Astronics Corporation Reports Net Income Grows 24% in Second Quarter of 2010

    --  Net income up 24.2% from last year's second quarter
    --  Quarterly bookings increased 26.7% on strong aerospace order level
    --  Revenue expectation for 2010 increased to range of $185 million to $195
        million

EAST AURORA, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Astronics Corporation (NASDAQ: ATRO), a leader in advanced, high performance lighting, electrical power and automated test systems for the global aerospace and defense industries, today reported financial results for its second quarter and year-to-date period ended July 3, 2010.

Peter J Gundermann, President and Chief Executive Officer commented, "Overall, we had a solid quarter that was led by our Aerospace segment. We had strong cash flow and profitability and our bookings so far this year are very encouraging. New orders over the past six months total almost $106 million, up measurably over the $72 million for the same period last year."


                  Three Months Ended               Six Months Ended

                  July 3,      July 4,   %         July 3,   July 4,    %

                  2010         2009      Change    2010      2009       Change

Sales             $ 47,089   $ 47,024    0.1%     $ 94,025   $ 97,039   (3.1)%

Gross profit      $ 10,685   $ 8,724     22.5%    $ 22,231   $ 17,254   28.8%

Gross margin        22.7%      18.6%                23.6%      17.8%

SG&A              $ 6,063    $ 6,444     (5.9)%   $ 11,529   $ 12,509   (7.8)%

SG&A percent to     12.9%      13.7%                12.3%      12.9%
sales

Income from       $ 4,622    $ 2,280     102.7%   $ 10,702   $ 4,745    125.5%
Operations

Operating margin    9.8%       4.8%                 11.4%      4.9%

Net Income        $ 2,430    $ 1,956     24.2%    $ 5,830    $ 3,357    73.7%



Sales in the second quarter of 2010 were $47.1 million, up $0.1 million, or 0.1%, from the prior year second quarter. Aerospace sales, which represent 93% of total sales, increased 14% to $43.6 million in the 2010 second quarter. Test Systems sales declined by $5.3 million to $3.5 million when compared with last year's second quarter.

Net income in the second quarter of 2010 was $2.4 million, or $0.22 per diluted share, compared with net income of $2.0 million, or $0.18 per diluted share, in the same period of last year.

Consolidated gross margin and operating margin in the 2010 second quarter improved over the prior year period reflecting strong operating leverage in the Aerospace segment on higher volume, lower cost structure from actions taken last year to reduce costs and favorable sales mix. Also contributing to the operating margin expansion was a $0.7 million decline in amortization expense on purchased intangible assets in the Test Systems segment.

Engineering and development (E&D) costs were $7.0 million in the 2010 second quarter compared with $6.4 million in last year's second quarter.

Sales for the first half of 2010 were $94.0 million, down $3.0 million, or 3.1%, from the same period last year. Net income for the 2010 six-month period was $5.8 million, or $0.52 per diluted share, compared with net income of $3.4 million, or $0.31 per diluted share, in the same period of last year.

The improved margins in the first half of 2010 were a result of higher margins in the Aerospace segment as leverage was achieved from increased sales volumes and reductions to our cost structure, as well as a favorable sales mix compared with last year. Also contributing to the operating margin expansion was a $1.1 million reduction in amortization expense on purchased intangible assets in the Test Systems segment.

Year-to-date engineering and development costs were $14.2 million and $13.8 million in 2010 and 2009, respectively.

The $0.4 million decrease in selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expense in the second quarter of 2010 compared with last year's second quarter was primarily due to last year's higher amortization expense for purchased intangible assets in the Test Systems business.

Second quarter Review: Aerospace Segment (refer to sales by market and segment data in accompanying tables)

Sales for the Aerospace segment were $43.6 million in the second quarter of 2010, up $5.4 million, or 14.1%, compared with the 2009 second quarter. The sales increase to the commercial transport market was a result of increased volume due primarily to a general improvement in the commercial transport market, as airlines increased their procurement and installation of in-flight entertainment and in-seat power systems that utilize the Company's cabin electronics products. Sales to the business jet market were higher due to increased sales of the airframe power product line. FAA/Airport market sales increased due in part to the timing of shipments of airfield lighting equipment. Military sales were flat for the quarter compared with the previous year's second quarter as a $2.0 million increase in sales of aircraft lighting products was offset by a decrease of airframe power product sales, as the Company's shipments for the Tactical Tomahawk power conditioning unit concluded in the third quarter of 2009.

