WMS Reports Quarterly Record Results of $0.36 Diluted EPS On Revenues of $186 Million
2008-08-05 15:00:00
WMS Reports Quarterly Record Results of $0.36 Diluted EPS On Revenues of $186 Million
Achieves Fiscal Year Record $1.15 Diluted EPS on Annual Revenues of
$650 Million
Initiates Fiscal 2009 Revenue Guidance of $712-to-$728 Million and an
18.0%-to-18.5% Operating Margin
Expands Share Repurchase Program by $100 Million
WAUKEGAN, Ill.–(EMWNews)–WMS Industries Inc. (NYSE:WMS), a leading designer, manufacturer and
marketer of gaming machines for the global gaming industry, today
reported record financial results for its Fiscal 2008 fourth quarter and
full year ended June 30, 2008.
Fiscal 2008 Fourth Quarter Highlights:
-
Total revenues grew 17% to a quarterly record $185.6 million and net
income increased $4.9 million to a quarterly record $21.6 million or
$0.36 per diluted share
-
Product sales revenues reached a quarterly record $122.0 million, as
new unit shipments globally rose to 8,180 gaming machines and, for the
first time in Company history, product sales gross margin was 50%
-
Gaming operations revenues rose 33%, reflecting a 13% increase in
average daily revenue to $68.13 per unit and 13% growth in the ending
installed participation base to 9,321 units
-
Total gross profit margin rose to 60% and operating margin rose to 18%
-
Adjusted EBITDA, a non-GAAP financial metric, rose 31% to a quarterly
record $67.1 million (see reconciliation to net income schedule at the
end of this release)
Fiscal 2008 Full Year Highlights:
-
Total revenues grew 20% to a record $650.1 million, and net income
rose 38% to a record $67.5 million, or $1.15 per diluted share
-
Global unit shipments grew 9% to 27,931 gaming machines and the
average installed base of participation gaming machines rose 20% or
1,472 units to 8,771 units
-
Total gross profit margin increased 290 basis points to 59%
-
Operating margin increased 240 basis points to 16% and operating
income increased $30 million or 41% to a record $104.4 million
-
Cash flow from operations rose 57% to a record $186.2 million
-
Adjusted EBITDA, a non-GAAP financial metric, rose 31% to a record
$220.9 million (see reconciliation to net income schedule at the end
of this release)
“WMS’ record new
unit shipments and gaming operations revenues for the fiscal 2008 fourth
quarter and full year periods underscore the continued strength and
industry appeal of our innovative, differentiated product portfolio and
put a strong exclamation mark on our results for Fiscal 2008. In
addition to shipping more units around the globe than in any other
quarterly period, we achieved a record average selling price of $13,147.
Compared to March 31, 2008, we added nearly 300 units to our installed
base of participation games and saw our average daily revenue per unit
increase by 6% on a quarterly sequential basis. These metrics are clear
evidence that our focus on creating unique, technology-enabled gaming
experiences is strongly embraced by players and our casino customers
worldwide. Record revenues coupled with our ability to continue
enhancing margins through improved operating effectiveness led to record
quarterly and annual net income and operating cash flow, even as we
continued to increase our R&D spending and other operating initiatives
to drive increased long-term stockholder value,”
said Brian R. Gamache, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.
“Reflecting our expectations for continued
profitable growth, we are initiating fiscal 2009 total revenue guidance
of a range of $712-to-$728 million, or 10%-to-12% growth over fiscal
2008 revenues, and fiscal 2009 first quarter revenue guidance of
$145-to-$150 million. Our ability to overcome a challenging replacement
cycle and soft economy in North America reflects the player popularity
and solid global demand for our products, which consistently generate
high returns for our casino customers. In addition, we expect the
leverage from higher revenues coupled with our ongoing focus on
operating execution and excellence will lead to an average operating
margin of 18%-to-18.5% for fiscal 2009, an annual improvement
commensurate with the increase achieved in each of our last two fiscal
years.”
