Private Prison Stocks Surge Following Trump’s Immigration Appointment

Key Points:
– Shares of Geo Group and CoreCivic saw significant increases (over 7% and 8%, respectively) after the appointment of Tom Homan as “border czar,”
– Homan’s appointment aligns with Trump’s strong stance on deportation and border security, so there is an anticipated increase in federal contracts for private detention companies
– Renewed focus on immigration enforcement marks a a significant departure from the current adminstration’s stance

Private prison stocks surged Monday after President-elect Donald Trump appointed Tom Homan as “border czar,” sparking market optimism about a renewed focus on immigration enforcement. Shares of Geo Group and CoreCivic, both major players in the private detention sector, jumped over 7% and 8%, respectively, in response to the announcement. Homan, previously the head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under Trump’s first term, is known for his firm stance on deportation and border security. His appointment signals a potential increase in federal contracting for companies that provide detention services, specifically for ICE operations.

Trump’s announcement on Truth Social stated that Homan will be in charge of all deportation efforts, encompassing both land and maritime borders, with an emphasis on accelerating deportations. During a conservative conference in July, Homan declared he would lead the “biggest deportation force” in U.S. history if Trump was re-elected. This strong stance aligns with Trump’s previous immigration policies, which saw heightened demand for detention facilities, and is expected to bolster the private prison industry, including companies like Geo Group and CoreCivic, which have contracts with ICE and the U.S. Marshals Service.

The renewed focus on immigration enforcement under Trump is a significant shift from the current administration’s approach, which has limited federal use of private detention centers. This shift presents a potential growth opportunity for private prison companies, which struggled as President Biden worked to reduce private prison contracts. With Homan’s appointment, investors anticipate a resurgence of federal reliance on private detention services to meet increased demand for housing immigrant detainees.

Analysts have responded positively to this development, citing that Trump’s administration will likely “embrace” companies like Geo Group and CoreCivic. Isaac Boltansky, an analyst with BTIG, noted that private prison companies are positioned for growth under an immigration-focused administration, specifically due to likely contracting needs with the U.S. Marshals Service and ICE. Analysts expect Homan’s policies to generate consistent demand for private facilities, which could lead to stronger financial performance and increased market value for these companies.

Trump’s firm stance on deportation and his choice of Homan as border czar have energized investors. The expected rise in federal contracts signals a favorable outlook for private prison stocks. With immigration reform likely to be a focal point in Trump’s administration, CoreCivic and Geo Group could see sustained growth, especially as they support the expanded need for detention services. The private prison sector, long entangled with federal enforcement policies, now faces a potential resurgence as market trends align with anticipated shifts in government policy.

Release – Graham Corporation Reports Record Revenue of $53.6 Million and Strong Margin Expansion in Second Quarter Fiscal 2025

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  • Revenue increased 19% to $53.6 million, driven by strength across its markets
  • Margin expansion fueled by sales growth and execution: Gross margin improved 790 basis points to 23.9% of sales, net margin increased 520 basis points to 6.1% of sales, and adjusted EBITDA1 margin expanded 550 basis points to 10.5% of sales
  • Net income per diluted share was $0.30 in the second quarter; adjusted net income per diluted share¹ was $0.31
  • Strong orders of $63.7 million, driven by demand from defense, space, and refining, resulted in a book-to-bill ratio of 1.2x and a record backlog of $407 million1
  • Strong balance sheet with no debt, $32.3 million in cash, and access to $43 million under its revolving credit facility at quarter end to support growth initiatives
  • Raised full year guidance for gross margin and adjusted EBITDA¹ to reflect improved profitability

BATAVIA, N.Y.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Graham Corporation (NYSE: GHM) (“GHM” or the “Company”), a global leader in the design and manufacture of mission critical fluid, power, heat transfer and vacuum technologies for the defense, space, energy, and process industries, today reported financial results for its second quarter for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2025 (“fiscal 2025”). Results for the quarter include the P3 Technologies, LLC (“P3”) acquisition, which closed on November 9, 2023.

“Our team’s efforts to diversify and strengthen the business over the past few years are clearly yielding results, as shown by our record second-quarter performance,” commented Daniel J. Thoren, President and Chief Executive Officer. “Strong sales growth in our markets, along with exceptional execution throughout the business, have driven meaningful margin expansion. Our strategic emphasis on higher-margin opportunities and operational efficiencies has been a key driver of this success.”

Mr. Thoren added, “We are also focused on recruiting and retaining top talent, and have initiatives to enhance our supply chain, which helps us to improve performance and manage our risk. These initiatives, along with our strengthened balance sheet, robust orders2, and growing backlog2, we believe positions us well to sustain growth and profitability for the next several years. Importantly, we have raised our full-year adjusted EBITDA guidance, keeping us firmly on track to achieve our FY2027 target of low to mid-teen adjusted EBITDA margins.”

Second Quarter Fiscal 2025 Performance Review

(All comparisons are with the same prior-year period unless noted otherwise.)

*Graham believes that, when used in conjunction with measures prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, adjusted net income, adjusted net income per diluted share, adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margin, which are non-GAAP measures, help in the understanding of its operating performance. See attached tables and other information on pages 10 and 11 for important disclosures regarding Graham’s use of these non-GAAP measures.

Record quarterly net sales of $53.6 million increased 19%, or $8.5 million, and included $0.9 million of incremental sales from P3. Sales to the defense market grew by $5.8 million, or 23%, driven by the expansion of new defense programs, the ramp-up of existing programs, and the timing of key project milestones. Additionally, higher refining and chemical/petrochemical sales contributed $2.2 million to the growth, largely reflecting the timing of capital improvement projects. Aftermarket sales to the refining, chemical/petrochemical, and defense markets of $9.8 million remained strong but were $1.5 million lower than the prior year record levels. See supplemental data for a further breakdown of sales by market and region.

Gross margin expanded 790 basis points to 23.9%, driven by the leverage on higher volume, a favorable mix toward higher margin projects, improved pricing, and better execution. Additionally, gross profit for the quarter benefited $0.4 million, or approximately 80 basis points, due to the $2.1 million grant from the BlueForge Alliance. This grant is reimbursing the Company for the cost of its defense welder training programs in Batavia and related equipment. Graham expects to realize similar gross profit benefits from the grant over the next two quarters, or for the remainder of fiscal 2025.

Selling, general and administrative expense (“SG&A”), including amortization, totaled $9.2 million, or 17.1% of sales, up $2.8 million compared with the prior year. This increase reflects the Company’s continued investments in its operations, employees, and technology. Notable contributors to the increase included $0.4 million of incremental costs related to P3, $0.3 million increase in the supplemental performance bonus for Barber-Nichols employees2, $0.2 million for enterprise resource planning (“ERP”) conversion costs at the Batavia facility, and $0.2 million of incremental research and development expenses. The remainder of the increase in SG&A was primarily related to increased costs associated with the Company’s growth and various other initiatives.

Included in other operating income for the second quarter of fiscal 2025 was a $0.6 million reversal of a previously accrued contingent earnout liability for P3. The reversal was not due to any lost orders, but rather a delayed project that extended beyond the earnout period.

Cash Management and Balance Sheet

Cash provided by operating activities totaled $22.6 million for the six month period ending September 30, 2024, nearly double the amount from the comparable period in fiscal 2024. As of September 30, 2024, cash and cash equivalents were $32.3 million, up from $16.9 million at the end of fiscal 2024.

Capital expenditures of $6.5 million for the first six months of fiscal 2025 were focused on capacity expansion and productivity improvements. The Company increased its expected fiscal 2025 capital expenditures to be in the range of $13.0 million to $18.0 million from its previous expectations of $10.0 million to $15.0 million due to a land purchase in Arvada, CO, and plans to build a liquid hydrogen and oxygen testing facility to support future growth and customer needs.

The Company had no debt outstanding at September 30, 2024 with $43 million available on its senior secured revolving credit facility after taking into account outstanding letters of credit.

Orders, Backlog, and Book-to-Bill Ratio

See supplemental data filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Form 8-K and provided on the Company’s website for a further breakdown of orders and backlog by market. See “Key Performance Indicators” below for important disclosures regarding Graham’s use of these metrics.

Orders for the three-month period ended September 30, 2024, were $63.7 million, resulting in a book-to-bill ratio of 1.2x. Defense orders represented 48% of total orders and included a contract to supply the MK19 air turbine pump for the torpedo ejection system on the Columbia-class submarine. Space orders, which can fluctuate due to the timing of projects, saw a meaningful increase to $13.5 million, which included a contract for the cryogenic recirculation pump that provides thermal conditioning for upper stage engines on launch vehicles in space. Refining orders totaled $10.6 million and were driven by continued strength in aftermarket demand and the timing of new capital projects.

Backlog at quarter end reached a record $407.0 million, up 30% over the prior-year period and up 3% sequentially. Approximately 35% to 45% of orders currently in backlog are expected to be converted to sales in the next twelve months and another 30% to 40% is expected to convert to sales over the following year. The majority of orders expected to convert beyond twelve months are for the defense industry, specifically the U.S. Navy.

Fiscal 2025 Outlook

The Company’s outlook for 2025 was updated as follows:

Webcast and Conference Call

GHM’s management will host a conference call and live webcast on November 8, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time (“ET”) to review its financial results as well as its strategy and outlook. The review will be accompanied by a slide presentation, which will be made available immediately prior to the conference call on GHM’s investor relations website.

A question-and-answer session will follow the formal presentation. GHM’s conference call can be accessed by calling (201) 689-8560. Alternatively, the webcast can be monitored from the events section of GHM’s investor relations website.

A telephonic replay will be available from 3:00 p.m. ET today through Friday, November 15, 2024. To listen to the archived call, dial (412) 317-6671 and enter conference ID number 13749103 or access the webcast replay via the Company’s website at ir.grahamcorp.com, where a transcript will also be posted once available.

About Graham Corporation

Graham is a global leader in the design and manufacture of mission critical fluid, power, heat transfer and vacuum technologies for the defense, space, energy, and process industries. Graham Corporation and its family of global brands are built upon world-renowned engineering expertise in vacuum and heat transfer, cryogenic pumps, and turbomachinery technologies, as well as its responsive and flexible service and the unsurpassed quality customers have come to expect from the Company’s products and systems. Graham Corporation routinely posts news and other important information on its website, grahamcorp.com, where additional information on Graham Corporation and its businesses can be found.

