In addition to our exciting growth opportunities, we continue to invest in operational efficiency initiatives to improve profitability and in new products and technologies to drive margin expansion and to generate continued strong demand for Test & Simulation products and services.

Sensors Business

Our Sensors business demand is driven by accelerating new product introductions across all major markets and geographies, and expanded opportunities associated with the U.S. Department of Defense. This combination of positive factors, including full production ramp-up associated with our U.S. Department of Defense contract, is anticipated to provide double digit top-line growth, along with Adjusted EBITDA margin expansion, for the Sensors business in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2019.

Consolidated

As part of the optimization of our capital structure, we issued $350.0 million aggregate principal amount of new 5.750% senior unsecured notes due 2027 in our fourth quarter of fiscal year 2019. The offering will result in higher interest expense in the fourth quarter than originally forecasted primarily due to the write-off of debt issuance costs associated with the partial repayment of the term loan facility and higher debt levels in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2019.

Based on these factors, we are confident in our outlook for fiscal year 2019 and are revising our full year guidance as follows:

The above outlook includes:

• $12.5 million to $14.5 million for stock-based compensation, restructuring expenses, acquisition-related expenses and acquisition fair value inventory adjustment;
• Our acquisition of E2M, in addition to the slightly positive effects of the implementation of the new revenue recognition standard as compared to the previous standard;
• An anticipated effective tax rate, excluding discrete tax items, of 15-18% for fiscal year 2019; and
• Updated diluted earnings per share amounts due to the write-off of debt issuance costs associated with the partial repayment of the term loan facility and issuance of new senior unsecured notes.  

A reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA and adjusted diluted earnings per share, non-GAAP financial measures, to net income and diluted earnings per share, the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures, respectively, for the above outlook is included in Exhibits F and G of this earnings release, respectively.

THIRD QUARTER CONFERENCE CALL

As announced on July 22, 2019, a conference call will be held on August 6, 2019 (tomorrow), at 10:00 a.m. ET (9:00 a.m. CT). Dr. Jeffrey A. Graves, President and Chief Executive Officer, and Brian T. Ross, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, will host the call, which will include a question and answer session after prepared remarks.

Call toll free +1-800-353-6461 (international toll +1-334-323-0501) and reference the conference pass code 7911369. Telephone replay will be available at 1:00 p.m. ET following the call until 1:00 p.m. ET, August 13, 2019. Call toll free +1-888-203-1112 and reference the conference pass code 7911369.

A transcript of the call can also be accessed from the MTS website at http://investor.mts.com beginning on August 7, 2019.

ABOUT MTS SYSTEMS CORPORATION

MTS Systems Corporation's testing and simulation hardware, software and service solutions help customers accelerate and improve their design, development and manufacturing processes and are used for determining the mechanical behavior of materials, products and structures. MTS' high-performance sensors provide measurements of vibration, pressure, position, force and sound in a variety of applications. MTS had 3,400 employees as of September 29, 2018 and revenue of $778 million for the fiscal year ended September 29, 2018. Additional information on MTS can be found at www.mts.com.

NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES

We believe that disclosing adjusted diluted earnings per share, which is diluted earnings per share excluding the impact from restructuring expenses, acquisition-related expenses and the acquisition inventory fair value adjustment is useful to investors as a measure of operating performance. We use this as one measure to monitor and evaluate operating performance. Adjusted diluted earnings per share is a financial measure that does not reflect United States Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). We calculate this measure by adding back the after-tax effect of the restructuring expenses, acquisition-related expenses and the acquisition inventory fair value adjustment to net income and dividing the result by the diluted weighted average shares outstanding.

We believe that disclosing earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA), EBITDA excluding the impact from stock-based compensation, restructuring expenses, acquisition-related expenses and the acquisition inventory fair value adjustment (Adjusted EBITDA) and Adjusted EBITDA divided by revenue (Adjusted EBITDA margin) are useful to investors as a measure of leverage and operating performance. We use these measures to monitor and evaluate leverage and operating performance. EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin are financial measures that do not reflect GAAP. We calculate EBITDA by adding back interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization expense to net income. Adjusted EBITDA is calculated by adding back stock-based compensation, restructuring expenses, acquisition-related expenses and the acquisition inventory fair value adjustment to EBITDA. Adjusted EBITDA margin is calculated by dividing Adjusted EBITDA by revenue.

We believe that disclosing free cash flow is useful to investors as a measure of operating performance. We use this measure as an indicator of our strength and ability to generate cash. Free cash flow is a financial measure that does not reflect GAAP. We calculate free cash flow as net cash provided by (used in) operating activities less purchases of property and equipment and businesses, net of cash acquired, plus cash proceeds from sales of property and equipment.

Investors should consider these non-GAAP financial measures in addition to, not as a substitute for or better than, financial measures prepared in accordance with GAAP. Reconciliations of the components of these measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures are included in Exhibits B, C, D, E, F and G of this earnings release.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This earnings release contains "forward-looking statements" made pursuant to the safe harbor provision of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, as well as assumptions, that could cause actual results to differ materially from historical results and those presently anticipated or projected. Statements made under the heading "Outlook" are forward-looking statements, and words such as "may," "will," "should," "expects," "intends," "projects," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "targets," "anticipates," and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements in other parts of this earnings release. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements about future financial and operating results, plans, objectives, expectations and intentions, statements about the opportunities and outlook for our Sensors and Test & Simulation sectors and other statements that are not historical facts. These statements are based on our current expectations and beliefs and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. Risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, those described in the "Risk Factors" section of our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") and updated in any subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other filings with the SEC. The reports referenced above are available on our website at www.mts.com  or on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov . Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which such statements are made, and we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which such statement is made to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events or circumstances.