Ossur hf. First Quarter Report for 2003


The Ossur hf. interim Consolidated Financial Statements for the first quarter of 2003 was approved at a meeting of the Board of Directors on 28 April. The statement has been reviewed and endorsed by the auditors of the company.
 
The principal companies of the Ossur Consolidation are Ossur hf. in Iceland, the Ossur Holdings Inc. Consolidation in the USA, the Ossur Holding A.B. Consolidation in Sweden and Ossur Europe B.V. in the Netherlands.
 
 
Principal Operating Results for the First Quarter of 2003
 
Income Statements for the first quarter of 2003
Q1
2003
% of sales
Q1
2002
% of sales
Change
 
 
 
 
 
 
Net sales
21,692
100%
18,593
100%
17%
Cost of goods sold
-9,129
-42%
-7,495
-40%
22%
Gross profit
12,563
58%
11,098
60%
13%
 
 
 
 
 
 
Other income
82
0%
222
1%
-63%
Sales and marketing expenses
-4,872
-22%
-4,197
-23%
16%
Research & development expenses
-2,257
-10%
-2,019
-11%
12%
General & administrative expenses
-3,546
-16%
-3,562
-19%
0%
 
 
 
 
 
 
Profit from operations
1,970
9%
1,542
8%
28%
 
 
 
 
 
 
Interest income/(expenses)
-126
-1%
-323
-2%
-61%
Income from associated companies
0
0%
56
0%
-100%
 
 
 
 
 
 
Profit before tax
1,844
9%
1,275
7%
45%
Income tax
-440
-2%
-244
-1%
80%
 
 
 
 
 
 
Net profit for the period
1,404
6%
1,031
6%
36%
 
 
 
 
 
 
EBITDA
2,642
12%
2,127
11%
24%
 
 
Balance Sheet at End of March:
 
Consolidated Balance Sheets (USD '000)
31 March
2003
31 Dec
2002
Change
 
 
 
 
Fixed assets
33,407
32,836
2%
Current assets
39,322
38,589
2%
Total assets
72,729
71,425
2%
 
 
 
 
Equity
41,562
39,861
4%
Long-term liabilities
13,667
14,627
-7%
Current liabilities
17,500
16,937
3%
Total equity and liabilities
72,729
71,425
2%
 
 
Cash Flow Q1:
 
Cash flow statements for the
first quarter of 2003 (USD '000)
Q1
2003
Q1
2002
 
 
 
Working capital from operating activities
2,171
1,989
 
 
 
Net cash provided by operating activities
686
-443
Investing activities
-145
-1,009
Financing activities
-301
-59
Net increase/(decrease) in cash
240
-1,511
 
 
Financial Ratios Q1
 
Financial ratios
Q1
2003
Q1
2002
 
 
 
Earnings per share, EPS (US cents)
3.23
2.76
P/E ratio
19.5
17.3
Return on common equity
29%
32%
Current ratio
2.2
1.7
Equity ratio
57%
51%
Market cap (Million USD)
204
156
 
 
 
First Quarter Operations
Sales continued to exhibit the signs of strong organic growth. Sales in the first quarter of 2003 were the best ever in a single quarter, increasing by 17% from the preceding year. This is the sixth record set for single quarter sales since the beginning of 2001 (last nine quarters). No new companies have been acquired during this period, which means that the entire increase is the result of organic growth.
 
Sales have increased substantially in Europe, both Western Europe and Scandinavia, but the North American market has been showing some signs of stagnation. More precisely, external sales of the Consolidation were as follows divided by market area:
 
Thousand USD
Q1
2003
%
Q1
2002
%
Change %
 
 
 
 
 
 
Ossur North America, Inc.
10,209
47%
10,060
54%
1%
Ossur Europe, B.V.
5,615
26%
3,571
19%
57%
Ossur Nordic, A.B.
3,241
15%
2,292
12%
41%
Other markets
1,920
9%
1,821
10%
5%
Mauch, Inc.
707
3%
849
5%
-17%
 
 
 
 
 
 
Total
21,692
100%
18,593
100%
17%
 
 
Gross profit in the first quarter amounted to 58% of sales. This is slightly below the corresponding period in 2002, when gross profit came to 60%. The gross profit for the year 2002 was 59%. The strengthening of the Icelandic krona has continued to raise the Company's manufacturing costs in Iceland, with a resulting negative impact on operations.
 
