HAUPPAUGE, N.Y., Dec. 16, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Forward Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ:FORD), a single source solution provider for the full spectrum of hardware and software product design and engineering services as well as a designer and distributer of carry and protective solutions, today announced financial results for the year ended September 30, 2023.
Full Fiscal Year 2023 Financial Highlights
- Revenues were $39.0 million, an increase of 13.0% from $34.5 million from 2020.
- Gross margin improved to 20.8% compared to 19.3% in 2020.
- Loss from operations was $0.8 million compared to $2.0 million in 2020.
- Net income was $0.5 million (which included a $1.4 million gain as a result of the forgiveness of a PPP loan) compared to a net loss of $1.8 million in 2020.
- Basic and diluted earnings/(loss) per share was $0.05 compared to $(0.19) in 2020.
- Cash totaled $1.4 million at September 30, 2023.
Terry Wise, Chief Executive Officer of Forward Industries, stated, “I am pleased to end the fiscal year profitably in terms of net income despite ongoing challenging market conditions. Following the successful integration of Kablooe, our design division continued to demonstrate solid financial performance, with a strong pipeline of projects. In line with our strategy, we invested in our retail division which continues to grow substantially. Finally, within the OEM distribution division, we continued to focus on diversifying our products away from the declining diabetic sector.
“Building upon this progress, I look to the forthcoming fiscal year with an extremely encouraging outlook and remain cautiously optimistic.”
The tables below are derived from the Company’s consolidated financial statements included in its Form 10-K filed on December 16, 2023 with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Please refer to the Form 10-K for complete financial statements and further information regarding the Company’s results of operations and financial condition relating to the fiscal years ended September 30, 2023 and 2020. Please also refer to the Form 10-K for a discussion of risk factors applicable to the Company and its business.
Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains certain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 including statements regarding our pipeline of work and projects, and substantial growth in our retail business. Forward has tried to identify these forward-looking statements by using words such as “may”, “should,” “expect,” “hope,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “intend,” “plan,” “estimate” and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are based on information currently available to the Company and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause its actual results, performance, prospects or opportunities to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements. These risks include the inability to expand our customer base, pricing pressures, lack of success of our sales people, failure to develop products at a profit, failure to commercialize products that we develop, continued supply chain issues, inability of our design division’s customers to pay for our services, unanticipated issues with our affiliated sourcing agent, issues at Chinese factories that we source our products as a result of the pandemic or otherwise, and failure to obtain acceptance of our products by big box retail stores. No assurance can be given that the actual results will be consistent with the forward-looking statements. Investors should read carefully the factors described in the “Risk Factors” section of the Company’s filings with the SEC, including the Company’s Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2023 for information regarding risk factors that could affect the Company’s results. Except as otherwise required by Federal securities laws, Forward undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, changed circumstances or any other reason.
About Forward Industries
Forward is a fully integrated design, development and manufacturing solution provider to top tier medical and technology customers worldwide. Through its acquisition of Intelligent Product Solutions, Inc. and Kablooe Design, Inc., the Company has expanded its ability to design and develop solutions for its existing multinational client base and expand beyond the diabetic product line into a variety of industries with a full spectrum of hardware and software product design and engineering services. In addition to our existing design and distribution of carry and protective solutions, primarily for handheld electronic devices, we are now a one-stop shop for design development and manufacturing solutions serving a wide range of clients in the industrial, commercial, medical and consumer industries.
For more information, contact:
Anthony Camarda, CFO, Forward Industries, Inc.
