LOUISVILLE, Ky — Sypris Solutions Inc. today reported a $1.1 million loss for the fourth quarter of 2023 and $1.6 million for the year but sharply higher revenue in its financial results for the year ended Dec. 31, 2023.
“We continued to expand across all segments of our business during the fourth quarter. Material shortages and the disruptions associated with new program launches are abating, and our focus is clearly on meeting the growing demand of our customers,” commented Jeffrey T. Gill, President and Chief Executive Officer.
“The backlog in excess of $110 million for Sypris Electronics is expected to support revenue growth through 2024 and beyond. Customer funding has already been secured for a portion of these key programs, which enables us to procure inventory under multi-year purchase orders to mitigate future supply chain issues.
“Overall demand from customers serving the automotive, commercial vehicle, sport utility and off-highway markets has remained solid. We continue to invest in new equipment, maintain or upgrade existing assets, and drive continuous improvement initiatives to add capacity and support more cost-efficient operations in the future.
“Orders for our energy products remain positive, with open quotes outstanding on several large projects. Additional opportunities for growth may exist with new projects globally in support of increasing LNG demand. We are also actively pursuing applications for our products in adjacent markets to further diversify our industry and customer portfolios.”
Fourth Quarter and Full-Year Results
The company reported revenue of $34.7 million for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2023, compared to $29.7 million for the prior-year comparable period. The company incurred a net loss of $1.1 million, or $0.05 per diluted share, compared to net income of $0.1 million, or $0.01 per diluted share, for the prior-year period.
For the full-year 2023, the Sypris reported revenue of $136.2 million compared with $110.1 million for the prior year. The company reported a net loss of $1.6 million, or $0.07 per share, for 2023 compared with a net loss of $2.5 million, or $0.11 per diluted share, for the prior year.
Sypris Technologies
Revenue for Sypris Technologies increased to $19.0 million in the fourth quarter of 2023, compared to $17.2 million for the prior-year period, due to steel price increase pass-throughs. Gross profit for the fourth quarter of 2023 was $3.1 million, or 16.3% of revenue, compared to $2.2 million, or 12.9% of revenue, for the same period in 2022. Gross profit for the fourth quarter of 2023 was favorably impacted by a customer payment for negative material surcharges and foreign exchange impacts on its contract with Sypris Technologies, offset by production inefficiencies driven by volatile customer demand schedules.
Sypris Electronics
Revenue for Sypris Electronics increased to $15.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2023 compared to $12.5 million for the prior-year period. Gross profit for the fourth quarter of 2023 was $1.3 million, or 8.1% of revenue, compared to $2.4 million, or 18.9% of revenue, for the same period in 2022. Gross profit and gross margin for 2023 were negatively impacted by ramp-up costs on two major programs.
Outlook
Commenting on the future, Mr. Gill added, “While challenging supply chain conditions and new program launches impacted our 2023 results, demand from customers serving the automotive, commercial vehicle and sport utility markets remains positive. Similarly, demand from customers in the defense and communications sector continues to be robust, while the outlook for the energy market continues to move in the right direction.
“Our healthy backlog, new program wins, and long-term contract extensions are expected to support continued revenue and earnings growth during 2024. We now expect revenue to increase 10-15% year-over-year as a result of the combined strength of our backlog for Sypris Electronics and increasing orders for our energy products. We also continue to expect to achieve gross margin expansion in the range of 150 to 175 basis points with gross profit forecast to increase 20-25% in 2024.”
About Sypris Solutions
Sypris Solutions is a diversified manufacturing and engineering services company serving the defense, transportation, communications, and energy industries. For more information about Sypris Solutions, visit its Web site at www.sypris.com.
