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Date

Thursday, July 10, 2025 at 4:30 p.m. ET

Call participants

  • President and CEO — Thomas McClelland
  • Chief Financial Officer — Steven Bernstein

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Takeaways

  • Consolidated revenue -- $69.8 million, marking a 26% increase driven chiefly by government satellite programs.
  • Satellite program revenue -- $40.9 million, representing 59% of total revenue, up from $23.2 million or 42% in the prior year, recognized in the FEI-NY segment.
  • Non-space U.S. government and DOD revenue -- $26.5 million, accounting for 38% of consolidated revenue, down from $29 million or 52% in the prior year, recorded in both segments.
  • Other commercial and industrial revenue -- $2.4 million versus $3.1 million in the previous period.
  • Gross profit and margin -- Both gross profit dollars and gross profit percentage increased, primarily in the FEI-NY segment on higher-margin space programs executed ahead of schedule.
  • Selling and administrative expenses (SG&A) -- 18% of consolidated revenue, stable as a percentage versus last year, with an absolute increase of approximately $2.1 million primarily due to payroll, bonus, and trade show costs.
  • Research & development expense -- $6.1 million, or 9% of revenue, rising from 6% and $3.4 million last year, reflecting a strategic commitment to technical advancement and catch-up from prior periods.
  • Operating income -- $11.7 million, more than double the $5 million recorded the year before, attributed to revenue growth, better gross margin, and cost control.
  • Pretax income -- $12.1 million, up from $5.5 million in the prior period.
  • Net income -- $23.7 million or $2.46 per share compared to $5.6 million or $0.59 per share previously, reflecting decreased valuation allowance against tax assets.
  • Backlog -- Approximately $70 million, a decrease from $78 million, signaling recent revenue delivery ahead of schedule; management characterized the backlog as "pretty solid."
  • Working capital and balance sheet -- Working capital of $30 million, a current ratio of 2.3:1, and no debt, indicating a strong liquidity position.
  • Cash decrease -- Cash declined $13.6 million, with $9.6 million attributable to a dividend paid and another $4 million due to billing and revenue timing.
  • Contract liabilities -- Decreased $8.2 million, driven by billings in excess of revenue declining on specific programs.
  • Gross margin target -- Management stated a target of "40% or more" for the upcoming fiscal year, subject to quarterly variability.
  • R&D funding mix -- R&D is primarily externally funded, with only a small portion supplemented by internal funds; external funding noted for Leidos and other programs.
  • Upcoming product launch -- The compact rubidium atomic clock, TURBO, is scheduled for market availability within the next fiscal year; initial addressable market is estimated at $1 million to $2 million, with growth expected thereafter.
  • Quantum sensing revenue contribution -- Quantum sensing development revenue for the upcoming year is expected to be less than 10% of total, with commercial product revenue anticipated in about five years.
  • Customer diversification -- Proactive expansion of bidding activity with next-generation defense companies beyond traditional primes, in response to increased government contract opportunities.
  • GPS IIIF program -- Frequency Electronics (FEIM +2.77%) is currently delivering products for the GPS IIIF program, with management clarifying that no IIIF satellites have launched yet.
  • Tax rate expectation -- Management expects the effective tax rate to remain in the single digits due to available NOLs and current tax law effects.
  • SDA (Space Development Agency) contracts -- Bidding activity on SDA programs continues, but timing and scope may change due to re-evaluation by the new administration.
  • Vertical integration -- The company maintains vertical integration across its production chain and views it as a key differentiation, though does not claim exclusivity in the sector.
  • Quantum magnetometer development -- In partnership with MIT Lincoln Labs, the company is advancing quantum magnetic sensor technology, positioning itself for growth in quantum sensing markets.
  • Ongoing collaborations -- Development partnerships include engagements with Leidos and NIST for quantum sensor advancements.

Summary

Frequency Electronics (FEIM +2.77%) reported its highest quarterly revenue in 25 years, fueled by accelerated execution and elevated sales in government satellite programs. Management explained that while contract timing may cause short-term top-line variability, legislative support and customer base expansion underpin medium-term growth expectations. The company highlighted ongoing investments in both R&D and product development, with externally funded initiatives contributing to near-term profitability and future revenue streams.