Safe Harbor Regarding Forward Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

Forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions and are identified by words such as “expects,” “future,” “outlook,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “could,” “guidance,” ”may”, “will,” “plan” and other similar words. All statements addressing operating performance, events, or developments that Graham Corporation expects or anticipates will occur in the future, including but not limited to, profitability of future projects and the business, its ability to deliver to plan, its ability to continue to strengthen relationships with customers in the defense industry, its ability to secure future projects and applications, expected expansion and growth opportunities, anticipated sales, revenues, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA margins, capital expenditures and SG&A expenses, the timing of conversion of backlog to sales, orders, market presence, profit margins, tax rates, foreign sales operations, customer preferences, changes in market conditions in the industries in which it operates, changes in general economic conditions and customer behavior, forecasts regarding the timing and scope of the economic recovery in its markets, and its acquisition and growth strategy, are forward-looking statements. Because they are forward-looking, they should be evaluated in light of important risk factors and uncertainties. These risk factors and uncertainties are more fully described in Graham Corporation’s most recent Annual Report filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), included under the heading entitled “Risk Factors”, and in other reports filed with the SEC.

Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize or should any of Graham Corporation’s underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those currently anticipated. In addition, undue reliance should not be placed on Graham Corporation’s forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, Graham Corporation disclaims any obligation to update or publicly announce any revisions to any of the forward-looking statements contained in this news release.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

Adjusted EBITDA is defined as consolidated net income (loss) before net interest expense, income taxes, depreciation, amortization, other acquisition related expenses, and other unusual/nonrecurring expenses. Adjusted EBITDA margin is defined as Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of sales. Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin are not measures determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States, commonly known as GAAP. Nevertheless, Graham believes that providing non-GAAP information, such as Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin, is important for investors and other readers of Graham’s financial statements, as it is used as an analytical indicator by Graham’s management to better understand operating performance. Moreover, Graham’s credit facility also contains ratios based on Adjusted EBITDA. Because Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin are non-GAAP measures and are thus susceptible to varying calculations, Adjusted EBITDA, and Adjusted EBITDA margin, as presented, may not be directly comparable to other similarly titled measures used by other companies.

Adjusted net income and adjusted net income per diluted share are defined as net income and net income per diluted share as reported, adjusted for certain items and at a normalized tax rate. Adjusted net income and adjusted net income per diluted share are not measures determined in accordance with GAAP, and may not be comparable to the measures as used by other companies. Nevertheless, Graham believes that providing non-GAAP information, such as adjusted net income and adjusted net income per diluted share, is important for investors and other readers of the Company’s financial statements and assists in understanding the comparison of the current quarter’s and current fiscal year’s net income and net income per diluted share to the historical periods’ net income and net income per diluted share. Graham also believes that adjusted net income per share, which adds back intangible amortization expense related to acquisitions, provides a better representation of the cash earnings of the Company.

Forward-Looking Non-GAAP Measures

Forward-looking adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margin are non-GAAP measures. The Company is unable to present a quantitative reconciliation of these forward-looking non-GAAP financial measures to their most directly comparable forward-looking GAAP financial measures because such information is not available, and management cannot reliably predict the necessary components of such GAAP measures without unreasonable effort largely because forecasting or predicting our future operating results is subject to many factors out of our control or not readily predictable. In addition, the Company believes that such reconciliations would imply a degree of precision that would be confusing or misleading to investors. The unavailable information could have a significant impact on the Company’s fiscal 2025 financial results. These non-GAAP financial measures are preliminary estimates and are subject to risks and uncertainties, including, among others, changes in connection with purchase accounting, quarter-end, and year-end adjustments. Any variation between the Company’s actual results and preliminary financial estimates set forth above may be material.

Key Performance Indicators

In addition to the foregoing non-GAAP measures, management uses the following key performance metrics to analyze and measure the Company’s financial performance and results of operations: orders, backlog, and book-to-bill ratio. Management uses orders and backlog as measures of current and future business and financial performance, and these may not be comparable with measures provided by other companies. Orders represent written communications received from customers requesting the Company to provide products and/or services. Backlog is defined as the total dollar value of net orders received for which revenue has not yet been recognized. Management believes tracking orders and backlog are useful as they often times are leading indicators of future performance. In accordance with industry practice, contracts may include provisions for cancellation, termination, or suspension at the discretion of the customer.

The book-to-bill ratio is an operational measure that management uses to track the growth prospects of the Company. The Company calculates the book-to-bill ratio for a given period as net orders divided by net sales.

Given that each of orders, backlog, and book-to-bill ratio are operational measures and that the Company’s methodology for calculating orders, backlog and book-to-bill ratio does not meet the definition of a non-GAAP measure, as that term is defined by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, a quantitative reconciliation for each is not required or provided.

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Release – Graham Corporation Unveils Plans for Advanced Cryogenic Propellant Testing Facility to Drive Innovation and Meet Growing Customer Demand

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New facility will enable testing of liquid hydrogen (LH2), liquid oxygen (LOX) and liquid methane (LCH4)

BATAVIA, N.Y.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Graham Corporation (NYSE: GHM) (“Graham” or “the Company”), a global leader in the design and manufacture of mission critical fluid, power, heat transfer and vacuum technologies for the defense, space, energy and process industries, announced today its plans to construct a state-of-the-art cryogenic propellant testing facility in Florida, near its P3 Technologies, LLC subsidiary. Leveraging Graham’s longstanding expertise in the cryogenic and space launch industries, this new facility will help to meet increasing demand for efficient, scalable testing solutions in key markets, including Space, Defense, New Energy, and potential applications in the medical field.

The facility will offer a cost-effective, timely alternative to existing testing centers, which often prioritize flagship programs and leave other critical programs with limited options. This new facility will enable liquid hydrogen (LH2), liquid oxygen (LOX), and liquid methane (LCH4) testing at pressurized, sub-cooled, or saturated conditions, and is ideally suited for testing pumps, components, fluid management systems, and combustion devices. By expanding Graham’s capabilities in cryogenic propellant testing, the Company aims to better support both current and future customer programs, adding agility and depth to its testing services in response to diverse and evolving program requirements.

“We believe this new testing facility will strengthen our position as a trusted partner by directly addressing customer needs for timely and cost-effective cryogenic propellant testing, complementing our existing capabilities and advancing the support we can offer current programs,” said Dan Thoren, Graham Corporation President and Chief Executive Officer. “This investment underscores our commitment to supporting both current and future customer programs through innovative and accessible testing solutions, while enhancing Graham’s role across the Space, Defense, and New Energy sectors.”

The project will be executed over the next year, with initial tests anticipated to begin by mid-2025. The facility is projected to achieve a cash payback period of approximately two to three years and deliver an internal rate of return exceeding 20%, representing a strategic investment in Graham’s future.

About Graham Corporation

Graham is a global leader in the design and manufacture of mission critical fluid, power, heat transfer and vacuum technologies for the defense, space, energy, and process industries. Graham Corporation and its family of global brands are built upon world-renowned engineering expertise in vacuum and heat transfer, cryogenic pumps, and turbomachinery technologies, as well as its responsive and flexible service and the unsurpassed quality customers have come to expect from the Company’s products and systems. Graham Corporation routinely posts news and other important information on its website, grahamcorp.com, where additional information on Graham Corporation and its businesses can be found.

Safe Harbor Regarding Forward Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions and are identified by words such as “can,” “expects,” “potential,” “will,” “plans,” “aims,” “believe,” “projected,” and other similar words. All statements addressing operating performance, events, or developments that Graham Corporation expects or anticipates will occur in the future, including but not limited to, the completion of the testing facility within the projected timeline, the Company’s ability to capitalize on the potential benefits of the new facility and timing to realize expected returns on investment, the estimated total market opportunity and the Company’s ability to capitalize on such market opportunity. Because they are forward-looking, they should be evaluated in light of important risk factors and uncertainties. These risk factors and uncertainties are more fully described in Graham Corporation’s most recent Annual Report filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including under the heading entitled “Risk Factors,” its quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and other filings it makes with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize or should any of Graham Corporation’s underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those currently anticipated. In addition, undue reliance should not be placed on Graham Corporation’s forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, Graham Corporation disclaims any obligation to update or publicly announce any revisions to any of the forward-looking statements contained in this news release.

Christopher J. Thome
Vice President – Finance and CFO
Phone: (585) 343-2216

Deborah K. Pawlowski / Craig P. Mychajluk
Alliance Advisors IR
716-843-3908 / 716-843-3832
dpawlowski@allianceadvisors.com
cmychajluk@allianceadvisors.com

Source: Graham Corporation

Release – Kratos’ Zeus Rocket Motors Achieve 100% of First Flight Performance Objectives

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New Zeus Motors are in Production and Ready for Use

SAN DIEGO, Nov. 07, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (Nasdaq: KTOS), a technology company in Defense, National Security and Global Markets, today announced that its Zeus 1 and Zeus 2 Solid Rocket Motors (SRMs) completed their first successful flight on October 24, 2024, from the NASA Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. This milestone launch provides the qualifications necessary to transition the Zeus SRMs to test programs supporting the U.S. Department of Defense, Foreign Allies, NASA, and commercial launch sponsors.

Kratos Zeus Solid Rocket Motors Complete Successful First Flight at Wallops

Kratos Zeus Solid Rocket Motors Complete Successful First Flight at Wallops

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/be014809-090a-41a1-8cc5-e1c999c67dfd

The flight test featured a Kratos two-stage Zeus 1 – Zeus 2 suborbital launch vehicle and provided substantial data to support rocket motor evaluation for use by future customers and sponsors who have baselined the Zeus rocket motors as part of their future test plans. Kratos expects to have production motors ready in the first quarter of 2025.

Kratos developed the Zeus family of SRMs in direct response to the need for affordable commercial launch vehicle stages for hypersonic test, ballistic missile targets, scientific research, sounding rocket and special customer missions. Kratos applied its significant rocket launch experience to establish the Zeus 1 and Zeus 2 motor specifications in close coordination with respective customer and user communities. Kratos internally funded development of the Zeus SRMs which are designed and manufactured to Kratos’ specifications by key merchant supplier and partner, L3Harris Technologies. L3Harris is on contract to begin delivering production motors to Kratos in the first quarter of 2025.

George Rumford, Director of the Department of Defense Test Resource Management Center, said, “Advancements in solid rocket motor development are critical to achieving rapid, affordable hypersonic testing.”

Dave Carter, President of Kratos’ Defense & Rocket Support Services Division, said, “I couldn’t be prouder of our whole team. They met the challenge to deliver these robust motors to market as fast as possible and meet the growing demand for rapid, reliable testing. The motors performed exceptionally well against predictions and are ready for immediate use by the broader test and research community.”