Fourth Quarter Financial Review
Fiscal 2008 fourth quarter net income rose 29% to a quarterly record
$21.6 million, or $0.36 per diluted share, inclusive of the impact from
a higher income tax rate amounting to $0.02 per diluted share and a $3.7
million pre-tax write-down to net realizable value, or $0.04 per diluted
share, related to a licensed technology, compared with $0.29 in the June
2007 quarter. WMS’ total revenues increased
17%, or $27.6 million, to $185.6 million for the quarter ended June 30,
2008, compared to $158.0 million in the June 2007 quarter. The following
table summarizes the key components related to revenue generation for
the three and twelve months ended June 30, 2008 and 2007 (in millions,
except unit, per unit and per day data):
|
Three Months Ended
June 30, |
|
Twelve Months Ended
June 30, |
|||||||||||||
2008 |
|
2007 |
2008 |
|
2007 |
|||||||||||
Product Sales Revenues: |
||||||||||||||||
New unit sales revenues |
$ |
107.5 |
$ |
96.0 |
$ |
358.0 |
$ |
317.0 |
||||||||
Other product sales revenues |
|
14.5 |
|
|
14.0 |
|
|
63.2 |
|
|
49.3 |
|
||||
Total product sales revenues |
$ |
122.0 |
|
$ |
110.0 |
|
$ |
421.2 |
|
$ |
366.3 |
|
||||
|
||||||||||||||||
New units sold |
8,180 |
7,555 |
27,931 |
25,613 |
||||||||||||
Average sales price per new unit |
$ |
13,147 |
$ |
12,696 |
$ |
12,817 |
$ |
12,378 |
||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
Gross profit on product sales revenues (1) |
$ |
60.5 |
$ |
53.4 |
$ |
203.9 |
$ |
167.7 |
||||||||
Gross margin on product sales revenues (1) |
49.6 |
% |
48.5 |
% |
48.4 |
% |
45.8 |
% |
(1) As used herein, gross profit and gross margin exclude depreciation expense. |
|
Three Months Ended
June 30, |
|
Twelve Months Ended
June 30, |
|||||||||||||
2008 |
|
2007 |
2008 |
|
2007 |
|||||||||||
Gaming Operations Revenues: |
||||||||||||||||
Participation revenues |
$ |
56.3 |
$ |
42.4 |
$ |
203.4 |
$ |
153.6 |
||||||||
Other gaming operations revenues |
|
7.3 |
|
|
5.6 |
|
|
25.5 |
|
|
19.9 |
|
||||
Total gaming operations revenues |
$ |
63.6 |
|
$ |
48.0 |
|
$ |
228.9 |
|
$ |
173.5 |
|
||||
|
||||||||||||||||
WAP games at period end |
1,820 |
1,507 |
1,820 |
1,507 |
||||||||||||
LAP games at period end |
2,134 |
2,333 |
2,134 |
2,333 |
||||||||||||
Stand-alone games at period end |
|
5,367 |
|
|
4,436 |
|
|
5,367 |
|
|
4,436 |
|
||||
Total installed participation base at period end |
|
9,321 |
|
|
8,276 |
|
|
9,321 |
|
|
8,276 |
|
||||
|
||||||||||||||||
Average participation installed base |
9,074 |
7,719 |
8,771 |
7,299 |
||||||||||||
Average revenue per day per participation machine |
$ |
68.13 |
$ |
60.49 |
$ |
63.34 |
$ |
57.66 |
||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
Installed casino-owned daily fee games at period end |
819 |
760 |
819 |
760 |
||||||||||||
Average casino-owned daily fee games installed base |
816 |
713 |
776 |
728 |
||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
Gross profit on gaming operations revenues(1) |
$ |
51.2 |
$ |
37.8 |
$ |
182.3 |
$ |
137.3 |
||||||||
Gross margin on gaming operations revenues(1) |
80.5 |
% |
78.8 |
% |
79.6 |
% |
79.1 |
% |
||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
Total Revenues |
$ |
185.6 |
$ |
158.0 |
$ |
650.1 |
$ |
539.8 |
||||||||
Total Gross Profit |
$ |
111.7 |
$ |
91.2 |
$ |
386.2 |
$ |
305.0 |
||||||||
Total Gross Margin |
60.2 |
% |
57.7 |
% |
59.4 |
% |
56.5 |
% |
(1) As used herein, gross profit and gross margin exclude depreciation expense |
New unit sales revenues for the June 2008 quarter increased 12%, or
$11.5 million, to $107.5 million compared to $96.0 million in the
year-ago period, reflecting the benefit from new casino openings and
expansions, as well as ongoing global market share gains. Total new unit
shipments grew year over year to a quarterly record 8,180 gaming
machines, led by a 10% increase in North American shipments to 5,721
units, including a solid contribution from mechanical-reel products.
