Dell Improves Business Performance Through Continued Execution of Strategic Agenda

Dell reported improved sequential financial results for its fiscal second-quarter 2010. Product shipments, revenue, operating income, gross margin and earnings were all higher than in the first quarter, and the company continued to reduce operating expenses.

• Shipments were up 10 percent, revenue 3 percent from the first quarter amid stabilizing spending on information technology. Combined revenue from servers and storage was up 7 percent sequentially. Revenue of $12.8 billion was 22 percent lower than the year-ago quarter.
• Earnings were 24 cents, including pretax expenses of $87 million, or four cents per share, for organizational effectiveness actions.
• Cash flow from operations was $1.1 billion, as Dell ended the quarter with $12.7 billion in cash and investments.
• Gross margin was 18.7 percent of revenue as strong improvement in cost of goods sold, disciplined pricing, a sequential increase in sales from enterprise products, and a $69 million buyout of a revenue-sharing agreement by a vendor offset previously highlighted pressure from component costs, competitive pricing and revenue mix in client systems.

• Operating expenses were 13.5 percent of revenue and $288 million, 14 percent lower than in last year’s second quarter.
• Operating income was $671 million.

Business Units:

• Large Enterprise revenue totaled $3.3 billion, a 3-percent sequential and a 32-percent decrease from a year earlier. Lower IT spending by large companies continued in all major regions of the world. Operating income in the segment was $172 million.
• Public revenue was $3.8 billion, up 20 percent sequentially and a 16-percent decrease from a year ago. Growth in Dell’s larger government accounts and seasonal education business partially offset weaker demand in other parts of the business – state and local government and health care. Operating income was $383 million, a 16-percent year-over-year increase.
• Small and Medium Business revenue was $2.8 billion, a 5-percent decrease sequentially and a 29-percent decrease from the fiscal 2009 quarter. Operating income was $246 million, or 8.7 percent of revenue, up 40 basis points from last year as gross margin improved during the quarter.
• Consumer had a 17-percent year-over-year increase in unit volume and revenue of $2.9 billion, up 2 percent sequentially and a 9-percent decline from a year ago. Operating income was $89 million, including a $53 million benefit from the vendor transaction.

Strategic Progress:

• Since launching its $4 billion cost initiatives last fiscal year, about 70 percent of Dell’s total product volume has been redesigned and optimized to reduce costs.
• Dell further strengthened its enterprise position in the quarter. Revenue from EqualLogic storage systems was up 42 percent year-over-year. Server product shipments were up 12 percent and revenue was up 9 percent sequentially.
• Dell continues to build its emerging country presence as combined revenue from the BRIC countries — Brazil, Russia, India and China — grew 16 percent sequentially. Sales in BRIC now comprise 10 percent of total company revenue.

Quotes:

Michael Dell, chairman and chief executive officer: “We have been reducing complexity in our organization and significantly lowering operating costs, in anticipation of improvement in the global economy and IT spending. If current demand trends continue, we expect revenue for the second half of the year to be stronger than the first half. We are expanding our capabilities in enterprise technology and services and investing in our core business to distinguish Dell both with customers and in operating performance.”

Brian Gladden, Dell’s chief financial officer: “This quarter again demonstrates the discipline with which we are managing our business and further strengthening our balance sheet. The best path for Dell remains one focused on profitable growth, lower costs and smart use of working capital.”

Company Outlook:

• In the third quarter, the company expects seasonal demand improvements from the Consumer and U.S. federal government businesses, but the quarter is also generally a period of slower demand from large commercial customers in the U.S. and Europe. Dell believes a refresh cycle in commercial accounts is more likely to occur in 2010, with IT spending improving first in the U.S. The company continues to see pressure in the form of component costs and areas of aggressive pricing in the near term, and continues to take actions to offset these items. The company will continue to focus on implementing cost improvements and strategic investments to improve operations for the long term.

About Dell

Dell Inc. (NASDAQ: DELL) listens to customers and delivers innovative technology and services they need and value. For more information, visit www.dell.com. To hear a replay of the second-quarter analysts’ call with Michael Dell, chairman and CEO, and Brian Gladden, CFO, go to www.dell.com/investor, or to communicate directly with Dell, go to www.dell.com/dellshares.

Special Note:

Statements in this release that relate to future results and events (including statements about our future financial and operating performance, anticipated customer demand and anticipated component prices) are forward-looking statements based on Dell's current expectations. Actual results and events in future periods may differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements because of a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors, including: weakening global economic conditions and instability in financial markets; our ability to reestablish a cost advantage over our competitors; our ability to generate substantial non-U.S. net revenue; our ability to accurately predict product, customer and geographic sales mix and seasonal sales trends; information technology and manufacturing infrastructure failures and breaches in data security; our ability to effectively manage periodic product transitions; disruptions in component or product availability; our reliance on vendors for quality product components, including reliance on several single-source or limited-source suppliers; our ability to access the capital markets; risks relating to our internal controls; unfavorable results of legal proceedings, including the continuing SEC investigation into certain accounting and financial reporting matters; our acquisition of other companies; our ability to properly manage the distribution of our products and services; the success of our cost-cutting measures; effective hedging of our exposure to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates and interest rates; counterparty default risks; obtaining licenses to intellectual property developed by others on commercially reasonable and competitive terms; our ability to attract, retain and motivate key personnel; loss of government contracts; expiration of tax holidays or favorable tax rate structures, or changes in tax laws; changing environmental laws; and the effect of armed hostilities, terrorism, natural disasters and public health issues. For a discussion of those and other factors affecting our business and prospects, see Dell’s periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We assume no obligation to update forward-looking statements.

Consolidated statements of income, financial position and cash flows follow.

Dell and Dell EqualLogic are trademarks of Dell Inc.

Dell disclaims any proprietary interest in the marks and names of others.

Note: Ratios are calculated based on underlying data in thousands.

(1) Days of sales outstanding (“DSO”) is based on the ending net trade receivables and most recent quarterly revenue for each period. DSO includes the effect of product costs related to customer shipments not yet recognized as revenue that are classified in the other current assets. At July 31, 2009, May 1, 2009, and August 1, 2008, DSO and days of customer shipments not yet recognized were 38 and 4 days, 31 and 3 days, 35 and 3 days, respectively.