Skip to main content

Curtiss-Wright Reports 2006 Third Quarter and Nine Month Financial Results

News Details

CURTISS-WRIGHT REPORTS 2006 THIRD QUARTER AND NINE MONTH FINANCIAL RESULTS

October 26, 2006

Sales and Operating Income increased 15% and Net Earnings increased 16% in the Third Quarter of 2006

ROSELAND, N.J., Oct 26, 2006 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX News Network/ -- Curtiss-Wright Corporation (NYSE: CW) today reports financial results for the third quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2006. The highlights are as follows:

THIRD QUARTER 2006 OPERATING HIGHLIGHTS

  • Net sales for the third quarter of 2006 increased 15% to $311.8 million from $271.4 million in the third quarter of 2005.
  • Operating income in the third quarter of 2006 increased 15% to $37.3 million from $32.4 million in the third quarter of 2005. Operating income was negatively impacted in the third quarter of 2006 by $1.1 million of costs associated with the adoption of FAS 123R and higher pension expense of $0.8 million from the Curtiss-Wright pension plans as compared to the prior year period.
  • Net earnings for the third quarter of 2006 increased 16% to $20.4 million, or $0.46 per diluted share, from $17.5 million, or $0.40 per diluted share, in the third quarter of 2005 (adjusted for 2-for-1 stock split in April 2006).
  • New orders received in the third quarter of 2006 were $324.1 million, up 17% compared to the third quarter of 2005.

NINE MONTHS 2006 OPERATING HIGHLIGHTS

  • Net sales for the first nine months of 2006 increased 11% to $904.0 million from $813.0 million in the first nine months of 2005.
  • Operating income in the first nine months of 2006 increased 2% to $94.9 million from $93.1 million in the first nine months of 2005. Operating income was negatively impacted in the first nine months of 2006 by $3.4 million of costs associated with the adoption of FAS 123R and higher pension expense of $3.6 million from the Curtiss-Wright pension plans as compared to the prior year period. Operating income for the first nine months of 2005 included a one-time gain of $2.8 million related to the sale of non-operating property.
  • Net earnings for the first nine months of 2006 increased 8% to $53.7 million, or $1.21 per diluted share, from $50.0 million, or $1.14 per diluted share, in the first nine months of 2005 (adjusted for 2-for-1 stock split in April 2006). Net earnings for the first nine months of 2006 were favorably impacted by a lower effective tax rate resulting from a Canadian tax benefit of $2.0 million, primarily related to higher than expected research and development credits for 2005, and an adjustment to our deferred tax accounts of $1.6 million based on new Canadian tax legislation which was enacted in late June 2006.
  • New orders received in the first nine months of 2006 were $976.3 million, up 10% compared to the first nine months of 2005. At September 30, 2006, backlog was $893.4 million, up 11% from $805.6 million at December 31, 2005.

"We are pleased to report higher sales, operating income, and net earnings for the third quarter of 2006," commented Martin R. Benante, Chairman and CEO of Curtiss-Wright Corporation. "In the third quarter 2006 we experienced solid organic growth in sales of 12% and operating income of 14%. Our year-to-date results continue to be strong despite some unanticipated obstacles, such as unfavorable foreign currency translation and increased material costs. In addition, we incurred significant business integration costs related to our 2006 acquisition in our Flow Control segment. Our commercial markets continue to be strong in the third quarter of 2006 with 12% organic sales growth, driven primarily by the oil and gas market at 28% and the commercial aerospace market at 17%. Our new orders continue to be strong which will provide momentum for our fourth quarter and heading into 2007. In addition, we have a number of military and commercial development contracts and have recently introduced many new products that should provide significant future opportunities."

SALES

Sales growth in the three months ended September 30, 2006 was driven by organic growth in our commercial businesses and contributions from our 2006 acquisitions. The base businesses generated overall organic growth of 12% for third quarter of 2006 as compared to the prior year period. Organic sales growth was strong in all three of our operating segments, with Motion Control at 14%, Flow Control at 11%, and Metal Treatment at 9%, as compared to the same period in the prior year. Acquisitions made since June 30, 2005 contributed $7.8 million in incremental sales for the third quarter of 2006, over the comparable prior year period.

In our base businesses, higher ground defense and commercial aerospace revenues from our Motion Control segment, higher sales to the oil and gas and commercial power markets from our Flow Control segment, and higher sales of global shot peening and heat treating services from our Metal Treatment segment, all contributed to the quarterly organic sales growth. In addition, foreign currency translation positively impacted sales by $3.1 million for three months ended September 30, 2006, as compared to the prior year period.

