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Sierra Wireless Reports First Quarter 2017 Results
[May 04, 2017]

Sierra Wireless Reports First Quarter 2017 Results


Sierra Wireless, Inc. (NASDAQ: SWIR) (TSX: SW) today reported results for its first quarter ending March 31, 2017. All results are reported in U.S. dollars and are prepared in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), except as otherwise indicated below.

"In the first quarter of 2017, we delivered solid year-over-year revenue growth and profitability results that exceeded our expectations," said Jason Cohenour, President and CEO. "We continued to strengthen our position as a leader in device-to-cloud solutions for the Internet of Things with new customer wins, new product offerings and the acquisition of the assets of GlobalTop Technology's GNSS business."

Revenue for the first quarter of 2017 was $161.8 million, an increase of 13.3% compared to $142.8 million in the first quarter of 2016. Revenue from OEM Solutions was $133.0 million in the first quarter of 2017, up 10.0% compared to $120.9 million in the first quarter of 2016. Revenue from Enterprise Solutions was $21.7 million in the first quarter of 2017, up 44.8% compared to $15.0 million in the first quarter of 2016. Revenue from Cloud and Connectivity Services was $7.1 million in the first quarter of 2017, up 2.1% compared to $6.9 million in the first quarter of 2016.

GAAP RESULTS

  • Gross margin was $55.7 million, or 34.4% of revenue, in the first quarter of 2017, compared to $46.8 million, or 32.8% of revenue, in the first quarter of 2016.
  • Operating expenses were $57.1 million and loss from operations was $1.5 million in the first quarter of 2017, compared to operating expenses of $48.1 million and loss from operations of $1.3 million in the first quarter of 2016. The loss from operations in the first quarter of 2017 included a $3.7 million impairment charge on an intangible asset related to a terminated service offering that has now been superseded by a more technically advanced offering.
  • Net loss was $0.2 million, or $0.01 per share, in the first quarter of 2017, compared to net earnings of $0.7 million, or $0.02 per share, in the first quarter of 2016.

NON-GAAP RESULTS

  • Gross margin was 34.5% in the first quarter of 2017, compared to 32.9% in the first quarter of 2016.
  • Operating expenses were $46.7 million and earnings from operations were $9.1 million in the first quarter of 2017, compared to operating expenses of $43.3 million and earnings from operations of $3.6 million in the first quarter of 2016.
  • Net earnings were $7.7 million, or $0.24 per share, in the first quarter of 2017, compared to net earnings of $2.6 million, or $0.08 per share, in the first quarter of 2016.
  • Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization ("Adjusted EBITDA") were $12.4 million in the first quarter of 2017, compared to $6.7 million in the first quarter of 2016.

Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the first quarter of 2017 were $92.5 million, representing a decrease of $10.3 million compared to the end of the fourth quarter of 2016. The decrease in cash was primarily due to high working capital requirements, capital expenditures, the acquisition of the assets of GlobalTop Technology's Global Navigation Satellite System ("GNSS") business and the repurchase of common shares for cancellation, partially offset by proceeds from stock option exercises.

Acquisition

On March 31, 2017, we acquired substantially all of the assets of GlobalTop Technology's ("GlobalTop") GNSS embedded module business for total cash consideration of approximately $3.2 million, subject to working capital adjustments. GlobalTop's GNSS products generated approximately $5.0 million in revenue during the last 12 months prior to the acquisition and the business was approximately breakeven.

Financial Guidance

For the second quarter of 2017, we expect revenue to be in the range of $165 million to $175 million and non-GAAP earnings per share to be in the range of $0.24 to $0.32. This guidance includes a full quarter of contribution from the acquired assets of GlobalTop's GNSS business.

This Non-GAAP guidance reflects current business indicators and expectations. Inherent in this guidance are risk factors that are described in greater detail in our regulatory filings. Our actual results could differ materially from those presented above. All figures are approximations based on management's current beliefs and assumptions.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

We disclose non-GAAP financial measures as we believe they provide useful information on actual operating performance and assist in comparisons from one period to another. Readers are cautioned that non-GAAP financial measures do not have any standardized meaning prescribed by U.S. GAAP and therefore may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies.

Non-GAAP gross margin excludes the impact of stock-based compensation expense and related social taxes and certain other nonrecurring costs or recoveries.