The Zeus 1 and Zeus 2 are high-performance, 32.5-inch diameter SRMs providing substantial performance improvements over similar legacy rockets. They are purposely designed to be fully compatible with existing payloads and launch infrastructure to enable rapid integration of new technologies and advanced payloads, including those currently under development by Kratos. These and other key attributes will provide Kratos and our customers with opportunities to fly more often, faster and farther, using fewer stages, and at a substantially reduced cost.

The Zeus SRM family is designed with versatility and affordability in mind as a complement to Kratos’ other internally funded investments such as the Erinyes hypersonic test “flyer” that debuted in June of this year. Kratos’ investments in the hypersonic and other relevant areas create a versatile family of test and evaluation products that offer complete systems. With the Zeus SRMs, the Erinyes, and other Kratos front end systems, Kratos is one of the only companies boasting both launcher and flyer systems within one organization, providing unmatched innovation, disruptive capabilities, mission responsiveness and affordability to the customer.

Eric DeMarco, President & CEO of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc., said, “Kratos is laser focused on supporting the Department of Defense, U.S. National Security requirements and working with our government partners to reinvigorate our country’s defense industrial base. Zeus’ successful mission is representative of the value Kratos’ strategy delivers to our stakeholders, with Kratos’ internally funded investments allowing us to rapidly develop and be first to market with affordable relevant systems for our partners and customers.”

About Kratos Defense & Security Solutions
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ: KTOS) is a technology, products, system and software company addressing the defense, national security, and commercial markets. Kratos makes true internally funded research, development, capital and other investments, to rapidly develop, produce and field solutions that address our customers’ mission critical needs and requirements. At Kratos, affordability is a technology, and we seek to utilize proven, leading-edge approaches and technology, not unproven bleeding edge approaches or technology, with Kratos’ approach designed to reduce cost, schedule and risk, enabling us to be first to market with cost effective solutions. We believe that Kratos is known as an innovative disruptive change agent in the industry, a company that is an expert in designing products and systems up front for successful rapid, large quantity, low-cost future manufacturing which is a value-add competitive differentiator for our large traditional prime system integrator partners and also to our government and commercial customers. Kratos intends to pursue program and contract opportunities as the prime or lead contractor when we believe that our probability of win (PWin) is high and any investment required by Kratos is within our capital resource comfort level. We intend to partner and team with a large, traditional system integrator when our assessment of PWin is greater or required investment is beyond Kratos’ comfort level. Kratos’ primary business areas include virtualized ground systems for satellites and space vehicles including software for command & control (C2) and telemetry, tracking and control (TT&C), jet powered unmanned aerial drone systems, hypersonic vehicles and rocket systems, propulsion systems for drones, missiles, loitering munitions, supersonic systems, space craft and launch systems, C5ISR and microwave electronic products for missile, radar, missile defense, space, satellite, counter UAS, directed energy, communication and other systems, and virtual & augmented reality training systems for the warfighter. For more information, visit www.KratosDefense.com.

Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this press release may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are made on the basis of the current beliefs, expectations and assumptions of the management of Kratos and are subject to significant risks and uncertainty. 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 Kratos undertakes no obligation to update or revise these statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Although Kratos believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, these statements involve many risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from what may be expressed or implied in these forward-looking statements. For a further discussion of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those expressed in these forward-looking statements, as well as risks relating to the business of Kratos in general, see the risk disclosures in the Annual Report on Form 10-K of Kratos for the year ended December 31, 2023, and in subsequent reports on Forms 10-Q and 8-K and other filings made with the SEC by Kratos.

Press Contact:
Claire Burghoff
claire.burghoff@kratosdefense.com

Investor Information:
877-934-4687
investor@kratosdefense.com

Release – Kratos Reports Third Quarter 2024 Financial Results

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Third Quarter 2024 Revenues of $275.9 Million Compared with Third Quarter 2023 Revenues of $274.6 Million

Third Quarter 2024 Unmanned Systems Revenues of $64.2 Million Compared with Third Quarter 2023 Revenues of $56.7 Million

Third Quarter 2024 Consolidated Book to Bill Ratio of 1.0 to 1 and Last Twelve Months Ended September 29, 2024 
Consolidated Book to Bill Ratio of 1.1 to 1

Third Quarter 2024 Consolidated Bookings of $267.2 Million and Last Twelve Months Ended September 29, 2024 Consolidated Bookings of $1.240 Billion

Affirms Full Year 2024 Financial Forecast

SAN DIEGO, Nov. 07, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (Nasdaq:KTOS), a Technology Company in the Defense, National Security and Global Markets, today reported its third quarter 2024 financial results, including Revenues of $275.9 million, Operating Income of $6.5 million, Net Income of $3.2 million, Adjusted EBITDA of $24.6 million and a consolidated book to bill ratio of 1.0 to 1.0.

Included in third quarter 2024 Net Income and Operating Income is non-cash stock compensation expense of $7.2 million and Company-funded Research and Development (R&D) expense of $9.9 million.

Kratos reported third quarter 2024 GAAP Net Income attributable to Kratos of $3.2 million and Earnings Per Share of $0.02 compared to a GAAP Net Loss attributable to Kratos of $1.6 million and a GAAP Net Loss per share of $0.01 for the third quarter of 2023. Adjusted EPS was $0.11 for the third quarter of 2024 compared to $0.12 for the third quarter of 2023.

Third quarter 2024 Revenues of $275.9 million increased $1.3 million, or 0.5 percent, from third quarter 2023 Revenues of $274.6 million. Including the impact of the Sierra Technical Services, Inc. (STS) acquisition on a pro forma basis as if acquired at the beginning of 2023, Unmanned Systems reported 8.7 percent organic revenue growth. Kratos Turbine Technologies, Microwave Products, C5ISR, Defense Rocket Support and Training Solutions businesses in KGS also all reported organic revenue growth, offset by the previously reported and expected decline of approximately $24.2 million in the Space and Satellite business, primarily resulting from the industry related impact from OEM delays in the manufacture and delivery of software defined satellites.

Third quarter 2024 Cash Flow Generated from Operations was $6.1 million, which includes working capital requirements for increases in prepaid assets, inventory balances, vendor required deposits and reduction in deferred revenue or customer prepayment balances. Free Cash Flow Used in Operations was $9.2 million after funding of $15.3 million of capital expenditures, including the continued manufacture of two production lots of Kratos Valkyrie unmanned tactical jet drone aircraft prior to contract award.

For the third quarter of 2024, Kratos’ Unmanned Systems Segment (KUS) generated Revenues of $64.2 million, compared to $56.7 million in the third quarter of 2023, with organic revenue growth of 8.7 percent, driven primarily by increased target drone production, and reflects the pro forma impact of the STS acquisition as if acquired at the beginning of 2023. KUS’s Operating Income was $0.4 million in the third quarter of 2024 compared to Operating Income of $2.6 million in the third quarter of 2023, primarily reflecting the mix of revenues and resources.

KUS’s Adjusted EBITDA for the third quarter of 2024 was $3.6 million, compared to third quarter 2023 KUS Adjusted EBITDA of $5.4 million, reflecting the mix of revenues and resources.
        
KUS’s book-to-bill ratio for the third quarter of 2024 was 0.5 to 1.0 and 1.1 to 1.0 for the last twelve months ended September 29, 2024, with bookings of $32.6 million for the three months ended September 29, 2024, and bookings of $295.1 million for the last twelve months ended September 29, 2024. Total backlog for KUS at the end of the third quarter of 2024 was $273.9 million compared to $305.5 million at the end of the second quarter of 2024.

For the third quarter of 2024, Kratos’ Government Solutions Segment (KGS) generated Revenues of $211.7 million compared to $217.9 million in the third quarter of 2023, reflecting aggregate organic revenue increases of $18.0 million generated by the Kratos’ Turbine Technologies, Microwave Products, C5ISR, Defense Rocket Support and Training Solutions businesses in KGS, offset by the previously reported and expected decline of $24.2 million in the Space and Satellite business, as noted above.

KGS reported operating income of $13.5 million in the third quarter of 2024 compared to $15.9 million in the third quarter of 2023, primarily reflecting the revenue volume and mix of revenues and resources. Third quarter 2024 KGS Adjusted EBITDA was $21.0 million, compared to third quarter 2023 KGS Adjusted EBITDA of $22.3 million, reflecting the mix in revenues, revenue volume and resources.

For the third quarter of 2024 and the last twelve months ended September 29, 2024, KGS reported a book-to-bill ratio of 1.1 to 1.0, and bookings of $234.6 million and $945.0 million for the three and last twelve months ended September 29, 2024, respectively. KGS’s total backlog at the end of the third quarter of 2024 was $1.02 billion, as compared to $997.2 million at the end of the second quarter of 2024.

For the third quarter of 2024, Kratos reported consolidated bookings of $267.2 million and a book-to-bill ratio of 1.0 to 1.0, with consolidated bookings of $1.24 billion and a book-to-bill ratio of 1.1 to 1.0 for the last twelve months ended September 29, 2024. Consolidated backlog was $1.294 billion on September 29, 2024 and $1.303 billion on June 30, 2024. Kratos’ bid and proposal pipeline was $12.0 billion at September 29 and June 30, 2024. Backlog at September 29, 2024 was comprised of funded backlog of $1.098 billion and unfunded backlog of $195.4 million.

Eric DeMarco, Kratos’ President and CEO, said, “Kratos’ strategy of making internally funded investments, to be first to market with relevant hardware, software and systems, in coordination with our partners and customers is working, as reflected in our financial results and our $12 billion opportunity pipeline. A recent representative example of this success is the successful flight of Kratos’ Zeus 1 and Zeus 2 system solid rocket motor stack with our customer’s payload, positioning Kratos for potential growth above our current future revenue year over year 10% target beginning in 2026.”

Mr. DeMarco went on, “Consistent with the success of and opportunities from Kratos’ strategy, earlier this year we completed an equity raise to position the Company to ensure successful execution on programs we have received and expect to receive. As an update to the related investments we are making: Kratos is currently manufacturing ~ 165 jet drones a year and we are now positioned to increase to ~400 a year including Valkyrie. Kratos can now produce ~10,000 small jet engines annually for drones and missiles, Kratos Microwave Electronics’ expansion in Israel is on track for a Q2 2025 completion, including an additional new manufacturing facility, an expanded existing manufacturing facility and a space & satellite qualified capability; we have identified the site for our new rocket system production and integration facility including for Zeus, Oriole and Erinyes and plan to break ground by the end of this year; and we have now identified the site for our new turbofan engine facility. Importantly, each of these expansion initiatives have existing programs, customer funded backlog or opportunities, or are in conjunction with a partner.”

