Richard L. Schlenker
Analyst · Tim McHugh with William Blair & Company
Thanks, Paul. For the 14-week fourth quarter of 2013, revenues before reimbursements, or net revenues as I will refer to them from here on, were $69 million, up 6% from $65 million in the 13-week fourth quarter of 2012. Total revenues for the quarter were $72.8 million as compared to $72.9 million 1 year ago. Net income for the fourth quarter was $8.7 million or $0.63 per share as compared to $8.5 million or $0.60 per share in the fourth quarter of 2012. EBITDA for the fourth quarter was $15.9 million versus $15.6 million in 2012. Diluted share count decreased to 13.9 million from 14.2 million in the same period last year, as the result of our ongoing repurchase activity. For the 53-week fiscal year 2013, revenues before reimbursements were $280 million, up 5% from $266.6 million in the 52-week fiscal year 2012. Total revenues for 2013 were $296.2 million as compared to $292.7 million in 2012. Net income for 2013 was $38.6 million or $2.76 per diluted share, an increase of 4% as compared to $37.2 million or $2.60 per diluted share reported in 2012. EBITDA increased 4% to $68.8 million versus $66.1 million one year ago. Turning to more details of the quarter and year. In the fourth quarter of 2013, Defense Technology Development had net revenues of $3.2 million and no product sales. In comparison, in the fourth quarter of 2012, net revenues were $4.3 million, of which $2 million was product sales. For the full year 2013, net revenues in Defense Technology Development were $13.1 million, of which $200,000 was product sales. In comparison, for the full year of 2012, net revenues were $17.6 million, of which $3.1 million were product sales. For 2014, we expect revenues from Defense to be lower than in 2013 due to constraints on defense spending and the reduction of forces in Afghanistan. Utilization in the fourth quarter was 66%, which is in line with what we expected for our seasonally slower quarter. The extra week we picked up in the quarter included the New Year's holiday and vacations, which further impacted utilization. This compares to 69% in the fourth quarter of 2012. Utilization for the full year of 2013 was 71% as compared to 73% in the prior year, reflecting a step-down in a few major assignments and a decline in our Defense business. For 2014, we expect our utilization to be slightly lower than in 2013 as we continue to see a step-down in major assignments in Defense business. For the fourth quarter of 2013, billable hours increased 7.4% to 269,000. For the year, billable hours increased 3.4% to 1,079,000. For the fourth quarter, technical full-time equivalent employees, on a year-over-year basis, were up 3.8% to 731, and for the full year were up 4% to 719. For 2014, we expect year-over-year headcount growth to be approximately 3%. Our realized rate increase was approximately 2.5% for 2013. For 2014, we expect to realize a rate increase of between 2% and 2.5%. EBITDA margin for the fourth quarter was 23% of net revenue as compared to 24% in 2012. For the full year 2013, it was 24.6% as compared to 24.8% in 2012. The year-over-year decline is related to lower product sales in utilization. For the fourth quarter, compensation expense, after adjusting for gains and losses in deferred compensation, increased 8% including the extra week. Included in total compensation expense is a gain in deferred compensation of $1.9 million as compared to $130,000 in the same quarter of 2012. Gains and losses in deferred compensation are offset in miscellaneous income and have no impact on the bottom line. For the year, adjusted compensation expense increased 7%, with a gain in deferred compensation of $6 million as compared to $2.2 million in the prior year. Stock-based compensation expense in the fourth quarter was $2.3 million. In the full year, it was $13.2 million. For 2014, we expect this to be approximately the same. Other operating expenses in the fourth quarter increased 6% to $6.5 million. Included in other operating expenses is $1.3 million of depreciation. For 2014, other operating expenses are expected to be $6.5 million to $7 million per quarter. G&A expenses in the quarter were $3.9 million as compared to $4 million in the same quarter in 2012. For 2014, G&A expenses are expected to be $3.7 million to $4.2 million per quarter. Our income tax rate in the quarter was 40.5%. For the full year 2013, the tax rate was 39.7% as we benefited from a onetime tax deduction in the third quarter, which creates a tough comparison for 2014 as we expect our tax rate to be approximately 40.5%. For the quarter, operating cash flow is $28 million. And for the year, it was $61.8 million. At year end, our cash and short-term investments were $156.1 million. In 2013, we repurchased $25 million of our stock for a total of 438,000 shares at an average rate -- I mean, average price of $57.10. We still have $31 million authorized and available for repurchases under our current repurchase program. Additionally, during the year, we distributed $7.9 million to shareholders through dividends. Capital expenditures in the fourth quarter were $1.6 million and $6.2 million for the year. DSOs at year end were at 83 days. For 2014, we expect growth in revenues before reimbursements to be in the low single digits and EBITDA margin to be down approximately 100 basis points from 24.6% in 2013. As we have previously communicated, we anticipate a further step-down in a few major assignments in 2014. Additionally, in 2014, we expect the reduction of forces in Afghanistan will impact our Defense business. Furthermore, our growth in 2014 will be reduced because of having 1 less week as we return to a 52-week year. And as a reminder, in the second quarter of 2013, we recognized net revenues of $1.4 million related to services performed for a foreign client in the prior year, which was recognized upon receipt of payment. I will now turn the call back to Paul for closing remarks.