Back to GetFilings.com



Table of Contents

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, DC 20549

 


 

FORM 10-Q

 


 

(Mark One)

x QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

For the quarterly period ended October 31, 2004

 

OR

 

¨ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

For the transition period from              to             

 

Commission File Number 000-10761

 


 

LTX CORPORATION

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

 


 

Massachusetts   04-2594045

(State or Other Jurisdiction of

Incorporation or Organization)

 

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification No.)

 

50 Rosemont Road,

Westwood, Massachusetts

  02090
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)   (Zip Code)

 

Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code (781) 461-1000

 

 

Former Name, Former Address and Former Fiscal Year,

if Changed Since Last Report.

 


 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days    Yes  x    No  ¨

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an accelerated filer (as defined in Exchange Act Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).    Yes  x    No  ¨

 

Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the issuer’s classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date.

 

Class


  

Outstanding at November 30, 2004


Common Stock, par value $0.05 per share    61,167,882

 



Table of Contents

LTX CORPORATION

 

Index

 

        

Page

Number


Part I.   FINANCIAL INFORMATION     
Item 1.   Consolidated Balance Sheets October 31, 2004 and July 31, 2004    3
    Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income Three Months Ended October 31, 2004 and October 31, 2003    4
    Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows Three Months Ended October 31, 2004 and October 31, 2003    5
    Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements    6-12
Item 2.   Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations    12-22
Item 3.   Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk    22
Item 4.   Controls and Procedures    22
Part II.   OTHER INFORMATION     
Item 4.   Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders    23
Item 5.   Other Information    24
Item 6.   Exhibits and Reports on Form 8-K    24
    SIGNATURE    25

 

2


Table of Contents

LTX CORPORATION

 

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(In thousands)

 

     October 31,
2004


    July 31,
2004


 
     (Unaudited)        

ASSETS

                

Current assets:

                

Cash and cash equivalents

   $ 59,692     $ 95,112  

Marketable securities

     146,573       149,601  

Accounts receivable, net of allowances

     26,009       32,961  

Accounts receivable – other

     7,449       11,494  

Inventories

     40,554       69,220  

Prepaid expense

     7,423       9,828  
    


 


Total current assets

     287,700       368,216  

Property and equipment, net

     72,760       71,329  

Goodwill and other intangible assets

     15,588       15,763  

Other assets

     3,933       4,256  
    


 


Total assets

   $ 379,981     $ 459,564  
    


 


LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

                

Current liabilities:

                

Current portion of long-term debt

   $ 162     $ 321  

Accounts payable

     21,017       37,438  

Deferred revenues and customer advances

     3,087       3,520  

Deferred gain on leased equipment

     6,298       6,852  

Other accrued expenses

     26,436       27,179  
    


 


Total current liabilities

     57,000       75,310  

Long-term debt, less current portion

     150,000       150,000  

Stockholders’ equity:

                

Common stock

     3,045       3,045  

Additional paid-in capital

     555,457       555,447  

Unrealized gain (loss) on marketable securities

     284       (106 )

Accumulated deficit

     (385,805 )     (324,132 )
    


 


Total stockholders’ equity

     172,981       234,254  
    


 


Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity

   $ 379,981     $ 459,564  
    


 


 

See accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

 

3


Table of Contents

LTX CORPORATION

 

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

(Unaudited)

(In thousands, except per share data)

 

    

Three Months Ended

October 31,


 
     2004

    2003

 

Net product sales

   $ 34,743     $ 37,523  

Net service sales

     8,290       9,096  
    


 


Net sales

     43,033       46,619  

Cost of sales

     28,234       32,523  

Inventory related provision

     47,457       —    
    


 


Gross profit (loss)

     (32,658 )     14,096  

Engineering and product development expenses

     17,640       16,579  

Selling, general and administrative expenses

     7,879       6,382  

Reorganization costs

     3,115       —    
    


 


Loss from operations

     (61,292 )     (8,865 )

Other income (expense):

                

Interest expense

     (1,663 )     (1,714 )

Investment income

     1,282       773  
    


 


Net loss

   $ (61,673 )   $ (9,806 )
    


 


Net loss per share:

                

Basic

   $ (1.01 )   $ (0.19 )

Diluted

   $ (1.01 )   $ (0.19 )

Weighted-average common shares used in computing net loss per share:

                

Basic

     60,987       51,797  

Diluted

     60,987       51,797  

Comprehensive loss:

                

Net loss

   $ (61,673 )   $ (9,806 )

Unrealized gain (loss) on marketable securities

     390       (171 )
    


 


Comprehensive loss

   $ (61,283 )   $ (9,977 )
    


 


 

See accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

 

4


Table of Contents

LTX CORPORATION

 

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(Unaudited)

(In thousands)

 

    

Three Months Ended

October 31,


 
     2004

    2003

 

CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:

                

Net loss

   $ (61,673 )   $ (9,806 )

Add (deduct) non-cash items:

                

Depreciation and amortization

     3,911       4,663  

Charge for inventory related provision

     47,457       —    

Other

     (34 )     29  

(Increase) decrease in:

                

Accounts receivable

     11,102       (4,816 )

Inventories

     (18,711 )     4,181  

Prepaid expenses

     2,515       (1,083 )

Other assets

     406       559  

Increase (decrease) in:

                

Accounts payable

     (16,490 )     1,999  

Accrued expenses

     (876 )     2,232  

Deferred revenues and customer advances

     (997 )     (2,057 )
    


 


Net cash used in operating activities

     (33,390 )     (4,099 )

CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:

                

Purchases of marketable securities

     (24,718 )     (22,737 )

Proceeds from sale of marketable securities

     27,747       26,326  

Purchases of property and equipment

     (4,888 )     (3,972 )
    


 


Net cash used in investing activities

     (1,859 )     (383 )

CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:

                

Exercise of stock options

     10       1,140  

Payments of short-term notes payable, net

     (55 )     (4 )

Payments of long-term debt

     (106 )     (25 )
    


 


Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities

     (151 )     1,111  

Effect of exchange rate changes on cash

     (20 )     83  
    


 


Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents

     (35,420 )     (3,288 )

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period

     95,112       73,167  
    


 


Cash and cash equivalents at end of period

   $ 59,692     $ 69,879  
    


 


SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURES OF CASH FLOW INFORMATION:

                

Cash paid during the period for interest

   $ 1,678     $ 35  

 

See accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

 

5


Table of Contents

LTX CORPORATION

 

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(Unaudited)

 

1. THE COMPANY

 

LTX Corporation (“LTX” or the “Company”) designs, manufactures, and markets automatic semiconductor test equipment. Semiconductor designers and manufacturers worldwide use semiconductor test equipment to test devices at different stages during the manufacturing process. These devices are incorporated in a wide range of products, including mobile internet equipment such as wireless access points and interfaces, broadband access products such as cable modems and DSL modems, personal communication products such as cell phones and personal digital assistants, consumer products such as televisions, videogame systems, digital cameras and automobile electronics, and for power management in portable and automotive electronics. The Company also sells hardware and software support and maintenance services for its test systems. The Company is headquartered, and has development and manufacturing facilities, in Westwood, Massachusetts, a development facility in San Jose, California, and worldwide sales and service facilities to support its customer base.