  • Management said, "allocations for space and defense-related programs from the recently passed legislation in Congress are very positive for the direction the company is going," indicating potential for future contract inflows.
  • Thomas McClelland distinguished between short-term "variability in the timing of contracts" and a "pretty solid" current backlog, clarifying that variability primarily concerns future, not already awarded, business.
  • The company confirmed it will launch its TURBO timing unit in the coming fiscal year, projecting an addressable near-term market of $1 million to $2 million, with management anticipating further commercial growth after introduction.

Industry glossary

  • APNT (Assured Position, Navigation, and Timing): Robust navigation and timing systems designed to provide reliable service even if GPS signals are compromised or denied.
  • TURBO: Timing Units Rubidium Oscillator, a compact, high-performance atomic clock product developed by Frequency Electronics.
  • Quantum magnetometer: A sensor leveraging quantum properties to detect magnetic fields, used in unjammable navigation applications.
  • GPS IIIF: The "GPS III Follow-On" satellite program, representing the next phase of U.S. military satellite deployment.
  • SDA (Space Development Agency): A U.S. Department of Defense entity coordinating satellite-based communication and sensing programs.

Full Conference Call Transcript

Thomas McClelland: Good afternoon, everyone. The fiscal fourth quarter we just reported was the highest revenue quarter for the company in the past 25 years, and I'd like to provide some additional context on that. We've demonstrated strong growth over the past several years, and we believe the growth potential for our company is expanding even further for reasons I'll get into shortly.

While we do not provide guidance, given the lumpiness of contract awards, I would be remiss if I did not mention that this recently ended quarter benefited from strong execution that allowed the company to produce revenue on certain programs in fiscal year '25 that we originally expected to produce over a more extended period of time in fiscal year '25, '26 and beyond. In other words, while the trend here is very much an upward one, I do not think it's prudent to expect every quarter in the near term to look exactly like this from a top line perspective. Though in the medium term, it is directionally where we're headed.

It's important to keep in mind that the allocations for space and defense-related programs from the recently passed legislation in Congress are very positive for the direction the company is going. But as the bill just passed last week, additional revenue from those contract awards will flow in over the coming quarters and years as our customers now submit bids for increased available funds. Critically, as we position the company to take advantage of all the opportunities we've discussed before and others I'll discuss in a moment, we're also expanding our customer base beyond the traditional prime contractors.

We maintain excellent relationships with the traditional primes and are working on numerous projects with them and anticipate meaningful growth with them going forward. But we've also already been actively submitting bids alongside next-generation defense companies, which are increasingly getting attention in this administration. We believe this positions FEI extremely well to benefit from industry trends we see playing out over the next 5 to 10-plus years. Some of the opportunities that will further accelerate our growth are Golden Dome, we're already involved in several key missile programs and anticipate additional opportunities both for terrestrial and space applications. APNT, which is Alternate (sic) [ Assured ] Position, Navigation and Timing.

The vulnerability of GPS is well documented at this point as stories of jamming and spoofing, especially in the Mid East and Eastern Europe corroborate. FEI's quantum magnetometer development representing an unjammable approach to navigation is part of a particularly relevant solution. Our small but very high-performance rubidium atomic clock, which we've dubbed TURBO, for timing units rubidium oscillator, is a key ingredient in other proposed alternate navigation approaches. Another important item is GPS enhancements such as resilient GPS, augmenting GPS satellites with a large number of lower-cost satellites. Quantum sensing, FEI is well positioned to succeed in the growing quantum sensor market based on our expertise in atomic clocks.

We're currently developing solid-state diamond-based quantum magnetic sensor devices in collaboration with MIT Lincoln Labs. Similarly, we're collaborating with scientists at NIST to develop Rydberg sensors, allowing for extremely compact microwave antennas. Last year, FEI sponsored a Quantum Summit in New York City to bring together scientists to discuss progress in quantum sensors. I'd like to announce that FEI will host a Quantum Summit again this year in October, in particular, on October 29 and 30. All in all, I'm happy with our performance, vigilance regarding the changes in Washington and very enthusiastic about our future. Steve?

