Sales Rise Five Percent to $1.1 Billion, Net Income Up 12 Percent to $65 Million
MINNEAPOLIS, Jan. 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Alliant Techsystems (NYSE:ATK) reported today that earnings per share (EPS) in the third quarter of fiscal year 2009, which ended on December 28, 2008, rose 19 percent from the prior-year quarter to $1.96. The results were driven by top line sales growth, improved operating margins and reduced share count.
Sales for the quarter were $1.1 billion, a five percent increase over the prior-year quarter. The company reported net income for the quarter of $65 million, up 12 percent from the prior-year quarter. Margins in the quarter improved to 10.8 percent, up from 10.5 percent in the prior-year period. Orders for the quarter increased 99 percent to more than $1.3 billion, up substantially from the prior-year quarter of $670 million. The strong orders growth represents a book-to-bill ratio for the quarter of 1.2 that continues to build the company's backlog and offers significant visibility into future sales.
"This was another solid quarter for ATK, keeping us on track for strong full-year performance. We expect to end FY09 with a record total backlog of more than $7 billion," said Dan Murphy, Chairman and CEO. "I am particularly pleased with the successful migration of our military aircraft composites expertise into next-generation commercial aviation. Though we are forecasting moderating growth in FY10, we anticipate that new sales supporting affordable solutions for our military; commercial aviation; and growing international demand for our armament and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance systems will position us for re-accelerated sales and earnings growth in FY11 and beyond." SUMMARY OF REPORTED RESULTS The following table presents the company's results for the third quarter of fiscal year 2009, which ended on December 28, 2008 (in thousands).
External Sales: Quarters Ended December 28, December 30,
2008 2007 $ Change % Change ATK Armament Systems $438,167 $381,313 $56,854 14.9%
ATK Mission Systems 285,336 279,650 5,686 2.0%
ATK Space Systems 385,947 393,902 (7,955) (2.0)%
Total external
sales $1,109,450 $1,054,865 $54,585 5.2% Nine Months Ended December 28, December 30,
2008 2007 $ Change % Change ATK Armament
Systems $1,302,603 $1,071,512 $231,091 21.6%
ATK Mission Systems 842,381 809,688 32,693 4.0%
ATK Space Systems 1,181,282 1,161,382 19,900 1.7%
Total external
sales $3,326,266 $3,042,582 $283,684 9.3% Income before Interest, Income Taxes, and Minority Interest (Operating Profit): Quarters Ended Nine Months Ended December December December December
28, 2008 30, 2007 $ Change 28, 2008 30, 2007 $ Change
ATK Armament
Systems $43,695 $37,261 $6,434 $130,824 $98,320 $32,504
ATK Mission
Systems 35,802 30,684 5,118 104,421 88,016 16,405
ATK Space
Systems 44,303 49,299 (4,996) 128,527 148,624 (20,097)
Corporate (4,516) (6,688) 2,172 (15,511) (17,825) 2,314
Total $119,284 $110,556 $8,728 $348,261 $317,135 $31,126 SEGMENT RESULTS
ATK operates three principal business groups: Armament Systems, Mission Systems, and Space Systems. The company reorganized to this structure during the first quarter of FY09. The financial results reported in this release reflect the reorganization for both FY08 and FY09.
ATK ARMAMENT SYSTEMS Sales in the Armament Systems group rose 15 percent to $438 million compared to $381 million in the prior-year quarter. The strong performance primarily reflects continued growth in commercial ammunition, higher energetics volume, and strong growth within the group's medium-caliber gun systems and ammunition business.
Earnings before interest, taxes, and minority interest (operating profit) rose 17 percent to $44 million from $37 million in the prior-year quarter, reflecting higher revenues, lower pension costs, and operating efficiencies.
ATK MISSION SYSTEMS Sales in the Mission Systems group rose two percent to $285 million from $280 million in the prior-year quarter. The increase reflects higher volumes in the group's special mission aircraft and NASA programs, offset by lower revenue in defense electronics and services.
