- Revenue of $12 billion, up 18% from year-ago quarter
- Operating earnings of $1.2 billion, up 20.2% from year-ago quarter
- Diluted EPS of $3.26, up 20.7% from year-ago quarter
- Operating margin of 9.7%, a 20-basis-point expansion from year-ago quarter
RESTON, Va. – General Dynamics (NYSE: GD) today reported second-quarter 2024 revenue of $12 billion, up 18% from the second quarter of 2023. Operating earnings of $1.2 billion were up 20.2% from the year-ago quarter. Diluted earnings per share (EPS) were $3.26, up 20.7% from the year-ago quarter. Operating margin for the quarter was 9.7%, a 20-basis point expansion from the year-ago quarter, with particular strength in the Technologies and Combat Systems segments.
“This was a strong quarter overall, as reflected by solid growth in all key measures from a year ago. Our businesses continue to focus on disciplined execution of their programs, cost and schedule,” said Phebe N. Novakovic, chairman and chief executive officer. “In the Aerospace segment, we are continuing to ramp up the pace of our G700 deliveries and our defense businesses continued to grow, reflecting increased demand in response to the threat environment.”
Gulfstream delivered 37 aircraft in the quarter, 31 of which were large-cabin aircraft. This compares with 24 aircraft delivered in the year-ago quarter, of which 18 were large-cabin.
Cash and Capital Deployment
Net cash provided by operating activities in the quarter was $814 million, or 90% of net earnings. During the quarter, the company paid $389 million in dividends, invested $201 million in capital expenditures, and used $34 million to repurchase shares, ending the quarter with $1.4 billion in cash and equivalents on hand.
Orders and Backlog
The consolidated book-to-bill ratio, defined as orders divided by revenue, was 0.8-to-1 for the quarter. Company-wide backlog was $91.3 billion. Estimated potential contract value, representing management’s estimate of additional value in unfunded indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contracts and unexercised options, was $38.5 billion. Total estimated contract value, the sum of all backlog components, was $129.8 billion.
In the Aerospace segment, orders in the quarter totaled $2.7 billion. Aerospace backlog of $20 billion is 2.8% above the year-ago quarter.
In the defense segments, orders in the quarter totaled $7.4 billion, with particular strength in Combat Systems, which had a book-to-bill ratio of 1.5-to-1. Significant awards in the defense segments included two contracts from the Canadian government, with options having combined maximum potential value of $1.9 billion shared with an industry partner, for the Logistics Vehicle Modernization (LVM) program; $205 million, with options having a maximum potential value of $1.1 billion, for planning yard services for the Arleigh Burke-class (DDG-51) guided-missile destroyer program; a $25 million contract from the U.S. Army, with maximum potential value of $535 million, for systems technical support of the Stryker vehicle fleet; $205 million, with options having a maximum potential value of $525 million, from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services to operate its Medicaid Management Information System; various munitions and ordnance contracts with maximum potential value totaling $460 million if all options are exercised; and several key contracts for classified customers with maximum potential value of $665 million. A detailed list of significant awards is provided in Exhibit I.
About General Dynamics
Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, General Dynamics is a global aerospace and defense company that offers a broad portfolio of products and services in business aviation; ship construction and repair; land combat vehicles, weapons systems and munitions; and technology products and services. General Dynamics employs more than 100,000 people worldwide and generated $42.3 billion in revenue in 2023. More information is available at www.gd.com.
WEBCAST INFORMATION: General Dynamics will webcast its second-quarter 2024 financial results conference call at 9 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. The webcast will be a listen-only audio event available at www.gd.com. An on-demand replay of the webcast will be available by telephone two hours after the end of the call through July 31, 2024, at 800-770-2030 (international: +1 609-800-9909), conference ID 4299949. Charts furnished to investors and securities analysts in connection with General Dynamics’ announcement of its financial results are available at www.gd.com.
This press release contains forward-looking statements (FLS), including statements about the company’s future operational and financial performance, which are based on management’s expectations, estimates, projections and assumptions. Words such as “expects,” “anticipates,” “plans,” “believes,” “forecasts,” “scheduled,” “outlook,” “estimates,” “should” and variations of these words and similar expressions are intended to identify FLS. In making FLS, we rely on assumptions and analyses based on our experience and perception of historical trends; current conditions and expected future developments; and other factors, estimates and judgments we consider reasonable and appropriate based on information available to us at the time. FLS are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. FLS are not guarantees of future performance and involve factors, risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. Actual future results and trends may differ materially from what is forecast in the FLS. All FLS speak only as of the date they were made. We do not undertake any obligation to update or publicly release revisions to FLS to reflect events, circumstances or changes in expectations after the date of this press release. Additional information regarding these factors is contained in the company’s filings with the SEC, and these factors may be revised or supplemented in future SEC filings. In addition, this press release contains some financial measures not prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). While we believe these non-GAAP metrics provide useful information for investors, there are limitations associated with their use, and our calculations of these metrics may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies. Non-GAAP metrics should not be considered in isolation from, or as a substitute for, GAAP measures. Reconciliations to comparable GAAP measures and other information relating to our non-GAAP measures are included in other filings with the SEC, which are available at investorrelations.gd.com.