LASR - nLIGHT Inc. Announces First Quarter 2023 Results

May, 04 2023 04:05 PM nLIGHT Inc.

Revenues of $54.1 million and products gross margin of 33% for the first quarter of 2023

nLIGHT, Inc. (Nasdaq: LASR), a leading provider of high-power semiconductor and fiber lasers used in the industrial, microfabrication, and aerospace and defense markets, today reported financial results for the first quarter of 2023.

“Our continued strategic focus on the industrial market outside of China and on the aerospace and defense markets, combined with improvements in our U.S.-based manufacturing capacity and lower overall expenses, enabled us generate revenue above the midpoint of our guidance and meaningfully exceed our gross margin guidance for the first quarter,” commented Scott Keeney, nLIGHT’s President and Chief Executive Officer.

“The more favorable mix of business and our execution of cost control initiatives enabled us to generate 33% products gross margin and positive cash flow during the quarter. Our balance sheet remains strong and we ended the quarter with $108 million of cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities with no outstanding debt.”

Mr. Keeney continued, “We are also pleased to announce today that we have been awarded an $86 million contract to produce a High Energy Laser (HEL) prototype for the next phase of development in support of the Department of Defense’s (DoD) High Energy Laser Scaling Initiative (HELSI). This contract award reflects nLIGHT’s deep commitment to the defense market and our ability to combine our leading technology with the benefits of high-volume commercial laser operations to deliver innovative and cost-effective directed energy lasers.”

First Quarter 2023 Financial Highlights


Three Months Ended March 31,


(In thousands, except percentages)
2023

2022

% Change
Revenues
$
54,091


$
64,459


(16.1
)%
Gross margin

26.4
%


25.1
%


Loss from operations
$
(8,207
)

$
(8,309
)

1.2
%
Operating margin

(15.2
)%


(12.9
)%


Net loss
$
(7,730
)

$
(8,623
)

(10.4
)%
Adjusted EBITDA ⁽¹⁾
$
1,273


$
1,982


(35.8
)%
Adjusted EBITDA, as percentage of revenues

2.4
%


3.1
%

⁽¹⁾

A reconciliation of the non-GAAP metrics presented here to the most directly comparable GAAP metric has been provided in the tables included at the end of this release.

Revenues of $54.1 million for the first quarter of 2023 were down 16.1% compared to $64.5 million for the first quarter of 2022. Gross margin was 26.4% for the first quarter of 2023 compared to 25.1% for the first quarter of 2022. GAAP net loss for the first quarter of 2023 was $7.7 million, or net loss of $0.17 per diluted share, compared to net loss of $8.6 million, or $0.20 per diluted share, for the first quarter of 2022. Non-GAAP net loss for the first quarter of 2023 was $1.8 million, or $0.04 per diluted share, compared to non-GAAP net loss of $1.6 million, or $0.04 per diluted share, for the first quarter of 2022. Reconciliations of the non-GAAP measures presented here to the most directly comparable GAAP measures have been provided in the tables included at the end of this release.

Outlook

For the second quarter of 2023, nLIGHT expects revenues to be in the range of $49 million to $55 million. The midpoint of $52 million includes Laser Products revenue of approximately $40 million and Advanced Development revenue of approximately $12 million. nLIGHT expects overall gross margin to be in the range of 22% to 26%, with Laser Products gross margin in the range of 27% to 31% and Advanced Development gross margin of approximately 7%. nLIGHT expects Adjusted EBITDA to be in the range of $(2) million to $1 million.

We have not reconciled our outlook for Adjusted EBITDA because unrealized and realized foreign exchange gains and losses cannot be reasonably calculated or predicted nor can the probable significance be determined at this time. Accordingly, a reconciliation is not available without unreasonable effort.

Investor Conference Call at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time, Thursday, May 4, 2023

Parties interested in listening to nLIGHT’s quarterly conference call may do so by dialing 1-844-282-4705 (U.S., toll-free) or +1-412-317-5625 (international and toll), with the conference title: nLIGHT First Quarter 2023 Earnings. The call can also be accessed via the web by going to nLIGHT’s Investor Relations page at http://investors.nlight.net .

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Results

In addition to U.S. GAAP results, this press release contains non-GAAP financial results, including Adjusted EBITDA, non-GAAP gross profit, non-GAAP net income (loss) and non-GAAP net income (loss) per share, basic and diluted. We use Adjusted EBITDA to help us evaluate our business, measure our performance, identify trends affecting our business, formulate business plans and make strategic decisions. In addition to our results determined in accordance with GAAP, we believe Adjusted EBITDA is a meaningful measure of performance as it is commonly utilized by us and the investment community to analyze operating performance in our industry. Similarly, we believe that providing non-GAAP gross profit, non-GAAP net income (loss) and non-GAAP net income (loss) per share, basic and diluted, is useful to our investors as they present an informative supplemental view of our results from period to period by removing the effect of stock-based compensation expense and other non-recurring items. However, the non-GAAP metrics presented herein are specific to us and may not be comparable to similar metrics disclosed by other companies because of differing methods used by other companies in calculating them.

