Cyanotech fourth quarter revenues increase to $5,218,000

Cyanotech Corporation (Nasdaq Capital Market: CYAN), a world leader in microalgae-based, high-value nutrition and health products, today announced financial results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year 2011, ended March 31, 2011.

“Cyanotech's business is healthy and vital. Our fourth quarter results were robust, but also were influenced by several factors, which are generally non-recurring”

Fourth Quarter 2011

For the fourth quarter of fiscal 2011 revenues were $5,218,000 compared to $3,814,000 for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2010. Gross profit was $1,798,000, with gross profit margin of 34%, compared to gross profit of $1,387,000 and gross profit margin of 36%. Net income was $795,000 or $.14 per diluted share, including a non-cash tax benefit of $552,000 due to a reduction in the deferred tax valuation allowance and recording of a net deferred tax asset, compared to net loss of $226,000 or $(0.04) per diluted share last fiscal year. Income before the tax benefit was $216,000 for the fourth quarter of 2011 compared to a loss of $230,000 in 2010.

Fiscal Year 2011

For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2011, revenues were $16,827,000 compared to revenues of $15,742,000 for the year ended March 31, 2010. Gross profit was $6,341,000, with gross profit margin of 38%, compared to gross profit of $6,633,000 and gross profit margin of 42% in fiscal 2010. Net income was $1,730,000 or $.32 per diluted share, including a non-cash tax benefit of $552,000 due to a reduction in the deferred tax valuation allowance and recording of a net deferred tax asset, compared to $1,391,000, or $0.26 per diluted share fiscal year 2010. Income before the income tax benefit for fiscal 2011 was $1,163,000 compared to $1,415,000 in 2010.

Brent Bailey, President and CEO, said, "Cyanotech's business is healthy and vital. Our fourth quarter results were robust, but also were influenced by several factors, which are generally non-recurring:

• Approximately $800,000 of the increase in net sales was due to the discounted sale of short-dated and non-conforming product as well as opportunistic revenue that we do not expect to repeat
• These sales negatively impacted gross profit and net income by $366,000
• Net income increased by $552,000 due to a non-cash tax benefit

Eliminating these non-recurring items still shows a record quarter with 16% net sales growth generated by expanded market awareness of our products, such as from favorable publicity for both Astaxanthin and Spirulina from multiple segments on the popular Dr. Oz Show. Our fiscal 2011 results were similarly influenced by these factors."

"In addition, we significantly improved our cash position and made substantial progress in reducing our inventory in the fourth quarter," Bailey continued.

"The foundation is being established to fully capitalize on Cyanotech's core competence of cultivating and processing microalgae into high-value, high-quality natural products for the human nutrition market. Our brand promise emphasizes the higher nutritional content of Hawaiian spirulina and the benefits of our natural Hawaiian astaxanthin over synthetics. This was also instrumental in our fourth quarter sales growth," Bailey concluded.

Cash and cash equivalents were $2,062,000 at March 31, 2011 compared to the March 31, 2010 balance of $817,000 and the December 31, 2010 balance of $729,000. Working capital was $6,285,000 at March 31, 2011 compared to $4,942,000 at March 31, 2010 and $5,944,000 at December 31, 2010. Inventory was $3,627,000 on March 31, 2011 compared to $3,933,000 on March 31, 2010 and $4,356,000 on December 31, 2010.

For fiscal 2011, Spirulina sales accounted for 50% of total revenues and natural Astaxanthin sales for 50%. International sales were 42% of total sales.

Source Cyanotech Corporation