NEWARK, N.Y., Feb. 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ultralife Corporation (NASDAQ:ULBI) reported operating income of $2.1 million on revenue of $22.5 million for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2017 compared to operating income of $1.6 million on revenue of $21.6 million for the fourth quarter of 2016.  For total year 2017, Ultralife produced operating income of $6.5 million on revenue of $85.5 million compared to operating income of $3.8 million on revenue of $82.5 million for 2016.

“We ended a year of growth and accomplishments with our highest quarterly revenue, operating profit and EPS in five years.   Driven by a 32% increase in revenue from a broad range of government and defense customers, we delivered a 9.1% operating profit margin, up 150 basis points over last year’s fourth quarter, on total Company revenue growth of 4%,” said Michael D. Popielec, President and Chief Executive Officer.  “Throughout 2017, we aggressively pursued exciting new revenue contributions from market and sales reach expansion, new product development and customer partnerships, while preparing to launch new products to serve emerging IoT demand.  We achieved our stated goal of generating profitable growth for the year, increasing operating income by 72% on a 4% gain in revenue.  As a result of the actions taken in 2017 to lay the foundation for new revenue contributions in 2018, we are starting the year with a higher backlog than last year.  The combination of new revenue opportunities and continued disciplined execution of our business model places us in an excellent position to extend our track record of profitable growth.”

Fourth Quarter 2017 Financial Results

Revenue was $22.5 million, an increase of $.9 million, or 4%, compared to $21.6 million for the fourth quarter of 2016 reflecting higher government/defense sales for both business segments.  Battery & Energy Products sales decreased 5% to $16.8 million compared to $17.6 million last year due primarily to timing differences in medical sales which caused commercial sales to come in below last year, not fully offset by a 25% increase in government/defense sales.  Communications Systems sales grew 42% to $5.7 million compared to $4.0 million for the same period last year reflecting a 64% year-over-year increase in shipments of core products such as our 20-watt amplifiers, universal vehicle adaptors and power supplies, as well as a 25% increase in Vehicle Installed Power Enhanced Riflemen Appliqué (“VIPER”) revenues.

Gross profit was $6.9 million, or 30.5% of revenue, compared to $6.8 million, or 31.5% of revenue, for the same quarter a year ago.  Battery & Energy Products’ gross margin was 28.6% compared to 29.4% last year, and Communications Systems’ gross margin was 36.2% compared to 40.6% last year,  primarily due to sales mix.

Operating expenses were $4.8 million compared to $5.2 million last year reflecting continued tight control over discretionary spending.  Operating expenses were 21.4% of revenue compared to 23.9% of revenue for the year earlier period.

Operating income was $2.1 million compared to $1.6 million last year for an operating margin of 9.1% compared to 7.6% last year.

Net income was $3.8 million, which includes a one-time $1.9 million tax benefit, compared to net income of $1.7 million last year.  Reported earnings per share for the fourth quarter of 2017 of $0.24 include $0.12 from our operating performance compared to $0.11 per share for the fourth quarter of 2016, plus $0.12 related to the tax benefit.  Earnings per share for the full year of $0.49 include $0.37 per share from our 2017 operating performance compared to $0.23 for 2016.

Income tax net benefit was $1.7 million for the fourth quarter of 2017 compared to $0.1 million last year.  As a result of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, a one-time, non-cash tax benefit of $1.9 million was recognized in the fourth quarter of 2017 upon the revaluation, at the newly enacted 21% Federal tax rate, of deferred tax liabilities relating to book-to-tax differences on goodwill and other intangible assets.  There was no earnings impact for the revaluation of our domestic deferred tax assets, which include our net operating losses, as they continue to be fully reserved.

About Ultralife Corporation

Ultralife Corporation serves its markets with products and services ranging from power solutions to communications and electronics systems. Through its engineering and collaborative approach to problem solving, Ultralife serves government, defense and commercial customers across the globe.

Headquartered in Newark, New York, the Company's business segments include Battery & Energy Products and Communications Systems. Ultralife has operations in North America, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit www.ultralifecorp.com.

Conference Call Information

Ultralife will hold its fourth quarter earnings conference call today at 10:00 AM ET. To participate in the live call, please dial (800) 915-4836 at least ten minutes before the scheduled start time, identify yourself and ask for the Ultralife call. A live webcast of the conference call will be available to investors in the Events & Presentations section of the Company's website at http://investor.ultralifecorporation.com. For those who cannot listen to the live broadcast, a replay of the webcast will be available shortly after the call at the same location.

This press release may contain forward-looking statements based on current expectations that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. The potential risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially include: potential reductions in revenues from key customers, uncertain global economic conditions and acceptance of our new products on a global basis. The Company cautions investors not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which reflect the Company's analysis only as of today's date. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.  Further information on these factors and other factors that could affect Ultralife’s financial results is included in Ultralife’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings, including the latest Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Company Contact:
Ultralife Corporation
Philip A. Fain
(315) 210-6110
pfain@ulbi.com 

Investor Relations Contact:
LHA
Jody Burfening
(212) 838-3777
jburfening@lhai.com 

Source: Ultralife Corporation