Wednesday, April 29, 2009

GENERAL DYNAMICS - Revenues increase 18 percent - EPS from continuing operations increases

GENERAL DYNAMICS - Revenues increase 18 percent - EPS from continuing operations increases
April 29, 2009

8.5 percentFALLS CHURCH, Va., April 29, 2009 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via
COMTEX/ -- General Dynamics (NYSE: GD) today reported first-quarter 2009
earnings from continuing operations of $593 million, or $1.54 per share on a fully diluted basis, compared with 2008 first-quarter earnings from
continuing operations of $573 million, or $1.42 per share fully diluted.
Revenues grew to $8.3 billion in the quarter, an 18 percent increase over first-quarter 2008 revenues of $7 billion. Net earnings for the first quarter of 2009 were $590 million, compared to $572 million in the first quarter of 2008.

"General Dynamics' performance in the first quarter of 2009 was very
strong," said Nicholas D. Chabraja, chairman and chief executive officer. "Revenues grew at double-digit rates in all four segments of the company, with double-digit organic growth in our defense businesses, demonstrating the continued strength of demand among government customers for the products and services we deliver. The growth in Aerospace revenues is attributable to the acquisition late last year of Jet Aviation."


Margins

Company-wide operating margins for the first quarter of 2009 were 11
percent, compared to 12.3 percent in the year-ago period. Marine Systems, however, increased operating margins by 90 basis points over the year-ago period to 9.8 percent, based on excellent performance on the Virginia-class, T-AKE, commercial product carrier, DDG-51 and DDG-1000 programs.


Backlog

Funded backlog at the end of first-quarter 2009 increased 23 percent from one year ago, to $49.2 billion. The company's total backlog at the end of the quarter was $71.1 billion, 43 percent higher than the $49.8 billion total backlog reported at the end of the year-ago period. In addition to the backlog, the estimated potential contract value, which represents management's estimate of value under unfunded indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contracts and unexercised options, was $17.9 billion at the end of first-quarter 2009.


Cash

Net cash provided by operating activities from continuing operations in the quarter totaled $154 million. Free cash flow from operations, defined as net cash provided by operating activities from continuing operations less capital expenditures, was $73 million for the period.

"Cash provided by our defense businesses remained strong in the quarter,
while the Aerospace group was a user of cash. We expect this to correct
itself through the remainder of the year, such that free cash flow should approximate net income by year's end," Chabraja said.

"Looking ahead, we remain confident that General Dynamics is well-positioned to maximize the value of our $71 billion backlog as we continue to focus on excellent program execution and value creation for our shareholders," Chabraja said.


General Dynamics, headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia, employs
approximately 92,900 people worldwide. The company is a market leader in business aviation; land and expeditionary combat systems, armaments and munitions; shipbuilding and marine systems; and information systems and technologies. More information about the company is available on the Internet at www.generaldynamics.com.


Certain statements made in this press release, including any statements as to future results of operations and financial projections, may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. Forward-looking statements are based on management's expectations, estimates, projections and assumptions.

These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve
certain risks and uncertainties, which are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual future results and trends may differ materially from what is forecast in forward-looking statements due to a variety of factors. Additional information regarding these factors is contained in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, without limitation, its Annual Report on Form 10-K and its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q.

All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they were made.
The company does not undertake any obligation to update or publicly release any revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect events, circumstances or changes in expectations after the date of this press release.

WEBCAST INFORMATION: General Dynamics will webcast its first-quarter
securities analyst conference call, scheduled for 11:30 a.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, April 29, 2009. The webcast will be a listen-only audio event, available at www.generaldynamics.com. An on-demand replay of the webcast will be available by 1:30 p.m. April 29 and will continue for 12 months. To hear a recording of the conference call by telephone, please call 888-286-8010 (international: 617-801-6888); passcode 33671486. The phone replay will be available from 1:30 p.m. April 29 until midnight May 6, 2009.

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