International new unit shipments also increased year over year to 2,459
units compared with strong June 2007 unit shipments that totaled 2,379
gaming machines. International unit shipments represented 30% of total
new units sold in the June 2008 quarter on the increased number of total
units shipped, compared with 31% of new units sold in the prior year.
More than 2,500 mechanical reel products were sold globally in the June
2008 quarter, or 31% of total new units, compared to 21% in the prior
year quarter. The average selling price of new gaming machines reached a
record $13,147, reflecting recent list price increases for our Bluebird®
product line partially offset by a slightly lower number of
premium-priced gaming machines sold year over year.
Other product sales revenues increased modestly over the prior-year
period to $14.5 million, reflecting higher revenues from conversion
sales partially offset by lower sales of parts and top boxes.
Quarterly gaming operations revenues exceeded $60 million for the first
time, growing 33% or $15.6 million to $63.6 million in the June 2008
quarter compared with $48.0 million in the year-ago period. The June
2008 quarterly results reflect an 18% year-over-year increase in the
average installed base to 9,074 participation units and a 13% increase,
or $7.64, in the average revenue per day to a record $68.13 per unit.
The average daily revenue also increased 6% on a quarterly sequential
basis from $64.25 in the March 2008 quarter, reflecting the high play
levels and strong performance of our newer gaming machine placements and
the historical favorable seasonality experienced in our business, which
more than offset the impact of the soft economy. The installed base of
participation gaming machines at June 30, 2008 increased 294 units on a
quarterly sequential basis to 9,321 units, primarily reflecting the
launch of new installments on our Community Gaming™
and Transmissive Reels™ participation
platforms in the June quarter.
Gamache commented, “We expect to realize
continued growth in gaming operations revenues in the September 2008
quarter with the launch last month of our fourth foundational technology
platform, Adaptive Gaming™ featuring
the STAR TREK™ game, as well as the
newest installment for our “Sensory Immersion”
platform with a CLINT EASTWOOD® DIRTY
HARRY® game.”
Total gross profit, as used herein excluding depreciation expense,
increased 22%, or $20.5 million, to $111.7 million for the June 2008
quarter from $91.2 million in the year-ago period; and total gross
margin improved by 250 basis points to 60.2%. Gross margin on product
sales revenues increased by 110 basis points to 49.6% compared with
48.5% in the year-ago period, reflecting continued success with the
ongoing implementation of the Company’s lean
sigma process improvement and strategic sourcing initiatives, along with
the benefits from increased unit volumes and higher average selling
prices. Gross margin on gaming operations was 80.5% in the June 2008
quarter, up from 78.8% in the year-ago period, reflecting favorable
jackpot experience despite the greater number of Wide-Area Progressive
(WAP) gaming machines in the installed participation base.
Research and development expenses of $26.1 million, or 14.1% of total
revenues, for the June 2008 quarter were $9.2 million or 54% higher than
the June 2007 quarter and increased $6.6 million on a quarterly
sequential basis. The year-over-year increased spending relates to:
-
A $3.7 million pre-tax write-down to net realizable value, or $0.04
per diluted share, related to a licensed technology;
-
Expanded development initiatives for the continued creation of
intellectual property and the ongoing expansion of the Company’s
product portfolio;
-
Higher payroll-related costs resulting from both headcount increases
and performance-based incentives associated with improved operating
performance;
-
Higher costs to accelerate new systems and enterprise-wide system
applications for WMS’ WAGE-NET™
enabled suite of innovative, high-value products in preparation for
the advent of server-enabled, networked gaming; and
-
The addition of the research and development expenses of Systems in
Progress (“SiP”),
which was acquired in July 2007.
