CIENA Reports First Quarter Results

Linthicum, MD — 02/20/2003

Ciena® Corporation (NASDAQ: CIEN), a leading provider of intelligent optical networking systems and software, today reported its first quarter results for the period ending January 31, 2003. Revenue for the quarter totaled $70.5 million, representing sequential growth of 14% from the prior fiscal quarter. On a generally accepted accounting principle (GAAP) basis, Ciena’s reported net loss for the period was $107.1 million, or a net loss of $0.25 per share.

The quarter’s results include non-cash deferred stock compensation charges of $4.9 million, amortization of intangible assets of $3.6 million, a charge for settlement of litigation with Nortel Networks of $2.5 million, and a $20.6 million non-cash loss related to the repurchase and early extinguishment of $154.7 million of the outstanding 5% convertible subordinated notes due in 2005 (assumed in the purchase of ONI Systems).

“ We continue to make solid progress toward profitability,” said Gary Smith, Ciena’s president and CEO. “For the second sequential quarter, we grew our revenue, improved gross margins and delivered lower than anticipated ongoing operating expenses.”

In evaluating the operating performance of its business, Ciena’s management excludes certain charges or credits that are required by GAAP. These items, which are identified in the table below, share one or more of the following characteristics: they are unusual and Ciena does not expect them to recur in the ordinary course of its business; they do not involve the expenditure of cash; they are unrelated to the ongoing operation of the business in the ordinary course; or their magnitude and timing is largely outside of the Company’s control.

 

 

 

Quarter Ended

 

 

 

 

 

 

January 31, 2003

 

Per Share

 

 

Item

 

(in thousands)

 

Effect

 

 

Deferred stock compensation

 

 $                4,931

 

$           0.01

 

 

Amortization of intangible assets

 

                   3,554

 

             0.01

 

 

Nortel litigation

 

                   2,500

 

             0.01

 

 

Loss on equity investments

 

                        10

 

                 -

 

 

Loss on extinguishment of debt

 

                 20,606

 

             0.05

 

 

Income tax benefit on adjusted net loss

 

                 26,673

 

             0.06

 

 

 

 

 $              58,274

 

$           0.14

 

*Please see appendix A for additional information about this table.

These adjustments are not in accordance with GAAP and making such adjustments may not permit meaningful comparisons to other companies. As of the quarter ended January 31, 2003, Ciena’s weighted average shares outstanding were approximately 432,572,000. The total per share effect of the items identified in the table above on Ciena’s GAAP reported net loss was $0.14. Adjusting Ciena’s quarterly GAAP results by this per share effect would reduce the Company’s net loss in the quarter to $0.11 per share.

In addition to the adjustments in the table above, during the quarter the Company recorded a $2.7 million inventory reserve benefit, resulting from the sale of previously reserved inventory, which favorably affected gross margin in the quarter. Exclusive of this effect, gross margin in the quarter would have been 19.3% compared to the 23.1% reported. The total per share effect of the benefit was $0.0041.

During the quarter, Ciena completed a tender offer using $139.2 million in cash to repurchase notes of $154.7 million in aggregate principal amount at maturity. Ciena estimates it saved approximately $15.5 million in future principal payments as a result of this repurchase, as well as additional interest payments.

Ciena ended its fiscal first quarter with cash, short- and long-term securities valued at $1.9 billion. Cash use of $43 million in the first quarter, exclusive of cash used for debt repurchase, was significantly lower than expected as a result of lower than anticipated working capital needs and due to the earlier than anticipated receipt of a $17 million tax refund.

Business Outlook

“ We continue to see activity that leads us to believe traditional service providers worldwide are beginning to understand the absolute necessity of evolving to data-friendly, next-generation networks,” said Smith. “Many also are beginning to comprehend the compelling economic and operational advantages Ciena offers compared to solutions that require wholesale network rebuilds or overbuilds.”

Concluded Smith, “We believe revenue in our second quarter could be in a range of between flat and up slightly from our first quarter revenues, depending on order timing.”

Live Web Broadcast of Q1 Results

Ciena will host a discussion of its fiscal first quarter 2003 results with investors and financial analysts on Thursday, February 20, 2003 at 8:30 a.m. (Eastern). The live broadcast of the discussion will be available via Ciena’s homepage at www.Ciena.com. An archived version of the discussion will be available shortly following the conclusion of the live broadcast on the Investor Relations page of Ciena’s website at: www.Ciena.com/investors.


About Ciena

Ciena Corporation’s market-leading optical networking systems form the core for the new era of networks and services worldwide. Ciena’s LightWorks™ architecture enables next-generation optical services and changes the fundamental economics of service-provider networks by simplifying the network and reducing operating costs. Additional information about Ciena can be found at http://www.ciena.com
Note to Investors

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements based on current expectations, forecasts and assumptions of Ciena (the Company) that involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements in this release, including we continue to make solid progress toward profitability, we continue to see activity that leads us to believe traditional service providers worldwide are beginning to understand the absolute necessity of evolving to data-friendly, next-generation networks, many also are beginning to comprehend the compelling economic and operational advantages Ciena offers compared to solutions that require wholesale network rebuilds or overbuilds, and we believe revenue in our second quarter could be in a range of between flat and up slightly from our first quarter revenues, depending on order timing, are based on information available to the Company as of the date hereof. The Company’s actual results could differ materially from those stated or implied in such forward-looking statements, due to risks and uncertainties associated with the Company’s business, which include the risk factors disclosed in the Company’s Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 20, 2003. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding the Company’s expectations, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future and can be identified by forward-looking words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “should,” “will,” and “would” or similar words. The Company assumes no obligation to update the information included in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

                          Ciena CORPORATION
                     CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
                  (in thousands, except share data)