Mr. DeMarco continued, “We continue to make progress in Kratos’ tactical drone business, with Kratos’ Apollo drone program now in contract documentation and Kratos’ Athena drone program under contract. Additionally, we have had recent successful Valkyrie flights with the U.S. Marines, Navy and Office of the Secretary of Defense, and Kratos recently has been selected on a new tactical drone opportunity. Importantly, our Ghost Works is on track to fly both a Kratos tactical drone and Kratos target drone in 2025 with Kratos internally funded, developed and manufactured jet engines, which will provide increased performance and electrical power, at reduced cost. Kratos Ghost Works is also expecting to fly the newest version of Kratos Valkyrie in 2025, as we make internally funded investments and continue to expand the Valkyrie families’ capability set and further drive down its operating and overall cost, and our newest 5th Generation drone is also scheduled for first flight in 2025 in conjunction with our customer.”

Mr. DeMarco concluded, “We are in a generational recapitalization of strategic weapon systems, with Kratos being an industry leader in hardware, software and systems for mission critical National Security and Defense applications. Expected growth drivers for Kratos in 2025 include; Kratos Erinyes, Zeus, Dark Fury, Oriole and other relevant rocket systems; Kratos jet engine and propulsion systems for missiles, drones, supersonic and space systems; microwave electronics and C5ISR products for air defense, CUAS, missile and radar systems and jet target drone systems.”

Financial Guidance

We are providing our initial 2024 fourth quarter financial guidance and affirming our full year 2024 guidance today, which ranges include our current forecasted business mix assumptions and expected contract execution and delivery schedules. Our financial guidance also includes our expectations and assumptions for our supply chain’s execution, and for employee sourcing, hiring, retention and related costs. We have also taken into consideration in our affirmed fiscal 2024 guidance the Federal Fiscal Year 2025 Continuing Resolution Authorization (CRA) which began on October 1, 2024, and under such expected CRA, no new program or contract awards, no increases in existing production contract funding, and no transition from program development to production are expected.

Our fourth quarter and full year 2024 guidance ranges are as follows:

For Kratos’ Fiscal year 2025, we are currently forecasting base case Revenue growth of approximately 10%, and Adjusted EBITDA growth. Our industry is currently operating under a Federal Fiscal Year 2025 CRA, which began October 1, 2024 and which is currently expected to continue into Kratos’ Fiscal 2025. There was also an approximate 6-month Federal Fiscal 2024 CRA, which was previously resolved in March 2024, Kratos’ current 2024 fiscal year. Additionally, the recent election will impact the Administration, House and Senate. Accordingly, we will be providing our detailed 2025 Revenue, Adjusted EBITDA, Cash Flow and other financial forecast information and guidance when we report our Fiscal 2024 results, currently expected to be in late February 2025. This will provide Kratos additional time to assess the impacts of these ongoing and recent events, if any, on National Security priorities, our 2025 business mix, contractual and program funding and timing assumptions and potential fiscal year 2025 fiscal quarter to quarter impacts. Kratos’ base case financial forecast does not assume or include any potential tactical drone program production.

Management will discuss the Company’s financial results, on a conference call beginning at 2:00 p.m. Pacific (5:00 p.m. Eastern) today. The call will be available at www.kratosdefense.com. Participants may register for the call using this Online Form. Upon registration, all telephone participants will receive the dial-in number along with a unique PIN that can be used to access the call. For those who cannot access the live broadcast, a replay will be available on Kratos’ website.

About Kratos Defense & Security Solutions

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ: KTOS) is a technology, products, system and software company addressing the defense, national security, and commercial markets.  Kratos makes true internally funded research, development, capital and other investments, to rapidly develop, produce and field solutions that address our customers’ mission critical needs and requirements.  At Kratos, affordability is a technology, and we seek to utilize proven, leading edge approaches and technology, not unproven bleeding edge approaches or technology, with Kratos’ approach designed to reduce cost, schedule and risk, enabling us to be first to market with cost effective solutions.  We believe that Kratos is known as an innovative disruptive change agent in the industry, a company that is an expert in designing products and systems up front for successful rapid, large quantity, low cost future manufacturing which is a value add competitive differentiator for our large traditional prime system integrator partners and also to our government and commercial customers.  Kratos intends to pursue program and contract opportunities as the prime or lead contractor when we believe that our probability of win (PWin) is high and any investment required by Kratos is within our capital resource comfort level. We intend to partner and team with a large, traditional system integrator when our assessment of PWin is greater or required investment is beyond Kratos’ comfort level. Kratos’ primary business areas include virtualized ground systems for satellites and space vehicles including software for command & control (C2) and telemetry, tracking and control (TT&C), jet powered unmanned aerial drone systems, hypersonic vehicles and rocket systems, propulsion systems for drones, missiles, loitering munitions, supersonic systems, space craft and launch systems, C5ISR and microwave electronic products for missile, radar, missile defense, space, satellite, counter UAS, directed energy, communication and other systems, and virtual & augmented reality training systems for the warfighter.  For more information, visit www.KratosDefense.com

Notice Regarding ForwardLooking Statements
This news release 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, including the Company’s expectations for its fourth quarter and full year 2024 and fiscal year 2025 revenues, revenue growth, Adjusted EBITDA growth, organic revenue growth rates, R&D, operating income (loss), depreciation, amortization, stock based compensation expense, and Adjusted EBITDA, and full year 2024 operating cash flow, capital expenditures and other investments, and free cash flow, the Company’s future growth trajectory and ability to achieve improved revenue mix and profit in certain of its business segments and the expected timing of such improved revenue mix and profit, including the Company’s ability to achieve sustained year over year increasing revenues, profitability and cash flow, the Company’s expectation of ramp on projects and that investments in its business, including Company funded R&D expenses and ongoing development efforts, will result in an increase in the Company’s market share and total addressable market and position the Company for significant future organic growth, profitability, cash flow and an increase in shareholder value, the Company’s bid and proposal pipeline and backlog, including the Company’s ability to timely execute on its backlog, demand for its products and services, including the Company’s alignment with today’s National Security requirements and the positioning of its C5ISR and other businesses, planned 2024 investments, including in the tactical drone and satellite areas, and the related potential for additional growth in 2025 and beyond, ability to successfully compete and expected new customer awards, including the magnitude and timing of funding and the future opportunity associated with such awards, including in the target and tactical drone and satellite communication areas, performance of key contracts and programs, including the timing of production and demonstration related to certain of the Company’s contracts and control (TT&C) product offerings, the impact of the Company’s restructuring efforts and cost reduction measures, including its ability to improve profitability and cash flow in certain business units as a result of these actions and to achieve financial leverage on fixed administrative costs, the ability of the Company’s advanced purchases of inventory to mitigate supply chain disruptions and the timing of converting these investments to cash through the sales process, benefits to be realized from the Company’s net operating loss carry forwards, the availability and timing of government funding for the Company’s offerings, including the strength of the future funding environment, the short-term delays that may occur as a result of Continuing Resolutions or delays in U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) budget approvals, timing of LRIP and full rate production related to the Company’s unmanned aerial target system offerings, as well as the level of recurring revenues expected to be generated by these programs once they achieve full rate production, market and industry developments, and the current estimated impact of the national election, supply chain disruptions, availability of an experienced skilled workforce, inflation and increased costs, risks related to potential cybersecurity events or disruptions of our information technology systems, and delays in our financial projections, industry, business and operations, including projected growth. Such statements are only predictions, and the Company’s actual results may differ materially from the results expressed or implied by these statements. 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 and extended continuing resolutions, the Federal budget deficit and Federal government shut-downs; risks of adverse regulatory action or litigation; risks associated with debt leverage; risks that our cost-cutting initiatives will not provide the anticipated benefits; risks that changes, cutbacks or delays in spending by the DoD 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, as amended); risks that the unmanned aerial systems and unmanned ground sensor markets do not experience significant growth; risks that products we have developed or will develop will become programs of record; risks that we cannot expand our customer base or that our products do not achieve broad acceptance which could impact our ability to achieve our anticipated level of growth; 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 related to the new DoD Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification; risks relating to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the Israeli-Palestinian military conflict; risks to our business in Israel; risks related to our international operations; risks related to contract performance; risks related to failure of our products or services; risks associated with 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 compete in the marketplace, which could reduce revenues and profit margins; 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 we may be required to record valuation allowances on our net operating losses which could adversely impact our profitability and financial condition; risks that the current economic environment will adversely impact our business, including with respect to our ability to recruit and retain sufficient numbers of qualified personnel to execute on our programs and contracts, as well as expected contract awards and risks related to increasing interest rates and risks related to the interest rate swap contract to hedge Term SOFR associated with the Company’s Term Loan A; 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 31, 2023, and in our other filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Note Regarding Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures and Other Performance Metrics
This news release contains non-GAAP financial measures, including organic revenue growth rates, Adjusted EPS (computed using income from continuing operations before income taxes, excluding income (loss) from discontinued operations, excluding income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interest, excluding depreciation, amortization of intangible assets, amortization of capitalized contract and development costs, stock-based compensation expense, acquisition and restructuring related items and other, which includes, but is not limited to, legal related items, non-recoverable rates and costs, and foreign transaction gains and losses, less the estimated impact to income taxes) and Adjusted EBITDA (which includes net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest and excludes, among other things, losses and gains from discontinued operations, acquisition and restructuring related items, stock compensation expense, foreign transaction gains and losses, and the associated margin rates). Additional non-GAAP financial measures include Free Cash Flow from Operations computed as Cash Flow from Operations less Capital Expenditures plus proceeds from sale of assets and Adjusted EBITDA related to our KUS and KGS businesses. 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 non-recurring items and non-cash items that would normally be included in the most directly comparable measures calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP. 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 results. 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.

Another Performance Metric the Company believes is a key performance indicator in our industry is our Book to Bill Ratio as it provides investors with a measure of the amount of bookings or contract awards as compared to the amount of revenues that have been recorded during the period and provides an indicator of how much of the Company’s backlog is being burned or utilized in a certain period. The Book to Bill Ratio is computed as the number of bookings or contract awards in the period divided by the revenues recorded for the same period. The Company believes that the rolling or last twelve months’ Book to Bill Ratio is meaningful since the timing of quarter-to-quarter bookings can vary.

