate," "anticipate," "may," "should," "will," or similar statements or variations of such terms are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements include such terms. Forward-looking statements inherently involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted in such forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the continuation of the COVID-19 pandemic and responses to it, the impact of changes in market demand and the overall level of economic activity and environment, or in the level of business investment in information technology products, product availability and market acceptance, new products, continuation of key vendor and customer relationships and support programs, the ability to realize market demand for and competitive pricing pressures on the products and services marketed by the Company, fluctuations in operating results and the ability of the Company to manage personnel levels in response to fluctuations in revenue, the ability of the Company to hire and retain qualified sales representatives and other essential personnel, the impact of changes in accounting requirements, successful integration of the new ERP system, and other risks detailed in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including under the caption "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) for the year ended December 31, 2019 as updated in the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC for the quarterly period ended September 30, 2020. The Company assumes no obligation to update the information in this press release or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of any new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law.


1 Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP measure. See page 10 for the definition and reconciliation.

 
                   
CONSOLIDATED SELECTED FINANCIAL INFORMATION                  
At or for the Three Months Ended December 31,

 

2020

 

   

 

2019

 

     
                 

%

(Amounts and shares in thousands, except operating data, P/E ratio, and per share data)                

Change

                   
Operating Data:                  
Net sales

$

675,686

 

     

$

716,627

 

     

(6

%)

Diluted earnings per share

$

0.62

 

     

$

0.83

 

     

(25

%)

                   
Gross margin

 

16.1

%

     

 

16.2

%

       
Operating margin

 

2.9

%

     

 

4.1

%

       
Return on equity (1)

 

9.1

%

     

 

14.6

%

       
                   
Inventory turns

 

18

 

     

 

18

 

       
Days sales outstanding

 

75

 

     

 

63

 

       
                   
  % of       % of        
Product Mix: Net Sales       Net Sales        
Notebooks/Mobility

 

34

%

     

 

28

%

       
Accessories

 

13

 

     

 

12

 

       
Software

 

12

 

     

 

12

 

       
Desktops

 

9

 

     

 

12

 

       
Net/Com Products

 

9

 

     

 

10

 

       
Displays

 

8

 

     

 

9

 

       
Servers/Storage

 

7

 

     

 

8

 

       
Other Hardware/Services

 

8

 

     

 

9

 

       
Total Net Sales

 

100

%

     

 

100

%

       
                   
                   
Stock Performance Indicators:                  
Actual shares outstanding

 

26,170

 

     

 

26,345

 

       
Total book value per share

$

24.32

 

     

$

22.67

 

       
Tangible book value per share

$

21.23

 

     

$

19.56

 

       
Closing price

$

47.29

 

     

$

49.66

 

       
Market capitalization

$

1,237,579

 

     

$

1,308,293

 

       
Trailing price/earnings ratio

 

22.3

 

     

 

16.0

 

       
LTM Adjusted EBITDA (2)

$

90,566

 

     

$

128,662

 

       
Adjusted market capitalization/LTM Adjusted EBITDA (3)

 

12.6

 

     

 

9.5

 

       
(1) Calculated as the trailing twelve months' of net income divided by the average trailing twelve months' of equity.
(2) Adjusted EBITDA is defined as EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) adjusted for stock-based compensation and restructuring and other related charges.
(3) Adjusted market capitalization is defined as gross market capitalization less cash balance.
 
REVENUE AND MARGIN INFORMATION              
For the Three Months Ended December 31,

2020

 

2019

  Net   Gross   Net   Gross
(amounts in thousands) Sales   Margin   Sales   Margin
               
Enterprise Solutions

$

275,625

 

14.4

%

 

$

321,851

 

13.2

%

Business Solutions

 

265,173

 

19.1

 

 

 

262,309

 

20.1

 

Public Sector Solutions

 

134,888

 

13.7

 

 

 

132,467

 

15.8

 

Total

$

675,686

 

16.1

%

 

$

716,627

 

16.2

%

 
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME            
        Three Months Ended December 31,   Years Ended December 31,
(amounts in thousands, except per share data)      

 

2020

 

 

 

2019

 

 

 

2020

 

 

 

2019

 

                     
Net sales      

$

675,686

 

 

$

716,627

 

 

$

2,590,290

 

 

$

2,820,034

 

Cost of sales      

 

566,827

 

 

 

600,514

 

 

 

2,171,483

 

 

 

2,368,724

 

Gross profit      

 

108,859

 

 

 

116,113

 

 

 

418,807

 

 

 

451,310

 

                     
Selling, general and administrative expenses      

 

89,101

 

 

 

86,510

 

 

 

345,741

 

 

 

338,635

 

Restructuring and other charges      

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

992

 

 

 

703

 

Income from operations      

 

19,758

 

 

 

29,603

 

 

 

72,074

 

 

 

111,972

 

                     
Other income/(expense), net      

 

(18

)

 

 

263

 

 

 

61

 

 

 

707

 

Gain from insurance policies      

 

1,061

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

1,061

 

 

 

-

 

Income tax provision      

 

(4,505

)

 

 

(7,900

)

 

 

(17,431

)

