Backlog (before surcharges) at March 31, 2019 was a record $130.1 million, an increase of 3.1% from December 31, 2018, and 43.6% higher than at the end of the 2018 first quarter.
The Company’s total debt at March 31, 2019 was $65.4 million, compared with $46.7 million at December 31, 2018, and $99.9 million at the end of the first quarter of 2018. Capital expenditures for the first quarter of 2019 totaled $5.6 million, compared with $2.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2018 and $2.5 million in the first quarter of 2018. First quarter 2019 capital expenditures reflect the commissioning of the Company’s newmid-size bar cell project at its Dunkirk, NY facility. Benefits related to this project are expected to include both cost and inventory reductions, as well as quality and cycle time improvements.
The Company’s effective tax rate for the first quarter ended March 31, 2019 was 16.9%. The rate is lower than the federal statutory rate of 21.0%, primarily due to the favorable impact of federal research and development tax credits.
Chairman, President and CEO Dennis Oates commented: “We continued to make progress in the first quarter of 2019, although more slowly than originally planned. Sales increased 5.6% from the fourth quarter of 2018 and included record aerospace sales, which reached more than 70% of total sales, while premium alloy sales grew 15.6% sequentially. First quarter 2019 gross margin of 12.2% also improved from the 2018 fourth quarter but was impacted by lower shipment volume as well as less favorable product mix, with demand for tool steel down substantially as our tool steel customers adjusted their inventories after strong buying in 2018. The combined output of our facilities set a new Company record despite the significant production challenges posed by a tight labor market.
“Even with the slower than anticipated start, we expect 2019 to be another positive year for Universal Stainless with strongtop-line growth and margin improvement forecasted as soon as the second quarter. We believe that our record backlog and the increasing benefits of our new bar cell in our Dunkirk facility support our positive outlook.”
Conference Call and Webcast
The Company has scheduled a conference call for today, April 24, 2019, at 10:00 a.m. (Eastern) to discuss first quarter 2019 results. Those wishing to listen to the live conference call via telephone should dial706-679-0668, passcode 2274525. A simultaneous webcast will be available on the Company’s website at www.univstainless.com, and thereafter archived on the website through the end of the second quarter of 2019.
About Universal Stainless & Alloy Products, Inc.
Universal Stainless & Alloy Products, Inc., established in 1994 and headquartered in Bridgeville, PA, manufactures and markets semi-finished and finished specialty steels, including stainless steel, nickel alloys, tool steel and certain other alloyed steels. The Company’s products are used in a variety of industries, including aerospace, power generation, oil and gas, and heavy equipment manufacturing. More information is available at www.univstainless.com.
Forward-Looking Information Safe Harbor
Except for historical information contained herein, the statements in this release are forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the “safe harbor” provision of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause the Company’s actual results in future periods to differ materially from forecasted results. Those risks include, among others, the Company’s ability to maintain its relationships with its significant customers and market segments; the Company’s response to competitive factors in its industry that may adversely affect the market for finished products manufactured by the Company or its customers; the Company’s ability to compete successfully with domestic and foreign producers of specialty steel products and products fashioned from alternative materials; the demand for the
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