Steven Bernstein: Thank you, Tom, and good afternoon. For the fiscal year ended April 30, 2025, consolidated revenue was $69.8 million compared to $55.3 million for the same period of the prior fiscal year. The components of revenue are as follows: Revenue from commercial and U.S. government satellite programs was approximately $40.9 million or 59% compared to $23.2 million or 42% in the same period of the prior fiscal year. Revenue on satellite payload contracts are recognized primarily under the percentage of completion method and are recorded only in the FEI-New York segment.

Revenues from non-space U.S. government and DOD customers, which are recorded in both the FEI-New York and FEI-Zyfer segments were $26.5 million compared to $29 million in the same period of the prior fiscal year and accounted for approximately 38% of consolidated revenue compared to 52% for the prior fiscal year. Other commercial and industrial revenue was $2.4 million and $3.1 million for the fiscal year ended April 30, '25 and '24, respectively. The company is encouraged by significant revenue growth compared to the prior fiscal year. The majority of the increase in revenue for fiscal year '25 as compared to fiscal year '24 was a result of increase in sales in the U.S. government DoD satellite market.

For the fiscal year ending April 30, 2025, the gross profit and gross profit percentage increased as a result of several factors. The increase in gross profit dollars was directly related to the significant increase in revenue over the prior fiscal year period as well as the increase in gross margin. The majority of the increase in the gross profit percentage as compared to the prior fiscal year was in the FEI-New York segment and was attributable to the company's performance on several traditional space programs at higher margin and ahead of schedule. In addition, the company has new programs that are progressing well, and the company anticipates they will generate additional revenue and profits.

In the fiscal year ending April 30, '25 and '24, selling and administrative expenses were 18% of consolidated revenue in both periods. While total SG&A expense increased in fiscal year '25 as compared to the prior fiscal year, SG&A expense remained constant as a percentage of revenue in fiscal year '25. The approximately $2.1 million increase is made up of mainly payroll-related items such as 401(k) expense, stock option expense, bonus accrual. In addition to these expenses, trade show and related costs also increased during the fiscal year '25.

R&D expense for the fiscal year ending April 30, '25 increased to $6.1 million from $3.4 million, an increase of $2.7 million and were approximately 9% and 6%, respectively, of consolidated revenue. The company-funded R&D amount was higher in fiscal year '25 as compared to previous fiscal year, partially because of the previous fiscal year R&D expenditures were lower than planned and some of the expense were subsequently captured in fiscal year '25. The increase in R&D expense also reflects the company's commitment to maintain its technical excellence. The company expects future R&D investment to be in line with or even potentially above historical spending.

For the fiscal year ending April 30, '25, the company recorded operating income of $11.7 million compared to an operating income of $5 million in the prior fiscal year. The increase is mainly attributable to the company's significant increase in revenue and gross margin during fiscal year '25, as noted above from traditional space programs that have been executed ahead of schedule, well within budget and technologically performed well. The positive effect of cost-cutting measures instituted by management have also contributed to the increase. The change in other income expense from prior fiscal year was relatively minimal. All 3 categories presented were slightly lower in fiscal year '25 compared to prior fiscal year.

This yields pretax income of approximately $12.1 million compared to $5.5 million for the prior fiscal year. For the fiscal year ending April 30, '25, the valuation allowance decreased by approximately $13.9 million from the prior fiscal year, primarily due to releasing the majority of the valuation allowance recorded against deferred tax asset. This change in estimate occurred in the third quarter of fiscal '25. Consolidated net income for the year ending April 30, '25 was $23.7 million or $2.46 per share compared to $5.6 million or $0.59 per share in the previous fiscal year.

Our fully funded backlog at the end of April '25 was approximately $70 million compared to $78 million for the previous fiscal year, April 30, '24. The company's balance sheet continues to reflect strong working capital position of approximately $30 million at April 30, '25, and a current ratio of approximately 2.3:1. Additionally, the company is debt-free. Cash went down by approximately $13.6 million since prior fiscal year-end. Of this decrease, the dividend paid in Q2 of fiscal '25 accounted for approximately $9.6 million of it. The additional $4 million decrease was related to timing of billing and revenue. Contract liabilities went down $8.2 million since year-end.