 

2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

 

Basis of Presentation

 

The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the instructions to Form 10-Q and, accordingly, these footnotes condense or omit information and disclosures which substantially duplicate information provided in our latest audited financial statements. These financial statements should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and notes included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended July 31, 2004. In the opinion of our management, these financial statements reflect all adjustments, including normal recurring accruals, necessary for a fair presentation of the results for the interim periods presented. The operating results for the three months ended October 31, 2004 are not necessarily indicative of future trends or our results of operations for the entire year.

 

Revenue Recognition

 

The Company recognizes revenue based on guidance provided in SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 101 (SAB 101), “Revenue Recognition in Financial Statements” and SAB 104, “Revenue Recognition”. In December 2003, the SEC issued SAB 104, “Revenue Recognition”, which codifies, revises and rescinds certain sections of SAB 101. The Company recognizes revenue when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, delivery has occurred or services have been rendered, the seller’s price is fixed or determinable and collectibility is reasonably assured.

 

Revenue related to equipment sales is recognized when: (a) we have a written sales agreement; (b) delivery has occurred or services rendered; (c) the price is fixed or determinable; (d) collectibility is reasonably assured; (e) the product delivered is standard product with historically demonstrated acceptance; and (f) there is no unique customer acceptance provision or payment tied to acceptance or an undelivered element significant to the functionality of the system. Generally, payment terms are net 30 days from shipment. Certain sales include payment terms tied to customer acceptance. If a portion of the payment is linked to product acceptance, which is 20% or less, the revenue is deferred on only the percentage holdback until payment is received or written evidence of acceptance is delivered to the Company. If the portion of the holdback is greater than 20%, the full value of the equipment is deferred until payment is received or written evidence of acceptance is delivered to the Company. When sales to a customer involve multiple elements, revenue is recognized on the delivered element provided that (1) the undelivered element is a standard product, (2) there is a history of acceptance on the product with the customer, and (3) the undelivered element is not essential to the customer’s application. Revenue related to spare parts is recognized on shipment. Revenue related to maintenance and service contracts is recognized ratably over the duration of the contracts.

 

Engineering and Product Development Costs

 

The Company expenses all engineering, research and development costs as incurred. Expenses subject to capitalization in accordance with the Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (SFAS) No. 86, “Accounting for the Costs of Computer Software To Be Sold, Leased or Otherwise Marketed”, relating to certain software development costs, were insignificant.

 

6


Table of Contents

Shipping and Handling Costs

 

Shipping and handling costs are included in cost of sales in the consolidated statements of income. These costs, when included in the sales price charged for products, are recognized in net sales. Shipping and handling costs were insignificant for the three months ended October 31, 2004 and 2003.

 

Income Taxes

 

In accordance with SFAS No. 109, “Accounting for Income Taxes”, the Company recognizes deferred income taxes based on the expected future tax consequences of differences between the financial statement bases and the tax bases of assets and liabilities, calculated using enacted tax rates for the year in which the differences are expected to be reflected in the tax return. Research and development tax credits are recognized for financial reporting purposes to the extent that they can be used to reduce the tax provision.

 

Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation

 

The Company, as permitted by SFAS No. 123, “Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation”, as amended by SFAS No. 148 “Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation Transition and Disclosure” has elected to continue to apply the provisions of APB Opinion No. 25, “Accounting for Stock Issued to Employees”, and related interpretations in accounting for its employee stock option and stock purchase plans. No stock-based employee compensation is reflected in net income (loss), as all options granted under those plans had an exercise price equal to the market value of the underlying common stock on the date of grant.

 

The following table illustrates the effect on net income and earnings per share as if the Company had applied the fair value recognition provisions of SFAS No. 123 to stock-based employee compensation:

 

    

Three months ended

October 31,


 
     2004

    2003

 
     (in thousands, except per share data)  

Net loss:

                

As reported

   $ (61,673 )   $ (9,806 )

Deduct: Total stock-based employee compensation expense determined under fair value based method for all awards, net of related tax effects

     8,790       12,417  
    


 


Pro forma

   $ (70,463 )   $ (22,223 )
    


 


Net loss per share:

                

Basic

                

As reported

   $ (1.01 )   $ (0.19 )

Pro forma

   $ (1.16 )   $ (0.43 )

Diluted

                

As reported

   $ (1.01 )   $ (0.19 )

Pro forma

   $ (1.16 )   $ (0.43 )

 

The fair value of each option grant is estimated on the grant date using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model with the following weighted average assumptions:

 

     Three months ended
October 31,


 
     2004

    2003

 

Volatility

   88 %   88 %

Dividend yield

   0 %   0 %

Risk-free interest rate

   4.20 %   4.33 %

Expected life of options

   8.68 years     9.11 years  

 

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets Other Than Goodwill

 

On an on-going basis, management reviews the value and period of amortization or depreciation of long-lived assets. In accordance with SFAS No.144, “Accounting for Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets”, the Company reviews whether impairment losses exist on long-lived assets when indicators of impairment are present. During this review, the Company reevaluates the

 

7


Table of Contents

significant assumptions used in determining the original cost of long-lived assets. Although the assumptions may vary, they generally include revenue growth, operating results, cash flows and other indicators of value. Management then determines whether there has been a permanent impairment of the value of long-lived assets based upon events or circumstances that have occurred since acquisition. The extent of the impairment amount recognized is based upon a determination of the impaired asset’s fair value.

 

Product Warranty Costs

 

Our products are sold with warranty provisions that require us to remedy deficiencies in quality or performance of our products over a specified period of time at no cost to our customers. Our policy is to establish warranty reserves at levels that represent our estimate of the costs that will be incurred to fulfill those warranty requirements at the time that revenue is recognized.

 

The following table shows the change in the product warranty liability, as required by FASB Interpretation No. (FIN) 45, “Guarantor’s Accounting and Disclosure Requirements for Guarantees, Including Indirect Guarantees of Indebtedness of Others”, for the three months ended October 31, 2004 and 2003:

 

     Three Months Ended
October 31,


 

Product Warranty Activity


   2004

    2003

 
     (in thousands)  

Balance at beginning of period

   $ 4,394     $ 1,935  

Warranty expenditures for current period

     (1,885 )     (1,092 )

Changes in liability related to pre-existing warranties

     (306 )     —    

Provision for warranty costs in the period

     1,543       1,598  
    


 


Balance at end of period

   $ 3,746     $ 2,441  
    


 


 

Comprehensive Income

 

Comprehensive income is comprised of two components, net income and other comprehensive income. Other comprehensive income consists of unrealized gains and losses on the Company’s marketable securities.

 

Net Loss per Share

 

Basic net loss per share is computed by dividing net loss available to common stockholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the period. Diluted net loss per share reflects the maximum dilution that would have resulted from the assumed exercise and share repurchase related to dilutive stock options and is computed by dividing net loss by the weighted average number of common shares and all dilutive securities outstanding.

