Rockwell Collins sales jump 7 percent in second quarter

CEDAR RAPIDS - Rockwell Collins total sales during the second quarter of fiscal year 2015 climbed 7 percent from a year ago, hitting $1.34 billion, company officials said Thursday.

The avionics and information technology systems company saw an 11 percent increase in commercial systems sales and a 2 percent increase of government systems sales.

'Our international business is a growing segment,” Kelly Ortberg, president and CEO, confirmed during a call with The Gazette on Thursday.

Ortberg said international government sales grew about 28 percent, which has helped offset the decline in U.S. military spending due to budget cuts and sequestration.

Those sales include display and communication systems.

Rockwell has capitalized on opportunities in Brazil, the Middle East - including Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates - and India, he said. Meanwhile, private companies in China, France, and Japan have helped increase commercial spending.

But the strengthening U.S. dollar already has began to affect sales overseas for the international company, he added.

'It created some headwinds this quarter,” he admitted. 'Our government business has really been impacted.”

The company's second-quarter fiscal year 2015 per-share earnings increased to $1.22, up from $1.08 last year. Cash provided by operating activities for the first six months of fiscal 2015 totaled $132 million, an increase of $54 million compared with the $78 million reported for the first six months of last year.

Rockwell is projecting total sales between $5.2 billion and $5.3 billion during all of fiscal year 2015. The company also anticipates earnings per share to be between $5.10 to $5.30 and cash flow from operations of $700 million to $800 million.