Cohu Reports First Quarter 2013 Operating Results

Cohu Reports First Quarter 2013Operating Results

POWAY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Cohu, Inc. (NAS: COHU) today reported fiscal 2013 first quarter net sales of $56.0 million and GAAP net loss of $12.1 million or $0.49 per share. The Company also reported non-GAAP results, with first quarter 2013 net loss of $8.0 million or $0.32 per share.

Results for Q1 2013 include Ismeca, acquired on December 31, 2012. Sales of semiconductor equipment accounted for 87% of fiscal 2013 first quarter sales. Microwave communications equipment and video cameras and related equipment contributed 6% and 7%, respectively, for the same period.

Orders were $60.3 million for the first quarter of 2013, including Ismeca orders of $17.7 million, and $42.1 million for the fourth quarter of 2012. Orders for semiconductor equipment were $52.5 million in the first quarter of 2013 compared to $33.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2012. Total consolidated backlog was $63.4 million at March 30, 2013 compared to $44.7 million at December 29, 2012. Cohu expects second quarter 2013 sales to be approximately $65 million.

James A. Donahue, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer stated, "Sales of semiconductor equipment were on plan. First quarter results were impacted by several unusual items, including deferral of revenue recognition at Ismeca under U.S. GAAP, restructuring charges, a required purchase accounting inventory write-up and related cost of sale impact at Ismeca, as well as a shortfall in revenue in our mobile microwave business due to government funding delays."

Donahue concluded, "Equipment utilization on customers' test floors reached 80% in March, for the first time in two years and as the quarter progressed, customer activity increased. These are encouraging indicators that industry business conditions are improving. With our broad product line, which spans pick and place, gravity, test in strip and turret handlers, as well as key enabling technologies that provide customers with cost-effective solutions and critical capabilities, we are in an excellent position to benefit from improved conditions in the semiconductor industry."

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Information:

Included within this press release are non-GAAP financial measures that supplement the Company's Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations prepared under generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). These non-GAAP financial measures adjust the Company's actual results prepared under GAAP to exclude charges and the related income tax effect for share-based compensation, the amortization of acquired intangible assets, manufacturing transition costs, other acquisition costs and the purchase accounting inventory step-up included in cost of goods sold. Reconciliations of GAAP to non-GAAP amounts for the periods presented herein are provided in schedules accompanying this release and should be considered together with the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations.

These non-GAAP measures are not meant as a substitute for GAAP, but are included solely for informational and comparative purposes. The Company's management believes that this information can assist investors in evaluating the Company's operational trends, financial performance, and cash generating capacity. Management believes these non-GAAP measures allow investors to evaluate Cohu's financial performance using some of the same measures as management. However, the non-GAAP financial measures should not be regarded as a replacement for (or superior to) corresponding, similarly captioned, GAAP measures.

Forward Looking Statements:

Certain matters discussed in this release, including statements concerning Cohu's new products, expectations of business conditions, orders, sales, revenues and operating results are forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or forecasted. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, risks associated with acquisitions, inventory, goodwill and other intangible asset write-downs; our ability to convert new products under development into production on a timely basis, support product development and meet customer delivery and acceptance requirements for next generation equipment; our reliance on third-party contract manufacturers; failure to obtain customer acceptance resulting in the inability to recognize revenue and accounts receivable collection problems; customer orders may be canceled or delayed; the concentration of our revenues from a limited number of customers; intense competition in the semiconductor test handler industry; our reliance on patents and intellectual property; compliance with U.S. export regulations; and the cyclical and unpredictable nature of capital expenditures by semiconductor manufacturers. These and other risks and uncertainties are discussed more fully in Cohu's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the most recently filed Form 10-K and Form 10-Q. Cohu assumes no obligation to update the information in this release.

About Cohu:

Cohu is a supplier of test handling, burn-in, thermal subsystems and MEMS test solutions used by the global semiconductor industry, microwave communications and video equipment.

Cohu will be conducting their conference call on Wednesday, May 1, 2013 at 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time/4:30 p.m. Eastern Time. The call will be webcast at www.cohu.com. Replays of the call can be accessed at www.cohu.com.

For press releases and other information of interest to investors, please visit Cohu's website at www.cohu.com.

(1) The three-month periods ended March 30, 2013 and March 31, 2012 were each comprised of 13 weeks.

(2) On December 31, 2012 Cohu completed the acquisition of Ismeca and its results have been included since that date.

(3) For the quarters ended March 30, 2013 and March 31, 2012, potentially dilutive securities were excluded from the per share computations due to their antidilutive effect.

(1) Includes Ismeca which was acquired on December 31, 2012 for $54.5 million funded out of Cohu's existing cash reserves.