Luna Innovations Reports First-Quarter 2021 Results

Highlights

• Total revenues of $26.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021, up 53% compared to the three months ended March 31, 2020
• Operating loss of $0.8 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021, versus operating income of $0.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2020; primarily due to $1.4 million of transaction related costs
• Net loss of $0.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021, compared to net loss of $1.1 million, for the three months ended March 31, 20200
• Adjusted EBITDA increased to $2.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021, compared to $1.6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2020 
• Adjusted EPS of $0.03 for the three months ended March 31, 2021, compared to $0.02 for the three months ended March 31, 2020
• Company reaffirms 2021 outlook

(ROANOKE, VA, May 17, 2021) - Luna Innovations Incorporated (NASDAQ: LUNA), a global leader in advanced optical technology, today announced its financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2021. 

"Q1 was a busy quarter for Luna as we continue to build for our future growth,” said Scott Graeff, President and Chief Executive Officer of Luna. "I am proud of the Luna team’s relentless focus on four significant operational and systems implementation projects during the quarter. We implemented organization-wide upgrades to enterprise software, through the implementation of NetSuite and Salesforce.com, all while continuing the integration of the two acquisitions we announced toward the end of last year – OptaSense and New Ridge Technologies. I can characterize this quarter as strong blocking and tackling. And, we did all of this while continuing to grow total revenues, expanding gross margins and growing adjusted EBITDA.”

Graeff continued, “We are at another inflection point of growth, just as we were several  years ago. Based on our first-quarter performance and the continued momentum we've seen in the first part of Q2, we are comfortable reaffirming our full-year 2021 financial outlook. As always, we will continue to focus on supporting customers with excellence, delivering strong results for our shareholders, and providing a safe and supportive environment for our employees."

First-Quarter Fiscal 2021 Financial Summary
Highlights of the financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2021 are:

A reconciliation of Adjusted EPS and Adjusted EBITDA to the nearest comparable GAAP figures can be found in the schedules included in this release.

Lightwave revenues for the three months ended March 31, 2021 increased compared to the prior-year period, due primarily to increased revenues from Luna's sensing and communication test businesses. Luna Labs revenue decreased for the three months ended March 31, 2021, compared to the prior-year period, primarily due to delays caused by COVID-related issues.

Gross margin increased to 51% for the three months ended March 31, 2021, compared to 49% for the three months ended March 31, 2020, driven by increased sales in Luna's Lightwave division. Operating income and margin declined to $(0.8) million and (3)% of total revenues, respectively, for the three months ended March 31, 2021, compared to $0.4 million and 2% of total revenues, respectively, for the three months ended March 31, 2020. The decrease in operating income was primarily due to $0.9 million integration and transaction costs, as well as $0.5 million of amortization of intangible assets and inventory step-up related to Luna's recently completed acquisitions and its continuing portfolio activities.   

Net loss was $0.3 million, or $0.01 per fully diluted share, for the three months ended March 31, 2021, compared to a net loss of $1.1 million, or $0.03 per fully diluted share, for the three months ended March 31, 2020. Adjusted EPS was $0.03 for the three months ended March 31, 2021, compared to $0.02 for the three months ended March 31, 2020. 

Adjusted EBITDA was $2.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021, compared to $1.6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2020. The increase was driven by revenue growth and increased gross profit.

2021 Full-Year Outlook
Luna is reaffirming its full-year guidance:  
•    Total revenues of $122 million to $127 million
•    Adjusted EBITDA of $16 million to $19 million

Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP measure. Luna is not providing an outlook for net income, which is the most directly comparable generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") measure to Adjusted EBITDA, because changes in the items that Luna excludes from net income to calculate Adjusted EBITDA, such as share-based compensation, tax expense, and significant non-recurring charges, among other things, can be dependent on future events that are less capable of being controlled or reliably predicted by management and are not part of Luna's routine operating activities.

The outlook above does not include any future acquisitions, divestitures, or unanticipated events.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures
In evaluating the operating performance of its business, Luna’s management considers Adjusted EBITDA, which excludes certain charges and credits that are required by GAAP. Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EPS provide useful information to both management and investors by excluding the effect of certain non-cash expenses and items that Luna believes may not be indicative of its operating performance, because either they are unusual and Luna does not expect them to recur in the ordinary course of its business, or they are unrelated to the ongoing operation of the business in the ordinary course. Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EPS should be considered in addition to results prepared in accordance with GAAP, but should not be considered a substitute for, or superior to, GAAP results. Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EPS have been reconciled to the nearest GAAP measure in the table following the financial statements attached to this press release.

Conference Call Information
As previously announced, Luna will conduct an investor conference call at 5:00 pm (ET) today to discuss its financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2021.  The investor conference call will be available via live webcast on the Luna website at www.lunainc.com under the tab “Investor Relations.” To participate by telephone, the domestic dial-in number is 844.578.9643 and the international dial-in number is 270.823.1522. The participant access code is 4494192. Investors are advised to dial in at least five minutes prior to the call to register. The webcast will be archived on the company’s website under “Webcasts and Presentations” for 30 days following the conference call.

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