Dolby (DLB) Q2 Earnings Outpace Estimates, Revenues Match

Dolby Laboratories, Inc. (NYSE:DLB) reported solid second-quarter fiscal 2019 financial results, wherein both the bottom line and the top line increased year over year. The audio, video and voice technologies’ licensor expanded the amount of content and devices in Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, and grew its footprint of Dolby Cinema.

Net Income

On a GAAP basis, net income for the quarter was $73.4 million or 70 cents per share compared with $65.2 million or 61 cents per share in the year-ago quarter. The improvement was primarily driven by top-line growth.

Non-GAAP net income came in at $109 million or $1.04 per share compared with $78.1 million or 73 cents per share in the prior-year quarter. The bottom line beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 20 cents.

Revenues

Quarterly total revenues were $338.3 million, up 12.9% year over year, primarily driven by growth in Licensing business. The top line matched the Zacks Consensus Estimate.

Segmental Performance

Revenues from Licensing were $310.3 million, up 14% year over year, led by growth in broadcast owing to higher revenues from consumer imaging, including Dolby vision and imaging patent portfolio coupled with higher recoveries. Sales from Consumer Electronics grew 18% year over year on the back of higher penetration and patent programs for a variety of products and customers. Mobile Devices sales were down about 2%, primarily due to timing of revenues. Sales from PC declined about 6% due to lower mix, while the same from Licensing in other markets were up nearly 6%, driven by Via and Dolby cinema, partly offset by lower recoveries in automotive.

Products and services revenues came in at $28 million, up 1.3%, driven by Dolby Cinema arrangements and growth in cinema products and Dolby Voice products.

Other Details

Gross profit was $301.7 million compared with $268.7 million in the year-earlier quarter. Total operating expenses increased 8% year over year to $198.8 million, primarily due to higher sales and marketing costs. Operating income was $102.9 million compared with $84.6 million a year ago.

Cash Flow & Liquidity

During the first six months of fiscal 2019, Dolby generated $105.8 million of net cash from operating activities compared with $98 million in the year-ago period. As of Mar 29, 2019, the company had $726.6 million in cash and equivalents with $174.7 million of non-current liabilities.

Outlook

Dolby has provided its estimates for third-quarter fiscal 2019. The company expects GAAP earnings per share in the range of 45-51 cents and non-GAAP earnings per share in the range of 62-68 cents, while revenues are anticipated to lie within $295-$315 million.

In addition, the company provided guidance for full-year fiscal 2019. It estimates total revenues to lie in the range of $1.24-$1.28 billion. While GAAP gross margin is expected to be around 87%, non-GAAP gross margin is projected to be around 88%.

Zacks Rank & Stocks to Consider

Dolby currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). A few better-ranked stocks in the broader industry are AMC Networks Inc. (NASDAQ:AMCX) , Gray Television, Inc. (NYSE:GTN) and Sirius XM Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:SIRI) , each carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

AMC Networks has long-term earnings growth expectation of 7.8%.

Gray Television has long-term earnings growth expectation of 10%.

Sirius has long-term earnings growth expectation of 9.2%.

Zacks' Top 10 Stocks for 2019

In addition to the stocks discussed above, would you like to know about our 10 finest buy-and-holds for the year?

Who wouldn't? Our annual Top 10s have beaten the market with amazing regularity. In 2018, while the market dropped -5.2%, the portfolio scored well into double-digits overall with individual stocks rising as high as +61.5%. And from 2012-2017, while the market boomed +126.3, Zacks' Top 10s reached an even more sensational +181.9%.

See Latest Stocks Today >>