Non-GAAP earnings (loss) from operations excludes the impact of stock-based compensation expense and related social taxes, amortization related to acquisitions, acquisition-related and integration expense, restructuring expense, impairment and certain other nonrecurring costs or recoveries.

In addition to the above, Non-GAAP net earnings (loss) and non-GAAP earnings (loss) per share exclude the impact of foreign exchange gains or losses on translation of certain balance sheet accounts, unrealized foreign exchange gains or losses on forward contracts and certain tax adjustments.

We use the above-noted non-GAAP financial measures for planning purposes and to allow us to assess the performance of our business before including the impacts of the items noted above as they affect the comparability of our financial results. These non-GAAP measures are reviewed regularly by management and the Board of Directors as part of the ongoing internal assessment of our operating performance. We also use non-GAAP earnings from operations as one component in determining short-term incentive compensation for management employees.

Adjusted EBITDA is defined as net earnings (loss) plus stock-based compensation expense and related social taxes, acquisition-related and integration expense, restructuring expense, impairment, certain other nonrecurring costs or recoveries, amortization, foreign exchange gains or losses on translation of certain balance sheet accounts, unrealized foreign exchange gains or losses on forward contracts, interest and income tax expense. Adjusted EBITDA is a metric used by investors and analysts for valuation purposes and we believe that it is an important indicator of our operating performance and our ability to generate liquidity through operating cash flow that will fund future working capital needs and capital expenditures.

Conference call and webcast details

Sierra Wireless President and CEO, Jason Cohenour, and CFO, David McLennan, will host a conference call and webcast with analysts and investors to review the results on Thursday, May 4, 2017, at 5:30 PM Eastern Time (2:30 PM PT). A live slide presentation will be available for viewing during the call from the link provided below.

To participate in this conference call, please dial the following number approximately ten minutes prior to the start of the call:

  • Toll-free (Canada and US): 1-877-201-0168
  • Alternate number: 1-647-788-4901
  • Conference ID: 84503339

To access the webcast, please follow the link below:

Sierra Wireless Q1 2017 Conference Call and Webcast

If the above link does not work, please copy and paste the following URL into your browser:

http://event.on24.com/r.htm?e=1383379&s=1&k=D46EC898C0B9EFC5D714E55301DB0455

The webcast will remain available at the above link for one year following the call.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements and information in this press release are not based on historical facts and constitute forward-looking statements or forward-looking information within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and Canadian securities laws ("forward-looking statements") including statements and information relating to our financial guidance for the second quarter of 2017 and our fiscal year 2017, our business outlook for the short and longer term, statements regarding our strategy, plans and future operating performance. Forward-looking statements are provided to help you understand our views of our short and long term plans, expectations and prospects. We caution you that forward-looking statements may not be appropriate for other purposes. We do not intend to update or revise our forward-looking statements unless we are required to do so by securities laws.

Forward-looking statements:

  • Typically include words and phrases about the future such as "outlook", "will", "may", "estimates", "intends", "believes", "plans", "anticipates" and "expects".
  • Are not promises or guarantees of future performance. They represent our current views and may change significantly.
  • Are based on a number of material assumptions, including those listed below, which could prove to be significantly incorrect:
    • our ability to develop, manufacture and sell new products and services that meet the needs of our customers and gain commercial acceptance;
    • our ability to continue to sell our products and services in the expected quantities at the expected prices and expected times;
    • expected cost of goods sold;
    • expected component supply constraints;
    • our ability to win new business;
    • our ability to integrate acquired businesses and realize expected benefits;
    • expected deployment of next generation networks by wireless network operators;
    • our operations not being adversely disrupted by component shortages or other development, operating or regulatory risks; and
    • expected tax rates and foreign exchange rates.
  • Are subject to substantial known and unknown material risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause our actual results, achievements and developments in our business to differ significantly from those expressed or implied by our forward-looking statements, including without limitation, the following factors. These risk factors and others are discussed in our Annual Information Form and Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, which may be found on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on EDGAR at www.sec.gov and in our other regulatory filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission in the United States and the Provincial Securities Commissions in Canada:
    • competition from new or established cloud and connectivity service providers or from those with greater resources;
    • disruption of, and demands on, our ongoing business and diversion of management's time and attention in connection with acquisitions or divestitures;
    • the loss of any of our significant customers;
    • cyber-attacks or other breaches of our information technology security;
    • difficult or uncertain global economic conditions;
    • our financial results being subject to fluctuation;
    • our ability to attract or retain key personnel;
    • risks related to infringement on intellectual property rights of others;
    • our ability to obtain necessary rights to use software or components supplied by third parties;
    • our ability to enforce our intellectual property rights;
    • our ability to respond to changing technology, industry standards and customer requirements;
    • our reliance on single source suppliers for certain components used in our products;
    • failures of our products or services due to design flaws and errors, component quality issues, manufacturing defects or other quality issues;
    • our dependence on a limited number of third party manufacturers;
    • unanticipated costs associated with litigation or settlements;
    • our dependence on wireless network carriers to offer and promote acceptable wireless service programs;
    • risks related to contractual disputes with counterparties;
    • risks related to governmental regulation;
    • risks related to the transmission, use and disclosure of user data and personal information; and
    • risks inherent in foreign jurisdictions.

