UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-QSB
x QUARTERLY REPORT UNDER SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES
EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For The Quarterly Period Ended | August 31, 2005 | ||
o TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES
EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Commission File Number: | 000-33305 | ||||
FLIGHT SAFETY TECHNOLOGIES, INC. | ||
(Exact name of small business issuer as specified in its charter) |
Nevada | 95-4863690 | |||
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) | (IRS Employer Identification No.) | |||
28 Cottrell Street, Mystic, Connecticut 06355 | ||||
(Address of principal executive offices) | ||||
(860) 245-0191 | ||||
(Issuer's telephone number) | ||||
(Former name, former address and former fiscal year, if changed since last report) |
Check whether the issuer (1) filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act during the past 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.
Yesx Noo
Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yeso Nox
The number of shares of common stock outstanding as of October 13, 2005 was 8,215,110 shares.
Transitional Small Business Disclosure Format: Yeso Nox
FLIGHT SAFETY TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
INDEX
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PART I - FINANCIAL INFORMATION |
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Item 1. | Financial Statements. | 3 | |
a) | Balance Sheets as of August 31, 2005 and May 31, 2005 | 3 | |
b) | Statements of Operations and Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) | 4 | |
c) | Statements of Changes in Stockholders Equity for the | 5 | |
d) | Statements of Cash Flow for the Three Months Ended | 6 | |
e) | Notes to the Financial Statements for the Three Months Ended | 7 | |
Item 2. | Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations. | 14 | |
Item 3. | Controls and Procedures. | 40 | |
PART II - OTHER INFORMATION | 41 | ||
Item 1. | Legal Proceedings. | 41 | |
Item 5. | Other Information. | 41 | |
Item 6. | Exhibits and Reports on Form 8-K. | 42 | |
SIGNATURES | 43 |
PART I - FINANCIAL INFORMATION
FLIGHT SAFETY TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Balance Sheets
as of
August 31, 2005 and May 31, 2005
Unaudited
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Assets | ||||||||||
Current assets: | ||||||||||
Cash and cash equivalents | $ | 1,967,596 | $ | 2,519,837 | ||||||
Contract receivables | 660,979 | 415,617 | ||||||||
Investments held to maturity | 4,004,246 | 4,033,759 | ||||||||
Investments available for sale at fair value | 828,381 | 835,233 | ||||||||
Inventory | 108,044 | 108,044 | ||||||||
Other current assets | 32,577 | 51,721 | ||||||||
Total current assets | 7,601,823 | 7,964,211 | ||||||||
Property and equipment, net of accumulated |
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Other Assets: | ||||||||||
Intangible assets, net of accumulated |
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Investments held to maturity | 500,002 | 500,002 | ||||||||
Other receivables | 339,270 | 330,010 | ||||||||
Total Other Assets | 1,019,785 | 1,010,574 | ||||||||
Total Assets | $ | 8,855,425 | $ | 9,183,347 | ||||||
Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity | ||||||||||
Current liabilities: | ||||||||||
Accounts payable | $ | 735,208 | $ | 589,313 | ||||||
Accrued expenses | 169,115 | 180,340 | ||||||||
Total current liabilities | 904,323 | 769,653 | ||||||||
Stockholders' equity: | ||||||||||
Preferred Stock, $0.001 par value, |
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Common stock, $0.001 par value, |
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Additional paid-in-capital | 13,069,863 | 13,069,863 | ||||||||
Treasury Stock, 116,300 shares at cost | (199,827) | (199,827) | ||||||||
Accumulated other comprehensive loss | --- | (164,023) | ||||||||
Unearned stock compensation | --- | (4,769) | ||||||||
Accumulated deficit | (4,927,265) | (4,295,881) | ||||||||
Total stockholders' equity | 7,951,102 | 8,413,694 | ||||||||
Total Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity | $ | 8,855,425 | $ | 9,183,347 |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements
FLIGHT SAFETY TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Statements of Operations and Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
For The Three Month Periods Ended August 31, 2005 and August 31, 2004
Unaudited
Three | Three | ||||
Contract Revenues | $ 1,218,460 | $ 1,435,952 | |||
Cost of Revenues | 781,930 | 1,011,844 | |||
Gross Profit | 436,530 | 424,108 | |||
Operating Expenses | |||||
Research and development | 398,451 | 82,555 | |||
Selling, general and administrative | 522,740 | 410,437 | |||
Depreciation and amortization | 31,405 | 21,783 | |||
Total Operating Expenses | 952,596 | 514,775 | |||
Loss from Operations | (516,066) | (90,667) | |||
Other Income (Expense) | |||||
Interest income | 61,757 | 48,255 | |||
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Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) | |||||
Unrealized losses arising during period | (6,852) | (15,253) | |||
Comprehensive (loss) | $(467,361) | $(64,580) | |||
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Basic and diluted | $ (.08) | $ (.01) | |||
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Basic and diluted | 8,215,110 | 8,226,748 |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements
FLIGHT SAFETY TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Statements of Changes in Stockholders Equity
For the Three Months Ended August 31, 2005 and August 31, 2004
Unaudited
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Shares | Amount | ||||||||||||||||||
Balance at |
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| 9,959,723 | |||||
Unearned stock |
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| 15,741 | |||||||||||
Other Comprehensive |
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Purchase of Treasury |
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Net Loss | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | (49,327) | (49,327) | |||||||||||
Balance at |
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Balance at |
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| 8,413,694 | ||||
Unearned stock compensation |
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Other comprehensive |
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Net loss | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | (631,384) | (631,384) | |||||||||||
Balance at |
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The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements
FLIGHT SAFETY TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Statements of Cash Flow
For the Three Months Ended August 31, 2005 and August 31, 2004
Unaudited
For the Three Months Ended | ||||||
2005 | 2004 | |||||
Cash flows from operating activities: | ||||||
Net loss | $ (631,384) | $ (49,327) | ||||
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities: | ||||||
Depreciation and amortization | 31,405 | 29,465 | ||||
Non-cash compensation - common stock | 4,769 | 15,741 | ||||
Loss on investments available for sale | 170,875 | -- | ||||
Accretion on investment discounts | (27,647) | -- | ||||
Changes in operating assets and liabilities: | ||||||
(Increase) decrease in other receivables | (9,260) | (62,629) | ||||
(Increase) decrease in other current assets | 19,144 | 7,993 | ||||
(Increase) decrease in contract receivables | (245,362) | 125,093 | ||||
Increase (decrease) in accounts payable and accrued |
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Net cash used in operating activities | (552,790) | (177,522) | ||||
Cash flows from investing activities: | ||||||
Purchase of held to maturity securities | (5,047,840) | (4,972,035) | ||||
Proceeds from maturity of held to maturity securities Purchases of property and equipment | 5,105,000 (54,005) | 5,985,817 (56,510) | ||||
Payments for patents and other costs | (2,606) | -- | ||||
Net cash provided by investing activities | 549 | 957,272 | ||||
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Purchase of treasury stock | -- | (199,827) | ||||
Net cash used in financing activities | -- | (199,827) | ||||
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents | (552,241) | 579,923 | ||||
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Cash and cash equivalents at end of period | $ 1,967,596 | $ 2,760,786 |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements
FLIGHT SAFETY TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Notes To The Financial Statements
(Unaudited)
For The Three Months Ended August 31, 2005 and August 31, 2004
Note 1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies:
Basis of Presentation
These interim financial statements for the three months ended August 31, 2005 and August 31, 2004, included herein, have been prepared, without audit, pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC. Results for the three months ended August 31, 2005 and August 31, 2004 are not necessarily indicative of results for the entire year. In the opinion of management, all adjustments, consisting of normal recurring adjustments, which are necessary for a fair statement of operating results for the interim period have been made. These financial statements do not include all disclosures associated with annual financial statements and, accordingly, should be read in conjunction with our financial statements and related footnotes for the years ended May 31, 2005 and May 31, 2004 which are included in our annual report on Form 10-KSB filed on August 26, 2005.
Certain reclassifications have been made to the prior period financial statements to conform to current period presentation with no effect to the Company's reported net loss or financial position.
Use of Estimates
In preparing financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles, management is required to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities as of the balance sheet date and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Material estimates that are particularly susceptible to significant change in the near term relate to the carrying values of other receivables. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Stock-Based Compensation
The Company accounts for its stock-based compensation using the intrinsic value method provided for under Accounting Principles Board Opinion No. 25, "Accounting for Stock Issued to Employees" ("APB 25") and related interpretations for stock options issued to employees and directors. Under APB 25, compensation expense is recognized over the vesting period to the extent that the fair market value of the underlying stock exceeds the exercise price of the employee stock award on the date of grant. Stock options issued under our stock option plans generally have no intrinsic value at the grant date, and under APB 25 no compensation cost is recognized for them. Statement of Financial Accounting Standards ("SFAS") No. 123, Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation, establishes a fair-value-based method of accounting for stock-based compensation plans. The Company has adopted the disclosure-only alternative under SFAS No. 123, which requires the disclosure of the pro forma effects on net loss and n et loss per share as if the fair value accounting prescribed by SFAS No. 123 had been adopted.