Year-to-date sales were $86.8 million in the first half of 2010, up $6.8 million, or 8.4%, compared with the first half of 2009. The increase in commercial transport sales was a result of a general improvement in the commercial transport market. In total, sales to the business jet market were flat as a $1.4 million increase in airframe power sales was offset by a similar decrease in aircraft lighting product sales. Military sales were lower primarily as a result of the conclusion of shipments of the Company's power conditioning unit for the Tactical Tomahawk missile in the third quarter of 2009, somewhat offset by higher shipments of lighting products.

Aerospace operating profit for the second quarter of 2010 was $6.8 million, or 15.5% of sales, compared with $3.7 million, or 9.7% of sales, in the same period last year. Operating profit for the first half of 2010 was $13.5 million, or 15.5% of sales, compared with $7.1 million, or 8.9% of sales, in the same period last year. Margin improvement for both the three-month and year-to-date periods was due to the leverage provided on the increased sales volume, the effect of cost reductions and favorable product mix.

Bookings for the Aerospace segment during the second quarter were $46.2 million, up 34% over $34.6 million in the second quarter of 2009. Backlog at the end of the second quarter was $85.7 million compared with $83.1 million at the end of the trailing first quarter.

Second quarter Review: Test Systems Segment (refer to sales by market and segment data in accompanying tables)

Sales for the Test Systems segment were $3.5 million in the second quarter of 2010 compared with $8.8 million in the second quarter of 2009. Year-to-date sales were $7.2 million in the first half of 2010 compared with $17.0 million in the same period last year, a decrease of $9.8 million. The decrease in the Test Systems segment sales reflected the low rate of new orders received during the past eighteen months and the resulting low backlog level.

The segment's operating loss was $1.0 million, or 28.5% of sales, in the second quarter of 2010, compared with a loss of $0.3 million, or 2.8% of sales, in the second quarter of 2009. The operating loss for the first six months of 2010 was $0.8 million, or 11.1% of sales, compared with a loss of $0.1 million, or 0.3% of sales, in the second quarter of 2009. Compared with last year, amortization expense relating to acquired intangible assets decreased by $0.7 million and $1.1 million for the three and six-month periods of 2010 and 2009, respectively. Additionally, the 2010 year to date operating loss reflects a reduction in estimated warranty liability of $0.7 million.

Test Systems bookings in the second quarter were $5.4 million compared with $6.2 million in the second quarter of 2009. Backlog was $11.6 million at the end of the second quarter compared with $9.6 million at the end of the trailing first quarter.

Balance Sheet

Cash generated from operations during the first half of 2010 was $7.5 million compared with $9.5 million in 2009. Higher net income was offset by increased investment in net working capital components. Capital expenditures in the first half of the 2010 were $1.5 million and payments made to reduce long-term debt during the six-month period were $4.5 million. The Company expects capital spending in 2010 to be approximately $2.5 million to $3.5 million.

At July 3, 2010, the cash balance was $16.4 million compared with $14.9 million at December 31, 2009. The Company has $35 million available on its revolving credit facility at July 3, 2010.

Outlook

Backlog at July 3, 2010 was $97.3 million, above backlog at the end of the first quarter of 2010 of $92.8 million and down from backlog at the end of the second quarter of 2009 of $105.5 million. Approximately $69 million of total backlog is expected to ship by the end of 2010 and approximately $82 million of total backlog is expected to ship in the next 12 months.

Mr. Gundermann stated, "As a result of our strong bookings over the past six months, we are increasing our revenue expectations for the year. We now expect that our sales for the year will be in the range of $185 to $195 million, up from the previous estimate of $170 to $190 million."

Astronics anticipates that approximately $165 million to $170 million of projected 2010 revenue will be from the Aerospace segment, while approximately $20 million to $25 million will be from the Test Systems segment.

Second quarter 2010 Webcast and Conference Call

The Company will host a teleconference at 10:00 a.m. EDT on Friday, July 30, 2010. During the teleconference, Peter J. Gundermann, President and CEO, and David C. Burney, Vice President and CFO, will review the financial and operating results for the period and discuss Astronics' corporate strategy and outlook. A question-and-answer session will follow.

The Astronics conference call can be accessed by dialing (201) 689-8562 and entering conference ID number 353788. The listen-only audio webcast can be monitored at www.astronics.com. To listen to the archived call, dial (858) 384-5517 and enter conference ID number 353788 and account number 3055. The telephonic replay will be available from 1:00 p.m. on the day of the call until 11:59 p.m. ET, Friday, August 6, 2010. A transcript will also be posted to the Company's Web site, once available.

