EXFO Reports Second-Quarter Results for Fiscal 2013

• Sales reach US$62.6 million
• Gross margin amounts to 62.2% of sales
• Adjusted EBITDA totals US$4.4 million

QUEBEC CITY, March 27, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ - EXFO Inc. (NASDAQ: EXFO; TSX: EXF) reported today financial results for the second quarter ended February 28, 2013.

Sales reached US$62.6 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2013 compared to US$66.9 million in the second quarter of 2012 and US$59.8 million in the first quarter of 2013.

Bookings attained US$53.4 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2013 compared to US$60.6 million in the same period last year and US$64.3 million in the first quarter of 2013. The company's book-to-bill ratio was 0.85 in the second quarter of 2013 and 0.96 after six months into the fiscal year.

Gross margin^* amounted to 62.2% of sales in the second quarter of fiscal 2013 compared to 64.7% in the second quarter of 2012 and 60.5% in the first quarter of 2013.

IFRS net earnings in the second quarter of fiscal 2013 totaled US$39,000, or US$0.00 per diluted share, compared to net earnings of US$1.0 million, or US$0.02 per diluted share, in the same period last year and a net loss of US$1.6 million, or US$0.03 per share, in the first quarter of 2013. IFRS net earnings in the second quarter of 2013 included US$1.9 million in after-tax amortization of intangible assets, US$0.5 million in stock-based compensation costs, US$0.1 million in after-tax restructuring charges and a foreign exchange gain of US$1.7 million.

Adjusted EBITDA^** totaled US$4.4 million, or 7.1% of sales, in the second quarter of fiscal 2013 compared to US$7.8 million, or 11.7% of sales, in the second quarter of 2012 and US$2.7 million, or 4.5% of sales, in the first quarter of 2013.

"I am encouraged by our sequential increase in sales and profitability in the second quarter," said Germain Lamonde, EXFO's Chairman, President and CEO. "At the beginning of fiscal 2013, we had expected a stronger financial performance in the second half and I remain confident we will deliver a stronger second half. This stated confidence is based on improving market conditions, discussions with customers, positive impact of key new product launches for 4G/LTE and 100G network deployments, recent product approvals and the quality of our sales funnel."

"Consequently, I believe EXFO will generate mid-single digit sales growth and improved profitability in fiscal 2013," Mr. Lamonde added. "I am pleased with our improved market position and remain committed to returning to our historical sales CAGR of 20% that we delivered over the last 10 years, while focusing on the earnings growth that the investment community has come to expect from EXFO."

Selected Financial Information
(In thousands of US dollars)

			Q2 2013			Q1 2013			Q2 2012
Sales		$	62,576		$	59,821		$	66,917
Gross margin*		$	38,912		$	36,164		$	43,301
			62.2%			60.5%			64.7%
Other selected information:
	IFRS net earnings (loss)	$	39		$	(1,638)		$	954
	Amortization of intangible assets	$	1,922		$	1,962		$	1,974
	Stock-based compensation costs	$	468		$	448		$	508
	Restructuring charges	$	89		$	-		$	-
	Change in fair value of cash contingent consideration	$	-		$	-		$	(311)
	Net income tax effect of the above items	$	(95)		$	(67)		$	(56)
	Foreign exchange (gain) loss	$	(1,700)		$	(756)		$	1,471
	Adjusted EBITDA**	$	4,435		$	2,720		$	7,826

Operating Expenses
Selling and administrative expenses totaled US$23.1 million, or 36.9% of sales in the second quarter of fiscal 2013 compared to US$23.7 million, or 35.4% of sales, in the same period last year and US$22.3 million, or 37.3% of sales, in the first quarter of 2013.

Gross research and development expenses amounted to US$14.1 million, or 22.6% of sales, in the second quarter of fiscal 2013 compared to US$14.8 million, or 22.1% of sales, in the second quarter of 2012 and US$13.9 million, or 23.2% of sales, in the first quarter of 2013.

Net R&D expenses totaled US$12.0 million, or 19.1% of sales, in the second quarter of fiscal 2013 compared to US$12.3 million, or 18.4% of sales, in the same period last year and US$11.6 million, or 19.4% of sales, in the first quarter of 2013.

