USA: OPT Reveals 3Q Financial Results

Ocean Power Technologies, Inc. today announces financial results for its fiscal 2012 third quarter and nine months ended January 31, 2012.

Recent Highlights

Operating loss at $12.4 million was significantly reduced for the nine months ended January 31, 2012, compared with $15.8 million for the nine months ended January 31, 2011, primarily reflecting a 33% decrease in product development costs.

Net cash used in operations decreased to $9.7 million for the nine months ended January 31, 2012 from $14.0 million for the prior-year period.

Strong operating performance reported with regard to the Littoral Expeditionary Autonomous PowerBuoy (“LEAP”) for coastal security and maritime surveillance, under contract with the US Navy. The device is significantly smaller and more compact than the Company’s utility PowerBuoy. The LEAP PowerBuoy posted better than anticipated results. While the Navy mission called for 150 watts of continuous power, the LEAP system supplied continuous power in excess of 400 watts throughout the entire deployment – including during Hurricane Irene, which passed directly overhead.

Continued work under the €2.2 million WavePort project in Spain, teaming with the University of Exeter to design a new wave prediction model and with a Spanish steel manufacturer to build a PB40 buoy structure for demonstration of the wave-by-wave electronic “tuning” capability.

Progress made in Australia towards a planned 19MW wave power station with the commencement of site development and permitting activities.

The Company presented at the Annual Needham Growth Conference in New York on January 11 and will present at the upcoming Roth Capital Conference on March 14 in Laguna Niguel, California.

“Ocean Power Technologies is taking the necessary steps to advance our PowerBuoy technology towards commercialization while continuing to manage our cash conservatively,” said Charles F. Dunleavy, Chief Executive Officer of OPT. “This quarter’s operational highlights were the continued progress being made under our WavePort project in Spain and the recently reported excellent results for our LEAP autonomous PowerBuoy deployed for the US Navy – which we expect will bolster interest in such technology. At the same time, we are working hard to move forward with our partners in Australia and Japan and are also preparing to launch our PB150 off the coast of Reedsport, Oregon later in 2012. The performance of our first PB150 PowerBuoy off Scotland and our autonomous LEAP device off New Jersey earlier this fiscal year have established important milestones while we actively market our products internationally. As a result, we see growing interest in our technology, which gives us great confidence for the future.”

Financial Review

OPT’s contract backlog as of January 31, 2012 was $7.8 million compared to $8.8 million as of October 31, 2011 and $5.8 million as of January 31, 2011. Backlog includes funded amounts and unfunded amounts that are expected to be funded in the future. Funded backlog was $5.8 million, $6.8 million, and $5.3 million as of January 31, 2012, October 31, 2011 and January 31, 2011, respectively.

Results for the Fiscal Third Quarter Ended January 31, 2012

For the three months ended January 31, 2012, OPT reported revenues of $0.9 million as compared to revenues of $1.5 million for the three months ended January 31, 2011. This decrease primarily reflects lower revenues related to the Company’s PB150 being prepared for deployment off Reedsport, Oregon, as well as lower revenue tied to the Navy’s LEAP program on a year-over-year basis, as that project was successfully completed in this fiscal 2012 third quarter. These revenue declines were partially offset by an increase in revenue from the Company’s WavePort project.

The operating loss for the three months ended January 31, 2012 was $3.2 million as compared to an operating loss of $3.8 million for the three months ended January 31, 2011. The reduction in operating loss year-over-year was due primarily to a decrease in product development costs, principally for the PB150 system that underwent successful ocean trials off the coast of Scotland in 2011, partially offset by costs related to the PB150 PowerBuoy in Reedsport, Oregon.

The net loss was $2.2 million for the three months ended January 31, 2012 compared to $3.4 million for the same period in the prior year. This decrease in net loss was due primarily to the decline in operating loss and a higher recorded income tax benefit due to the sale of New Jersey net operating tax losses, partially offset by a decrease in interest income and a higher foreign exchange loss.

Results for the Nine Months Ended January 31, 2012

For the nine months ended January 31, 2012, OPT reported revenues of $4.3 million as compared to revenues of $4.8 million for the nine months ended January 31, 2011. This decrease primarily reflects lower revenues associated with the US Navy’s Deep Water Active Detection System project, and declines in revenue tied to the Company’s LEAP program as well as the PB150 being prepared for deployment off Reedsport, Oregon. The year-to-date revenue decline was partially offset by work on the Company’s WavePort project in Spain and by the funded development of the PB500 PowerBuoy.

The operating loss for the nine months ended January 31, 2012 was $12.4 million as compared to an operating loss of $15.8 million for the nine months ended January 31, 2011. The reduction in operating loss year-over-year was due primarily to a decrease in product development costs, principally for the PB150 system off the coast of Scotland and the Company’s Hawaii project with the US Navy, as these projects neared completion during fiscal year 2012. Gross profit for the nine months ended January 31, 2011 was negatively impacted by a reduction in revenues of $240,000 due to a change in the Company’s estimated revenue recognized in connection with its project off the coast of Spain.

The net loss was $11.1 million for the nine months ended January 31, 2012 compared to $15.1 million for the same period in the prior year. This decrease in net loss was due primarily to the decline in operating loss and lower foreign exchange losses, as well as a higher recorded income tax benefit, partially offset by a decrease in interest income.

Cash and Investments

On January 31, 2012, total cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash and investments were $37.8 million. Net cash used in operating activities was $9.7 million for the nine months ended January 31, 2012, compared to $14.0 million for the same period last year. OPT received approximately $1.1 million and $0.4 million in connection with the sale of New Jersey net operating tax losses during the nine months ended January 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively. As previously stated, OPT expects its cash outflows to decrease in fiscal 2012, as compared to the prior fiscal year, reflecting the completion of ocean trials of the PB150 off the coast of Scotland.

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Offshore WIND, March 09, 2012