Operating profit increased 17 percent to $36 million, compared to $31 million in the prior-year quarter. The increase reflects higher revenues, operating efficiencies across the group, and lower pension costs.
ATK SPACE SYSTEMS Sales in the Space Systems group declined two percent to $386 million, compared to $394 million in the prior-year quarter. The group reported higher NASA sales, which were offset by the expected reduction in sales from the Minuteman III program as it concludes its planned production run and lower sales in the group's services business for various space craft.
Operating profit of $44 million was down 10 percent from the $49 million recorded in the prior-year quarter. The decrease reflects lower revenues, lower profit in the spacecraft structures business and the absence of a benefit in the prior year from the favorable resolution of certain prior-year overhead rate matters.
CORPORATE AND OTHER In the third quarter, corporate and other expenses totaled $5 million compared to $7 million in the prior-year period. Interest expense for the quarter was approximately $15 million, compared to approximately $18 million in the prior-year quarter, reflecting lower borrowing rates and a lower average outstanding debt balance.
Third-quarter results were reduced by $0.06 per share, due to a higher tax rate as the result of the company's intent to make a pre-payment of $150 million to its pension plan assets in FY10. This impact offsets the $0.06 prior period benefit in the quarter related to the extension of the Federal research and development tax credit.
Free cash generated through the first nine months of the fiscal year was approximately $77 million compared to $133 million in the prior-year quarter, reflecting increased tax payments, increased working capital to support higher sales and increased capital expenditures (see reconciliation table).
OUTLOOK ATK now expects to finish the year with total orders surpassing $5 billion and a year-end backlog of more than $7 billion. The record year-end backlog will be aided significantly by the recent orders in commercial aircraft structures and non-standard ammunition. ATK now expects full-year sales of approximately $4.5 billion, down slightly from previous expectations of approximately $4.55 billion. The lower sales volume is primarily the result of delays to the start-up of Mission Systems growth programs. ATK is now performing work on these programs.
The company now expects to report full-year EPS near the upper end of its previously announced range of $7.40 - $7.50. The expected number of shares outstanding is approximately 34.2 million. ATK continues to expect full-year FY09 operating margins to be approximately 10.5 percent, with free cash flow of approximately $260 million (see reconciliation table for details).
ATK expects an FY09 full-year tax rate of approximately 37 percent. Pension expenses for the year are expected to be approximately $40 million. Capital expenditures in FY09 are expected to be approximately $120 million.
Due to U.S. GAAP accounting changes related to the company's outstanding convertible debt that take effect on April 1, 2009, the company will be required to retrospectively adopt the new accounting provision for all affected reporting periods. As reflected in the chart below, the company believes the new accounting change will have a $0.42 per share impact on FY09 results.
FY09 EPS - Current Accounting Standards $7.40 - 7.50
Estimated Impact of New Accounting Standards ($0.42)
FY09 EPS - New Accounting Standards $6.98 - 7.08 ATK is establishing FY10 guidance for sales, EPS, and free cash flow. FY10 sales are expected to be in a range from $4.55 billion to $4.65 billion, primarily reflecting continued growth in core programs within the Armament Systems and Mission Systems groups, partially offset by lower revenue in the Space Systems group due to the scheduled closeout of the Minuteman III program.
FY10 EPS is expected to be in a range from $7.40 -- $7.60, which includes a $0.35 impact related to the required accounting change. FY10 EPS growth will be driven by increased revenue and improved operating margins, partially offset by increased pension expense. The FY10 EPS guidance reflects pension expense of approximately $95 million, a $55 million increase from FY09. The increase primarily reflects the impact of asset returns in FY09, a lower discount rate assumption in FY10, and reduced asset return assumptions in future years. The company expects to offset the increased pension expense by continuing to aggressively manage its operating cost structure through supply chain management initiatives, operating efficiencies, and general overhead cost reductions.
