Hutchinson Technology Reports Second Quarter Net Loss On Reduced Revenue and Restructuring Charges

Company Taking Additional Actions to Reduce Costs and Improve Cash Flow


HUTCHINSON, Minn., April 28, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hutchinson Technology Incorporated (Nasdaq:HTCH) today reported a net loss of $57.7 million, or $2.49 per diluted share, on net sales of $79.0 million for its fiscal 2009 second quarter ended March 29, 2009. Results for the quarter included:



 * Asset impairment charges of $18.7 million related to manufacturing
   and support equipment in the company's assembly and components
   operations; and
 * Severance and other costs of $4.8 million related primarily to the
   previously announced closure of the company's assembly operations
   in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Excluding these items, Hutchinson Technology's net loss for the fiscal 2009 second quarter would have been $34.2 million, or $1.48 per share. In the comparable fiscal 2008 period, the company reported a net loss of $6.2 million, or $0.25 per share, on net sales of $143.8 million.

The decline in fiscal 2009 second quarter net sales resulted primarily from a 40% decline in suspension assembly shipments compared with the fiscal 2008 second quarter and reduced the company's ability to cover its fixed costs, resulting in a gross loss of $11.8 million or 15%. The gross loss included a $7.8 million cost burden related to TSA+ flexure production. Increased TSA+ volume and further yield improvements helped reduce this burden from $9.5 million in the fiscal 2009 first quarter.

The company also announced that it is taking additional actions to reduce costs, improve cash flow, meet the current portion of its debt obligations and make strategic investments as needed. "We are further restructuring the company to adjust to market conditions and the expected phase out of suspension assembly shipments to Seagate Technology over the next 18 to 24 months," said Wayne Fortun, president and chief executive officer. The restructuring actions include eliminating approximately 300 additional positions, bringing overall employment to about 2,500 by the end of the fiscal 2009 third quarter. The company estimates that its financial results for its fiscal 2009 third quarter ending June 28, 2009 will include approximately $25 million of severance and asset impairment charges related to these restructuring actions. "These actions should generate approximately $50 million in annualized cost savings. Combined with other restructuring actions we have taken this year, we estimate we have reduced our costs by approximately $175 million on an annualized basis, and these savings will become fully realized in our fiscal 2009 fourth quarter. This will position the company to generate positive free cash flow at quarterly revenue of $85 million to $90 million," said Fortun.

The company's total cash and investments at the end of the fiscal 2009 second quarter totaled $293 million, compared with $299 million at the end of the preceding quarter. The company has further reduced its planned fiscal 2009 capital spending from $40 million to less than $30 million.

Disk Drive Components Division

The company shipped approximately 107 million suspension assemblies in the fiscal 2009 second quarter, down from 155 million in the preceding quarter. Kathleen Skarvan, president of the Disk Drive Components Division, attributed the sequential quarter decline in suspension assembly volume primarily to lower demand for disk drives, lower disk drive production as the drive makers reduced inventories and a modest loss of market share. As previously reported, the company's combined shipments for the mobile and enterprise segments declined more than 50% sequentially, while shipments for the 3.5" ATA segment increased approximately 15%. This shift in product mix was the primary reason that average selling price declined sequentially from $0.76 to $0.71.

The company shipped approximately 10 million TSA+ suspension assemblies in the fiscal 2009 second quarter, up from 4.5 million in the preceding quarter. Unit costs for TSA+ suspension assemblies have continued to decline as a result of increasing TSA+ volume and further optimization of TSA+ production processes. "We expect our TSA+ shipments to further increase in subsequent quarters and the associated ramp of TSA+ production volume will continue to reduce the gross margin burden," said Skarvan. "Compared to current subtractive flexures, additive TSA+ flexures provide superior performance and will ultimately have a lower cost."

The company currently expects fiscal 2009 third quarter suspension assembly shipments to increase on a sequential basis, in contrast to the historical norm of a decrease in the June quarter. Skarvan said that shipments to Seagate are expected to decline to less than 10% of the company's total suspension assembly volume in its fiscal 2009 fourth quarter, and the remaining volume will be phased out subsequently. Skarvan added that the company continues to ramp suspension assembly programs with all of the other disk drive makers.

BioMeasurement Division

Net sales for the BioMeasurement Division totaled $458,000, up from $265,000 in the preceding quarter. Rick Penn, president of the BioMeasurement Division, said that almost all of fiscal 2009's second quarter sales were to customers who are using the InSpectra StO2 system in clinical applications rather than for research. "These applications include trauma, emergency medicine, intensive care and peri-operative care," said Penn.

After adding 19 new customers during the fiscal 2009 second quarter, the BioMeasurement Division now has 74 customers and the installed base of monitors exceeds 140. The second quarter growth included increased monitor sales in Europe and the United States and sales through distributors in parts of Europe and the Middle East. "The growing base of installed systems should begin to result in increased sensor sales as our system becomes routinely used to manage treatment in a wide range of critical care settings," said Penn.

The company expects fiscal 2009 net sales for the BioMeasurement Division to reach $3 million to $5 million, with the division's operating losses narrowing on the revenue growth and cost reductions within the division.

