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Arotech Corporation Reports
Record Second Quarter
and First Half Revenues
Revenues eight times last year’s
levels – six-month gross margin at 32%
August 7, 2003 - Arotech Corporation
(NasdaqNM: ARTX) a provider of quality advanced zinc-air batteries,
multimedia interactive simulators/trainers and lightweight armoring
for the military, law enforcement and homeland security markets, today
reported second quarter and first half 2003 results.
Revenues for the quarter ended June
30, 2003 increased to $3.5 million as compared with $425,000, excluding
discontinued operations, for the corresponding period of 2002. The respective
increases are largely attributed to sales in the Defense and Security
Products Division (IES and MDT, which were not owned by the Company
in the corresponding period in 2002) and sales of military batteries
in the Battery Division.
Gross profit for the quarter ended
June 30, 2003 increased to $1.0 million as compared with $49,000 for
the corresponding period of 2002. The respective increases are largely
attributed to sales in the Defense and Security Products Division (IES
and MDT) and sales of military batteries in the Battery Division.
Loss Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation
and Amortization (LBITDA), excluding discontinued operations, for the
quarter ended June 30, 2003 increased to $1.3 million as compared with
$1.1 million for the corresponding period of 2002. Arotech believes
that information concerning LBITDA enhances overall understanding of
its current financial performance and its progress towards cash-flow
break even and toward GAAP profitability. Arotech computes LBIDTA, which
is a non-GAAP financial measure, as reflected in the table below.
Net loss for the quarter ended June
30, 2003 decreased to $2.5 million as compared with $2.7 million for
the corresponding quarter of 2002.
Combined basic and diluted net loss
per share for the quarter ended June 30, 2003 narrowed to $0.07 as compared
with $0.09 for the corresponding period of 2002.
Revenues for the six months ended June
30, 2003 increased to $7.5 million as compared with $996,000, excluding
discontinued operations, for the corresponding period of 2002. The respective
increases are largely attributed to sales in the Defense and Security
Products Division (IES and MDT, which were not owned by the Company
in the corresponding period in 2002) and sales of military batteries
in the Battery Division.
Gross profit for the six months ended
June 30, 2003 increased to $2.4 million as compared with $236,000 for
the corresponding period of 2002. The respective increases are largely
attributed to sales in the Defense and Security Products Division (IES
and MDT) and sales of military batteries in the Battery Division.
Loss Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation
and Amortization (LBITDA), excluding discontinued operations, for the
six months ended June 30, 2003 decreased to $1.8 million as compared
with $2.3 million for the corresponding period of 2002. Arotech believes
that information concerning LBITDA enhances overall understanding of
its current financial performance and its progress towards cash-flow
break even and toward GAAP profitability. Arotech computes LBIDTA, which
is a non-GAAP financial measure, as reflected in the table below.
Net loss for the six months ended June
30, 2003 decreased to $3.8 million as compared with $6.0 million for
the corresponding quarter of 2002.
Combined basic and diluted net loss
per share for the six months ended June 30, 2003 narrowed to $0.11 as
compared with $0.20 for the corresponding period of 2002.
Cash-on-hand and cash equivalents and
certificate of deposit due within one year stood at the end of the quarter
at approximately $2.6 million with backlog of orders in excess of $5.6
million.
Stockholders’ equity stood at
the end of the quarter at approximately $10.4 million.
Arotech Chairman and CEO Robert S.
Ehrlich commented, “I am glad to see that Arotech is continuing
to make progress. The 32% six-month gross margin is particularly gratifying,
since it indicates that the improvements to efficiency that we began
to put in place last year are taking hold,” continued Ehrlich.
“We look forward to continued improvements, as well as record
revenues, in the second half of the year,” concluded Ehrlich.
Conference Call
Arotech Corporation will hold it second
quarter 2003 conference call on Friday, August 8, 2003 at 9:00 a.m.
EDT. Those wishing to take part in the conference call should call 1-800-946-0782
(US) or +1-719-457-2657 (international) a few minutes before the 9:00
a.m. EDT start time. In addition, an instant replay will be available
Friday, August 8, 2003 at 12:00 noon EDT until Monday, August 11, 2003
at 8:00 p.m. EDT. The replay telephone number is 1-888-203-1112 (US);
+1-719-457-0820 (international). The confirmation number is 445203.
About Arotech Corporation
Arotech’s corporate mission
is to provide quality defense and security products for the military,
law enforcement and homeland security markets, including advanced zinc-air
batteries, multimedia interactive simulators/trainers and lightweight
armoring.
Arotech Corporation (www.arotech.com)
operates two business divisions: Electric Fuel Batteries – developing
and manufacturing zinc-air batteries for military and homeland security
applications and developing electric vehicle batteries for zero emission
public transportation; and Arotech Defense – consisting of IES
Interactive, which provides advanced high-tech multimedia training systems
for law enforcement and paramilitary organizations, and MDT Armor, which
provides vehicle armoring for the military, industrial and private sectors.
Arotech is incorporated in Delaware
under the name “Electric Fuel Corporation” and has corporate
and sales offices in New York and Denver with research, development
and production subsidiaries in Alabama, Colorado and Israel.
Except for
the historical information herein, the matters discussed in this news
release include forward-looking statements, as defined in the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Readers are cautioned not
to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, as they
are subject to various risks and uncertainties that may cause actual
results to vary significantly. These risks and uncertainties include,
but are not limited to, risks relating to: product and technology development;
the uncertainty of the market for Arotech’s products; changing
economic conditions; delay, cancellation or non-renewal, in whole or
in part, of contracts or of purchase orders; significant future capital
requirements; and other risk factors detailed in Arotech’s most
recent Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December
31, 2002 and other filings (under the name Electric Fuel Corporation)
with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Arotech assumes no obligation
to update the information in this release. Reference to the Company’s
website above does not constitute incorporation of any of the information
thereon into this press release.
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