Lockheed Martin Reports Third Quarter 2020 Results

- Net sales of $16.5 billion

- Net earnings from continuing operations of $1.8 billion, or $6.25 per share

- Generated cash from operations of $1.9 billion

- Achieved record backlog of $150.4 billion

- Increased quarterly dividend rate to $2.60 per share

- Updates 2020 financial outlook and provides 2021 financial trends

Lockheed Martin Corporation [NYSE: LMT] today reported third quarter 2020 net sales of $16.5 billion, compared to $15.2 billion in the third quarter of 2019. Net earnings from continuing operations in the third quarter of 2020 were $1.8 billion, or $6.25 per share, compared to $1.6 billion, or $5.66 per share, in the third quarter of 2019. Cash from operations in the third quarter of 2020 was $1.9 billion, compared to cash from operations of $2.5 billion in the third quarter of 2019.

"In the third quarter, our dedicated workforce and resilient supply chain continued to support our customers' vital national security missions, overcoming the challenges of the pandemic," said James Taiclet, Lockheed Martin president and CEO. "As a result, we delivered strong results across our key financial metrics and we expect to build on this success through the remainder of the year. Looking ahead to 2021, we remain focused on driving innovation and growing our assets and capabilities to further benefit our customers and shareholders."

Summary Financial Results

The following table presents the corporation's summary financial results.

2020 Financial Outlook

The following table and other sections of this news release contain forward-looking statements, which are based on the corporation's current expectations. Actual results may differ materially from those projected. It is the corporation's practice not to incorporate adjustments into its financial outlook for proposed acquisitions, divestitures, ventures, changes in law, or new accounting standards until such items have been consummated, enacted or adopted. For additional factors that may impact the corporation's actual results, refer to the "Forward-Looking Statements" section in this news release. 

2021 Financial Trends

The corporation expects its 2021 net sales to increase to greater than or equal to $67 billion. Total business segment operating margin in 2021 is expected to be in the 10.9 percent to 11.1 percent range and cash from operations is expected to be greater than or equal to $8.1 billion, net of $1.0 billion of planned pension contributions. The preliminary outlook for 2021 assumes continued support and funding of our programs, including recovery of COVID-19 cost impacts, and a statutory tax rate of 21%. Additionally, the preliminary outlook for 2021 assumes that there will not be significant reductions in customer budgets, changes in funding priorities and that the U.S. Government will not continue to operate under a continuing resolution for an extended period in which new contract and program starts are restricted. Changes in circumstances may require the corporation to revise its assumptions, which could materially change its current estimate of 2021 net sales, operating margin and cash flows.

The corporation currently expects a total net FAS/CAS pension benefit of approximately $2.1 billion in 2021. This estimate assumes a 2.50 percent discount rate (a 75 basis point decrease from the end of 2019), a 7.00 percent return on plan assets in 2020, and a 7.00 percent expected long-term rate of return on plan assets in future years, among other assumptions. A change of plus or minus 25 basis points to the assumed discount rate, with all other assumptions held constant, would result in an incremental increase or decrease of approximately $15 million to the estimated net 2021 FAS/CAS pension benefit. A change of plus or minus 100 basis points to the return on plan assets in 2020 only, with all other assumptions held constant, would result in an incremental increase or decrease of approximately $15 million to the estimated net 2021 FAS/CAS pension benefit. The corporation expects to make contributions of approximately $1.0 billion to its qualified defined benefit pension plans in 2021 and anticipates recovering approximately $2.1 billion of CAS pension cost. The corporation will complete the annual remeasurement of its postretirement benefit plans and update its estimated 2021 FAS/CAS pension adjustment on Dec. 31, 2020. The final assumptions and actual investment return for 2020 may differ materially from those discussed above.

COVID-19

The global outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization and a national emergency by the U.S. Government in March 2020 and has negatively affected the U.S. and global economies, disrupted global supply chains, resulted in significant travel and transport restrictions, including mandated closures and orders to "shelter-in-place" and quarantine restrictions, and created significant disruption of the financial markets. Lockheed Martin has taken measures to protect the health and safety of its employees, work with its customers and suppliers to minimize disruptions and support its community in addressing the challenges posed by this ongoing global pandemic. The pandemic has presented unprecedented business challenges, and the corporation has experienced impacts in each business area related to COVID-19, primarily in increased coronavirus-related costs, delays in supplier deliveries, impacts of travel restrictions, site access and quarantine requirements, and the impacts of remote work and adjusted work schedules. Despite these challenges, the corporation and the U.S. Government's pro-active efforts, especially with regard to the supply chain, helped to partially mitigate the disruptions caused by COVID-19 on the corporation's operations in the first nine months of 2020. In addition, favorable contract award timing, strong operational performance and lower travel and overhead expenditures due to COVID-19 restrictions partially offset the impacts of COVID-19 on the corporation's financial results in the first nine months of 2020. However, the ultimate impact of COVID-19 in future periods remains uncertain. The corporation's 2020 outlook and 2021 financial trends assumes, among other things, that its production facilities continue to operate and it does not experience significant work stoppages or closures, it is able to mitigate any supply chain disruptions and these do not worsen, and it is able to recover its costs under U.S. Government contracts and government funding priorities do not change. While these are the corporation's current assumptions, they could change and will depend on future pandemic related developments, including the duration of the pandemic and any potential subsequent waves of COVID-19 infection and government actions.