The following table illustrates the effect on net (loss) and net (loss) per share if the Company had applied the fair value recognition provisions of SFAS No. 123 to stock-based employee compensation:
Three months ended | ||
August 31, | August 31, | |
Net (loss) as reported | $<631,384> | $<49,327> |
Add: stock-based employee compensation expense included in net loss |
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Deduct: Total stock-based employee compensation expense determined under the fair value based method for all awards |
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Pro forma net (loss) | $<659,746> | $<51,812> |
Earnings per share: | ||
Basic and diluted - as reported |
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Basic and diluted - pro forma |
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The fair value of each option grant is estimated as of the grant date using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. The following weighted average assumptions were used to value the options granted in the quarter ended August 31, 2005:
Risk-free interest rate | 4.00% |
In December 2004, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued SFAS No. 123(R), "Share-Based Payment, an Amendment of FASB Statements No. 123 and 95." SFAS No. 123(R) establishes standards for the accounting for transactions in which an entity exchanges its equity instruments for goods or services or incurs liabilities in exchange for goods or services that are based on the fair value of the entity's equity instruments. SFAS No. 123(R) requires public entities to measure the cost of employee services received in exchange for an award of equity instruments based on the grant-date fair value of the award (with limited exceptions) and recognize the cost over the period during which an employee is required to provide service in exchange for the award. Adoption requires a modified prospective application whereby compensation expense is recognized on or after the required effective date for the portion of the outstanding awards for which the requisite service has not yet been rendered, based on the grant-date fair value of those awards, calculated on a basis consistent with the SFAS No. 123 pro forma disclosures. The Company will adopt SFAS No. 123 (R) on its effective date, commencing with the quarter beginning June 1, 2006. Actual expense recorded related to these options would be reduced by future forfeitures.
Earnings Per Share
Basic loss per share is computed by dividing net loss by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period. For the three month periods ended August 31, 2005 and August 31, 2004, the effect of stock options and warrants was anti-dilutive; therefore, they were not included in the computation of diluted loss per share. The number of shares issuable upon the exercise of outstanding stock options and warrants that were excluded from the computation as their effect would be anti-dilutive were 2,572,634 and 3,073,327 for the three months ended August 31, 2005 and August 31, 2004, respectively.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
Cash represents cash on hand of $75,339 in checking accounts and $1,892,257 in money market accounts as of August 31, 2005. Money market accounts earn interest at approximately 3.34% (per annum).
Inventory
Inventory represents purchasing of long lead SOCRATES® system components to further expand to a thirty-two beam system. Inventory is accounted for at lower of cost or market and on the first-in first-out basis.
Revenue and Cost Recognition
Our contracts with the United States government are cost-reimbursable contracts that provide for a fixed profit percentage applied to our actual costs to complete the work. These contracts are subject to audit and adjustment by our customer, and are subject to cost limitations as provided by the contract.
For these contracts, fee revenue is recorded at the time services are performed based upon actual project costs incurred and include a reimbursement for general, administrative, and overhead costs and the base fee. The general, administrative, and overhead costs are estimated periodically in accordance with government contract accounting regulations and may change based on actual costs incurred subject to approval. Revenue may be adjusted for our estimate of costs that may be categorized as disputed or unallowable as a result of cost overruns or the audit process.
Contracting costs include all direct material, labor and subcontracting costs. General and administrative costs are charged to expense as incurred. Provisions for estimated losses on uncompleted contracts are made in the period in which such losses are determined. Changes in job performance, job conditions and estimated profitability and final contract settlements may result in revisions to costs and income and are recognized in the period in which the revisions are determined. Revenue related to claims is recorded at the lesser of actual costs incurred or the amount expected to realized.
Intangible Assets
Intangible assets consist of patent costs. Amortization expense for the three months ended August 31, 2005 and August 31, 2004 was $2,655 and $2,940, respectively. Amortization expense for each of the next five years is currently expected to be approximately $14,400.
Note 2. Equity Transactions:
During the three months ended August 31, 2005, there were no issuances of common stock. Our last issuance of common stock was February 14, 2004, when 328,600 shares of common stock were issued at a price of $3.00 per share. The total shares issued as of February 14, 2004 was 8,331,410 and this is the total as of August 31, 2005.
During the period from June 2, 2004 to June 17, 2004, we purchased 116,300 shares of our common stock at an average price of $1.71 for a total price of $199,827. The repurchase was authorized in a stock repurchase plan approved by our Board of Directors. Of the 8,331,410 shares of common stock issued to date, 8,215,110 are outstanding as of August 31, 2005.
Note 3. Investments in Marketable Securities:
A summary of investments as of August 31, 2005 is as follows:
| Amortized | Gross Unrealized | Gross Unrealized | Fair |
Mutual bond funds | $828,381 | $ -- | $ -- | $828,381 |
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Corporate bonds | $4,004,246 | $ 6,255 | $ -- | $4,010,501 |
U.S. Government securities | 500,002 | -- | (9,222) | 490,780 |
$4,504,248 | $ 6,255 | $ (9,222) | $4,501,281 |
Contractual maturities of held-to-maturity securities at August 31, 2005 are as follows:
Carrying Amount | |
Due in one year or less | $4,004,246 |
In the quarter ended August 31, 2005, the Company recognized an impairment loss of $170,875 related to investments in a mutual bond fund. The impairment charge was recorded as a loss on investments available for sale in the statement of operations and other comprehensive income (loss). Despite the narrowing of the gap between the yield on the ten year Treasury note and the Consumer Price Index, the price of the investment did not improve as we had expected. The Company considered the severity and duration of these impairments and determined that they were other than temporary, and therefore, recorded the impairment loss.
Note 4. Stock Options:
Options may be granted from time to time for shares of common stock as determined by the Board of Directors, subject to any applicable shareholder approval requirements. The stock options granted to date vest over a period of 36 months. The options are exercisable up to ten years from the date of vesting. The Company granted 632,955 options prior to the year ended May 31, 2004, with an exercise price of $6.00. As of May 31, 2005, 549,621 of these options remained outstanding with 539,205 vested. On August 31, 2005, 466,287 of these options granted and outstanding as of May 31, 2005 reached their expiration date and were cancelled.
On June 23, 2005, 150,000 options were granted to employees with an exercise price of $3.50, vesting over a 36 month period and are exercisable up to ten years from the date of grant. A summary of our outstanding stock options for the quarter ended August 31, 2005 is as follows:
| Weighted Average | |
Balance, May 31, 2005 | 969,621 | $ 4.92 |
The following table summarizes information regarding options outstanding and options exercisable at August 31, 2005:
Options Outstanding | Options Exercisable | ||||
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$6.00 | 83,334 | 1.39 | 6.00 | 83,334 | $6.00 |
653,334 | 8.38 | $3.82 | 330,834 | $4.13 |
On September 2, 2005 the Board of Director's consented to the adoption of a resolution, subject to shareholders approval, for a Stock Option Incentive Plan. The Plan reserves 1,500,000 shares of Common Stock for issuance under this Stock Option.
Note 5. Warrants:
We have 1,919,300 warrants outstanding as of August 31, 2005. These warrants are comprised of 1,514,300 warrants with an exercise price of $3.30, 270,000 with an exercise price of $3.60, and 135,000 warrants with an exercise price of $5.40 which were issued as part of a public offering that expire January 31, 2014.
Note 6. Other Receivables:
Other receivables include retained fees on Government contracts which represent up to a 15% payment hold back against billable fees, amounts representing differences in actual and provisional overhead and general administrative rates which we expect are recoverable and will be paid by the Government and other miscellaneous receivables. We do not expect to receive payments for these other receivables in the next year and consider this account a long term asset. The summary below compares the balances for other receivables as of August 31, 2005 and May 31, 2004.
August 31, 2005 | May 31, 2005 | |
Retained Fee |
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Other Receivables includes recoverable rate differences resulting from the difference between the current adjusted general and administrative rate of 41% compared to our provisional rate of 29%, which has created a difference of $158,000 for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2005. In addition, $133,000 was the difference between the provisional rate and actual rate for fiscal year ending May 31, 2004 which brings the total recoverable rate difference to $291,000 as of August 31, 2005.
Of the $291,000 recoverable rate difference, $229,428 was received in the form of a contract modification from our sponsoring government agency on September 7, 2005. Of this total $214,326 can be billed to the government after our rates have been audited by DCAA which is scheduled for October 2005. We expect the balance of the rate difference of $76,674 will be received from the balance of this contract modification and funds remaining in our current contract after the contract is completed which is estimated to be October 31, 2005.
Item 2. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.
Cautionary Statement Pursuant to Safe Harbor Provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995:
Except for the historical information presented in this document, the matters discussed in this quarterly report on Form 10-QSB for the three month period ending August 31, 2005 or otherwise incorporated by reference into this document, contain "forward-looking statements" (as such term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995). These statements are identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "believes", "plans", "intend", "scheduled", "potential", "continue", "estimates", "hopes", "goal", "objective", expects", "may", "will", "should" or "anticipates" or the negative thereof or other variations thereon or comparable terminology, or by discussions of strategy that involve risks and uncertainties. The safe harbor provisions of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, apply to forward-looking statements made by us. We caution you that no statements contained in this Form 10-QSB should be construed as a guarantee or assurance of future performance or results. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, which include risks and uncertainties associated with, among other things, the outcome of an informal inquiry by the SEC that appears to be in connection with certain analysts reports about us and our press releases, the outcome of pending class action litigation alleging violations of federal securities laws, whether the government will implement Wake Vortex Advisory System at all or with the inclusion of a SOCRATES® wake vortex sensor, the impact of competitive products and pricing, limited visibility into future product demand, slower economic growth generally, difficulties inherent in the development of complex technology, new products sufficiency, availability of capital to fund operations, research and development, fluctuations in operating results, and these and other risks are discussed in the "Known Trends, Risks and Uncertainties" secti on of this Form 10-QSB. The actual results that we achieve may differ materially from any forward-looking statements due to such risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, and, except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update this information whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Readers are urged to carefully review and consider the various disclosures made by us in this Form 10-QSB and in our other reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission that attempt to advise interested parties of the risks and factors that may affect our business.
