Geospace Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ: GEOS) (the “Company”) today announced results for its third quarter ended June 30, 2024. For the three-months ended June 30, 2024, Geospace reported revenue of $25.9 million, compared to revenue of $32.7 million for the comparable year-ago quarter. Net loss for the three-months ended June 30, 2024 was $2.1 million, or ($0.16) per diluted share, compared to net income of $3.2 million, or $0.24 per diluted share, for the quarter ended June 30, 2023.
For the nine-months ended June 30, 2024, Geospace reported revenue of $100.2 million compared to revenue of $95.2 million for the comparable year-ago period. Net income for the nine-months ended June 30, 2024 was $6.3 million, or $0.47 per diluted share, compared to net income of $7.8 million, or $0.59 per diluted share, for the nine-months ended June 30, 2023.
Aligned with its succession plan, the Company’s Board of Directors elected Richard J. (“Rich”) Kelley, currently serving as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, to the role of President and Chief Executive Officer. The change will occur at the beginning of the Company’s 2025 fiscal year on October 1, 2024. In order to ensure a smooth executive leadership transition, the plan calls for current President and Chief Executive Officer Walter R. (“Rick”) Wheeler to remain with the Company as Principal Executive Officer for the purposes of fiscal year 2024 financial filings. Additionally, he will serve as Senior Strategic Advisor to the CEO through and until his retirement on December 31, 2024.
Management’s Comments
Walter R. (“Rick”) Wheeler, President and CEO of the Company said, “As we close the third quarter with three months of fiscal year 2024 remaining, we continue to maintain a profitable year, reporting positive net income of $6.3 million, or $0.47 per share. In addition, our longstanding and unwavering commitment toward sustaining a strong balance sheet with no debt remains firmly intact, with holdings of $42.5 million in cash and short-term investments as of June 30, 2024. Nonetheless, third quarter revenue from our Oil & Gas Markets segment was negatively impacted by further gaps in our OBX rental contracts, leading to a net loss of $2.1 million for the three months ended June 30, 2024. The extended gaps are the result of unexpected weather delays, customer operational difficulties, and unawarded client surveys during the period, although some of the work is expected to resume in the fourth quarter.
“In profound contrast, our Adjacent Markets segment put forth all-time record revenue for the third quarter generating $16.0 million. This represents an increase of $1.1 million over the previous quarterly record that was set a year ago. Growing industry acceptance of our water meter cables and connectors provides a strong enabler for additional revenue from these products. In addition, we anticipate this segment to see substantial revenue contributions from our Aquana smart water valve and IOT technology products as market traction and increased sales backlog continues to gather. Given the well-known and often extreme volatility experienced in our Oil and Gas segment, careful expansion of products and market diversity in our Adjacent Markets segment has been a longstanding part of our strategic vision for Geospace. The noteworthy continuation of record performances from this segment is strong evidence that the strategy is on track to provide long-term value to our shareholders.
“Our Emerging Markets segment generated $640,000 of revenue in the third quarter with the largest portion coming from the fulfillment of a DARPA contract that is now essentially complete. As an outcome of this project and other independent efforts, there are multiple government agency security projects and advanced energy and energy transition monitoring projects that offer future opportunities for this technology to be uniquely applied.
“In other news, our stock repurchase program, authorized by the Board of Directors in May 2024, is progressing well. As of August 7, 2024, the company has repurchased approximately 512,000 of its common shares on the open market. In addition, our Board of Directors has approved an extension of the program, allowing up to an additional $2.0 million of shares to be purchased. And finally, we are pleased to reveal some specifics of our management and leadership succession plan. I am confident in the skills and business acumen that Rich Kelley has exhibited in his time with Geospace and look forward to a smooth transition that will both preserve and progress shareholder value.”
Oil and Gas Markets Segment
Third quarter revenue from the Company’s Oil and Gas Markets segment totaled $9.2 million for the three months ended June 30, 2024. This compares to $17.7 million in revenue for the same period a year ago representing a decrease of 48%. Revenue for the nine-month period ended June 30, 2024, is $59.9 million, an increase of 6.6% over the equivalent prior year period. The decrease in revenue for the three-month period was due to lower utilization for the Company’s wireless seismic rental fleet which is attributed to weather related delays, competition, and product availability. The delays impacted a previously announced contract valued at a minimum of $3.6 million, which accounts for a portion of the differential between the comparable third quarter periods. This contract is expected to be underway at the end of the fiscal year’s fourth quarter. The increase in revenue for the nine-month period is primarily due to a $30 million sale of the Company’s Mariner™ shallow water ocean bottom nodes, in the first quarter of fiscal year 2024, partially offset by a decrease in the utilization for its marine OBX rental fleet.
Adjacent Markets Segment
Revenue from the Company’s Adjacent Markets segment totaled $16.0 million for the three-month period ended June 30, 2024. This compares to $14.9 million in revenue for the same period a year ago representing an increase of 7.5%. Revenue for the nine-month period ended June 30, 2024, is $38.0 million, a modest decrease of 1% over the equivalent prior year period. Increases in the Company’s water meter products and industrial sensor products, partially offset by a lower demand for both contract manufacturing services and thermal film products are attributed to the changes in revenue for both periods. As of June 30, 2024, Aquana has an order backlog valued at approximately $900,000, a first for the Aquana subsidiary.
Emerging Markets Segment
The Company’s Emerging Markets segment generated revenue of $640,000 for the three-month period ended June 30, 2024. This compares to $109,000 in revenue for the same period a year ago representing an increase of 487%. Revenue for the nine-month period was $2.0 million compared to $393,000 from the same prior year period representing an increase of 406%. Revenue from both periods came from a $1.5 million government contract which has concluded. As of June 30, 2024, the business segment has a backlog of approximately $750,000 derived largely from an extension of the existing U.S. Border Patrol contract.
Balance Sheet and Liquidity
For the nine-month period ended June 30, 2024, the Company used $7.5 million in cash and cash equivalents from operating activities. The Company generated $3.9 million of cash from investing activities that included $30.9 million in proceeds from the sale of rental equipment and $15.3 million in net proceeds from the sale and purchase of short-term investments, $8.2 million for additions to the rental fleet and $3.6 million for additional property, plant and equipment investments.
As of June 30, 2024, the Company held $42.5 million in cash and short-term investments and maintained an additional borrowing availability of $15 million under its bank credit agreement with no borrowings outstanding. The Company additionally owns unencumbered property and real estate in both domestic and international locations. In the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2024, management anticipates capital expenditures of $5 million including $3.5 million earmarked for additions to its rental equipment.