ABOUT ASTRONICS CORPORATION

Astronics Corporation is a leader in advanced, high performance lighting, electrical power and automated test systems for the global aerospace and defense industries. Astronics' strategy is to develop and maintain positions of technical leadership in its chosen aerospace and defense markets, to leverage those positions to grow the amount of content and volume of product it sells to those markets and to selectively acquire businesses with similar technical capabilities that could benefit from our leadership position and strategic direction. Astronics Corporation, and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, DME Corporation, Astronics Advanced Electronic Systems Corp. and Luminescent Systems Inc., have a reputation for high quality designs, exceptional responsiveness, strong brand recognition and best-in-class manufacturing practices. The Company routinely posts news and other important information on its Web site at www.Astronics.com.

For more information on Astronics and its products, visit its website at www.Astronics.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements as defined by the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. One can identify these forward-looking statements by the use of the words "expect," "anticipate," "plan," "may," "will," "estimate" or other similar expression. Because such statements apply to future events, they are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by the statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include the state of the aerospace industry, the market acceptance of newly developed products, internal production capabilities, the timing of orders received, the status of customer certification processes, the demand for and market acceptance of new or existing aircraft which contain the Company's products, customer preferences, and other factors which are described in filings by Astronics with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company assumes no obligation to update forward-looking information in this press release whether to reflect changed assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events or changes in future operating results, financial conditions or prospects, or otherwise.

FINANCIAL TABLES FOLLOW.


ASTRONICS CORPORATION

CONSOLIDATED INCOME STATEMENT DATA

(Unaudited, $ in thousands except per share data)

                               Three Months Ended        Six Months Ended

                               7/3/2010     7/4/2009     7/3/2010     7/4/2009

Sales                          $ 47,089     $ 47,024     $ 94,025     $ 97,039

Cost of products sold            36,404       38,300       71,794       79,785

Gross profit                     10,685       8,724        22,231       17,254

Gross margin                     22.7   %     18.6   %     23.6   %     17.8   %

Selling, general and             6,063        6,444        11,529       12,509
administrative

SG&A % to Sales                  12.9   %     13.7   %     12.3   %     12.9   %

Income from operations           4,622        2,280        10,702       4,745

Operating margin                 9.8    %     4.8    %     11.4   %     4.9    %

Interest expense, net            722          476          1,321        900

Other expense (income)           13           (900   )     (25    )     (913   )

Income before tax                3,887        2,704        9,406        4,758

Income tax expense               1,457        748          3,576        1,401

Net Income                     $ 2,430      $ 1,956      $ 5,830      $ 3,357

Basic earnings per share:      $ 0.22       $ 0.18       $ 0.54       $ 0.31

Diluted earnings per share:    $ 0.22       $ 0.18       $ 0.52       $ 0.31

Weighted average diluted         11,289       11,030       11,127       10,899
shares outstanding

Capital Expenditures           $ 611        $ 583        $ 1,486      $ 1,551

Depreciation and Amortization  $ 1,224      $ 1,955      $ 2,463      $ 3,695




ASTRONICS CORPORATION

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET DATA

( in thousands)

                                             7/3/2010      12/31/2009

                                             (Unaudited)

ASSETS:

Cash and cash equivalents                    $ 16,412      $ 14,949

Accounts receivable                            28,128        30,560

Inventories                                    32,501        31,909

Other current assets                           6,584         5,075

Property, plant and equipment, net             30,813        31,243

Other long-term assets                         3,647         3,763

Deferred taxes long-term                       7,368         8,131

Intangible assets                              5,315         5,591

Goodwill                                       7,472         7,493

Total Assets                                 $ 138,240     $ 138,714

LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY:

Current maturities of long term debt         $ 5,239       $ 6,238

Accounts payable and accrued expenses          22,347        23,398

Long-term debt                                 35,015        38,538

Other liabilities                              9,234         10,427

Shareholders' equity                           66,405        60,113

Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity   $ 138,240     $ 138,714




ASTRONICS CORPORATION

SEGMENT DATA

(Unaudited, $ in thousands)

