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8-K - AXT, INC 8-K 10-30-2014 - AXT INCform8k.htm

Exhibit 99.1
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
Contacts:
Gary Fischer
Chief Financial Officer
(510) 683-5900

Leslie Green
Green Communications Consulting, LLC
(650) 312-9060

AXT, Inc. Announces Third Quarter 2014 Financial Results

FREMONT, Calif., Oct. 30, 2014 – AXT, Inc. (NasdaqGS: AXTI), a leading manufacturer of compound semiconductor substrates, today reported financial results for the third quarter ended Sept. 30, 2014.

Third Quarter 2014 Results
Revenue for the third quarter of 2014 was $23.1 million compared with $21.4 million in the second quarter of 2014.

Gross margin was 23.0 percent of revenue for the third quarter of 2014, compared with 19.4 percent of revenue in the second quarter of 2014.

Operating expenses were $4.7 million in the third quarter of 2014, unchanged from $4.7 million in the second quarter of 2014.

Profit from operations for the third quarter of 2014 was $653,000 compared with a loss from operations of $515,000 in the second quarter of 2014.

Net interest and other income for the third quarter of 2014 was $260,000. This was primarily attributable to $390,000 from equity earnings of the company’s unconsolidated joint ventures, $302,000 from the sale of IntelliEpi stock, $556,000 from a loss on foreign exchange and $106,000 from interest income. By comparison, net interest and other income for the second quarter of 2014 was $1.2 million. This was primarily attributable to $625,000 from equity earnings of the company’s unconsolidated joint ventures, $324,000 from the sale of IntelliEpi stock, $158,000 from a gain on foreign exchange and $127,000 from interest income.

Net income in the third quarter of 2014 was $644,000 or $0.02 per diluted share compared with a net income of $319,000 or $0.01 per diluted share in the second quarter of 2014.

Management Qualitative Comments
“The third quarter was a positive quarter for AXT,” said Morris Young, chief executive officer. “Revenue came in ahead of our expectations, and we achieved another quarter of profitability through improved gross margins and tight expense control. Further, we are diversifying our customer base throughout our product portfolio and are pleased to be gaining traction in several areas that have been a strong focus of our sales efforts. The changes in the gallium arsenide landscape over the past two years have had an adverse impact on our business. However, these changes are finally beginning to settle and new applications for our products are emerging across our substrate portfolio. I am very pleased to have a strong team in place with the expertise to maximize our potential as we evolve our business to meet new opportunities.”

 
AXT, Inc.
4281 Technology Drive
Fremont, CA 94538
Tel: 510.683.5900
Fax: 510.353.0668
www.axt.com.

AXT, Inc. Announces Third Quarter 2014 Results
Oct. 30, 2014
Page 2 of 4

Conference Call
The company will host a conference call to discuss these results on Oct. 30, 2014 at 1:30 p.m. PT. The conference call can be accessed at (719) 457-2645 (passcode 2872393). The call will also be simulcast on the Internet at www.axt.com. Replays will be available at (719) 457-0820 (passcode 2872393) until Nov. 6, 2014. Financial and statistical information to be discussed in the call will be available on the company's website immediately prior to commencement of the call. Additional investor information can be accessed at http://www.axt.com or by calling the company's Investor Relations Department at (510) 683-5900.

About AXT, Inc.
AXT designs, develops, manufactures and distributes high-performance compound and single element semiconductor substrates comprising gallium arsenide (GaAs), indium phosphide (InP) and germanium (Ge) through its manufacturing facilities in Beijing, China. In addition, AXT maintains its sales, administration and customer service functions at its headquarters in Fremont, California. The company’s substrate products are used primarily in lighting display applications, wireless communications, fiber optic communications and solar cell. Its vertical gradient freeze (VGF) technique for manufacturing semiconductor substrates provides significant benefits over other methods and enabled AXT to become a leading manufacturer of such substrates. AXT has manufacturing facilities in China and invests in joint ventures in China producing raw materials. For more information, see AXT’s website at http://www.axt.com.

