KSW Update

I spoke with Jim Oliviero today, the corporate counsel for KSW, Inc. (Nasdaq: KSW), to get some clarification on a couple of items in the 10-K the company filed earlier this week. The first item was the company's backlog. The company had a backlog of $62.5 million as of December 31st, but between then and March 6th, $8.5 million of it was terminated by a developer. Oliviero explained that the developer was attempting to negotiate lower costs with the unions, and KSW was hopeful about getting the project back on the backlog if that can be done. Another $9 million of the backlog won't be recognized as revenue until next year, as the projects its associated with won't be completed until then. So the backlog at this point represents about $45 million in potential revenue for 2009 (assuming no other projects are delayed or canceled). Revenues in 2008 were about $93 million.

I also asked Oliviero about this note on the 10-K:

In addition, at December 31, 2008, the Company held marketable securities totaling $1,223,000, a decrease from the $1,892,000 balance at December 31, 2007.

Often "marketable securities" refers to Treasuries, but in this case it refers to equity mutual funds, marked down to their value as of the end of last year. In addition, the company had cash and cash equivalents totaling $16,611,000 at the end of last year, so, given the company's current market cap of $14,840,000 it's trading for less than its cash.