News Release

 View printer-friendly version «  Back
February 6, 2002 at 7:04 AM EST

CONMED Corporation Announces Fourth Quarter and 2001 Year End Results

UTICA, N.Y., Feb 6, 2002 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ --

- Fourth Quarter Sales Up 11% to $113.3 Million - - Fourth Quarter EPS Increases 33% to $0.32, Excluding Acquisition Related Charges -

CONMED Corporation (Nasdaq: CNMD) today announced financial results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2001.

Fourth Quarter Results

Sales for the fourth quarter increased 11% to $113.3 million from $102.3 million in the comparable quarter last year. Net income, excluding a $0.7 million acquisition related charge, was $8.1 million, 43% above the $5.7 million reported in last year's fourth quarter. Earnings per diluted share, excluding the charge, grew 33% to $0.32 from $0.24 in the same quarter in 2000. Had FAS 142 on goodwill accounting been effective, earnings would have been $9.5 million, or $0.37 per diluted share, compared to $7.1 million, or $.31 per diluted share, in fourth quarter 2000.

Fourth quarter sales of the Company's orthopedic products grew to $68.9 million, 4% above the $66.1 million reported in the fourth quarter a year ago. Arthroscopy sales increased 11% to $40.3 million from $36.2 million in the same period last year. Powered instrument sales were $28.6 million compared to $29.9 million, reflecting a mature battery powered system that the Company expects to replace in the first quarter of 2002.

Electrosurgery revenues were $18.0 million, a 3% increase from the $17.5 million recorded in fourth quarter 2000. Sales of Patient Care Products grew 2% to $17.1 million compared to $16.7 million. Endoscopy revenues grew significantly to $9.3 million from $2.0 million in the same period last year, reflecting the addition of the Imagyn product line.

Year End Results

For the year ended December 31, 2001, CONMED reported revenues of $428.7 million, an 8% increase from $395.9 million in 2000. Net income, excluding unusual charges, was $25.4 million, up 25% from $20.3 million last year. Earnings per diluted share, excluding charges, grew 20% to $1.04 compared to $0.87 last year. Had FAS 142 on goodwill accounting been effective, earnings in 2001 would have been $31.1 million, or $1.27 per diluted share, compared to $25.9 million, or $1.11 per diluted share in 2000.

By product line, Arthroscopy grew 7% to $155.6 million compared to $145.0 million in the year 2000, Powered Surgical Instruments grew 1% to $114.3 million compared to $113.7, Electrosurgery grew 7% to $66.9 million from $62.5 million, Patient Care increased 1% to $69.1 million from $68.2 million, and Endoscopy grew to $22.8 million from $6.5 million. Organic Endoscopy growth was 13% in 2001, with the remainder of the growth resulting from the Imagyn product line acquisition.

During 2001, the Company reduced its balance sheet debt a total of $26 million from operating cash flows. In addition, the balance sheet debt further declined $17 million from the net effect of two financing transactions. An accounts receivable securitization facility, completed in November 2001, reduced balance sheet debt by $40 million while the purchase of the Company's Florida facility in July 2001, which had been previously leased, increased balance sheet debt by $23 million. EBITDA amounted to $99.1 million for the year, excluding acquisition charges.

Joseph J. Corasanti, President and Chief Operating Officer, commented, "We are very pleased to have closed an already successful 2001 with a better-than-expected fourth quarter. These results reflect our focused efforts to increase sales through new product launches and more aggressive marketing and sales programs. In 2001, we successfully launched 10 new products in our orthopedic offering, established CONMED as the third largest player in the fast growing endoscopy market with the acquisition of the Imagyn product line in July, and stabilized our Patient Care line after disappointing results in 2000. Furthermore, our ability to leverage our infrastructure enabled us to post a 33% earnings increase in the fourth quarter on 11% revenue growth."

Mr. Corasanti continued, "Looking ahead, we believe that our focus on new product launches will produce total revenue growth of 8% in 2002 over 2001, including the full year effects of the Imagyn acquisition. We expect operating efficiencies to generate earnings per share increases of 35% to 40% as compared to 2001 including the elimination of goodwill amortization which will add $0.22 per share to our 2002 earnings. For the first quarter, traditionally one of our stronger quarters, we anticipate revenues to be in the range of $111 to $115 million with diluted earnings per share of $0.35 to $0.38."

In July 2001, CONMED completed its acquisition of certain surgical products from Imagyn Medical Technologies. Transitional costs related to this transaction resulted in a charge of $0.7 million, or $0.02 per diluted share, for the fourth quarter and $1.6 million, or $0.04 per diluted share, for the year. Including these charges, the Company reported net income of $7.7 million, or $0.30 per diluted share for the fourth quarter, and $24.4 million, or $1.00 per diluted share, for the year. In the second quarter of 2000, the Company incurred a severance charge of $1.5 million, or $.04, per diluted share. Including this charge, net income in 2000 was $19.3 million, or $.83 per diluted share.

