General Dynamics misses Q1 profit on lack of G700 deliveries, higher costs

By Aatreyee Dasgupta and Mike Stone

(Reuters) -General Dynamics missed Wall Street estimates for first-quarter profit on Wednesday after failing to deliver any G700 jets while facing sustained supply chain challenges and higher input costs, sending its shares down 1.3% in pre-market trading.

The Reston, Virginia-based company expects a surge in deliveries following the Federal Aviation Administration's certification of the G700 business jet - which occurred just days before the quarter's end on March 31.

"We received FAA certification for the G700 at the very end of the quarter, too late to make any G700 deliveries. This obviously impacted revenue and earnings in the aerospace group in the quarter," CEO Phebe Novakovic said on a post earnings conference call.

In total 24 business jets were delivered in the quarter versus 21 for the same period last year.

While the Russia-Ukraine war and conflict in the Middle East have boosted orders for U.S. defense firms, they are still facing cost pressures associated with labor and supply chains.

The U.S. defense contractor, which also makes ships, tanks and ordinance, reported first-quarter profit of $2.88 per share, below analysts' average expectations of $2.93 per share, according to LSEG data.

Total revenue for the quarter rose 8.6% to $10.73 billion, above estimates of $10.32 billion.

The $95 billion Ukraine-Israel aid bills passed by Congress on Tuesday were expected to boost the order backlog for General Dynamics, which makes some of the artillery which is in heavy use in Ukraine.

Other major companies that receive government contracts, such as Lockheed Martin, RTX Corp and Northrop Grumman should also eventually expect a lift from the funds.

Revenue for General Dynamics' Combat Systems unit which makes tanks and military vehicles surged 19.7% versus the same period a year ago as the United States replenishes past stocks shipped to Ukraine. Novakovic said there was strong demand from international customers in this business.

"Orders for wheeled and combat vehicles are up significantly, reflecting the heightened threat environment," Novakovic said.

The Marine Systems unit, which builds nuclear-powered submarines and ships, posted a 11.3% rise in revenue from a year earlier.

The Virginia Class block IV submarine being built for the U.S. Navy by General Dynamics and Huntington Ingalls Industries was reported to be behind schedule because of skilled labor shortages, design issues, and supply chain challenges stemming from the pandemic, the Navy said earlier this month.

(Reporting by Aatreyee Dasgupta in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel and Emelia Sithole-Matarise, Kirsten Donovan)