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Westell Technologies Fiscal Fourth Quarter and
Full Year 2009 Highlights
- Fiscal fourth quarter consolidated revenue of $41.7 million. Non-GAAP fiscal fourth quarter consolidated revenue of $56.3 million[1].
- Fiscal fourth quarter net loss of $2.0 million, or a loss of $0.03 per share. Non-GAAP net loss during the fiscal fourth quarter of $0.7 million[1], or a loss of $0.01 per share[1].
- Non-GAAP fiscal year consolidated revenue of $186.5 million[1] and non-GAAP net loss of $13.0 million[1], or a loss of $0.19 per share[1].
- Appointed Richard S. Gilbert as President and CEO.
- Added two independent board directors: James M. Froisland and Martin H. Singer.
- Appointed Brian S. Cooper as CFO.
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Westell Technologies Reports Fiscal Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2009 Results
AURORA, IL, May 20, 2009 – Westell Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: WSTL), a leading provider of broadband products, gateways and conferencing services, today announced results for its fiscal fourth quarter and full year ending March 31, 2009. Total revenue for the fiscal fourth quarter was $41.7 million, down 5.6% from $44.2 million in the same quarter last year. Net loss during the quarter was $2.0 million, or a loss of $0.03 per share, compared to a net loss of $72.1 million or a loss of $1.02 per share in the same period last year.
On a non-GAAP basis, revenue for the fiscal fourth quarter was $56.3 million[1], up 27.5%[1] from the same quarter last year and up 18.7%[1] from the fiscal third quarter of 2009. The increase in the current quarter compared to prior quarters is due primarily to shipments of UltraLine Series3 gateways which started in the fiscal third quarter of 2009. Non-GAAP net loss during the fiscal fourth quarter was $0.7 million[1], or a loss of $0.01 per share[1], compared to a non-GAAP net loss of $5.4 million[1], or a loss of $0.08 per share[1], in the prior year. The lower non-GAAP loss per share was positively impacted by increased shipments and by lower operating expenses resulting from recent restructuring activities and cost containment initiatives.
“In the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2009, Westell produced improving results in the face of a very difficult economic environment,” said Rick Gilbert, President and Chief Executive Officer of Westell Technologies. “However, we clearly recognize that losses, albeit small, are not acceptable. In our plan for fiscal year 2010, we have focused on structuring the business to address our losses and lay a foundation for building long-term value.”
The Company supplements its financial analysis of the business using non-GAAP measures which may provide additional insight into current operating performance. The presentation at the end of this press release includes financial tables that reconcile non-GAAP measures to GAAP measures. There are two non-GAAP adjustments affecting the fiscal fourth quarter. First, during the quarter, the Company continued to ship UltraLine Series3 next-generation gateways which support a major customer’s fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) offering. Fiscal fourth quarter revenues totaling $14.6 million and certain related direct costs for these product shipments are deferred, and not recognized in the quarter, based on the required accounting for related software deliverables. This adjustment increases non-GAAP net income for the quarter by $0.4 million. Second, gross profit and operating expenses are adjusted to exclude $0.9 million of incremental non-cash lease expense that was accrued in the fiscal fourth quarter. This accrual corrects cumulative lease expense that was under-recorded by small amounts over multiple prior periods.
Fiscal Fourth Quarter Division Results
Customer Networking Solutions (CNS) reported revenue of $16.7 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2009, compared to $16.9 million in the same quarter of last year. On a non-GAAP basis, revenue was $31.3 million[1] for the quarter, compared to $16.9 million in the same quarter of last year and $24.2 million[1] in the fiscal third quarter of 2009. The increase in current quarter non-GAAP revenue compared to prior quarters is due primarily to shipments of UltraLine Series3 gateways which started in the third fiscal quarter of 2009.
OSPlant Systems reported revenue of $14.4 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2009, compared to $13.2 million in same quarter of last year and $12.4 million in the fiscal third quarter of 2009.
ConferencePlus revenue was $10.6 million during the fiscal fourth quarter of 2009, compared to $14.1 million in the same quarter of last year, and $10.9 million in the fiscal third quarter of 2009. The decrease in revenue from the fiscal fourth quarter of 2009 compared to the same period in the prior year was due primarily to the previously announced loss of revenue from a large customer.
Fiscal Year 2009 Results
Revenue was $161.2 million for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2009, compared to $205.7 million in fiscal 2008. Net loss in fiscal 2009 was $16.7 million, or a loss of $0.24 per share, compared to a net loss of $76.2 million or a loss of $1.08 per share in fiscal 2008. On a non-GAAP basis, revenue for fiscal 2009 was $186.5 million[1], with a net loss for fiscal 2009 of $13.0 million[1] or a loss of $0.19 per share[1]. This compares to a non-GAAP net loss of $6.8 million[1] or a loss of $0.10 per share[1] in fiscal 2008.