Overview
Our current operations have been funded substantially by U.S. Congressional appropriations resulting in three successive sole source contracts with agencies of the federal government for research, development, and testing of our SOCRATES® wake vortex sensor and related work pertaining to a wake vortex advisory system, sometimes referred to as WVAS, that National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is developing. We estimate the appropriations to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) totaled approximately $9.6 million in U.S. fiscal years ending September 30, 1997 through September 30, 2000 for research and development of our SOCRATES® wake vortex sensor; and appropriations to NASA for research and development of our SOCRATES® wake vortex sensor totaled approximately $18.5 million in U.S. fiscal years ending September 30, 2001 through September 30, 2004. From these amounts, we have received three contracts aggregating approximately $16.2 million. As of August 31, 2005, we have recognized an aggregate of approximately $15.7 million of contract revenue with $0.7 million in contract receivable as of August 31, 2005. Our current SOCRATES® government contract backlog is approximately $0.5 million.
We have entered into these contracts with the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center of the U.S. Department of Transportation (Volpe). Volpe funds our contracts when, as, and if it and other sponsoring federal agencies approve a statement of work and specific task orders under the statement of work. When funded, we invoice the federal government monthly based on our direct costs, including overhead and general and administrative plus a fixed fee for that month and typically receive payment by electronic wire transfer within two weeks of invoicing. Certain costs, such as lobbying, product development, and business development expenses that are not allowable under these contracts, research and development costs we incur over certain cost caps set by the U.S. government, costs incurred while our contracts are not funded, or costs deemed unreasonable by the government are not reimbursable under our government contracts and have been funded primarily by proceeds of our equity offerings . All of our government contracts and funding are subject to the requirements of the Federal Acquisition Regulations.
Without notice to, or opportunity for prior review by us, Volpe circulated a report in October 2001 which recommended curtailing further government expenditure on our SOCRATES® wake vortex sensor due to a high risk assessment of achieving operational feasibility. Together with our major subcontractor, Lockheed Martin Corp., we vigorously disputed and extensively discussed its assertions with Volpe and NASA. Subsequent to these discussions, NASA requested and we submitted a proposal for $2.221 million of additional SOCRATES® wake vortex sensor research, development and testing with an immediate objective of better characterizing the wake acoustics and background noise. In November 2002, Volpe approved and funded a new work order in the amount of $1.230 million for the first phase of this proposal and in March 2003, a second work order was approved and funded in the amount of $991,000. Included in the funding was a 7% fixed fee over and above our research and development costs pl us overhead, general and administrative costs. The statement of work continued our previous contract to develop and test our SOCRATES® wake vortex sensor. This funding ended an 11-month period, from December 15, 2001 to November 19, 2002, without government funding to develop our SOCRATES® wake vortex sensor.
On September 30, 2003, we received our third successive sole source contract from Volpe, titled Phase III SOCRATES®, for an aggregate of $3.975 million to continue work on developing our SOCRATES® wake vortex sensor. We used these funds to expand our current SOCRATES® wake vortex sensor from a four beam configuration (which was tested at the Denver International Airport (DIA) in September 2003) to eight beams and began engineering for further expansion to sixteen beams. This contract was funded from a U.S. fiscal year 2003 Omnibus Appropriation of $4.5 million to the NASA budget for research, development, and testing of our SOCRATES® wake vortex sensor.
For U.S. fiscal year ended September 30, 2004, an additional $5 million NASA appropriation specifically for continued work on project SOCRATES® had been enacted into law. On November 30, 2004, after a three month period without contract funding, our sponsoring agencies approved a $3.237 million modification and extension of our contract. As and when set forth in the contract modification, statement of work and appropriate work orders, Volpe has advanced funds to us to complete the expansion of our SOCRATES® wake vortex sensor from a eight beam configuration to a sixteen beam configuration and to conduct a test of the expanded sixteen beam SOCRATES® wake vortex sensor, which occurred at DIA in September and October 2005. Although we are cautiously optimistic, there can be no assurance that this test will be successful. Failure to achieve the desired results could limit or delay our prospects for deployment of a SOCRATES® wake vortex sensor.
For U.S. fiscal year ended September 30, 2005, Congress enacted, and the President signed into law on December 8, 2004, the Omnibus Appropriations Bill, Public Law 108-447, which contained a further $5 million to NASA specifically designated for project SOCRATES®. On September 15, 2005 we received a new contract for $9.815 million. From the $5.0 million SOCRATES® funding from NASA we received a task order for $1.695 million under the new contract. The task order is for the analysis of the data collected from the DIA test in September 2005 and to prepare a technical remediation and system trade off study. In addition we expect a second task order for approximately $1.5 million in early calendar year 2006. Our ability to earn additional revenue under this new contract is subject to, among other things, further government appropriations and the issuance of additional task orders of which there can be no assurance.
We believe the federal government has indicated a long-term interest in the development of a wake vortex advisory system and our SOCRATES® wake vortex sensor for potential inclusion in such a system. However, the federal government has in the past delayed or reduced and may in the future delay, reduce, or eliminate funding for research and development of our SOCRATES® wake vortex sensor or the wake vortex advisory system as a result of, among other things, a reduction in support or opposition from supervising agencies or the U.S. Congress, lack of progress or setbacks in our SOCRATES® research and development, changes
in budgetary priorities, fiscal constraints caused by federal budget deficits, or decisions to fund competing systems or components of systems. If any such delays or reductions occur, it will reduce our resources available for research and development of our proprietary technologies, new products or enhancements to SOCRATES® or UNICORN™ technologies and to market our products. Reduction of, or delays, in contract funding from the federal government could delay achievement of our profitability, if any, create a substantial strain on our liquidity, resources and product development, and have a material adverse effect on the progress of our research and development and our financial condition.
We also are pursuing development of a collision and ground proximity warning system we refer to as UNICORN™. We believe that UNICORN™ may have application to unmanned air vehicles operated for a variety of private and governmental purposes. As of August 31, 2005 the cumulative research and development expense for UNICORN™ is approximately $1,150,000. During August 2005 we tested a UNICORN™ prototype antenna in a proof-of-principle test.
During the past fiscal year, we also began the exploratory development of a third major technology initiative called TIICM™ (Tactical Integrated Illuminating Countermeasure) in conjunction with Sanders Design International (SDI), a New Hampshire company. TIICM™ is intended to provide a low cost yet highly effective shield of protection for airliners against the threat of certain terrorist-launched missiles. In April 2004, we executed a ten year Teaming Agreement with SDI under which we would be the prime contractor on development of countermeasure technologies to protect aircraft from shoulder-fired missiles. As of August 31, 2005 we have committed approximately $350,000 of our independent research and development funds to TIICM™. We have entered into additional arrangements with SDI pursuant to which we have to applied for a new patent on TIICM™ with SDI and have joint ownership of any resulting patent. We have also been working on TIICM™ with Analogic C orporation located in Peabody, Massachusetts. There can be no assurance that any new patents on TIICM™ will be issued, or that we will derive any revenue or profit from TIICM™, nor any expectation that we will receive any government or commercial funding for TIICM™.
We have experienced significant losses since our inception. The loss for the three months ended August 31, 2005 was $631,384. Losses for our three fiscal years ending May 31, 2005, 2004 and 2003 were $1,411,644, $424,214, and $943,974, respectively. The net loss for our fiscal year ended May 31, 2003 was caused primarily by three factors: (1) unallowable expenses under our government contract, (2) rate ceilings; and (3) expenses during unfunded periods for SOCRATES® research and development. With the reinstatement of the government contract funding in November 2003, the loss for our fiscal year ended May 31, 2004 was caused by the remaining two factors: (1) rate ceilings during the first six months, and (2) unallowable expenses
under our government contract. The loss for the fiscal year ending May 31, 2005 and the three months ended August 31, 2005 was caused by: (1) unallowable expenses, (2) expenses during a partially unfunded period, and (3) unrecoverable expenses. The unreasonable expense category represents general and administrative expenses, primarily legal expenses and independent research and development expense which we believe are necessary but are significantly higher compared to prior years and may be considered unreasonable by the Defense Contract Audit Agency.
Our third consecutive and current government contract and the new contract received September 15, 2005 do not include rate ceilings. If the government deems our allowable expenses to be reasonable, of which there can be no assurance, the absence of rate ceilings should eliminate or reduce a significant source of losses in previous years. We will continue to incur certain unallowable expenses or allowable expenses the government deems unreasonable. We also remain subject to the risk of further delay, reduction or elimination in federal contract funding. However, it is our view that the elimination of rate ceilings is a significant improvement to our historical contract terms.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
The discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations are based on our financial statements that have been prepared according to accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. In preparing these financial statements, we are required to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses and related disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities. We evaluate these estimates on an on-going basis. We base these estimates on historical experiences and on various other assumptions that we believe are reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. Our management has discussed these estimates and assumptions with our finance and audit committee. At this point in our operations, subjective judgme nts do not have a material impact on our financial statements except as discussed in the next paragraph.
Federal Acquisitions Regulations require that, among other things, our reimbursable costs are reasonable. We have analyzed our actual overhead rate of 69% and general administrative rate of 70% for the three months ended August 31, 2005. We believe all component costs have been ordinary and necessary but that government auditors may consider our independent research and development expense for UNICORN™ technology, and certain other general and administrative expenses as of the three months ended August 31, 2005 unreasonable for a company our size. For rate setting purposes, we have excluded $270,000 for potential unreasonable expenses, which reduced the general and administrative rate to 39% for the three months ended August 31, 2005. Since there is a degree of subjectivity in the judgment of what levels of cost are reasonable, we can make no assurance that the government will not require further adjustments.
Our financial statements and notes thereto include an item for "Other Receivables" that is described therein. Other Receivables includes recoverable rate differences resulting from the difference between the current adjusted general and administrative rate of 41% compared to our provisional rate of 29%, which has created a difference of $158,000 for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2005. In addition, $133,000 was the difference between the provisional rate and actual rate for fiscal year ending May 31, 2004 which brings the total recoverable rate difference to $291,000 as of August 31, 2005.
