Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings, Inc. AJRD reported second-quarter 2019 adjusted earnings of 50 cents per share, which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 39 cents by 28.2%. Notably, the bottom line came in line with the figure registered in the year-ago quarter.
Barring one-time adjustments, the company reported GAAP earnings of 54 cents per share, reflecting a solid improvement of 20% from 45 cents recorded in the prior-year quarter. This upside can be attributed to increased sales and operating income in the quarter under review.
Operational Performance
Aerojet Rocketdyne’s second-quarter revenues of $485 million came in 3.8% higher than the year-ago quarter’s figure of $467.2 million. The top line also exceeded the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $474 million by 2.3%.
Total backlog at the end of second-quarter 2019 was $4.6 billion, significantly higher than $3.8 billion registered at the end of the first quarter. Of this, funded backlog amounted to $2.1 billion compared with $1.8 billion at 2018 end.
Total operating expenses increased 3.7% year over year to $413.9 million in the second quarter. Meanwhile, operating income of $71.1 million improved 4.6% from $68 million a year ago.
Segmental Performance
Aerospace & Defense: Revenues at this segment improved 3.8% year over year at $483.1 million. This uptick can be attributed to an increase in defense programs’ net sales primarily driven by the Standard Missile program. However, a decrease in space programs’ net sales affected the segment’s top line.
Meanwhile, the segment’s margin expanded 250 basis points (bps) to 17%.
Real Estate: The segment generated revenues of $1.9 million compared with the year-ago quarter’s figure of $1.6 million.
Financial Update
Aerojet Rocketdyne exited the second quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $744.3 million, up from $735.3 million as of Dec 31, 2018.
Long-term debt amounted to $363.7 million as of Jun 30, 2019, up from $352.3 million as of Dec 31, 2018.
Operating cash outflow from continuing operations summed $31.2 million as of Jun 30, 2019, compared with $24.5 million in the year-ago period.
Free cash flow at the end of the first six months of 2019 was $24.3 million compared with $12.3 million a year ago.
Zacks Rank
Aerojet Rocketdyne has a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).
Recent Defense Releases
Textron Inc. TXT reported second-quarter 2019 earnings from continuing operations of 93 cents per share, which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 85 cents by 9.4%. The company carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
Lockheed Martin Corp. LMT reported second-quarter 2019 earnings of $5 per share, which exceeded the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $4.74 by 5.5%. It carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Hexcel Corporation HXL reported second-quarter 2019 earnings of 94 cents per share, which outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 88 cents by 6.8%. The company carries a Zacks Rank of 2.
Looking for Stocks with Skyrocketing Upside?
Zacks has just released a Special Report on the booming investment opportunities of legal marijuana.
Ignited by new referendums and legislation, this industry is expected to blast from an already robust $6.7 billion to $20.2 billion in 2021. Early investors stand to make a killing, but you have to be ready to act and know just where to look.
See the pot trades we're targeting>>
Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
Be the first to comment