Press Contact:
Yolanda White
858-812-7302 Direct

Investor Information:
877-934-4687
investor@kratosdefense.com

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Kratos Defense & Security (KTOS) – First Look at 3Q24 Results


Friday, November 08, 2024

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:KTOS) develops and fields transformative, affordable technology, platforms, and systems for United States National Security related customers, allies, and commercial enterprises. Kratos is changing the way breakthrough technologies for these industries are rapidly brought to market through proven commercial and venture capital backed approaches, including proactive research, and streamlined development processes. At Kratos, affordability is a technology, and we specialize in unmanned systems, satellite communications, cyber security/warfare, microwave electronics, missile defense, hypersonic systems, training and combat systems and next generation turbo jet and turbo fan engine development. For more information go to www.kratosdefense.com.

Joe Gomes, CFA, Managing Director, Equity Research Analyst, Generalist , Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Joshua Zoepfel, Research Associate, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Refer to the full report for the price target, fundamental analysis, and rating.

Solid Quarter. Kratos reported a solid quarter, with Unmanned Systems reporting 8.7% organic revenue growth. Turbine Technologies, Microwave Products, C5ISR, Defense  Rocket Support, and Training Solutions businesses also all reported organic revenue growth. This was offset by the previously reported and expected decline of approximately  $24.2 million in the Space and Satellite business, primarily resulting from the industry related impact from OEM delays.

3Q24 Results. Kratos reported revenue of $275.9 million, flat with the same period last year. We had estimated $280 million. Adjusted EBITDA was $24.6 million, compared to $27.7 million last year and our $21 million estimate. Reported net income was $3.2 million, or $0.02/sh, up from a $1.6 million loss, or a loss of $0.01/sh in 3Q23. Adjusted EPS was $0.11 compared to $0.12 last year. We were at $0.01 and $0.06, respectively.


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Equity Research is available at no cost to Registered users of Channelchek. Not a Member? Click ‘Join’ to join the Channelchek Community. There is no cost to register, and we never collect credit card information.

This Research is provided by Noble Capital Markets, Inc., a FINRA and S.E.C. registered broker-dealer (B/D).

*Analyst certification and important disclosures included in the full report. NOTE: investment decisions should not be based upon the content of this research summary. Proper due diligence is required before making any investment decision. 

Kelly Services (KELYA) – Reports 3Q24 Results


Friday, November 08, 2024

Kelly (Nasdaq: KELYA, KELYB) connects talented people to companies in need of their skills in areas including Science, Engineering, Education, Office, Contact Center, Light Industrial, and more. We’re always thinking about what’s next in the evolving world of work, and we help people ditch the script on old ways of thinking and embrace the value of all workstyles in the workplace. We directly employ nearly 350,000 people around the world and connect thousands more with work through our global network of talent suppliers and partners in our outsourcing and consulting practice. Revenue in 2021 was $4.9 billion. Visit kellyservices.com and let us help with what’s next for you.

Joe Gomes, CFA, Managing Director, Equity Research Analyst, Generalist , Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Joshua Zoepfel, Research Associate, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Refer to the full report for the price target, fundamental analysis, and rating.

Challenges. In the third quarter, Kelly remained focused on what it could control, but the uncertain economic environment persisted, impacting consolidated results. On an organic basis, revenue rose in two of the business units, while gross profit rate fell in three of the four units. Integration costs related to the MRP acquisition of $6.1 million also impacted results. Investors reacted negatively to the results, sending the shares down 18% to $18.14.

3Q24 Results. Revenue of $1.038 billion, down 7.1% y-o-y, but essentially flat on an organic basis. We were at $1.075 billion, the same as the consensus. Adjusted EBITDA of $26.2 million, up 2.7% y-o-y, but below our $34 million estimate and consensus $33 million. Net income of $0.8 million, or $0.02/sh and adjusted EPS of $0.21, compared to $0.18 and $0.50 in 3Q23. 


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This Company Sponsored Research is provided by Noble Capital Markets, Inc., a FINRA and S.E.C. registered broker-dealer (B/D).

*Analyst certification and important disclosures included in the full report. NOTE: investment decisions should not be based upon the content of this research summary. Proper due diligence is required before making any investment decision. 

CoreCivic, Inc. (CXW) – Another Solid Quarter


Friday, November 08, 2024

CoreCivic is a diversified, government-solutions company with the scale and experience needed to solve tough government challenges in flexible, cost-effective ways. We provide a broad range of solutions to government partners that serve the public good through high-quality corrections and detention management, a network of residential and non-residential alternatives to incarceration to help address America’s recidivism crisis, and government real estate solutions. We are the nation’s largest owner of partnership correctional, detention and residential reentry facilities, and believe we are the largest private owner of real estate used by government agencies in the United States. We have been a flexible and dependable partner for government for nearly 40 years. Our employees are driven by a deep sense of service, high standards of professionalism and a responsibility to help government better the public good. Learn more at www.corecivic.com.

Joe Gomes, CFA, Managing Director, Equity Research Analyst, Generalist , Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Joshua Zoepfel, Research Associate, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Refer to the full report for the price target, fundamental analysis, and rating.

3Q24 Results. CoreCivic’s financial results for the third quarter of 2024 demonstrated the Company’s continued strong operating momentum. Increased occupancy and higher per diems drove the increased revenue in the quarter. While ICE populations were relatively stable in the quarter, management did note populations have increased by 5% since the beginning of October. Operating margin increased compared with the prior-year quarter through continued cost management and strong demand for CXW’s services.

Opportunity. Obviously, with the coming change in the President, most industry observers expect to see a step change in the use of services provided by the industry. There also is significant opportunity at the state and local levels being driven by increasing jail populations, forecasts for prison population’s to rise over the next five years, ongoing staffing issues, and an aging physical stock.


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Equity Research is available at no cost to Registered users of Channelchek. Not a Member? Click ‘Join’ to join the Channelchek Community. There is no cost to register, and we never collect credit card information.

This Company Sponsored Research is provided by Noble Capital Markets, Inc., a FINRA and S.E.C. registered broker-dealer (B/D).

*Analyst certification and important disclosures included in the full report. NOTE: investment decisions should not be based upon the content of this research summary. Proper due diligence is required before making any investment decision. 

Release – Kelly Reports Third-Quarter 2024 Earnings

Research News and Market Data on KELYA

  • Following the sale of European staffing operations, Q3 revenue down 7.1% year-over-year; nearly flat on an organic basis
  • Q3 operating earnings of $2.6 million; $11.7 million on an adjusted basis, down 24.5%
  • Q3 adjusted EBITDA margin increased 20 basis points to 2.5%
  • Company expects sale of European staffing operations, acquisition of Motion Recruitment Partners, LLC (“MRP”), ongoing transformation actions to contribute to continued year-over-year EBITDA margin expansion in Q4 2024

TROY, Mich., Nov. 07, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Kelly (Nasdaq: KELYA, KELYB), a leading specialty talent solutions provider, today announced results for the third quarter of 2024.

Peter Quigley, president and chief executive officer, announced revenue for the third quarter of 2024 totaled $1.04 billion, a 7.1% decrease compared to the corresponding quarter of 2023 resulting primarily from the sale of the company’s European staffing operations on January 2, 2024, partially offset by the May 2024 acquisition of MRP. Excluding the impact of the sale of the European staffing operations and the recent acquisition of MRP, revenue was down 0.2% on an organic basis, reflecting a stabilization of year-over-year revenues for the second consecutive quarter despite the continued impact of customers’ more guarded approach to hiring, initiating new projects, and backfilling open roles. MRP revenue added 11.2% to reported Q3 year-over-year revenue growth.

Kelly reported operating earnings in the third quarter of 2024 of $2.6 million, compared to earnings of $0.1 million reported in the third quarter of 2023. Adjusted earnings were $11.7 million in the third quarter of 2024. The $9.1 million increase from reported earnings includes costs related to MRP integration and further aligning processes and technology across the Company, as well as charges related to the acquisition of MRP and the sale of our European staffing operations. The acquisition of MRP added $2.0 million of earnings from operations in the third quarter of 2024. Adjusted earnings in the third quarter of 2023 were $15.5 million. The $15.4 million increase from reported earnings included transformation-related charges. The European staffing operations produced $0.8 million of earnings from operations on an adjusted basis in the third quarter of 2023.

Earnings per share in the third quarter of 2024 were $0.02 compared to earnings per share of $0.18 in the third quarter of 2023. Included in earnings per share in the third quarter of 2024 are costs related to MRP integration and further aligning processes and technology across the Company as well as charges related to the acquisition of MRP and the sale of our European staffing operations, net of tax, of $0.18. Included in the earnings per share in the third quarter of 2023 were $0.32 per share of transformation-related restructuring charges, net of tax. On an adjusted basis, earnings per share were $0.21 in the third quarter of 2024 compared to $0.50 per share in the corresponding quarter of 2023.

“In the third quarter, we remained focused on what we can control as uncertain macroeconomic market conditions persisted, and once again delivered stable year-over-year organic revenue that outpaced the market,” said Quigley. “Contributing to this trend is continued double-digit revenue growth in Education, our ongoing expansion into the market for higher-margin outcome-based solutions in SETT and P&I, and sequential stability in MSP and RPO revenue in OCG. We expect to build on our momentum as we close the year, propelled by our growth and efficiency initiatives which are positioning Kelly to capitalize when staffing demand rebounds and continue delivering above-market performance.”

Kelly also reported that on November 5, its board of directors declared a dividend of $0.075 per share. The dividend is payable on December 4, 2024, to stockholders of record as of the close of business on November 20, 2024.

In conjunction with its third-quarter earnings release, Kelly has published a financial presentation on the Investor Relations page of its public website and will host a conference call at 9 a.m. ET on November 7 to review the results and answer questions. The call may be accessed in one of the following ways:

Via the Internet:
Kellyservices.com

Via the telephone
(877) 692-8955 (toll free) or (234) 720-6979 (caller paid)
Enter access code 5728672
After the prompt, please enter “#”

A recording of the conference call will be available after 1:30 p.m. ET on November 7, 2024, at (866) 207-1041 (toll-free) and (402) 970-0847 (caller-paid). The access code is 9480328#. The recording will also be available at kellyservices.com during this period.

