Revenue during the quarter went down marginally by 1.26 percent to $160.21 million from $162.25 million in the previous year period. Gross margin for the quarter expanded 226 basis points over the previous year period to 39.47 percent. Total expenses were 78.54 percent of quarterly revenues, down from 81 percent for the same period last year. This has led to an improvement of 246 basis points in operating margin to 21.46 percent.

Operating income for the quarter was $34.39 million, compared with $30.83 million in the previous year period.

However, the adjusted operating income for the quarter stood at $34.39 million compared to $32.52 million in the prior year period. At the same time, adjusted operating margin improved 142 basis points in the quarter to 21.46 percent from 20.05 percent in the last year period.

“During the fourth quarter the business continued to perform well, delivering margin and earnings growth while generating meaningful cash flow,” said Dr. Michael J. Hartnett, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “The ongoing integration of Sargent into our portfolio is allowing us to return to stronger margin levels typical of the RBC Bearings model. We continue to allocate our growing cash flow toward reducing our debt while also repurchasing stock and investing in the business. Looking ahead, we are well-positioned to capture growing demand in our primary markets.”