- Net earnings of $860 million on revenue of $9.6 billion
- Diluted EPS of $3.07, up 5.9% from year-ago quarter
- $1.5 billion in cash provided by operating activities
- Significant Gulfstream order activity continues
RESTON, Va. – General Dynamics (NYSE: GD) today reported third-quarter 2021 net earnings of $860 million on revenue of $9.6 billion. Diluted earnings per share (EPS) were $3.07.
EPS grew 5.9% from the year-ago quarter and 17.6% sequentially as company-wide operating margin expanded to 11.3%, up 90 basis points from the previous quarter. Margins were up sequentially in all four segments.
“The company delivered solid third-quarter results, generating very strong cash flow and attractive margins,” said Phebe N. Novakovic, chairman and chief executive officer. “We continue to focus on delivering solid program performance and ensuring the well-being of our people, who are rising above the challenges of the pandemic to support our customers.”
Cash
Net cash provided by operating activities in the quarter totaled $1.5 billion. Free cash flow from operations was $1.3 billion.
Backlog
Backlog at the end of the quarter was $88.1 billion, up 8.1% from the year-ago quarter. Estimated potential contract value, representing management’s estimate of value in unfunded indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contracts and unexercised options, was $41.5 billion. Total estimated contract value, the sum of all backlog components, was $129.6 billion at the end of the quarter.
Orders in the Aerospace segment were strong, with backlog up 22.8% over the year-ago quarter to $14.7 billion.
Significant awards in the quarter for the Defense segments included $475 million from the U.S. Navy to provide ongoing lead yard services for the Columbia-class submarine program; $195 million from the Navy to provide engineering, technical, design and planning yard support services for operational strategic and attack submarines; a contract to provide cloud support services to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office with a maximum potential value of $190 million; $165 million to produce various munitions, ordnance and missile subcomponents for the U.S. Army; $160 million from the Navy to provide maintenance and repair services for the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock and Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship programs; $150 million from the Navy for Advanced Nuclear Plant Studies in support of the Columbia-class submarine program and options totaling $570 million of additional potential value; and $540 million for several key contracts for classified customers and additional classified IDIQ awards with a maximum potential value of $4.2 billion among multiple awardees.
About General Dynamics
Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, General Dynamics is a global aerospace and defense company that offers a broad portfolio of products and services in business aviation; ship construction and repair; land combat vehicles, weapons systems and munitions; and technology products and services. General Dynamics employs more than 100,000 people worldwide and generated $37.9 billion in revenue in 2020. More information is available at www.gd.com.
Certain statements made in this press release, including any statements as to future results of operations and financial projections, may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. Forward-looking statements are based on management’s expectations, estimates, projections and assumptions. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual future results and trends may differ materially from what is forecast in forward-looking statements due to a variety of factors. Additional information regarding these factors is contained in the company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, without limitation, its Annual Report on Form 10-K, its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and its Current Reports on Form 8-K. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they were made. The company does not undertake any obligation to update or publicly release any revisions to forward-looking statements to reflect events, circumstances or changes in expectations after the date of this press release.
WEBCAST INFORMATION: General Dynamics will webcast its third-quarter 2021 financial results conference call at 9 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, October 27, 2021. The webcast will be a listen-only audio event available at www.gd.com. An on-demand replay of the webcast will be available one hour after the end of the call and end on November 3, 2021. To hear a recording of the conference call by telephone, please call 866-813-9403 (international: +44 204-525-0658); passcode 439422. Charts furnished to investors and securities analysts in connection with General Dynamics’ announcement of its financial results are available at www.gd.com.