 

8


Table of Contents

Reconciliation between basic and diluted earnings per share is as follows:

 

     Three Months Ended
October 31,


 
     2004

    2003

 
     (in thousands, except per share data)  

Net loss

   $ (61,673 )   $ (9,806 )

Basic EPS

                

Basic common shares

     60,987       51,797  

Basic EPS

   $ (1.01 )   $ (0.19 )

Diluted EPS

                

Basic common shares

     60,987       51,797  

Plus: Impact of stock options

     —         —    
    


 


Diluted common shares

     60,987       51,797  

Diluted EPS

   $ (1.01 )   $ (0.19 )

 

At October 31, 2004 and 2003, options to purchase 7,645,711 shares and 4,198,078 shares of common stock, respectively, were not included in the calculation of diluted net loss per share because their inclusion would have been anti-dilutive. These options could be dilutive in the future.

 

Cash and Cash Equivalents and Marketable Securities

 

The Company considers all highly liquid investments that are readily convertible to cash and that have original maturity dates of three months or less to be cash equivalents. Investments with remaining maturities greater than three months and that mature within one year from the balance sheet date are considered to be marketable securities. Cash and cash equivalents consist primarily of repurchase agreements, commercial paper and money market funds. Marketable securities consist primarily of debt securities that are classified as available-for-sale and are reported at fair value in accordance with SFAS No. 115, “Accounting for Certain Investments in Debt and Equity Securities”. Securities available for sale include corporate and governmental obligations with various contractual maturity dates. Governmental obligations include U.S. Government, State, Municipal and Federal Agency securities.

 

Gross unrealized gains and losses for the three months ended October 31, 2004 and October 31, 2003 were not significant. The realized profits, losses and interest are included in investment income in the Statements of Operations. Unrealized gains and losses are reflected as a separate component of comprehensive income and are included in Stockholders’ Equity.

 

At October 31, 2004, cash balances of approximately $1.5 million were restricted from withdrawal. These funds primarily served as collateral supporting certain operating equipment leases.

 

Inventories

 

Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or market, determined on the first-in, first-out method, and include materials, labor and manufacturing overhead. Inventories consisted of the following at:

 

    

October 31,

2004


  

July 31,

2004


     (in thousands)

Raw materials

   $ 25,956    $ 28,088

Work-in-progress

     5,281      11,787

Finished goods

     9,317      29,345
    

  

     $ 40,554    $ 69,220
    

  

 

Our policy is to establish inventory reserves when conditions exist that suggest our inventory may be in excess of anticipated demand or is obsolete based upon our assumptions about future demand of our products or market conditions. We regularly evaluate the ability to realize the value of our inventory based on a combination of factors including the following: forecasted sales or usage, estimated product end of life dates, estimated current and future market value and new product introductions. Purchasing and alternative usage options are also explored to mitigate inventory exposure. When recorded, our reserves are intended to reduce the carrying value of our inventory to its net realizable value. Pursuant to SAB Topic 5-BB, inventory reserves establish a new cost basis for inventory. Such reserves are not reversed until the related inventory is sold or otherwise disposed of. During the quarter ended October 31, 2004, there were no reversals of reserves related to the sale of previously written down items. As of October 31, 2004, our inventory of $40.6

 

9


Table of Contents

million is stated net of inventory reserves of $129.3 million and consists of second generation Fusion products and engineering materials and less than $5 million of legacy Fusion-HF related spares to support the installed base. Of the $26.0 million comprising the raw materials inventory, $7 million consists of “last time buy” custom components for Fusion HFi and $19 million consists of raw materials for Fusion HFi and CX, which the Company believes will be consumed over the next 12 months. If actual demand for our products deteriorates or market conditions are less favorable than those that we project, additional inventory reserves may be required.

 

Property and Equipment

 

Property and equipment are summarized as follows:

 

(in thousands)

 

  

October 31,

2004


   

July 31,

2004


   

Depreciable Life

In Years


Machinery, equipment and internal manufactured systems

   $ 164,832     $ 161,922     3-7

Office furniture and equipment

     7,692       7,634     3-7

Leasehold improvements

     11,890       11,876     10 or term of lease
    


 


   
       184,414       181,432      

Less: Accumulated depreciation and amortization

     (111,654 )     (110,103 )    
    


 


   
     $ 72,760     $ 71,329      
    


 


   

 

At October 31, 2004 and July 31, 2004, included in machinery and equipment is equipment acquired under capital leases of $3.3 million and $5.7 million respectively. Accumulated amortization related to those assets was $1.4 million and $1.3 million at October 31, 2004 and July 31, 2004, respectively.

 

Goodwill and Other Intangibles

 

The Company has adopted the provisions of Statement No. 142, “Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets”, which requires that goodwill and intangible assets with indefinite useful lives are not amortized. Intangible assets with a definitive useful life are amortized over their estimated useful life. Assets recorded in these categories are tested for impairment at least annually or when a change in circumstances may result in future impairment. Intangible assets are recorded at historical cost. Intangible assets acquired in an acquisition, including purchased research and development, are recorded under the purchase method of accounting. Assets acquired in an acquisition are recorded at their estimated fair values at the date of acquisition. Management uses a discounted cash flow analysis which requires that certain assumptions and estimates be made regarding industry economic factors and future profitability of the acquired business to assess the need for an impairment charge. If the carrying value of the asset is in excess of the present value of the expected future cash flows, the carrying value is written down to fair value in the period identified.

 

Goodwill totaling $13.7 million at each of October 31, 2004 and July 31, 2004, represents the excess of acquisition costs over the estimated fair value of the net assets acquired from StepTech, Inc. on June 10, 2003.

 

Other intangible assets consisted of core technology and amounted to the following at October 31, 2004 and July 31, 2004:

 

Core Technology

(In thousands)


  

Gross

Intangible


  

Accumulated

Amortization


  

Net

Intangible Asset


  

Estimated

Useful Life


October 31, 2004

   $ 2,800    $ 875    $ 1,925    4 years

July 31, 2004

   $ 2,800    $ 700    $ 2,100    4 years

 

Amortization expense for each of the three months ended October 31, 2004 and 2003 was $175,000. The estimated aggregate amortization expense for the remainder of fiscal 2005 is $525,000 and for each of the two succeeding fiscal years is $700,000.

 

3. SEGMENT REPORTING

 

The Company operates predominantly in one industry segment: the design, manufacture and marketing of automatic test equipment for the semiconductor industry that is used to test system-on-a-chip, digital, analog and mixed signal integrated circuits.

 

10


Table of Contents

The Company’s net sales for the three months ended October 31, 2004 and 2003, along with the long-lived assets at October 31, 2004 and July 31, 2004, are summarized as follows:

 

     Three Months Ended
October 31,


     2004

   2003

     (in thousands)

Net Sales:

             

United States

   $ 9,478    $ 8,540

Singapore

     21,842      29,776

Taiwan

     3,319      1,143

Japan

     2,737      3,910

All other countries

     5,657      3,250
    

  

Total Net Sales

   $ 43,033    $ 46,619
    

  

 

    

October 31,

2004


  

July 31

2004


     (in thousands)

Long-lived Assets:

             

United States

   $ 64,436    $ 62,685

Singapore

     4,129      4,410

Taiwan

     1,654      1,502

Japan

     18      19

All other countries

     2,523      2,713
    

  

Total Net Sales

   $ 72,760    $ 71,329
    

  

 

Transfer prices on products sold to foreign subsidiaries are intended to produce profit margins that correspond to the subsidiary’s sales and support efforts.

