CSRA expects more contract activity in September

CSRA’s chief executive said this week he expects a busy September for contract awards.

The company on Wednesday reported sales in its most recent quarter reached $1.2 billion, down about 2 percent from the same three-month period a year earlier. The company said quarterly profit hit $77 million, up from $65 million the prior year.

Larry Prior, CSRA’s chief executive, said during a call with analysts the company is expecting contract awards to ramp up toward the end of the fiscal year.

“Each year, we come into July and August on the edge of our seat waiting for all that activity in September,” he said. “From our point of view, our field of view, it's lining up that they will award, they will adjudicate and we'll see these ramp normally.”

Prior also dismissed concerns that a shortage of political appointees is slowing down contract activity.

“There is a lot of noise around the lack of political appointments, but I also see a lot of work by the career service and the career uniforms of our government,” he said. “We’re expecting that it will be not just a normal September, but a robust September.”

Meanwhile, KeyW, buoyed by its acquisition of Sotera Defense Solutions, reported Wednesday that its sales in the quarter reached $124 million, up from $73 million the prior year.

“The increase is primarily attributable to contracts acquired through the acquisition of Sotera, growth in KeyW's airborne [intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance] solutions and higher advanced geospatial intelligence products and solutions sales, partially offset by the completion of certain service solutions contracts,” the company said.

KeyW reported a loss for the quarter of $16.7 million, larger than its $9.6 million loss a year earlier. The contractor said it saw higher expenses related to the acquisition.