 

 

(30,568

)

Net income      

$

16,296

 

 

$

21,966

 

 

$

55,765

 

 

$

82,111

 

                     
Earnings per common share:                    
Basic      

$

0.62

 

 

$

0.83

 

 

$

2.13

 

 

$

3.12

 

Diluted      

$

0.62

 

 

$

0.83

 

 

$

2.12

 

 

$

3.10

 

                     

Shares used in the computation of earnings per common share:

               
Basic      

 

26,156

 

 

 

26,322

 

 

 

26,157

 

 

 

26,335

 

Diluted      

 

26,328

 

 

 

26,523

 

 

 

26,336

 

 

 

26,505

 

 
               
         

December 31,

 

December 31,

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS      

 

2020

 

 

 

2019

 

(amounts in thousands)              
               
ASSETS              
Current Assets:              
Cash and cash equivalents        

$

95,655

 

 

$

90,060

 

Accounts receivable, net        

 

610,096

 

 

 

549,626

 

Inventories, net        

 

140,867

 

 

 

124,666

 

Income taxes receivable        

 

-

 

 

 

1,388

 

Prepaid expenses and other current assets      

 

12,362

 

 

 

10,671

 

Total current assets        

 

858,980

 

 

 

776,411

 

Property and equipment, net        

 

61,537

 

 

 

64,226

 

Right-of-use assets, net        

 

12,821

 

 

 

13,842

 

Goodwill        

 

73,602

 

 

 

73,602

 

Intangibles assets, net        

 

7,088

 

 

 

8,307

 

Other assets        

 

1,345

 

 

 

947

 

Total Assets        

$

1,015,373

 

 

$

937,335

 

               
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY            
Current Liabilities:              
Accounts payable        

$

266,846

 

 

$

235,641

 

Accrued payroll        

 

17,828

 

 

 

28,050

 

Accrued expenses and other liabilities      

 

57,586

 

 

 

45,232

 

Total current liabilities        

 

342,260

 

 

 

308,923

 

Deferred income taxes        

 

18,525

 

 

 

20,170

 

Operating lease liability        

 

9,631

 

 

 

10,330

 

Other liabilities        

 

8,630

 

 

 

600

 

Total Liabilities        

 

379,046

 

 

 

340,023

 

Stockholders’ Equity:              
Common stock        

 

289

 

 

 

288

 

Additional paid-in capital        

 

119,891

 

 

 

118,045

 

Retained earnings        

 

562,084

 

 

 

514,694

 

Treasury stock at cost

       

 

(45,937

)

 

 

(35,715

)

Total Stockholders’ Equity        

 

636,327

 

 

 

597,312

 

Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity

     

$

1,015,373

 

 

$

937,335

 

               
 
                 
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS                
          Three Months Ended December 31,  

Years Ended December 31,

(amounts in thousands)        

 

2020

 

 

 

2019

 

 

 

2020

 

 

 

2019

 

Cash Flows from Operating Activities:                      
Net income        

$

16,296

 

 

$

21,966

 

 

$

55,765

 

 

$

82,111

 

Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:              
Depreciation and amortization        

 

3,268

 

 

 

3,130

 

 

 

13,603

 

 

 

13,314

 

Provision for doubtful accounts        

 

40

 

 

 

(156

)

 

 

3,316

 

 

 

25

 

Stock-based compensation expense        

 

802

 

 

 

604

 

 

 

2,668

 

 

 

1,863

 

Deferred income taxes        

 

(1,645

)

 

 

2,976

 

 

 

(1,645

)

 

 

2,986

 

Gain on life insurance proceeds        

 

(1,061

)

 

 

-

 

 

 

(1,061

)

 

 

-

 

Loss on disposal of fixed assets        

 

15

 

 

 

99

 

 

 

28

 

 

 

213

 

                       
Changes in assets and liabilities:                      
Accounts receivable        

 

(20,115

)

 

 

(70,563

)

 

 

(62,725

)

 

 

(101,953

)

Inventories        

 

(6,178

)

 

 

1,412

 

 

 

(16,201

)

 

 

(5,471

)

Prepaid expenses and other current assets        

 

(346

)

 

 

(5,178

)

 

 

(303

)

 

 

(1,476

)

Other non-current assets        

 

321

 

 

 

(55

)

 

 

(398

)

 

 

264

 

Accounts payable        

 

(16,221

)

 

 

38,127

 

 

 

32,515

 

 

 

34,960

 

Accrued expenses and other liabilities        

 

14,523

 

 

 

4,219

 

 

 

10,536

 

 

 

9,767

 

Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities        

 

(10,301

)

 

 

(3,419

)

 

 

36,098

 

 

 

36,603

 

                       
Cash Flows from Investing Activities:                      
Purchases of equipment        

 

(1,422

)

 

 

(5,035

)

 

 

(11,033

)

 

 

(25,656

)

Net cash used in investing activities        

 

(1,422

)

 

 

(5,035

)

 

 

(11,033

)

 

 

(25,656

)

                       
Cash Flows from Financing Activities:                      
Dividend payment        

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

(8,427

)

 

 

(8,452

)