 

4. REORGANIZATION CHARGES AND INVENTORY PROVISIONS

 

For the quarter ended October 31, 2004, the Company recorded a reorganization charge of approximately $3.1 million, of which $1.5 million consisted of severance costs relating to a worldwide workforce reduction and $1.6 million related to consolidation of the Company’s facilities in the United Kingdom. The $1.6 million non-cash reorganization charge related to the consolidation of the Company’s facilities in the United Kingdom consisted of future lease obligations net of any rental income. As previously disclosed in a current report on Form 8-K filed on September 20, 2004, the workforce reduction undertaken during the quarter eliminated 74 positions, or approximately 11% of the Company’s worldwide workforce and as a result the Company will realize an annual savings in operating expenses of approximately $8.0 million, which will be offset by approximately $2 million as a result of the removal of the salary and wage freeze imposed since 2001. The net effect of the cost reduction actions and the removal of the salary and wage freeze is an annual savings of approximately $6.0 million in operating expenses. During the first quarter of fiscal 2005, the Company’s cash expenditures related to the charges were approximately $0.7 million. At October 31, 2004, the remaining reserve was approximately $2.4 million, which consisted of $0.8 million for severance and $1.6 million for the consolidation of the Company’s facilities in the United Kingdom. The remaining severance costs from the workforce reduction will be paid during fiscal year 2005.

 

The Company reviews excess and obsolete inventory when conditions exist that suggest our inventory may be in excess of anticipated demand or is obsolete based upon our assumptions about future demand for our products or market conditions. We also evaluate our excess and obsolete inventory on a quarterly basis identifying and addressing significant events that might have an impact on inventories and related reserves. The major variables impacting inventory usage are the demand for current products, overall industry conditions, key sales initiatives and the impact that our new product introductions have on current product demand. The longer the duration of the depressed industry conditions, the greater the chance for impairment of our current products due to market and product transitions. See Note 2 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2004 under the heading “Inventories” for further discussion of the Company’s reserve policy. During the quarter ended October 31, 2004, the Company recorded a $47.5 million excess and obsolete inventory provision. Of the $47.5 million reserve charged in the quarter, approximately 90% was related to first generation Fusion and consisted of raw materials, work-in-process and finished goods. The remaining 10% was related to excess second generation Fusion products and was made to more accurately reflect the Company’s assessment of current product demand.

 

11


Table of Contents

Inventory reserves establish a new cost basis for inventory and such reserves are not reversed until the related inventory is sold or otherwise disposed of. As of October 31, 2004, our inventory of $40.6 million is net of inventory reserves of $129.3million and consists of second generation Fusion products and engineering materials, and less than $5 million of legacy Fusion HF related spares to support the installed base.

 

5. CONTINGENCIES AND GUARANTEES

 

In the ordinary course of business, we agree from time to time to indemnify certain customers against certain third party claims for property damage, bodily injury, personal injury or intellectual property infringement arising from the operation or use of our products. Also, from time to time in agreements with our suppliers, licensors and other business partners, we agree to indemnify these partners against certain liabilities arising out of the sale or use of our products. The maximum potential amount of future payments we could be required to make under these indemnification obligations is theoretically unlimited; however, we have general and umbrella insurance policies that enable us to recover a portion of any amounts paid and many of our agreements contain a limit on the maximum amount, as well as limits on the types of damages recoverable. Based on our experience with such indemnification claims, we believe the estimated fair value of these obligations is minimal. Accordingly, we have no liabilities recorded for these agreements as of October 31, 2004 or July 31, 2004.

 

Subject to certain limitations, LTX indemnifies its current and former officers and directors for certain events or occurrences. Although the maximum potential amount of future payments LTX could be required to make under these agreements is theoretically unlimited, as there were no known or pending claims, we have not accrued a liability for these agreements as of October 31, 2004 or July 31, 2004.

 

The Company has operating lease commitments for certain facilities and equipment and capital lease commitments for certain equipment. Minimum lease payments under noncancelable leases at October 31, 2004, are as follows:

 

Year ended July 31,


   (in thousands)
Amount


2005

   $ 7,793

2006

     9,560

2007

     6,609

2008

     3,121

2009

     2,033

Thereafter

     307
    

Total minimum lease payments

   $ 29,423
    

 

Item 2. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

 

Industry Conditions and Outlook

 

We sell capital equipment and services to companies that design, manufacture, assemble or test semiconductor devices. The semiconductor industry is highly cyclical, causing in turn a cyclical impact on our financial results. As a capital equipment provider, our revenue is driven by the capital expenditure budgets and spending patterns of our customers, who often delay or accelerate purchases in reaction to variations in their business. The level of capital expenditures by these semiconductor companies depends on the current and anticipated market demand for semiconductor devices and the products that incorporate them. Therefore, demand for our semiconductor test equipment is dependent on growth in the semiconductor industry. In particular, three primary characteristics of the semiconductor industry drive the demand for semiconductor test equipment:

 

  increases in volume of unit production of semiconductor devices;

 

  increases in the complexity of semiconductor devices used in electronic products; and

 

  the emergence of next generation device technologies, such as SOC.

 

The semiconductor industry is highly cyclical, causing in turn a cyclical impact on our financial results. Our operating results were negatively impacted by a severe industry-wide slowdown in the semiconductor industry, which began to affect the semiconductor test industry in fiscal 2001 and continued through our fiscal year ended July 31, 2003. However the industry entered a period of growth during our fiscal year ended July 31, 2004 and the Company’s quarterly revenues increased sequentially each quarter during the fiscal year. The period of growth was short and we experienced a sharp decline in orders in the first quarter of fiscal year 2005. We believe

 

12


Table of Contents

we are in another industry-wide slowdown. The Company’s results of operations would be further adversely affected if we were to experience lower than anticipated order levels, cancellations of orders in backlog, extended customer delivery requirements or pricing pressure as a result of this slowdown. At lower levels of revenue, there is a higher likelihood that these types of changes in our customers’ requirements would adversely affect our results of operations because in any particular quarter a limited number of transactions accounts for an even greater portion of sales for the quarter.

 

Consistent with our business strategy, we have continued to invest significant amounts in engineering and product development to develop and enhance our Fusion platform during slowdowns. We believe that our competitive advantage in the semiconductor test industry is primarily driven by the ability of our Fusion platform to meet or exceed the highest technical specifications required for the testing of the most advanced semiconductor devices in a cost-efficient manner. We believe this will continue to differentiate the Fusion platform from the product offerings of our competitors.

 

We are also exposed to the risks associated with the current emerging recovery in the U.S. and global economies. The lack of visibility regarding whether or when there will be a sustained recovery in the sale of electronic goods and information technology equipment, and uncertainty regarding the magnitude of the recovery, underscores the need for caution in predicting growth in the semiconductor test equipment industry in general and in our revenues and profits specifically. Slow or negative growth in the domestic economy may continue to materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations for the foreseeable future.

