SMTC Corporation Reports First Quarter 2019 Results

$103 Million Revenue Quarter Fueled by Expanding Customer Base

MC Assembly Acquisition Contributes to Strong Year-over-Year Growth

TORONTO, May 08, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SMTC Corporation (Nasdaq:SMTX), a global electronics manufacturing services provider, today announced its first quarter 2019 results.

First Quarter Financial Highlights

• Revenue was $102.6 million, up $65.5 million or 177%, compared to $37.1 in the first quarter of 2018, and up 27% or $21.7 million from $80.9 million in the fourth quarter of 2018. On a proforma basis, assuming MC Assembly had been part of SMTC in the first quarter of 2018, revenue increased 45.2% from $70.7 million in the first quarter of 2018. Approximately $3.8 million of the revenues reported in the first quarter of 2019 was due to the impact of the revenue accounting standard ASC 606 compared to $1.7 million of the revenues in the same period in the prior year.
   
• Gross profit was $8.6 million or 8.4% of revenues, compared to $3.9 million or 10.4% of revenues in the first quarter of 2018, and $8.3 million or 10.3% of revenue in the fourth quarter of 2018. The year-over-year and quarter-over-quarter declines in the gross margin percentage in the first quarter of 2019 were due to higher labor expenses and $1.8 million of amortization of intangibles relating to the acquisition of MC Assembly.  Adjusted Gross Profit was $10.5 million or 10.2% of revenues, compared to $3.5 million or 9.5% of revenue for the same period in the prior year.
   
• Net income was $1.2 million or $0.05 per share, compared to net income of $0.08 million or $0.00 per share reported in the first quarter of 2018, and a net loss of $(1.2) million or $(0.05) per share reported in the fourth quarter of 2018. Net Income in the first quarter of 2019 included a $3.1 million non-cash gain for a contingent consideration which reflected a reversal of an accrual recorded in the prior quarter for an earn-out provision associated with the MC Assembly acquisition.
   
• Adjusted EBITDA was $5.5 million, increased 494% from $0.9 million reported in the first quarter of 2018, and up 2.9% from $5.3 million reported in the fourth quarter of 2018.  On a proforma basis, assuming MC Assembly had been part of SMTC in the first quarter of 2018, adjusted EBITDA increased 116% from $2.5 million in the first quarter of 2018.
   
• Net Debt at the end of the first quarter was $95.9 million, compared to $92.3 million at the end of 2018. Effective January 1, 2019, with the adoption of the new lease standard (ASC 842 – Leases), the Company recorded $5.4 million of operating lease obligations as at March 31, 2019. Net Debt at the end of the first quarter, excluding finance and operating lease obligations was $ 79.4, compared to $80.8 million at the end of 2018. A higher than anticipated level of revenue in the first quarter of 2019, together with strong collection activities, eliminated the need for a Senior Debt Leverage Covenant waiver that SMTC secured during the quarter.

2019 Outlook

“With the strong start to 2019 and a growing funnel of business opportunities from existing and new customers in key markets, we anticipate another year of solid revenue growth. We expect to complete the integration of MC Assembly during the second quarter and have implemented steps to attain additional synergies which we believe will increase production efficiencies and improve our operating results,” said Ed Smith, SMTC’s President and Chief Executive Officer.

“Our priorities over the next several quarters are to continue to grow the top line, become more efficient, make progress towards achieving our long-term the gross margin targets of 12% to 14%, and strengthen our balance sheet through working capital improvements and debt reduction. As I look ahead, I am excited about the opportunities for our company to achieve best-in-class operating and financial metrics among our EMS peers,” added Smith.

SMTC’s current expectations for 2019:

*Adjusted EBITDA is calculated based on net income (loss) adjusted to exclude stock-based compensation, interest, restructuring charges, unrealized foreign exchange gain (loss) on unsettled forward exchange contracts, income taxes and depreciation of property plant and equipment and amortization of intangible assets, merger and acquisition related expenses and gains or losses on contingent consideration.  SMTC has provided in this release a non-GAAP calculation of Adjusted EBITDA as supplemental information regarding the operational performance of SMTC’s core business. A reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to net earnings (loss) is shown below in this press release.

Financial Results Conference Call

The company will host a conference call which will start at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, May 9, 2019 by accessing the Investor Relations section of SMTC’s web site on the Investor Relations Events Calendar page at https://ir.smtc.com/ir-calendar or dialing 1-877-317-6789 (for U.S. participants) or 1- 412-317-6789 (for participants outside of the U.S ten minutes prior to the start of the call and request to join the SMTC Corporation’s First Quarter 2019 Results Conference Call.

