February 26, 2009

Dot Hill Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2008 Results:

--Fourth Quarter 2008 Gross Margins Improve and Losses Narrow

CARLSBAD, Calif., Feb 26, 2009 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX News Network/ -- Dot Hill Systems Corp. (Nasdaq: HILL) today announced financial results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2008. The company ended the fourth quarter of 2008 with GAAP net revenue of $72.4 million, gross margin of 13.9%, operating expenses of $18.9 million and a net loss of $8.6 million, or $0.19 cents per share. Included in the net loss are a non-cash impairment charge against our long-lived assets of $5.4 million, $0.7 million in share-based compensation expense, $0.8 million in restructuring expenses and $0.4 million in foreign currency gains.

For the year ended December 31, 2008, GAAP net revenue was $272.9 million, or 32% higher than the year ended December 31, 2007 GAAP net revenue of $207.1 million. Included in year ended December 31, 2008 net revenue was a reduction of $2.3 million associated with a warrant issued to Hewlett Packard. Gross margin for the year ended December, 31 2008 was 11.1%, down from 12.8% from the year ended December 31, 2007. Operating expenses were $57.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2008 compared to $91.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2007. The year ended December 31, 2008 operating expenses included a $5.4 million impairment for certain of our long-lived assets, $2.9 million in share-based compensation expense, $0.8 million in restructuring expenses, $0.5 million in severance expenses, $0.6 million in foreign currency gains and a $3.8 million legal settlement benefit. The year ended December 31, 2007 expenses included a goodwill impairment charge of $40.7 million, $2.4 million in share-based compensation expense, $1.0 million in severance expenses and $2.2 million in foreign currency gains. GAAP net loss was $25.8 million, or $0.56 per fully diluted share, for the year ended December 31, 2008 compared to a GAAP net loss of $60.2 million, or $1.32 per fully diluted share for the year ended December 31, 2007.

On a GAAP basis, for the fourth quarter of 2008, Dot Hill posted net revenue of $72.4 million which compares to GAAP net revenue of $76.6 million for the third quarter of 2008 and $51.8 million for the fourth quarter of 2007. For the fourth quarter of 2008, GAAP net revenue was in line with the guidance range of $70 to $76 million that the company provided on its November 6, 2008 earnings call. GAAP net revenue increased nearly 40% from the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2007 to the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2008. This growth was primarily attributable to the ramp in shipments to Hewlett-Packard and NetApp, partially offset by a decline in shipments to Sun.

Non-GAAP gross margin was 14.0% for the fourth quarter of 2008, a 2.2 percentage point improvement compared to non-GAAP gross margin of 11.8% for the third quarter of 2008 and 12.5% for the fourth quarter of 2007. The sequential quarterly and year-over-year improvement in non-GAAP gross margin percentage was due primarily to the progress made in reducing product costs during the fourth quarter of 2008. Total non-GAAP operating expenses for the fourth quarter of 2008 were $12.5 million, as compared to non-GAAP operating expenses of $12.6 million for the third quarter of 2008 and $12.8 million for the fourth quarter of 2007. Non-GAAP net loss for the fourth quarter of 2008 was $2.1 million, or $0.05 per share on a fully diluted basis. This compares to a non-GAAP net loss of $3.1 million for the third quarter of 2008, or $0.07 per fully diluted share, and a non-GAAP net loss of $4.7 million for the fourth quarter of 2007, or $0.10 per fully diluted share. The non-GAAP net loss for the fourth quarter of 2008 was at the positive end of the $0.05 to $0.10 fully diluted non-GAAP net loss per share guidance range that the company provided on November 6, 2008.

For the year ended December 31, 2008, non-GAAP net revenues were $275.2 million compared to non-GAAP net revenues of $207.1 million for the year ending December 31, 2007. The 33% increase in revenue was primarily due to growth in revenues from Hewlett Packard and NetApp, offset by a decline in Sun product revenue. Non-GAAP gross margin percentage declined to 12.1% for the year ended December 31, 2008 from 13.0% for the year ended December 31, 2007 due to the decline in higher margin Sun product revenues. Non-GAAP operating expenses increased to $53.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2008 from $50.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2007 mainly due to increases in engineering expenses associated with the launch of products for Hewlett Packard and the acquisition of RAIDCore assets from Ciprico, Inc. This increase was partially offset by declines in sales and marketing and general and administrative expenses. Non-GAAP net loss for the year ended December 31, 2008 declined slightly to $18.2 million, or $0.40 per fully diluted share, from $18.4 million, or $0.40 per fully diluted share, for the year ended December 31, 2007.