Contract liabilities are generated as part of 606 accounting when the billings are in excess of revenue taken on specific programs. We expect that cash will fluctuate quarter-to-quarter. However, we expect its trend to be higher over time. The company believes that its liquidity is adequate to meet its operating and investing needs for the next 12 months and the foreseeable future. I will turn the call back to Tom, and we look forward to your questions shortly.

Thomas McClelland: Thanks, Steve. We're now ready for questions.

Operator: [Operator Instructions]. And the first question today is coming from Brett Reiss from Janney Montgomery Scott . Brett, your line is live.

Brett Reiss: Great. Nice quarter, great end of the year. Tom, you rattled off a number of growth potential areas, the Golden Dome, the APNT, resilient GPS. Can you walk me through the process as to how you will allocate corporate time and resources to these various growth opportunities?

Thomas McClelland: Well, I'm not quite sure how to answer that question. We're actively pursuing proposals at this time that are involved in all of those areas. And I think we have ongoing discussions with all our prime customers about these topics as we go and what our capabilities are in this arena.

Brett Reiss: Tom, I apologize. I didn't ask the question in the right way. Of the 5 or 6 areas you mentioned, which one do you think has the greatest potential that might lead to a greater allocation of corporate resources and attention?

Thomas McClelland: Okay. I see. Well, that's a little hard to say also. I think -- at the moment, I think the quantum sensor area looks quite promising. We know that GPS is vulnerable and the magnetometer activity that we're working on certainly looks very promising, and there's a huge addressable market there in terms of providing alternate to GPS navigation, especially, I think, in commercial aircraft. So that's certainly a big one. But I think Golden Dome looks like a big thing also, but it's a little bit ambiguous as to how the funding is going to happen on that one. So we'll just have to see.

Brett Reiss: All right. Last one for me. Because of these tremendous growth opportunities, R&D spend is going to move up. We've got a strong balance sheet, but do we have enough cash to fund this greater amount of R&D that's needed to take advantage of these opportunities?

Thomas McClelland: At this point in time, we are confident that we have adequate cash in order to fund that. As I stated in the press release, it's really a targeted use of internal funds. I think we're being somewhat cautious and careful about just what we spend our resources on. And I think we're in a pretty good position to do that and to continue doing that going forward. But we'll keep an eye on that and have to evaluate that in the future. There are a lot of external funding things that we see and we're working on obtaining. And I think that supplements our use of internal funds significantly.

Operator: [Operator Instructions]. The next question is coming from Chris [indiscernible], who's a private investor.

Unknown Attendee: Congratulations on great results. You mentioned in your press release that there might be some short-term uncertainty. Can you elaborate on that?

Thomas McClelland: Well, I'm not sure uncertainty is the right way to refer to it. I think that there will be some variability in the timing of contracts, I think, is really what we're talking about. And we've already seen this. The new administration is intent on making their mark on things. So the timing of a lot of programs that are already in the works are changing. And we just -- we have to deal with that, obviously.

So I think it's very clear that overall, the administration is intent on spending even more money on the things that are in our area of expertise, but they're going to not necessarily spend them in the same way that was imagined prior to this administration. So this is the thing we just have to roll with the punches in terms of how the timing of these things plays out.

Unknown Attendee: Okay. And you're absolutely right. You did not use the term uncertainty, you used term variability, which is what I should have said. Okay. So does that include the variability in timing? Does that include stuff that's already in your $70 million backlog?

Thomas McClelland: I'm not quite sure I understand the question.

Unknown Attendee: So the variability issues you mentioned, would those include projects that are already in your $70 million backlog? Or is it...

Thomas McClelland: No. No, not really. We don't anticipate any variability in the backlog. The only thing I would say is that the contracts can be terminated. We don't anticipate that with anything in our backlog at this point in time, but that certainly has happened. So I guess in that sense, there's the potential for variability. But the backlog is pretty solid. I think it's with future work that we have to look at the variability and the timing of when things occur.

Unknown Attendee: All right. So you think there'll be -- with future contracts, there will be some variability in the short term. But in the medium term, you will see certainty -- kind of relative certainty for higher growth. Now what that -- could you just tell me roughly what do you mean by short term, midterm?

Thomas McClelland: I think short term, we're really talking about the next year or so. And medium term, I think we're looking at 2 to 5 years. Long term, beyond the 5-year point.