Of the $291,000 recoverable rate difference, $229,428 was received in the form of a contract modification from our sponsoring government agency on September 7, 2005. Of this total $214,326 can be billed to the government after our rates have been audited by DCAA which is scheduled for October 2005. We expect the balance of the rate difference of $76,674 will be received from the balance of this contract modification and funds remaining in our current contract after the contract is completed which is estimated to be October 31, 2005.
Results of Operations
For the periods ended August 31, 2005 and August 31, 2004.
Revenues. To date, our revenues have consisted almost entirely of revenues earned from our three successive SOCRATES® wake vortex sensor research and development contracts with the federal government.
Contract revenue for the three months ended August 31, 2005 was $1,218,460, compared to $1,435,952 for the three months ended August 31, 2004. The $217,492 decrease for the fiscal quarter ended August 31, 2005 compared to the same period of the prior year was due primarily to the increased subcontractor costs for material to build a 16 beam SOCRATES® system during the three months ended August 31, 2004. As of August 31, 2005, our contract receivable against our government contract was $660,979 as compared to $415,617 as of August 31, 2004.
Costs of Revenues. Subcontractor, consultant and direct labor expenses comprise our costs of revenues. Direct contract costs for the three months ended August 31, 2005 was $781,930 or 64.2% of revenue compared to 1,011,844 or 70.5% for the three months ended August 31, 2004 and, when adjusted for unfunded direct cost, the percent was 68.5% of revenue for the three months ended August 31, 2004. The decrease is primarily due to increased cost from our subcontractor for material to build a 16 beam SOCRATES® system in June and July 2004.
When our government contract is funded, charges to direct costs do not generally negatively impact our operating results because each contract covers its own direct costs. However, during periods when our government contract is not funded or if the actual direct cost of a specific task order exceeds its budgeted funding and the government is not willing to reallocate direct costs between task orders, any such costs we may incur are not reimbursable and must be funded from our own resources.
Research and Development. Our research and development expense for the three months ended August 31, 2005 was $398,451, compared to $82,555 for the period ended August 31, 2004. The increase in research and development expenses of $315,896 was primarily due to the increase of approximately $30,000 for salaries and wages and approximately $170,000 for consultants, travel and other miscellaneous expense for our UNICORN™ project. The increase for our UNICORN™ project expenses were for the development of UNICORN™ antenna and radar components and a proof-of-principle test in August 2005. In addition, in the three months ended August 31, 2005, we had research and development expenses of approximately $115,000 for project TIICM™ (Tactical Integrated Illumination Countermeasure).
Operating Expenses. Government contractors are required to categorize operating expenses as overhead expenses or general and administrative expenses. These two indirect "cost pools" are then divided by their appropriate "direct cost base" combinations of direct contract cost, which determines the contractors overhead and general and administrative rates. These rates, for our first two government contracts, were subject to ceilings, which were set at 70% for overhead and 20% for general and administrative. Our third contract is not limited by rate ceilings. Instead, we submitted provisional billing rates of 83% for overhead and 29% for general and administrative for our fiscal year ending May 31, 2005. These provisional rates were based on forecasted direct and indirect costs and were audited by the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) and approved by the DOT/Volpe Center on September 13, 2004. Our actual rates, for our fiscal year ended May 31, 2004, based on actual al lowable costs incurred, were submitted to the government for audit on September 16, 2004. When our actual rates have been audited, we will adjust our government contract billings higher or lower to reflect the audited actual rates versus the previous estimated provisional billing rates. As long as the DCAA determines that our actual costs are reasonable, of which there can be no assurance, we can include them in our actual rate and receive reimbursement for them. However, if the government will not approve an increase in contract funding to cover a billing adjustment that is higher than our provisional rates, we may not be able to obtain reimbursement for the increase. Our historical rates are shown below.
| For Year | For Year | 3 Months |
The above rates for each of the previous periods include only allowable operating expenses. We believe the overhead rate will average over time approximately 70%. We expect that our general and administrative rate which is 39% as of August 31, 2005 and will remain at approximately 39% for our fiscal year ending May 31, 2006. We believe government auditors will consider a 39% rate reasonable, although we can make no assurance in this regard.
Our un-reimbursable non-contract costs include: 1) expenses considered unallowable per Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR), such as lobbying, stock based compensation and company car expense, 2) over ceiling expenses, 3) expenses incurred during periods without government contract funding and/or 4) expenses the government considers unreasonable. These non-contract costs are not reimbursable under our U.S. government contracts and must be paid from other sources, primarily proceeds from the public and private sales of our equity securities. Non-contract costs have been the primary use of this source of liquidity and have had a significant impact on our operating loss to date. Our non-contract costs are detailed below:
For the Three Months Ended | |||||
8-31-05 | 8-31-04 | ||||
Unallowable expenses (1) & (2) | $151,494 | $89,990 |
Notes:
(1) Includes $4,769 of stock based compensation expense for the three months ended
August 31, 2005.
(2) Includes $15,741 of stock based compensation expense for the three months ended
August 31, 2004.
Our total selling, general and administrative expenses consist of allowable and unallowable expenses and for the three months ended August 31, 2005 were $522,740, compared to $410,437 for the three months ended August 31, 2004. The increase in selling, general and administrative expense of $112,303 was primarily due to an increase in unallowable expenses. The unallowable expenses increase of approximately $61,000 was primarily due to increased legal fees for issues concerning intellectual property and class action suits, directors and officers insurance, company cars, and investor relations. The balance of the increase of approximately $60,000 was for allowable selling, general and administrative expenses primarily due to increased salary and wages, consulting fees, and allowable legal fees.
Expenses during unfunded periods were $73,910 during the three months ended August 31, 2004 compared to $0 for the same period ended August 31, 2005 because some of our contract work was not funded during July and August 2004. We received a contract modification for an additional $3.237 million in government funding on November 30, 2004 which will fund operations through October 31, 2005. We received a new government contract on September 15, 2005 for $9.815 million for Project SOCRATES® with a funded task order for $1.695 million. We expect the additional funding to cover expenses through January 31, 2006. We do not expect we will incur unfunded operating expenses during the period of September 1, 2005 through January 31, 2006, although we can make no assurance in this regard.
After a review of our general and administrative expenses, we have determined that some of our research and development for Unicorn testing and certain other expenses for the three months ended August 31, 2005 could be considered unrecoverable. Accordingly, we have excluded $270,000 for potential unrecoverable expenses, from the calculation of our actual rates, for the three months ended August 31, 2005, compared to $11,000 for the same period in 2004.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Our liquidity is primarily provided by revenue from our government contracts and proceeds from the sale of our equity securities.
Our third contract, titled Phase III SOCRATES®, is the third successive contract that we have received to continue work on our SOCRATES® wake vortex sensor and was initially funded at $3.975 million. Between August 31, 2004 and November 30, 2004, we were negotiating a modification and extension of our Phase III Contract and during this period there was only partial government funding for SOCRATES® research and development. On November 30, 2004, Volpe approved a contract modification for additional funding of $3.237 million which we have used to expand our current SOCRATES® wake vortex sensor from its previous four beam configuration to sixteen beams plus other improvements. Our funded contract backlog for the second part of our Phase III contract as of August 31, 2005 was $530,287. In addition, our new contract and first task order for an additional $1,695,029 will fund operations to approximately January 31, 2006.
As of August 31, 2005 and May 31, 2005, our cash and investments were $7,300,225 and $7,888,831, respectively. The decrease in cash on hand and investments of approximately $590,000 was primarily attributable to the net losses of approximately $631,000 for the three month period ended August 31, 2005.
As of August 31, 2005, we had other receivables of $339,270 compared to $330,010 as of May 31, 2005. The increase is due to unbilled government contract receivables for retained fees. Of the $339,270 other receivables, unbilled rate difference represents $291,000. We expect to recover part of the rate difference from the contract modification for cost growth received September 7, 2005 for $229,428. We expect to recover the balance from rate adjustments absorbed through the remaining contract funding at the end of our Phase III contract.
We had total current liabilities, including accounts payable, of $904,323 as of August 31, 2005 compared to $769,653 as of May 31, 2005. Accounts payable as of August 31, 2005 were $735,208, which included $312,418 to our subcontractor, Lockheed Martin Corporation, and $422,790 in other expenses compared to accounts payable as of May 31, 2005 of $589,313, which included $319,391 to Lockheed Martin, and $269,922 in other expenses. The accounts payable increase for other expenses of $152,868 was due to increased research and development expenses for the three months ended August 31, 2005.
We anticipate that our funded contract balance for the second part of our Phase III contract of $530,287 as of August 31, 2005 and our new contract task order for $1,695,029 will fund our direct contract costs and allowable operating expenses until approximately January 31, 2006. During this period, we have budgeted and expect to incur approximately $300,000 in non-contract unallowable costs and approximately $250,000 in research and development. During this period, we have budgeted and expect to receive approximately $80,000 in fees from our contract billing and approximately $75,000 of interest income and $215,000 payment for cost growth which is part of our other receivables. Assuming we operate within budget, as to which we can make no guaranty or assurance, we estimate our available cash and investments should be approximately $7,120,000 as of January 31, 2006. Any acceleration or delays in the performance of these contracts by us or our subcontractors could, respectively, e xhaust or extend our contract funding prior to or after January 31, 2006. In either event, we might be required to draw upon our cash before we anticipate which would reduce the foregoing estimate.