The company exited the fourth quarter of 2008 with cash and cash equivalents of $56.9 million and a $0.9 million note payable associated with the purchase of intellectual property assets from Ciprico. This compares to a third quarter of 2008 balance of cash and cash equivalents of $56.5 million with a $0.9 million note payable.

For the first quarter of 2009, the company is targeting net revenue in the range of $56 to $63 million on a GAAP basis and a net loss per fully diluted share in the range of $0.06 to $0.11 on a non-GAAP basis. "We expect revenues to decline from the fourth quarter of 2008 due primarily to the tough economic climate as well as due to normal seasonal factors," said Hanif Jamal, Senior Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer. "Gross margin percentage is expected to be flat to down slightly despite continued product cost reductions during the quarter. This is largely due to the projected lower revenue levels across which to offset fixed manufacturing overhead. Operating expenses are expected to be slightly lower due to actions we took in the fourth quarter of 2008. We expect cash and cash equivalents at the end of March 31, 2009 to be in the high $40 million to low $50 million range."

"I believe that we have now clearly demonstrated throughout 2008 that the transformation we started back in 2006 is on track" stated Dana Kammersgard, President and Chief Executive Officer. "We have the best product portfolio in our history, excellent relationships with some very strong customers, high quality, cost effective supply chain partners and a very competent and dedicated team. We entered 2009 with a strong balance sheet of nearly $57 million in cash and cash equivalents, minimal debt and a $30 million working capital facility."

Dot Hill will release final results on its fourth quarter 2008 earnings conference call scheduled for February 26, 2009 at 4:30 p.m. ET. Please join us for a live audio webcast at www.dothill.com in the Investor Relations section. If you prefer to join via telephone, please dial 888-776-0847 (U.S.) or 913-312-1299 (International) at least five minutes prior to the start of the call. A replay of the webcast will be available on the Dot Hill web site following the conference call. For a telephone replay, dial 888-203-1112 (U.S.) or 719-457-0820 (International) and enter passcode 5904168.

About Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This press release contains financial results that exclude the effects of share-based compensation expense, severance costs, restructuring costs, goodwill and long lived asset impairment charges, foreign currency gains or losses, the effects of legal settlements and the issuance of warrants to customers, and are not in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). The company believes that these non-GAAP financial measures provide meaningful supplemental information to both management and investors that is indicative of the company's core operating results and facilitates comparison of operating results across reporting periods. The company used these non-GAAP measures when evaluating its financial results as well as for internal resource management, planning and forecasting purposes. These non-GAAP measures should not be viewed in isolation from or as a substitute for the company's expected financial results in accordance with GAAP. A reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP measures is attached to this press release.

About Dot Hill

Delivering innovative technology and global support, Dot Hill empowers the OEM community to bring unique storage solutions to market, quickly, easily and cost-effectively. Offering high performance and industry-leading uptime, Dot Hill's RAID technology is the foundation for best-in-class storage solutions offering enterprise-class security, availability and data protection. The company's products are in use today by the world's leading service and equipment providers, common carriers and advanced technology and telecommunications companies, as well as government agencies. Dot Hill solutions are certified to meet rigorous industry standards and military specifications, as well as RoHS and WEEE international environmental standards. Headquartered in Carlsbad, Calif., Dot Hill has offices and/or representatives in China, Germany, Japan, United Kingdom and the United States.

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For more information, visit us at http://www.dothill.com.

Statements contained in this press release regarding matters that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act. Because such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such statements include statements regarding: Dot Hill's projected financial results for the first quarter of 2009 and thereafter; Dot Hill's ability to achieve continued cost reductions; and the extent to which Dot Hill's cash and working capital will be sufficient to continue operations in the long term . The risks that contribute to the uncertain nature of the forward-looking statements include, among other things: the risk that actual financial results for the first quarter of 2009 may be different from the financial guidance provided in this press release; the risks associated with macroeconomic factors that are outside of Dot Hill's control; the fact that no Dot Hill customer agreements provide for mandatory minimum purchase requirements; the risk that one or more of Dot Hill's OEM or other customers may cancel or reduce orders, not order as forecasted or terminate their agreements with Dot Hill; the risk that Dot Hill's new products may not prove to be popular; the risk that one or more of Dot Hill's suppliers or subcontractors may fail to perform or may terminate their agreements with Dot Hill; unforeseen technological, intellectual property, personnel or engineering issues; and the additional risks set forth in the form 10-K and subsequent reports most recently filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission by Dot Hill. All forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date on which they were made. Dot Hill undertakes no obligation to update such statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made.

