Little USAP is now a full blown MONSTER!!
Universal Stainless Reports 2008 First Quarter Results
Diluted EPS of $0.70 on Sales of $56.8 Million Exceeds Forecast
Backlog Increases to $88 Million
BRIDGEVILLE, Pa., April 24, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Universal Stainless & Alloy Products, Inc. (Nasdaq:USAP) reported today that sales for the first quarter of 2008 were $56.8 million, which is in line with $56.2 million reported in the first quarter of 2007. Net income for the 2008 first quarter was $4.7 million, or $0.70 per diluted share, compared with $6.8 million, or $1.00 per diluted share, in the first quarter of 2007.
These results exceeded the Company's forecast for the first quarter of 2008 of sales in the range of $50 to $55 million and diluted EPS in the range of $0.60 to $0.65.
Nickel costs were more stable in the 2008 first quarter compared to their high volatility in 2007 and were substantially lower than their level at March 31, 2007. The change in nickel costs reduced gross margins for the Company's Dunkirk segment for the first quarter of 2008 by an estimated $157,000 (FIFO charge), equivalent to $0.02 per diluted share, compared with an increase (FIFO benefit) of $1.2 million, equivalent to $0.12 per diluted share, in the first quarter of 2007. The swing in the FIFO effect combined with a change in product mix reduced company-wide gross margins in the first quarter of 2008 compared with the same period of 2007.
The Company's tax rate for the first quarter of 2008 was 33% compared to 35% in first quarter of 2007. The benefit of this rate change was equivalent to $0.02 per diluted share.
Cash flow from operations was $208,000 for the first quarter of 2008 and capital expenditures were $3.1 million. Inventories remained level with the 2007 fourth quarter, while receivables increased due to the sequential increase in revenues.
President and CEO Dennis Oates commented: "Solid demand in our key markets combined with better than expected sales of power generation and tool steel products enabled us to exceed our forecast for the first quarter of 2008. In total, our sales to the power generation market rose an estimated 34% sequentially and 15% over the first quarter of 2007, while tool steel sales increased 25% over the fourth quarter of 2007 and 28% year-over-year. Our sales to the petrochemical market also improved sequentially, rising an estimated 30% from the 2007 fourth quarter, and matched the first quarter of 2007. Our sales to the aerospace market increased an estimated 5% from the fourth quarter of 2007, but were 15% lower than the first quarter a year ago. While aerospace demand remains very strong, our aerospace sales go through service centers and forgers, which continue to demonstrate conservative buying patterns and report pockets of excess inventory. We have not changed our view that service centers and forgers will, by necessity, return to more normal buying levels in the second half of the year."
Mr. Oates continued: "We made progress on several priorities in the first quarter. One of the highest was to add a Vice President of Sales and Marketing, and we were pleased to announce earlier this week that Chris Zimmer has joined our team. Our focus is to accelerate sales growth by further penetrating our domestic markets as well as expanding into international sales. We are now in conversations with potential partners and new customers in North America, South America, Europe, Russia and India. This is a long-term process, but we are pleased by the initial response and have several trial orders underway, including some for new products.
"Operational improvement is another area of high priority for us. We are progressing with the start-up of our new state-of-the-art high temperature annealing system in Dunkirk and remain on track to have it fully operational by the end of the current second quarter.
"In a further move to realize Dunkirk's potential and improve efficiency company-wide, we will relocate the round bar finishing operation in Bridgeville to Dunkirk, where it will replace inefficient multi-step equipment with advanced continuous-process capability. We expect to reduce the round bar production cycle in Dunkirk by as much as two weeks resulting in a payback that is less than one year. It also will enable Bridgeville to focus on its core competency, the manufacture of semi-finished products including tool steel plate."
Mr. Oates concluded: "We expect continued incremental improvement in our financial performance as reflected in our forecast for the second quarter of 2008. We expect our operational improvement to be more substantial as we continue to enhance our productivity and improve customer service levels. Our overall goal is to further accelerate our growth."