Total cash and short term investments as of March 31, 2009 was $46.1 million, compared to $68.3 million at March 31, 2008 and $43.8 million at December 31, 2008.
Board and Officer Appointments
On February 23, 2009, Richard S. Gilbert joined Westell as President and Chief Executive Officer.
The Company appointed James M. Froisland and Martin H. Singer Ph.D. to the Board of Directors on March 19th and March 25th, respectively. Mr. Froisland serves on the finance and audit committees and Mr. Singer serves on the compensation and technology committees.
Effective April 20, 2009, the Company appointed Brian S. Cooper as Chief Financial Officer and reassigned Amy T. Forster as Chief Accounting Officer.
Fiscal Year 2010 Objectives
“We have set aggressive but realistic plans for fiscal year 2010, with an objective for the year of break-even operating profit on a consolidated basis,” said Gilbert. “Given the current economic environment, we are also focused on conserving our cash and achieving positive cash flow for the year.”
Conference Call Information
Conference Plus, Inc. (ConferencePlus), a Westell subsidiary, will manage Westell’s fourth quarter fiscal 2009 earnings conference call on Thursday, May 21, 9:30 AM ET using its EventManager™ Service. Participants can register for the Westell conference by going to the URL:
http://www.conferenceplus.com/westell
With EventManager, participants can quickly register online in advance of the conference through a customizable web page that can be used to gather multiple pieces of information from each participant, as specified by the event arranger. After registering, participants receive dial-in numbers, a passcode, and a personal identification number (PIN) that is used to uniquely identify their presence and automatically join them into the audio conference. If a participant experiences any technical difficulties after joining the conference on May 21st, he may simply press *0 for support.
If you do not wish to register, you can participate in the call on May 21st by dialing ConferencePlus at 1-877-875-0056 no later than 9:15 AM, Eastern Time and using confirmation number 24461152. International participants may dial 1-847- 585-4340. The Company’s earnings press release and any related earnings information to be discussed on the earnings conference will be posted on the Investor Relations section of the Company’s website at http://www.westell.com. An archive of the entire conference will be available on Westell’s website or via Digital Audio Replay one hour following the conclusion of the conference. The replay of the conference can be accessed by dialing 1- 888-843-8996 or 1-630- 652-3044 and entering 9783733.
About Westell
Westell Technologies, Inc., headquartered in Aurora, Illinois, is a holding company for Westell, Inc. and ConferencePlus, Inc. Westell, Inc. designs and develops broadband telecommunications access products. ConferencePlus, Inc. is a leading global provider of audio, web, video and IP conferencing services. Additional information can be obtained by visiting Westell's Web site at www.westell.com.
About ConferencePlus
ConferencePlus, a Westell Technologies, Inc. subsidiary, is a leading global provider of audio, web, video and IP conferencing services. ConferencePlus is dedicated to providing high quality, innovative conferencing solutions to its domestic and international clients and telecommunications resellers. ConferencePlus is recognized for outstanding customer service and support to help clients meet their business objectives. The Company is headquartered in Schaumburg, Illinois, with an international headquarters in Dublin, Ireland. Additional information can be obtained by visiting the ConferencePlus web site at www.conferenceplus.com.
“Safe Harbor” statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act 1995:
Certain statements contained herein that are not historical facts or that contain the words “believe”, “expect”, “intend”, “anticipate”, “estimate”, “plan”, “may”, “will”, “should”, or derivatives thereof and other words of similar meanings are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed in or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, but are not limited to, product demand and market acceptance risks, need for financing, an economic downturn in the U.S. economy and telecom market, the impact of competitive products or technologies, competitive pricing pressures, new product development, excess and obsolete inventory, commercialization and technological delays or difficulties (including delays or difficulties in developing, producing, testing and selling new products and technologies), the effect of Westell’s accounting policies, the need for additional capital, the effect of economic conditions and trade, legal social and economic risks (such as import, licensing and trade restrictions) and other risks more fully described in the Company’s Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2008 under the section Risk Factors. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update these forward-looking statements to reflect current events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events or otherwise.
[1] This is non-GAAP information. A reconciliation of these items to the most comparable GAAP measures is presented as an exhibit to this news release. Except as noted, all references to financial results within this news release are presented in accordance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). Non-GAAP financial measures adjust results to remove the effects of certain unusual or one-time items. Westell believes that non-GAAP measures provide investors and management with a useful representation of the Company’s underlying financial performance. Non-GAAP information should not be considered superior to or a substitute for data prepared in accordance with GAAP.
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