                   DOT HILL SYSTEMS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
                    CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
                            AND COMPREHENSIVE LOSS
                   (In Thousands, Except Per Share Amounts)
                                 (Unaudited)

                                Three Months Ended   Twelve Months Ended
                                   December 31,          December 31,
                                 2007        2008     2007        2008

    NET REVENUE                $51,764     $72,385  $207,095   $272,879
    COST OF GOODS SOLD          45,454      62,326   180,662    242,491

    GROSS PROFIT                 6,310      10,059    26,433     30,388

    OPERATING EXPENSES:
    Sales and marketing          4,483       2,969    15,939     13,878
    Research and development     5,947       7,220    22,564     28,709
    General and administrative   3,190       2,488    12,606     12,779
    Restructuring charge             -         813         -        813
    Legal settlement                 -           -         -     (4,036)
    Goodwill and long-lived
     asset impairment charge    40,725       5,432    40,725      5,432

      Total operating expenses  54,345      18,922    91,834     57,575

    OPERATING LOSS             (48,035)     (8,863)  (65,401)   (27,187)

    OTHER INCOME:
    Interest income, net           993         164     4,787      1,538
    Other income (expense), net    209          13       209         74

    TOTAL OTHER INCOME,
     NET                         1,202         177     4,996      1,612

    LOSS BEFORE INCOME TAXES   (46,833)     (8,686)  (60,405)    (25,575)
    INCOME TAX EXPENSE (BENEFIT)  (432)        (91)     (177)       190

    NET LOSS                  $(46,401)    $(8,595) $(60,228)  $(25,765)

    NET LOSS PER SHARE:
      Basic and diluted         $(1.01)     $(0.19)   $(1.32)    $(0.56)

    WEIGHTED AVERAGE SHARES
     USED TO CALCULATE NET
     LOSS PER SHARE:
      Basic and diluted         45,783      46,308    45,534     46,136

    COMPREHENSIVE LOSS:
    Net loss                  $(46,401)    $(8,595) $(60,228)  $(25,765)
    Foreign currency
     translation adjustments      (594)       (246)   (2,286)      (374)
    Net unrealized gain on
     short-term investments          2           -         -          -

      Comprehensive loss      $(46,993)    $(8,841) $(62,514)  $(26,139)




                     DOT HILL SYSTEMS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
                           CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
                                  (In Thousands)

                                                    2007            2008
                         ASSETS
    Current Assets:
      Cash and cash equivalents                    $82,358         $56,850
      Accounts receivable, net of allowance
       of $302 and $287                             32,445          41,035
      Inventories, net                               9,013          14,127
      Prepaid expenses and other                     3,968           4,796

        Total current assets                       127,784         116,808
    Property and equipment, net                      9,599           2,410
    Intangible assets, net                           2,280           4,164
    Other assets                                       264             515

        Total assets                              $139,927        $123,897

              LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
    Current Liabilities:
      Accounts payable                             $28,472         $31,050
      Accrued compensation                           3,115           3,217
      Accrued expenses                               6,227           5,212
      Deferred revenue                               1,409           1,121
      Restructuring accrual                              -             681
      Short term note payable                            -             249
      Income taxes payable                             143              17

        Total current liabilities                   39,366          41,547
      Long term note payable                             -             607
      Other long-term liabilities                    4,132           5,091

        Total liabilities                           43,498          47,245

    Commitments and Contingencies
    Stockholders' Equity:
      Preferred stock, $.001 par value, 10,000
       shares authorized, no shares issued and
       outstanding at December 31, 2007 and
       2008, respectively                                -               -
      Common stock, $.001 par value, 100,000
       shares authorized, 45,785 and 46,306
       shares issued and outstanding at
       December 31, 2007 and 2008, respectively         46              46
      Additional paid-in capital                   294,193         300,555
      Accumulated other comprehensive loss          (3,100)         (3,474)
      Accumulated deficit                         (194,710)       (220,475)

        Total stockholders' equity                  96,429          76,652

        Total liabilities and stockholders'
         equity                                   $139,927        $123,897



                    DOT HILL SYSTEMS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
                     CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
                                 (In Thousands)
                                   (Unaudited)

