Comtech Telecommunications Corp. Announces Results for Fiscal 2018 First Quarter and Updates Its Fiscal 2018 Guidance

MELVILLE, N.Y. –
December 6, 2017– Comtech Telecommunications Corp. (NASDAQ:CMTL) today
reported its operating results for the first fiscal quarter ended
October 31, 2017 and updated its fiscal 2018 guidance.

Fiscal 2018 First Quarter Highlights

  • Net sales were $121.6 million.
  • Bookings were $165.7 million and Comtech achieved a company-wide
    book-to-bill ratio (a measure defined as bookings divided by net
    sales) of 1.36.
  • As of October 31, 2017, the Company had backlog of $490.4 million.
  • GAAP operating income was $0.2 million and GAAP net loss was $1.7
    million, or $0.07 per diluted share. Comtech’s first quarter 2018
    financial results do not include the benefit of $2.5 million of BFT-1
    intellectual property license fees that Comtech earned in the first
    quarter of fiscal 2017 supporting the U.S. Army’s Blue Force Tracking
    Program.
  • Adjusted EBITDA was $9.6 million for the three months ended October
    31, 2017. Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure which is
    reconciled to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure and
    is more fully defined in the below table.
  • Comtech generated cash flows from operating activities of $6.5 million.
  • Comtech paid cash dividends of $2.5 million to its common stockholders.
  • As of October 31, 2017, the Company had $42.5 million of cash and cash
    equivalents.

In commenting on Comtech’s performance during the first quarter of
fiscal 2018 and Comtech’s fiscal 2018 guidance, Fred Kornberg, President
and Chief Executive Officer, stated “Fiscal 2018 is off to a good start
and our first quarter results exceeded our expectations. During the
quarter, we received a number of large strategic orders and experienced
strong order flow across many of our product lines. Based on our current
business momentum, fiscal 2018 is beginning to look like a very strong
year.”

2018 Fiscal Year Financial Targets

  • Comtech is still targeting a revenue goal with a range of
    approximately $550.0 million to $575.0 million.
  • Comtech is increasing its GAAP diluted EPS goal to a new range of
    $0.44 to $0.46, as compared to a prior range of $0.41 to $0.44.
  • Comtech is increasing its Adjusted EBITDA goal to a new range of $69.0
    million to $73.0 million, as compared to a prior range of $68.0
    million to $72.0 million. If order flow remains strong and Comtech is
    able to achieve all of its fiscal 2018 business goals, it is possible
    that Adjusted EBITDA in fiscal 2018 could exceed the $70.7 million it
    achieved in fiscal 2017.
  • In line with Comtech’s original 2018 Fiscal Year Financial Targets,
    given the straight-line amortization expense associated with
    intangible assets with finite lives, on a GAAP basis, Comtech expects
    to report an operating loss and net loss in the second quarter of
    fiscal 2018, with each of the third and fourth quarters of fiscal 2018
    achieving operating income and net income.
  • Based on the anticipated timing of shipments and performance related
    to orders currently in its backlog and the timing of expected new
    orders, net sales for the second quarter of fiscal 2018 are expected
    to be slightly higher than the level Comtech achieved in its most
    recent fiscal quarter but lower than its second quarter of fiscal
    2017. Adjusted EBITDA for Comtech’s second quarter of fiscal 2018 is
    expected to approximate the $9.6 million it achieved in its first
    quarter of fiscal 2018.
  • Comtech’s fourth quarter of fiscal 2018 is expected to be the peak
    quarter – by far – for consolidated net sales, GAAP operating income,
    GAAP net income and Adjusted EBITDA.
  • Comtech’s 2018 Fiscal Year Financial Targets do not include $6.7
    million of BFT-1 intellectual property license fees that Comtech
    earned in fiscal 2017 supporting the U.S. Army’s Blue Force Tracking
    Program.

Additional information about the Company’s fiscal 2018 guidance is
included in the Company’s first quarter investor presentation which is
located on the Company’s website at www.comtechtel.com.

Conference Call

The Company has scheduled an investor conference call for 8:30 AM (ET)
on Thursday, December 7, 2017. Investors and the public are invited to
access a live webcast of the conference call from the Investor Relations
section of the Comtech website at www.comtechtel.com.
Alternatively, investors can access the conference call by dialing (866)
342-8591 (domestic), or (203) 518-9822 (international) and using the
conference I.D. “Comtech.” A replay of the conference call will be
available for seven days by dialing (800) 753-5207 or (402) 220-2156. In
addition, an updated investor presentation, including earnings guidance,
is available on the Company’s website.

