ITEM 2. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
COVID-19 TRENDS AND UNCERTAINTIES
The COVID-19 global pandemic has continued to create unprecedented challenges, including constraints on the Company’s supply chain. The economic uncertainty, changes in the propensity for the general public to travel by air, and reductions in demand for commercial aircraft as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic have adversely impacted net sales and operating results in certain of our A&D reporting units since the pandemic began. Additionally, the electric utility market has been impacted by reduced domestic electricity consumption related to the pandemic, which in turn impacts utility spending on investments in grid maintenance and testing.
Throughout 2021 and the first nine months of 2022, our Navy, defense aerospace, space and Test segment end-markets have remained solid and we are seeing recovery in our core markets most affected by the pandemic. We are encouraged by the growing strength of our entered orders across the commercial aerospace, electric utility and renewable energy end-markets.
We are also monitoring the impacts of COVID-19 on the fair value of assets. We do not currently anticipate any material asset impairments as a result of the COVID-19 global pandemic. We determined that there was no impairment for the three and nine-month periods ended June 30, 2022. We will continue to monitor the impacts of COVID-19 on the fair value of assets. For further discussion, refer to Management’s Discussion and Analysis contained in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2021.
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
References to the third quarters of 2022 and 2021 represent the three-month periods ended June 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
OVERVIEW
In the third quarter of 2022, sales, net earnings and diluted earnings per share were $219.1 million, $23.2 million and $0.89 per share, respectively, compared to $181.4 million, $14.9 million and $0.57 per share, respectively, in the third quarter of 2021. In the first nine months of 2022, sales, net earnings and diluted earnings per share were $601.0 million, $51.3 million and $1.97 per share, respectively, compared to $510.0 million, $43.1 million and $1.65 per share, respectively, in the first nine months of 2021.
NET SALES
In the third quarter of 2022, net sales of $219.1 million were $37.7 million, or 20.8%, higher than the $181.4 million in the third quarter of 2021. In the first nine months of 2022, net sales of $601.0 million were $91.0 million, or 17.8%, higher than the $510.0 million in the first nine months of 2021. The increase in net sales in the third quarter of 2022 as compared to the third quarter of 2021 was due to a $19.5 million increase in the USG segment, an $11.2 million increase in the Test segment, and a $7.0 million increase in the Aerospace & Defense segment. The increase in net sales in the first nine months of 2022 as compared to the first nine months of 2021 was due to a $53.1 million increase in the USG segment, a $25.0 million increase in the Test segment, and a $13.0 million increase in the Aerospace & Defense segment.
-Aerospace & Defense (A&D)
In the third quarter of 2022, net sales of $92.6 million were $7.0 million, or 8.2%, higher than the $85.6 million in the third quarter of 2021. In the first nine months of 2022, net sales of $247.7 million were $12.9 million, or 5.5%, higher than the $234.7 million in the first nine months of 2021. The sales increase in the third quarter of 2022 compared to the third quarter of 2021 was mainly due to a $3.9 million increase in net sales at Mayday primarily driven by an increase in commercial aerospace sales, a $3.1 million increase in net sales at VACCO driven by higher navy defense products, a $0.8 million increase in net sales at PTI, a $0.4 million increase in net sales at Globe, partially offset by a $1.2 million decrease in net sales at Westland. The sales increase in the first nine months of 2022 compared to the first nine months of 2021 was mainly due to a $8.5 million increase in net sales at Mayday, a $6.2 million increase in net sales at PTI, both primarily due to an increase in commercial aerospace sales driven by the rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic, a $2.1 million increase in net sales at Westland, and a $0.6 million increase in net sales at Globe, partially offset by a $4.5 million decrease in net sales at VACCO driven by timing of navy defense projects.