This release contains statements that are forward looking in nature and, accordingly, are subject to risks and uncertainties. These statements are made under the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about Kelly’s financial expectations, are forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in this release include, but are not limited to, (i) changing market and economic conditions, (ii) disruption in the labor market and weakened demand for human capital resulting from technological advances, loss of large corporate customers and government contractor requirements, (iii) the impact of laws and regulations (including federal, state and international tax laws), (iv) unexpected changes in claim trends on workers’ compensation, unemployment, disability and medical benefit plans, (v) litigation and other legal liabilities (including tax liabilities) in excess of our estimates, (vi) our ability to achieve our business’s anticipated growth strategies, (vii) our future business development, results of operations and financial condition, (viii) damage to our brands, (ix) dependency on third parties for the execution of critical functions, (x) conducting business in foreign countries, including foreign currency fluctuations, (xi) availability of temporary workers with appropriate skills required by customers, (xii) cyberattacks or other breaches of network or information technology security, and (xiii) other risks, uncertainties and factors discussed in this release and in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by words or phrases such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “target,” “aim,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “potential,” “continue,” “is/are likely to” or other similar expressions. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release and we undertake no duty to update any forward-looking statement to conform the statement to actual results or changes in the Company’s expectations.

About Kelly®

Kelly Services, Inc. (Nasdaq: KELYA, KELYB) helps companies recruit and manage skilled workers and helps job seekers find great work. Since inventing the staffing industry in 1946, we have become experts in the many industries and local and global markets we serve. With a network of suppliers and partners around the world, we connect more than 500,000 people with work every year. Our suite of outsourcing and consulting services ensures companies have the people they need, when and where they are needed most. Headquartered in Troy, Michigan, we empower businesses and individuals to access limitless opportunities in industries such as science, engineering, technology, education, manufacturing, retail, finance, and energy. Revenue in 2023 was $4.8 billion. Learn more at kellyservices.com.

KLYA-FIN

ANALYST & MEDIA CONTACT:   
Scott Thomas   
(248) 251-7264   
scott.thomas@kellyservices.com

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Release – The GEO Group Reports Third Quarter 2024 Results

Research News and Market Data on GEO

BOCA RATON, Fla.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Nov. 7, 2024– The GEO Group, Inc. (NYSE: GEO) (“GEO”), a leading provider of contracted support services for secure facilities, processing centers, and reentry centers, as well as enhanced in-custody rehabilitation, post-release support, and electronic monitoring programs, reported today its financial results for the third quarter and first nine months of 2024.

Third Quarter 2024 Highlights

  • Total revenues of $603.1 million
  • Net Income Attributable to GEO of $0.19 per diluted share
  • Adjusted Net Income of $0.21 per diluted share
  • Adjusted EBITDA of $118.6 million

For the third quarter 2024, we reported net income attributable to GEO of $26.3 million, or $0.19 per diluted share, compared to net income attributable to GEO of $24.5 million, or $0.16 per diluted share, for the third quarter 2023. Third quarter 2024 results reflect costs associated with the extinguishment of debt of $2.9 million, pre-tax, $0.4 million in transaction fees, pre-tax, and $0.5 million in close-out expenses, pre-tax. Excluding the costs associated with the extinguishment of debt and other unusual and/or nonrecurring items, we reported adjusted net income for the third quarter 2024 of $29.1 million, or $0.21 per diluted share, compared to $23.6 million, or $0.19 per diluted share, for the third quarter 2023.

We reported total revenues for the third quarter 2024 of $603.1 million compared to $602.8 million for the third quarter 2023. We reported third quarter 2024 Adjusted EBITDA of $118.6 million, compared to $118.7 million for the third quarter 2023.

Third quarter 2024 results reflect lower-than-expected revenues in our Electronic Monitoring and Supervision Services segment, primarily due to the decline in participant counts under the federal government’s Intensive Supervision Appearance Program (“ISAP”). Participant counts under ISAP averaged approximately 177,000 individuals during the third quarter 2024, compared to average ISAP participant counts of approximately 184,000 during the second quarter 2024.

George C. Zoley, Executive Chairman of GEO, said, “While our third quarter results were below our expectations due to lower-than-expected revenues in our Electronic Monitoring and Supervision Services segment, we believe we have several potential sources of upside to our current quarterly run rate, with possible future growth opportunities across our diversified services platform. We have 18,000 available beds across contracted and idle secure services facilities, which if fully activated, would provide significant potential upside to our financial performance. We also believe we have the necessary resources to materially scale up the service levels in our ISAP and air and ground transportation contracts.”

“As we evaluate and pursue future growth opportunities, we remain focused on the disciplined allocation of capital to further reduce our debt, deleverage our balance sheet, and position our company to evaluate options to return capital to shareholders in the future,” Zoley added.

First Nine Months 2024 Highlights

  • Total revenues of $1.82 billion
  • Net Income Attributable to GEO of $0.11 per diluted share, reflects costs associated with the extinguishment of debt of $85.3 million, pre-tax
  • Adjusted Net Income of $0.63 per diluted share
  • Adjusted EBITDA of $355.5 million

For the first nine months of 2024, we reported net income attributable to GEO of $16.5 million, or $0.11 per diluted share, compared to net income attributable to GEO of $82.1 million, or $0.55 per diluted share, for the first nine months of 2023. Results for the first nine months of 2024 reflect costs associated with the extinguishment of debt of $85.3 million, pre-tax.

Excluding the costs associated with the extinguishment of debt and other unusual and/or nonrecurring items, we reported adjusted net income for the first nine months of 2024 of $82.8 million, or $0.63 per diluted share, compared to $79.8 million, or $0.65 per diluted share, for the first nine months of 2023.

We reported total revenues for the first nine months of 2024 of $1.82 billion compared to $1.80 billion for the first nine months of 2023. We reported Adjusted EBITDA for the first nine months of 2024 of $355.5 million, compared to $378.6 million for the first nine months of 2023.

Financial Guidance

Today, we updated our financial guidance for the fourth quarter and full year 2024. While participant counts under ISAP have been increasing subsequent to the end of the third quarter 2024 to approximately 182,500 currently, and while it is possible ISAP participant counts and utilization of ICE processing center beds may further increase this year, we have updated our fourth quarter 2024 guidance to be largely consistent with our third quarter 2024 results. We expect fourth quarter 2024 Net Income Attributable to GEO to be in a range of $0.19 to $0.22 per diluted share on quarterly revenues of $600 million to $610 million. We expect fourth quarter 2024 Adjusted EBITDA to be in a range of $114 million to $124 million.

For the full year 2024, we expect Net Income Attributable to GEO to be in a range of $0.30 to $0.34 per diluted share, which reflects costs associated with the extinguishment of debt of $87 million, pre-tax. Excluding the costs associated with the extinguishment of debt and other unusual and/or nonrecurring items, we expect full year 2024 Adjusted Net Income to be in a range of $0.80 to $0.84 per diluted share, on annual revenues of approximately $2.42 billion and reflecting an effective tax rate of approximately 23 percent, inclusive of known discrete items. We expect our full year 2024 Adjusted EBITDA to be between $470 million and $480 million.

Recent Developments

On October 4, 2024, we announced that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) exercised the first five-year option period extending the contract for the GEO-owned 1,940-bed Adelanto ICE Processing Center in California (the “Adelanto Center”) through December 19, 2029. ICE and GEO entered into a 15-year contract on December 19, 2019, for the provision of secure residential housing and support care services at the Adelanto Center, consisting of a five-year base period followed by two five-year option periods. The Adelanto Center employs approximately 350 employees.

Balance Sheet

At the end of the third quarter 2024, our net debt totaled approximately $1.69 billion, and our net leverage was approximately 3.5 times Adjusted EBITDA. We ended the third quarter 2024 with approximately $71 million in cash and cash equivalents and approximately $280 million in total available liquidity.

Conference Call Information

We have scheduled a conference call and webcast for today at 11:00 AM (Eastern Time) to discuss our third quarter 2024 financial results as well as our outlook. The call-in number for the U.S. is 1-877-250-1553 and the international call-in number is 1-412-542-4145. In addition, a live audio webcast of the conference call may be accessed on the Webcasts section under the News, Events and Reports tab of GEO’s investor relations webpage at investors.geogroup.com. A replay of the webcast will be available on the website for one year. A telephonic replay of the conference call will be available through November 14, 2024, at 1-877-344-7529 (U.S.) and 1-412-317-0088 (International). The participant passcode for the telephonic replay is 7169822.

About The GEO Group

The GEO Group, Inc. (NYSE: GEO) is a leading diversified government service provider, specializing in design, financing, development, and support services for secure facilities, processing centers, and community reentry centers in the United States, Australia, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. GEO’s diversified services include enhanced in-custody rehabilitation and post-release support through the award-winning GEO Continuum of Care®, secure transportation, electronic monitoring, community-based programs, and correctional health and mental health care. GEO’s worldwide operations include the ownership and/or delivery of support services for 99 facilities totaling approximately 80,000 beds, including idle facilities and projects under development, with a workforce of up to approximately 18,000 employees.

Reconciliation Tables and Supplemental Information

GEO has made available Supplemental Information which contains reconciliation tables of Net Income Attributable to GEO to Adjusted Net Income, and Net Income to EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA, along with supplemental financial and operational information on GEO’s business and other important operating metrics. The reconciliation tables are also presented herein. Please see the section below titled “Note to Reconciliation Tables and Supplemental Disclosure – Important Information on GEO’s Non-GAAP Financial Measures” for information on how GEO defines these supplemental Non-GAAP financial measures and reconciles them to the most directly comparable GAAP measures. GEO’s Reconciliation Tables can be found herein and in GEO’s Supplemental Information available on GEO’s investor webpage at investors.geogroup.com.

Note to Reconciliation Tables and Supplemental Disclosure –
Important Information on GEO’s Non-GAAP Financial Measures

Adjusted Net Income, EBITDA, and Adjusted EBITDA are non-GAAP financial measures that are presented as supplemental disclosures. GEO has presented herein certain forward-looking statements about GEO’s future financial performance that include non-GAAP financial measures, including Net Debt, Net Leverage, and Adjusted EBITDA. The determination of the amounts that are included or excluded from these non-GAAP financial measures is a matter of management judgment and depends upon, among other factors, the nature of the underlying expense or income amounts recognized in a given period.

While we have provided a high level reconciliation for the guidance ranges for full year 2024, we are unable to present a more detailed quantitative reconciliation of the forward-looking non-GAAP financial measures to their most directly comparable forward-looking GAAP financial measures because management cannot reliably predict all of the necessary components of such GAAP measures. The quantitative reconciliation of the forward-looking non-GAAP financial measures will be provided for completed annual and quarterly periods, as applicable, calculated in a consistent manner with the quantitative reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures previously reported for completed annual and quarterly periods.

Net Debt is defined as gross principal debt less cash from restricted subsidiaries. Net Leverage is defined as Net Debt divided by Adjusted EBITDA.

