Key Tronic Corporation Announces Results for the Fourth Quarter and Year End of Fiscal 2022

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Key Tronic Corporation, a provider of electronic manufacturing services (EMS), announced its results for the quarter and the year ended July 2, 2022.

For the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2022, Keytronic reported total revenue of $126.2 million, compared to $132.6 million in the same period of fiscal year 2021. For the full year of fiscal 2022, total revenue was $531.8 million, up 3% from $518.7 million for fiscal year 2021. During fiscal year 2022, the Company added significant new programs and its backlog for orders reached historic highs. At the same time, constraints in the global supply chain and transportation issues continued to limit production throughout the year.

During the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2022, the results were impacted by intermittent parts supply and factory downtime. The Company’s facilities in Shanghai, China were closed for most of the fourth quarter due to a government mandated COVID shutdown. While the reopening of the Company’s China facility took longer than anticipated, operations have since resumed. Legal costs related specifically to the SEC’s review of last year’s whistleblower complaint totaled approximately $0.08 per diluted share during the quarter, though we estimate legal costs to decrease in coming periods.

For the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2022, the Company’s gross margin was 9.3% and operating margin was 1.8%, compared to a gross margin of 7.8% and an operating margin of 1.1% in the same period of fiscal year 2021. The increased margins primarily reflect an increase in sales pricing to recoup higher materials and labor costs incurred by the Company throughout the fiscal year. While the fourth quarter was a significant improvement of gross margin, margins are expected to return to historical levels in coming quarters.       

For the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2022, net income was $1.0 million or $0.09 per share, up from $0.2 million or $0.02 per share for the same period of fiscal year 2021. For the full year of fiscal year 2022, net income was $3.4 million or $0.31 per share, compared to $4.3 million or $0.39 per share for fiscal year 2021.  

“Despite the continued headwinds from the global supply chain challenges during fiscal 2022, we still managed to grow our business, driven by the successful ramp of new programs and our expanding customer base,” said Craig Gates, President and Chief Executive Officer. “During the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2022, we won new programs involving audio products, GPS devices, utility meters, personal safety devices, and innovative internet solutions.”

“Moving into fiscal 2023, the global supply chain and COVID-19 crises continue to present uncertainty and multiple business challenges. At the same time, global logistics problems and heightened assurance of supply concerns continue to drive the favorable trend of contract manufacturing returning to North America.”

“In fiscal 2023, we expect to ramp a number of new programs, including the previously announced program with a leading power equipment company in our Mexico facility during the second quarter. We believe we are well positioned to benefit from the growing demand for North American onshoring and see the potential for significant growth in fiscal 2023 and beyond.”

The financial data presented for the fourth quarter and year end of fiscal year 2022 should be considered preliminary and could be subject to change, as the Company’s independent auditor has not completed their audit.

Business Outlook

For the first quarter of fiscal year 2023, Keytronic expects to report revenue in the range of $125 million to $135 million, and earnings in the range of $0.05 to $0.10 per diluted share. Despite growing customer demand and backlog, the Company expects that the ongoing disruptions from the global supply chain and COVID-19 issues will continue to significantly limit production and adversely impact operating efficiencies, particularly for our China-based facilities. These expected results assume an effective tax rate of 25% in the coming quarter.