Retractable Technologies, Inc. Posts Record 4th Quarter, Full-Year 2005 Sales And $316,000 4th Quarter Net Income
LITTLE ELM, TX, April 3, 2006 – Retractable Technologies, Inc. (AMEX: RVP), a leading maker of safety needle devices, today reported net income of $316,000 for the three months ending December 31, 2005 on record sales for the quarter of $7.9 million, compared with a loss of $423,000 in the same 2004 period. These results were due largely to a 48.5% increase in unit sales over the fourth quarter of 2004, a dramatic improvement in gross profit margins, and higher interest income. For the full-year 2005, Retractable posted record sales of $24.2 million, an increase of 12.6% over the year before. Unit sales increased 19.1% in 2005.
International sales rose sharply in the three-month period ended December 31, 2005 principally due to the shipment of a large order received through Retractable’s second contract under the Bush Administration’s global HIV/AIDS initiative. Revenue growth in 2005 resulted from increased sales in both the domestic and international markets, including sales made in connection with the global HIV/AIDS program. Sales for the quarter and full-year also include $1.5 million and $3.1 million, respectively, in reimbursed discounts arising from the Company’s 2003 legal settlement with a hospital group purchasing organization.
The diluted loss per share was $0.00 for the fourth quarter, compared with a diluted loss per share of $0.03 for the same 2004 period. For the twelve-month period ended December 31, 2005 the diluted loss per share was $0.12, compared with $2.08 in diluted earnings per share in 2004. The results for 2004 reflect $74.6 million in litigation proceeds, including $65.5 million from the settlement of Retractable’s federal antitrust lawsuit against Becton Dickinson & Co. (BD).
Operating results, notably gross profit margins, improved dramatically in the fourth quarter and full-year mainly because of higher revenues and lower unit costs. Gross profit margins rose to 42.2% in the fourth quarter from 13.4% in the same 2004 quarter. For the full-year, the gross profit margin was 36.3%, compared with 23.7% in 2004. The $3.7 million improvement in gross profit and the $1.4 million decrease in operating expenses in 2005 resulted in a reduction of the operating loss to $2.9 million from $8.0 million in 2004.
Working capital declined slightly from $56.8 million at December 31, 2004 to $56.0 million at December 31, 2005. Stockholders’ equity decreased from $63.7 million to $63.2 million in 2005.
Further details are available on our Form 10-K, which was filed on March 31, 2006 with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Retractable Technologies, Inc. manufactures and markets VanishPoint® automated retraction safety syringes and blood collection devices, which virtually eliminate health care worker exposure to accidental needlestick injuries. These revolutionary devices use a patented friction ring mechanism that causes the contaminated needle to retract automatically from the patient into the barrel of the device, a feature that is designed to prevent reuse. VanishPoint® safety needle devices are distributed by various specialty and general line distributors. For more information on Retractable, visit our Web site at www.vanishpoint.com.
Forward-looking statements in this press release are made pursuant to the safe harbor provision of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and reflect the Company’s current views with respect to future events. The Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are accurate. However, the Company cannot assure you that such expectations will materialize. The Company’s actual future performance could differ materially from such statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited t the impact of dramatic increases in demand; the Company’s ability to quickly increase its capacity in the event of a dramatic increase in demand; the Company’s ability to access the market; the Company’s ability to reduce production costs; the Company’s ability to continue to finance research and development as well as operations and expansion of production; the recently increased interest of larger market players, specifically BD, in providing safety needle devices to their customers; and other risks and uncertainties that are detailed from time to time in the Company’s periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.