 

Critical Accounting Policies and the Use of Estimates

 

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amount of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses, and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. We base these estimates and assumptions on historical experience, and evaluate them on an on-going basis to ensure they remain reasonable under current conditions. Actual results could differ from those estimates. We discuss the development and selection of the critical accounting estimates with the audit committee of our board of directors on a quarterly basis, and the audit committee has reviewed the Company’s critical accounting estimates as described in Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2004. For the three months ended October 31, 2004, there have been no changes to these critical accounting policies.

 

Results of Operations

 

The following table sets forth for the periods indicated the principal items included in the Consolidated Statement of Operations as percentages of net sales.

 

     Percentage of Net Sales

 
    

Three Months Ended

October 31,


 
     2004

    2003

 

Net Sales

   100.0 %   100.0 %

Cost of Sales

   65.6     69.8  

Inventory related provision

   110.3     —    
    

 

Gross profit (loss)

   (75.9 )   30.2  

Engineering and product development expenses

   41.0     35.5  

Selling, general and administrative expenses

   18.3     13.7  

Reorganization costs

   7.2     —    
    

 

Loss from operations

   (142.4 )   (19.0 )

Other income (expense):

            

Interest expense

   (3.9 )   (3.7 )

Investment income

   3.0     1.7  
    

 

Net loss

   (143.3 )%   (21.0 )%
    

 

 

The discussion below contains certain forward-looking statements relating to, among other things, estimates of economic and industry conditions, sales trends, expense levels and capital expenditures. Actual results may vary from those contained in such forward-looking statements. See “Business Risks” below.

 

Three Months Ended October 31, 2004 Compared to the Three Months Ended October 31, 2003.

 

Net sales. Net sales consist of both semiconductor test equipment and related hardware and software support and maintenance services, net of returns and allowances. Net sales for the three months ended October 31, 2004 decreased 7.7% to $43.0 million as

 

13


Table of Contents

compared to $46.6 million in the same quarter of the prior year. Net sales also decreased quarter over quarter, decreasing by 46.5% or $37.4 million, from the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2004. The decrease in net sales is primarily a result of sluggish demand for semiconductors resulting in reduced demand for semiconductor test equipment. Our sales orders began to decline in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2004 and have continued to remain at low levels in the first quarter of fiscal year 2005. Service revenue accounted for $8.3 million, or 19.3% of net sales, and $9.1 million, or 19.5% of net sales, for the three months ended October 31, 2004 and 2003, respectively. Geographically, sales to customers outside of the United States were 78.0% and 81.7% of net sales for the three months ended October 31, 2004 and October 31, 2003, respectively.

 

Gross Profit Margin; Inventory Related Provision. The gross profit margin was 34.4% of net sales in the three months ended October 31, 2004 (excluding the $47.5 million inventory related provision), as compared to 30.2% of net sales in the same quarter of the prior year. The increase in gross profit margin is primarily a result of changes in product mix as the Company transitions to its second generation products, which have higher profit margins.

 

The Company reviews excess and obsolete inventory when conditions exist that suggest our inventory may be in excess of anticipated demand or is obsolete based upon our assumptions about future demand for our products or market conditions. We also evaluate our excess and obsolete inventory on a quarterly basis identifying and addressing significant events that might have an impact on inventories and related reserves. The major variables impacting inventory usage are the demand for current products, overall industry conditions, key sales initiatives and the impact that our new product introductions have on current product demand. The longer the duration of the depressed industry conditions, the greater the chance for impairment of our current products due to market and product transitions. See Note 2 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2004 under the heading “Inventories” for further discussion of the Company’s reserve policy. The impact to the Company of any industry slowdown is exacerbated by the fact that the semiconductor industry is highly concentrated, and a small number of device manufacturers and contract assemblers account for a substantial portion of the purchases of semiconductor test equipment, including the Company’s equipment. Sales to our ten largest customers accounted for 89.2% of revenues for the three months ended October 31, 2004 and 92.7% for the three months ended October 31, 2003, and, therefore, reduced sales from any one of our customers could have a significant affect on our sales. In the first quarter of fiscal 2005, our major customers reduced their forecasts for capital equipment purchases, which resulted in a sudden and substantial drop in revenues and orders for the Company. As a result of the shorter than expected upturn in business conditions in fiscal 2004, and the completion of the Company’s transition to its second generation Fusion, we deemed it appropriate to make an adjustment to our inventory and recorded a $47.5 million excess and obsolete inventory provision. Of the $47.5 million reserve, approximately 90% was related to first generation Fusion and consisted of raw materials, work-in-process and finished goods. The remaining 10% was related to excess second generation Fusion products and was made to more accurately reflect the Company’s assessment of current product demand.

 

Inventory reserves establish a new cost basis for inventory and such reserves are not reversed until the related inventory is sold or otherwise disposed of. As of October 31, 2004, our inventory of $40.6 million is net of inventory reserves of $129.3million and consists of second generation Fusion products and engineering materials, and less than $5 million of legacy Fusion HF related spares to support the installed base.

 

Engineering and Product Development Expenses. Engineering and product development expenses were $17.6 million, or 41.0% of net sales, in the three months ended October 31, 2004, as compared to $16.6 million, or 35.5% of net sales, in the same quarter of the prior year. The $1.0 million increase in engineering and product development expenses for the three months ended October 31, 2004 as compared to October 31, 2003 is principally a result of an increase in non-recurring engineering charges to support new applications related to new product sale initiatives. Consistent with the Company’s strategy of extending our technological lead in single platform testing during an industry downturn, we continue to maintain a significant investment in product development expenses to support new product features and emerging applications.

 

Selling, General and Administrative Expenses. Selling, general and administrative expenses were $7.9 million, or 18.3% of net sales, in the three months ended October 31, 2004, as compared to $6.4 million, or 13.7% of net sales, in the same quarter of the prior year, an increase of $1.5 million, or a 4.6% increase in the expense as a percentage of net sales. The increase in selling, general and administrative expenses for the three months ended October 31, 2004 was a result of an increase of 11 employees in our sales and marketing staff to support new products and marketing programs, higher commission expense due to product mix incentives and increased travel expenses to support new account wins.

 

Reorganization Costs. For the quarter ended October 31, 2004, the Company recorded a reorganization charge of approximately $3.1 million, of which $1.5 million consisted of severance costs relating to a worldwide workforce reduction and $1.6 related to consolidation of the Company’s facilities in the United Kingdom. The $1.6 million non-cash reorganization charge related to the consolidation of the Company’s facilities in the United Kingdom consisted of future lease obligations net any rental income. As previously disclosed in a current report on Form 8-K filed on September 20, 2004, the workforce reduction undertaken during the quarter eliminated 74 positions, or approximately 11% of the Company’s worldwide workforce. As a result of these actions, the Company will realize an annual savings in operating expenses of approximately $8.0 million, which will be offset by approximately

 

14


Table of Contents

$2 million as a result of the removal of the salary and wage freeze imposed since 2001. The net effect of the cost reduction actions and the removal of the salary and wage freeze is an annual savings of approximately $6.0 million in operating expenses. During the first quarter of fiscal 2005, the Company’s cash expenditures related to the charges were approximately $0.7 million. At October 31, 2004, the remaining reserve was approximately $2.4 million, which consisted of $0.8 million for severance and $1.6 million for the consolidation of the Company’s facilities in the United Kingdom. The remaining severance costs from the workforce reduction will be paid during fiscal year 2005.

