SAN DIEGO, Aug. 06, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (Nasdaq:KTOS), a leading National Security Solutions provider, today reported its second quarter fiscal 2015 financial results, which have been recast to reflect the pending divestiture of the Company's U.S. and U.K. Operations of its Electronic Products (EP) businesses as discontinued operations.  The sale and divestiture of Kratos' EP businesses is expected to close during the Company's third fiscal quarter of 2015.  Additionally, the quarter and six months ended June 28, 2015 and prior year comparative results for the EP businesses subject to divestiture have been reflected as discontinued operations in the Company's financial statements. 

Accordingly, for the second quarter ended June 28, 2015, Kratos generated revenue and Adjusted EBITDA from continuing operations of $160.5 million and $12.1 million, respectively.  Second quarter 2015 revenues from continuing operations increased sequentially from $156.9 million in the first quarter of 2015, and Adjusted EBITDA increased sequentially from $7.6 million in the first fiscal quarter of 2015.  Important program areas supported by Kratos include Unmanned Systems, Satellite Communications, Cyber Security, Electromagnetic Rail Gun, Directed Energy, Hypersonics, Missile and Radar systems, Missile Defense, Signal Monitoring and Intelligence and Electronic Warfare.

Kratos' second quarter Adjusted EBITDA was positively impacted by a favorable product sale mix, including approximately 50 percent gross margins being generated in the Company's satellite communications and related cyber security businesses.  Kratos' Adjusted EBITDA and financial results from continuing operations in the second and first quarters of 2015 were also impacted by significant discretionary internally funded investments the Company is making, primarily in the unmanned systems and satellite communication areas.  These investments, which include Internal Research & Development (IR&D), Non Recurring Engineering (NRE), capital expenditures and business development, are expected to continue as the Company executes its communicated strategic plan.

Revenues and Adjusted EBITDA for the quarter ended June 28, 2015 generated by the discontinued EP businesses were $22.3 million and $4.1 million, respectively.  Total Kratos combined revenue and Adjusted EBITDA from continuing and discontinued operations for the second quarter ended June 28, 2015 were $182.8 million and $16.2 million, respectively. 

For the quarter ended June 28, 2015, approximately 62 percent of Kratos' revenue was derived from U.S. Federal Government related customers, approximately 28 percent from commercial, state and local government customers, and approximately 10 percent from international customers.

Kratos' total backlog at the end of the second quarter, excluding the discontinued EP businesses, was approximately $954 million, including funded and unfunded backlog of approximately $555 million and $399 million, respectively.  Book to bill for the second quarter was .8 to 1 and for the last twelve months was 1.0 to 1.  Kratos' bid and proposal pipeline at June 28, 2015, also excluding the discontinued EP businesses, was approximately $6.8 billion, up slightly from $6.4 billion in the first quarter.

Cash flow from continuing operations for the second quarter was a use of approximately $12.3 million, which reflected the semi-annual interest payment of approximately $22 million on the Company's Senior Notes and an increase in inventory levels, with an expectation of associated shipments and collections later in 2015.  Cash flows from continuing operations and from discontinued operations was a combined use of $8.3 million.

For the quarter ended June 28, 2015, Adjusted EPS was a loss of $0.02.  Adjusted EPS excludes non-cash amortization expenses, as the Company has historically been acquisitive, non-cash stock compensation costs, transaction gains and losses, and certain non-recurring items such as excess capacity and restructuring costs, contract design retrofit costs, and transaction related expenses and includes cash actually expected to be paid for income taxes in order to reflect the benefit of the Company's net operating loss carryforwards of approximately $200 million.  Kratos believes that reporting Adjusted EPS is a meaningful metric to present the Company's financial results.  For the quarter ended June 28, 2015, GAAP EPS was a loss of $0.25.

Eric DeMarco, Kratos' President and CEO, said, "Kratos' second quarter financial performance was solid and as expected, with both revenue and Adjusted EBITDA increasing sequentially over our first quarter, and within our previously communicated and expected range.  Kratos' second quarter results included sequential quarter over quarter growth in our unmanned systems, satellite communications and microwave electronics businesses, and we continue to expect Kratos' second half 2015 revenue and Adjusted EBITDA to sequentially exceed the first half of the year.   Additionally, in the second quarter Kratos' Public Safety and Security business margins increased over the first quarter, with the month of June's gross margins being the highest generated in 2015."

Mr. DeMarco continued, "In the second quarter, we continued to make progress in our strategically important unmanned systems area, with Kratos remaining on track for fourth quarter 2015 demonstration flights of our unmanned tactical aerial platform with our U.S. Government sponsor, continued progress on two under contract unmanned aerial drone system programs that are expected to enter production next year, progress with our unmanned ground system and vehicle business with both a new government agency and a commercial customer, and our pursuit of two large new unmanned aerial system opportunities with U.S. Government agencies.  Additionally, in the second quarter we continued to make progress in positioning the Company on a number of new and potentially large U.S. Government, commercial and international satellite communication system programs, including a number of new nano and small sat initiatives."

Mr. DeMarco concluded, "Strategically, we remain committed to pursuing what we believe to be our Company's greatest future and long term growth opportunity areas, differentiated products and technology, including unmanned systems and satellite communications, where we are and expect to continue to make significant internally funded investments.  We are executing this plan and making these discretionary investments with a backbone of the majority of Kratos' existing business being specialty product and technology focused, where Kratos is a clear industry leader, and where we have a large backlog and bid and proposal pipeline."

