Non-GAAP operating income in the fourth quarter of 2020 was $3.6 million or 3.5% of revenue. GAAP operating income in the first quarter of 2020 was $2.1 million, or 2.4% of revenue, and included $0.5 million in acquisition-related expenses. Non-GAAP operating income in the first quarter of 2020 was $2.5 million or 2.9% of revenue. CTG’s operations outside of the U.S. are conducted in local currencies. These fluctuations increased operating income by less than $0.3 million in the first quarter of 2021.
GAAP net income in the first quarter of 2021 was $1.5 million, or $0.10 per diluted share, which included a combined $0.5 million, or $0.03 per diluted share, of acquisition-related and rebranding expenses. Non-GAAP net income was $2.0 million or $0.13 per diluted share. GAAP net income in the fourth quarter of 2020 was $1.9 million, or $0.13 per diluted share, which included $0.1 million, or $0.01 per diluted share, of acquisition-related expenses. Non-GAAP net income in the fourth quarter of 2020 was $2.0 million or $0.14 per diluted share. GAAP net income in the first quarter of 2020 was $1.1 million, or $0.08 per diluted share, which included $0.3 million, or $0.02 per diluted share, in acquisition-related expenses. Non-GAAP net income was $1.4 million, or $0.10 per diluted share, in the first quarter of 2020.
CTG’s effective income tax rate in the first quarter of 2021 was 22.6% compared with 45.6% in the fourth quarter of 2020, and 39.0% in the first quarter of 2020. The lower than historical effective tax rate in the first quarter of 2021 reflects the deduction of expenses that were previously non-deductible for tax, while the higher tax rate in the fourth quarter of 2020 was a result of certain expenses incurred during the period that were non-deductible for tax purposes.
Balance Sheet
Cash and short-term investments at April 2, 2021 were $33.5 million. At the end of the first quarter, the Company had no outstanding balance on its revolving line of credit facility and no other long-term debt. Days sales outstanding were 71 in both the first quarters of 2021 and 2020.
Guidance and Outlook
Given the continued global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and reduced visibility on CTG’s end markets and clients, the Company is not providing guidance for 2021 at this time. However, the Company continues to expect solid revenue growth and an increasing mix of Solutions revenue, partially offset by ongoing selective disengagement from lower margin Staffing business.
John M. Laubacker, CTG Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer commented, “Our continued strong performance in the first quarter is a testament to the team’s focus and execution on our strategy. Although the general business environment has remained difficult to predict, we continue to benefit from the increased contribution from higher margin Solutions revenue, and in turn deliver significant improvement in the Company’s operating performance. Through our ongoing investments in enhanced capabilities and new solutions offerings, we will drive our digital transformation strategy during the course of 2021 in support of our commitment to increasing long-term value to all CTG stakeholders.”
Conference Call and Webcast
CTG will hold a conference call today at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time to discuss its financial results and business outlook. To access CTG’s conference call via telephone, participants should dial +1 877 226 8189 and enter the access code 6073339. The conference call will also be available via webcast in the Investors section of CTG’s website at www.ctg.com.
A replay of the call will be available between 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time on April 29, 2021 and 12:00 a.m. Eastern Time on May 3, 2021 by dialing +1 866 207 1041 and entering the access code 1095567. The webcast will also be archived on CTG’s website in the Events & Presentations section for at least 90 days following completion of the conference call.
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