Our use of cash projections does not consider additional funding from our new $9.815 million contract received September 15, 2005 beyond the current task order funding of $1.695 million. In order to receive additional contract funding the government will request and we must submit a cost and technical proposal for review and approval of the government. As of the date of this report, we have not received a request for additional task orders. However, we do expect a request from the government for an additional proposal in the amount of approximately $1.5 million by December 31, 2005. Further task orders will require additional government appropriations of which there can be no assurance. Any delay in obtaining additional government appropriations for contract funding or approved task orders might require us to draw upon our cash to fund our operations.
From time to time, we may consider and execute strategic investments, acquisitions, or other transactions that we believe could benefit us and could require use of some or all of our liquidity. To facilitate such transactions and enhance our liquidity position for these and other purposes, such as working capital for research and development, we also may conduct from time to time various types of equity offerings, including, but not limited to, public or private offerings of common or preferred stock based on a negotiated fixed share value, or floating market price of our publicly traded shares. If we encounter delays in, or are unable to procure, contract funding from the U.S. government for further research development and testing of our SOCRATES® wake vortex sensor, incur costs over budget, or make a strategic investment, our cash resources will be reduced more rapidly than we presently anticipate. In such event, we may need to obtain additional capital to maintain operations. T here can be no guarantee or assurance of our future ability to obtain capital for any of the foregoing purposes and, if obtained, the terms and conditions of such capital may dilute our present shareholders' ownership.
Known Trends, Risks and Uncertainties
Our business and future success are subject to many risks. The following describes some of the general and specific trends, risks, and uncertainties to which our business is subject and should be read with care.
Risks Related to Our Business
Our limited operating history and lack of commercial operations make it difficult to evaluate our prospects.
Since we began operations in 1997, we have generated limited revenues solely from three SOCRATES® technology research and development contracts with agencies of the federal government that fund, administer, and oversee these contracts. The federal government has funded these contracts from earmarked U.S. Congressional appropriations to agencies that have awarded these contracts to us on a sole source basis without competitive bidding. Under these contracts, we are reimbursed for certain allowable research and development costs and are paid a fee calculated as a percentage of costs.
We have not as yet received any revenue from the sale of any products. We do not anticipate receiving any such revenue unless and until our SOCRATES®, UNICORN™ or TIICM™ based products become operational, which could take several years. Our estimates of the market size for the products we are developing are based on many assumptions and uncertainties. These estimates are currently being evaluated by an outside consulting firm. The actual markets and price we can charge for our products, if and when we successfully complete their development, could be substantially less and our costs could be greater than our estimates. It therefore is difficult to assess our prospects for commercial sales, revenues and profitability.
We have incurred and, for the next several years, can be expected to incur operating losses.
To date, we have incurred significant net losses, including net losses of $631,384 for the three month ended August 31, 2005, $1,411,644 for our fiscal year ended May 31, 2005 and $424,214 for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2004. We had an accumulated deficit of $4,927,265 as of August 31, 2005. We anticipate we may continue to incur operating losses for at least the next several years. We may never generate material revenues or achieve or maintain profitability. Substantially all our revenues have been devoted to payment of costs incurred in the research, development, and testing of our SOCRATES® or UNICORN™ technology. Our ability to achieve, maintain, and/or increase profitability will depend in large part upon the successful further development and testing of our SOCRATES®, UNICORN™-based, and TIICM™ products, Congressional appropriations and our ability to obtain additional federal research and development contracts for SOCRATES®, UNICORN™ and T IICM™ based products, approval of our SOCRATES®, UNICORN™-based, and TIICM™ products and systems by various agencies of the federal government, procurement of our products and systems by the FAA, airports and the aviation industry, and the availability of funding to finance such procurements.
Lack of future funding from the federal government to complete research and development of our SOCRATES® wake vortex sensor could adversely affect our business.
Without notice to, or opportunity for prior review by us, the John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center of the U. S. Department of Transportation's Research and Special Programs Administration, or Volpe, circulated a report in October 2001 which recommended curtailing further government expenditure on our SOCRATES® wake vortex sensor due to a high risk assessment of achieving operational feasibility. Because of this report and the events of September 11, 2001, the government did not fund our SOCRATES® research and development contract from December 15, 2001 to November 19, 2002. Together with our major subcontractor, Lockheed Martin Corporation, we vigorously disputed and extensively discussed its assertions with Volpe and NASA. Subsequently, Volpe and NASA requested and we submitted a proposal for approximately $2.2 million of additional SOCRATES® technology
research, development and testing with an immediate objective of better characterizing the wake ac oustics and background noise.We received contract funding for this proposal and subsequentproposals and we believe the federal government will continue to have a long-term interest in the development of a wake vortex advisory system and our SOCRATES® wake vortex sensor for inclusion in such a system. However, the U.S. government may terminate our government contract at any time if it determines such termination is in the best interests of the government or may terminate, reduce or modify it because of budgetary constraints or any change in the government's requirements. Furthermore, the federal government has in the past delayed or reduced and may in the future delay, reduce, or eliminate funding for research and development of our SOCRATES® wake vortex sensor or the wake vortex advisory system as a result of, among other things, a reduction in support or opposition from supervising agencies or the U.S. Congress, changes in budgetary priorities, fiscal con straints caused by federal budget deficits, or decisions to fund competing systems or components of systems. If this occurs, it will reduce our resources available for research and development of our proprietary technologies, new products or enhancements to SOCRATES®, UNICORN™ or TIICM™ technologies and to market our products. Reduction of contract funding from the federal government could delay achievement of or increases in profitability, if any, create a substantial strain on our liquidity, resources and product development, and have a material adverse effect on the progress of our research and development and our financial condition.
The government will not pay us for SOCRATES® research and development if we do not perform on our contract.
We perform our government contracts pursuant to specific work orders from the government. Such work orders include, but are not limited to, analysis of data, research, development of our SOCRATES® technology, planning and conduct of testing, and preparation of various reports. If we do not perform the contracts in accordance with their terms, the government may withhold payment on our invoices that we submit monthly. Furthermore, if at any point the government considers a test to be a failure, it may cease to approve further work orders or fund further contracts. Loss of funding on our SOCRATES® contract would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Our success depends on our successful product development and testing.
Our future success will depend upon our ability to successfully complete the development, testing, and commercialization of our technologies and our ability to develop and introduce new products and services to meet industry, government, and client requirements. We are planning to eventually develop a number of products, based on our SOCRATES®, UNICORN™ and TIICM™ technologies. The process of developing such products contains significant technological and engineering hurdles and is extremely complex and expensive. In 2001, Volpe and associated federally funded research centers prepared reports which concluded it was unlikely SOCRATES® would result in a sensor that could be used for any operational procedure and even for research because of technical unknowns relating to an understanding of wake vortices and the need to obtain acceptance of WVAS by controllers and pilots. We believe this conclusion was premature and based on an incomplete understanding of SOCRATES® and its operational potential. In our opinion, the testing and analysis we have conducted has increasingly supported this potential and resulted in the continuation of funding for our government contracts for research, development and testing of our SOCRATES® technology. However, there still are technical, engineering and program integration hurdles we must meet to develop SOCRATES® into an operational sensor, including, but not limited to, expanding the sensor to at least sixteen and as many as thirty-two laser beams, integrating the sensor into and with the other components of WVAS, and developing operating protocols for WVAS that define how it would be used by air traffic controllers and pilots. In the case of UNICORN™, we must successfully overcome development, engineering and testing hurdles to produce an operational product and obtain FAA approval of this product. Furthermore, we will need to extend the term of the experimental license the FCC has granted us and, ultimately, obtain a permanent license from the FCC for the operation of UNICORN™. We might not successfully complete the development of our SOCRATES®, UNICORN™ or TIICM™ technologies into operational products and our products may not be commercially viable. Our failure to complete development of any such products and achieve market acceptance would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
In addition, certain of our products will require customized installation to address unique characteristics of their environments. Customization could place an additional burden on our resources or delay the delivery or installation of products which, in turn, could have a material adverse effect on our relationship with clients, our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Our success depends on federal government approval of our products and related systems.
The airport and aviation industry is subject to extensive government oversight and regulation. To introduce our SOCRATES®, UNICORN™ or TIICM™ based products for commercial sale, we must successfully complete research, development, and testing and obtain necessary governmental approvals for their installation. Upon approval by the Federal Aviation Administration, or FAA, our SOCRATES® wake vortex sensor would be part of a multi-component wake vortex advisory system that also will require government approvals before it can be deployed. Any factor that delays or adversely affects this approval process, including delays in development or inability to obtain necessary government approvals, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations, and we can make no assurance when or if all such approvals will be obtained.
Our business relies on a strategic alliance with Lockheed Martin Corporation.
In May 1997, we signed a Teaming Agreement with Lockheed Martin Corporation to jointly develop and market SOCRATES® based products. This agreement will expire in May 2007, unless certain earlier termination provisions occur or the agreement is extended by mutual agreement. The agreement stipulates that we serve as prime contractor and Lockheed Martin Corporation as subcontractor in the development and any deployment of our SOCRATES®
wake vortex sensor. Although to date we have generally worked in close cooperation with Lockheed Martin Corporation, there is no assurance that this relationship will be sustained. Future disagreements as to work scope, revenue share, profit margins, ownership of intellectual property, or technical, marketing, or management philosophy, could adversely impact the relationship. Since we view our strategic relationship with Lockheed Martin Corporation as a vital element of our business plan, any erosion of this relationship could have a negative impact on our business and future value.