About Sierra Wireless
Sierra Wireless (NASDAQ: SWIR) (TSX: SW) is building the Internet of Things with intelligent wireless solutions that empower organizations to innovate in the connected world. Customers start with Sierra because we offer the industry's most comprehensive portfolio of 2G, 3G and 4G embedded modules and gateways, seamlessly integrated with our secure cloud and connectivity services. OEMs and enterprises worldwide trust our innovative solutions to get their connected products and services to market faster. Sierra Wireless has more than 1,100 employees globally and operates R&D centers in North America, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit www.sierrawireless.com.

"AirPrime," "AirLink," and "AirVantage" are trademarks of Sierra Wireless. Other product or service names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.


SIERRA WIRELESS, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE EARNINGS

(In thousands of U.S. dollars, except where otherwise stated)

(unaudited)





    Three months ended March 31,
  2017   2016
Revenue $ 161,793 $ 142,797
Cost of goods sold 106,132   95,982  
Gross margin 55,661   46,815  
 
Expenses
Sales and marketing 18,167 15,629
Research and development 19,477 18,778
Administration 10,386 9,527
Restructuring 373 -
Acquisition-related and integration 451 374
Impairment 3,668 -
Amortization 4,626   3,762  
  57,148   48,070  
Loss from operations (1,487 ) (1,255 )
Foreign exchange gain 1,099 2,292
Other income 9   26  
Earnings (loss) before income taxes (379 ) 1,063
Income tax expense (recovery) (168 ) 345  
Net earnings (loss) $ (211 ) $ 718  
Other comprehensive earnings:
Foreign currency translation adjustments, net of

taxes of $nil

1,582   5,132  
Comprehensive earnings $ 1,371   $ 5,850  
 
Net earnings (loss) per share (in dollars)
Basic $ (0.01 ) $ 0.02
Diluted (0.01 ) 0.02
 
Weighted average number of shares outstanding (in thousands)
Basic 31,909 32,156
Diluted 31,909   32,500  


SIERRA WIRELESS, INC.

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(In thousands of U.S. dollars, except where otherwise stated)

(unaudited)

    March 31, 2017   December 31, 2016
Assets
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents $ 92,545 $ 102,772

Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $2,482 (December 31, 2016 - $2,486)

129,782 143,798
Inventories 48,328 40,913
Prepaids and other 6,134   6,530  
276,789 294,013
Property and equipment 34,254 34,180
Intangible assets 69,005 74,863
Goodwill 157,971 154,114
Deferred income taxes 16,014 16,039
Other assets 7,610   5,250  
  $ 561,643   $ 578,459  
 
Liabilities
Current liabilities
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities $ 147,095 $ 167,500
Deferred revenue and credits 4,591   5,263  
151,686 172,763
Long-term obligations 33,470 32,654
Deferred income taxes 10,591   11,458  
  195,747   216,875  
Equity
Shareholders' equity
Common stock: no par value; unlimited shares authorized; issued and

outstanding: 32,157,057 shares (December 31, 2016 - 31,859,960 shares)

348,528 342,450
Preferred stock: no par value; unlimited shares authorized;

issued and outstanding: nil shares

- -
Treasury stock: at cost: 241,915 shares (December 31, 2016 - 355,471 shares) (3,493 ) (5,134 )
Additional paid-in capital 21,152 24,976
Retained earnings 12,553 13,718
Accumulated other comprehensive loss (12,844 ) (14,426 )
  365,896   361,584  
  $ 561,643   $ 578,459  


SIERRA WIRELESS, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(In thousands of U.S. dollars)