Safe Harbor Statement
The foregoing paragraphs contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Federal Securities laws, including statements regarding the market demand for our products, our market opportunity, our business planning and management approach and our expectations with respect to our business prospects. These forward-looking statements are based upon specific assumptions that are subject to uncertainties and factors relating to the company’s operations and business environment, which could cause actual results of the company to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements contained in the foregoing discussion. These uncertainties and factors include but are not limited to: overall conditions in the markets in which the company competes; global financial conditions and uncertainties; market acceptance and demand for the company’s products; the impact of factory closures or other events causing delays by our customers on the timing of sales of our products; and other factors as set forth in the company’s annual report on Form 10-K and other filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Each of these factors is difficult to predict and many are beyond the company’s control. The company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

###

FINANCIAL TABLES TO FOLLOW

AXT, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(Unaudited, in thousands, except per share data)

   
Three Months Ended
   
Nine Months Ended
 
   
September 30,
   
September 30,
 
   
2014
   
2013
   
2014
   
2013
 
                 
Revenue
 
$
23,138
   
$
20,521
   
$
63,932
   
$
66,732
 
Cost of revenue
   
17,820
     
18,075
     
51,736
     
57,717
 
Gross profit
   
5,318
     
2,446
     
12,196
     
9,015
 
                                 
Operating expenses:
                               
Selling, general and administrative
   
3,505
     
4,303
     
10,629
     
12,435
 
Research and development
   
1,160
     
766
     
2,922
     
2,627
 
Restructuring charge
                   
907
         
Total operating expenses
   
4,665
     
5,069
     
14,458
     
15,062
 
Income (loss) from operations
   
653
     
(2,623
)
   
(2,262
)
   
(6,047
)
Interest income, net
   
106
     
55
     
360
     
136
 
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated joint ventures
   
390
     
346
     
1,502
     
1,099
 
Other income (expense), net
   
(236
)
   
(47
)
   
250
     
(491
)
                                 
Income (loss) before provision for income taxes
   
913
     
(2,269
)
   
(150
)
   
(5,303
)
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes
   
43
     
(204
)
   
254
     
322
 
Net income (loss)
   
870
     
(2,065
)
   
(404
)
   
(5,625
)
                                 
Less: Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest
   
(226
)
   
(230
)
   
(673
)
   
(1,105
)
Net income (loss) attributable to AXT, Inc.
 
$
644
   
$
(2,295
)
 
$
(1,077
)
 
$
(6,730
)
                                 
Net income (loss) attributable to AXT, Inc. per common share:
                               
Basic
 
$
0.02
   
$
(0.07
)
 
$
(0.04
)
 
$
(0.21
)
Diluted
 
$
0.02
   
$
(0.07
)
 
$
(0.04
)
 
$
(0.21
)
                                 
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding:
                               
Basic
   
32,504
     
32,366
     
32,416
     
32,407
 
Diluted
   
32,738
     
32,366
     
32,416
     
32,407
 

- more -

AXT, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(Unaudited, in thousands)

   
September 30,
   
December 31,
 
   
2014
   
2013
 
Assets:
       
Current assets
       
Cash and cash equivalents
 
$
25,793
   
$
24,961
 
Short-term investments
   
15,366
     
12,499
 
Accounts receivable, net
   
21,079
     
14,943
 
Inventories
   
36,648
     
39,127
 
Related party notes receivable - current
   
0
     
0
 
Prepaid expenses and other current assets
   
5,914
     
8,010
 
Total current assets
   
104,800
     
99,540
 
                 
Long-term investments
   
7,332
     
10,145
 
Property, plant and equipment, net
   
34,663
     
37,621
 
Related party notes receivable - long-term
   
1,874
     
1,715
 
Other assets
   
15,216
     
14,801
 
                 
Total assets
 
$
163,885
   
$
163,822
 
                 
Liabilities and stockholders' equity:
               
Current liabilities
               
Accounts payable
 
$
9,480
   
$
8,140
 
Accrued liabilities
   
6,790
     
7,286
 
Total current liabilities
   
16,270
     
15,426
 
                 
Long-term portion of royalty payments
   
1,925
     
2,525
 
Other long-term liabilities
   
323
     
325
 
Total liabilities
   
18,518
     
18,276
 
                 
Stockholders' equity:
               
Preferred stock
   
3,532
     
3,532
 
Common stock
   
32
     
32
 
Additional paid-in capital
   
195,151
     
194,156
 
Accumulated deficit
   
(68,082
)
   
(67,005
)
Accumulated other comprehensive income
   
8,333
     
8,953
 
Total AXT, Inc. stockholders' equity
   
138,966
     
139,668
 
                 
Noncontrolling interest
   
6,401
     
5,878
 
Total stockholders' equity
   
145,367
     
145,546
 
                 
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity
 
$
163,885
   
$
163,822