ATK expects to generate free cash flow in the range of $130 million to $150 million, which includes the impact of making the $150 million prepayment contribution to the company's pension plans, and approximately $120 million of capital expenditures (see reconciliation table below).
Free Cash Flow Free cash flow is defined as cash provided by operating activities less capital expenditures. ATK management believes free cash flow provides investors with an important perspective on the cash available for debt repayment, share repurchase, and acquisitions after making the capital investments required to support ongoing business operations. ATK management uses free cash flow internally to assess both business performance and overall liquidity.
Nine Months Ended Projected Year Ending December 28, December 30, March 31, March 31,
2008 2007 2009 2010
(in thousands) (in thousands) (in thousands) (in thousands) Cash provided by
operating
activities $157,514 $197,315 $380,000 $250,000 -
$270,000
Capital
expenditures (80,352) (63,959) ~(120,000) ~(120,000)
Free cash flow
generated $77,162 $133,356 $~260,000 $130,000 -
$150,000 ATK is a premier aerospace and defense company with more than 17,000 employees in 21 states and approximately $4.5 billion in revenue. News and information can be found on the Internet at http://www.atk.com/.
Certain information discussed in this press release constitutes forward- looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Although ATK believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, it can give no assurance that its expectations will be achieved. Forward-looking information is subject to certain risks, trends, and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Among these factors are: delays in NASA's human-rated launch programs; challenges faced in restoring profitability to the company's spacecraft structures business, changes in governmental spending, budgetary policies and product sourcing strategies; the company's competitive environment; risks inherent in the development and manufacture of advanced technology; increases in commodity costs, energy prices, and production costs; the terms and timing of awards and contracts; program performance; program terminations; changes in cost estimates related to relocation of facilities; the outcome of contingencies, including litigation and environmental remediation; actual pension asset returns and assumptions regarding future returns, discount rates and service costs; capital market volatility and corresponding assumptions related to the company's shares outstanding; the availability of capital market financing; changes to accounting standards; changes in tax rules or pronouncements; economic conditions; and the company's capital deployment strategy, including debt repayment, share repurchases, pension funding, mergers and acquisitions and any integration thereof. ATK undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements. For further information on factors that could impact ATK, and statements contained herein, please refer to ATK's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Media Contact: Investor Contact:
Bryce Hallowell Jeff Huebschen
Phone: 952-351-3087 Phone: 952-351-2929
E-mail: E-mail: ALLIANT TECHSYSTEMS INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED INCOME STATEMENTS
(Unaudited) QUARTERS ENDED NINE MONTHS ENDED
(In thousands except
per share data) December 28, December 30, December 28, December 30,
2008 2007 2008 2007
Sales $1,109,450 $1,054,865 $3,326,266 $3,042,582
Cost of sales 879,866 842,201 2,637,179 2,439,359
Gross profit 229,584 212,664 689,087 603,223
Operating expenses:
Research and
development 16,105 14,360 63,245 44,368
Selling 39,584 31,639 117,392 92,430
General and
administrative 54,611 56,109 160,189 149,290
Total operating
expenses 110,300 102,108 340,826 286,088
Income before interest,
income taxes, and
minority interest 119,284 110,556 348,261 317,135
Interest expense (15,518) (18,659) (49,077) (64,011)
Interest income 142 306 741 1,006
Income before income
taxes and minority
interest 103,908 92,203 299,925 254,130
Income tax provision 38,947 33,716 112,009 91,800
Income before minority
interest 64,961 58,487 187,916 162,330
Minority interest,