Selling and administrative expense, which includes costs of
distribution, were $34.1 million, or 18.4% of total revenues, in the
June 2008 quarter compared with $31.6 million, or 20.0% of total
revenues, in the year-ago period and $34.0 million, or 19.7% of total
revenues, in the March 2008 quarter. The year-over-year increased
spending reflects:
-
Higher payroll-related costs associated with headcount increases
during the past twelve months to support international expansion and
the overall growth in the Company’s
business, including higher spending on customer service and field
operations support activities to sustain increased customer touch
points and WMS’ larger installed
participation base, as well as performance-based incentives associated
with improved operating performance;
-
Higher regulatory, legal and bad debt expenses; and
-
The impact of consolidating SiP results since July 2007.
Depreciation expense increased $1.2 million, or 7%, to $17.6 million in
the June 2008 period, primarily reflecting WMS’
continued investment in its growing gaming operations business, as
evidenced by the 18% year-over-year increase in the average installed
base of participation gaming machines, partially offset by a growing
number of base units that have been depreciated down to their residual
value.
The effective income tax rate increased to 37% for the June 2008 quarter
compared with 34% a year ago, principally reflecting the expiration of
the research and development tax credit legislation at the end of
December 2007 and our improved operating profitability.
The Company generated record cash flow from operating activities of
$186.2 million in fiscal 2008, up 57% from fiscal 2007, including a
quarterly record $59.8 million in cash flow from operating activities
generated in the June 2008 quarter. The improvement in the twelve-month
period reflects increased net income, higher depreciation, amortization
and other non-cash items, coupled with a favorable movement in changes
in operating assets and liabilities compared with the prior-year period
as a result of the Company’s effort to
increase inventory turns and reduce days sales outstanding. Net cash
used in investing activities in fiscal 2008 decreased year over year
reflecting improved efficiency of capital deployed in WMS’
gaming operations business, with $25.5 million lower additions to gaming
operations equipment compared with the prior year. The prior year also
included the acquisition of Orion Gaming. WMS’s
fiscal 2008 fourth quarter adjusted EBITDA rose 31% over the prior-year
period to a quarterly record $67.1 million.
Share Repurchase Program Status
In the June 2008 quarter, the Company repurchased approximately $25
million of its common stock, or 763,190 shares at an average price of
$32.75. During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2008, the Company
repurchased a total of 1.2 million shares at an average price of $33.08
for an aggregate consideration of approximately $40 million. Since the
initiation of its share repurchase program in 2002, WMS has repurchased
approximately 6.6 million shares, or 12% of its shares outstanding, at
an average price of approximately $14.02 per share, for a total of
approximately $92.5 million.
The Board of Directors of WMS Industries expanded the Company’s
share repurchase authorization by an additional $100 million and
extended the expiration date of the authorization to August 4, 2010. WMS
had approximately $10 million remaining under its prior repurchase
authorization and, after giving effect to today’s
announcement, WMS now has a total open authorization of approximately
$110 million.
“With our continued operating success and an
increasing level of free cash flow, the Board is committed to returning
value to stockholders through share repurchases. The Board proactively
acted ahead of completing the existing $50 million authorization, so the
Company can continue to pursue share repurchases as market conditions
warrant,” said Brian R. Gamache, Chairman and
Chief Executive Officer. “Reinvesting in WMS’
future through additional share repurchases is consistent with our focus
on building long-term sustainable stockholder value and complements our
numerous organic growth opportunities.”
Pursuant to the authorization, WMS may purchase shares from time to time
in the open market, through block purchases or in privately negotiated
transactions in accordance with Company policies and applicable
securities laws. The actual number of shares to be purchased will depend
upon market conditions. All shares purchased will be held in the Company’s
treasury for possible future use. As of June 30, 2008, WMS had
approximately 50.2 million shares issued and outstanding, net of shares
held in the Company’s treasury.
Fiscal 2009 Fina
WMS Industries Inc. President, Investor Relations & Collins Incorporated |
|
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