DIGITAL ANGEL CORPORATION ANNOUNCES 2006 FIRST QUARTER RESULTS Record Revenue Up 18%; Year-Over-Year Animal Application Sales Increase 39%
SO. ST. PAUL, MN (May 3, 2006) … Digital Angel Corporation (Amex:DOC),
an advanced technology company in the field of rapid and accurate
identification, location tracking, and condition monitoring of high-value
assets, today announced results for its first quarter ended March 31, 2006.
Total revenue in this year’s first quarter increased 18 percent to $15.8 million
from $13.4 million in the first quarter of 2005. The quarterly revenue was the
highest ever achieved by the Company.
Animal Application segment revenue for the current quarter grew $3.2 million, or
39 percent, over last year’s comparable quarter. The increase resulted from
continued companion pet and livestock sales growth and the inclusion of a full
quarter’s revenue from Denmark-based DSD Holdings and its wholly-owned
subsidiary, Daploma International A/S, which was purchased by Digital Angel in
February 2005. The first quarter of 2005 only included approximately one month
of Daploma sales results.
Net loss in the first quarter of this year was $586,000 or a loss per basic and
diluted share of $0.01, versus a net loss for the first quarter of 2005 of
$493,000, or $0.01 loss per basic and diluted share. Included in the net loss
for the 2006 first quarter was a charge of approximately $215,000 for expenses
related to an acquisition that was not consummated. This charge kept the Company
from being EBITDA positive for the quarter.
Revenue from the Company’s Animal Applications business in this year’s first
quarter was $11.5 million compared to $8.3 million in the 2005 first quarter,
and revenue from its GPS and Radio Communications business was $4.3 million
compared to $5.1 million in the prior year first quarter. The decline in the GPS
and Radio Communications business was principally due to the completion of an $8
million contract with the government of India last year. Prospects for future
sales remain strong in this business segment, said Digital Angel President and
CEO Kevin N. McGrath.
McGrath characterized the first quarter as a strong start to what he believes
will be a prosperous year for Digital Angel. “We are very pleased with our
results for this year’s first quarter, especially the performance of our Animal
Applications business, which is growing in sales and profit contribution and
expanding throughout the world,” McGrath said. “Our strategy has been to create
a truly global business and we believe the results of the first quarter
demonstrate we are making significant progress toward that goal. The gross
profit margin for the quarter was somewhat lower than the fourth quarter of
2005, primarily the result of product mix issues and added freight costs
incurred to meet customer delivery schedules. If our gross profit margin had
remained the same as 2005’s fourth quarter, the Company would have been
profitable this quarter.”
McGrath noted that Digital Angel’s Animal Applications unit, which manufactures
and distributes visual tags and electronic RFID microchips for fish, livestock,
poultry and electronic RFID microchips for pets, is playing a key role in the
global move to ensure the integrity of the food chain and to provide advanced
technology as a mechanism toward better visibility into the outbreak of disease.
“In countries all over the globe, government regulators, ranchers and consumers
are recognizing the importance of source-verifiable livestock and the value of
our products as a means to that end,” McGrath said. “As countries move further
toward national identification programs, such as is happening in the U.S.,
Canada, Europe and South America, we believe our tagging business will continue
to grow and prosper.”
Digital Angel ended the quarter with $8.7 million in cash, total assets of $89.2
million, total liabilities of $16.0 million and stockholders’ equity of $72.6
million.
Subsequent to the close of this year’s first quarter the Company exercised its
option to make the final payment to the shareholders of Denmark-based DSD
Holdings. Pursuant to the terms of the stock purchase agreement between Digital
Angel and the shareholders of DSD Holdings, at any time between the closing date
of the acquisition and December 31, 2006, the Company had the right to buyout
the remaining purchase price. On April 13, 2006, the Company exercised its right
to buyout the remaining purchase price by electing to pay the set amount, as
defined in the agreement, of $2 million. The $2 million buyout price will be
satisfied by a cash payment of $1 million, paid on April 13, 2006, and $1
million worth of the Company’s unregistered common stock, which the Company
expects to issue within the next 90 days.
Chief Financial Officer James P. Santelli said, “We remain in sound financial
shape and are positioned to take advantage of opportunities that come along.”
Results Conference Call
A conference call for institutional investors to discuss the results for the
first quarter of fiscal year 2006 will take place today at 4:30 PM EDT, and will
be broadcast live over the Internet. The live webcast may be accessed by
visiting the Company’s site at
www.DigitalAngelCorp.com or by going to
www.vcall.com. Web participants are encouraged to go to these sites at least
15 minutes prior to the start of the call to register, download, and install any
necessary audio software. An online archive will be available immediately
following the call and will continue to be available for seven days thereafter.
About Digital Angel Corporation
Digital Angel Corporation develops and deploys sensor and communications
technologies that enable rapid and accurate identification, location tracking,
and condition monitoring of high-value assets. Applications for the Company’s
products include identification and monitoring of pets, fish, poultry, humans
and livestock through its patented implantable microchips; location tracking and
message monitoring of vehicles and aircraft in remote locations through systems
that integrate GPS and geosynchronous satellite communications; and monitoring
of asset conditions such as temperature and movement, through advanced miniature
sensors.
