- $1.6 Million Q4 Net Income and $0.11 Diluted EPS after $0.04 severance charges -

- $10.3 Million FY 11 Net Income and $0.71 Diluted EPS after $0.04 severance charges -

OMAHA, Neb.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Ballantyne Strong, Inc. (NYSE Amex: BTN):

Conference call:		Tomorrow - Tuesday, March 13, 2012 at 10:00 AM ET
Webcast / Replay URL:		www.strong-world.com (Investor Relations section) or www.earnings.com
		The replay will be available online for 30 days
Dial-in number:		800 272 6255 (no pass code required)

Ballantyne Strong, Inc. (NYSE Amex: BTN), a provider of digital cinema projection equipment and services, cinema screens and other cinema products, today reported financial results for the fourth quarter (Q4) and twelve months ended December 31, 2011.

Q4 Financial Summary

• Net revenues increased 13.7% to $51.5 million.
• Operating income of $2.7 million included $1.0 million pre-tax severance charge pursuant to the strategic refocus announced January 12.
• Achieved net income of $1.6 million, or diluted earnings per share of $0.11, as both amounts were negatively impacted by the after-tax severance charge of $0.04.

Q4 Results

Ballantyne Strongs quarterly net revenues increase was led by a 101.3% year-over-year increase in digital service sales, 17.0% growth in digital equipment sales and 46.3% growth in lighting revenues. Cinema screens also contributed $3.3 million during the period, but fell from $6.0 million in Q4 2010, a record-setting quarter for screen sales.

The Company announced a strategic refocus on global growth opportunities in digital products and services in early January 2012 but the financial impact of a $1.0 million pre-tax severance charge associated with the initiative was accounted for in Q4 2011 results, negatively impacting operating and net income for the period and full year.

Consolidated gross profit was $7.3 million, or a 14.2% gross margin on net revenues, compared to gross profit of $8.0 million, or 17.7% of net revenues in the year-ago period. The gross profit margin decline was primarily attributable to an increase in the contribution of digital product sales to the revenue mix as these carry higher price points but lower margins, coupled with lower sales of high margin screens.

Selling expenses declined to $1.0 million, or 2.0% of net revenues, from $1.5 million in Q4 2010, or 3.4% of net revenues. The year-over-year decline was largely related to lower salaries and commissions. General and administrative (G&A) expenditures (excluding the $1.0 million severance charge) remained flat at $2.7 million in Q4 2011, compared to $2.7 million in Q4 2010, but declined during Q4 2011 to 5.2% of revenues, versus 6.0% of Q4 2010 revenues.

2011 Full-Year Results

Net revenues rose 35.3% to an all-time record $184.4 million. Digital product sales increased 59.5% and accounted for 75.3% of the full-year total. Gross profit grew 22.1% to $30.2 million, or 16.4% of net revenues. Net earnings rose 22.7% to $10.3 million, or $0.71 per diluted share, which includes a $0.04 impact associated with the Companys corporate refocus, compared to net earnings of $8.4 million, or $0.59 per diluted share in the year-ago twelve-month period.

Balance Sheet and Cash Flow Update

Ballantynes cash and cash equivalents balance increased $17.4 million from the September 30 level to finish the year at $39.9 million, reflecting operating cash flow of $17.7 million during Q4 2011. This significant increase was primarily due to improved working capital driven by a reduction in receivables to $33.2 million from $53.8 million at the end of Q3 2011, when a significant amount of sales were generated but not collected until the following quarter, and also due to reduced inventory offset by lower payables.

The Company generated cash flow from operations of $20.1 million during FY 11 and spent approximately $2.9 million on capital expenditures during the year, down from $6.8 million a year-ago. Year-ago cap-ex included $5.8 million for the completed purchase and expansion of the cinema screen manufacturing facility and $0.5 million for the construction and installation of the state-of-the-art Digital Network Operations Center (NOC)

Ballantyne Strong President and CEO Gary L. Cavey stated, The 2011 fourth quarter topped off Ballantynes all-time most profitable year as we truly capitalized on our leadership position as a one-stop, global turnkey cinema products and services provider, backed by a customer-centric reputation built over 80 years of serving the exhibition industry.

For decades, Ballantyne had been known as a worldwide leader in the manufacturing and marketing of analog projectors, but as cinema has been in the process of rapidly transforming into a digital-focused industry in recent years, our Board and senior management agreed that the best course of action was to completely exit the 35 mm projector business and divest our Omaha, NE-based manufacturing facility.

Accordingly, we initiated a strategic refocus on global growth opportunities in digital products and related services, including after-sale maintenance and 24/7 proactive NOC (Network Operations Center) monitoring from our facility, and increased product offerings, which will be following us to a new, smaller corporate headquarters that will also be based here in Omaha. We are currently scouting potential locations.

In addition to our focus on growing the Companys service business we continue to be a leading reseller of both Barco and NEC projection systems in the Americas, where thousands of analog screens remain to be digitized. We remain excited about the opportunity to sell NEC equipment in Asia, especially China, where new theatre construction should continue for years to come given the relatively small number of screens that serve a population of more than 1.3 billion.

