Transition Networks sales decreased 45% to $26,968,000 in the first six months of 2012 compared to $48,934,000 in 2011 due to $19,387,000 in revenue from a one-time large network upgrade project with a Fortune 500 company in the second quarter of 2011 and a slowdown in Federal Government spending.
The following table summarizes Transition Networks’ 2012 and 2011 first six months sales by its major product groups:
Sales in North America decreased 53% or $22,538,000 due to revenue from a one-time large network upgrade project with a Fortune 500 company in the second quarter of 2011 as noted above. This also caused the decrease in revenue from sales of media converters. Other vertical markets, especially the Federal Government market in the United States, continued to record lower revenue due to the slow down in government purchases resulting in project delays. International sales increased $392,000, or 6% due to increased project activity in the rest of world, specifically within south-east Asia.
Gross margin on the first six months of Transition Networks’ sales decreased to $14,611,000 in 2012 from $23,515,000 in 2011. Gross margin as a percentage of sales increased to 54% in 2012, compared to 48% in the 2011 period, due to volume discounts in the prior year on an upgrade project with the Fortune 500 Company described above. Selling, general and administrative expenses remained flat at $11,192,000 in 2012 compared to $11,229,000 in 2011 due to cost reduction measures taken in the second quarter offset by additional administrative costs in our United Kingdom facility. Operating income decreased to $3,419,000 in 2012 compared to $12,285,000 in 2011.
JDL Technologies, Inc. sales decreased 75% in the first six months of 2012 to $1,913,000 compared to $7,782,000 in 2011.
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JDL’s revenues by customer group were as follows:
| | | | | | | |
| | JDL Revenue by Customer Group | |
| | 2012 | | 2011 | |
Broward County FL schools | | $ | 1,182,000 | | $ | 7,570,000 | |
All other | | | 731,000 | | | 212,000 | |
| | $ | 1,913,000 | | $ | 7,782,000 | |
Revenues earned in Broward County FL decreased $6,388,000 or 84% in 2012. In the first quarter of 2010, the Company received significant funding for federal government contract work. This contract work was of a long-term nature, and the Company completed these contracts during the quarter ended September 30, 2011. All other revenues increased $519,000 due to JDL’s concentrated effort to expand its market focus.
JDL gross margin decreased 83% to $595,000 in the first six months of 2012 compared to $3,505,000 in the same period in 2011. Gross margin as a percentage of sales decreased to 31% in 2012 from 45% in 2011 due to purchasing discounts and rebates the Company was able to take advantage of during the first half of the prior year. Selling, general and administrative expenses increased 11% in 2012 to $1,114,000 compared to $1,001,000 in 2011 due to increased sales and marketing expenses as JDL has expanded its market focus. JDL reported an operating loss of $519,000 in the first six months of 2012 compared to operating income of $2,504,000 in the same period of 2011.
Other
Income before income taxes decreased to $1,539,000 in 2012 compared to $11,425,000 in 2011. The Company’s effective income tax rate was 33% in 2012 as compared to 42% in 2011. This effective rate was lower than the standard rate of 35% due to state income taxes, provisions for interest charges, the release of valuation allowance placed on foreign net operating losses, and the effect of operations conducted in lower foreign tax rate jurisdictions.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
As of June 30, 2012, the Company had approximately $37,285,000 in cash, cash equivalents and investments. Of this amount, $643,000 was invested in short-term money market funds that are not considered to be bank deposits and are not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC or other government agency. These money market funds seek to preserve the value of the investment at $1.00 per share; however, it is possible to lose money investing in these funds. The remainder in cash and cash equivalents is operating cash and certificates of deposit, which are fully insured through the FDIC. The Company also had $22,820,000 in investments consisting of certificates of deposit, commercial paper, corporate notes and bonds, and municipal bonds that are traded on the open market and are classified as available-for-sale at June 30, 2012.
The Company had current assets of approximately $86,264,000 and current liabilities of $12,862,000 at June 30, 2012 compared to current assets of $89,946,000 and current liabilities of $15,388,000 at December 31, 2011.
Cash flow used in operating activities was approximately $4,831,000 in the first half of 2012 compared to $4,017,000 used by operations in the same period of 2011. Significant working capital changes from December 31, 2011 to June 30, 2012 included a decrease in accrued compensation and benefits of $2,527,000 related to the payment of the Company’s annual and long term compensation during the first quarter and an increase in inventories of $5,060,000 due to high production levels related to increased orders and new product initiatives within one of our business segments.
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Net cash used in investing activities was $411,000 in the first half of 2012 compared to $408,000 in cash provided in the same period of 2011. The Company continued to make capital investments and purchases of certificates of deposit and other marketable securities.
