Jon K. Snodgres
Analyst · Matt Tiampo with Craig-Hallum. Your line is open. Please go ahead
Thank you, Sondra. Good morning. Today we are reporting our financial results for the fourth quarter and full year 2015 as well as our financial guidance for the year 2016. Our financial results for the fourth quarter of 2015 were highlighted by strong sales of our bio-processing products. We reported product revenue of 21.4 million, an increase of 45% at constant currency or 39% as reported compared to the fourth quarter of 2014. We realized an exceptionally strong quarter with greater than 50% year-over-year growth in our growth factors, ATF Systems and Consumables, and our chromatography group with includes our OPUS columns, Protein A resins, and ELISA Kits. Our gross profit for the fourth quarter was 11.3 million an increase of 4 million or 55% compared to 2014. Our product gross margin is 52.7% for the quarter compared to 47.5% in 2014 reflecting a year-over-year increase of 520 basis points driven by higher sales volumes. Now moving on to our operating expenses. Research and development expenses of 1.4 million were modestly higher than the fourth quarter of 2014 as we continued to invest in key product development programs including single use ATF and OPUS. SG&A expenses increased to 6.5 million from 5 million in the fourth quarter of 2014, due to investments in our growing commercial organization as well as facilities, personnel, and systems infrastructure to support the fully integrated ATF business and the ongoing growth of the company. Also included in our fourth quarter operating expenses is an additional 2 million of contingent consideration expense based on the increased probability of achieving the ATF sales milestones for 2016. The company’s final year of contingent consideration obligation under the refined asset purchase agreement. This 2 million represents 36% of the 5.55 million of total potential payout for 2016. Or 48% of the 4.25 million fixed component. In the event that the minimum ATF sales milestone for 2016 is not achieved, the company will reverse the 2 million approval. Moving now to income and earnings for the quarter, adjusted operating income for the fourth quarter grew to 3.4 million, an increase of 2.4 million over 2014. This increase was driven by margin pull through from our year-over-year sales growth. Adjusted operating income excludes contingent consideration expense of 2 million recorded in the fourth quarter of 2015. And 1.9 million recorded in the fourth quarter of 2014. Also excluded is the one million of non-product revenue from therapeutic out license agreements during the fourth quarter of 2014. On a GAAP basis operating income increased to 1.4 million for the fourth quarter of 2015 compared to 61,000 for the fourth quarter of 2014. Adjusted net income for the fourth quarter of 2015 was 2.2 million, a year-over-year increase of 1.7 million. Adjustments to net income include the aforementioned contingent consideration expenses and non-product revenue adjustments. On a GAAP basis, net income for the quarter was 265,000, an increase of 663,000 over the same quarter of 2014. Both adjusted net income and GAAP net income improvements are driven by margin pull through from our year-over-year sales growth partially offset by higher tax expenses mostly related to the increased profitability in our Swedish facility. Adjusted EPS for the fourth quarter of 2015 increased to $0.07 per fully diluted share compared to $0.02 for the fourth quarter of 2014. Adjustments to EPS include the previously mentioned contingent consideration expenses and non-product revenue adjustments. On a GAAP basis, fourth quarter 2015 EPS was $0.01, a year-over-year improvement of $0.02. Improvements were driven by the aforementioned drivers of operating and net income. Adjusted EBITDA for the fourth quarter was $4.3 million compared to $2.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2014, a year-over-year increase of $2 million or 89%. Adjustments to EBITDA include the above stated contingent consideration expenses and non-product revenue adjustments. EBITDA for the fourth quarter of 2015 increased to $2.4 million from $1.4 million for the same quarter in 2014, reflecting an increase of 75%. I will now report on our full year 2015 financial results. For the full year 2015 product revenue reached a record $83.5 million reflecting strong growth of 47% at constant currency or 38% as reported. Consistent with the fourth quarter we experienced strong demand for all of our products during the year with all of our product groups growing in excess of 20%. For the year 2015 we reported $48.3 million of product gross profit, an increase of $15.9 million or 49% compared to 2014. Our product gross margin was 57.8% for the year, compared to 53.6% in 2014, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 420 basis points driven by higher sales volumes and improved factory leverage. Moving to operating expenses for the full year of 2015, research and development expenses of $5.7 million were essentially flat to 2014. R&D spend was 6.9% of 2015 sales. SG&A expenses increased to $24.7 million from $17.2 million in 2014, an increase of $7.5 million due to strategic investments to scale up our commercial organization as well as operating infrastructure