Westport Reports Q3 Net Loss, Canada

Westport Innovations, the global leader in natural gas engines, reported financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2012 and provided an update on operations.

Third Quarter and Year to Date Highlights

• Westport product revenue for the quarter ended September 30, 2012 was $65.1 million, a decrease of $7.1 million, or 9.8%, from $72.2 million for the three months ended September 30, 2011. Westport parts revenue for the quarter ended September 30, 2012 was $9.7 million, an increase of $1.2 million, or 14.1%, from $8.5 million for the three months ended September 30, 2011. The number of engines in the field, their age and their reliability all impacted parts revenue each period. Service and other revenue was $1.4 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2012 compared with $0.4 million for the same period last year.
• Research and development (R&D) expenses focused primarily on new products and new technology were $20.0 million for the three months ended September 30, 2012, an increase of $6.1 million from $13.9 million in the same period last year.
• CWI R&D expenses were $3.6 million compared with $2.3 million.
• Westport HD R&D expenses were $7.3 million compared with $6.0 million. Of the $7.3 million, $3.6 million was related to efforts under OEM development programs, which will be recovered at the next milestone.
• Westport LD R&D expenses were $2.7 million compared with $4.2 million.
• Corporate R&D expenses were $6.3 million compared with $1.4 million primarily due to investments in new product development programs.
• General and administrative expenses were $9.0 million for the three months ended September 30, 2012, an increase of $2.1 million from $6.9 million in the same period last year primarily due to the addition of Westport LD North American facilities and acquired operations, as well as costs related to an increase in headcount. As of September 30, 2012, Westport had 1,098 employees globally, compared with 769 employees on September 30, 2011.
• Sales and marketing expenses were $10.0 million for the three months ended September 30, 2012, an increase of $2.3 million from $7.7 million in the same period last year primarily due to an increase in OEM development initiatives, North American trucking activities, and costs related to high-horsepower and other new business development initiatives.
• For the three months ended September 30, 2012, Westport reported a consolidated adjusted EBITDA loss of $18.5 million compared with a loss of $5.4 million in the prior year period. The reconciliation of adjusted EBITDA is described below.
• Westport consolidated net loss increased due to lower sales volume and an increase in key product development efforts, along with the timing of payments under various development agreements. Included in the Company’s net loss for the three months ended September 30, 2012 is a $7.4 million net foreign exchange loss attributed to the movement in the Canadian dollar relative to the U.S. dollar, which is unrealized. Excluding this impact, the Company’s net loss and net loss per share were $25.1 million and $0.46, respectively.

“The overall market for natural gas transportation is developing with more infrastructure in place by the end of this year end and key product launches for the industry, such as the Cummins Westport ISX12 G, edging closer,” said David Demers, CEO of Westport Innovations Inc.

“We expect to launch a portfolio of new products ranging from automotive and trucking to off-road applications over the next few quarters from a broad variety of OEMs. Our Ford F-250/350 program and Westport™ WiNG Power System is in full production now which positions us with a new product line with strong prospects for growth.”

“We may have changed our near-term and annual revenue expectations, however, recent announcements to bring a new Cummins Westport 6.7-litre engine to market, targeting school buses, and an innovative new engine with Tata, also prove the thesis that virtually all segments of the transportation market will see significant opportunity for natural gas this decade,” continued Demers.

“While new markets evolve, our North American heavy-duty business is seeing repeat orders from customers such as UPS who’ve ordered 21 additional liquefied natural gas (LNG) tractors with Westport high pressure direct injection (HPDI). Finally, our programs with Caterpillar to jointly develop LNG as a fuel in mining truck and locomotive operations are off to a strong start. We are seeing high levels of interest from customers in these high fuel use industries.”

“We have a strong balance sheet and our asset-light business model allows us to remain competitively positioned. We will continue to invest in key products and markets that will help provide new revenue streams and distribution channels to maintain our dominant market share.”

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LNG World News Staff, November 09, 2012