Second-Quarter Highlights

• Growth. Despite late budget releases by network operators, EXFO's revenue level improved 4.6% sequentially in the second quarter mainly due to increased traction in the wireless sector. This marked the second consecutive quarter of revenue growth for EXFO amid difficult market conditions. The company posted double-digit sequential sales increases in the Asia-Pacific and Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) regions, but a decrease in the Americas. EXFO's top customer accounted for 5.9% of sales in the second quarter, while the top three represented 13.1%.
• Profitability. EXFO finished break-even (US$39,000) on an IFRS basis in the second quarter compared to a net loss of US$1.6 million in the previous quarter. The company also generated US$2.1 million in cash flows from operating activities. Based on increased sales volume and a tight control on expenses, EXFO expects to significantly improve profitability in the second half of the fiscal year.
• Innovation. EXFO launched six new products in the second quarter including amongst others the TravelHawk Pro, a 4G/LTE network troubleshooting tool that has been selected by three of world's top five LTE operators; FTB-88100NGE Power Blazer, the first portable, multiservice test solution supporting transmission rates from 10M to 100G; and packet synchronization functionalities on the FTB1/FTB-800 NetBlazer series for wireless network deployments. Altogether, the company has released 11 new products since the beginning of the fiscal year.

Business Outlook
EXFO forecasts sales between US$64.0 million and US$69.0 million for the third quarter of fiscal 2013, while IFRS net earnings are expected to range between US$0.00 and US$0.04 per diluted share. Net earnings include US$0.03 per share in after-tax amortization of intangible assets and stock-based compensation costs.

This guidance was established by management based on existing backlog as of the date of this press release, seasonality, expected bookings for the remaining of the quarter, as well as exchange rates as of the day of this press release.

Conference Call and Webcast
EXFO will host a conference call today at 5 p.m. (Eastern time) to review its financial results for the second quarter of fiscal 2013. To listen to the conference call and participate in the question period via telephone, dial 1-416-641-6680. Germain Lamonde, Chairman, President and CEO, and Pierre Plamondon, CPA, CA, Vice-President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer, will participate in the call. An audio replay of the conference call will be available one hour after the event until 7 p.m. on April 3, 2013. The replay number is 1-402-977-9141 and the reservation number is 21649128. The audio Webcast and replay of the conference call will also be available on EXFO's Website at www.EXFO.com, under the Investors section.

About EXFO
Listed on the NASDAQ and TSX stock exchanges, EXFO is among the leading providers of next-generation test and service assurance solutions for wireline and wireless network operators and equipment manufacturers in the global telecommunications industry. The company offers innovative solutions for the development, installation, management and maintenance of converged, IP fixed and mobile networks-from the core to the edge. Key technologies supported include 3G, 4G/LTE, IMS, Ethernet, OTN, FTTx, VDSL2, ADSL2+ and various optical technologies accounting for more than 35% of the portable fiber-optic test market. EXFO has a staff of approximately 1700 people in 25 countries, supporting more than 2000 telecom customers worldwide. For more information, visit www.EXFO.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and we intend that such forward-looking statements be subject to the safe harbors created thereby. Forward-looking statements are statements other than historical information or statements of current condition. Words such as may, will, expect, believe, anticipate, intend, could, estimate, continue, or the negative or comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements. In addition, any statements that refer to expectations, projections or other characterizations of future events and circumstances are considered forward-looking statements. They are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements due to various factors including macro-economic uncertainty and/or recession (including our ability to quickly adapt cost structures with anticipated levels of business and our ability to manage inventory levels with market demand); capital spending and network deployment levels in the telecommunications industry; future economic, competitive, financial and market conditions; limited visibility with regards to customer orders and the timing of such orders; fluctuating exchange rates; consolidation in the global telecommunications test and service assurance industry and increased competition among vendors; concentration of sales; timely release and market acceptance of our new products and other upcoming products; our ability to successfully integrate our acquired and to-be-acquired businesses; our ability to successfully expand international operations; and the retention of key technical and management personnel. Assumptions relating to the foregoing involve judgments and risks, all of which are difficult or impossible to predict and many of which are beyond our control. Other risk factors that may affect our future performance and operations are detailed in our Annual Report, on Form 20-F, and our other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Canadian securities commissions. We believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable based on information currently available to us, but we cannot assure you that the expectations will prove to have been correct. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. These statements speak only as of the date of this document. Unless required by law or applicable regulations, we undertake no obligation to revise or update any of them to reflect events or circumstances that occur after the date of this document.

Non-IFRS Measures
EXFO provides non-IFRS measures (gross margin* and adjusted EBITDA**) as supplemental information regarding its operational performance. The company uses these measures for the purposes of evaluating its historical and prospective financial performance, as well as its performance relative to competitors. These measures also help the company to plan and forecast future periods as well as to make operational and strategic decisions. EXFO believes that providing this information to investors, in addition to IFRS measures, allows them to see the company's results through the eyes of management, and to better understand historical and future financial performance.

The presentation of this additional information is not prepared in accordance with IFRS. Therefore, the information may not necessarily be comparable to that of other companies and should be considered as a supplement to, not a substitute for, the corresponding measures calculated in accordance with IFRS.

*	Gross margin represents sales less cost of sales, excluding depreciation and amortization.
**	Adjusted EBITDA represents net earnings (loss) before interest, income taxes, depreciation of property, plant and equipment, amortization of intangible assets, restructuring charges, change in the fair value of the cash contingent consideration, stock-based compensation costs and foreign exchange gain or loss.