(unaudited)

    Three months ended March 31,
  2017   2016
Cash flows provided by (used in):
Operating activities
Net earnings (loss) $ (211 ) $ 718
Items not requiring (providing) cash
Amortization 6,997 5,568
Stock-based compensation 2,126 2,035
Deferred income taxes (914 ) -
Impairment 3,668 -
Other 64 4
Changes in non-cash working capital
Accounts receivable 14,925 (434 )
Inventories (6,625 ) 7,080
Prepaids and other (1,908 ) 771
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities (19,448 ) (7,868 )
Deferred revenue and credits (796 ) (274 )
Cash flows provided by (used in) operating activities (2,122 ) 7,600  
Investing activities
Additions to property and equipment (2,887 ) (2,843 )
Additions to intangible assets (800 ) (295 )
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment - 3
Acquisition of GNSS business (3,192 ) -  
Cash flows used in investing activities (6,879 ) (3,135 )
Financing activities
Issuance of common shares 4,621 528
Repurchase of common shares for cancellation (2,779 ) (6,144 )
Purchase of treasury shares for RSU distribution - (4,214 )
Taxes paid related to net settlement of equity awards (1,027 ) (352 )
Payment for contingent consideration (960 ) -
Decrease in other long-term obligations (96 ) (63 )
Cash flows used in financing activities (241 ) (10,245 )
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents (985 ) (2,036 )
Cash and cash equivalents, decrease in the period (10,227 ) (7,816 )
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period 102,772   93,936  
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period $ 92,545   $ 86,120  


SIERRA WIRELESS, INC.

RECONCILIATION OF GAAP AND NON-GAAP RESULTS BY QUARTER

(in thousands of U.S. dollars, except where otherwise stated)   2017     2016
Q1 Total   Q4   Q3   Q2   Q1
 
Gross margin - GAAP $ 55,661 $ 217,743 $ 68,796 $ 49,368 $ 52,764 $ 46,815
Stock-based compensation and related social taxes 108 420 99 108 107 106
Other nonrecurring costs (recoveries) -   (13,045

)

 

(13,045 ) -   -   -  
Gross margin - Non-GAAP $ 55,769 $ 205,118 $ 55,850 $ 49,476 $ 52,871 $ 46,921
 
Earnings (loss) from operations - GAAP $ (1,487 ) $ 21,348 $ 19,245 $ (53 ) $ 3,411 $ (1,255 )
Stock-based compensation and related social taxes 2,148 7,596 1,845 1,856 1,902 1,993
Acquisition-related and integration 451 843 376 34 59 374
Restructuring 373 - - - - -
Other nonrecurring costs (recoveries) 276 (11,762 ) (13,045 ) 1,283 - -
Impairment 3,668 - - - - -
Acquisition-related amortization 3,641   12,102   3,308   3,206   3,058   2,530  
Earnings from operations - Non-GAAP $ 9,070 $ 30,127 $ 11,729 $ 6,326 $ 8,430 $ 3,642
 
Net earnings (loss) - GAAP $ (211 ) $ 15,385 $ 15,718 $ (1,769 ) $ 718 $ 718
Stock-based compensation and related social taxes, restructuring, impairment, acquisition-related, integration and other nonrecurring costs (recoveries) 6,916 (3,323 ) (10,824 ) 3,173 1,961 2,367
Amortization 6,997 25,894 7,043 6,577 6,706 5,568
Interest and other, net (9 ) (83 ) (2 ) (23 ) (32 ) (26 )
Foreign exchange loss (gain) (1,099 ) 1,736 3,547 (590 ) 1,071 (2,292 )
Income tax expense (recovery) (168 ) 4,310   (18 ) 2,329   1,654   345  
Adjusted EBITDA 12,426 43,919 15,464 9,697 12,078 6,680
Amortization (exclude acquisition-related amortization) (3,356 ) (13,792 ) (3,735 ) (3,371 ) (3,648 ) (3,038 )
Interest and other, net 9 83 2 23 32 26
Income tax expense - Non-GAAP (1,418 ) (8,241 ) (2,900 ) (2,208 ) (2,086 ) (1,047 )
Net earnings - Non-GAAP $ 7,661 $ 21,969 $ 8,831 $ 4,141 $ 6,376 $ 2,621
 
Diluted net earnings (loss) per share
GAAP - (in dollars) $ (0.01 ) $ 0.48 $ 0.49 $ (0.06 ) $ 0.02 $ 0.02
Non-GAAP - (in dollars) $ 0.24 $ 0.68 $ 0.27 $ 0.13 $ 0.20 $ 0.08


SIERRA WIRELESS, INC.