Hutchinson Technology to Host Conference Call

The company will conduct a conference call and webcast for investors beginning at 4:00 p.m. Central Time on Tuesday, April 28. Individual investors and news media may participate in the conference call live via the webcast. The webcast will be available through the Investor Relations page on Hutchinson Technology's web site at www.htch.com. Webcast participants will need to complete a brief registration form and should allow extra time before the webcast begins to register and, if necessary, download and install audio software.

About Hutchinson Technology

Hutchinson Technology is a global technology leader committed to creating value by developing solutions to critical customer problems. The company's Disk Drive Components Division is a leading worldwide supplier of suspension assemblies for disk drives. The company's BioMeasurement Division is focused on bringing to the market new technologies and products that provide information clinicians can use to improve the quality of health care and reduce costs.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This announcement contains forward-looking statements regarding demand for and shipments of disk drives and the company's products, workforce reductions, production capability and costs, product and process development, product commercialization and adoption, debt obligations, capital expenditures, cost savings, operating performance and financial results. The company does not undertake to update its forward-looking statements. These statements involve risks and uncertainties. The company's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of changes in market demand and market consumption of disk drives or suspension assemblies, market acceptance of new products, the company's ability to produce suspension assemblies at levels of precision, quality, volume and cost its customers require, changes in product mix, changes in customers yields, changes in storage capacity requirements, changes in expected data density and other factors described from time to time in the company's reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.



                  Hutchinson Technology Incorporated
      Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations - Unaudited
                 (In thousands, except per share data)

                         Thirteen Weeks Ended   Twenty-Six Weeks Ended
                        ----------------------  ----------------------
                         March 29,   March 30,   March 29,   March 30,
                           2009        2008        2009        2008
                        ----------  ----------  ----------  ----------

 Net sales              $  79,004   $ 143,844   $ 198,675   $ 316,921

 Cost of sales             90,778     124,903     210,582     265,063
                        ----------  ----------  ----------  ----------

   Gross (loss) profit    (11,774)     18,941     (11,907)     51,858

 Research and
  development expenses      7,454      10,260      16,337      20,670

 Selling, general and
  administrative
  expenses                 14,934      18,436      31,350      36,799

 Severance and other
  expenses                  4,787                  24,314
 Asset impairment
  charge                   18,688                  50,968
 Litigation charge             --          --          --       2,494
                        ----------  ----------  ----------  ----------


   Loss from operations   (57,637)     (9,755)   (134,876)     (8,105)

 Interest expense          (2,986)     (2,912)     (5,720)     (5,872)

 Interest Income              928       3,642       2,187       7,915

 Gain on debt
  extinguishment               --          --      12,175          --

 Other income, net          1,793         688       4,520       1,329
                        ----------  ----------  ----------  ----------

   Loss before income
    taxes                 (57,902)     (8,337)   (121,714)     (4,733)

 (Benefit) provision
  for income taxes           (204)     (2,100)         61        (786)
                        ----------  ----------  ----------  ----------

   Net loss             $ (57,698)  $  (6,237)  $(121,775)  $  (3,947)
                        ==========  ==========  ==========  ==========

 Basic loss per share   $   (2.49)  $   (0.25)  $   (5.28)  $   (0.15)
                        ==========  ==========  ==========  ==========

 Diluted loss per share $   (2.49)  $   (0.25)  $   (5.28)  $   (0.15)
                        ==========  ==========  ==========  ==========

 Weighted-average
  common shares
  outstanding              23,160      25,254      23,078      25,747
                        ==========  ==========  ==========  ==========

 Weighted-average
  common and diluted
  shares outstanding       23,160      25,254      23,078      25,747
                        ==========  ==========  ==========  ==========


                  Hutchinson Technology Incorporated
           Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets - Unaudited
                  (In thousands, except shares data)

                                            March 29,    September 28,
 ASSETS                                       2009            2008
                                          -------------  -------------
 Current assets:
    Cash and cash equivalents             $    184,610   $     62,309
    Short-term investments                      10,854        108,944
    Trade receivables, net                      42,872        100,928
    Other receivables                            7,268          8,847
    Inventories                                 69,624         76,459
    Other current assets                         4,875          7,326
                                          -------------  -------------
       Total current assets                    320,103        364,813
 Long-term investments                          97,199         92,166
 Property, plant and equipment, net            337,828        415,088
 Other assets                                    7,002          9,220
                                          -------------  -------------
                                          $    762,132   $    881,287
                                          =============  =============

 LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' INVESTMENT
 Current liabilities:
    Current maturities of long-term debt  $     91,562   $      1,444
    Accounts payable                            18,215         26,519
    Accrued expenses                            12,455         14,537
    Accrued compensation                        30,540         21,178
                                          -------------  -------------
       Total current liabilities               152,772         63,678
 Long-term debt, less
  current maturities                            61,242          2,498
 Convertible subordinated notes                225,000        375,000
 Other long-term liabilities                     1,657          3,009
 Shareholders' investment:
    Common stock $.01 par value,
     100,000,000 shares authorized,
     23,172,000 and 22,941,000 issued and
     outstanding                                   232            229
    Additional paid-in capital                 375,889        371,965
    Accumulated other comprehensive income
     (loss)                                      1,338           (869)
    Accumulated (loss) earnings                (55,998)        65,777
                                          -------------  -------------
       Total shareholders' investment          321,461        437,102
                                          -------------  -------------
                                          $    762,132   $    881,287
                                          =============  =============


