General Dyanmics Land Systems July 25 , 2007
P.O. Box 2074 Contact: Rob Doolittle
Warren, MI 48090-2074 Tel: 703 876 3199
www.gdls.com Fax: 703 876 3555
  rdoolittle@generaldynamics.com

General Dynamics Reports Strong Earnings, Sales Growth in Second Quarter 2007

–  Revenues grow 11 percent

–  EPS from continuing operations increase 23 percent

–  Full-year EPS guidance increased

 

 

FALLS CHURCH, Va. – General Dynamics (NYSE: GD) today reported second-quarter 2007 earnings from continuing operations of $518 million, or $1.27 per share on a fully diluted basis, compared to 2006 second-quarter earnings from continuing operations of $420 million, or $1.03 per share fully diluted.  Revenues increased to $6.6 billion in the quarter, rising 11.1 percent over second-quarter 2006 revenues of $5.9 billion.

 

Cash

Net cash provided by operating activities from continuing operations was $405 million in the second quarter, and free cash flow from operations (defined as net cash provided by operating activities from continuing operations less capital expenditures) was $292 million.  For the first half of the year, net cash provided by operating activities from continuing operations was $927 million and free cash flow from operations was $761 million.

 

Backlog

Funded backlog at the end of the second quarter 2007 was $35.4 billion, and total backlog was $44.6 billion, compared to $34.5 billion and $43.6 billion, respectively, at the end of the first quarter of 2007.

 

Margins

Company-wide operating margins for the second quarter of 2007 increased 60 basis points over the second quarter of 2006, to 11.5 percent.

Net Earnings

The company reported net earnings of $513 million for second-quarter 2007, or $1.26 per share on a fully diluted basis, including the results of discontinued operations.  In comparison, net earnings for the second quarter of 2006 were $636 million, or $1.56 per share fully diluted; however, those results included a one-time gain of approximately $220 million (or $0.54 per share) on the sale of the company’s aggregates business.

 

Taxes

The company’s second-quarter financial performance also includes an $18 million benefit from the favorable resolution of prior-year tax audits; this factor increased earnings from continuing operations and net earnings by approximately 5 cents per share in the quarter.

 

Operational Highlights

General Dynamics’ second-quarter 2007 operating results were driven largely by sales growth in the Aerospace, Combat Systems, and Information Systems and Technology business groups, and double-digit operating-earnings growth in all four company segments.  Aerospace and Combat Systems generated strong orders as well, and the Aerospace backlog in particular grew significantly in the quarter.

 

“General Dynamics once again has delivered strong results,” said Nicholas D. Chabraja, General Dynamics chairman and chief executive officer.  “Sales and operating earnings increased in all four business segments compared to the year-ago period, year-to-date cash generation continues to meet our expectations and total backlog grew by almost $1 billion quarter-over-quarter.

 

“Marine Systems generated a particularly strong performance this quarter, with margins growing 150 basis points, to 8.8 percent, over the year-ago period,” Chabraja said.  “This result reflects the continued focus on improving execution across the sector and an increase in the booking rate on the T-AKE program, reflecting an agreement in principle with the U.S. Navy on restructuring the contract for ships 1 through 9 and the terms of ships 10 through 14.

 

“On the basis of these results and a refined sense of what the remainder of 2007 has in store, we now expect full-year 2007 earnings from continuing operations to be in the range of $4.85 to $4.90 per share, fully diluted,” Chabraja said.

General Dynamics, headquartered in Falls Church, Va., employs approximately 82,900 people worldwide.  The company is a market leader in business aviation; land and expeditionary combat systems, armaments and munitions; shipbuilding and marine systems; and information systems and technologies.  More information about the company is available on the Internet at www.generaldynamics.com.

 

Certain statements made in this press release, including any statements as to future results of operations and financial projections, may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended.  Forward-looking statements are based on management’s current expectations, estimates, projections and assumptions.  These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks and uncertainties, which are difficult to predict.  Therefore, actual future results and trends may differ materially from what is forecast in forward-looking statements due to a variety of factors.  Additional information regarding these factors is contained in the company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, without limitation, our Annual Report on Form 10-K and our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q.

 

All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they were made.  The company does not undertake any obligation to update or publicly release any revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect events, circumstances or changes in expectations after the date of this press release.

 

WEBCAST INFORMATION:  General Dynamics will webcast its second-quarter securities analyst conference call, scheduled for 11:30  a.m. Eastern Daylight Time on Wednesday, July 25, 2007.  Those accessing the webcast will be able to listen to management’s discussion of the second-quarter results, as well as the question-and-answer session with securities analysts.

 

The webcast will be a listen-only audio broadcast, available at www.generaldynamics.com.  A Real Audio™ player or Windows Media™ player is required to access the webcast; information about downloading those players is available on the company’s website.  An on-demand replay of the webcast will be available by 2 p.m. on July 25 and will continue to be available  for 12 months.

 

To hear a recording of the conference call by telephone, please call 888-286-8010; passcode 95275309 (callers from outside the U.S. should dial 617-801-6888, passcode 95275309).  The telephone replay will be available from 2 p.m. on July 25 until midnight on August 1, 2007.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SECOND QUARTER 2007 SIGNIFICANT ORDERS (UNAUDITED)

DOLLARS IN MILLIONS

 

 

General Dynamics received the following significant contract orders during the second quarter of 2007:

 

 

Combat Systems

 

  • Combined orders worth approximately $360 for 746 armored Cougar vehicles under the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) program.  The company is providing these vehicles to the U.S. Marine Corps through a joint venture with Force Protection, Inc.
  • Combined orders worth approximately $300 from the U.S. Army for 188 Stryker wheeled combat vehicles in various configurations.
  • Combined orders worth $113 from the Army to continue performing contractor logistics support for the Stryker program.

 

Marine Systems

 

  • $263 from the U.S. Navy for long-lead material procurement and pre-production planning for the DDG 1000 Zumwalt-class destroyer, the next-generation guided missile destroyer.

 

Information Systems and Technology

 

  • $114 from the Army to provide systems design development, network modeling, and simulation and training for the Warfighter Information Network-Tactical (WIN-T) program, bringing the total contract value to date to approximately $400.
  • $87 for support services on the Canadian Maritime Helicopter Project (MHP), bringing the total contract value to date to approximately $200. 
  • $26 from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to provide Technology Operations and Maintenance Infrastructure Support (TOMIS) services for the U. S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The contract has a potential value of over $225 if all options are exercised.
  • An initial order of $14 from the Army for support and engineering services on the Command Post of the Future program. This contract has a potential value of approximately $200.
  • The company was selected as the system integrator for the Integrated Wireless Network (IWN) program. IWN is intended to provide communications among federal agents and law enforcement officers. This IDIQ program has a potential value of $10 billion over 15 years if all options are exercised.