Adjusted EBITDA was $596 million for the third quarter, up 32% year-over-year. Record adjusted EBITDA margin of 14.2% increased from 11.5% in the third quarter of 2023. Non-GAAP net income was $396 million for the third quarter, up 40% year-over-year, and non-GAAP diluted EPS for the quarter was $2.93, up 44% year-over-year. The primary drivers of increased profitability were increased volumes on managed health services programs and improved program execution and cost control across the company.

Cash Flow Summary

In the third quarter, Leidos generated $656 million of net cash provided by operating activities and used $23 million and $257 million in investing and financing activities, respectively. Net cash provided by operating activities was driven by strong EBITDA and collections performance. Days Sales Outstanding (DSO) for the quarter was 59.

Investing activities consisted primarily of $23 million in property, equipment and software payments, which resulted in quarterly free cash flow of $633 million. Leidos returned $254 million to shareholders in the third quarter, including $203 million in share repurchases and $51 million as part of its regular quarterly cash dividend program. As of September 27, 2024, Leidos had $1,185 million in cash and cash equivalents and $4.7 billion of debt.

On October 25, 2024, the Leidos Board of Directors declared a cash dividend of $0.40 per share, which represents an increase of 5.3% over the prior quarter's dividend amount. The dividend will be payable on December 31, 2024, to stockholders of record at the close of business on December 16, 2024.

Business Development

Net bookings totaled $8.1 billion in the quarter, representing a book-to-bill ratio of 1.9. As a result, backlog at the end of the quarter was $40.6 billion, of which $9.1 billion was funded. Included in the quarterly bookings were several notable awards:

• Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) Medical Disability Examinations (MDE) Regions 1-4 Option Year. The VBA MDE Office awarded Leidos the next option year on the existing indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ), firm-fixed price contracts that were originally awarded in November 2018. Leidos QTC Health Services will continue to provide MDE to meet Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Department of Defense (DOD) requirements for separating and retired service members.
• Army Global Unified Network (AGUN). The Army Program Executive Office for Command, Control, and Communications-Tactical Global Enterprise Network Modernization (PEO C3T GENM-O) awarded Leidos a five-year, $331 million contract to modernize the U.S Army's network in alignment with the Army's Network Modernization Strategy and Army Unified Network Plan. Leidos will deploy AGUN to individual Army sites to deliver a standardized, orchestrated modern network architecture that supports the transition to a Zero Trust Architecture and aims to make applications, data, and enterprise services are accessible, trusted and interoperable across the globe.
• Advanced Battle Management System-Digital Infrastructure (ABMS-DI) Network. The Department of the Air Force's (DAF) Program Executive Officer Command, Control, Communications and Battle Management (PEO C3BM) awarded Leidos a five-year, $303 million contract to oversee the planning, analysis, and operations for the DAF ABMS-DI network. This contract extends Leidos' collaborative role with the DAF to design, develop, and deploy modern Combined Joint-All Domain Command and Control (CJADC2) capabilities for the Air Force and Space Force.
• Automated Installation Entry (AIE) Next Generation Support. The Army Program Executive Office for Intelligence, Electronic Warfare & Sensors (PEO IEW&S) awarded Leidos the AIE Next Generation contract to enhance security at 92 additional Army and select joint-service installation access control points located around the world. Under the six-year, $249 million contract, Leidos will continue to transform the Army's enterprise physical access control system to a fully extensible, cloud-based solution with advanced biometrics modalities.

Forward Guidance

Leidos is updating its fiscal year 2024 guidance as follows:

For information regarding adjusted EBITDA margin and non-GAAP diluted EPS, see the related explanations and reconciliations to GAAP measures included elsewhere in this release.

Leidos does not provide a reconciliation of forward-looking adjusted EBITDA margins or non-GAAP diluted EPS to net income due to the inherent difficulty in forecasting and quantifying certain amounts that are necessary for such reconciliation. Because certain deductions for non-GAAP exclusions used to calculate projected net income may vary significantly based on actual events, Leidos is not able to forecast on a GAAP basis with reasonable certainty all deductions needed in order to provide a GAAP calculation of projected net income at this time. The amounts of these deductions may be material and, therefore, could result in projected net income and diluted EPS being materially less than what may be implied by projected adjusted EBITDA margins and non-GAAP diluted EPS.

Conference Call Information

Leidos management will discuss operations and financial results in an earnings conference call beginning at 8 A.M. eastern time on October 29, 2024. A live audio broadcast of the conference call along with a supplemental presentation will be available to the public through links on the Leidos Investor Relations website ( http://ir.leidos.com). An archived version of the webcast will be available on the Leidos Investor Relations website until October 29, 2025.

About Leidos

Leidos is a Fortune 500^® innovation company rapidly addressing the world's most vexing challenges in national security and health. The company's global workforce of 48,000 collaborates to create smarter technology solutions for customers in heavily regulated industries. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $15.4 billion for the fiscal year ended December 29, 2023. For more information, visit www.leidos.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this release contain or are based on "forward-looking" information within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by words such as "expects," "intends," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "guidance" and similar words or phrases. Forward-looking statements in this release include, among others, estimates of our future growth, strategy and financial and operating performance, including future revenues, adjusted EBITDA margins, diluted EPS (including on a non-GAAP basis) and cash flows provided by operating activities, as well as statements about our business contingency plans, government budgets and the ongoing Continuing Resolution, uncertainties in tax due to new tax legislation or other regulatory developments, strategy, planned investments, sustainability goals and our future dividends, share repurchases, capital expenditures, debt repayments, acquisitions, dispositions and cash flow conversion. These statements reflect our belief and assumptions as to future events that may not prove to be accurate.