AMSC Reports Third Quarter Fiscal Year 2010 Financial Results

- Third Quarter Revenue Increased 42 Percent Year Over Year to a Record $114.2 Million

- Net Income More Than Tripled Year Over Year

- Net Income Guidance Increased for Fiscal Year 2010

DEVENS, Mass.--()--American Superconductor Corporation (NASDAQ: AMSC), a global power technologies company, today reported record financial results for the third quarter of its fiscal year 2010 ended December 31, 2010.

Revenues for the third quarter of fiscal 2010 increased 42 percent to $114.2 million from $80.7 million for the third quarter of fiscal 2009. Gross margin for the third quarter of fiscal 2010 was 40.7 percent, which compares with 37.5 percent for the third quarter of fiscal 2009.

AMSC generated net income of $16.0 million, or $0.33 per diluted share, for the third quarter of fiscal 2010. This compares with net income for the third quarter of fiscal 2009 of $5.2 million, or $0.11 per share. The company generated non-GAAP net income of $19.8 million, or $0.40 per diluted share, for the third quarter of fiscal 2010. This compares with non-GAAP net income of $9.1 million, or $0.20 per share, for the third quarter of fiscal 2009. Please refer to the financial table included below for a reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP results.

Cash, cash equivalents, marketable securities and restricted cash at December 31, 2010 were $260.5 million. This compares with $131.2 million as of September 30, 2010 and $155.1 million as of March 31, 2010. The sequential and year-over-year increase was driven by the company’s November 2010 follow-on stock offering.

The company reported backlog as of December 31, 2010 of approximately $883 million compared with $956 million as of September 30, 2010 and $546 million as of December 31, 2009.

“In the third quarter – our sixteenth consecutive quarter of sequential revenue growth – we generated record power grid-related revenues of approximately $20 million,” said Greg Yurek, AMSC’s founder and chief executive officer. “Sales in the wind energy market, particularly in Asia, are expected to continue to be the growth engine for our company in the near term. At the same time, sales of our grid-related products, including D-VAR, D-VAR RT, SolarTie, Amperium wire and superconductor cable projects, are expected to become a much bigger contributor to our growth going forward.”

“Until recently, our longer term plan has been to achieve $1 billion in total revenues with operating margins in excess of 20 percent in our fiscal year 2015,” Yurek said. “However, with the capital we raised in our November 2010 equity offering, the strong global business and technology platforms we have built in the wind energy and power grid sectors, and the new growth strategies we are implementing, we believe we will be able to accelerate achievement of this objective by at least one year.”

Fiscal 2010 Financial Forecasts

“We expect to end our fiscal 2010 with another quarter of sequential revenue growth and strong profitability,” said David Henry, AMSC’s senior vice president and chief financial officer. “For the full year, we continue to expect revenues in the range of $430 million to $440 million. However, we are raising our net income forecast for the full fiscal year, which we expect will enable us to more than offset the dilutive effect of our recent stock offering on our earnings per share. Our net income forecast is being increased from a range of $44.0 million to $46.5 million, or $0.95 to $1.00 per diluted share, to a range of $48.0 million to $50.0 million, or $0.99 to $1.04 per diluted share. We also are increasing our non-GAAP net income guidance from a range of $60.5 million to $63.0 million, or $1.30 to $1.35 per diluted share, to a range of $64.5 million to $66.5 million, or $1.33 to $1.38 per diluted share.”

Please refer to the financial table included below for a reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP forecasts.

Conference Call Reminder

In conjunction with this announcement, AMSC management will participate in a conference call with investors beginning at 10:00 a.m. ET today to discuss the company’s results and its business outlook. Those who wish to listen to the live conference call webcast should visit the “Investors” section of the company’s website at www.amsc.com/investors. The live call also can be accessed by dialing 913-312-0407 and using conference ID 7785477. A telephonic playback of the call will be available from 1:00 p.m. ET on February 1, 2011 through 1:00 p.m. ET on February 6, 2011. Please call 719-457-0820 and refer to conference ID 7785477 to access the playback.

About American Superconductor (NASDAQ: AMSC)

AMSC offers an array of proprietary technologies and solutions spanning the electric power infrastructure – from generation to delivery to end use. The company is a leader in renewable energy, providing proven, megawatt-scale wind turbine designs and electrical control systems. The company also offers a host of Smart Grid technologies for power grid operators that enhance the reliability, efficiency and capacity of the grid, and seamlessly integrate renewable energy sources into the power infrastructure. These include superconductor power cable systems, grid-level surge protectors and power electronics-based voltage stabilization systems. AMSC’s technologies are protected by a broad and deep intellectual property portfolio consisting of hundreds of patents and licenses worldwide. More information is available at www.amsc.com.