OPERATING INCOME

Operating income for the third quarter of 2006 increased 15% over the prior year period. Higher operating income in the third quarter of 2006 resulted from higher sales volume, a favorable sales mix, and cost control initiatives. Our consolidated operating margin for the third quarter of 2006 was essentially flat compared to the prior year period as improvements in the Motion Control and Metal Treatment segments were offset by lower operating margins in the Flow Control segment. The lower margins in our Flow Control segment were due to unfavorable sales mix, business integration costs, and higher material costs.

Overall organic operating income growth was 14% for the third quarter of 2006, led by our Motion Control segment at 37% and Metal Treatment segment at 20%. Operating income in the third quarter of 2006 was negatively impacted by $1.1 million of costs associated with the January 1, 2006 adoption of FAS 123R and higher pension expense of $0.8 million from the Curtiss-Wright pension plans. In addition, foreign currency translation adversely impacted operating income by $0.1 million in the third quarter 2006, as compared to the prior year period.

NET EARNINGS

Net earnings increased 16% for the third quarter of 2006 over the comparable prior year period. Operating income from our business segments increased $6.2 million for the three months ended September 30, 2006, over the prior year period. Higher interest expense due to higher interest rates, partially offset by lower average outstanding debt levels, lowered net earnings in the third quarter of 2006 by $0.5 million over the prior year period.

SEGMENT PERFORMANCE

Flow Control - Sales for the third quarter of 2006 were $129.8 million, up 16% over the comparable period last year due to solid organic growth and the contribution from the 2006 acquisition of Enpro Systems. Sales from the base businesses increased 11% in the third quarter of 2006 as compared to the prior year period. This organic sales growth was due to higher sales to the oil and gas market, led by increased demand for the coker valve products, as well as higher sales to the commercial power market due mainly to the timing of plant outages. Sales of this segment were favorably affected by foreign currency translation of $0.4 million in the third quarter of 2006 compared to the prior year period.

Operating income for this segment increased 2% in the third quarter of 2006 compared to the prior year period. The benefit of the higher sales volume was mostly offset by less favorable commercial power sales mix and higher material costs. In addition, this segment incurred business integration costs relative to our 2006 acquisition which should generate improved profitability beginning in 2007. Operating income of this segment was favorably affected by foreign currency translation of $0.1 million in the third quarter of 2006 compared to the prior year period.

Motion Control - Sales for the third quarter of 2006 of $125.6 million increased 14%, all organic, over the comparable period last year. This growth was due primarily to higher sales of embedded computing products to the ground defense market and increased sales of OEM and spares products and repair and overhaul services to the commercial aerospace market. This growth was partially offset by lower sales to the general industrial and defense aerospace markets. Sales of this segment were favorably affected by foreign currency translation of $1.7 million in the third quarter of 2006 compared to the prior year period.

Operating income for this segment increased 37% for the third quarter of 2006 compared to the prior year period. The operating income increase was primarily driven by higher sales volume, favorable sales mix within our embedded computing group, and increased efficiencies as a result of our business integration initiatives. In addition this segment experienced cost overruns on certain military contract work in the third quarter of 2005 that did not repeat in 2006. These improvements were partially offset by unfavorable foreign currency translation of $0.4 million and higher production start up costs relative to new programs.

Metal Treatment - Sales for the third quarter of 2006 of $56.3 million were 15% higher than the comparable period last year. The improvement was mainly due to organic sales growth of 9% and the contribution from our 2006 acquisition of Allegheny Coatings. The organic sales growth was driven by higher global shot peening revenues in the aerospace and automotive markets along with strong demand in the heat treating business from the general industrial and automotive markets. Sales of this segment were favorably affected by foreign currency translation of $1.0 million in the third quarter of 2006 compared to the prior year period.

Operating income increased 21% for the third quarter of 2006 as compared to the prior year period, primarily as a result of the higher sales volume. Operating income of this segment was favorably affected by foreign currency translation of $0.2 million in the third quarter of 2006 compared to the prior year period.

Mr. Benante concluded, "In 2006, we continue to demonstrate our ability to generate long-term shareholder value by growing our sales and earnings. Our strong performance demonstrates our ability to execute our growth strategy while continuing to achieve our financial targets. We expect the fourth quarter of 2006 to benefit from the ramp up of our defense programs and the continued strength in our commercial markets, as well as additional benefits achieved from our integration and cost control efforts. Our diversification strategy, the successful integration of our acquisitions, and our continued emphasis on providing advanced new products and technologies should continue to generate growth opportunities in each of our three business segments in 2006 and beyond."