EBITDA is defined as net income adjusted by adding provisions/(benefit) for income tax, interest expense, net of interest income, and depreciation and amortization. Adjusted EBITDA is defined as EBITDA adjusted for (gain)/loss on asset divestitures/impairment, pre-tax, net loss attributable to non-controlling interests, stock-based compensation expenses, pre-tax, start-up expenses, pre-tax, ATM equity program expenses, pre-tax, transaction fees, pre-tax, close-out expenses, pre-tax, other non-cash revenue and expenses, pre-tax, and certain other adjustments as defined from time to time.

Given the nature of our business as a real estate owner and operator, we believe that EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are helpful to investors as measures of our operational performance because they provide an indication of our ability to incur and service debt, to satisfy general operating expenses, to make capital expenditures, and to fund other cash needs or reinvest cash into our business.

We believe that by removing the impact of our asset base (primarily depreciation and amortization) and excluding certain non-cash charges, amounts spent on interest and taxes, and certain other charges that are highly variable from year to year, EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA provide our investors with performance measures that reflect the impact to operations from trends in occupancy rates, per diem rates and operating costs, providing a perspective not immediately apparent from net income.

The adjustments we make to derive the non-GAAP measures of EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA exclude items which may cause short-term fluctuations in income from continuing operations and which we do not consider to be the fundamental attributes or primary drivers of our business plan and they do not affect our overall long-term operating performance.

EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA provide disclosure on the same basis as that used by our management and provide consistency in our financial reporting, facilitate internal and external comparisons of our historical operating performance and our business units and provide continuity to investors for comparability purposes.

Adjusted Net Income is defined as net income/(loss) attributable to GEO adjusted for certain items which by their nature are not comparable from period to period or that tend to obscure GEO’s actual operating performance, including for the periods presented (gain)/loss on asset divestitures/impairment, pre-tax, loss on the extinguishment of debt, pre-tax, start-up expenses, pre-tax, transaction fees, pre-tax, ATM equity program expenses, pre-tax, close-out expenses, pre-tax, discrete tax benefit, and tax effect of adjustments to net income attributable to GEO.

Safe-Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding future events and future performance of GEO that involve risks and uncertainties that could materially and adversely affect actual results, including statements regarding GEO’s financial guidance for the full year and fourth quarter of 2024, statements regarding GEO’s focus on reducing net debt, deleveraging its balance sheet, positioning itself to explore options to return capital to shareholders in the future, and pursuing a disciplined allocation of capital to enhance long-term value for shareholders, executing on GEO’s strategic priorities, pursuing quality growth opportunities, and the upside this could have on GEO’s quarterly run-rate, and GEO’s ability to scale up the delivery of diversified services to support the future needs of its government agency partners. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “seek,” “estimate,” or “continue” or the negative of such words and similar expressions. Risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to vary from current expectations and forward-looking statements contained in this press release include, but are not limited to: (1) GEO’s ability to meet its financial guidance for 2024 given the various risks to which its business is exposed; (2) GEO’s ability to deleverage and repay, refinance or otherwise address its debt maturities in an amount and on terms commercially acceptable to GEO, and on the timeline it expects or at all; (3) GEO’s ability to identify and successfully complete any potential sales of company-owned assets and businesses or potential acquisitions of assets or businesses on commercially advantageous terms on a timely basis, or at all; (4) changes in federal and state government policy, orders, directives, legislation and regulations that affect public-private partnerships with respect to secure, correctional and detention facilities, processing centers and reentry centers, including the timing and scope of implementation of President Biden’s Executive Order directing the U.S. Attorney General not to renew the U.S. Department of Justice contracts with privately operated criminal detention facilities; (5) changes in federal immigration policy; (6) public and political opposition to the use of public-private partnerships with respect to secure correctional and detention facilities, processing centers and reentry centers; (7) any continuing impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic on GEO and GEO’s ability to mitigate the risks associated with COVID-19; (8) GEO’s ability to sustain or improve company-wide occupancy rates at its facilities; (9) fluctuations in GEO’s operating results, including as a result of contract terminations, contract renegotiations, changes in occupancy levels and increases in GEO’s operating costs; (10) general economic and market conditions, including changes to governmental budgets and its impact on new contract terms, contract renewals, renegotiations, per diem rates, fixed payment provisions, and occupancy levels; (11) GEO’s ability to address inflationary pressures related to labor related expenses and other operating costs; (12) GEO’s ability to timely open facilities as planned, profitably manage such facilities and successfully integrate such facilities into GEO’s operations without substantial costs; (13) GEO’s ability to win management contracts for which it has submitted proposals and to retain existing management contracts; (14) risks associated with GEO’s ability to control operating costs associated with contract start-ups; (15) GEO’s ability to successfully pursue growth opportunities and continue to create shareholder value; (16) GEO’s ability to obtain financing or access the capital markets in the future on acceptable terms or at all; and (17) other factors contained in GEO’s Securities and Exchange Commission periodic filings, including its Form 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K reports, many of which are difficult to predict and outside of GEO’s control.

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Release – CoreCivic Reports Third Quarter 2024 Financial Results

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Cost Management and Higher Occupancy Continue To Drive Positive Financial Performance
Raises Full Year Financial Guidance

BRENTWOOD, Tenn., Nov. 06, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — CoreCivic, Inc. (NYSE: CXW) (CoreCivic or the Company) announced today its third quarter 2024 financial results.  

Financial Highlights – Third Quarter 2024

  • Total revenue of $491.6 million, an increase of 2%
  • Net income of $21.1 million, an increase of 52%
  • Adjusted net income of $22.4 million, an increase of 44%
  • Diluted earnings per share of $0.19; Adjusted Diluted EPS of $0.20
  • Normalized FFO per diluted share of $0.43, an increase of 23%
  • Adjusted EBITDA of $83.3 million, an increase of 11%

Damon T. Hininger, CoreCivic’s President and Chief Executive Officer, commented, “CoreCivic’s financial results for the third quarter of 2024 demonstrate our continued strong operating momentum. We achieved notable improvement in our operating margin compared with the prior year quarter through our continued cost management diligence and the strong demand for our essential services, evidenced by the increase in our compensated occupancy to 75.2% in the current quarter from 72.0% in the prior year. Operating margins are particularly impacted by occupancy considering operating leverage in our business.”  

“Beyond our solid quarterly financial results,” Hininger added, “CoreCivic’s balance sheet remains strong, and we are pleased with the continued execution of our capital strategy, ending the quarter with leverage, measured as net debt to Adjusted EBITDA, at 2.2x for the trailing twelve months – placing us below our target leverage range of 2.25x to 2.75x that we established in August 2020. As we look forward to opportunities in 2025 and beyond, CoreCivic is ready to respond quickly and flexibly to our governmental partner’s needs due to our talented and experienced teams, healthy balance sheet and readily available and modern bed capacity.”

Third Quarter 2024 Financial Results Compared With Third Quarter 2023

Net income in the third quarter of 2024 was $21.1 million, or $0.19 per diluted share, compared with net income in the third quarter of 2023 of $13.9 million, or $0.12 per diluted share. When adjusted for special items, Adjusted net income for the third quarter of 2024 improved to $22.4 million, or $0.20 per diluted share (Adjusted Diluted EPS), compared with Adjusted net income in the third quarter of 2023 of $15.6 million, or $0.14 per diluted share. Special items for each period are presented in detail in the calculation of Adjusted Diluted EPS in the Supplemental Financial Information following the financial statements presented herein.  

The increased adjusted earnings per share amounts resulted from modestly higher revenue, driven by higher populations and per diem rates at our facilities serving state and local populations, combined with cost containment efforts, lower interest expense and a decrease in shares of our common stock outstanding as a result of our share repurchase program. These earnings increases were achieved despite being partially offset by the expiration of our lease with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) at our California City Correctional Center on March 31, 2024, which accounted for a $0.05 per share reduction during the third quarter, as well as the previously disclosed early termination of our contract with U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) at the South Texas Family Residential Center effective August 9, 2024. Third quarter 2024 financial results at the South Texas facility were favorably impacted by the accelerated recognition of the remaining deferred revenue of $5.7 million, and due to the rapid ramp-down in detainee populations in July, resulting in the elimination of most operating expenses, though we continued to generate full fixed contractual revenue through the termination date, resulting in a minimal impact on per share results for the third quarter of 2024 compared with the third quarter of 2023.

Operating leverage stemming from improving facility occupancy combined with cost management initiatives continue to yield positive financial results and operating performance. In particular, expenses related to labor attraction and retention, such as registry nursing and temporary labor resources, including associated travel expenses, overtime and incentives, declined meaningfully from the prior year quarter, as well as sequentially.

Revenue from ICE, our largest government partner, decreased 3.4% compared with the third quarter of 2023 and by 7.5% compared with the second quarter of 2024. This decline in revenue from ICE primarily reflects the termination of our ICE contract at the South Texas Family Residential Facility effective August 9, 2024. Excluding the South Texas facility, our revenue with ICE increased 10.9% compared with the third quarter of the prior year and increased 4.6% compared with the prior quarter.   During the third quarter of 2024, revenue from ICE was $139.7 million compared to $144.6 million during the third quarter of 2023 and $151.0 million during the second quarter of 2024.

Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) was $81.4 million in the third quarter of 2024, compared with $72.8 million in the third quarter of 2023. Adjusted EBITDA, which excludes special items, was $83.3 million in the third quarter of 2024, compared with $75.2 million in the third quarter of 2023.   The increase in Adjusted EBITDA was attributable to an increase in occupancy, combined with a general reduction in temporary staffing incentives and related labor costs, partially offset by the expiration of the lease with the CDCR at the California City facility.   

Funds From Operations (FFO) for the third quarter of 2024 was $47.1 million, compared with $38.5 million in the third quarter of 2023. Normalized FFO, which excludes special items, increased to $47.6 million, or $0.43 per diluted share, in the third quarter of 2024, compared with $40.5 million, or $0.35 per diluted share, in the third quarter of 2023, representing an increase in Normalized FFO per share of 23%. Normalized FFO was impacted by the same factors that affected Adjusted EBITDA, further improved by a reduction in interest expense resulting from our debt reduction strategy that is not reflected in Adjusted EBITDA, as well as a 3% reduction in weighted average shares outstanding compared with the prior year quarter.  Adjusted Net Income, EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, FFO, and Normalized FFO, and, where appropriate, their corresponding per share amounts, are measures calculated and presented on the basis of methodologies other than in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). Please refer to the Supplemental Financial Information and the note following the financial statements herein for further discussion and reconciliations of these measures to net income, the most directly comparable GAAP measure.