(631) 547-3041, [email protected]
| FORWARD INDUSTRIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES | ||||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS | ||||||||||
| September 30 | ||||||||||
| 2021 | 2020 | |||||||||
| Assets | ||||||||||
| Current assets: | ||||||||||
| Cash | $ | 1,410,365 | $ | 2,924,627 | ||||||
| Accounts receivable, net | 8,760,715 | 7,602,316 | ||||||||
| Inventories, net | 2,062,557 | 1,275,694 | ||||||||
| Prepaid expenses and other current assets | 561,072 | 419,472 | ||||||||
| Total current assets | 12,794,709 | 12,222,109 | ||||||||
| Property and equipment, net | 167,997 | 215,323 | ||||||||
| Intangible assets, net | 1,318,658 | 1,531,415 | ||||||||
| Goodwill | 1,758,682 | 1,758,682 | ||||||||
| Operating lease right of use assets, net | 3,743,242 | 3,512,042 | ||||||||
| Other assets | 72,251 | 116,697 | ||||||||
| Total assets | $ | 19,855,539 | $ | 19,356,268 | ||||||
| Liabilities and shareholders’ equity | ||||||||||
| Current liabilities: | ||||||||||
| Line of credit | $ | – | $ | 1,000,000 | ||||||
| Note payable to Forward China | – | 1,600,000 | ||||||||
| Accounts payable | 391,992 | 197,022 | ||||||||
| Due to Forward China | 5,733,708 | 3,622,401 | ||||||||
| Deferred income | 187,695 | 485,078 | ||||||||
| Current portion of notes payable | – | 983,395 | ||||||||
| Current portion of finance lease liability | 1,523 | 18,411 | ||||||||
| Current portion of earnout consideration | 25,000 | 45,000 | ||||||||
| Current portion of operating lease liability | 340,151 | 259,658 | ||||||||
| Accrued expenses and other current liabilities | 527,974 | 615,401 | ||||||||
| Total current liabilities | 7,208,043 | 8,826,366 | ||||||||
| Other liabilities: | ||||||||||
| Note payable to Forward China | 1,600,000 | – | ||||||||
| Notes payable, less current portion | – | 529,973 | ||||||||
| Operating lease liability, less current portion | 3,559,053 | 3,359,088 | ||||||||
| Finance lease liability, less current portion | – | 12,769 | ||||||||
| Earnout consideration, less current portion | 45,000 | 45,000 | ||||||||
| Total other liabilities | 5,204,053 | 3,946,830 | ||||||||
| Total liabilities | 12,412,096 | 12,773,196 | ||||||||
| Commitments and contingencies | ||||||||||
| Shareholders’ equity: | ||||||||||
| Common stock, par value $0.01 per share; 40,000,000 shares authorized; | ||||||||||
| 10,061,185 and 9,883,851 shares issued and outstanding at September 30, 2023 | ||||||||||
| and 2020, respectively | 100,612 | 98,838 | ||||||||
| Additional paid-in capital | 19,914,476 | 19,579,684 | ||||||||
| Accumulated deficit | (12,571,645 | ) | (13,095,450 | ) | ||||||
| Total shareholders’ equity | 7,443,443 | 6,583,072 | ||||||||
| Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity | $ | 19,855,539 | $ | 19,356,268 | ||||||
| FORWARD INDUSTRIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES | |||||||
| CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS | |||||||
| For the Fiscal Years Ended September 30, | |||||||
| 2021 | 2020 | ||||||
| Revenues, net | $ | 39,021,996 | $ | 34,478,358 | |||
| Cost of sales | 30,887,577 | 27,839,851 | |||||
| Gross profit | 8,134,419 | 6,638,507 | |||||
| Sales and marketing expenses | 2,503,518 | 1,950,704 | |||||
| General and administrative expenses | 6,395,900 | 5,655,186 | |||||
| Goodwill impairment | – | 1,015,000 | |||||
| Loss from operations | (764,999 | ) | (1,982,383 | ) | |||
| Gain on forgiveness of note payable | (1,356,570 | ) | – | ||||
| Fair value adjustment of earnout consideration | (20,000 | ) | (350,000 | ) | |||
| Fair value adjustment of deferred cash consideration | – | 16,000 | |||||
| Interest income | (88,760 | ) | (60,932 | ) | |||
| Interest expense | 171,957 | 174,962 | |||||
| Other expense, net | 4,569 | 3,701 | |||||
| Income/(loss) before income taxes | 523,805 | (1,766,114 | ) | ||||
| Provision for income taxes | – | 9,167 | |||||
| Net income/(loss) | $ | 523,805 | $ | (1,775,281 | ) | ||
| Earnings/(loss) per share: | |||||||
| Basic | $ | 0.05 | $ | (0.19 | ) | ||
| Diluted | $ | 0.05 | $ | (0.19 | ) | ||
| Weighted average common shares outstanding: | |||||||
| Basic | 9,950,094 | 9,583,441 | |||||
| Diluted | 10,443,018 | 9,583,441 | |||||
