ATLANTA, Feb. 02, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- DLH Holdings Corp. (NASDAQ: DLHC), a leading provider of innovative healthcare services and solutions to federal agencies, today announced financial results for its fiscal first quarter ended December 31, 2020.

Highlights

• First quarter revenue increased to $57.9 million in fiscal 2021 from $52.2 million in fiscal 2020, reflecting the acquisition of Irving Burton Associates (“IBA”).
• Operating margins rose to 6.3% in the current year first quarter from 6.0% in the prior-year period.
• Earnings were $1.8 million, or $0.13 per diluted share, for the fiscal 2021 first quarter versus $1.6 million, or $0.12 per diluted share, for the first quarter of fiscal 2020.
• Operating cash of $8.5 million used in the first quarter, reflecting short-term growth in receivables.
• Contract backlog was $665.2 million as of December 31, 2020, providing strong revenue visibility.

Management Discussion
“Fiscal 2021 is off to a great start, with solid revenue and strong margins indicative of how we expect the year to play out,” stated DLH President and Chief Executive Officer Zach Parker. “Our most recent acquisition, IBA, contributed nearly $7.0 million to top line results this quarter, offset in part by a reduction in organic revenue due principally to restrictions on pass-through travel within the current COVID-19 environment. Operating margins rose 30 basis points year-over-year, to 6.3%, and we ended the quarter with a backlog of $665.2 million – reflecting recent wins, including the previously-announced recompete of work for the AIDS Clinical Trials Group. At the same time, the pace of contract proposal activity has picked up, representing an increased diversity of program sizes and types for which DLH is now qualified to bid due to our broad range of applications – from military healthcare and research to telehealth capabilities and secure cloud computing. We’re able to leverage our combined skills and credentials to focus on new and expanding areas of government health programs.

“During the quarter growth in receivables prevented the paydown of debt we have come to expect. However, this was short-term in nature and largely reflected the impact of the Continuing Resolution on the fiscal 2021 federal budget, finally signed on December 27. In addition, a transition in key contract payment offices caused a delay in collection which has since been resolved. As such, we anticipate strong cash flow in the second quarter, leading to a resumption of our de-levering efforts. Overall, I’m pleased with our results and the outlook for fiscal 2021 given the many opportunities for growth we see coming to fruition this year.”

Results for the Three Months Ended December 31, 2020
Revenue for the first quarter of fiscal 2021 was $57.9 million versus $52.2 million in the prior-year period. The increase was due to the Company’s IBA acquisition, completed September 30, 2020, which added approximately $7.0 million in revenue, offset in part by reductions in organic revenue principally from reimbursement of travel expenses, as compared to the prior-year period. These expenses were not incurred and, therefore, were not billed to the government due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Income from operations was $3.6 million for the quarter versus $3.1 million in the prior-year period and, as a percent of revenue, the Company reported an operating margin of 6.3% in fiscal 2021 versus 6.0% in fiscal 2020. The current year first quarter performance reflects improved program mix, partially offset by higher general and administrative (G&A) expenses, which as a percent of revenue decreased 70 basis points. Interest expense in the quarter increased to $1.1 million, versus $0.9 million for the three months ended December 31, 2019, due to higher outstanding debt levels, reflecting the acquisition of IBA. Income before taxes was $2.6 million for the quarter versus $2.2 million in fiscal 2020, representing 4.4% and 4.2% of revenue, respectively, for each period.

For the three months ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, DLH recorded a $0.7 million and $0.6 million provision for tax expense in each period, respectively. The Company reported net income of approximately $1.8 million, or $0.13 per diluted share, for the first quarter of fiscal 2021 versus $1.6 million, or $0.12 per diluted share, for the first quarter of fiscal 2020. As a percent of revenue, net income was 3.1% for the first quarter of fiscal 2021 versus 3.0% for the prior year period.

On a non-GAAP basis, EBITDA for the three months ended December 31, 2020 was approximately $5.7 million versus $5.0 million in the prior-year period, or 9.8% and 9.5% of revenue, respectively.

Key Financial Indicators
DLH used $8.5 million in operating cash during the fiscal 2021 first quarter, versus $2.9 million last year, reflecting the previously described delays in collections which have been largely resolved. The Company anticipates strong operating cash flow in the fiscal second quarter and intends to resume using cash to make debt prepayments when possible.

As of December 31, 2020, the Company had cash and cash equivalents of $0.4 million and debt outstanding under its credit facility of $77.4 million, versus cash of $1.4 million and debt outstanding of $70.0 million as of September 30, 2020.

At December 31, 2020, total backlog was approximately $665.2 million, including funded backlog of approximately $103.9 million, and unfunded backlog of $561.3 million.

About DLH

DLH (NASDAQ:DLHC) is a comprehensive health solutions and services provider that delivers a full range of technology-enabled health services across various civilian agencies, the military health system, and the Veterans Administration. The Company's services range from providing virtual pharmacy health consultation for CHAMPVA beneficiaries to veteran pharmacy fulfillment and medical logistics; conducting scientific research and clinical trials toward disease prevention and health promotion; performing medical research and development and enhancing health information technology systems (including telemedicine and electronic health records); and evaluating policy deployment and compliance with applicable protocols and guidelines, with a goal of enhancing the Company's readiness posture while providing safe, effective and integrated solutions and services to the public, armed service members, and veterans who have secured this nation's freedom. DLH has over 2,200 employees serving numerous government agencies. For more information, visit the corporate website at www.dlhcorp.com