FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | NEWS |
August 7, 2008 | Amex – NGS |
NATURAL GAS SERVICES GROUP ANNOUNCES A 23% INCREASE IN DILUTED EARNINGS PER SHARE FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30, 2008
21% Increase In EBITDA For The Three Months Ended June 30, 2008
27% Increase In EPS (Diluted) For The Six Months Ended June 30, 2008
MIDLAND, Texas, August 7, 2008 – Natural Gas Services Group, Inc. (AMEX:NGS), a leading provider of equipment and services to the natural gas industry, announces its financial results for the second quarter and six months ended June 30, 2008.
(in thousand of dollars, except per share amounts) | | Three Months Ended June 30, | | | Change | | | Six Months Ended June 30, | | | Change | |
| | 2007 | | | 2008 | | | | | | 2007 | | | 2008 | | | | |
| | (unaudited) | | | | | | (unaudited) | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Revenue | | $ | 17,624 | | | $ | 19,478 | | | | 11 | % | | $ | 34,336 | | | $ | 38,411 | | | | 12 | % |
Operating income | | $ | 4,134 | | | $ | 5,145 | | | | 24 | % | | $ | 8,337 | | | $ | 10,598 | | | | 27 | % |
Net income | | $ | 2,646 | | | $ | 3,333 | | | | 26 | % | | $ | 5,327 | | | $ | 6,850 | | | | 29 | % |
EPS (Basic) | | $ | 0.22 | | | $ | 0.28 | | | | 27 | % | | $ | 0.44 | | | $ | 0.57 | | | | 30 | % |
EPS (Diluted) | | $ | 0.22 | | | $ | 0.27 | | | | 23 | % | | $ | 0.44 | | | $ | 0.56 | | | | 27 | % |
EBITDA | | $ | 6,308 | | | $ | 7,650 | | | | 21 | % | | $ | 12,580 | | | $ | 15,461 | | | | 23 | % |
Weighted avg. shares outstanding: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Basic | | | 12,063 | | | | 12,088 | | | | | | | | 12,065 | | | | 12,087 | | | | | |
Diluted | | | 12,091 | | | | 12,152 | | | | | | | | 12,087 | | | | 12,150 | | | | | |
Revenue: Total revenue increased from $17.6 million to $19.5 million, or 11%, for the three months ended June 30, 2008, compared to the same period ended June 30, 2007. This increase was primarily the result of a 40% growth in rental revenue. Total revenues for the comparable six-month periods increased 12%, or $4.1 million. This increase was the result of 35% higher rental revenue.
Operating income: Operating income increased from $4.1 million to $5.1 million, or 24%, for the three months ended June 30, 2008, compared to the same period ended June 30, 2007. Operating income increased from $8.3 million to $10.6 million, or 27%, for the six months ended June 30, 2008 compared to the same period ended June 30, 2007. Growth in operating income benefited primarily from the appreciably higher compressor sales and rental gross margins achieved in the comparable quarterly and year-to-date periods. Operating income was also affected by the positive product mix shift between rental and sales, where relatively higher rental revenues and margins increased operating income during the period.
Net income: Net income for the three months ended June 30, 2008, increased 26% to $3.3 million, as compared to net income of $2.6 million for the same period in 2007. Net income for the first half of 2008 increased 29% to $6.9 million, as compared to net income of $5.3 million for the same period in 2007. The increase for the first six months of 2008 was mainly the result of increased operating income and lower interest expense on bank debt.
EBITDA: EBITDA (see discussion of EBITDA at the end of this release) increased 21% to $7.7 million for the second quarter ended June 30, 2008, versus $6.3 million for the same period in 2007, and grew 23% for the comparable half-year periods.
Earnings per share: Earnings per diluted share were $0.27 during the three months ending June 30, 2008 as compared to $0.22 during the same 2007 period, a 23% increase. Comparing the first six months of 2007 versus 2008, our earnings per diluted share grew from $0.44 to $0.56, or 27%.