On April 26, 2004, in conjunction with the renewal of a nondisclosure agreement, we were advised by Lockheed Martin Corporation that it owns a certain patent which predates our SOCRATES® patent and, according to Lockheed Martin Corporation, contains some intellectual property related to our SOCRATES® patent. Lockheed Martin Corporation has told us that it was prevented from previously disclosing the patent to us because of a government secrecy order. After consultation with counsel, including our patent counsel, we strongly believe that the Lockheed Martin Corporation patent will not impair the value of our SOCRATES® patent because our SOCRATES® patent is aimed at improving air traffic safety, a use not contemplated by the Lockheed Martin Corporation patent. Furthermore, it is our position that Lockheed Martin
Corporation acknowledged and accepted our invention of the SOCRATES® technology in the Teaming Agreement between us in May 1997. We have met several times with Lockheed Martin Corporation to discuss the matter and potential opportunities relating to our SOCRATES® patent. To date, Lockheed Martin Corporation continues to disagree with our position. Nevertheless, we believe that management of both companies acknowledged the value and strength of the relationship and the desire to preserve it. We are conducting further discussions with Lockheed Martin Corporation on potential ways to expand and extend the relationship and resolve any intellectual property concerns. We cannot predict or provide any assurance on the outcome of these discussions and whether any outcome will be satisfactory to us.
We may need to raise additional capital.
While we completed a public offering in February of 2004 resulting in net proceeds of approximately $7.6 million, we cannot be certain that such financing will be adequate or sufficient for our future needs. We face many uncertainties with respect to research and development and the timing of commercialization of our SOCRATES®, UNICORN™ and TIICM™ based products, the availability and level of government funding, the FAA approvals required for our products, and the long sales cycle from initial customer contact to actual, if any, revenue generation. Depending on the outcome of these uncertainties, we might not be able to generate sufficient, if any, revenue or investment capital to fund our operations over the period of years we believe are required to commercialize our products. In each of our last three fiscal years, we have incurred substantial operating losses which we have funded, in part, with equity capital that we raised from new investors.
We will continue to incur significant expenses for research and development and testing of our SOCRATES®, UNICORN™ and TIICM™ technology and may continue to experience such losses prior to commercialization and thereafter. If we cannot achieve commercialization of our SOCRATES®, UNICORN™ and TIICM™ technologies with the proceeds of our recent public offering or if we are unable to generate sufficient working capital from revenue from government funding or private contracts for these purposes, we might need to seek additional capital. In addition, other unforeseen costs and research and development costs of later generation SOCRATES®, UNICORN™ and TIICM™ based products also could require us to seek additional capital. We do not have any credit facilities in place and, should the need for additional capital arise, we may not be able to obtain sufficient, if any, additional capital or raise such capital on acceptable terms. If we need to obtain additional debt or equity capital, it may include our entry into joint ventures or issuance of additional securities, which may cause dilution to our current capital structure and stockholders' ownership. Additional securities also could have a greater priority as to dividends, distributions and other rights than our common stock.
For the life of our public warrants, the underwriter's warrants issued pursuant to our recent public offering, and our existing unregistered warrants, the holders thereof are given the opportunity to profit from a rise in the market for our common stock, with a resulting dilution in the interest of all other stockholders. So long as these warrants are outstanding, the terms on which we could obtain additional capital may be adversely affected. The holders of these warrants might be expected to exercise them at a time when we would, in all likelihood, be able to obtain any needed capital by a new offering of securities on terms more favorable than those provided by these warrants.
Loss of key personnel could adversely affect our business.
Our future success depends to a significant degree on the skills, experience and efforts of our executive officers, Samuel A. Kovnat, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, William B. Cotton, President and Director, Frank L. Rees, Executive Vice President and Director, David D. Cryer, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, C. Robert Knight, General Counsel, Vice President of Administration and Secretary, and Dr. Neal Fine, Senior Vice President for Technology. The sustained unavailability of any one or more of those individuals for any reason could have a material adverse impact on our operations and prospects.
At a recent meeting of our Board of Directors, Mr. Kovnat and Mr. Rees announced their intention to retire on November 30, 2007. The Board intends to develop an orderly plan of succession to appropriately carry the company forward.
We anticipate hiring additional executive officers in the future. We may not be able to complete the hiring of these additional officers in a timely manner or at all. We also depend on the ability of our executive officers and other members of senior management to continue to work effectively as a team.
Government regulation could adversely affect our business.
As a result of receiving contract funding from the federal government and our involvement in the field of aviation, our business and operations are subject to numerous government laws and regulations. In the near term, and for so long as we receive funding from the federal government, we will be subject to many procurement and accounting rules and regulations of the federal government. We are also subject to periodic audits by the Defense Contract Audit Agency, or DCAA. To date, we have incurred six audits by the DCAA, and reports have been issued to our government customer which has stated that we are performing in accordance with Federal Acquisitions Regulations. There is no assurance that any of the results or contents of any future audits will portray us favorably. These rules and regulations are complex in nature and sometimes difficult to interpret or apply. Adherence to these rules is reviewed by participating agencies of the federal government. If such agencies suspect or beli eve that violations of
procurement or accounting rules and regulations have occurred, they may refer such matters to other enforcement divisions of the federal government, such as the U.S. Attorney's Office or the Inspector General's office. If we violate these rules and regulations, even if unintentionally, we may have to pay fines and penalties or could be terminated from receiving further funding from the federal government. If we market, sell and install our products in foreign countries, the laws, rules and regulations of those countries, as well as certain laws of the United States, will apply to us. Existing as well as new laws and regulations of the United States and foreign countries which regulate aviation and airports could also adversely affect our business.
Our success depends on our ability to protect our proprietary technology.
Any failure by us to protect our intellectual property could harm our business and competitive position. For example, although we have sought patent protection for our technologies, the steps we have taken or intend to take with regard to protecting our technologies may not be adequate to defend and prevent misappropriation of our technology, including the possibility of reverse engineering and the possibility that potential competitors will independently develop technologies that are substantially equivalent or superior to our technology. Furthermore, any patent we have obtained or may obtain may subsequently be invalidated for any of a variety of reasons. In addition, even if we are issued a patent, we may not be able to gain any commercial advantage from such patent. Existing United States laws afford only limited intellectual property protection.
We intend to use a combination of patent, trade secret, copyright and trademark law, nondisclosure agreements, and technical measures to protect our proprietary technology. We intend to enter into confidentiality agreements with and obtain assignments of intellectual property from all of our employees, as well as with our clients and potential clients, and intend to limit access to and distribution of our technology, documentation and other proprietary information. However, the steps we take in this regard may not be adequate to deter misappropriation or independent third-party development of our technology. In addition, the laws of some foreign countries do not protect proprietary technology rights to the same extent as
do the laws of the United States. If we resort to legal proceedings to enforce our intellectual property rights, the proceedings could be burdensome and expensive and could involve a high degree of risk to our proprietary rights if we are unsuccessful in such proceedings. Moreover, our financial resources may not be adequate to enforce or defend our rights in our technology. Additionally, any patents that we apply for or obtain may not be broad enough to protect all of the technology important to our business, and our ownership of patents does not in itself prevent others from securing patents that may block us from engaging in actions necessary to our business, products, or services.
Other companies may claim that we infringe their intellectual property or proprietary rights.
If our proprietary technology violates or is alleged to violate third party proprietary rights, we may be required to reengineer our technology or seek to obtain licenses from third parties to continue offering our technology without substantial reengineering. Any such efforts may not be successful or if successful could require payments that could have a material adverse effect on our profitability and financial condition. Any litigation involving infringement claims against us would be expensive and time-consuming, and an adverse outcome may result in payment of damages or injunctive relief that could materially and adversely affect our business.
Under certain circumstances, the federal government may be able to use our SOCRATES®-related technologies or other technologies developed with government funding without payment to us.
We have taken certain steps to preserve our rights in our SOCRATES®-related technologies under our contracts with the federal government. However, as is the case with all research and development contracts funded by the federal government, the Federal Acquisition Regulations provide that, under certain circumstances, the federal government may have paid-up rights to use, or have used on its behalf, our SOCRATES®-related technologies or other technologies developed with government funding. We do not expect that the federal government will attempt to use our SOCRATES®-related technologies without compensating us. Nevertheless, if the federal government attempts to exercise these rights, it is difficult to predict what effect, if any, it may have on us. If the federal government succeeds in exercising these rights, it may have a material adverse effect on our business operations and financial performance, which could negatively affect the value of our stock.
Our future customers, including the FAA, may not accept the price of or be able to finance our products.
At present, we cannot precisely fix a price for the sale and installation of an initial SOCRATES® wake vortex sensor at airports or UNICORN™-based collision avoidance systems in small aircraft or TIICM™ in commercial airliners. We estimate that the cost of our SOCRATES® wake vortex sensor will be roughly $9 million to $20 million per airport installation, depending on, among other things, the number and configuration of runways. Due to developments in the market for general aviation collision warning and avoidance products and information we have obtained from our ongoing research, development and engineering of UNICORN™, we now expect the UNICORN™-based system could be more complex than we originally envisioned.
As a result, we anticipate the wholesale price of this product could be substantially greater than the $10,000 price we have previously estimated. As we develop further information on the configuration and components of a UNICORN™-based system for general aviation, related production costs, and rapidly evolving competitive technologies, we will reassess the potential market for a commercial UNICORN™-based collision avoidance system for general aviation. Our current goal is to use and build on the UNICORN™ research and development we have conducted to date for application to unmanned air vehicles, if we can obtain government funding for this purpose. While we have had discussions with the federal government in this regard, it is still too early to assess our prospects for obtaining such funding. Because we have not completed the research, development, and testing of either product or received final approvals for either of them from the federal government, we hav e not commenced production or marketing efforts. We currently do not anticipate having these products ready for commercial sale for at least several years. We therefore are not yet in a position to gauge the reaction of potential customers to the pricing of these products or future products and whether such potential customers will be able to afford and finance our products.