 

Interest Expense. Interest expense was $1.7 million for each of the three months ended October 31, 2004 and October 31, 2003. Approximately $1.6 million of accrued expense for each of the three months ended October 31, 2004 and October 31, 2003 is the accrued interest expense for the 4.25% convertible subordinated notes.

 

Investment Income. Investment income was $1.3 million for the three months ended October 31, 2004, as compared to $0.8 million for the three months ended October 31, 2003. Investment income was higher in the three months ended October 31, 2004 than the same period of the prior year as a result of higher average cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities balances and improving interest rates.

 

Income Tax. For the three months ended October 31, 2004, the Company recorded no income tax benefit due to the uncertainty related to utilization of net operating loss carryforwards. As a result of a review undertaken at October 31, 2004 and our cumulative loss position at that date, management concluded that it was appropriate to maintain a full valuation allowance for its operating loss carryforwards and its other net deferred tax assets. The Company recorded a $24.7 million tax benefit for the quarter ended October 31, 2004.

 

Net Loss. Net loss was $61.7 million, or $1.01 per diluted share, in the three months ended October 31, 2004, as compared to a net loss of $9.8 million, or $0.19 per diluted share, in the same quarter of the prior year.

 

Liquidity and Capital Resources

 

At October 31, 2004, the Company had $206.3 million in cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities and working capital of $230.7 million, as compared to $244.7 million of cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities and $292.9 million of working capital at July 31, 2004. The decrease in the cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities was due primarily to cash used in operations of $33.4 million and cash used in capital purchases of $4.9 million. Cash used in operations consisted of a $26.2 million increase in working capital related to purchases of materials to support a higher level of sales and a $7.2 million loss before depreciation, excluding the inventory related provision and reorganization charge.

 

Accounts receivable from trade customers was $26.0 million at October 31, 2004, as compared to $33.0 million at July 31, 2004. The principal reason for the $7.0 million decrease in accounts receivable is a result of decreased sales. The allowance for sales returns and doubtful accounts was $2.0 million, or 7.2% of gross trade accounts receivable, at October 31, 2004 and $2.0 million, or 5.8% of gross trade accounts receivable at July 31, 2004. Accounts receivable from other sources decreased $4.0 million to $7.5 million at October 31, 2004, as compared to $11.5 million at July 31, 2004. The decrease was attributed to the decrease in the sale of component inventory at cost to our outsource suppliers.

 

Net inventories decreased by $28.6 million to $40.6 million at October 31, 2004 as compared to $69.2 million at July 31, 2004. The decrease was primarily the result of an inventory related provision of $47.5 million recorded in our first quarter ended October 31, 2004. Offsetting the charge of $47.5 million to the excess reserve was an increase in inventories to support Fusion HFi and CX of $18.9 million. Of the $18.9 million, $1.8 million consisted of deposits previously made to suppliers of critical components to ensure delivery and $17.1 million consisted of new inventory purchases. The $18.9 million increase in inventory was a result of the sudden and substantial drop in revenue in the first quarter of fiscal 2005 compared to revenue in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2004, which created an excess of Fusion HFi and Fusion CX inventories. The Company expects to consume this inventory within the next 12 months.

 

Prepaid expense decreased by $2.4 million to $7.4 million at October 31, 2004 as compared to $9.8 million at July 31, 2004. The decrease was attributed to the receipt of inventory against prepayments and amortization of prepaid insurance premiums and maintenance contract prepayments, which amounted to $0.5 million. Inventory related deposits were $0.2 million at October 31, 2004 and $2.0 million at July 31, 2004.

 

Capital expenditures totaled $4.9 million for the three months ended October 31, 2004, as compared to $4.0 million for the three months ended October 31, 2003. The principal reason for the $0.9 million increase in expenditures is attributed to the purchase of additional capital equipment to support increased applications development, and increased levels of spare parts to support our two new products, Fusion HFi and Fusion CX.

 

During the quarter ended October 31, 2003, we renegotiated our domestic credit facility with our existing lender. The facility is comprised of a working capital line of $30.0 million, which is secured by all assets and bears interest at the bank’s prime rate. The

 

15


Table of Contents

working capital line is used to support working capital obligations, issuance of standby letters of credit, and foreign exchange transactions and to support the purchase of fixed assets. The facility imposes certain financial and other covenants. This credit facility expired on November 15, 2004. The Company has a second credit facility with another lender for a revolving credit line of $20.0 million. This facility is secured by cash and bears interest (at our option) at either: (i) the greater of the federal funds rate plus 0.5% or the bank’s prime rate, in each case, minus 1.0% or (ii) LIBOR plus 0.4%. This facility expires on July 23, 2005. No amounts were outstanding under these credit facilities at October 31, 2004.

 

In January 2004, we filed a shelf registration statement on Form S-3 to register up to $250 million of common stock, debt securities and warrants. On February 19, 2004, we closed an offering made pursuant to the registration statement relating to the sale of 8,050,000 shares of our common stock at $16.50 per share. The offering included 1,050,010 shares sold as a result of the exercise, in full, by the underwriters of their option to purchase additional shares of common stock. Gross proceeds from the stock offering totaled approximately $132.8 million. Proceeds to LTX, net of $6.3 million in underwriters’ commissions and discounts and other expenses, totaled approximately $126.5 million.

 

The Company operates in a highly cyclical industry and we may experience, with relatively short notice, significant fluctuations in demand for our products. This could result in a material effect on our liquidity position. To mitigate the risk, we have completed a substantial and lengthy process of converting our manufacturing process to an outsource model. As such, we believe we can react to a downturn or a significant upturn much faster than in the past. We believe that our balances of cash and cash equivalents, cash flows expected to be generated by future operating activities, our ready access to capital markets for competitively priced instruments and funds available under our credit facilities will be sufficient to meet our cash requirements over the next twelve to twenty-four months.

 

Commitments and Contingencies

 

Our major outstanding contractual obligations are related to our convertible subordinated notes, facilities leases and other capital and operating leases. The Company has 4.25% convertible subordinated notes due in 2006. Interest on the notes is payable on February 15 and August 15 of each year, commencing February 15, 2002. The outstanding principal of the notes was $150.0 million as of October 31, 2004.

 

The aggregate outstanding amount of the contractual obligations is $192.3 million as of October 31, 2004. These obligations and commitments represent maximum payments based on current operating forecasts. Certain of the commitments could be reduced if changes to our operating forecasts occur in the future.

