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Arotech Corporation Reports
Results for
the Third Quarter 2005
Impairment charge of $8.7 million
recorded in relation to Armour of America subsidiary
Company enacts extensive restructuring program
November
14, 2005 - Arotech Corporation (NasdaqNM: ARTX), a provider
of quality defense and security products for the military, law enforcement
and security markets, today reported results for the quarter ending
September 30, 2005.
Third Quarter Results
On a GAAP Basis:
Revenues for the quarter were $11.2 million, compared to $16.3 million
for the corresponding period in 2004. The decline in revenues is
largely attributable to the under performance of the Company’s
Armor Division which negatively impacted the Company’s overall
operating results for the quarter.
Gross Profit for the quarter was
$2.8 million or 24.6% of revenues, compared to $4.7 million or 29.0
% of revenues for the corresponding period in 2004. The Gross Profit
for the third quarter, 2005, includes a $650,000 write-off of inventory.
Arotech’s results for the
third quarter include a charge to operating income of $8.7 million
for the impairment of goodwill and other intangible assets, reflecting
a reevaluation of Armour of America’s (AoA’s) value
resulting from its disappointing performance to date. Including
this charge, the Company’s operating loss was $12.0 million
compared to breakeven for the corresponding period in 2004.
The net loss including the above-mentioned
charge was $12.7 million or ($0.15) per share compared to a net
loss of $1.0 million or ($0.01) per share.
On a non-GAAP Basis:
On a non-GAAP basis, EBITDA, (Earnings
Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization) was a negative
$2.2 million compared to $1.8 million for the year ago quarter.
Arotech believes that information concerning EBITDA enhances overall
understanding of its current financial performance and its progress
towards cash-flow break even and toward GAAP profitability. Arotech
computes EBITDA, which is a non-GAAP financial measure, as reflected
in the table below.
As previously announced, Arotech
is shifting its focus from acquisitions to internal growth in an
effort to achieve GAAP profitability through existing operations.
This shift entails an extensive restructuring program which includes
consolidating and growing the Company's existing businesses and
instituting a corporate austerity program in order to dramatically
reduce corporate operating costs. The Company believes that these
measures will contribute several million dollars to operating income
in 2006.
“Today is a painful day
for Arotech,” said Robert S. Ehrlich, Arotech Chairman, President
and CEO. “Results for the third quarter are extremely disappointing,
primarily because our Armor Division failed to perform as expected.
Furthermore, as a result of its poor performance, Arotech has taken
a significant write-down of the carrying value of Armour of America
in the third quarter.
“When we acquired AoA, we
believed that the company had significant growth potential. The
worldwide security situation reflected a substantial need for AoA’s
products. However, we have been disappointed by AoA’s inability
to capitalize on these conditions. Subsequent to our acquisition,
the US military shifted its strategy from the soft armoring of its
HUMVEEs to the hard armoring of its military vehicles, something
that AoA does not offer. In addition, funding priorities shifted
from aircraft armor, AoA’s principal business, to redirected
funding for ground forces in Iraq thus delaying or canceling certain
anticipated orders.
“While our acquisition program
has grown the Company from $6 million in revenues in 2002 to $50
million in 2004, the AoA acquisition has not contributed as expected.
Furthermore, the General Manager of AoA recently submitted his resignation
and Lee Ferguson, who joined us to run our Armor Group has also
resigned We have appointed the General Manager of our MDT Armor
subsidiary to run AoA, which we now intend to combine with MDT in
order to achieve overhead efficiencies.
“As previously announced,
the Board of Directors has decided on a fundamental shift in strategy
and several new initiatives. First of all, the Company will suspend,
for the foreseeable future, further acquisitions and will concentrate
instead on consolidating and growing the businesses it currently
owns. For example, we are in the process of moving our IES Interactive
subsidiary to Ann Arbor in order to integrate it with our FAAC subsidiary,
which is currently our most profitable business. We are also planning
to combine AoA with our MDT subsidiary, since despite the dramatic
write-down in our carrying value of AoA, we continue to believe
that the product line has value. We believe that these consolidations
will result in development synergies and reduction in operating
costs.
“Secondly, we have initiated
an austerity program and dramatically reduced corporate operating
costs. We have eliminated some executive positions, reduced certain
executive salaries, and have implemented other restrictive expense
policies that we expect will help reduce operating costs. In addition,
the Company’s directors have agreed to reduce their fees.
We believe that these measures will further reduce operating expenses
and help us reach profitability.