The following table summarizes the reconciliation of adjusted EBITDA to IFRS net earnings (loss), in thousands of US dollars:

Adjusted EBITDA

			Three months ended February 28, 2013			Three months ended November 30, 2012			Three months ended February 29, 2012
IFRS net earnings (loss) for the period		$	39		$	(1,638)		$	954
Add (deduct):
Depreciation of property, plant and equipment			1,504			1,605			1,546
Amortization of intangible assets			1,922			1,962			1,974
Interest (income) expenses			25			(33)			(54)
Income taxes			2,088			1,132			1,738
Restructuring charges			89			-			-
Change in fair value of cash contingent consideration			-			-			(311)
Stock-based compensation costs			468			448			508
Foreign exchange (gain) loss			(1,700)			(756)			1,471
Adjusted EBITDA for the period		$	4,435		$	2,720		$	7,826
Adjusted EBITDA in percentage of sales			7.1%			4.5%			11.7%

 

EXFO Inc.
Condensed Unaudited Interim Consolidated Balance Sheets

(in thousands of US dollars)

		As at February 28, 2013			As at August 31, 2012
Assets
Current assets
Cash		$	51,425		$	58,868
Short-term investments			4,952			8,236
Accounts receivable
	Trade		42,715			37,643
	Other		2,643			4,283
Income taxes and tax credits recoverable			8,375			9,024
Inventories			38,331			41,212
Prepaid expenses			3,685			3,800
			152,126			163,066
Tax credits recoverable			40,368			38,397
Property, plant and equipment			46,593			49,848
Intangible assets			10,111			14,132
Goodwill			27,885			29,160
Deferred income taxes			11,266			12,080
		$	288,349		$	306,683
Liabilities
Current liabilities
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities		$	29,420		$	32,392
Provisions			742			952
Income taxes payable			1,225			917
Current portion of long-term debt			584			565
Deferred revenue			9,069			10,583
			41,040			45,409
Deferred revenue			4,481			4,997
Long-term debt			-			282
Other liabilities			383			609
Deferred income taxes			2,628			2,105
			48,532			53,402
Shareholders' equity
Share capital			111,400			110,965
Contributed surplus			16,688			17,298
Retained earnings			109,912			111,511
Accumulated other comprehensive income			1,817			13,507
			239,817			253,281
		$	288,349		$	306,683

EXFO Inc.
Condensed Unaudited Interim Consolidated Statements of Earnings

(in thousands of US dollars, except share and per share data)

			Three months ended February 28, 2013			Six months ended February 28, 2013			Three months ended February 29, 2012			Six months ended February 29, 2012
Sales		$	62,576		$	122,397		$	66,917		$	133,305
Cost of sales (1)			23,664			47,321			23,616			46,986
Selling and administrative			23,074			45,364			23,676			48,294
Net research and development			11,960			23,562			12,307			24,790
Depreciation of property, plant and equipment			1,504			3,109			1,546			3,114
Amortization of intangible assets			1,922			3,884			1,974			3,895
Change in fair value of cash contingent consideration			-			-			(311)			(311)
Earnings (loss) from operations			452			(843)			4,109			6,537
Interest income (expenses)			(25)			8			54			(17)
Foreign exchange gain (loss)			1,700			2,456			(1,471)			193
Earnings before income taxes			2,127			1,621			2,692			6,713
Income taxes			2,088			3,220			1,738			2,872
Net earnings (loss) for the period		$	39		$	(1,599)		$	954		$	3,841
Basic and diluted net earnings (loss) per share		$	0.00		$	(0.03)		$	0.02		$	0.06
Basic weighted average number of shares outstanding (000's)			60,392			60,391			60,441			60,391
Diluted weighted average number of shares outstanding (000's)			61,175			61,195			61,606			61,685
(1) The cost of sales is exclusive of depreciation and amortization, shown separately.

EXFO Inc.
Condensed Unaudited Interim Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss)

(in thousands of US dollars)

				Three months ended February 28, 2013			Six months ended February 28, 2013			Three months ended February 29, 2012			Six months ended February 29, 2012
Net earnings (loss) for the period			$	39		$	(1,599)		$	954		$	3,841
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of income taxes
Items that will not be reclassified subsequently to net earnings
	Foreign currency translation adjustment			(9,184)			(10,892)			6,200			(5,627)
Items that may be reclassified subsequently to net earnings
	Unrealized gains/losses on forward exchange contracts			(679)			(762)			963			144
	Reclassification of realized gains on forward exchange contracts in net earnings (loss)			(130)			(329)			(355)			(980)
	Deferred income tax effect of gains/losses on forward exchange contracts			217			293			(163)			232
Other comprehensive income (loss)				(9,776)			(11,690)			6,645			(6,231)
Comprehensive income (loss) for the period			$	(9,737)		$	(13,289)		$	7,599		$	(2,390)

