Are there any risks related to delivery, performance milestones, or regulatory approvals that could affect execution?
Risk assessment â delivery, performance milestones & approvals
The MoD contract is a clear upside catalyst for Gilat (âŻGILTâŻ), but the upside is contingent on a seriesâbyâstep execution plan rather than a single cashâflow event.
- Delivery schedule â The SATCOM system is a custom, highâtech solution that must be manufactured, integrated and fieldâtested on a tight defenceâtimeline. Any production bottleneck (e.g., component shortages, firmwareâfirming delays, or unexpected testing cycles) could push the handâover date out and defer the associated revenue recognition.
- Performance milestones â The MoD will likely tie payment tranches to successful completion of defined performance checkpoints (e.g., systemâvalidation, onâsite installation, operationalâreadiness). Missed or delayed milestones would not only defer cash but could trigger penalty clauses that erode margins.
- Regulatory & exportâcontrol approvals â Even though the contract is with Israelâs own defence ministry, the SATCOM hardware still falls under dualâuse exportâregulation regimes (e.g., ITAR/EUâdualâuse lists). Any change in licensing status, or a tightening of exportâcontrol policy, could stall the project or force redesigns that increase cost and timeline.
Trading implications
In the short term the contract news has already injected a ~70âpoint positive sentiment boost, and the stock is likely to trade on the upside of the expected nearâterm revenue uplift. However, the above execution risks create a âmilestoneârisk premiumâ that can surface as price volatility once the first delivery windows approach (typically 3â6âŻmonths out).
- Actionable view: If you are bullish on Gilatâs longerâterm growth, consider a positionâsizing entry on a pullâback (e.g., 5â10âŻ% below the breakout level) while keeping a tight stop just below the recent support zone to guard against a sudden deliveryâdelay shock.
- Watchâlist items: Company updates on the SATCOM program (press releases, quarterly filings), any new exportâlicense filings, and MoDâissued milestone confirmations. A missed or delayed milestone would be a trigger to trim exposure or shift to a defensive stance.