We define Adjusted EBITDA as net income (loss) adjusted for income tax expense (benefit), other non-operating income or expense, interest income or expense, depreciation and amortization, stock-based compensation, acquisition and integration-related costs, and other non-recurring items as determined by management, as applicable. We define non-GAAP gross profit as GAAP gross profit adjusted for stock-based compensation included in cost of revenue. We define non-GAAP net income (loss) as GAAP net income (loss) adjusted for stock-based compensation, amortization of purchased intangibles, acquisition and integration-related costs, and other non-recurring items as determined by management, as applicable. We define non-GAAP net income (loss) per share, basic and diluted, as non-GAAP net income (loss) divided by weighted-average shares outstanding during the respective period plus the dilutive effect of any common stock equivalents during the period in the case of non-GAAP net income (loss) per share, diluted.

Tables presenting the reconciliation of net loss to Adjusted EBITDA, as well as the reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP net income (loss) and GAAP to non-GAAP net income (loss) per share, basic and diluted, are included at the end of this press release.

Safe Harbor Statement

Certain statements in this release are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as “outlook,” “guidance,” “expects,” “intends,” “projects,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates,” “targets,” “anticipates,” and similar expressions may identify these forward-looking statements. Examples of forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding expected revenues, gross margin, and Adjusted EBITDA, as well as any other statement that does not directly relate to any historical or current fact. Forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations and assumptions, which may not prove to be accurate. These statements are not guarantees and are subject to risks, uncertainties and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. Many factors could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from these forward-looking statements, including but not limited to our ability to compete successfully in the markets for our products; changes in the markets we serve or in the global economy; our ability to increase our volumes and decrease our costs to offset potential declines in the average selling prices of our products; rapid technological changes in the markets that we participate in; our ability to develop and maintain products that can achieve market acceptance; our ability to generate sufficient revenues to achieve or maintain profitability in the future; our high levels of fixed costs and inventory and their effect on our gross profits and results of operations if demand for our products declines or we maintain excess inventory levels; widespread health crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, and their effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations; our manufacturing capacity and operations and their suitability for future levels of demand; our reliance on a small number of customers for a significant portion of our revenues; our ability to manage risks associated with international customers and operations; the effect of government export and import controls on our ability to compete in international markets; our ability to protect our proprietary technology and intellectual property rights; fluctuations in our quarterly results of operations and other operating measures; and the effect on our business of claims, lawsuits, government investigations, other legal or regulatory proceedings, or commercial or contractual disputes that we are or may become involved in. Additional information concerning these and other factors can be found in nLIGHT's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), including other risks, relevant factors and uncertainties identified in the “Risk Factors” section of nLIGHT's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent filings with the SEC. nLIGHT undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect future events or developments, except as required by law.

The nLIGHT logo and “nLIGHT” are registered trademarks or trademarks of nLIGHT, Inc. in various jurisdictions.

About nLIGHT

nLIGHT, Inc. is a leading provider of high-power semiconductor and fiber lasers for industrial, microfabrication, aerospace and defense applications. Our lasers are changing not only the way things are made but also the things that can be made. Headquartered in Camas, Washington, nLIGHT employs over 1,000 people with operations in the United States, Austria, China, Finland, Korea, and Italy. For more information, please visit www.nlight.net .

nLIGHT, Inc. Consolidated Statements of Operations (In thousands, except per share data) (Unaudited)




Three Months Ended March 31,


2023

2022

Revenue:




Products
$
41,107


$
51,061


Development

12,984



13,398


Total revenue

54,091



64,459


Cost of revenue:




Products

27,526



35,768


Development

12,302



12,514


Total cost of revenue ⁽¹⁾

39,828



48,282


Gross profit

14,263



16,177


Operating expenses:




Research and development ⁽¹⁾

11,301



13,711


Sales, general, and administrative ⁽¹⁾

11,169



10,775


Total operating expenses

22,470



24,486


Loss from operations

(8,207
)


(8,309
)

Other income (expense):




Interest income (expense), net

337



—


Other income (expense), net

404



29


Loss before income taxes

(7,466
)


(8,280
)

Income tax expense

264



343


Net loss
$
(7,730
)

$
(8,623
)

Net loss per share, basic
$
(0.17
)

$
(0.20
)

Net loss per share, diluted
$
(0.17
)

$
(0.20
)

Shares used in per share calculations:




Basic

45,706



43,655


Diluted

45,706



43,655

⁽¹⁾ Includes stock-based compensation as follows:
Three Months Ended March 31,


2023

2022

Cost of revenues
$
700

$
709

Research and development

2,098


3,122

Sales, general and administrative

2,705


2,722


$
5,503

$
6,553

nLIGHT, Inc. Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (In thousands) (Unaudited)



As of

March 31, 2023

December 31, 2022
Assets



Current assets:



Cash and cash equivalents
$
48,402


$
57,826

Marketable Securities

59,966



50,391

Accounts receivable, net

36,140



37,913

Inventory

67,157



67,600

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

21,586



17,026

Total current assets

233,251



230,756

Restricted cash

253



252

Lease right-of-use assets

13,900



13,893

Property, plant and equipment, net

58,978



60,693

Intangible assets, net

3,408



4,041

Goodwill

12,388



12,376

Other assets

7,586



7,222

Total assets
$
329,764


$
329,233





Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity



Current liabilities:



Accounts payable
$
17,759


$
17,507

Accrued liabilities

14,708



12,820

Deferred revenues

1,271



1,407

Current portion of lease liabilities

3,001



2,758

Total current liabilities

36,739



34,492

Non-current income taxes payable

6,920



6,699

Long-term lease liabilities

12,576



12,852

Other long-term liabilities

4,367



4,345

Total liabilities

60,602



58,388

Stockholders' equity:



Common stock - par value

16



16

Additional paid-in capital

501,675



496,211

Accumulated other comprehensive loss

(2,165
)


(2,748
)
Accumulated deficit

(230,364
)


(222,634
)
Total stockholders’ equity

269,162



270,845

Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity
$
329,764


$
329,233

nLIGHT, Inc. Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (In thousands) (Unaudited)



Three Months Ended March 31,

2023

2022
Cash flows from operating activities:



Net loss
$
(7,730
)

$
(8,623
)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:



Depreciation

3,105



2,556

Amortization

872



1,182

Reduction in carrying amount of right-of-use assets

6



867

Provision for (recoveries of) losses on accounts receivable

(2
)


—

Stock-based compensation

5,503



6,553

Deferred income taxes

—



(4
)
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:



Accounts receivable, net

1,905



4,690

Inventory

662



(3,433
)
Prepaid expenses and other current assets

(4,549
)


(5,061
)
Other assets

(540
)


(317
)
Accounts payable

(411
)


(3,019
)
Accrued and other long-term liabilities

1,855



(1,088
)
Deferred revenues

(142
)


(647
)
Lease liabilities

(45
)


(813
)
Non-current income taxes payable

155



153

Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities

644



(7,004
)
Cash flows from investing activities:



Purchases of property, plant and equipment

(684
)


(5,019
)
Capitalization of patents

—



(114
)
Purchase of marketable securities

(34,359
)


—

Proceeds from maturities and sales of marketable securities

24,998



—

Proceeds from sale of assets



—

Net cash used in investing activities

(10,045
)


(5,133
)
Cash flows from financing activities:



Proceeds from stock option exercises

143



689

Tax payments related to stock award issuances

(182
)


(78
)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities

(39
)


611

Effect of exchange rate changes on cash

17



(59
)
Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash

(9,423
)


(11,585
)
Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash, beginning of period

58,078



146,784

Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash, end of period
$
48,655


$
135,199

Supplemental disclosures:



Cash paid (received) for interest
$
—


$
—

Cash paid for income taxes

144



79

Operating cash outflows from operating leases

923



1,097

Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for lease liabilities

731



1,470

Accrued purchases of property, equipment and patents

697



2,268

nLIGHT, Inc. Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Financial Measures (In thousands, except per share data) (Unaudited)


*Reconciliation of Net Loss to Adjusted EBITDA*

Three Months Ended March 31,

2023

2022
Net loss
$
(7,730
)

$
(8,623
)
Income tax expense

264



343

Other (income) expense, net

(404
)


(29
)
Interest (income) expense, net

(337
)


—

Depreciation and amortization

3,977



3,738

Stock-based compensation

5,503



6,553

Adjusted EBITDA
$
1,273


$
1,982

*Reconciliation of GAAP Net Loss to Non-GAAP Net Loss, and GAAP to Non-GAAP Net Loss per Share, Basic and Diluted*

Three Months Ended March 31,

2023

2022
Net loss
$
(7,730
)

$
(8,623
)
Add back:



Stock-based compensation ⁽¹⁾

5,503



6,553

Amortization of purchased intangibles ⁽¹⁾

435



472

Non-GAAP net loss
$
(1,792
)

$
(1,598
)




GAAP weighted-average shares outstanding

45,706



43,655

Participating securities

—



—

Non-GAAP weighted-average number of shares, basic

45,706



43,655

Dilutive effect of common stock equivalents

—



—

Non-GAAP weighted-average number of shares, diluted

45,706



43,655





Non-GAAP net loss per share, basic and diluted
$
(0.04
)

$
(0.04
)

⁽¹⁾

There is no income tax effect related to the stock-based compensation and amortization of purchased intangibles adjustments due to the full valuation allowance in the United States.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230504005958/en/

Joseph Corso
Chief Financial Officer
nLIGHT, Inc.
(360) 566-4460
joe.corso@nlight.net

Company Name:	nLIGHT Inc.
Stock Symbol:	LASR
Market:	NASDAQ
Website:	nlight.net

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