The Company will host a conference call to discuss the third quarter 2006 results at 11:00 EDT Friday, October 27, 2006. A live webcast of the call can be heard on the internet by visiting the company's website at curtisswright2014.q4web.com and clicking on the investor information page or by visiting other websites that provide links to corporate webcasts.

                 CURTISS-WRIGHT CORPORATION and SUBSIDIARIES
                     CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF EARNINGS
                    (In thousands, except per share data)



                                     Three Months Ended    Nine Months Ended
                                        September 30,         September 30,
                                      2006       2005       2006       2005



    Net sales                       $311,801   $271,355   $903,988   $813,035
    Cost of sales                    205,783    177,840    600,356    533,452
      Gross profit                   106,018     93,515    303,632    279,583


    Research & development
     expenses                          7,227      8,504     28,531     30,312
    Selling expenses                  19,382     16,738     57,004     51,633
    General and administrative
     expenses                         41,936     35,546    122,720    106,515
    Environmental remediation and
     administrative expenses, net        273        188        362        844
    (Gain) Loss on sale of real
      estate and fixed assets.           (51)        98         68     (2,827)


      Operating income                37,251     32,441     94,947     93,106


    Other (expenses) income, net         (18)       279        295       (421)
    Interest expense                  (5,721)    (4,912)   (17,103)   (13,993)


    Earnings before income taxes      31,512     27,808     78,139     78,692
    Provision for income taxes        11,156     10,289     24,413     28,716


    Net earnings                    $ 20,356   $ 17,519   $ 53,726   $ 49,976


    Basic earnings per share        $   0.46   $   0.40   $   1.23   $   1.16
    Diluted earnings per share      $   0.46   $   0.40   $   1.21   $   1.14


    Dividends per share             $   0.06   $   0.05   $   0.18   $   0.14


    Weighted average shares
     outstanding:
       Basic                          43,903     43,376     43,779     43,206
       Diluted                        44,338     43,946     44,254     43,780




                                           Three Months         Nine Months
                                              Change               Change
                                           $         %          $         %
    Net sales                           $40,446    14.91%    $90,953    11.19%
    Cost of sales                        27,943    15.71%     66,904    12.54%
      Gross profit                       12,503    13.37%     24,049     8.60%


    Research & development expenses      (1,277)  -15.02%     (1,781)   -5.88%
    Selling expenses                      2,644    15.80%      5,371    10.40%
    General and administrative expenses   6,390    17.98%     16,205    15.21%
    Environmental remediation and
     administrative expenses, net            85    45.21%       (482)  -57.11%
    (Gain) Loss on sale of real estate
     and fixed assets.                     (149) -152.04%      2,895   102.41%


      Operating income                    4,810    14.83%      1,841     1.98%


    Other (expenses) income, net           (297) -106.45%        716  -170.07%
    Interest expense                       (809)   16.47%     (3,110)   22.23%


    Earnings before income taxes          3,704    13.32%       (553)   -0.70%
    Provision for income taxes              867     8.43%     (4,303)  -14.98%


    Net earnings                        $ 2,837    16.19%    $ 3,750     7.50%



Certain prior year information has been reclassified to conform to current presentation.

Shares and per share amounts have been adjusted on a pro forma basis for the April 21, 2006 2-for-1 stock split.




                 CURTISS-WRIGHT CORPORATION and SUBSIDIARIES
                         CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
                                (In thousands)



                                 September 30,   December 31,       Change
                                     2006            2005         $        %
    Assets
      Current Assets:
      Cash and cash equivalents  $   47,377      $   59,021   $(11,644) -19.7%
      Receivables, net              280,705         244,689     36,016   14.7%
      Inventories, net              178,983         146,297     32,686   22.3%
      Deferred income taxes          21,268          28,844     (7,576) -26.3%
      Other current assets           13,076          11,615      1,461   12.6%


        Total current assets        541,409         490,466     50,943   10.4%
      Property, plant, and
       equipment, net               290,080         274,821     15,259    5.6%
      Prepaid pension costs          72,121          76,002     (3,881)  -5.1%
      Goodwill, net                 414,286         388,158     26,128    6.7%
      Other intangible assets,
        net                         157,194         158,267     (1,073)  -0.7%
      Other assets                   12,110          12,571       (461)  -3.7%


        Total Assets             $1,487,200      $1,400,285    $86,915    6.2%


    Liabilities
      Current Liabilities:
      Short-term debt            $    5,941      $      885     $5,056  571.3%
      Accounts payable               79,779          80,460       (681)  -0.8%
      Accrued expenses               68,800          74,252     (5,452)  -7.3%
      Income taxes payable            2,946          22,855    (19,909) -87.1%
      Other current liabilities      55,758          43,051     12,707   29.5%


