Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.
Overview
We develop and manufacture products primarily for medical applications. We market components to other equipment manufacturers for incorporation in their products and sell finished devices to physicians, hospitals, clinics and other treatment centers. Our medical products primarily serve the fluid delivery, cardiovascular and ophthalmology markets. Our other medical and non-medical products include instrumentation and disposables used in valves and inflation devices used in marine and aviation safety products.
Our products are used in a wide variety of applications by numerous customers. We encounter competition in all of our markets and compete primarily on the basis of product quality, price, engineering, customer service and delivery time.
Our business strategy is to provide hospitals, physicians and other healthcare providers with the tools they need to improve the lives of the patients they serve. To do so, we provide a broad selection of products in the areas of our expertise. We have diverse product lines serving primarily the fluid delivery, cardiovascular and ophthalmic markets, and this diversity has served us well as we encounter changing market conditions. Research and development, or R&D, efforts are focused on improving current products and developing highly-engineered products that meet customer needs and serve niche markets with meaningful sales potential. Proposed new products may be subject to regulatory clearance or approval prior to commercialization and the time period for introducing a new product to the marketplace can be unpredictable. We also focus on controlling costs by investing in modern manufacturing technologies and controlling purchasing processes. We have been successful in consistently generating cash from operations and have used that cash to reduce or eliminate indebtedness, to fund capital expenditures, to make investments, to repurchase stock and to pay dividends.
Our strategic objective is to further enhance our position in our served markets by:
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Focusing on customer needs;
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Expanding existing product lines and developing new products;
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Maintaining a culture of controlling cost; and
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Preserving and fostering a collaborative, entrepreneurial management structure.
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For the three months ended March 31, 2021, we reported revenues of $39.2 million, operating income of $8.9 million and net income of $7.7 million, down 10 percent, 24 percent and 13 percent, respectively, from the three months ended March 31, 2020.
Results for the three months ended March 31, 2021
Consolidated net income totaled $7.7 million, or $4.23 per basic and $4.22 per diluted share, in the first quarter of 2021. This is compared with consolidated net income of $8.9 million, or $4.80 per basic and $4.79 per diluted share, in the first quarter of 2020. The income per basic share computations are based on weighted average basic shares outstanding of 1,826,000 in the 2021 period and 1,853,000 in the 2020 period. The income per diluted share computations are based on weighted average diluted shares outstanding of 1,832,000 in the 2021 period and 1,859,000 in the 2020 period.
Consolidated revenues of $39.2 million for the first quarter of 2021 were 10 percent lower than revenues of $43.6 million for the first quarter of 2020. This decrease was primarily attributable to a decrease in sales volumes of our Cardiovascular and Fluid Delivery products. Sales in the first quarter of 2020 were inflated by advanced stocking orders by customers concerned about their supply chains because of the COVID-19 outbreak at that time. This created unusually high sales volumes for us that were not repeated in the first quarter of 2021. The COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact on our sales in the first quarter of 2021 as patients continued to defer procedures because of the pandemic.
Revenues by product line were as follows (in thousands):
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Three Months ended
March 31,
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2021
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2020
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Fluid Delivery
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$
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19,075
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$
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22,348
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Cardiovascular
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12,830
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14,824
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Ophthalmology
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1,693
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863
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Other
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5,571
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5,559
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Total
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$
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39,169
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$
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43,594
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Cost of goods sold of $22.8 million for the first quarter of 2021 was 3.8 percent lower than our cost of goods sold of $23.7 million for the first quarter of 2020 primarily due to lower sales volumes partially offset by higher manufacturing costs. Our cost of goods sold in the first quarter of 2021 was 58.2 percent of revenues compared to 54.4 percent of revenues in the first quarter of 2020.
