Sandeep Nayyar
Analyst · Deutsche Bank
Thanks, Balu, and good afternoon. From a financial perspective, we closed our 2012 on a high note, with better-than-expected revenues, strong earnings and cash flow and our lowest internal inventory in 2.5 years in terms of days on hand. We also achieved a meaningful reduction in our share count in Q4, buying back more than 2% of our outstanding shares at an average price of about $30 per share. Our results are pretty straightforward, so I will quick -- just quickly review some of the key items in the financial and then we will open it up for questions. Revenues for the quarter was $79.2 million, up 19% from a year ago, including the impact of CONCEPT acquisition, which closed on May 1. On an organic basis, the year-over-year growth rate for Q4 was 8%. On a sequential basis, quarterly revenues increased 1%. The revenues from the communication market were the biggest driver in terms of dollars, increasing mid-single-digits sequentially, driven by the growth in cell phone chargers, while the computer segment grew in the low-teens sequentially, driven by the strength in desktops, including the further penetration of our mid-power products into main power supply applications. Industrial revenues increased by low single-digit percentage, led by LED lighting applications and growth in our high-power IGBT driver products. Revenues from the consumer market, our largest end market, were down mid single-digits, driven by continued softness in consumer electronic application, partially offset by strength in appliances. In terms of sales channels, distributors accounted for 75% of sales during the quarter, with direct sales at 25%. Non-GAAP gross margin was down 10 basis points sequentially to 52.8%. On a year-over-year basis, that's an increase of 500 basis points, reflecting the success of our cost-reduction initiatives and an end-market mix more heavily weighted to industrial and consumer appliance applications. On a GAAP basis, gross margin increased slightly to 49.8%. I would note that we expect the current 3-point delta between GAAP and non-GAAP gross margin to reduce to roughly 1 point next quarter, as we have now worked through the last of the marked-up inventory acquired in the CONCEPT transaction last year. Looking at operating expenses, non-GAAP expenses came in a bit higher than expected at $25.5 million, driven mainly by higher litigation expenses, stemming from the China patent case. Non-GAAP operating margin for the quarter was 20.6%, down slightly from the prior quarter, but up 5 points from a year ago, reflecting the improvement in our gross margin. Our non-GAAP tax rate for the quarter was 15.6%, a couple of points higher-than-expected due to a change in geographic mix of income. Average diluted shares outstanding were $29.4 million, down about $400,000 sequentially due to the buyback. Earnings on a non-GAAP basis were $0.47 per share, down $0.02 sequentially due to the higher tax rate, but up 62% from a year ago on the combination of higher revenues and gross margin. GAAP earnings for the quarter came in at $0.33 per diluted share. We generated $22.2 million of cash flow from operations in the quarter, and utilized $4.2 million for capital expenditures. Other key uses of cash during the quarter were the share buyback, which used just over $20 million, plus $15 million to satisfy our contingent obligation for the SemiSouth debt, following their shutdown last quarter. All told, we ended the quarter with $95 million in cash and investments, a decrease of $15 million during the quarter. Internal inventories remain well within our targeted range at 103 days, down 6 days from the prior quarter. Channel inventory also decreased during the Quarter to 5.3 weeks. Turning to the outlook, we expect revenues to be between $76 million and $82 million in the first quarter, and we expect gross margins to be in the range of 52% to 52.5% on a non-GAAP basis. Non-GAAP operating expenses should increase, reflecting the resumption of payroll taxes for the New Year, and also the fact that Q4 expenses benefit from our year-end shut down. Specifically, we expect non-GAAP expenses to be in the range of $26 million, plus or minus $0.5 million. As we have discussed on the past couple of conference calls, our tax rate should decline substantially in the March quarter, following our settlement agreements with the IRS last year, with an added benefit from the renewal of the federal R&D tax credit. The non-GAAP tax rate for the first quarter should be between 5% and 6%, which is the range I expect for the full-year as well. Our GAAP tax rate will benefit from the 2012 portion of the R&D credit, which was renewed retroactively. That should result in a negative GAAP tax rate for Q1, and then I expect the GAAP tax rate for the balance of the year to be in the range of 4% to 5%. With that, I will turn it back over to Joe.