EXFO Inc.
Condensed Unaudited Interim Consolidated Statements of Changes in Shareholders' Equity

(in thousands of US dollars)

				Six months ended February 29, 2012
				Share capital			Contributed surplus			Retained earnings			Accumulated other comprehensive income			Total shareholders' equity
Balance as at September 1, 2011			$	110,341		$	18,017		$	115,104		$	21,049		$	$ 264,511
Exercise of stock options				78			-			-			-			78
Redemption of share capital				(404)			(222)			-			-			(626)
Reclassification of stock-based compensation Costs				1,406			(1,406)			-			-			-
Stock-based compensation costs				-			956			-			-			956
Net earnings for the period				-			-			3,841			-			3,841
Other comprehensive loss
	Foreign currency translation adjustment			-			-			-			(5,627)			(5,627)
	Changes in unrealized gains on forward exchange contracts, net of deferred income taxes of $232			-			-			-			(604)			(604)
Total other comprehensive income (loss) for the period				-			-			3,841			(6,231)			(2,390)
Balance as at February 29, 2012			$	111,421		$	17,345		$	118,945		$	14,818		$	262,529
				Six months ended February 28, 2013
				Share capital			Contributed surplus			Retained earnings			Accumulated other comprehensive income			Total shareholders' equity
Balance as at September 1, 2012			$	110,965		$	17,298		$	111,511		$	13,507		$	253,281
Exercise of stock options				87			-			-			-			87
Redemption of share capital				(913)			(227)			-			-			(1,140)
Reclassification of stock-based compensation Costs				1,261			(1,261)			-			-			-
Stock-based compensation costs				-			878			-			-			878
Net loss for the period				-			-			(1,599)			-			(1,599)
Other comprehensive loss
	Foreign currency translation adjustment			-			-			-			(10,892)			(10,892)
	Changes in unrealized gains/losses on forward exchange contracts, net of deferred income taxes of $293			-			-			-			(798)			(798)
Total other comprehensive loss for the period				-			-			(1,599)			(11,690)			(13,289)
Balance as at February 28, 2013			$	111,400		$	16,688		$	109,912		$	1,817		$	239,817

EXFO Inc.
Condensed Unaudited Interim Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

(in thousands of US dollars)

				Three months ended February 28, 2013			Six months ended February 28, 2013			Three months ended February 29, 2012			Six months ended February 29, 2012
Cash flows from operating activities
Net earnings (loss) for the period			$	39		$	(1,599)		$	954		$	3,841
Add (deduct) items not affecting cash
	Change in discount on short-term investments			(3)			(1)			12			43
	Stock-based compensation costs			468			916			508			1,063
	Depreciation and amortization			3,426			6,993			3,520			7,009
	Change in fair value of cash contingent consideration			-			-			(311)			(311)
	Deferred revenue			111			(1,420)			488			(653)
	Deferred income taxes			988			1,721			857			1,575
	Change in foreign exchange gain/loss			(775)			(798)			175			(1,039)
				4,254			5,812			6,203			11,528
Change in non-cash operating items
	Accounts receivable			2,016			(6,088)			5,504			2,607
	Income taxes and tax credits			(1,313)			(3,186)			(1,430)			(1,258)
	Inventories			1,213			1,053			7,050			7,643
	Prepaid expenses			(414)			(55)			(228)			(213)
	Accounts payable, accrued liabilities and provisions			(3,687)			(50)			(3,432)			(35)
	Other liabilities			(15)			(210)			(91)			(152)
				2,054			(2,724)			13,576			20,120
Cash flows from investing activities
Additions to short-term investments				(10,236)			(34,769)			(9,876)			(67,798)
Proceeds from disposal and maturity of short-term investments				13,283			37,810			16,987			107,766
Additions to capital assets				(2,504)			(4,493)			(6,691)			(11,177)
				543			(1,452)			420			28,791
Cash flows from financing activities
Bank loan				-			-			-			(785)
Repayment of long-term debt				(293)			(293)			(296)			(296)
Exercise of stock options				36			87			78			78
Redemption of share capital				(167)			(1,140)			(263)			(626)
				(424)			(1,346)			(481)			(1,629)
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash				(1,566)			(1,921)			1,564			1,196
Change in cash				607			(7,443)			15,079			48,478
Cash - Beginning of the period				50,818			58,868			56,170			22,771
Cash - End of the period			$	51,425		$	51,425		$	71,249		$	71,249
Supplementary information
Interest paid			$	17		$	26		$	31		$	58
Income taxes paid			$	552		$	937		$	255		$	990

 

SOURCE EXFO inc.

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