Little Falls, New Jersey, May 6, 2019 - Ceragon Networks Ltd. (NASDAQ: CRNT), the #1 wireless backhaul specialist, today reported results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2019.
First Quarter 2019 Highlights:
Revenues - $69.2 million, down 16.9% from the first quarter of 2018, and down 19.3% from the fourth quarter of 2018.
Gross margin - 35.6%, compared to 33.1% in the first quarter of 2018 and 34.4% in the fourth quarter of 2018.
Operating income - $3.2 million, compared to $5.4 million in the first quarter of 2018 and $6.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2018.
Net income - net income of $0.8 million, or $0.01 per diluted share for the first quarter of 2019. Net income for the first quarter of 2018 was $2.1 million, or $0.03 per diluted share. Net income for the fourth quarter of 2018 was $11.6 million or $0.14 per diluted share.
Non-GAAP results - gross margin was 35.7%, operating income was $3.7 million, and net income was $2.1 million, or $0.03 per diluted share. For reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP results, see the attached tables.
Cash and cash equivalents - $29.8 million at March 31, 2019, compared to $35.6 million at December 31, 2018.
“As we expected, first quarter results were low due to the timing of large orders from India, in addition to typical seasonal factors,” said Ira Palti, president and CEO of Ceragon. “We continue to experience a high level of customer activity around the world resulting from the ongoing expansion of 4G and the beginning of the transition to 5G. This high level of customer activity, together with our expectation that we will receive a batch of large orders in Q2 related to ongoing deployments in India, causes us to believe that our quarterly revenue during the balance of 2019 is likely to be at or above the high end of our $80 to $85 million quarterly revenue run rate. Thus, we continue to expect overall revenue for 2019 to be similar to that of 2018. We are also continuing to target in 2019 a 5th consecutive year of growth in our non-GAAP net income, based on our expectation to higher gross margin from a more favorable geographic mix of revenue as well as lower financial expenses compared to 2018.”
Supplemental revenue breakouts by geography:
First quarter 2019:
- Europe: 17%
- Africa: 13%
- North America: 15%
- Latin America: 22%
- India: 15%
- APAC: 18%
A conference call to discuss the results will begin at 9:00 a.m. EDT. Investors are invited to join the Company’s teleconference by calling USA: (800) 230-1074 or International: +1 (612) 288-0329, from 8:50 a.m. EDT. The call-in lines will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Investors can also listen to the call live via the Internet by accessing Ceragon Networks’ website at: https://www.ceragon.com/investors/webcasts/, and completing the registration.
If you are unable to join us live, the replay numbers are: USA: (800) 475-6701 or International +1 (320) 365-3844 Access Code: 466180. A replay of both the call and the webcast will be available through June 6, 2019.
About Ceragon Networks Ltd.
Ceragon Networks Ltd. (NASDAQ: CRNT) is the #1 wireless backhaul specialist. We help operators and other service providers worldwide smoothly evolve their networks towards 5G, while increasing operational efficiency and enhancing end customers’ quality of experience, with innovative wireless backhaul solutions. Our customers include wireless service providers, public safety organizations, government agencies and utility companies, that use our solutions to deliver mission-critical multimedia services and other applications at high reliability and speed.
Ceragon’s unique multicore technology and wireless backhaul solutions provide highly reliable, 5G high-capacity connectivity with minimal use of spectrum, power and other resources. Our solutions enable increased productivity, as well as simple and quick network modernization. We deliver a range of professional services that ensure efficient network rollout and optimization to achieve the highest value for our customers. Ceragon’s solutions are deployed by more than 460 service providers, as well as hundreds of private network owners, in more than 130 countries.
Ceragon Networks® and FibeAir® are registered trademarks of Ceragon Networks Ltd. in the United States and other countries. CERAGON ® is a trademark of Ceragon Networks Ltd., registered in various countries. Other names mentioned are owned by their respective holders.
This press release contains statements concerning Ceragon's future prospects that are "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements are based on the current beliefs, expectations and assumptions of Ceragon's management. Examples of forward-looking statements include: projections of demand, revenues, net income, gross margin, capital expenditures and liquidity, competitive pressures, order timing, growth prospects, product development, financial resources, cost savings and other financial matters. You may identify these and other forward-looking statements by the use of words such as "may", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "estimates", "targets", "expects", "intends", "potential" or the negative of such terms, or other comparable terminology. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially, including risks relating to the concentration of a significant portion of Ceragon's business in certain geographic regions and particularly in India, where two customers currently represent a significant portion of its revenues, risks associated with a decline in demand from the single market segment on which we focus; risks associated with any failure to effectively compete with other wireless equipment providers; risk relating to certain guarantees granted by Ceragon on behalf of Orocom to FITEL, in the framework of the FITEL project; and other risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in Ceragon's Annual Report on Form 20-F and Ceragon's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, that represent our views only as of the date they are made and should not be relied upon as representing our views as of any subsequent date. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements.
-Tables to be downloaded below -