Gross profit of $16.3 million in the first quarter of 2021 was $3.5 million or 17.8 percent lower than in the comparable 2020 period. Our gross profit percentage in the first quarter of 2021 was 41.7 percent of revenues compared with 45.5 percent of revenues in the first quarter of 2020. The decrease in gross profit percentage in the 2021 period compared to the 2020 period was primarily related to a 2021 product sales mix with lower margins, inefficiencies in our manufacturing operations in 2021 partly caused by temporary power disruptions and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and higher manufacturing costs.
Our first quarter 2021 operating expenses of $7.4 million were $746,000 lower than the operating expenses for the first quarter of 2020. This decrease was attributable to a $144,000 decrease in Selling expenses, primarily resulting from lower travel and conference expenses due to COVID-19 restrictions. General and Administrative expenses were $228,000 lower resulting from decreases in travel and outside services. R&D expenses decreased by $374,000 primarily due to the completion of outside services required to support a specific project in 2020 that does not require additional outside services.
Operating income in the first quarter of 2021 decreased by $2.8 million to $8.9 million due to the lower sales and gross profit discussed above, a 24 percent decrease compared to our operating income for the first quarter of 2020. Operating income was 23 percent of revenues for the first quarter of 2021 and 27 percent of revenues for the first quarter of 2020.
Interest and dividend income in the first quarter of 2021 was $217,000 compared with $462,000 for the same period in the prior year. The decline in interest and dividend income was largely due to lower interest rates in the 2021 period as compared to the 2020 period.
Other investment income in the first quarter of 2021 was $62,000 compared with Other investment loss of $997,000 in the first quarter of 2020. These amounts were attributable to unrealized gains or losses on equity investments resulting from changes in the market values of the investments in each quarter.
Income tax expense was $1.6 million for the first quarter of 2021 compared with $2.3 million for the first quarter of 2020. The effective tax rate for the first quarter of 2021 was 16.7 percent compared with 20.4 percent for the first quarter of 2020. The decrease in the 2021 period’s effective tax rate compared to the prior-year period was primarily related to higher excess tax benefits from stock compensation.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
As of March 31, 2021, we had a $75.0 million revolving credit facility with a money center bank pursuant to which the lender is obligated to make advances until February 28, 2024.
The credit facility is secured by substantially all of our inventories, equipment and accounts receivable. Interest under the credit facility is assessed at 30-day, 60-day or 90-day LIBOR, as selected by us, plus 1.0 percent (1.110 percent at March 31, 2021) and is payable monthly. We had no outstanding borrowings under the credit facility at March 31, 2021 and we were in compliance with all financial covenants.
At March 31, 2021, we had a total of $88.5 million in cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments and long-term investments. At December 31, 2020 cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments and long-term investments were $87.9 million.
Cash flows from operating activities of $7.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 were primarily comprised of net income plus the net effect of non-cash expenses, increases in accounts receivable, and decreases in accounts payable and prepaid expenses. During the first three months of 2021, we expended $7.3 million for the purchase of investments, $3.0 million for the addition of property and equipment and $3.2 million for dividends. During the same period, maturities and sales of investments generated $13.7 million in cash.
At March 31, 2021, we had working capital of $109.2 million, including $29.4 million in cash and cash equivalents and $18.3 million in short-term investments compared to working capital of $98.7 million at December 31, 2020. The $10.5 million increase in working capital during the three months of 2021 was primarily related to an increase in cash and cash equivalents of $7.0 million and an increase in accounts receivable of $3.8 million.
We believe that our $88.5 million in cash, cash equivalents, short-term investments and long-term investments, along with cash flows from operations and available borrowings of up to $75.0 million under our credit facility, will be sufficient to fund our cash requirements for at least the foreseeable future, including the costs associated with the planned expansion of one of our manufacturing facilities. We believe that our strong financial position would allow us to access equity or debt financing should that be necessary.