American Superconductor and design, Revolutionizing the Way the World Uses Electricity, AMSC, Powered by AMSC, Amperium, D-VAR, dSVC, FaultBlocker, PowerModule, PowerPipelines, PQ-IVR, PQ-SVC, SeaTitan, SuperGEAR and Windtec and design are trademarks or registered trademarks of American Superconductor Corporation or its subsidiaries. All other brand names, product names or trademarks belong to their respective holders.

Any statements in this release about future expectations, plans and prospects for the company, including our expectations regarding the future financial performance of the company and other statements containing the words "believes," "anticipates," "plans," "expects," "will" and similar expressions, constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. There are a number of important factors that could materially impact the value of our common stock or cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include: we have a history of operating losses, and we may incur losses in the future; our operating results may fluctuate significantly from quarter to quarter and may fall below expectations in any particular fiscal quarter; a significant portion of our revenues are derived from a single customer and revenues from this customer may decline in future periods; adverse changes in domestic and global economic conditions could adversely affect our business; changes in exchange rates could adversely affect our financial results; we may not realize all of the sales expected from our backlog of orders and contracts; we rely upon third party suppliers for the components and subassemblies of many of our products, making us vulnerable to supply shortages and price fluctuations; we have not manufactured our Amperium wire in commercial quantities, and a failure to manufacture our Amperium wire in commercial quantities at acceptable cost and quality levels would substantially limit our future revenue and profit potential; and our patents may not provide meaningful protection for our technology, which could result in us losing some or all of our market position. Reference is made to these and other factors discussed in the "Risk Factors" section of the company's most recent quarterly or annual report filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In addition, any forward-looking statements included in this press release represent the company's views as of the date of this release. While the company anticipates that subsequent events and developments may cause the company's views to change, the company specifically disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the company's views as of any date subsequent to the date this press release is issued.

 

UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME

(In thousands, except per share data)

       

Three months ended
December 31,

Nine months ended
December 31,

  2010   2009   2010   2009  
Revenues:
Power Systems $ 112,114 $ 77,026 $ 305,582 $ 219,513
Superconductors   2,079   3,633   7,350   8,818  
Total revenues 114,193 80,659 312,932 228,331
 
Cost of revenues   67,709   50,444   186,160   146,498  
 
Gross profit   46,484   30,215   126,772   81,833  
 
Operating expenses:
Research and development 9,057 6,421 24,249 16,365
Selling, general and administrative 15,564 12,881 47,874 36,478
Amortization of acquisition related intangibles 393 473 1,154 1,378
Restructuring and impairments         451  
Total operating expenses   25,014   19,775   73,277   54,672  
 
Operating income 21,470 10,440 53,495 27,161
 
Interest income (expense), net 172 193 549 625
Other income (expense), net   2,137   195   4,745   (2,651 )
 
Income before income tax expense 23,779 10,828 58,789 25,135
 
Income tax expense   7,775   5,649   23,628   13,824  
 
Net income $ 16,004 $ 5,179 $ 35,161 $ 11,311  
 
Net income per common share
Basic $ 0.33 $ 0.12 $ 0.76 $ 0.26  
Diluted $ 0.33 $ 0.11 $ 0.75 $ 0.25  
 
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding
Basic   48,418   44,623   46,385   44,222  
Diluted   49,017   45,566   47,076   45,072  
 
 

UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(In thousands)

   
December 31, March 31,
  2010     2010  
ASSETS
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents $ 169,021 $ 87,594
Marketable securities 73,910 54,469
Accounts receivable, net 121,376 57,290
Inventory 40,841 35,858
Prepaid expenses and other current assets 36,230 20,294
Restricted cash 5,433 5,713
Deferred tax assets   3,640     1,776  
Total current assets 450,451 262,994
 
Property, plant and equipment, net 89,131 64,315
Goodwill 46,436 36,696
Intangibles, net 7,546 7,770
Marketable securities 12,161 7,342
Deferred tax assets 4,471 3,043
Other assets   30,245     18,024  
Total assets $ 640,441   $ 400,184  
 
 
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
 
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable and accrued expenses $ 95,806 $ 84,319
Deferred revenue 21,837 19,970
Deferred tax liabilities   2,653     471  
Total current liabilities 120,296 104,760
 
Deferred revenue 18,299 13,302
Deferred tax liabilities 1,446 777
Other   429     380  
Total liabilities   140,470     119,219  
 
 
 