Unknown Attendee: All right. And I had a question about Quantum. Right now, it seems that we're not yet at the point where commercial quantum systems are coming out, but a lot of money is going into research. Would you say that at this research stage because you already know you probably -- your timers are probably needed for the research stage as well. Would you say this research stage is enough to make kind of like a notable revenue...

Thomas McClelland: Yes. Yes. There's, I think, significant revenue from the research stage. It might better be characterized as development as opposed to research because I think the science is well understood in these areas. It's really developing products based on that science that we're working on. And to the extent that this development is externally funded, it certainly generates revenue and indeed profit. So yes, I hope that answers your question.

Unknown Attendee: Yes. Yes, it definitely does. And would you expect to do have -- I mean, would you expect to get externally funded revenue? Or would your clients be kind of asking you to do some of development on your own income statement as well?

Thomas McClelland: Well, that's a really good question. I think in some cases, the funding agencies don't have enough money to support all of the work that needs to be done. And so we supplement that with internal funding. But I think that's usually a pretty small amount of the total funding that is to be had. So it's a relatively small thing and that I think we account for in our budget for internal R&D funding on an annual basis. That is going up a little bit, but just a little bit in order to support these new technologies and things.

Unknown Attendee: Okay. It's good to hear it a small amount. Well, this is all for me. Good luck again, and congratulations again.

Operator: [Operator Instructions]. The next question is coming from Michael [indiscernible]. Michael is a private investor.

Unknown Attendee: You start working on the Leidos and linking labs yet?

Thomas McClelland: Yes. Yes.

Unknown Attendee: I see. Who's paying for that R&D for that?

Thomas McClelland: So we're funded by Leidos at this point in time.

Unknown Attendee: Is that paying for it?

Thomas McClelland: I'm not sure I understand the question. Leidoes -- go ahead.

Unknown Attendee: I was going to say you have to do R&D [indiscernible] was already proven?

Thomas McClelland: Well, the development -- this is development activity, and that is primarily funded by Leidos. Just like the last question, there's a small amount of internal funding that supplements that. But that's primarily...

Unknown Attendee: We get to keep the technology also, right?

Thomas McClelland: Yes.

Unknown Attendee: And is GPS IIIF back in play, I thought was over with a while ago. I heard something about that.

Thomas McClelland: No. No, that's not true. GPS IIIF is indeed very active. And in fact, we're currently delivering products for the GPS IIIF program.

Unknown Attendee: Which launch are we up to now?

Thomas McClelland: Well, I don't think -- so there are -- there's GPS III and there's GPS IIIF. That F, I think, is for follow-on. So the current launches, the last launch that occurred was a GPS III launch. And I believe it was the eighth GPS III satellite, if I'm not mistaken.

Unknown Attendee: I remember that.

Thomas McClelland: Yes. So there are still additional GPS III satellites to launch. I think IX and X in particular. And GPS IIIF starts with #11. So no GPS IIIF satellites have launched yet.

Unknown Attendee: But they will eventually. That $12 million contract that you just announced, was that a continuation from the previous contract?

Thomas McClelland: Yes. That was.

Unknown Attendee: The one from November of 2023.

Thomas McClelland: I don't remember exactly. Yes. No, it was not a continuation of those contracts. It was separate.

Unknown Attendee: All right. And you mentioned that -- how far are we into the magnetic navigation so we don't get spoofed and everything jammed up?

Thomas McClelland: Well, we're actively pursuing it. I think our development activity is basically a 2-year program, and we should have prototype demonstrations at the end of that period.

Unknown Attendee: All right. Are we the only one that still vertically -- only company that's vertically integrated to produce all this stuff from beginning to end?

Thomas McClelland: Well, I don't know that I can say we're the only company that's vertically integrated. But I think it is indeed true that we are vertically integrated. And as I've said before, I think we feel strongly that, that's key to our continued success because it allows us to control. We're working in technology areas that are fairly esoteric. And if we rely on other suppliers to provide key ingredients, then we lose control of those key ingredients, and it's hard to get the kind of performance that's required in these areas. So we do feel it's key. I think it is a differentiator.

There are not so many companies out there that are vertically integrated in the way that we are, but I'd hesitate to say that we have a monopoly on that.

Unknown Attendee: Is Microchip, can they do it? Really not sure, microchip.