 

The following summarizes LTX’s contractual obligations, net of sub-lease revenue, at October 31, 2004 and the effect such obligations are expected to have on its liquidity and cash flow in the future periods:

 

     Payments Due by Period (in thousands)

Financial Obligations


   Total

   Remainder
of 2005


   2006 –2007

   2008 –2009

   Thereafter

Convertible Subordinated Notes

   $ 162,750    $ 6,375    $ 156,375    $ —      $  —  

Operating Leases

     29,423      7,793      16,169      5,154      307

Capital Leases

     169      169      —        —        —  
    

  

  

  

  

Total Contractual Obligations

   $ 192,342    $ 14,337    $ 172,544    $ 5,154    $ 307
    

  

  

  

  

 

BUSINESS RISKS

 

This report includes or incorporates forward-looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties and fall within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. You can identify these forward-looking statements by our use of the words “believes,” “anticipates,” “plans,” “expects,” “may,” “will,” “would,” “intends,” “estimates,” and similar expressions, whether in the negative or affirmative. We cannot guarantee that we actually will achieve these plans, intentions or expectations. Actual results or events could differ materially from the plans, intentions and expectations disclosed in the forward-looking statements we make. We have included important factors in the cautionary statements, particularly under the heading “Business Risks,” that we believe could cause our actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements that we make. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statement we make.

 

Our sole market is the highly cyclical semiconductor industry, which causes a cyclical impact on our financial results.

 

We sell capital equipment to companies that design, manufacture, assemble, and test semiconductor devices. The semiconductor industry is highly cyclical, causing in turn a cyclical impact on our financial results. Our recent operating results have been negatively impacted by an industry-wide slowdown in the semiconductor industry which began to impact us in the latter half of the fourth quarter of fiscal 2004. Any failure to expand in cycle upturns to meet customer demand and delivery requirements or contract in cycle downturns at a pace consistent with cycles in the industry could have an adverse effect on our business.

 

16


Table of Contents

Any significant downturn in the markets for our customers’ semiconductor devices or in general economic conditions would likely result in a reduction in demand for our products and would hurt our business. From the third quarter of fiscal 2001 through the end of the first quarter of fiscal 2004, our revenue and operating results were negatively impacted by a sudden and severe downturn in the semiconductor industry. Downturns in the semiconductor test equipment industry have been characterized by diminished product demand, excess production capacity, accelerated erosion of selling prices and excessive inventory levels. We believe the markets for newer generations of devices, including system-on-a-chip (“SOC”), will also experience similar characteristics. Our market is also characterized by rapid technological change and changes in customer demand. In the past, we have experienced delays in commitments, delays in collecting accounts receivable and significant declines in demand for our products during these downturns, and we cannot be certain that we will be able to maintain or exceed our current level of sales.

 

Additionally, as a capital equipment provider, our revenue is driven by the capital expenditure budgets and spending patterns of our customers who often delay or accelerate purchases in reaction to variations in their businesses. Because a high proportion of our costs are fixed, we are limited in our ability to reduce expenses and inventory purchases quickly in response to decreases in orders and revenues. In a contraction, we may not be able to reduce our significant fixed costs, such as continued investment in research and development and capital equipment requirements and materials purchases from our suppliers.

 

The market for semiconductor test equipment is highly concentrated, and we have limited opportunities to sell our products.

 

The semiconductor industry is highly concentrated, and a small number of semiconductor device manufacturers and contract assemblers account for a substantial portion of the purchases of semiconductor test equipment generally, including our test equipment. Sales to Texas Instruments accounted for 58% of our net sales in fiscal 2004 and for 58% of our net sales in fiscal 2003. Sales to our ten largest customers accounted for 89.2% of revenues for the three months ended October 31, 2004 and 92.7% in the same three months for the prior year. Our customers may cancel orders with few or no penalties. If a major customer reduces orders for any reason, our revenues, operating results, and financial condition will be hurt.

 

Our ability to increase our sales will depend in part upon our ability to obtain orders from new customers. Semiconductor manufacturers select a particular vendor’s test system for testing the manufacturer’s new generations of devices and make substantial investments to develop related test program software and interfaces. Once a manufacturer has selected one test system vendor for a generation of devices, that manufacturer is more likely to purchase test systems from that vendor for that generation of devices, and, possibly, subsequent generations of devices as well. Therefore, the opportunities to obtain orders from new customers may be limited.

 

Our sales and operating results have fluctuated significantly from period to period, including from one quarter to another, and they may continue to do so.

 

Our quarterly and annual operating results are affected by a wide variety of factors that could adversely affect sales or profitability or lead to significant variability in our operating results or our stock price. This may be caused by a combination of factors, including the following:

 

  sales of a limited number of test systems account for a substantial portion of our net sales in any particular fiscal quarter, and a small number of transactions could therefore have a significant impact;

 

  order cancellations by customers;

 

  lower gross margins in any particular period due to changes in:

 

  our product mix,

 

  the configurations of test systems sold,

 

  the customers to whom we sell these systems, or

 

  volume.

 

  a long sales cycle, due to the high selling price of our test systems, the significant investment made by our customers, and the time required to incorporate our systems into our customers’ design or manufacturing process; and

 

17


Table of Contents
  changes in the timing of product orders due to:

 

  unexpected delays in the introduction of products by our customers,

 

  shorter than expected lifecycles of our customers’ semiconductor devices,

 

  uncertain market acceptance of products developed by our customers, or

 

  our own research and development.

 

We cannot predict the impact of these and other factors on our sales and operating results in any future period. Results of operations in any period, therefore, should not be considered indicative of the results to be expected for any future period. Because of this difficulty in predicting future performance, our operating results may fall below expectations of securities analysts or investors in some future quarter or quarters. Our failure to meet these expectations would likely adversely affect the market price of our common stock.

 

A substantial amount of the shipments of our test systems for a particular quarter occur late in the quarter. Our shipment pattern exposes us to significant risks in the event of problems during the complex process of final integration, test and acceptance prior to shipment. If we were to experience problems of this type late in our quarter, shipments could be delayed and our operating results could fall below expectations.

 

We depend on Jabil Circuit to produce and test our family of Fusion products, and any failures or other problems at or with Jabil could cause us to lose customers and revenues.

 

We have selected Jabil Circuit, Inc. to manufacture our Fusion test systems. If for any reason Jabil cannot provide us with these products and services in a timely fashion, or at all, whether due to labor shortage, slow down or stoppage, deteriorating financial or business conditions or any other reason, we would not be able to sell or ship our Fusion family of products to our customers. All of the products Jabil tests and assembles for us are assembled in one facility in Massachusetts. If this facility were to become unable to meet our production requirements, transitioning assembly to an alternative Jabil facility could result it production delays of several weeks or more. We have no written supply agreement with Jabil. We also may be unable to engage alternative production and testing services on a timely basis or upon terms favorable to us, if at all. This relationship with Jabil may not result in a reduction of our fixed expenses.

 

We also may be unable to engage alternative production and testing services on a timely basis or upon terms favorable to us, if at all. If we are required for any reason to seek a new manufacturer of our test systems, an alternate manufacturer may not be available and, in any event, transitioning to a new manufacturer would require a significant lead time of six months or more and would involve substantial expense and disruption of our business. Our test systems are highly sophisticated and complex capital equipment, with many custom components, and require specific technical know-how and expertise. These factors could make it more difficult for us to find a new manufacturer of our test systems if our relationship with Jabil is terminated for any reason, which would cause us to lose revenues and customers.