Cash Activities

The corporation's cash activities in the third quarter of 2020 included the following:

• paying cash dividends of $672 million, compared to $621 million in the third quarter of 2019;
• repurchasing 0.2 million shares for $85 million, which includes $26 million paid for shares repurchased in the second quarter of 2020; compared to repurchasing 0.6 million shares for $210 million in the third quarter of 2019; and
• making capital expenditures of $408 million, compared to $308 million in the third quarter of 2019.

As previously reported on Sept. 25, 2020, the corporation increased its quarterly dividend by $0.20 per share, to $2.60 per share, beginning with the dividend payment in the fourth quarter of 2020. The corporation also increased its share repurchase authority by $1.3 billion with $3.0 billion in total remaining authorization for future repurchases of common stock under the program as of Sept. 27, 2020.

Segment Results

The corporation operates in four business segments organized based on the nature of products and services offered: Aeronautics, Missiles and Fire Control (MFC), Rotary and Mission Systems (RMS) and Space. The following table presents summary operating results of the corporation's business segments and reconciles these amounts to the corporation's consolidated financial results.

Net sales and operating profit of the corporation's business segments exclude intersegment sales, cost of sales, and profit as these activities are eliminated in consolidation. Operating profit of the corporation's business segments includes the corporation's share of earnings or losses from equity method investees as the operating activities of the investees are closely aligned with the operations of its business segments.

Operating profit of the corporation's business segments also excludes the FAS/CAS operating adjustment described below, a portion of corporate costs not considered allowable or allocable to contracts with the U.S. Government under the applicable U.S. Government cost accounting standards (CAS) or federal acquisition regulations (FAR), and other items not considered part of management's evaluation of segment operating performance such as a portion of management and administration costs, legal fees and settlements, environmental costs, stock-based compensation expense, retiree benefits, significant severance actions, significant asset impairments, gains or losses from significant divestitures, and other miscellaneous corporate activities.

The corporation recovers CAS pension cost through the pricing of its products and services on U.S. Government contracts and, therefore, recognizes CAS pension cost in each of its business segments' net sales and cost of sales. The corporation's consolidated financial statements must present pension and other postretirement benefit plan expense calculated in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (referred to as FAS expense). The operating portion of the net FAS/CAS pension adjustment represents the difference between the service cost component of FAS pension expense and total CAS pension cost. The non-service FAS pension expense components are included in other non-operating expense. The net FAS/CAS pension adjustment increases or decreases CAS pension cost to equal total FAS pension expense (both service and non-service).

Changes in net sales and operating profit generally are expressed in terms of volume. Changes in volume refer to increases or decreases in sales or operating profit resulting from varying production activity levels, deliveries or service levels on individual contracts. Volume changes in segment operating profit are typically based on the current profit booking rate for a particular contract. In addition, comparability of the corporation's segment sales, operating profit and operating margin may be impacted favorably or unfavorably by changes in profit booking rates on the corporation's contracts for which it recognizes revenue over time using the percentage-of-completion cost-to-cost method to measure progress towards completion. Increases in profit booking rates, typically referred to as risk retirements, usually relate to revisions in the estimated total costs to fulfill the performance obligations that reflect improved conditions on a particular contract. Conversely, conditions on a particular contract may deteriorate, resulting in an increase in the estimated total costs to fulfill the performance obligations and a reduction in the profit booking rate. Increases or decreases in profit booking rates are recognized in the current period and reflect the inception-to-date effect of such changes.

Segment operating profit and margin may also be impacted favorably or unfavorably by other items, which may or may not impact sales. Favorable items may include the positive resolution of contractual matters, insurance recoveries and gains on sales of assets. Unfavorable items may include the adverse resolution of contractual matters; restructuring charges, except for significant severance actions which are excluded from segment operating results; reserves for disputes; certain asset impairments; and losses on sales of certain assets. 

The corporation's consolidated net adjustments not related to volume, including net profit booking rate adjustments, represented approximately 24 percent of total segment operating profit in the third quarter of 2020 as compared to 29 percent in the third quarter of 2019.

Aeronautics 

Aeronautics' net sales in the third quarter of 2020 increased $502 million, or 8 percent, compared to the same period in 2019. The increase was primarily attributable to higher net sales of approximately $325 million for the F-35 program due to increased volume on development, sustainment, and production contracts; and about $130 million for higher volume on classified development contracts.

Aeronautics' operating profit in the third quarter of 2020 increased $40 million, or 6 percent, compared to the same period in 2019. Operating profit increased approximately $65 million for the F-35 program due to higher volume on production, development, and sustainment contracts and higher risk retirements on production contracts. This increase was partially offset by a decrease of approximately $20 million for the F-16 program due to lower risk retirements on sustainment contracts. Adjustments not related to volume, including net profit booking rate adjustments, in the third quarter of 2020 were comparable to the same period in 2019.

Missiles and Fire Control

MFC's net sales in the third quarter of 2020 increased $370 million, or 14 percent, compared to the same period in 2019. The increase was primarily attributable to higher net sales of approximately $250 million for tactical and strike missile programs due to increased volume (primarily Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (GMLRS) and High-Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS)); and about $200 million for integrated air and missile defense programs due to increased volume (primarily Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD)). These increases were partially offset by lower net sales of approximately $60 million for sensors and global sustainment programs due to lower volume on the Apache sensors program; and about $35 million due to the divestiture of the Distributed Energy Solutions business in November 2019. 

MFC's operating profit in the third quarter of 2020 increased $56 million, or 16 percent, compared to the same period in 2019. Operating profit increased approximately $50 million for integrated air and missile defense programs due to increased volume and higher risk retirements on international contracts (primarily PAC-3); and about $45 million for tactical and strike missile programs due to higher volume (primarily GMLRS and HIMARS) and