The conference call will be available for rebroadcast from the Investor Relations section of SMTC’s web site on the Investor Relations Events Calendar page.

Non-GAAP information

Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted Gross Profit and Adjusted Gross Profit percentage are non-GAAP measures. Adjusted EBITDA is computed as net earnings (loss) from operations excluding depreciation and amortization, restructuring charges, unrealized foreign exchange gains/losses on unsettled forward foreign exchange contracts, stock-based compensation, interest, income tax expense and merger and acquisition related expenses and gains or losses on contingent consideration. SMTC Corporation has provided in this release a non-GAAP calculation of Adjusted EBITDA as supplemental information regarding the operational performance of SMTC’s core business. A reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to net income (loss) is included in the attachment. Adjusted Gross Profit is computed as gross profit excluding unrealized gains or losses on unsettled forward foreign exchange contracts and amortization of intangible assets. Adjusted Gross Profit percentage is computed as Adjusted Gross Profit divided by revenue. A reconciliation of Adjusted Gross Profit to gross profit is included in the attachment. Management uses these non-GAAP financial measures internally in analyzing SMTC’s financial results to assess operational performance and liquidity as well as to provide a consistent method of comparison to historical periods and to the performance of competitors and peer group companies. SMTC believes that these non-GAAP financial measures are useful for management and investors in assessing SMTC’s performance and when planning, forecasting and analyzing future periods. SMTC believes these non-GAAP financial measures are useful to investors because they allow for greater transparency with respect to key financial metrics we use in making operating decisions and because investors and analysts use it to help assess the health of our business. Non-GAAP measures are subject to limitations as these measures are not in accordance with, or an alternative for, United States Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (US GAAP) and may be different from non-GAAP measures used by other companies. Because of these limitations, investors should consider Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted Gross Profit and Adjusted Gross Profit percentage along with other financial performance measures, including revenue, gross profit and net earnings (loss), as reflected in SMTC’s interim consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with US GAAP.

Forward-Looking Statements

The statements contained in this release that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements, which involve risk and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements. These statements may be identified by their use of forward looking terminology such as  “anticipates,” “believes,” “can,” “continue,” “could,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” “may,” “plans,” “potential,” “predicts,” “should,” or “will” or the negative of these terms or other and similar words, and include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the expectations, intentions or strategies of SMTC. For these statements, we claim the protection of the safe harbor for forward looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Risks and uncertainties that may cause future results to differ from forward looking statements include the challenges of managing quickly expanding operations and integrating acquired companies, fluctuations in demand for customers' products and changes in customers' product sources, competition in the electronics manufacturing services (EMS) industry, component shortages, and others risks and uncertainties discussed in SMTC's most recent filings with the SEC. The forward-looking statements contained in this release are made as of the date hereof and SMTC assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements.

About SMTC Corporation

SMTC Corporation was founded in 1985 and acquired MC Assembly Holdings, Inc. in November 2018.  Following the MC Assembly acquisition, SMTC has more than 50 manufacturing and assembly lines in United States, China and Mexico which creates a powerful low-to-medium volume, high-mix, end-to-end global EMS provider. With local support and expanded manufacturing capabilities globally, including fully integrated contract manufacturing services with a focus on global original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and emerging technology companies, including those in the Defense and Aerospace, Industrial, Power and Clean Technology, Medical and Safety, Retail and Payment Systems, Semiconductors and Telecom, Networking and Communications; and Test and Measurement industries. As a mid-size provider of end-to-end electronics manufacturing services (EMS), SMTC provides printed circuit boards assemblies (PCB) production, systems integration and comprehensive testing services, enclosure fabrication, as well as product design, sustaining engineering and supply chain management services. SMTC services extend over the entire electronic product life cycle from the development and introduction of new products through to the growth, maturity and end-of-life phases.

SMTC is a public company incorporated in Delaware with its shares traded on the Nasdaq National Market System under the symbol SMTX and was added to the Russell Microcap® Index in 2018. For further information on SMTC Corporation, please visit our website at www.smtc.com.

Investor Relations Contact

Peter Seltzberg
Managing Director
Darrow Associates, Inc.
516-419-9915
pseltzberg@darrowir.com

Released May 8, 2019