                                Three Months Ended    Twelve Months Ended
                                   December 31,          December 31,
                                  2007       2008       2007      2008
    Cash Flows Related
     to Operating Activities:
    Net loss                   $(46,401)  $(8,595)   $(60,228) $(25,765)
    Adjustments to
     reconcile net
     loss to net cash
     used in operating
     activities:
      Depreciation and
       amortization               1,542     1,453       6,573     5,838
      Goodwill and
       long-lived asset
       impairment charge         40,725     5,432      40,725     5,432
      Loss on disposal
       of property and
       equipment                     55         6         268        63
      Reduction for
       doubtful accounts           (171)       (3)       (216)     (156)
      Share-based
       compensation
       expense                      704       660       2,351     2,884
      Deferred taxes                (16)        -         (16)        -
      Issuance of
       warrant to customer            -         -           -     2,282
    Changes in operating
     assets and liabilities:
      Accounts receivable        (5,140)    7,263       5,747    (8,303)
      Inventories                (4,131)   (1,499)     (6,777)   (5,077)
      Prepaid expenses
       and other assets             748      (979)      1,005    (1,021)
      Accounts payable            3,186    (4,377)     (5,890)    2,333
      Accrued compensation
       and other expenses         2,383       777        (261)   (1,265)
      Deferred revenue               19       (60)        802      (311)
      Income taxes payable          (95)     (331)        (84)     (126)
      Restructuring accrual           -       672           -       672
      Other long-term
       liabilities                 (614)      337       1,723       190

    Net cash provided by
     (used in) operating
     activities                  (7,206)      756     (14,280)  (22,330)

    Cash flows from
     investing activities
      Purchase of property
       and equipment               (671)     (446)     (4,447)   (1,949)
      Sales and maturities
       of short-term
       investments                5,425         -       5,425         -
      Purchases of
       short-term
       investments                    -         -      (5,425)        -
      Purchase of
       intangible assets              -       (63)          -    (2,545)

    Net cash provided
     by (used in)
     investing
     activities                   4,754      (509)     (4,447)   (4,494)

    Cash flows from
     financing activities
      Proceeds from
       exercise of stock
       options and warrants           7         -         170       284
      Proceeds from sale
       of stock to employees          1         -         968       912

    Net cash provided
     by financing activities          8         -       1,138     1,196

    Effect of exchange
     rate changes on cash            64        79         284       120

    Net decrease in cash
     and cash equivalents        (2,380)      326     (17,305)  (25,508)
    Cash and cash
     equivalents beginning
     of period                   84,738    56,524      99,663    82,358

    Cash and cash
     equivalents end
     of period                  $82,358   $56,850     $82,358   $56,850

    Supplemental
     disclosures of cash
     flow information
      Cash paid for
       income taxes                  28       (11)        245        67
      Cash paid for interest          -         -           -         -

    Supplemental disclosures
     of non-cash investing
     and financing activities:
      Construction in progress
       costs incurred but not
       paid                         326        60         563       168
      Contingent payment for
       intangible asset purchase      -         -           -     1,070
      Promissory note for
       intangible purchase            -       (63)          -       855




                     DOT HILL SYSTEMS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
                UNAUDITED RECONCILIATION TABLE OF NON-GAAP MEASURES
                                    (In Thousands)

                                      Three Months Ended  Twelve Months Ended
                                         December 31         December 31,
                                        2007      2008      2007      2008

    Net loss                        $(46,401)  $(8,595) $(60,228) $(25,765)
    Effect of currency gain             (640)     (401)   (2,220)     (586)
    Effect of share-based
     compensation                        704       650     2,351     2,884
    Effect of issuance of
     warrant to customer                   -         -         -     2,282
    Effect of legal settlement             -         -         -    (3,836)
    Effect of goodwill and
     long-lived asset
     impairment charge                40,725     5,432    40,725     5,432
    Effect of restructuring costs          -       813         -       813
    Effect of severance costs            866         -       974       533

    Net loss as adjusted             $(4,746)  $(2,101) $(18,398) $(18,243)

    Net loss per share:
      Basic and diluted               $(0.10)   $(0.05)   $(0.40)   $(0.40)
    Weighted average shares
     used to calculate net
     loss per share:
      Basic and diluted               45,783    46,308    45,534    46,136


    Net revenue                      $51,746   $72,385  $207,095  $272,879
    Effect of issuance of
     warrant to customer                   -         -         -     2,282

    Net revenue as adjusted          $51,746   $72,385  $207,095  $275,161


    Gross profit                      $6,310   $10,059   $26,433   $30,388
    Effect of issuance of
     warrant to customer                   -         -         -     2,282
    Effect of share-based
     compensation                        112        67       354       368
    Effect of severance costs             30         -        50       246

    Gross profit as adjusted          $6,452   $10,126   $26,837   $33,284

SOURCE Dot Hill Systems Corp.

http://www.dothill.com

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