Stockholders' equity:
Common stock 507 448
Additional paid-in capital 883,097 698,417
Accumulated other comprehensive loss (7,905 ) (7,011 )
Accumulated deficit   (375,728 )   (410,889 )
Total stockholders' equity   499,971     280,965  
 
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity $ 640,441   $ 400,184  
 
 

UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(In thousands)

   
Nine months ended December 31,
  2010     2009  
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income $ 35,161 $ 11,311
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash (used in) provided by operations:
Depreciation and amortization 7,972 7,158
Stock-based compensation expense 11,269 10,440
Stock-based compensation expense—non-employee 238 91
Allowance for doubtful accounts 1,262 260
Deferred income taxes (262 ) (1,608 )
Other non-cash items 2,002 745
Changes in operating asset and liability accounts:
Accounts receivable (69,709 ) (27,495 )
Inventory (4,446 ) (728 )
Prepaid expenses and other current assets (15,881 ) (8,518 )
Accounts payable and accrued expenses 9,616 3,325
Deferred revenue   6,442     3,882  
 
Net cash used in operating activities   (16,336 )   (1,137 )
 
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchase of property, plant and equipment (30,624 ) (8,232 )
Purchase of marketable securities (71,744 ) (68,096 )
Proceeds from the maturity of marketable securities 47,151 40,638
Change in restricted cash 250 1,645
Purchase of intangible assets (2,003 ) (1,360 )
Purchase of minority investment (8,000 ) (848 )
Change in other assets   (89 )   (31 )
 
Net cash used in investing activities   (65,059 )   (36,284 )
 
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from follow-on public offering, net of costs 155,240
Proceeds from exercise of employee stock options   7,350     6,048  
 
Net cash provided by financing activities   162,590     6,048  
 
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents   232     1,082  
 
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents 81,427 (30,291 )
 
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period   87,594     70,674  
 
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period $ 169,021   $ 40,383  
 
 

RECONCILIATION OF GAAP NET INCOME TO NON-GAAP NET INCOME

(In thousands, except per share data)

       

Three months ended
December 31,

Nine months ended
December 31,

  2010     2009     2010     2009  
Net income $ 16,004 $ 5,179 $ 35,161 $ 11,311
Amortization of acquisition-related intangibles 393 473 1,154 1,378
Restructuring and impairments 451
Stock-based compensation 3,445 3,522 11,269 10,440
Tax effects   (88 )   (96 )   (255 )   (277 )
Non-GAAP net income $ 19,754   $ 9,078   $ 47,329   $ 23,303  
 
Non-GAAP earnings per share $ 0.40   $ 0.20   $ 1.01   $ 0.52  
Weighted average diluted shares outstanding   49,017     45,566     47,076     45,072  
 
 
RECONCILIATION OF FORECAST GAAP NET INCOME TO NON-GAAP NET INCOME FOR FISCAL YEAR 2010
(In millions, except per share data)
   
Low High
Net Income $ 48.0 $ 50.0
Amortization of acquisition-related intangibles 1.6 1.6
Stock-based compensation 15.3 15.3
Tax effects   (0.4 )   (0.4 )
Non-GAAP net income $ 64.5   $ 66.5  
Non-GAAP net income per share $ 1.33   $ 1.38  
Diluted shares outstanding   48.3     48.3  
 

Note: Non-GAAP net income (loss) is defined by the company as net income (loss) before amortization of acquisition-related intangibles, restructuring and impairments, stock-based compensation, other unusual charges and any tax effects related to these items. The company believes non-GAAP net income (loss) is an important measurement for management and investors given the effect that these non-cash or non-recurring charges have on the company's net income (loss). The company regards non-GAAP net income (loss) as a useful measure of operating performance and cash flow to complement operating income, net income (loss) and other GAAP financial performance measures.

Generally, a non-GAAP financial measure is a numerical measure of a company's performance, financial position or cash flow that either excludes or includes amounts that are not normally excluded or included in the most directly comparable measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP. The non-GAAP measures included in this release, however, should be considered in addition to, and not as a substitute for or superior to, operating income, cash flows, or other measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with GAAP. A reconciliation of non-GAAP to GAAP net income is set forth in the table above.

Contacts

American Superconductor Corporation
Jason Fredette, 978-842-3177
Managing Director, Corporate Communications
jfredette@amsc.com

Release Summary

AMSC Reports Third Quarter FY10 Financial Results; Revenue Increased 42% YOY to a Record $114.2 Million, Net Income More Than Tripled YOY, Net Income Guidance Increased for FY10

Contacts

American Superconductor Corporation
Jason Fredette, 978-842-3177
Managing Director, Corporate Communications
jfredette@amsc.com