About Comtech

Comtech Telecommunications Corp. designs, develops, produces and markets
innovative products, systems and services for advanced communications
solutions. The Company sells products to a diverse customer base in the
global commercial and government communications markets.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain information in this press release contains forward-looking
statements, including but not limited to, information relating to the
Company’s future performance and financial condition, plans and
objectives of the Company’s management and the Company’s assumptions
regarding such future performance, financial condition, and plans and
objectives that involve certain significant known and unknown risks and
uncertainties and other factors not under the Company’s control which
may cause its actual results, future performance and financial
condition, and achievement of plans and objectives of the Company’s
management to be materially different from the results, performance or
other expectations implied by these forward-looking statements. These
factors include, among other things: the risk that the Company will be
unsuccessful in implementing a tactical shift in its Government
Solutions segment away from bidding on large commodity service contracts
and toward pursuing contracts for its niche products with higher
margins; the nature and timing of receipt of, and the Company’s
performance on, new or existing orders that can cause significant
fluctuations in net sales and operating results; the timing and funding
of government contracts; adjustments to gross profits on long-term
contracts; risks associated with international sales; rapid
technological change; evolving industry standards; new product
announcements and enhancements, including the risks associated with the
Company’s recent launch of HEIGHTSTM Dynamic Network Access
Technology; changing customer demands; changes in prevailing economic
and political conditions; changes in the price of oil in global markets;
changes in foreign currency exchange rates; risks associated with the
Company’s and TCS’s legacy legal proceedings, customer claims for
indemnification and other similar matters; risks associated with the
Company’s obligations under its Secured Credit Facility, as amended;
risks associated with the Company’s large contracts; the impacts of any
potential reform of the Internal Revenue Code which is currently being
debated amongst members of the U.S. Presidential administration and
Congress; and other factors described in this and the Company’s other
filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

COMTECH TELECOMMUNICATIONS CORP.

AND SUBSIDIARIES

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations

(Unaudited)

Three months ended October 31,
2017 2016
Net sales $ 121,569,000 $ 135,786,000
Cost of sales 73,853,000 83,678,000
Gross profit 47,716,000 52,108,000
Expenses:
Selling, general and administrative 28,475,000 32,685,000
Research and development 13,750,000 14,096,000
Amortization of intangibles 5,269,000 6,055,000
47,494,000 52,836,000
Operating income (loss) 222,000 (728,000 )
Other expenses (income):
Interest expense 2,588,000 3,325,000
Interest (income) and other 39,000 (2,000 )
Loss before benefit from income taxes (2,405,000 ) (4,051,000 )
Benefit from income taxes (745,000 ) (1,562,000 )
Net loss $ (1,660,000 ) $ (2,489,000 )
Net loss per share:
Basic $ (0.07 ) $ (0.11 )
Diluted $ (0.07 ) $ (0.11 )
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding – basic 23,797,000 23,385,000
Weighted average number of common and common equivalent shares
outstanding – diluted
23,797,000 23,385,000
Dividends declared per issued and outstanding common share as of the
applicable dividend record date
$ 0.10 $ 0.30

COMTECH TELECOMMUNICATIONS CORP.