“One potentially promising
area for the Company is its Electric Vehicle program. With the current
high cost of fuel and concerns about global warming and pollution,
the world is seeking clean, proven, alternate energy solutions.
Arotech has a proven, advanced, battery technology which we believe
can be the basis of a competitive, clean transportation system for
municipalities all over the world. We are currently seeking a partner
to exploit this opportunity.
“In summary, the organic
growth of the Company has become our key focus and we are determined
to achieve GAAP profitability through our existing operations. With
the program outlined above, we believe that we can grow our existing
product portfolio, increase market share, and achieve our goals
of sustainable profitable growth through existing operations. We
believe the initial benefits of this program will be apparent already
in the fourth quarter.”
Conference Call
Arotech Corporation will hold a conference call to discuss its third
quarter 2005 results, tomorrow, Tuesday November 15, 2005, at 10:00
a.m. EST. Those wishing to take part in the conference call should
call 1-800-946-0782 (U.S.) or +1-719-457-2657 (international) a
few minutes before the 10:00 a.m. EST start time. In addition, a
replay option will be available from Tuesday, November 15, 2005
at 2:00 p.m. EST until Thursday, November 17, 2005 at 1:00 p.m.
EST. The replay telephone number is 1-888-203-1112 (US); +1-719-457-0820
(international). The replay passcode is 4150844.
Results for the First Nine Months,
2005
On a GAAP Basis:
Revenues for the first nine months, 2005 were $33.8 million, compared
to $33.4 million for the corresponding period in 2004.
Gross Profit for the first nine
months, 2005, was $10.4 million or 30.8% of revenues, compared to
$10.7 million or 32.1% of revenues for the corresponding period
in 2004.
Operating Loss for the first nine
months, 2005, was $18.4 million, compared to an operating loss of
$3.3 million in the corresponding period in 2004. Arotech’s
results for the first nine months include charges to operating income
of $11.1 million for the impairment of goodwill and other intangible
assets, reflecting reevaluations of Armour of America’s, (AoA’s)
value resulting from its disappointing performance to date.
Net Loss (including impairment
of goodwill and other intangible assets charges in relation to AoA
of $11.1 million) for the nine month period was $20.8 million or
($0.25) per share, compared to a net loss of $5.8 million or ($0.14)
per share for the corresponding period in 2004.
On a non-GAAP Basis:
On a non-GAAP basis, EBITDA, (Earnings
Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization) for the first
nine months ending September 30, 2005, was a negative $3.8 million,
compared to a negative $223,000 for corresponding period in 2004.
Arotech believes that information concerning EBITDA enhances overall
understanding of its current financial performance and its progress
towards cash-flow break even and toward GAAP profitability. Arotech
computes EBITDA, which is a non-GAAP financial measure, as reflected
in the table below.
Cash Position as at September
30, 2005
Cash-on-hand and cash equivalents,
restricted securities and deposits due within one year stood at
the end of the quarter at $11.2 million in cash and cash equivalents
and $6.3 million in restricted collateral securities and cash deposits
due within one year, as compared with $6.7 million in cash and cash
equivalents and $11.0 in restricted securities and deposits due
within one year as at December 31, 2004.
Stockholders’ equity stood
at the end of the quarter at approximately $48.0 million.
About Arotech Corporation
Arotech Corporation is a leading provider of quality defense and
security products for the military, law enforcement and homeland
security markets, including multimedia interactive simulators/trainers,
lightweight armoring and advanced zinc-air and lithium batteries
and chargers. Arotech operates through three major business divisions:
Armor, Simulation and Security and Battery and Power Systems.
Arotech is incorporated in Delaware, with corporate offices in Auburn,
Alabama, and research, development and production subsidiaries in
Alabama, Colorado, Michigan, California 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, including the results of our restructuring program.
Forward-looking statements reflect management’s current knowledge,
assumptions, judgment and expectations regarding future performance
or events. Although management believes that the expectations reflected
in such statements are reasonable, 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 materially. 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; Arotech’s
ability to remain listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market in accordance
with the Nasdaq’s $1.00 minimum bid price and other continued
listing standards; dilution resulting from issuances of Arotech’s
common stock upon conversion or payment of its outstanding convertible
debt, which would be increasingly dilutive if and to the extent
that the market price of Arotech’s stock decreases; and other
risk factors detailed in Arotech’s most recent Annual Report
on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004, as amended,
and other filings 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.
Tables:
AROTECH CORPORATION CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (UNAUDITED)
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