to support the full integration of the ATF business and the ongoing growth of the company. Now moving to our income and earnings performance, for the full year 2015 adjusted operating income was $17.8 million, an increase of $7.4 million or 71%. Our adjusted operating margin for the full year 2015 was 21.4% compared with 17.3% for 2014. This increase was driven by margin pull through from our year-over-year sales growth. Adjusted operating income excludes refined contingent consideration expense of $4.1 million in 2015, refined contingent consideration and acquisition costs totaling $2.9 million in 2014, and non-product revenue of $3.1 million from therapeutic to out-license agreements in 2014. For the full year 2015, GAAP operating income was $13.8 million, an increase of 29%. Adjusted net income was $13.4 million in 2015, an increase of $5.5 million or 69% over 2014. Adjustments to net income include the aforementioned contingent consideration expenses, acquisition costs, and non-product revenue adjustments. GAAP net income for the year 2015 was $9.3 million, $1.2 million or 14% increase over 2014. Both adjusted net income and GAAP net income improvements are driven by margin pull through from our year-over-year sales growth, partially offset by higher taxes, mostly related to increased profitability in our Swedish facility. Adjusted EPS for 2015 increased to $0.40 per fully diluted share compared to $0.24 in 2014, an increase of 67%. Adjustments to EPS include the previously mentioned contingent consideration expenses and acquisition costs and non-product revenue adjustments. For the year, GAAP EPS was $0.28 per fully diluted share, a year-over-year increase of $0.03 or 13%. Improvements were driven by the previously noted drivers of operating and net income. For the year 2015, adjusted EBITDA was $22.2 million, an increase of $7 million or 46%. Non-adjusted EBITDA increased to $18.1 million, reflecting an increase of 18%. Adjustments to EBITDA include the aforementioned contingent consideration expenses and acquisition costs and non-product revenue adjustments. Both adjusted EBITDA and non-adjusted EBITDA improvements are driven by the same factors noted previously for operating income. Our cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities at December 31, 2015 were 73.4 million, an increase of 11.4 million over year end 2014. Free cash flow of 12.4 million includes our cash generated from operating activities of 15.1 million, less capital expenditures of 2.6 million. Clearly we are very pleased with our strong financial performance for 2015 and we expect another successful year of growth in 2016. We’ll now move on to 2016 guidance. Please keep in mind that our 2016 guidance maybe impacted by fluctuations and foreign currency rates beyond the expected FX headwind of 1% and does not include the potential impact of additional refined contingent consideration expenses or any reversal of the 2 million contingent consideration expense accrued during the fourth quarter of 2015 or potential acquisitions. Today we are setting our revenue guidance at 93 million to 96 million for the year 2016, reflecting constant currency growth of 12% to 16% or 11% to 15% at prevailing currency rates. Our product gross margin guidance for 2016 is 57% to 59% consistent with 2015 as we continue to scale our operations and make strategic investments in factory infrastructure and staffing to stay ahead of increasing demand. Operating expenses for the year 2016 are expected to be in the range of 33 million to 35 million including projected SG&A expense of 26 million to 28 million and projected R&D expense of approximately 7 million. SG&A expense increases are driven by continued investments in selling and operating infrastructure to support our growth. Growth in R&D expenses will support our development programs for ATF and OPUS product lines. And will enable us to continue to build out expertise in device product development. Please be aware that our operating expense guidance assumes no expenses for refined contingent consideration or any reversal of the 2 million contingent consideration expense accrued during the fourth quarter of 2015. We will complete the final year of the earn-out program in 2016 and will continue to monitor the status of our ATF sales forecast and report adjustments in 2016 as required. Income from operations is expected to be in the range of 20 million to 22 million or 21% to 24% of revenue, reflecting strong leverage of our sales volume growth. Net income is expected to be in the range of 15 million to 17 million which translates to fully diluted EPS guidance in the range of $0.45 to $0.51. EBITDA is expected to be in the range of 25 million to 27 million for 2016, with depreciation and amortization expenses in the range of 5 million to 5.5 million. The company expects to generate free cash flow in the range of 13 million to 15 million in 2016 including 3 million to 3.5 million of capital expenditures to support the maintenance and continued factory capacity expansion. Based on the aforementioned projections, we are expecting year-end cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities of 87 million to 89 million. I will now turn the call over to Tony to comment on business highlights for 2015 and expectations for 2016.