CONMED is a medical technology company specializing in instruments, implants, and video equipment for arthroscopic sports medicine, and powered surgical instruments (drills and saws) for orthopedic, ENT, neuro-surgery, and other surgical specialties. The Company is also a leading developer, manufacturer and supplier of RF electrosurgery systems used routinely to cut and cauterize tissue in over ninety per cent of all surgical procedures worldwide, endoscopy products such as trocars, clip appliers, scissors, and surgical staplers, and a full line of ECG electrodes for heart monitoring and other patient care products. Headquartered in Utica, New York, the Company's 2,500 employees distribute its products worldwide from eight manufacturing locations.

This press release contains forward-looking statements based on certain assumptions and contingencies that involve risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and relate to the Company's performance on a going-forward basis. The forward-looking statements in this press release involve risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results, performance or trends, including the above mentioned anticipated revenues and earnings, to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements herein or in previous disclosures. The Company believes that all forward-looking statements made by it have a reasonable basis, but there can be no assurance that management's expectations, beliefs or projections as expressed in the forward-looking statements will actually occur or prove to be correct. In addition to general industry and economic conditions, factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to: (i) the failure of any one or more of the assumptions stated above, to prove to be correct; (ii) the risks relating to forward-looking statements discussed in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2000; (iii) cyclical purchasing patterns from customers, end-users and dealers; (iv) timely release of new products, and acceptance of such new products by the market; (v) the introduction of new products by competitors and other competitive responses; (vi) the possibility that any new acquisition or other transaction may require the Company to reconsider its financial assumptions and goals/targets; and/or (vii) the Company's ability to devise and execute strategies to respond to market conditions.

                              CONMED CORPORATION
                      CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
                     (thousands except per share amounts)

                              Three months ended        Twelve months ended
                                   December                   December
                              2000          2001         2000          2001

    Net sales             $102,346      $113,324     $395,873      $428,722

    Cost of sales           48,099        52,722      188,223       202,807
    Selling and
      administrative        32,812        36,780      126,807       140,560
    Research and
      development            3,783         4,167       14,870        14,830
    Unusual items -- Note A     --           681        1,509         1,567

                            84,694        94,350      331,409       359,764

    Income from operations  17,652        18,974       64,464        68,958

    Interest expense, net    8,809         7,015       34,286        30,824

    Income before
      income taxes           8,843        11,959       30,178        38,134

    Provision for
      income taxes           3,183         4,305       10,864        13,728


    Net income              $5,660        $7,654      $19,314       $24,406


    Per share data:

    Net Income
      Basic                   $.25          $.30         $.84         $1.02
      Diluted                  .24           .30          .83          1.00


    Weighted average common shares
      Basic                 22,989        25,208       22,967        24,045
      Diluted               23,169        25,678       23,271        24,401

    Note A -- In the second quarter of 2000, the Company incurred a severance
    charge of $1,509,000 related to the restructuring of the Company's
    arthroscopy sales force.  In the third and fourth quarters of 2001, the
    Company incurred $886,000 and $681,000, respectively, of non-recurring
    transition expenses related to a July 6, 2001 product line acquisition.

                              CONMED CORPORATION
                    CONSOLIDATED CONDENSED  BALANCE SHEETS
                                (in thousands)

                                      ASSETS

                                                    December       December
                                                        2000           2001
    Current assets:
      Cash and cash equivalents                       $3,470         $1,402
      Accounts receivable, net                        78,626         51,188
      Inventories                                    104,612        107,390
      Other current assets                             5,323          4,569
        Total current assets                         192,031        164,549
    Property, plant and equipment, net.               62,450         91,026
    Goodwill and other assets, net                   425,090        446,033
        Total assets                                $679,571       $701,608

                       LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY

    Current liabilities:
      Current portion of long-term debt              $36,068        $73,429
      Accrued interest                                 5,130          4,954
      Other current liabilities                       37,078         39,795
        Total current liabilities                     78,276        118,178
    Long-term debt                                   342,680        262,500
    Other long-term liabilities                       28,012         36,234
        Total liabilities                            448,968        416,912

    Shareholders' equity:
      Capital accounts                               127,796        160,591
      Retained earnings                              103,834        128,240
      Accumulated other comprehensive loss           (1,027)        (4,135)

    Total equity                                     230,603        284,696

        Total liabilities and shareholders' equity  $679,571       $701,608

                         OTHER FINANCIAL INFORMATION
                          (unaudited, in thousands)

                              Three months ended        Twelve months ended
                                   December                   December
                              2000          2001         2000          2001

    EBITDA (excluding
      non-recurring
      items)               $24,966       $27,109      $94,044       $99,121
    Depreciation             2,428         2,407        9,434         9,055
    Amortization             4,886         5,047       18,637        19,541
    Capital expenditures     2,183         1,739       14,050        14,443


                     MAKE YOUR OPINION COUNT - Click Here
               http://tbutton.prnewswire.com/prn/11690X55648158
SOURCE CONMED Corporation

CONTACT:          Robert Shallish of CONMED Corporation, Chief Financial Officer,
                  +1-315-624-3206; or Investors - Theresa Vogt or Lanie Fladell, or Media - Dan
                  Budwick, all of Morgen-Walke Associates, +1-212-850-5600, for CONMED
                  Corporation
                  /Company News On-Call:  http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/201850.html

URL:              http://www.conmed.com
http://www.prnewswire.com
Copyright (C) 2002 PR Newswire.  All rights reserved.