SEGMENTED RESULTS

(In thousands of U.S. dollars, except where otherwise stated)   2017   2016
Q1 Total   Q4   Q3   Q2   Q1
 
OEM Solutions
Revenue $ 133,000 $ 516,517 $ 135,211 $ 127,765 $ 132,667 $ 120,874
Gross margin (2) (3)
- GAAP $ 42,078 $ 166,596 $ 54,110 $ 37,191 $ 41,005 $ 34,290
- Non-GAAP $ 42,167 $ 154,988 $ 42,232 $ 37,280 $ 41,096 $ 34,380
Gross margin % (2) (3)
- GAAP 31.6 % 32.3 % 40.0 % 29.1 % 30.9 % 28.4 %
- Non-GAAP 31.7 % 30.0 % 31.2 % 29.2 % 31.0 % 28.4 %
 
Enterprise Solutions
Revenue $ 21,718 $ 71,486 $ 20,976 $ 18,938 $ 16,577 $ 14,995
Gross margin (1) (2) (3)
- GAAP $ 10,485 $ 39,949 $ 12,002 $ 9,273 $ 8,922 $ 9,752
- Non-GAAP $ 10,500 $ 38,913 $ 10,930 $ 9,286 $ 8,934 $ 9,763
Gross margin % (1) (2) (3)
- GAAP 48.3 % 55.9 % 57.2 % 49.0 % 53.8 % 65.0 %
- Non-GAAP 48.3 % 54.4 % 52.1 % 49.0 % 53.9 % 65.1 %
 

Cloud and Connectivity Services

Revenue $ 7,075 $ 27,604 $ 6,834 $ 6,857 $ 6,985 $ 6,928
Gross margin
- GAAP $ 3,098 $ 11,198 $ 2,684 $ 2,904 $ 2,837 $ 2,773
- Non-GAAP $ 3,102 $ 11,217 $ 2,688 $ 2,910 $ 2,841 $ 2,778
Gross margin %
- GAAP 43.8 % 40.6 % 39.3 % 42.4 % 40.6 % 40.0 %
- Non-GAAP 43.8 % 40.6 % 39.3 % 42.4 % 40.7 % 40.1 %
 
Total
Revenue $ 161,793 $ 615,607 $ 163,021 $ 153,560 $ 156,229 $ 142,797
Gross margin
- GAAP $ 55,661 $ 217,743 $ 68,796 $ 49,368 $ 52,764 $ 46,815
- Non-GAAP $ 55,769 $ 205,118 $ 55,850 $ 49,476 $ 52,871 $ 46,921
Gross margin %
- GAAP 34.4 % 35.4 % 42.2 % 32.1 % 33.8 % 32.8 %
- Non-GAAP 34.5 % 33.3 % 34.3 % 32.2 % 33.8 % 32.9 %

(1) Q1 2016 Enterprise Solutions results include a $1.9 million recovery from a legal settlement with a supplier related to a quality issue with a component used in some of our gateway products. Excluding this recovery, GAAP and Non-GAAP gross margin percentage would have been 52.4% and 52.5%, respectively.
(2) Q2 2016 OEM Solutions results include a $1.7 million recovery from certain legal costs pursuant to a favorable arbitration decision on a contract dispute with an intellectual property licensor. Excluding this recovery, GAAP and Non-GAAP gross margin percentage would have been 29.6% and 29.7%, respectively. Q2 2016 Enterprise Solutions results also include a $0.2 million recovery from this arbitration decision. Excluding this recovery, GAAP and Non-GAAP gross margin percentage would have been 52.7% and 52.8%, respectively.
(3) Q4 2016 OEM Solutions and Enterprise Solutions GAAP gross margins include a favorable impact of $12.9 million and $1.5 million, respectively, of a change in estimate on accrued royalty obligations. This is comprised of two components, an amount of $11.7 million and $1.3 million, respectively, related to a one-time reduction effective October 1, 2016 (excluded from non-GAAP gross margin), and a $1.2 million and $0.2 million, respectively, favorable impact related to royalties accrued on the products sold in Q4, 2016 (included in non-GAAP gross margin).


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