Michael D. Porcelain
Analyst · JPMorgan
Thanks, Fred, and good morning, everyone. I'll walk you through the Q4 results, make a few comments about our full fiscal year and I'll provide some comments on our expected 2015 business outlook. During Q4, we generated revenues of $89.4 million, of which, 27.9% were for U.S. government end users, 60.4% were for international customers, with the remainder being for domestic commercial end customers. For the full year fiscal 2014, we finished at $347.2 million of revenue, with 28% being generated from the U.S. government and slightly more than 59% from our international customer base. Net sales on our telecom transmission segment were $59.3 million in Q4 of fiscal 2014 as compared to $50.1 million we achieved in Q4 of last year, representing an increase of 18.4%. This increase is attributable to higher sales in both our satellite earth station and our over-the-horizon product lines. After several years of decline, our satellite earth station product revenue increased for the year as we benefited from increased sales to both the U.S. government and international customers. Sales of our over-the-horizon microwave systems in Q4 of fiscal 2014 primarily related to our ongoing performance on both our 3-year, $58.6 million contract and our 4-year, $57.4 million contract to design and supply over-the-horizon microwave systems and equipment for use in a North African government's communications network. For the full year fiscal 2014, net sales in our telecom transmission segment were $231.5 million, up $36.9 million or 19% from the $194.6 million we achieved in fiscal 2013. Looking to fiscal 2015, given the number of large jobs that are in our pipeline, we expect sales in our satellite earth station product line to be higher than the level we achieved in fiscal 2014. For our over-the-horizon microwave system product line, based on expected performance on both North African government and customer contracts, other contracts that are currently in our backlog and other contracts that we anticipate receiving, we expect net sales in this product line in fiscal 2015 to also be higher than the level we achieved in fiscal 2014. Growth for each of these product lines is expected to be weighted towards the second half of fiscal 2015. Net sales in our RF microwave amplifiers segment were $23.3 million in Q4 of fiscal 2014 as compared to $25.1 million in Q4 of fiscal 2013, a decrease of 7.5%. For the full year 2014, net sales in our RF microwave amplifiers segment were $88 million, up $1.1 million or 1.3% from the $86.9 million we achieved in fiscal 2013. Bookings for our RF microwave amplifier products during 2014 were higher as compared to fiscal 2013. We recently announced several large orders and, based on these orders, orders in our backlog as of 7/31, and the timing of orders we expect to receive, we expect net sales in this segment in fiscal 2015 to be significantly higher than the level we achieved in fiscal 2014, with growth occurring in the latter part of fiscal 2015. Turning to our mobile data communications segment. Sales in Q4 of fiscal 2014 were $6.8 million as compared to $9.2 million in Q4 of fiscal 2013, a decrease of 25.7%. This anticipated decrease is primarily attributable to lower sales of our SENS technology-based solutions, which we no longer offer. Sales in both periods include $2.5 million of revenue related to our $10 million BFT-1 intellectual property license fee. For the full year 2014, net sales in our mobile data communications segment were $27.7 million, down $10.5 million or 27.5% from the $38.2 million we achieved in fiscal 2013. Sales in both periods include $10 million of revenue from our BFT-1 IP license fee. As discussed in more detail in our 10-K, during the first quarter of fiscal 2015, the U.S. Army funded an incremental $6.1 million related to our 2 3-year BFT-1 contracts, which completes the $23.6 million of funding for the base year for both our BFT-1 sustainment and BFT-1 annual IP license contracts. The base year of both of these contracts expires March 31, 2015. And although future funding is difficult to predict, given the ongoing U.S. government budget pressures, we currently expect that the U.S. Army will exercise the 2 12-month option periods for both contracts and that we will receive incremental funding beyond the base year. Now let me walk you through our gross margin and operating expense line items and provide some metrics to give you some perspective on our results. Our gross profit in Q4 of fiscal 2014, as a percentage of consolidated net sales, was 44% versus the 41.9% we achieved in Q4 of last year. Our consolidated gross profit percentage this quarter reflects a higher gross profit percentage in all of our business segments, attributable to changes in the overall mix of products and services when compared to the fourth quarter of fiscal 2013. For the year, gross profit was 43.6% as compared to 44% in fiscal 2013. Looking forward, and despite all the various mix changes that are more thoroughly described in our Form 10-K, we believe that our consolidated gross profit in fiscal 2015 as a percentage of consolidated net sales will be slightly lower than the level we achieved in fiscal 2014. On the expense side, SG&A expenses were $17.3 million or 19.4% of Q4 fiscal 2014 net sales as compared to the $15.6 