We believe that the increase in efficiency and safety to airports, airlines, and private aircraft resulting from our products will justify the substantial anticipated cost of sales and installation of these products. However, our customers' ability to afford such costs will depend, in part, on the health of the overall economy, the financial condition and budget priorities of the federal government, particularly the FAA and NASA, profitability of airports, airlines, and aircraft manufacturers, and the availability of private and government sources of funding to finance the sales and acquisition of our products. While a variety of potential funding sources exist, inability of the FAA, airlines or airports to access or obtain funding for purchase and installation of our products could have a material adverse impact on sales of our SOCRATES®, UNICORN™ or TIICM™ based products.
We may experience long sales cycles.
We expect to experience long time periods between initial sales contacts and the execution of formal contracts for our products and completion of product installations. The cycle from first contact to revenue generation in our business involves, among other things, selling the concept of our technology and products; developing and implementing a pilot program to demonstrate the capabilities and accuracy of our products; negotiating prices and other contract terms; and, finally, installing and implementing our products on a full-scale basis. We anticipate this cycle will entail a substantial period of time, on average between seven to twelve months, and the lack of revenue experienced during this cycle and the expenses involved in bringing new sales to the point of revenue generation would put a substantial strain on our resources.
Our success will depend on our ability to create effective sales, marketing, production and installation forces.
At present and for the near future, we will depend upon a relatively small number of employees and subcontractors to complete the research and development of our SOCRATES® wake vortex sensor and pursue research and development of other SOCRATES®, UNICORN™ and TIICM™ based products. The marketing and sales of these products will require us to find additional capable employees or subcontractors who can understand, explain, market, and sell our technology and products to airports, airlines, and airplane manufacturers. We also will need to assemble new personnel and/or contractors for production and installation of our products. Upon successful completion of research and development, these demands will require us to rapidly increase the number of our employees, vendors, and subcontractors. There is intense competition for capable personnel in all of these areas, and we may not be successful in attracting, integrating, motivating, or retaining new personnel, vendors, or subc ontractors for these required functions.
Our business could be adversely affected if our products fail to perform properly.
Products and systems as complex as ours may contain undetected errors or "bugs," which result in system failures, or failure to perform in accordance with industry expectations. Despite our plans for quality control and testing measures, our products including any enhancements may contain such bugs or exhibit performance degradation, particularly during the early stages of installation, and deployment. Product or system performance problems could result in loss of or delay in revenue, loss of market share, failure to achieve market acceptance, adverse publicity, injury to our reputation, diversion of development resources and claims against us by governments, airlines, airline customers, and others.
We could be subject to liability claims relating to malfunction of our technology.
Sale of our products will depend on their ability to improve airport, airline, and airplane safety and efficiency. We will take great care to test our products and systems after installation and before actual operation to insure accuracy and reliability. The FAA acquires air traffic control equipment for U.S. airports, and typically assumes the principal product liability risk for such equipment. However, unforeseen problems, misuse, or changing conditions could cause our products and systems to malfunction or exhibit other operational problems. Such problems could cause, or be perceived to cause, airplane accidents, including passenger fatalities. We may receive significant liability claims if governments, airlines, airports, passengers and other parties believe that our systems have failed to perform their intended functions. Liability claims could require us to spend significant time and money in litigation, pay substantial damages, and increased insurance premiums, regardless of our re sponsibility for such failure. Although we plan to maintain liability insurance, such coverage may not continue to be available on reasonable terms or be available in amounts sufficient to cover one or more large claims, and the insurer may disclaim coverage as to any claim.
We face significant competition from other companies.
The air safety systems and air traffic control industries are already highly competitive. Other industry participants could develop or improve their own systems to achieve the cost efficiencies and value that we believe our products will provide upon successful completion of research and development. Additional companies may enter the market with competing systems as the size and visibility of the market opportunity increases. In addition, the government could cause us to compete against other companies for research and development or production and deployment of our SOCRATES® wake vortex sensor, when and if we successfully complete its development. Many of our potential competitors have longer operating histories, greater name recognition, substantially greater financial, technical, marketing, management, service, support, and other resources than we do. Therefore, they may be able to respond more quickly than we can to new or changing opportunities, technologies, standards, or cust omer requirements. Competition could reduce our revenues and margins and have a material adverse effect on our operations.
New products or technologies will likely increase the competitive pressures that we face. Increased competition could result in pricing pressures, reduced margins, or the failure of our products to achieve or maintain market acceptance. The development of competing products or technologies by market participants or the emergence of new industry or government standards may adversely affect our competitive position. As a result of these and other factors, we may be unable to compete effectively with current or future competitors. Such inability would likely have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations.
Rapid technological change could render our systems obsolete.
Our business in general is characterized by rapid technological change, frequent new product and service introductions and enhancements, uncertain product life cycles, changes in customer requirements, and evolving industry standards which make us susceptible to technological obsolescence. The introduction of new products embodying new technologies, the emergence of new industry standards, or improvements to existing technologies could render our products and systems obsolete or relatively less competitive. Our future success will depend upon our ability to continue to develop and introduce a variety of new products and to address the increasingly sophisticated needs of our customers. We may experience delays in releasing new products and systems or enhancements in the future. Material delays in introducing new products and systems or enhancements may cause customers to forego purchases of our products and systems and purchase products and systems of competitors instead.
Failure to properly manage growth could adversely affect our business.
To implement our strategy, we believe that we will have to grow rapidly. Rapid growth may strain our management, financial, and other resources. To manage any future growth effectively, we must expand our sales, marketing, production, installation, and customer support organizations, invest in research and development of new products or enhancements to existing systems that meet changing customer needs, enhance our financial and accounting systems and controls, integrate new personnel or contractors, and successfully manage expanded operations. We may not be able to effectively manage and coordinate our growth so as to achieve or maximize future profitability.
We must hire and retain skilled personnel.
Our success depends in large part upon our ability to attract, train, motivate, and retain highly skilled employees, particularly sales and marketing personnel, scientists, engineers, and other technical support personnel. Our failure to attract and retain the highly trained technical personnel that are integral to our direct sales, product development, installation, support, and professional services may limit the rate at which we can generate sales or develop new products or system enhancements, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations.
Any acquisition we make could disrupt our business and harm our financial condition.
We may attempt to acquire businesses or technologies that we believe are a strategic fit with our business. We currently have no commitments for any acquisition. Any future acquisition may result in unforeseen operating difficulties and expenditures, and may absorb significant management attention that would otherwise be available for ongoing development of our business. Since we may not be able to accurately predict these difficulties and expenditures, these costs may outweigh the value we realize from a future acquisition. Future acquisitions could result in issuances of equity securities that would reduce our stockholders' ownership interest, the incurrence of debt, contingent liabilities, amortization of expenses related to other intangible assets and the incurrence of large, immediate write-offs.
You should carefully read and evaluate this entire Form 10-QSB and our current SEC filings including the risks it describes and not consider or rely upon any statement, information or opinion about us that is not contained in this Form 10-QSB and our current SEC filings.
Certain statements, information and opinions about us have appeared and may continue to appear in published news reports, analysts' reports, other media sources and our web site. Some of the information contained in these reports or sources may not be material to understanding our business or may be out of date, erroneous or inconsistent with that disclosed in this Form 10-QSB and our current SEC filings. In making a decision to invest in our securities, you should not rely upon any of these statements, information or opinions and should only rely upon, consider and carefully evaluate the information and risks contained in this Form 10-QSB and our current SEC filings.
We currently are involved in an informal SEC investigation.
The staff of the SEC is conducting an informal investigation that appears to be looking into certain analyst reports about us and our press releases. To date, the SEC staff has not asserted that we have acted improperly or illegally. We have voluntarily agreed to cooperate fully with the staff's informal investigation. We believe that we have acted properly and legally with respect to these analyst reports and our press releases. However, we can neither predict the length, scope, or results of the informal investigation nor its impact, if any, on us or our operations. An adverse outcome, which we cannot predict, could negatively impact the market value of our securities and could divert the efforts and attention of our management team from our ordinary business operations.
We may suffer losses from various investments that we make and related market risks.
From time to time, we may make various types of investments which include, but may not be limited to, acquisitions of other companies, strategic transactions and joint ventures, repurchase of our shares, and general investment of our available cash in various types of debt and equity securities. Some of these investments, such as acquisitions or joint ventures, may involve a high degree of risk and we could lose the entire amount of our investment. Other investments are intended to be conservative, e.g., investment of cash reserves in high quality bonds or equity funds, but are subject to judgments about many factors beyond our control which can adversely affect these types of investments. For example, a rise in such interest rates will adversely affect the value of fixed income securities we hold and we may incur a loss of principal if we have to sell under such conditions. A decline in interest rates may reduce our investment income. We
attempt to be prudent in making any of the foregoing investments, which are reviewed and approved by management and our board of directors. These types of transactions are necessary and important for the success of our overall business and our efforts to create value for our shareholders. However, we have suffered losses on certain of these investments and can make no assurance that we will not suffer losses in the future. Any such losses could have a material adverse impact on our results of operations and cash available to support our operations and investment in research and development.
Risks Related to Investment in Our Securities
The price of our securities could be volatile and subject to wide fluctuations.
The market price of the securities of a pre-commercial, research and development stage aviation technology company, such as ours, can be especially volatile. Thus, the market price of our securities could be subject to wide fluctuations. In fact, the trading volume and price of our shares have fluctuated greatly. Subject to the information set forth in this Form 10-KSB, we are unaware of any specific reasons for this volatility and cannot predict whether or for how long it will continue.