Digital Angel Corporation is majority-owned by Applied Digital, Inc. (Nasdaq:ADSX).
For more information about Digital Angel, please visit
www.DigitalAngelCorp.com.
The statements in this press release that are not strictly
historical, are "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of Section 27A
of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 and are intended to be covered by the safe harbors created by these
sections. The forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties
and the actual results that the Company achieves may differ materially from
these forward-looking statements due to such risks and uncertainties, including,
but not limited to, Applied Digital Inc. owns 55.4% of the Company’s common
stock, new accounting pronouncements regarding expensing of share based
compensation may impact the Company’s future results of operations, the Company
may continue to incur net losses, infringement by third parties on the Company’s
intellectual property or development of substantially equivalent proprietary
technology by the Company’s competitors could negatively impact the Company’s
business, domestic and foreign government regulation and other factors could
impair the Company’s ability to develop and sell its products in certain
markets, the Company relies on sales to government contractors for its animal
identification and search and rescue beacon products, and any decline in the
demand by these customers for such products could negatively affect the
Company’s business, the Company depends on a single production arrangement for
its patented syringe-injectable microchips, and the loss of or any significant
reduction in the production could have an adverse effect on the Company’s
business, technological change could cause the Company’s products to become
obsolete, the loss of one of the Company’s principal customers could negatively
impact the Company’s net revenue, the Company’s earnings will decline if the
Company writes off goodwill and other intangible assts, options and warrants
outstanding and available for issuance may adversely affect the market price of
the Company’s common stock, currency exchange rate fluctuations could have an
adverse effect on the Company’s sales and financial results, the Company depends
on a small team of senior management. A detailed statement of risks and
uncertainties is contained in the Company’s reports to the Securities and
Exchange Commission, including in particular the Company’s Form 10-K for the
fiscal year ended December 31, 2005. Investors and stockholders are urged to
read this document carefully. The Company can offer no assurances that any
projections, assumptions or forecasts made or discussed in this release will be
met, and investors should understand the risks of investing solely due to such
projections. The Company undertakes no obligation to revise any forward-looking
statements in order to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the
date of this press release.
TABLES FOLLOW
DIGITAL ANGEL
CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
Selected Financial
Data
Condensed Balance
Sheets
(in thousands)
|
|
March 31, 2006 |
December 31, 2005 |
|
|
(unaudited) |
(audited) |
|
Total
Current Assets |
$ 29,899 |
$ 30,818 |
|
Property
and Equipment, net |
8,035 |
8,602 |
|
Goodwill |
49,165 |
48,491 |
|
Other
Intangible Assets, net |
1,768 |
1,813 |
|
Other
Assets, net |
379
|
483
|
|
Total
Assets |
$ 89,246
|
$ 90,207
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
Current Liabilities |
$ 10,914 |
$ 12,401 |
|
Long
Term Debt and Notes Payable |
3,525 |
3,656 |
|
Long
Term Liabilities |
1,575 |
1,086 |
|
Minority
Interest |
662 |
618 |
|
Stockholders' Equity |
72,570
|
72,446
|
|
Total
Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity |
$ 89,246
|
$ 90,207
|
|
|
Statement
of Operations Data
(in
thousands, except per share amounts)
(unaudited) |
|
|
|
|
|
For the First Quarter Ended
March 31, |
|
|
2006 |
2005 |
|
|
|
|
|
Total
Net Revenue |
$ 15,822 |
$ 13,403 |
|
Gross
Profit |
6,776 |
5,995 |
|
Selling,
General and Administrative Expenses |
6,232 |
5,328 |
|
Research
and Development Expenses |
1,190 |
1,086 |
|
Operating Loss |
(646) |
(419) |
|
Net Loss |
(586) |
(493) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net Loss
per Common Share -Basic and Diluted |
$(0.01) |
$(0.01) |
|
Weighted
Average Common Shares Outstanding-Basic and Diluted |
43,907 |
43,666 |
|
|
|
Selected
Cash Flow Data
(in
thousands)
(unaudited) |
|
|
For the Quarter Ended
March 31, |
|
|
2006 |
2005 |
|
|
|
|
|
Net Cash Used in
Operating Activities |
$ (1,401) |
$ (1,457) |
|
Net Cash Used in
Investing Activities |
(339) |
(1,272) |
|
Net Cash Provided by
Financing Activities |
388 |
41 |
|
Net Decrease in Cash |
(1,342) |
(2,620) |
|
Reconciliation of Operating Loss to Earnings Before Interest, Tax,
Depreciation and Amortization (EBITDA) Before Acquisition Costs |
|
(unaudited) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
For the Quarter Ended
March 31, |
|
|
|
|
|
2006 |
2005 |
|
|
|
|
Operating loss
|
$ (646) |
$ (419) |
|
|
|
|
Depreciation and
amortization |
455 |
502 |
|
|
|
|
EBITDA |
|
(191) |
83 |
|
|
|
|
Acquisition costs |
215 |
- |
|
|
|
|
EBITDA before
acquisition costs |
$ 24 |
$ 83 |
|
|
|
|