SAN DIEGO, Nov. 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (Nasdaq:KTOS), a leading National Security Solutions provider, today reported its third quarter 2022 financial results. For the third quarter of 2022, Kratos reported Revenues of $228.6 million, Operating Loss of $3.6 million, Net Loss of $8.0 million, Adjusted EBITDA of $20.0 million and a book to bill ratio of 1.1 to 1.0.  

Included in Net Loss is a $6.4 million charge, $3.4 million related to certain non-recoverable costs, including rate and cost growth items resulting from an inability to hire the required planned direct labor base, both internally and by our subcontractors, to execute on our backlog, due to a continuing challenging industry environment in both hiring and retaining skilled manufacturing personnel in our C5ISR business and $3 million from non-recoverable indirect cost rate growth resulting from a smaller than planned direct labor base due to delays in customer program execution and awards in our Training Solutions business. We have recorded this charge as the Department of Defense (DoD) position remains that Requests for Equitable Adjustment (REAs) will not be accepted by contractors like Kratos for inflation related and other increased costs, and as Kratos’ contract mix in the C5ISR and Training Solutions businesses is substantially firm fixed price, we are unable to absorb and pass on to our customers such unanticipated costs in our programs, contracts and rate structures and remain competitive, including as certain program execution work has either not yet commenced or has just begun.

Third quarter 2022 Operating Loss includes non-cash stock compensation expense of $6.6 million, and Company-funded Research and Development expense of $9.6 million, primarily reflecting significant ongoing development efforts being made, including in our Space and   Satellite business to develop our virtual, software-based OpenSpace ground station solution.

Kratos reported a third quarter 2022 GAAP loss per share of $0.06, which includes the $6.4 million charge noted above, compared to a Net Loss of $2.4 million and a GAAP loss per share of $0.02 for the third quarter of 2021. Adjusted EPS was $0.08 for the third quarter of 2022, compared to $0.09 for the third quarter of 2021.

Third quarter 2022 Revenues of $228.6 million, which increased $28.0 million, or 14.0 percent, from third quarter 2021 Revenues of $200.6 million, were adversely impacted by continuing and increased supply chain disruptions and increased material costs, COVID-related employee absenteeism and increased challenges and costs associated with hiring, obtaining and retaining qualified employees, which resulted in approximately $11.3 million of third quarter 2022 revenues being deferred into future periods, with approximately $5.9 million of associated operating income, including increased inflationary costs. Third quarter 2022 revenues include an aggregate contribution of $30.2 million from the recent acquisitions of Cosmic Advanced Engineered Solutions, Inc. (Cosmic AES), CTT, Inc. (CTT), and the Engineering Division of Southern Research Institute (SRE), organic revenue growth in our C5ISR, Turbine Technologies, Microwave Products, and Rocket Support businesses, primarily offset by reduced volume in our Unmanned Systems and Training Solutions businesses.

Third quarter 2022 Cash Flow Used in Operations was $2.8 million.   Free Cash Flow Used in Operations was $15.7 million, after funding $12.9 million of capital expenditures, including in our Unmanned Systems, Space, Satellite and Cyber and Turbine Technologies business areas.

For the third quarter of 2022, Kratos’ Unmanned Systems Segment (KUS) generated Revenues of $50.0 million, as compared to $61.3 million in the third quarter of 2021, primarily reflecting reduced tactical drone related activity as compared to 2021. KUS Operating Loss was $0.1 million in the third quarter of 2022 compared to KUS Operating Income of $2.6 million in the third quarter of 2021, reflecting reduced volumes, a less favorable mix of revenues, including an increase in development programs which typically generate lower margins, an increase in SG&A costs of approximately $0.2 million resulting primarily from increased headcount, and an increase of R&D expenses of approximately $1.0 million.

KUS Adjusted EBITDA for the third quarter of 2022 was $2.1 million, compared to third quarter 2021 KUS Adjusted EBITDA of $4.7 million, reflecting reduced volume, increases in certain development programs which typically generate lower margins and increases in SG&A, R&D, supply chain related and employee costs.
        