                                              October 31, January 31,
                                              ----------- -----------
                                                 2002        2003
                                              ----------- -----------
                    ASSETS
Current assets:
   Cash and cash equivalents                    $377,189    $305,053
   Short-term investments                      1,130,414     983,458
   Accounts receivable, net                       28,680      23,485
   Inventories, net                               47,023      40,024
   Prepaid expenses and other                     54,351      43,332
                                              ----------- -----------
           Total current assets                1,637,657   1,395,352
Long-term investments                            570,861     607,464
Equipment, furniture and fixtures, net           196,951     177,224
Goodwill                                         212,500     212,500
Other intangible assets, net                      62,457      81,022
Other long-term assets                            70,596      69,504
                                              ----------- -----------
    Total assets                              $2,751,022  $2,543,066
                                              =========== ===========

     LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY

Current liabilities:
   Accounts payable                              $39,841     $42,368
   Accrued liabilities                           132,588     145,596
   Restructuring liabilities                      27,423      20,753
   Unfavorable lease commitments                   7,630       7,973
   Income taxes payable                                -       3,479
   Deferred revenue                               15,388      20,307
   Other current obligations                         948           -
                                              ----------- -----------
           Total current liabilities             223,818     240,476
   Long-term deferred revenue                     15,444      14,512
   Long-term restructuring liabilities            65,742      60,101
   Long-term unfavorable lease commitments        70,124      68,027
   Other long-term obligations                     5,009       5,223
   Convertible notes payable                     843,616     727,532
                                              ----------- -----------
           Total liabilities                   1,223,753   1,115,871
                                              ----------- -----------
Commitments and contingencies
Stockholders' equity:
   Preferred stock - par value $0.01;
    20,000,000 shares authorized; zero shares
    issued and outstanding                             -           -
   Common stock - par value $0.01;
    980,000,000 shares authorized;
    432,842,481 and 433,455,009 shares issued
     and outstanding                               4,328       4,335
   Additional paid-in capital                  4,658,882   4,664,350
   Notes receivable from stockholders             (3,866)     (2,656)
   Accumulated other comprehensive income          8,840       9,223
   Accumulated deficit                        (3,140,915) (3,248,057)
                                              ----------- -----------
                                               1,527,269   1,427,195
                                              ----------- -----------
   Total liabilities and stockholders' equity $2,751,022  $2,543,066
                                              =========== ===========



                           Ciena CORPORATION
                 CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
                 (in thousands, except per share data)
                              (unaudited)


                                                     Quarter ended
                                                       January 31,
                                                  --------------------
                                                    2002      2003
                                                  --------- ----------
Revenue                                           $162,156    $70,474
Provision (benefit) for excess and obsolete
 inventory costs                                    20,414     (2,657)
Cost of goods sold                                 119,273     56,866
                                                  --------- ----------
 Gross profit                                       22,469     16,265
                                                  --------- ----------
Operating expenses:
 Research and development (exclusive of $3,951
  and $3,798 deferred stock
   compensation)                                    64,756     53,734
 Selling and marketing (exclusive of $956 and
  $759 deferred stock
compensation)                                       37,600     26,605
 General and administrative (exclusive of $227
  and $374 deferred stock
compensation)                                       13,655     12,206
 Deferred stock compensation costs                   5,134      4,931
 Amortization of intangible assets (exclusive of
  $0 and $381 included in costs of
goods sold related to certain technology
 licenses)                                           1,813      3,554
 Nortel settlement costs                                 -      2,500
 Restructuring costs                                 6,828          -
                                                  --------- ----------
 Total operating expenses                          129,786    103,530
                                                  --------- ----------
 Loss from operations                             (107,317)   (87,265)
 Interest and other income (expense), net           16,172     13,301
 Interest expense                                  (10,505)   (12,203)
 Loss on equity investments, net                    (5,306)       (10)
 Loss on extinguishment of debt                          -    (20,606)
                                                  --------- ----------
 Loss before income taxes                         (106,956)  (106,783)
 Provision (benefit) for income taxes              (36,365)       359
                                                  --------- ----------
 Net loss                                         $(70,591) $(107,142)
                                                  ========= ==========
 Basic net loss per common share                    $(0.22)    $(0.25)
                                                  ========= ==========
 Diluted net loss per common share and dilutive
  potential common share                            $(0.22)    $(0.25)
                                                  ========= ==========
 Weighted average basic common shares outstanding  327,620    432,572
                                                  ========= ==========
 Weighted average basic common and dilutive
  potential common shares
outstanding                                        327,620    432,572
                                                  ========= ==========

Appendix A

The adjustments management makes in analyzing Ciena’s first quarter 2003 GAAP results are as follows:

  • Deferred stock compensation costs – a non-cash expense largely unrelated to normal operations, and which arises under GAAP accounting from the assumption of unvested stock options issued by any companies we acquire, including Cyras and ONI.
  • Amortization of intangible asset – a non-cash expense unrelated to normal operations arising from acquisitions of intangible assets, principally developed technology acquired in the Cyras and ONI acquisitions which Ciena is required to amortize over its expected useful life.
  • Nortel litigation – a non-recurring expense, unrelated to normal operations.
  • Loss on equity investments – a decline in the fair market value of an equity investment that is determined to be other-than-temporary.
  • Loss on debt extinguishment – a non-recurring expense, unrelated to normal operations.
  • Income tax effect – the income tax charge or benefit on the adjusted net loss, which is a necessary adjustment for consistency.
Press Contacts:
Nicole Anderson
Ciena Corporation
(877) 857 -7377
pr@ciena.com
Investor Contacts:
Marie Downing
Ciena Corporation
(888) 243-6223
ir@ciena.com