Thomas McClelland: Microchip. I don't think so, no.

Operator: The next question is coming from George Marema from Pareto Ventures.

George Marema: The first one was on gross margin this quarter was a little bit down. Can you sort of outline the reasons why?

Thomas McClelland: I don't think there's anything super significant. I think there's just a general lumpiness from quarter-to-quarter on how things play out. I think we're pretty comfortable with where the gross margin is overall.

George Marema: As you look out into this current coming fiscal year, for '25, you're on a 43% gross margin for the year and 37% in this last quarter. Would you be sort of targeting the high 30s or more low 40s for this coming year?

Thomas McClelland: Well, I think we're targeting 40% or more. And where we end up, we'll see. I think that's -- we're trying to maintain a very disciplined approach in terms of our margins. And so yes, that's where we're aiming. But we do have to see. The timing of things, et cetera, always comes into play.

George Marema: Okay. And then on quantum sensing, could you sort of maybe characterize or size up a little bit for this coming fiscal year, what kind of development like revenue opportunity is there? Is it material, like 10% of your business or less or more than that? And then secondly, when would you hope to have product revenue out of this area? How far off?

Thomas McClelland: So I think it's -- at this -- over the next fiscal year, I would anticipate that it's less than [Technical Difficulty] of our overall revenue, number one. And number two, I anticipate that products sort of 5 years out from now. I think that's a reasonable expectation.

George Marema: Okay. And then are any of the other newer products coming out before then, these other things you mentioned?

Thomas McClelland: Definitely. We have products which are going to be available within the next fiscal year. The compact rubidium standard is going to be available, and yes.

George Marema: Is that the TURBO you're talking about?

Thomas McClelland: Yes.

George Marema: That will be out in this fiscal year, you hope, this product?

Thomas McClelland: It will, yes.

Frank Barresi: What kind of addressable market is that? If you can kind of size that up or characterize it?

Thomas McClelland: Well, it's a growing addressable market, I think probably $1 million to $2 million within the next year or so and growing after that.

Operator: And the next question is coming from Brent [indiscernible]. Brent is a Private Investor.

Unknown Attendee: Tom, thank you for your leadership and thanks to all the employees for their hard work, much appreciated. My question is, what do you target for SG&A and R&D for 2026 going forward -- as a percentage of revenue?

Thomas McClelland: I'll let Steve respond to that question.

Steven Bernstein: I believe they'll be very similar to where they are this year. Approximately SG&A, we ran 18% for the last 2 years and R&D somewhere in the 6% to 8% or 9% range.

Unknown Attendee: And do you target taxes? I mean I know you had -- you didn't have any more carryforwards, but you had a few more NOLs left. Do you still see taxes in the 1.5% to 2% range?

Steven Bernstein: Again, depending, I think for next year, we'll use more NOLs. We still have a bunch left, but with the new tax law change and stuff and California is where right now we pay our taxes because they suspended the use of NOLs. I still believe if we have a good year, it's still -- the majority of it will be covered. Some may not based on where it comes and so forth. But it will not be a normal 21% tax year next year either.

Unknown Attendee: Do you still feel it's in the single digits?

Steven Bernstein: Yes.

Unknown Attendee: Okay. Last quarter, you spoke about SDA bids. Were any of those successful? And what kind of investment expense do you see coming from SDA?

Thomas McClelland: So at this point in time, that's a little bit up in the air, actually. The new administration is rethinking the SDA process. We are still looking at tracking layer activity from SDA, but the transport or data layer is currently being reimagined and how that's going to play out is not clear at this point in time.

Unknown Attendee: There's no indication of even maybe a time frame. I know earlier you mentioned short and medium term to be 1 to 5 years or 1 to 2 years. Do you personally think that it's somewhere within the next 9 to 12 months?

Thomas McClelland: Definitely. I think yes. Yes. I think something is going to pop within that time frame, yes.

Operator: And there were no other questions from the lines at this time. I will now hand the call back to Thomas McClelland for closing remarks.

Thomas McClelland: Okay. I think I'd like to thank everybody for participating in this call, and have a nice summer. Thank you.

Operator: Thank you. This does conclude today's conference. You may disconnect your lines at this time. Thank you for your participation.