net of income taxes (61) 157 45 421
Net income $65,022 $58,330 $187,871 $161,909 Earnings per common
share:
Basic $1.99 $1.79 $5,74 $4.91
Diluted 1.96 1.65 5,48 4.60 Weighted-average number
of common shares
outstanding:
Basic 32,628 32,626 32,758 32,980
Diluted 33,117 35,434 34,283 35,205 ALLIANT TECHSYSTEMS INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(Unaudited) December 28, March 31,
(In thousands except share data) 2008 2008
ASSETS
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents $162,092 $119,773
Net receivables 919,843 798,468
Net inventories 207,921 205,825
Deferred income tax assets 79,932 88,282
Other current assets 29,618 35,568
Total current assets 1,399,406 1,247,916
Net property, plant, and equipment 510,395 492,336
Goodwill 1,243,696 1,236,196
Prepaid pension assets 28,634 25,280
Deferred charges and other non-current assets 190,248 194,466
Total assets $3,372,379 $3,196,194
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
Current liabilities:
Current portion of long-term debt $290,850 -
Accounts payable 193,542 $215,755
Contract advances and allowances 83,009 81,624
Accrued compensation 126,392 147,287
Accrued income taxes 6,916 41,681
Other accrued liabilities 180,953 144,540
Total current liabilities 881,662 630,887
Long-term debt 1,164,140 1,455,000
Deferred income tax liabilities 52,467 38,316
Postretirement and postemployment benefits
liabilities 134,486 138,378
Accrued pension liability 98,672 84,267
Other long-term liabilities 116,556 108,238
Total liabilities 2,447,983 2,455,086
Contingencies (Note 12)
Common stock - $.01 par value
Authorized - 90,000,000 shares
Issued and outstanding - 32,717,398 shares
at December 28, 2008 and 32,795,800 at
March 31, 2008 327 328
Additional paid-in-capital 473,638 467,857
Retained earnings 1,503,795 1,315,924
Accumulated other comprehensive loss (370,463) (376,636)
Common stock in treasury, at cost - 8,837,663
shares held at December 28, 2008 and 8,759,261
shares held at March 31, 2008 (682,901) (666,365)
Total stockholders' equity 924,396 741,108
Total liabilities and stockholders'
equity $3,372,379 $3,196,194 ALLIANT TECHSYSTEMS INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(Unaudited) NINE MONTHS ENDED
December 28, December 30,
(In thousands) 2008 2007
Operating activities
Net income $187,871 $161,909
Adjustments to net income to arrive at cash
used for operating activities:
Depreciation 57,412 52,988
Amortization of intangible assets 4,213 4,420
Amortization of deferred financing costs 2,148 3,145
Write-off of debt issuance costs associated
with convertible notes - 5,600
Deferred income taxes 18,431 4,858
Loss on disposal of property 331 2,433
Minority interest, net of income taxes 45 421
Share-based plans expense 14,753 17,751
Excess tax benefits from share-based plans (3,235) (8,836)
Changes in assets and liabilities:
Net receivables (121,375) (67,411)
Net inventories 295 (53,755)
Accounts payable (16,299) 4,537
Contract advances and allowances 1,385 (1,307)
Accrued compensation (24,075) (33,055)
Accrued income taxes (24,909) 50,378
Pension and other postretirement benefits 19,744 26,218
Other assets and liabilities 40,779 27,021
Cash provided by operating activities 157,514 197,315
Investing activities
Capital expenditures (80,352) (63,959)
Acquisition of business, net of cash
acquired (13,560) (101,195)
Proceeds from the disposition of property,
plant, and equipment 489 292
Cash used for investing activities (93,423) (164,862)
Financing activities
Change in cash overdrafts - 32,220
Net borrowings on line of credit - 24,000
Payments made to extinguish debt (10) -
Payments made for debt issue costs (5) (102)
Net purchase of treasury shares (31,609) (100,068)
Proceeds from employee stock compensation
plans 6,617 13,231
Excess tax benefits from share-based plans 3,235 8,836
Cash used for financing activities (21,772) (21,883)
Increase in cash and cash equivalents 42,319 10,570
Cash and cash equivalents - beginning of period 119,773 16,093
Cash and cash equivalents - end of period $162,092 $26,663
DATASOURCE: ATK CONTACT: Media, Bryce Hallowell, +1-952-351-3087, , or Investors, Jeff Huebschen, +1-952-351-2929, , both of ATK Web site: http://www.atk.com/
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