                  Hutchinson Technology Incorporated
      Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows - Unaudited
                        (Dollars in thousands)

                                            Twenty-Six Weeks Ended
                                          ----------------------------
                                             March 29,     March 30,
                                               2009           2008
                                          -------------  -------------
 Operating activities:
    Net loss                              $   (121,775)  $     (3,947)
    Adjustments to reconcile net loss to
     cash provided by operating
     activities:
       Depreciation and amortization            44,757         55,551
       Stock-based compensation                  2,865          2,953
       Benefit for deferred taxes                  (67)        (1,278)
       Asset impairment charge                  50,878             --
       Gain on long-term investments            (3,910)            --
       Gain on extinguishment of debt, net     (12,175)            --
       Loss on disposal of assets                   37            570
       Litigation charge                        12,513          2,494
       Changes in operating assets and
        liabilities                             56,523         17,402
                                          -------------  -------------
         Cash provided by operating
          activities                            29,646         73,745
                                          -------------  -------------

 Investing activities:
    Capital expenditures                       (17,693)       (36,875)
    Purchases of marketable securities         (10,852)      (785,301)
    Sales/maturities of marketable
     securities                                109,101        831,510
                                          -------------  -------------
         Cash provided by  investing
          activities                            80,556          9,334
                                          -------------  -------------

 Financing activities:
    Repayment of long-term debt                (48,469)          (661)
    Repurchase of common stock                      --        (47,721)
    Net proceeds from issuance of common
     stock                                       1,062          7,215
    Net proceeds from loan                      59,506             --
                                          -------------  -------------
         Cash provided by (used for)
          financing activities                  12,099        (41,167)
                                          -------------  -------------

 Net increase in cash and cash
  equivalents                                  122,301         41,912

 Cash and cash equivalents at beginning
  of period                                     62,309         64,509
                                          -------------  -------------

 Cash and cash equivalents at end of
  period                                  $    184,610   $    106,421
                                          =============  =============


                  Hutchinson Technology Incorporated
              Earnings Per Share Calculation - Unaudited
                 (In thousands, except per share data)

                         Thirteen Weeks Ended   Twenty-Six Weeks Ended
                        ----------------------  ----------------------
                         March 29,   March 30,   March 29,   March 30,
                           2009        2008        2009        2008
                        ----------  ----------  ----------  ----------

 Net loss (A)           $ (57,698)  $  (6,237)  $(121,775)  $  (3,947)
 Plus: interest expense
       on convertible
       subordinated
       notes                   --          --          --          --
 Less: additional
       profit sharing
       expense and
       income tax
       provision               --          --          --          --
                        ----------  ----------  ----------  ----------
 Net loss available to
  common 
  shareholders (B)      $ (57,698)  $  (6,237)  $(121,775)  $  (3,947)
                        ==========  ==========  ==========  ==========

 Weighted average
  common shares
  outstanding (C)          23,160      25,254      23,078      25,747
 Dilutive potential
  common shares                --          --          --          --
 Weighted average
  common and diluted
  shares 
  outstanding (D)          23,160      25,254      23,078      25,747
                        ==========  ==========  ==========  ==========

 Basic loss 
  per share ((A)/(C))   $   (2.49)  $   (0.25)  $   (5.28)  $   (0.15)
 Diluted loss 
  per share ((B)/(D))   $   (2.49)  $   (0.25)  $   (5.28)  $   (0.15)


                  Hutchinson Technology Incorporated
        Reconciliation of Non-GAAP to GAAP Financial Measures -
            Unaudited (In thousands, except per share data)

                                              Thirteen Weeks Ended
                                          ----------------------------
                                            March 29,      March 30,
                                              2009            2008
                                          -------------  -------------

 Net loss - GAAP                          $    (57,698)  $     (6,237)
 Add severance expenses                          4,787             --
 Add asset impairment charge                    18,688             --
 Add Litigation charge                              --             --
 Subtract gain on extinguishment of debt            --             --
 Subtract gain on long-term investments             --             --
                                          -------------  -------------
 Net loss - Adjusted                      $    (34,223)  $     (6,237)
                                          =============  =============

 Net loss per common share - Adjusted:

 Basic loss per share                     $      (1.48)  $      (0.25)
 Diluted loss per share                   $      (1.48)  $      (0.25)

 Weighted average common and common
  equivalent shares outstanding:

 Basic                                          23,160         25,254
 Diluted                                        23,160         25,254

 Net income per common share basic and diluted, is calculated by
 dividing net income by weighted average common and common equivalent
 shares outstanding basic and diluted, respectively.


            

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