Steve Taylor, President and CEO of Natural Gas Services Group, Inc., said “We are pleased our results this quarter and for the comparative six-month period continue to reflect vigorous growth in our compressor rental revenues, and that our sales revenues continue to generate exceptionally high margins. Our fabricated output of rental compressors has ramped up in accordance with our expectations, and we anticipate that our 2008 fleet growth will trend towards the upper end of our previously projected 300-350 units.”
The Company has scheduled a conference call Thursday, August 7, 2008 at 10:00 a.m., Central Daylight Time, to discuss 2008 Second Quarter and Six Months Financial Results.
What: Natural Gas Services Group, Inc. 2008 Second Quarter and Six Months Financial Results Conference Call
When: Thursday, August 7, 2008 at 10:00 a.m. CST
How: Live via phone by dialing 800-624-7038. Code: Natural Gas Services. Participants to the Conference call should call in at least 5 minutes prior to the start time.
Steve Taylor, President and CEO of Natural Gas Services Group, Inc. will be leading the call and discussing second quarter and six months financial results. Mr. Taylor will also be interviewed on FOX Business News Network at 2:40PM CDST/3:40PM EDST by Liz Claman, host of ‘Countdown To The Last Bell’.
About Natural Gas Services Group, Inc. (NGS)
NGS is a leading provider of small to medium horsepower, wellhead compression equipment to the natural gas industry with a primary focus on the non-conventional gas industry, i.e., coalbed methane, gas shales and tight gas. The Company manufactures, fabricates, rents and maintains natural gas compressors that enhance the production of natural gas wells. The Company also designs and sells custom fabricated natural gas compressors to particular customer specifications and sells flare systems for gas plant and production facilities. NGS is headquartered in Midland, Texas with manufacturing facilities located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Lewiston, Michigan and Midland, Texas and service facilities located in major gas producing basins in the U.S.
For More Information, Contact: | |
| Jim Drewitz, Investor Relations |
| 530-669-2466 |
| jim@jdcreativeoptions.com |
Or visit the Company's website at www.ngsgi.com |
“EBITDA” reflects net income or loss before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. EBITDA is a measure used by analysts and investors as an indicator of operating cash flow since it excludes the impact of movements in working capital items, non-cash charges and financing costs. Therefore, EBITDA gives the investor information as to the cash generated from the operations of a business. However, EBITDA is not a measure of financial performance under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”), and should not be considered a substitute for other financial measures of performance. EBITDA as calculated by NGS may not be comparable to EBITDA as calculated and reported by other companies. The most comparable GAAP measure to EBITDA is net income. The reconciliation of net income to EBITDA and gross margin is as follows:
We define gross margin as total revenue less cost of sales (excluding depreciation and amortization expense). Gross margin is included as a supplemental disclosure because it is a primary measure used by our management as it represents the results of revenue and cost of sales (excluding depreciation and amortization expense), which are key components of our operations. Because we use capital assets, depreciation expense is a necessary element of our costs and our ability to generate revenue and selling, general and administrative expense is a necessary cost to support our operations and required corporate activities. Management uses this non-GAAP measure as a supplemental measure to other GAAP results to provide a more complete understanding of our performance. As an indicator of our operating performance, gross margin should not be considered an alternative to, or more meaningful than, net income as determined in accordance with GAAP. Our gross margin may not be comparable to a similarly titled measure of another company because other entities may not calculate gross margin in the same manner.
Except for historical information contained herein, the statements in this release are forward-looking and made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause NGS’s actual results in future periods to differ materially from forecasted results. Those risks include, among other things, the loss of market share through competition or otherwise; the introduction of competing technologies by other companies; a prolonged, substantial reduction in oil and gas prices which could cause a decline in the demand for NGS’s products and services; and new governmental safety, health and environmental regulations which could require NGS to make significant capital expenditures. The forward-looking statements included in this press release are only made as of the date of this press release, and NGS undertakes no obligation to publicly update such forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances. A discussion of these factors is included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.