Sales and marketing expenses amounted to 22% of sales, slightly down from the 23% of the corresponding period last year. Sales and marketing costs in 2002 amounted to slightly less than 21%.
 
Research and development expenses amounted to 10% of sales in the first quarter, as compared to 11% for the corresponding period last year and 9% for 2002 as a whole. Research and development costs of the Company are frontloaded, with numerous first-quarter projects relating to the marketing of new products later in the year As before, all research and development costs are expensed at the time that they are incurred.
 
General and administrative expenses have been decreasing, amounting to 16% of sales in the first quarter, as compared to 19% for the corresponding quarter last year. However, the ratio is consistent with 2002 results.
 
On the whole, the Company achieved its profit goals, which were fully according to plan for the first quarter. The management is also pleased to note that the excellent growth in sales is fully reflected in the increased operating profit.
 
 
Ossur Affiliated Facilities
Ossur North America, Inc. has introduced a new orthotic and prosthetic sales network known as the Ossur Affiliated Facilities Program. Already, about 600 orthotic and prosthetic facilities have registered in the Ossur Affiliated Facilities Program, making it the largest network of such facilities in the United States. The objective of Ossur with the founding of the Ossur Affiliated Facilities  is to provide professionals in the field with access to superior training and extensive information about current technology with a view to providing each user with the appropriate products and the appropriate training in their proper use.
 
 
Establishment of Consultancy Firm
At the beginning of the year Empower - Health Care Solutions AB, a new consultancy company owned by Ossur hf., started operations in Sweden. Empower will concentrate on providing health care professionals, especially in the field of prosthetics and orthotics, with advice on the organization of rehabilitation and training programs. These programs have proven both effective and efficient. The first program offered by Empower is known as SMARTSM, which is intended primarily for physicians, physiotherapists and prosthetists and has the objective of substantially cutting the time from amputation until the amputee is up and walking.
 
 
CAD/CAM
Ossur's first CAD/CAM solution, a manufacturing technology acquired by Ossur from the Swedish company Capod last year, has been sold and set up in China. This is the first Ossur sale to China.
 
 
Ossur North America Houses University Studies
As revealed in an earlier press release, Ossur hf. and the California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) signed an agreement in late January on the transfer of the CSUDH Prosthetic Education Program to Ossur North America Headquarters. Ossur has agreed to accommodate the Cal State O&P Program for a period of five years, rent-free. The added capacity at Ossur will allow CSUDH to offer a new type of  baccalaureate degree, where undergraduate students will first complete 3 years of college in general education, and then go on to complete their final year in clinical training in prosthetics at the off-site facility provided by Ossur.
 
 
Proceedings Against Freedom Innovations
In March, Ossur North America Inc. initiated proceedings against Freedom Innovations Inc., citing four counts of infringement of Ossur patents. The litigation is directed at Freedom's line of prosthetic feet.
 
 
Products
The first quarter saw the launch of the first prosthetic foot designed specifically for women. Marketed under the name Elationä, the foot has an adjustable heel height and is the first foot marketed exclusively for women. The Elationä also marks the first stage of targeting specific lifestyles in the marketing of Ossur products .
 
Meeting with Managers
Tomorrow morning investors and other interested parties are invited to participate in an open conference with the Company's Management. At the conference, Mr. Jon Sigurdsson, President & CEO, will review the results of the quarter and discuss the results with investors together with Mr. Hjorleifur Palsson, CFO. Gary Wertz, President of Ossur North America, Inc., will give a brief account of operations in North America.
 
The conference will be held tomorrow, Wednesday 30 April, at  08:30 a.m. at the office of Ossur hf. at Grjothals 5, Reykjavik. The meeting will be conducted in English and can be observed on the Internet through the Ossur hf. website at www.ossur.com
 
# # #
 
The 1st Quarter 2003 Report is available on the following link: http://reports.huginonline.com/900989/116646.pdf
 
 
The 1st Quarter 2003 Presentation is available on the following link: http://reports.huginonline.com/900962/116632.pdf