Management will discuss the financial results in a conference call beginning at 2:00 p.m. Pacific (5:00 p.m. Eastern) today. Management will also discuss revised annual guidance for 2015 reflecting the treatment of the EP businesses as discontinued operations.  Analysts and institutional investors may participate in the conference call by dialing 866-393-0674, referencing the call by ID number 95028143.  The general public may access the conference call by dialing (877) 344-3935 or on the day of the event by visiting www.kratosdefense.com for a simultaneous webcast. A replay of the webcast will be available on the Kratos web site approximately two hours after the conclusion of the conference call.

About Kratos Defense & Security Solutions

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (Nasdaq:KTOS) is a specialized Technology Company providing mission critical products, solutions and services for United States National Security. Kratos' core capabilities are sophisticated engineering, manufacturing and system integration offerings for National Security platforms and programs. Kratos' areas of expertise include Command, Control, Communications, Computing, Combat and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) systems, satellite communications, electronic warfare, unmanned systems, hypersonic systems, directed and high power energy systems, electromagnetic railgun, missile defense, cyber warfare, cybersecurity, information assurance, and critical infrastructure security. Kratos has primarily an engineering and technically oriented work force of approximately 3,500. Substantially all of Kratos' work is performed on a military base, in a secure facility or at a critical infrastructure location. Kratos' primary end customers are National Security related agencies. News and information are available at www.KratosDefense.com.

Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release and filing contains certain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, express or implied statements concerning the Company's expectations regarding its future financial performance, bid and proposal pipeline, demand for its products and services, performance of key contracts, timing and expected impact of integration and cost-cutting activities, expected impact of the pending divestiture of its U.S. and U.K Electronic Products businesses, the Company's planned use of the proceeds from the divestiture, including the Company's repurchase of a portion of its outstanding senior notes, and market and industry developments, including the potential impacts on the Company's business as a result of sequestration, Federal budget cuts and increased protest actions submitted against the Company's projects by its competitors. Such statements are only predictions, and the Company's actual results may differ materially. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. All such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise these statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Factors that may cause the Company's results to differ include, but are not limited to: risks to our business and financial results related to the reductions and other spending constraints imposed on the U.S. Government and our other customers, including as a result of sequestration, the Federal budget deficit and Federal government shut-downs; risks of adverse regulatory action or litigation; risks associated with debt leverage and expected cost savings and cash flow improvements expected as a result of the refinancing of our outstanding senior notes and the repurchase of outstanding senior notes; risks that our cost-cutting initiatives will not provide the anticipated benefits; risks that changes, cutbacks or delays in spending by the U.S. Department of Defense may occur, which could cause delays or cancellations of key government contracts; risks of delays to or the cancellation of our projects as a result of protest actions submitted by our competitors; risks that changes may occur in Federal government (or other applicable) procurement laws, regulations, policies and budgets; risks of the availability of government funding for the Company's products and services due to performance, cost growth, or other factors, changes in government and customer priorities and requirements (including cost-cutting initiatives, the potential deferral of awards, terminations or reduction of expenditures to respond to the priorities of Congress and the Administration, or budgetary cuts resulting from Congressional committee recommendations or automatic sequestration under the Budget Control Act of 2011); risks of increases in the Federal government initiatives related to in-sourcing; risks related to security breaches, including cyber security attacks and threats or other significant disruptions of our information systems, facilities and infrastructures; risks related to our compliance with applicable contracting and procurement laws, regulations and standards; risks relating to contract performance; risks related to failure of our products or services; risks of our subcontractors' or suppliers' failure to perform their contractual obligations, including the appearance of counterfeit or corrupt parts in our products; changes in the competitive environment (including as a result of bid protests); failure to successfully integrate acquired operations and competition in the marketplace, which could reduce revenues and profit margins; risks associated with the divestiture of our U.S. and U.K. Electronic Products business; risks that potential future goodwill impairments will adversely affect our operating results; risks that anticipated tax benefits will not be realized in accordance with our expectations; risks that a change in ownership of our stock could cause further limitation to the future utilization of our net operating losses; risks that the current economic environment will adversely impact our business; changes in our business, or other reasons; and risks related to natural disasters or severe weather. These and other risk factors are more fully discussed in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended December 28, 2014, and in our other filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Note Regarding Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures
 
This news release contains non-GAAP financial measures, including  Adjusted EPS (computed using net income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes, excluding amortization of purchased intangibles, stock compensation expense, transaction and restructuring related items and other, unused office space expense, contract design retrofit costs and transaction gains and losses,  less the estimated tax cash payments), and Adjusted EBITDA (which excludes losses from discontinued operations, restructuring and transaction related items and other, stock compensation expense, unused office space expense, and transaction gains and losses  and the associated margin rates).   Kratos believes this information is useful to investors because it provides a basis for measuring the Company's available capital resources, the actual and forecasted operating performance of the Company's business and the Company's cash flow, excluding extraordinary items and non-cash items that would normally be included in the most directly comparable measures calculated and presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.  The Company's management uses these non-GAAP financial measures along with the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures in evaluating the Company's actual and forecasted operating performance, capital resources and cash flow.  Non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered in isolation from, or as a substitute for, financial information presented in compliance with GAAP, and investors should carefully evaluate the Company's financial results calculated in accordance with GAAP and reconciliations to those financial statements.  In addition, non-GAAP financial measures as reported by the Company may not be comparable to similarly titled amounts reported by other companies.  As appropriate, the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures and information reconciling these non-GAAP financial measures to the Company's financial results prepared in accordance with GAAP are included in this news release.

Press Contact:

Yolanda White

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