Net cash used by financing activities was $2,812,000 in the first half of 2012 compared to $2,575,000 in the same period of 2011. Cash dividends paid on common stock increased to $2,639,000 in 2012 ($0.32 per common share) from $2,528,000 in 2011 ($0.30 per common share). Proceeds from common stock issuances, principally shares sold to the Company’s Employee Stock Ownership Plan and under the Company’s Employee Stock Purchase Plan, totaled approximately $220,000 in 2012 and $126,000 in 2011. The Company purchased and retired 19,247 shares in 2012 and none in 2011. At June 30, 2012, Board of Director authority to purchase approximately 462,691 additional shares remained in effect.
The Company has a $10,000,000 line of credit from Wells Fargo Bank. Interest on borrowings on the credit line is at LIBOR plus 1.1% (1.6% at June 30, 2012). There were no borrowings on the line of credit during the first six months of 2012 or 2011. The credit agreement expires October 31, 2013 and is secured by assets of the Company.
As part of the acquisition of the new Minnetonka headquarters building in July 2007, the Company assumed an outstanding mortgage of $4,380,000. The mortgage is payable in monthly installments and carries an interest rate of 6.83%. The mortgage matures on March 1, 2016. Mortgage payments on principal totaled $210,000 during 2012. The outstanding balance on the mortgage was $1,792,000 at June 30, 2012.
In the opinion of management, based on the Company’s current financial and operating position and projected future expenditures, sufficient funds are available to meet the Company’s anticipated operating and capital expenditure needs.
Critical Accounting Policies
Our critical accounting policies, including the assumptions and judgments underlying them, are discussed in our 2011 Form 10-K in Note 1 Summary of Significant Accounting Policies included in our Consolidated Financial Statements. There were no significant changes to our critical accounting policies during the three months ended June 30, 2012.
The Company’s accounting policies have been consistently applied in all material respects and disclose such matters as allowance for doubtful accounts, sales returns, inventory valuation, warranty expense, income taxes, revenue recognition, asset and goodwill impairment recognition and foreign currency translation. On an ongoing basis, we evaluate our estimates based on historical experience and on various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances, the result of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying value of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Results may differ from these estimates due to actual outcomes being different from those on which we based our assumptions. Management reviews these estimates and judgments on an ongoing basis.
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Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements
We do not believe there are any recently issued accounting standards that have not yet been adopted that would have a material impact on the Company’s financial statements.
Item 3.Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk.
The Company has no freestanding or embedded derivatives. The Company’s policy is to not use freestanding derivatives and to not enter into contracts with terms that cannot be designated as normal purchases or sales.
The vast majority of our transactions are denominated in U.S. dollars; as such, fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates have historically not been material to the Company. At June 30, 2012 our bank line of credit carried a variable interest rate based on LIBOR plus 1.1%.
Based on the Company’s operations, in the opinion of management, no material future losses or exposure exist relative to market risk.
Item 4.Controls and Procedures
The Company carried out an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation of its management, including the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of the Company’s “disclosure controls and procedures” (as defined in the Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(e)) as of the end of the period covered by this report. Based upon that evaluation, the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures are effective.
There was no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred 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
|
Item 1. Legal Proceedings |
Not Applicable. |
|
Item 1A. Risk Factors |
Not Applicable. |
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Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds
In the three months ending June 30, 2012, the Company repurchased shares of stock as follows:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES | |
Period | | | (a) Total Number of Shares (or Units) Purchased | | | (b) Average Price Paid per Share (or Unit) | | | (c) Total Number of Shares (or Units) Purchased as Part of Publicly Announced Plans or Programs | | | (d) Maximum Number (or Approximate Dollar Value) of Shares (or Units) that May Yet Be Purchased Under the Plans or Programs(1) | |
April 2012 | | | | — | | | | — | | | | — | | | | 481,938 | |
May 2012 | | | | — | | | | — | | | | — | | | | 481,938 | |
June 2012 | | | | 19,247 | | | | $10.76 | | | | 19,247 | | | | 462,691 | |
Total | | | | 19,247 | | | | $10.76 | | | | 19,247 | | | | 462,691 | |
| | |
| (1) | Shares represent remaining amount of a 500,000 share repurchase authorization approved by the Company’s Board in October 2008 and publicly announced in November 2008. |
|
Item 3. Defaults Upon Senior Securities |
Not Applicable. |
|
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures |
Not Applicable. |
|
Item 5. Other Information |
Not Applicable. |
Item 6. Exhibits.
| | |
| The following exhibits are included herein: |
| | |
| 31.1 | Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (Rules 13a-14 and 15d-14 of the Exchange Act). |
| 31.2 | Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (Rules 13a-14 and 15d-14 of the Exchange Act). |
| 32. | Certifications pursuant Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (18 U.S.C. §1350). |
| 99.1 | Press Release dated August 8, 2012 announcing 2012 Second Quarter Results. |
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Signatures
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereto duly authorized.
| | | | |
| | | Communications Systems, Inc. |
| | | |
| | By | /s/ William G. Schultz | |
| | | William G. Schultz |
Date: | August 9, 2012 | | President and Chief Executive Officer |
| | | |
| | | /s/ David T. McGraw | |
| | | David T. McGraw |
Date: | August 9, 2012 | | Chief Financial Officer |
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