If our revenues do not grow or grow more slowly than we anticipate, we are unable to procure federal contracts for our SOCRATES® wake vortex sensor UNICORN™ or TIICM™ research and development, we encounter technical or engineering obstacles to the successful commercial development of SOCRATES®, UNICORN™ or TIICM™, our operating or capital expenditures exceed our expectations and cannot be adjusted accordingly, or if some other event adversely affects us, the market price of our securities could decline. In addition, if the market for aviation technology stocks or the stock market in general experiences a loss in investor confidence or otherwise fails, the market price of our securities could fall for reasons unrelated to our business, results of operations, and financial condition. The market price of our securities also might decline in reaction to events that affect other companies in our industry even if these events do not directly affect us. Furthermor e, the sale in the open market of recently sold securities or newly issued securities, which we may sell from time to time to raise funds for various purposes, and securities issuable upon the exercise of purchase rights under existing options and warrants may place downward pressure on the market price of our securities.
Speculative traders may anticipate a decline in the market price of our securities and engage in short sales of our securities. Such short sales could further negatively affect the market price of our securities.
Litigation could adversely affect our operating results and financial condition.
Companies that have experienced volatility in the market price of their stock have been the subject of securities class action litigation. We and certain of our officers and current directors are defendants in pending litigation (as described in "Part II - Other Information, Item 1. Legal Proceedings" of this Form 10-QSB) that alleges violations of federal securities laws. We firmly believe that the claims contained in the complaint are without merit and intend to conduct a vigorous defense in this matter. However, defending against existing and potential securities and class action litigation will likely require significant attention and resources and, regardless of the outcome, result in significant legal expenses, which will adversely affect our results unless covered by insurance or recovered from third parties. If our defenses are ultimately unsuccessful, or if we are unable to achieve a favorable resolution, we could be liable for damage awards that could materially adversely aff ect our results of operations and financial condition.
An active trading market for our securities may not be developed or sustained which could limit the liquidity of an investment in our securities.
There is a limited trading market for our securities. From January 2002 through January 29, 2004, our common stock traded on the OTC Bulletin Board, an inter-dealer automated quotation system for equity securities. The securities sold in our recent public offering, together with the shares that formerly traded on the OTC Bulletin Board, have been approved for listing and are currently trading on the American Stock Exchange. There is no assurance that we will be able to continue to meet the listing requirements and that our securities will remain listed on the American Stock Exchange. If we are delisted from the American Stock Exchange, an investor could find it more difficult to dispose of, or to obtain accurate quotations as to the market value of, our securities. Additionally, regardless of which exchange our securities may trade on, an active and liquid trading market may not develop or, if developed, may not be sustained, which could limit security holders' ability to sell our secur ities at a desired price.
If any of our securities are delisted from the American Stock Exchange, we may be subject to the risks relating to penny stocks.
If any of our securities were to be delisted from trading on the American Stock Exchange and the trading price of such security remains below $5.00 per share on the date such security was delisted, trading in such security would also be subject to the requirements of certain rules promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These rules require additional disclosure by broker-dealers in connection with any trades involving a security defined as a penny stock and impose various sales practice requirements on broker-dealers who sell penny
stocks to persons other than established customers and accredited investors, generally institutions. The additional burdens imposed upon broker-dealers by such requirements may discourage broker-dealers from effecting transactions in our securities, which could severely limit the market price and liquidity of such securities and the ability of purchasers to sell our securities in the secondary market. A penny stock is defined generally as any non-exchange listed equity security that has a market price of less than $5.00 per share, subject to certain exceptions.
A large number of shares may be sold in the market following our recent public offering which may cause the price of our securities to decline.
Sales of a substantial number of shares of our common stock or other securities in the public markets, or the perception that these sales may occur, could cause the market price of our common stock or other securities to decline and could materially impair our ability to raise capital through the sale of additional securities. We have 8,215,110 shares of our common stock outstanding. Of our outstanding shares, 6,460,403 are eligible for public trading.
Certain events could result in a dilution of your ownership of our common stock.
We currently have 8,215,110 shares of common stock outstanding and an aggregate of 2,572,634 warrants and options. The exercise price of all of our common stock equivalents ranges from $3.30 to $6.00 per share of common stock. Some of these warrants and options may provide antidilution protection to their holders which would result in our issuance of shares in addition to those under the warrant or option, upon the occurrence of sales of our common stock below certain prices, stock splits, redemptions, mergers, and other similar transactions. Furthermore, from time to time we may issue additional shares of common stock in private or public transactions to raise funds for working capital, research and development, acquisitions, or other purposes. If one or more of these events occurs, the number of outstanding shares of our common stock would increase and dilute your percentage ownership of our common stock.
If we do not maintain an effective registration statement or comply with applicable state securities laws, you may not be able to exercise our public warrants.
For any holder to be able to exercise our public warrants, the shares of our common stock underlying the public warrants must be covered by an effective and current registration statement and qualify or be exempt under the securities laws of the state or other jurisdiction in which you live. We cannot assure you that we will continue to maintain a current registration statement relating to the shares of our common stock underlying our public warrants or that an exemption from registration or qualification will be available throughout their term. This may have an adverse effect on demand for our public warrants and the prices that can be obtained from reselling them.
Our public warrants may be redeemed on short notice. This may have an adverse impact on their price.
We may redeem our public warrants for $0.25 per warrant, subject to adjustment in the event of a stock split, dividend or the like, upon 30 days' notice so long as the last reported sale price per share of our common stock as reported by the principal exchange or trading market on which our common stock trades equals or exceeds $10.00 (subject to adjustment) for twenty consecutive trading days ending on the tenth day prior to the date we give notice of redemption. If we give notice of redemption, holders of our public warrants will be forced to sell or exercise the public warrants they hold or accept the redemption price. The notice of redemption could come at a time when, under specific circumstances or generally, it is not advisable or possible to sell or exercise our public warrants.
Our officers, directors and 5% stockholders will exercise significant control over us.
Our current officers, directors and 5% stockholders, in the aggregate, control approximately 25.96% of our outstanding common stock (including common stock issuable to such person or group within 60 days after August 31, 2005). As a result, these stockholders acting together will be able to exert significant control over matters requiring stockholder approval, including the election of directors, approval of mergers, and other significant corporate transactions. This concentration of ownership could delay, prevent, or deter a change in control, and could deprive our stockholders of an opportunity to receive a premium for their stock as part of a sale of us and could affect the market price of our stock.
We do not intend to pay cash dividends.
We have never paid cash dividends on our stock and do not anticipate paying any cash dividends in the foreseeable future.
We may spend our funds in ways with which our stockholders may not agree.
The use of proceeds description from our recent public offering reflected our then-current planning and was only an estimate that is subject to change in our discretion. Furthermore, a substantial portion of the net proceeds from our recent public offering was not allocated for specific uses. Consequently, our management can spend our funds in ways with which our stockholders may not agree. We cannot predict that our funds will be invested or otherwise utilized to yield a favorable return.
Item 3. Controls and Procedures.
As of the end of the period covered by this quarterly report, the Company's Chief Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer have conducted an evaluation of the Company's disclosure controls and procedures. Based on their evaluation, the Company's Chief Executive
Officer and Principal Financial Officer have concluded that the Company's disclosure controls and procedures are effective to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in reports that it files or submits under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 is (i) recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the applicable Securities and Exchange Commission rules and forms and (ii) accumulated and communicated to the Company's management, including the Company's Chief Executive Officer and the Company's Principal Financial Officer, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
There was no change in the Company's internal control over financial reporting during the Company's most recently completed fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company's internal control over financial reporting.
PART II - OTHER INFORMATION
Several lawsuits have been filed in the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut, by purchasers of our common stock naming us, certain of our executive officers and directors, and certain underwriters, who sold shares of our common stock to the public, as defendants. The suits assert claims under Section 10b of the Securities Exchange Act of 1933. The complaints allege, among other things, that we failed to disclose material details from a report circulated by Volpe in October 2001, which generally concerned the timetable and our prospects for achieving operational viability of the SOCRATES® wake vortex sensor. The plaintiffs seek unspecified damages on behalf of a purported class of purchasers of our securities.
We firmly believe that the claims contained in the complaints are without merit and intend to conduct a vigorous defense in these matters. These lawsuits could be time-consuming and costly and could divert the attention of our management. These lawsuits or any future lawsuits filed against us could harm our business.
As previously reported, in December 2003, we learned that the SEC staff is conducting an informal investigation that appears to be looking into certain analyst reports about us, and our press releases. The SEC staff has not asserted that we have acted improperly or illegally. We have acted properly and legally with respect to these analyst reports and our press releases. We can predict neither the length, scope, or results of the informal investigation nor its impact, if any, on us or our operations.
Item 5. Other Information
None
Item 6. Exhibits and Reports on Form 8-K.
(a) Exhibits
The following is a list of exhibits filed as part of the quarterly report on Form 10-QSB. Where so indicated by footnote, exhibits which were previously filed are incorporated by reference. For exhibits incorporated by reference, the location of the exhibit in the previous filing is indicated.
Exhibit |
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3.1 | Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation (1) |
*Submitted herewith
(1) | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 on our Form 10-QSB, which was filed on April 6, 2004. |
On June 3, 2005, we filed a Current Report on Form 8-K. The report contained an Item 7.01 Regulation FD disclosure announcing that we will be providing a corporate overview of the June 4, 2005 National Small Capital Conference of the Southern California Investment Association in Irvine, California.
On June 7, 2005, we filed a Current Report on Form 8-K. The report contained an Item 7.01 Regulation FD disclosure announcing that Mr. C. Robert Knight has joined the company as a full time employee and has been named Vice President for Business Administration and General Counsel.
On August 16, 2005, we filed a Current Report on Form 8-K. The report contained an Item 7.01 Regulation FD disclosure announcing that we completed our planned first test of the UNICORN™ alerting radar at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) in Marietta, Georgia.
SIGNATURES
In accordance with requirements of the Exchange Act, the registrant caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
Flight Safety Technologies, Inc. | ||
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Samuel A. Kovnat | ||
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David D. Cryer |