Gross profit increased by $12.8 million, or 113%, during the third quarter of 2022 as compared to the prior year. Gross margin in the third quarter of 2022 was 19.3%, an increase of 9.7 percentage points compared to 9.6% last year, primarily due to the impact of higher sales, improved mix and pricing actions, and lower warranty expenses, among other items. For the three months ended September 30, 2022, warranty costs were $3.5 million, a decrease of $3.8 million compared to warranty costs of $7.3 million last year, due largely to lower volumes and a contract revision for the transportation end market engines during the three months ended September 30, 2022. A majority of the warranty activity is attributable to products sold within the transportation end market.
Operating expenses decreased by $0.1 million, or 1%, versus the comparable period in 2021, due to lower research, development, and engineering (“R&D”) expenses as R&D expenses declined by $0.6 million during the third quarter of 2022 versus the prior year, primarily due to overall efficiency improvements, executed R&D projects based on market trends and demands, as well as other prudent cost control measures taken during in the period. Additionally, selling, general and administrative costs increased $0.6 million primarily attributable to higher incentive compensation expense and an increase of a legal reserve for an ongoing litigation matter offset by lower legal costs related to the Company’s indemnification obligations of former officers and employees in relation to the conclusion of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois’ trial involving former officers and employees during September 2021.
Interest expense was $3.6 million in the third quarter of 2022 as compared to $1.6 million in the prior year, largely due to higher average outstanding debt and a higher overall effective interest rate on the Company’s debt during the third quarter of 2022.
Net income in the third quarter of 2022 was $3.2 million, or $0.14 per share, versus a net loss of $7.2 million, or a loss of $0.31 per share for the comparable prior year period. Adjusted net income was $4.2 million, or Adjusted earnings per share of $0.18, versus Adjusted net loss of $4.8 million, or Adjusted loss per share of $0.21 for the third quarter of 2021. Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“Adjusted EBITDA”) was positive at $9.9 million compared to an Adjusted EBITDA loss of $1.5 million in the third quarter last year.
Net cash flows provided by operating activities was $12.5 million in the third quarter of 2022 as compared to net cash used by operating activities of $24.9 million in the prior year, primarily driven by the increase in earnings and improvements from working capital accounts.
See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” below for the Company’s definition of total Adjusted net income (loss), Adjusted earnings (loss) per share, EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA and the financial tables that accompany this release for reconciliations of these measures to their closest comparable GAAP measures.
Debt Update
The Company’s total debt was approximately $211.7 million at September 30, 2022, while cash and cash equivalents were approximately $16.5 million. Included in the Company’s total debt at September 30, 2022 were borrowings of $130.0 million under the Uncommitted Revolving Credit Agreement with Standard Chartered Bank (the “Credit Agreement”) and borrowings of $25.0 million, $50.0 million, and $5 million under the Second, Third and Fourth Shareholder’s Loan Agreements, respectively, with Weichai America Corp., the Company’s majority stockholder. The Credit Agreement includes financial covenants which were effective for the three months ended September 30, 2022, including an interest coverage ratio and a minimum EBITDA threshold, as further defined in the Credit Agreement. For the three months ended September 30, 2022, the Company was in compliance with the covenants.