We will continue manufacturing a wide array of cinema screens at our cutting-edge Quebec operation and have recently begun shipping to India, an exciting new market for us. Lastly, we are also placing a renewed emphasis on Ballantynes LED lighting business, a segment we believe has an untapped growth opportunity for both our own products and distributing partners brands, concluded Mr. Cavey.

Investor Relations Presentation

The Company will post an updated Investor Relations PowerPoint presentation on its corporate website in the Investor Relations section prior to its Tuesday morning Q4 results conference call/webcast.

About Ballantyne Strong, Inc. (BTN) (www.strong-world.com)

Ballantyne Strong is a provider of digital cinema projection equipment and services as well as cinema screens, motion picture projectors and specialty lighting equipment and services. The Company supplies major and independent theater chains, top arenas, theme parks and architectural sites around the world.

Except for the historical information in this press release, it includes forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to, quarterly fluctuations in results; customer demand for the Companys products; the development of new technology for alternate means of motion picture presentation; domestic and international economic conditions; the management of growth; and other risks detailed from time to time in the Companys Securities and Exchange Commission filings. Actual results may differ materially from managements expectations.

Ballantyne Strong, Inc. and Subsidiaries Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations Three and Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2011 and 2010 (Unaudited)
	Three Months Ended					Twelve Months Ended
	December 31,					December 31,
		2011		2010			2011		2010
Net revenues	$	51,527	$	45,319		$	184,433	$	136,335
Cost of revenues		44,201		37,315			154,220		111,596
Gross profit		7,326		8,004			30,213		24,739
Selling & administrative expenses:
Selling		1,011		1,542			3,935		3,822
Administrative		3,633		2,716			11,106		9,069
Total selling & administrative expenses		4,644		4,258			15,041		12,891
Gain (loss) on sale or disposal of assets		(25)		(28)			11		150
Income from operations		2,657		3,718			15,183		11,998
Equity in income (loss) of joint venture		(68)		(220)			(189)		582
Other income (expense), net		61		(72)			71		(188)
Income before income taxes		2,650		3,426			15,065		12,392
Income tax expense		(1,035)		(1,090)			(4,718)		(3,958)
Net earnings	$	1,615	$	2,336		$	10,347	$	8,434
Basic earnings per share	$	0.11	$	0.16		$	0.72	$	0.60
Diluted earnings per share	$	0.11	$	0.16		$	0.71	$	0.59
Weighted average shares outstanding:
Basic		14,496		14,233			14,427		14,163
Diluted		14,497		14,420			14,485		14,371

Ballantyne Strong, Inc. and Subsidiaries Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets December 31, 2011 and December 31, 2010 (In thousands) (Unaudited) Assets
		Dec. 31, 2011			Dec. 31, 2010
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents		$	39,889		$	22,250
Accounts receivable, including unbilled receivables (net of allowance for doubtful accounts)			33,165			23,436
Total inventories, net			14,920			28,603
Recoverable income taxes			793			5
Other			7,653			5118
Total current assets			96,420			79,412
Investment in joint venture			1,849			2,070
Property, plant and equipment, net			9,419			9,750
Assets held for sale			1,810			-
Deferred income taxes			1,596			76
Other			2,362			723
Total assets		$	113,456		$	92,031
Liabilities and Stockholders Equity
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable		$	31,924		$	30,751
Other accrued expenses			4,820			3,890
Customer deposits/deferred revenue			5,037			2,850
Income tax payable			4,135			1,521
Total current liabilities			45,916			39,012
Other non-current liabilities			4,317			643
Total liabilities			50,233			39,655
Commitments and contingencies
Stockholders equity:
Preferred stock, par value $.01 per share; Authorized 1,000 shares, none outstanding
Common stock, par value $.01 per share; Authorized 25,000 shares; issued 16,667 shares in 2011 and 16,453 shares in 2010			167			164
Additional paid-in capital			37,234			36,241
Accumulated other comprehensive income:			(56)			340
Retained earnings			41,361			31,014
			78,706			67,759
Less 2,155 and 2,140 of common shares in treasury, at cost			(15,483)			(15,383)
Total stockholders equity			63,223			52,376
Total liabilities and stockholders equity		$	113,456		$	92,031

Selected Cash Flow Statement Items (Unaudited):
		Twelve Months Ended December 31,
		2011		2010
Net earnings	$	10,347	$	8,434
Depreciation and amortization		1,757		1,490
Equity in (income) loss of joint venture		189		(582)
Net cash provided by operating activities		20,052		3,643
Capital expenditures		(2,886)		(6,812)
Net cash used in investing activities		(2,798)		(5,659)
Net increase (decrease) in cash & cash equivalents		17,639		(1,339)
Cash & cash equivalents at beginning of period		22,250		23,589
Cash & cash equivalents at end of period	$	39,889	$	22,250

Ballantyne Strong, Inc.
Mary A. Carstens, CFO
402/453-4444
or
Jaffoni & Collins Incorporated
Robert Rinderman, David Collins
212/835-8500 or btn@jcir.com

Source: Ballantyne Strong, Inc.

Copyright Business Wire 2012