COVID-19 Impact
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in travel and other restrictions to reduce the spread of the disease, including governmental orders across the globe, which, among other things, direct individuals to shelter at their places of residence, direct businesses and governmental agencies to cease non-essential operations at physical locations, prohibit certain non-essential gatherings, maintain social distancing, and order cessation of non-essential travel. As a result of these developments, we have implemented work-from-home policies for certain of our employees. In addition, many of our customers implemented and are continuing similar measures in their facilities, which have delayed, and may continue to delay, the timing of some orders and deliveries. The effects of shelter-in-place and social distancing orders, government-imposed quarantines, and work-from-home policies may further negatively impact productivity, disrupt our business, and delay our development timelines beyond the delays we have already experienced and disclosed, the magnitude of which will depend, in part, on the length and severity of the restrictions and other limitations on our ability to conduct our business in the ordinary course. Such restrictions and limitations may also further negatively impact our access to regulatory authorities (which are affected, among other things, by applicable travel restrictions and may be delayed in responding to inquiries, reviewing filings, and conducting inspections); our ability to perform regularly scheduled quality checks and maintenance; and our ability to obtain services from third-party specialty vendors and other providers or to access their expertise as fully and timely as needed. The COVID-19 pandemic may also result in the loss of some of our key personnel, either temporarily or permanently. In addition, our sales and marketing efforts have been negatively impacted and may be further negatively impacted by postponement or cancellation of face-to-face meetings and restrictions on access by non-essential personnel to hospitals or clinics to the extent such measures slow down adoption or further commercialization of our marketed products. The demand for our products may also be adversely impacted by the restrictions and limitations adopted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly to the extent they affect the patients' ability or willingness to undergo elective surgeries. As a result, some of our inventory may become obsolete and may need to be written off, impacting our operating results. These and similar, and perhaps more severe, disruptions in our operations may materially adversely impact our business, operating results, and financial condition.
The global COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve as progress in fighting the pandemic is being made in the United States and some other countries with the pace of vaccinations increasing. However, the ultimate impact of the pandemic remains highly uncertain and subject to change. Accordingly, we do not yet know the full impact that the pandemic will have on our business, healthcare systems, or the global economy.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements in this Management’s Discussion and Analysis and elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q that are forward looking are based upon current expectations, and actual results or future events may differ materially. Therefore, the inclusion of such forward-looking information should not be regarded as a representation by us that our objectives or plans will be achieved. Such statements include, but are not limited to, our ability to fund our cash requirements for the foreseeable future with our current assets, long-term investments, cash flow and borrowings under the credit facility, our access to equity and debt financing, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business and operations, and our financial results. Words such as “expects,” “believes,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “should,” “plans,” and variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements contained herein involve numerous risks and uncertainties, and there are a number of factors that could cause actual results or future events to differ materially, including, but not limited to, the following: the risk that the COVID-19 pandemic leads to material delays and cancellations of, or reduced demand for, procedures in which our products are utilized; curtailed or delayed capital spending by hospitals and other healthcare providers; disruption to our supply chain; closures of our facilities; delays in training; delays in gathering clinical evidence; diversion of management and other resources to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak; the impact of global and regional economic and credit market conditions on healthcare spending; the risk that the COVID-19 virus disrupts local economies and causes economies in our key markets to enter prolonged recessions; changing economic, market and business conditions; acts of war or terrorism; the effects of governmental regulation; the impact of competition and new technologies; slower-than-anticipated introduction of new products or implementation of marketing strategies; implementation of new manufacturing processes or implementation of new information systems; our ability to protect our intellectual property; changes in the prices of raw materials; changes in product mix; intellectual property and product liability claims and product recalls; the ability to attract and retain qualified personnel; and the loss of, or any material reduction in sales to, any significant customers. In addition, assumptions relating to budgeting, marketing, product development and other management decisions are subjective in many respects and thus susceptible to interpretations and periodic review which may cause us to alter our marketing, capital expenditures or other budgets, which in turn may affect our results of operations and financial condition. The forward-looking statements in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q are made as of the date hereof, and we do not undertake any obligation, and disclaim any duty, to supplement, update or revise such statements, whether as a result of subsequent events, changed expectations or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.