                          Three Months Ended          Six Months Ended

                          7/3/2010      7/4/2009      7/3/2010      7/4/2009

Sales

Aerospace                 $ 43,599      $ 38,216      $ 86,789      $ 80,034

Test Systems                3,490         8,808         7,236         17,005

Total Sales               $ 47,089      $ 47,024      $ 94,025      $ 97,039

Operating Profit (Loss)
and Margins

Aerospace                 $ 6,753       $ 3,700       $ 13,495      $ 7,095

                            15.5   %      9.7    %      15.5   %      8.9    %

Test Systems                (993   )      (251   )      (806   )      (53    )

                            (28.5  )%     (2.8   )%     (11.1  )%     (0.3   )%

Total Operating Profit      5,760         3,449         12,689        7,042

Corporate Expenses and      1,873         745           3,283         2,284
Other

Income from Operations    $ 3,887       $ 2,704       $ 9,406       $ 4,758




ASTRONICS CORPORATION

SALES BY MARKET

($, in thousands)

             Three Months Ended             Six Months Ended               2010

                                   %                              %        YTD

             7/3/2010   7/4/2009   change   7/3/2010   7/4/2009   change   %

Aerospace
Segment

 Commercial  $ 24,890   $ 21,387   16  %    $ 52,336   $ 44,393   18  %    55  %
 Transport

 Military      9,521    9,855      (3  )%     17,918     20,341   (12 )%   19  %

 Business      6,379    5,394      18  %      11,971     11,916   0   %    13  %
 Jet

 FAA/Airport   2,809    1,580      78  %      4,564      3,384    35  %    5   %

Aerospace      43,599   38,216     14  %      86,789     80,034   8   %    92  %
Total

Test Systems
Segment

Military       3,490    8,808      (60 )%     7,236      17,005   (57 )%   8   %

Total        $ 47,089   $ 47,024   0   %    $ 94,025   $ 97,039   (3  )%   100 %

ASTRONICS CORPORATION

SALES BY PRODUCT

($, in thousands)

             Three Months Ended             Six Months Ended               2010

                                   %                              %        YTD

             7/3/2010   7/4/2009   change   7/3/2010   7/4/2009   change   %

Aerospace
Segment

 Cabin       $ 19,087   $ 15,396   24  %    $ 40,583   $ 31,898   27  %    43  %
 Electronics

 Aircraft      17,586   15,879     11  %      33,319     33,930   (2  )%   35  %
 Lighting

 Airframe      4,117    5,361      (23 )%     8,323      10,822   (23 )%   9   %
 Power

 Airfield      2,809    1,580      78  %      4,564      3,384    35  %    5   %
 Lighting

Aerospace      43,599   38,216     14  %      86,789     80,034   8   %    92  %
Total

Test Systems   3,490    8,808      (60 )%     7,236      17,005   (57 )%   8   %
Segment

Total        $ 47,089   $ 47,024   0   %    $ 94,025   $ 97,039   (3  )%   100 %





ASTRONICS CORPORATION

ORDER AND BACKLOG TREND

(Unaudited, $ in thousands)

              Q1          Q2          Q3           Q4            Q1          Q2

              2009        2009        2009         2009          2010        2010

              4/4/2009    7/4/2009    10/3/2009    12/31/2009    4/3/2010    7/3/2010

Sales

Aerospace   $ 41,818    $ 38,216    $ 38,958     $ 36,613      $ 43,190    $ 43,599

Test          8,197       8,808       9,628        8,963         3,746       3,490
Systems

Total       $ 50,015    $ 47,024    $ 48,586     $ 45,576      $ 46,936    $ 47,089
Sales

Bookings

Aerospace   $ 28,016    $ 34,605    $ 40,135     $ 29,270      $ 50,668    $ 46,227

Test          2,798       6,168       3,932        743           3,634       5,411
Systems

Total       $ 30,814    $ 40,773    $ 44,067     $ 30,013      $ 54,302    $ 51,638
Bookings

Backlog

Aerospace   $ 85,418    $ 81,807    $ 82,983     $ 75,639      $ 83,116    $ 85,744

Test          26,311      23,671      17,974       9,755         9,644       11,565
Systems

Total       $ 111,729   $ 105,478   $ 100,957    $ 85,394      $ 92,760    $ 97,309
Backlog

Book:Bill
Ratio

Aerospace     0.67        0.91        1.03         0.80          1.17        1.06

Test          0.34        0.70        0.41         0.08          0.97        1.55
Systems

Total         0.62        0.87        0.91         0.66          1.16        1.10
Book:Bill




    Source: Astronics Corporation