        Total current liabilities   213,224         221,503     (8,279)  -3.7%


      Long-term debt                385,004         364,017     20,987    5.8%
      Deferred income taxes          51,512          53,570     (2,058)  -3.8%
      Accrued pension & other
       postretirement benefit
       costs                         72,686          74,999     (2,313)  -3.1%
      Long-term portion of
       environmental reserves        21,477          22,645     (1,168)  -5.2%
      Other liabilities              28,294          25,331      2,963   11.7%


        Total Liabilities           772,197         762,065     10,132    1.3%


    Stockholders' Equity
      Common stock, $1 par
       value                         47,533          25,493     22,040   86.5%
      Additional paid in capital     68,813          59,806      9,007   15.1%
      Retained earnings             691,823         667,892     23,931    3.6%
      Unearned portion of
       restricted stock                 (66)            (12)       (54) 450.0%
      Accumulated other
       comprehensive income          37,322          20,655     16,667   80.7%
                                    845,425         773,834     71,591    9.3%
      Less:  cost of treasury
       stock                        130,422         135,614     (5,192)  -3.8%


        Total Stockholders'
         Equity                     715,003         638,220     76,783   12.0%


        Total Liabilities and
         Stockholders' Equity    $1,487,200      $1,400,285  $  86,915    6.2%





                 CURTISS-WRIGHT CORPORATION and SUBSIDIARIES
                             SEGMENT INFORMATION
                                (In thousands)



                                                  Three Months Ended
                                                     September 30,
                                                                       %
                                             2006         2005       Change
    Sales:
    Flow Control                           $129,819     $112,126      15.8%
    Motion Control                          125,639      110,242      14.0%
    Metal Treatment                          56,343       48,987      15.0%


    Total Sales                            $311,801     $271,355      14.9%


    Operating Income:
    Flow Control                           $ 14,014     $ 13,800       1.6%
    Motion Control                           15,310       11,203      36.7%
    Metal Treatment                          10,448        8,618      21.2%


    Total Segments                           39,772       33,621      18.3%
    Corporate & Other                        (2,521)      (1,180)    113.6%


    Total Operating Income                 $ 37,251     $ 32,441      14.8%


    Operating Margins:
    Flow Control                               10.8%        12.3%
    Motion Control                             12.2%        10.2%
    Metal Treatment                            18.5%        17.6%
    Total Curtiss-Wright                       11.9%        12.0%




                                                   Nine Months Ended
                                                     September 30,
                                                                       %
                                             2006         2005       Change
    Sales:
    Flow Control                           $380,277     $335,863      13.2%
    Motion Control                          356,496      328,180       8.6%
    Metal Treatment                         167,215      148,992      12.2%


    Total Sales                            $903,988     $813,035      11.2%


    Operating Income:
    Flow Control                           $ 36,901     $ 36,905       0.0%
    Motion Control                           33,436       30,331      10.2%
    Metal Treatment                          31,630       25,547      23.8%


    Total Segments                          101,967       92,783       9.9%
    Corporate & Other                        (7,020)         323   -2273.4%


    Total Operating Income                 $ 94,947     $ 93,106       2.0%



    Operating Margins:
    Flow Control                                9.7%        11.0%
    Motion Control                              9.4%         9.2%
    Metal Treatment                            18.9%        17.1%
    Total Curtiss-Wright                       10.5%        11.5%

ABOUT CURTISS-WRIGHT

Curtiss-Wright Corporation is a diversified company headquartered in Roseland, New Jersey. The Company designs, manufactures and overhauls products for motion control and flow control applications and provides a variety of metal treatment services. The firm employs approximately 6,300 people. More information on Curtiss-Wright can be found at curtisswright2014.q4web.com.

Certain statements made in this release, including statements about future revenue, organic revenue growth, quarterly and annual revenue, net income, organic operating income growth, future business opportunities, cost saving initiatives, and future cash flow from operations, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements present management's expectations, beliefs, plans and objectives regarding future financial performance, and assumptions or judgments concerning such performance. Any discussions contained in this press release, except to the extent that they contain historical facts, are forward-looking and accordingly involve estimates, assumptions, judgments and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: a reduction in anticipated orders; an economic downturn; changes in competitive marketplace and/or customer requirements; a change in government spending; an inability to perform customer contracts at anticipated cost levels; and other factors that generally affect the business of aerospace, defense contracting, electronics, marine, and industrial companies. Such factors are detailed in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2005 and subsequent reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

This press release and additional information is available at curtisswright2014.q4web.com.

SOURCE Curtiss-Wright Corporation

Alexandra M. Deignan,
+1-973-597-4734,
[email protected]