AND SUBSIDIARIES

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets

October 31, 2017 July 31, 2017
(Unaudited) (Audited)
Assets

Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents $ 42,507,000 41,844,000
Accounts receivable, net 113,943,000 124,962,000
Inventories, net 70,191,000 60,603,000
Prepaid expenses and other current assets 15,302,000 13,635,000
Total current assets 241,943,000 241,044,000
Property, plant and equipment, net 31,401,000 32,847,000
Goodwill 290,633,000 290,633,000
Intangibles with finite lives, net 256,602,000 261,871,000
Deferred financing costs, net 2,850,000 3,065,000
Other assets, net 2,803,000 2,603,000
Total assets $ 826,232,000 832,063,000
Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable $ 30,512,000 29,402,000
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 63,103,000 68,610,000
Dividends payable 2,351,000 2,343,000
Customer advances and deposits 22,668,000 25,771,000
Current portion of long-term debt 16,135,000 15,494,000
Current portion of capital lease obligations 2,064,000 2,309,000
Interest payable 69,000 282,000
Total current liabilities 136,902,000 144,211,000
Non-current portion of long-term debt, net 175,193,000 176,228,000
Non-current portion of capital lease obligations 1,293,000 1,771,000
Income taxes payable 2,550,000 2,515,000
Deferred tax liability, net 20,024,000 17,306,000
Customer advances and deposits, non-current 8,695,000 7,227,000
Other liabilities 5,556,000 2,655,000
Total liabilities 350,213,000 351,913,000
Commitments and contingencies
Stockholders’ equity:
Preferred stock, par value $.10 per share; shares authorized and
unissued 2,000,000
Common stock, par value $.10 per share; authorized 100,000,000
shares; issued 38,640,511 shares and 38,619,467 shares at October
31, 2017 and July 31, 2017, respectively
3,864,000 3,862,000
Additional paid-in capital 532,940,000 533,001,000
Retained earnings 381,064,000 385,136,000
917,868,000 921,999,000
Less:
Treasury stock, at cost (15,033,317 shares at October 31, 2017 and
July 31, 2017)
(441,849,000 ) (441,849,000 )
Total stockholders’ equity 476,019,000 480,150,000
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity $ 826,232,000 832,063,000

COMTECH TELECOMMUNICATIONS CORP.
AND SUBSIDIARIES
Reconciliation
of Non-GAAP Financial Measures to GAAP Financial Measures
(Unaudited)

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

In order to provide investors with additional information regarding its
financial results, this press release contains “Non-GAAP financial
measures” under the rules of the SEC. The Company’s Adjusted EBITDA is a
Non-GAAP measure that represents earnings (loss) before income taxes,
interest (income) and other expense, interest expense, amortization of
stock-based compensation, amortization of intangibles, depreciation
expense, settlement of intellectual property litigation, acquisition
plan expenses or strategic alternatives analysis expenses and other. The
Company’s definition of Adjusted EBITDA may differ from the definition
of EBITDA used by other companies and therefore may not be comparable to
similarly titled measures used by other companies. Adjusted EBITDA is
also a measure frequently requested by the Company’s investors and
analysts. The Company believes that investors and analysts may use
Adjusted EBITDA, along with other information contained in its SEC
filings, in assessing the Company’s performance and comparability of its
results with other companies. These Non-GAAP financial measures have
limitations as an analytical tool as they exclude the financial impact
of transactions necessary to conduct the Company’s business, such as the
granting of equity compensation awards, and are not intended to be an
alternative to financial measures prepared in accordance with GAAP.
These measures are adjusted as described in the reconciliation of GAAP
to Non-GAAP in the below table, but these adjustments should not be
construed as an inference that all of these adjustments or costs are
unusual, infrequent or non-recurring. Non-GAAP financial measures should
be considered in addition to, and not as a substitute for or superior
to, financial measures determined in accordance with GAAP. Investors are
advised to carefully review the GAAP financial results that are
disclosed in the Company’s SEC filings. The Company has not
quantitatively reconciled its fiscal 2018 Adjusted EBITDA target to the
most directly comparable GAAP measure because items such as stock-based
compensation, adjustments to the provision for income taxes,
amortization of intangibles and interest expense, which are specific
items that impact these measures, have not yet occurred, are out of the
Company’s control, or cannot be predicted. For example, quantification
of stock-based compensation expense requires inputs such as the number
of shares granted and market price that are not currently ascertainable.
Accordingly, reconciliations to the Non-GAAP forward looking metrics are
not available without unreasonable effort and such unavailable
reconciling items could significantly impact the Company’s financial
results.

Three months ended October 31, Fiscal Year
2017 2016 2017
Reconciliation of GAAP Net (Loss) Income to Adjusted EBITDA:
Net (loss) income $ (1,660,000 ) (2,489,000 ) $ 15,827,000
(Benefit from) provision for income taxes (745,000 ) (1,562,000 ) 9,654,000
Interest (income) and other expense 39,000 (2,000 ) (68,000 )
Interest expense 2,588,000 3,325,000 11,629,000
Amortization of stock-based compensation 747,000 970,000 8,506,000
Amortization of intangibles 5,269,000 6,055,000 22,823,000
Depreciation 3,346,000 3,749,000 14,354,000
Settlement of intellectual property litigation (12,020,000 )
Adjusted EBITDA $ 9,584,000 10,046,000 $ 70,705,000

ECMTL

Media:
Michael D. Porcelain, Senior Vice President and Chief
Financial Officer
(631) 962-7103
[email protected]

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