Purchase of treasury shares        

 

-

 

 

 

(115

)

 

 

(10,222

)

 

 

(4,478

)

Issuance of stock under Employee Stock Purchase Plan      

 

-

 

 

 

644

 

 

 

536

 

 

 

1,253

 

Payment of payroll taxes on stock-based compensation through shares withheld  

 

(673

)

 

 

(504

)

 

 

(1,357

)

 

 

(913

)

Net cash used in financing activities        

 

(673

)

 

 

25

 

 

 

(19,470

)

 

 

(12,590

)

Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents        

 

(12,396

)

 

 

(8,429

)

 

 

5,595

 

 

 

(1,643

)

Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period        

 

108,051

 

 

 

98,489

 

 

 

90,060

 

 

 

91,703

 

Cash and cash equivalents, end of period        

$

95,655

 

 

$

90,060

 

 

$

95,655

 

 

$

90,060

 

                       
Non-cash Investing Activities:                      
Dividend declaration        

$

8,375

 

 

$

8,427

 

 

$

8,375

 

 

$

8,427

 

Life insurance proceeds recorded as receivable        

$

1,500

 

 

$

-

 

 

$

1,500

 

 

$

-

 

Accrued capital expenditures        

$

442

 

 

$

1,463

 

 

 

442

 

 

 

1,463

 

                       
Supplemental Cash Flow Information:                      
Income taxes paid        

$

5,643

 

 

$

9,488

 

 

$

19,441

 

 

$

28,460

 

                       
 
                           
EBITDA AND ADJUSTED EBITDA                      
                           
A reconciliation of EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA to the most directly comparable GAAP measure is detailed below. Adjusted EBITDA is defined as EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) adjusted for restructuring and other charges, and stock-based compensation. Both EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are considered non-GAAP financial measures. Generally, a non-GAAP financial measure is a numerical measure of a company’s performance, financial position, or cash flows that either includes or excludes amounts that are not normally included or excluded in the most directly comparable measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP. We believe that EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA provide helpful information with respect to our operating performance including our ability to fund our future capital expenditures and working capital requirements. Adjusted EBITDA also provides helpful information as it is the primary measure used in certain financial covenants contained in our credit agreements. Non-GAAP measures are not a substitute for GAAP measures and should be considered together with the GAAP financial measures. Our non-GAAP financial measures may not be comparable to other similar titled measures of other companies.
(amounts in thousands)  

Three Months Ended December 31,

 

Years Ended December 31, (1)

   

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

% Change

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

% Change

Net income  

$

16,296

 

$

21,966

 

(26

%)

 

$

55,765

 

$

82,111

 

(32

%)

Depreciation and amortization  

 

3,269

 

 

3,130

 

4

%

 

 

13,603

 

 

13,314

 

2

%

Income tax expense  

 

4,505

 

 

7,900

 

(43

%)

 

 

17,431

 

 

30,568

 

(43

%)

Interest expense  

 

29

 

 

25

 

16

%

 

 

107

 

 

103

 

4

%

EBITDA  

 

24,099

 

 

33,021

 

(27

%)

 

 

86,906

 

 

126,096

 

(31

%)

Restructuring and other charges (2)  

 

-

 

 

-

 

100

%

 

 

992

 

 

703

 

41

%

Stock-based compensation  

 

801

 

 

604

 

33

%

 

 

2,668

 

 

1,863

 

43

%

Adjusted EBITDA  

$

24,900

 

$

33,625

 

(26

%)

 

$

90,566

 

$

128,662

 

(30

%)

(1) LTM: Last twelve months
(2) Restructuring and other charges in both 2020 and 2019 consist of severance and other charges related to internal restructuring activities.
ADJUSTED NET INCOME AND ADJUSTED EARNINGS PER SHARE      
                           
A reconciliation from Net Income to Adjusted Net Income is detailed below. Adjusted Net Income is defined as Net Income plus restructuring and other charges, net of tax. Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted Earnings Per Share are considered non-GAAP financial measures (see note above in Adjusted EBITDA for a description of non-GAAP financial measures). The Company believes that these non-GAAP disclosures provide helpful information with respect to the Company's operating performance.
(amounts in thousands, except per share data)   Three Months Ended December 31,   Years Ended December 31,
   

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

% Change

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

% Change

Net income  

$

16,296

 

$

21,966

     

$

55,765

 

$

82,111

   
Restructuring and other charges, net of tax (1)  

 

-

 

 

-

     

 

755

 

 

512

   
Adjusted Net Income  

$

16,296

 

$

21,966

 

-26

%

 

$

56,520

 

$

82,623

 

-32

%

Diluted shares  

 

26,328

 

 

26,523

     

 

26,336

 

 

26,505

   
Adjusted Diluted Earnings per Share  

$

0.62

 

$

0.83

 

-25

%

 

$

2.15

 

$

3.12

 

-31

%

(1) Restructuring and other charges in both 2020 and 2019 consist of severance and other charges related to internal restructuring activities.

 

Investor Relations Contact:
Thomas Baker, 603.683.2505
Senior Vice President, CFO, and Treasurer
tom@connection.com

Source: Connection