Capital Strategy

Share Repurchases. Our Board of Directors has approved a share repurchase program authorizing the Company to repurchase up to $350.0 million of our common stock, including an additional $125.0 million approved on May 16, 2024. During 2024, we have repurchased 4.0 million shares of common stock under the share repurchase program at an aggregate purchase price of $59.5 million, although we did not repurchase any shares during the third quarter of 2024. Since the share repurchase program was authorized in May 2022, through September 30, 2024, we have repurchased a total of 14.1 million shares at an aggregate price of $172.1 million, or $12.20 per share, excluding fees, commissions and other costs related to the repurchases.

As of September 30, 2024, we had $177.9 million remaining under the share repurchase program. Additional repurchases of common stock will be made in accordance with applicable securities laws and may be made at management’s discretion within parameters set by the Board of Directors from time to time in the open market, through privately negotiated transactions, or otherwise. The share repurchase program has no time limit and does not obligate us to purchase any particular amount of our common stock. The authorization for the share repurchase program may be terminated, suspended, increased or decreased by our Board of Directors in its discretion at any time. As a result of ICE’s discontinued use of the South Texas Family Residential Center and the impact such discontinuation will have on our leverage ratios, we intend to prioritize the use of our free cash flow to further reduce our debt, although we may exercise discretion in repurchasing additional shares of our common stock in accordance with the repurchase program.

2024 Financial Guidance

Based on current business conditions, we are providing the following updates to our financial guidance for the full year 2024:

 New Guidance
Full Year 2024
Prior Guidance
Full Year 2024
Net income$55.5 million to $61.5 million$42.0 million to $50.4 million
Adjusted Net Income$78.0 million to $84.0 million$65.6 million to $73.6 million
Diluted EPS$0.49 to $0.55$0.37 to $0.45
Adjusted Diluted EPS$0.69 to $0.75$0.58 to $0.66
FFO per diluted share$1.39 to $1.45$1.28 to $1.36
Normalized FFO per diluted share$1.59 to $1.65$1.48 to $1.56
EBITDA$284.3 million to $288.3 million$268.0 million to $274.6 million
Adjusted EBITDA$317.0 million to $321.0 million$302.4 million to $308.4 million


During 2024, we expect to invest $70.0 million to $76.0 million in capital expenditures, consisting of $30.0 million to $31.0 million in maintenance capital expenditures on real estate assets, $32.0 million to $35.0 million for maintenance capital expenditures on other assets and information technology, and $8.0 million to $10.0 million for other capital investments, including costs to prepare an idle facility for activation in the possible event an opportunity presents. These amounts are unchanged from our prior guidance.  

Supplemental Financial Information and Investor Presentations

We have made available on our website supplemental financial information and other data for the third quarter of 2024.   Interested parties may access this information through our website at http://ir.corecivic.com/ under “Financial Information” of the Investors section.   We do not undertake any obligation and disclaim any duties to update any of the information disclosed in this report.  

Management may meet with investors from time to time during the fourth quarter of 2024.   Written materials used in the investor presentations will also be available on our website beginning on or about November 26, 2024.   Interested parties may access this information through our website at http://ir.corecivic.com/ under “Events & Presentations” of the Investors section.

Conference Call, Webcast and Replay Information

We will host a webcast conference call at 8:30 a.m. central time (9:30 a.m. eastern time) on Thursday, November 7, 2024, which will be accessible through the Company’s website at www.corecivic.com under the “Events & Presentations” section of the “Investors” page. To participate via telephone and join the call live, please register in advance here https://registrations.events/direct/NTM123920992. Upon registration, telephone participants will receive a confirmation email detailing how to join the conference call, including the dial-in number and a unique passcode.

About CoreCivic

CoreCivic is a diversified, government-solutions company with the scale and experience needed to solve tough government challenges in flexible, cost-effective ways. We provide a broad range of solutions to government partners that serve the public good through high-quality corrections and detention management, a network of residential and non-residential alternatives to incarceration to help address America’s recidivism crisis, and government real estate solutions. We are the nation’s largest owner of partnership correctional, detention and residential reentry facilities, and one of the largest prison operators in the United States. We have been a flexible and dependable partner for government for over 40 years. Our employees are driven by a deep sense of service, high standards of professionalism and a responsibility to help government better the public good. Learn more at www.corecivic.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains statements as to our beliefs and expectations of the outcome of future events that are “forward-looking” statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the statements made. These include, but are not limited to, the risks and uncertainties associated with: (i) changes in government policy, legislation and regulations that affect utilization of the private sector for corrections, detention, and residential reentry services, in general, or our business, in particular, including, but not limited to, the continued utilization of our correctional and detention facilities by the federal government, including as a consequence of the United States Department of Justice not renewing contracts as a result of President Biden’s Executive Order on Reforming Our Incarceration System to Eliminate the Use of Privately Operated Criminal Detention Facilities, impacting utilization primarily by the United States Federal Bureau of Prisons and the United States Marshals Service, and the impact of any changes to immigration reform and sentencing laws (we do not, under longstanding policy, lobby for or against policies or legislation that would determine the basis for, or duration of, an individual’s incarceration or detention); (ii) our ability to obtain and maintain correctional, detention, and residential reentry facility management contracts because of reasons including, but not limited to, sufficient governmental appropriations, contract compliance, negative publicity and effects of inmate disturbances; (iii) changes in the privatization of the corrections and detention industry, the acceptance of our services, the timing of the opening of new facilities and the commencement of new management contracts (including the extent and pace at which new contracts are utilized), as well as our ability to utilize available beds; (iv) general economic and market conditions, including, but not limited to, the impact governmental budgets can have on our contract renewals and renegotiations, per diem rates, and occupancy; (v) fluctuations in our operating results because of, among other things, changes in occupancy levels; competition; contract renegotiations or terminations; inflation and other increases in costs of operations, including a rise in labor costs; fluctuations in interest rates and risks of operations; (vi) government budget uncertainty, the impact of the debt ceiling and the potential for government shutdowns and changing budget priorities; (vii) our ability to successfully identify and consummate future development and acquisition opportunities and realize projected returns resulting therefrom; (viii) our ability to have met and maintained qualification for taxation as a real estate investment trust, or REIT, for the years we elected REIT status; and (ix) the availability of debt and equity financing on terms that are favorable to us, or at all. Other factors that could cause operating and financial results to differ are described in the filings we make from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

We take no responsibility for updating the information contained in this press release following the date hereof to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date hereof or the occurrence of unanticipated events or for any changes or modifications made to this press release or the information contained herein by any third-parties, including, but not limited to, any wire or internet services, except as may be required by law.

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Seanergy Maritime (SHIP) – Third Quarter Financial Results Exceed Our Estimates


Thursday, November 07, 2024

Seanergy Maritime Holdings Corp. is a prominent pure-play Capesize shipping company listed in the U.S. capital markets. Seanergy provides marine dry bulk transportation services through a modern fleet of Capesize vessels. The Company’s operating fleet consists of 18 vessels (1 Newcastlemax and 17 Capesize) with an average age of approximately 13.4 years and an aggregate cargo carrying capacity of approximately 3,236,212 dwt. Upon completion of the delivery of the previously announced Capesize vessel acquisition, the Company’s operating fleet will consist of 19 vessels (1 Newcastlemax and 18 Capesize) with an aggregate cargo carrying capacity of approximately 3,417,608 dwt. The Company is incorporated in the Marshall Islands and has executive offices in Glyfada, Greece. The Company’s common shares trade on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “SHIP”.

Mark Reichman, Managing Director, Equity Research Analyst, Natural Resources, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Hans Baldau, Research Associate, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

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Third quarter financial results. The company reported third quarter adjusted EBITDA and earnings per share (EPS) of $26.8 million and $0.69, respectively, exceeding our estimates of $25.5 million and $0.61. Revenue was $1.1 million above our estimate, while expenses were only modestly higher. The variance to our net revenue estimate is attributed to lower commissions and greater fees from related parties. Operating income was $17.7 million compared to our estimate of $17.0 million. 

Updating estimates. We are lowering our 2024 adjusted EBITDA and EPS estimates to $101.7 million and $2.52, respectively, from our previous estimates of $102.1 million and $2.56. Additionally, we are lowering our 2025 adjusted EBITDA and EPS estimates to $93.7 million and $1.93, respectively, from $102.0 million and $2.39. The revisions are mainly due to lower time charter equivalent (TCE) rates and more dry-docking days in 2025, resulting in lower operating days and net revenue than previously estimated.


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CoreCivic, Inc. (CXW) – Solid 3Q24 Results – A First Look


Thursday, November 07, 2024

CoreCivic is a diversified, government-solutions company with the scale and experience needed to solve tough government challenges in flexible, cost-effective ways. We provide a broad range of solutions to government partners that serve the public good through high-quality corrections and detention management, a network of residential and non-residential alternatives to incarceration to help address America’s recidivism crisis, and government real estate solutions. We are the nation’s largest owner of partnership correctional, detention and residential reentry facilities, and believe we are the largest private owner of real estate used by government agencies in the United States. We have been a flexible and dependable partner for government for nearly 40 years. Our employees are driven by a deep sense of service, high standards of professionalism and a responsibility to help government better the public good. Learn more at www.corecivic.com.

Joe Gomes, CFA, Managing Director, Equity Research Analyst, Generalist , Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Joshua Zoepfel, Research Associate, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

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Solid Results and a Favorable Reaction. CoreCivic reported above expected 3Q24 results, driven by higher compensated occupancy and continued cost management. Notably, the results were achieved even with the headwinds of CalCity and South Texas, which resulted in ICE revenue declining 3.4% y-o-y. Excluding the South Texas facility, ICE revenue rose 10.9% y-o-y. CXW shares reacted favorably to the election results, rising nearly 30% to close at $17.58 yesterday.

Third Quarter Detail. Total revenue was at $491.6 million (including $5.7 million of deferred revenue related to South Texas), above our forecast of $479.5 million and above last year’s $483.7 million. Occupancy rates increased to 75.2% from 72.0% in the prior year. Operating margin improved 130 basis points y-o-y, reflecting the increased top line and cost control. Adjusted EBITDA was $83.3 million, up from $75.2 million. Net income was $21.1 million, or $0.19 per diluted share, compared to $13.9 million or $0.12 last year. Adjusted EPS was $0.20 versus $0.14 last year. We estimated net income of $10 million or $0.09 per diluted share.


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