million or 18.5% we achieved in Q4 of last year. The increase in SG&A expenses in dollars is primarily related to an increase in cash-based incentive compensation expenses associated with the overall increase in our net sales and profits and certain legal and other professional fees, including costs associated with our current strategic process. SG&A expenses for fiscal 2014 were $67.1 million or 19.3% as compared to $63.3 million or 19.8% in fiscal 2013. Excluding a $200,000 benefit in fiscal 2014 resulting from a change in the fair value of a contingent earnout liability related to our acquisition of Stampede, SG&A expenses would've been $67.3 million this year. Excluding a net benefit of $2.8 million in fiscal 2013, including a $3.3 million benefit associated with Stampede and a $0.5 million charge associated with the wind-down of a microsatellite product line, SG&A expenses would've been $66.1 million in fiscal 2013. In light of consolidated net sales growth expected in fiscal 2015, SG&A expenses in dollars are expected to be higher in fiscal 2015 as compared to fiscal 2014. However, we do expect SG&A expenses in fiscal 2015 as a percentage of consolidated net sales to be slightly lower than fiscal 2014. R&D expenses were $8.4 million or 9.4% of consolidated net sales in Q4 of fiscal 2014 versus $8.3 million or 9.8% in Q4 of fiscal 2013. We expect company-funded R&D expenses for fiscal 2015 in dollars to be slightly higher than the amount we invested during fiscal 2014 and, as a percentage of consolidated net sales, to be slightly lower in fiscal 2015. Total stock-based compensation expense, which is recorded in our unallocated segment, was $1.2 million for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014 as compared to $900,000 for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2013. Based on the amount and type of outstanding equity awards, stock-based compensation in fiscal 2015 is expected to be higher than fiscal 2014. Amortization of intangibles with finite lives was $1.6 million for the fourth quarter of both fiscal 2014 and fiscal 2013. Consolidated operating income in Q4 of fiscal 2014 was $12.1 million or 13.5% of consolidated net sales as compared to $9.8 million or 11.6% in the fourth quarter of last year. For the year, operating income as a percentage of net sales was 12.6%. Currently, we are targeting operating income as a percentage of consolidated net sales in fiscal 2015 to be slightly higher than the 12.6% we achieved in fiscal 2014. Interest expense was $300,000 in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014 and $2 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2013. As previously reported, as of May 5, 2014, none of our 3% convertible senior notes remain outstanding. As such, we expect interest expense for fiscal 2015 to be significantly lower than fiscal 2014. Interest income and other was $156,000 in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014 compared to $289,000 in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2013. Turning to income taxes. Our GAAP effective tax rate for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014 was 33%. Looking forward, we expect that our GAAP tax rate in fiscal 2015, excluding the impact of discrete tax items, will approximate 35%. Adding it all up on the bottom line, as Fred mentioned, we delivered GAAP diluted EPS of $0.48 in Q4 of fiscal 2014 and $1.37 for the year. Now let me provide some additional financial metrics to add some more color. Adjusted EBITDA, as defined at the end of our press release that we issued yesterday, was $16.7 million in Q4 and $61.3 million for fiscal 2014. At July 31, 2014, our backlog was $133.4 million compared to $189.7 million at July 31, 2013. This decrease is primarily due to our performance on our 2 large North African country end customers -- contracts. Our balance sheet remains strong. We had $154.5 million of cash and cash equivalents, and none of our 3% notes were outstanding as of the end of the year. This cash balance that I just stated does not reflect our Q4 dividend that was paid in August, which approximated $4.8 million. We generated $34.6 million of positive cash flows from operations during fiscal 2014. And although we expect to generate significant positive cash flows in fiscal 2015, the amount is currently expected to be lower than fiscal 2014, almost entirely due to expected performance on our over-the-horizon microwave system contracts. In fiscal 2014, we repurchased $70.7 million of our common stock, and we have $13.7 million left for repurchases that we can make. Finally, before turning it back to Fred, I just want to provide some other comments on our fiscal 2015 guidance. First, our revenue, EBITDA and EPS guidance will be significantly weighted towards the latter half of fiscal 2015 for the reasons I addressed in my comments. In fact, we expect Q1 revenues and EBITDA in fiscal 2015 to be lower than what we posted in Q1 of fiscal 2014. These fluctuations are largely driven by timing of orders in our backlog and orders that we expect to receive. And second, and finally, our fiscal 2015 EPS and EBITDA guidance provided yesterday does not include any additional expenses associated with our current strategic process. Now let me turn it back to Fred, who will discuss our business and outlook in further detail. Fred?