KUS’s book-to-bill ratio for the third quarter of 2022 was 1.0 to 1.0 and 1.0 to 1.0 for the last twelve months ended September 25, 2022, with bookings of $221.3 million for the twelve months ended September 25, 2022.   Total backlog for KUS at the end of the third quarter of 2022 was $202.4 million compared to $203.3 million at the end of the second quarter of 2022.

For the third quarter of 2022, Kratos’ Government Solutions Segment (KGS) reported Revenues of $178.6 million, compared to Revenues of $139.3 million in the third quarter of 2021. The increased revenues include the aggregate contribution of approximately $30.2 million from the recently acquired Cosmic AES, CTT and SRE, and organic revenue growth in our C5ISR, Turbine Technologies, Microwave Products, and Rocket Support businesses, primarily offset by a reduction of $2.8 million in our Training Solutions business.    On a proforma basis, excluding the Training Solutions business, KGS revenues grew organically 8.9 percent or $11.8 million, from $133.1 million in the third quarter of 2021 to $144.9 million in the third quarter of 2022.

KGS reported operating income of $3.3 million in the third quarter of 2022, compared to $14.6 million in the third quarter of 2021. Third quarter 2022 operating income included the charge for non-recoverable costs of $6.4 million in our C5ISR and Training Solutions businesses described above, as well as a $0.6 million charge related to excess Training Solutions facilities.     

Kratos’ Space, Satellite and Cyber business generated Revenues of $85.9 million in the third quarter of 2022, compared to $72.0 million in the third quarter of 2021. Excluding revenues generated of $15.6 million from the recent Cosmic AES acquisition, revenues for our Space, Satellite and Cyber business were $70.3 million in the third quarter of 2022, down approximately $1.7 million reflecting the wind-down of a federal services satellite contract in 2021.

Excluding the impact of the $6.4 million charge related to non-recoverable costs and the $0.6 million charge related to excess Training Solutions facilities, third quarter 2022 KGS Adjusted EBITDA was $17.9 million, compared to third quarter 2021 KGS Adjusted EBITDA of $19.1 million.

For the third quarter of 2022, KGS reported a book-to-bill ratio of 1.1 to 1.0, with a book to bill ratio of 1.2 to 1.0 for the twelve months ended September 25, 2022, and bookings of $807.6 million for the twelve months ended September 25, 2022.   Included in KGS is Kratos’ Space, Satellite and Cyber business, which reported a book to bill ratio of 1.1 to 1.0 for the third quarter of 2022, and a book to bill ratio of 1.2 to 1.0 for the twelve months ended September 25, 2022. Bookings for the Space, Satellite and Cyber business for the last twelve months ended September 25, 2022, were $406.2 million. KGS’s total backlog at the end of the third quarter of 2022 was $866.6 million, as compared to $846.9 million at the end of the second quarter of 2022.

For the third quarter of 2022, Kratos reported consolidated bookings of $246.5 million and a book-to-bill ratio of 1.1 to 1.0, with consolidated bookings of $1.029 billion and a book-to-bill ratio of 1.2 to 1.0 for the last twelve months ended September 25, 2022. Backlog on September 25, 2022 was $1.07 billion, as compared to $1.05 billion at June 26, 2022, and Kratos’ bid and proposal pipeline was $9.9 billion at September 25, 2022, as compared to $9.9 billion at June 26, 2022.   Backlog at September 25, 2022 was comprised of funded backlog of $696.1 million and unfunded backlog of $372.8 million.

Eric DeMarco, Kratos’ President and CEO, said, “In the third quarter, Kratos successfully executed on what we can control in a continued and increasingly difficult operating environment, including a 1.1 to 1.0 book to bill ratio and the recent MACH-TB Hypersonic program award with our partner Dynetics, which could be significant related to Kratos’ Zeus launch systems and Erinyes vehicles.   Expected upcoming awards for Kratos include an additional new hypersonic related program award, two new Valkyrie related tactical drone system awards from two new customers for multiple aircraft and a large OpenSpace virtualized satellite system program award.”