 

Future acquisitions may be difficult to integrate, disrupt our business, dilute stockholder value or divert management attention.

 

We have in the past, and may in the future, seek to acquire or invest in additional complementary businesses, products, technologies or engineers. For example, in June 2003, we completed our acquisition of StepTech, Inc. We may have to issue debt or equity securities to pay for future acquisitions, which could be dilutive to then current stockholders. We have also incurred and may continue to incur certain liabilities or other expenses in connection with acquisitions, which could continue to materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

Mergers and acquisitions of high-technology companies are inherently risky, and no assurance can be given that future acquisitions will be successful and will not materially adversely affect our business, operating results or financial condition. Our past and future acquisitions may involve many risks, including:

 

  difficulties in managing our growth following acquisitions;

 

  difficulties in the integration of the acquired personnel, operations, technologies, products and systems of the acquired companies;

 

  uncertainties concerning the intellectual property rights we purport to acquire;

 

  unanticipated costs or liabilities associated with the acquisitions;

 

18


Table of Contents
  diversion of managements’ attention from other business concerns;

 

  adverse effects on our existing business relationships with our or our acquired companies’ customers;

 

  potential difficulties in completing projects associated with purchased in process research and development; and

 

  inability to retain employees of acquired companies.

 

Any of the events described in the foregoing paragraphs could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations and could cause the price of our common stock to decline.

 

Our dependence on subcontractors and sole source suppliers may prevent us from delivering an acceptable product on a timely basis.

 

We rely on subcontractors to manufacture Fusion and many of the components and subassemblies for our products, and we rely on sole source suppliers for certain components. We may be required to qualify new or additional subcontractors and suppliers due to capacity constraints, competitive or quality concerns or other risks that may arise, including a result of a change in control of, or deterioration in the financial condition of, a supplier or subcontractor. The process of qualifying subcontractors and suppliers is a lengthy process. Our reliance on subcontractors gives us less control over the manufacturing process and exposes us to significant risks, especially inadequate capacity, late delivery, substandard quality, and high costs. In addition, the manufacture of certain of these components and subassemblies is an extremely complex process. If a supplier became unable to provide parts in the volumes needed or at an acceptable price, we would have to identify and qualify acceptable replacements from alternative sources of supply, or manufacture such components internally. The failure to qualify acceptable replacements quickly would delay the manufactured deliver of our products, which could cause us to lose revenues and customers.

 

We are dependent on two semiconductor device manufacturers, Vitesse Semiconductor and Maxtech Components. Each is a sole source supplier of components manufactured in accordance with our proprietary design and specifications. We have no written supply agreements with these sole source suppliers and purchase our custom components through individual purchase orders. Vitesse Semiconductor is also a Fusion customer.

 

We may not be able to deliver custom hardware options and software applications to satisfy specific customer needs in a timely manner.

 

We must develop and deliver customized hardware and software to meet our customers’ specific test requirements. Our test equipment may fail to meet our customers’ technical or cost requirements and may be replaced by competitive equipment or an alternative technology solution. Our inability to provide a test system that meets requested performance criteria when required by a device manufacturer would severely damage our reputation with that customer. This loss of reputation may make it substantially more difficult for us to sell test systems to that manufacturer for a number of years. We have, in the past, experienced delays in introducing some of our products and enhancements.

 

Our dependence on international sales and non-U.S. suppliers involves significant risk.

 

International sales have constituted a significant portion of our revenues in recent years, and we expect that this composition will continue. International sales accounted for 78% of our revenues for the three months ended October 31, 2004 and 82% of our revenue for the three months ended October 31, 2003. In addition, we rely on non-U.S. suppliers for several components of the equipment we sell. As a result, a major part of our revenues and the ability to manufacture our products are subject to the risks associated with international commerce. A reduction in revenues or a disruption or increase in the cost of our manufacturing materials could hurt our operating results. These international relationships make us particularly sensitive to changes in the countries from which we derive sales and obtain supplies. International sales and our relationships with suppliers may be hurt by many factors, including:

 

  changes in law or policy resulting in burdensome government controls, tariffs, restrictions, embargoes or export license requirements;

 

  political and economic instability in our target international markets;

 

  longer payment cycles common in foreign markets;

 

  difficulties of staffing and managing our international operations;

 

19


Table of Contents
  less favorable foreign intellectual property laws making it harder to protect our technology from appropriation by competitors; and

 

  difficulties collecting our accounts receivable because of the distance and different legal rules.

 

In the past, we have incurred expenses to meet new regulatory requirements in Europe, experienced periodic difficulties in obtaining timely payment from non-U.S. customers, and been affected by the recession in several Asian countries. Our foreign sales are typically invoiced and collected in U.S. dollars. A strengthening in the dollar relative to the currencies of those countries where we do business would increase the prices of our products as stated in those currencies and could hurt our sales in those countries. Significant fluctuations in the exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and foreign currencies could cause us to lower our prices and thus reduce our profitability. These fluctuations could also cause prospective customers to push out or delay orders because of the increased relative cost of our products. In the past, there have been significant fluctuations in the exchange rates between the dollar and the currencies of countries in which we do business. While we have not entered into significant foreign currency hedging arrangements, we may do so in the future. If we do enter into foreign currency hedging arrangements, they may not be effective.

 

Our market is highly competitive, and we have limited resources to compete.

 

The test equipment industry is highly competitive in all areas of the world. Many other domestic and foreign companies participate in the markets for each of our products, and the industry is highly competitive. Our competitors in the market for semiconductor test equipment include Agilent Technologies, Credence Systems, and Teradyne. These major competitors have substantially greater financial resources and more extensive engineering, manufacturing, marketing, and customer support capabilities.

 

We expect our competitors to enhance their current products and to introduce new products with comparable or better price and performance. The introduction of competing products could hurt sales of our current and future products. In addition, new competitors, including semiconductor manufacturers themselves, may offer new testing technologies, which may in turn reduce the value of our product lines. Increased competition could lead to intensified price-based competition, which would hurt our business and results of operations. Unless we are able to invest significant financial resources in developing products and maintaining customer support centers worldwide, we may not be able to compete effectively.

 

Development of our products requires significant lead-time, and we may fail to correctly anticipate the technical needs of our customers.

 

Our customers make decisions regarding purchases of our test equipment while their devices are still in development. Our test systems are used by our customers to develop, test and manufacture their new devices. We therefore must anticipate industry trends and develop products in advance of the commercialization of our customers’ devices, requiring us to make significant capital investments to develop new test equipment for our customers well before their devices are introduced. If our customers fail to introduce their devices in a timely manner or the market does not accept their devices, we may not recover our capital investment through sales in significant volume. In addition, even if we are able to successfully develop enhancements or new generations of our products, these enhancements or new generations of products may not generate revenue in excess of the costs of development, and they may be quickly rendered obsolete by changing customer preferences or the introduction of products embodying new technologies or features by our competitors. Furthermore, if we were to make announcements of product delays, or if our competitors were to make announcements of new test systems, these announcements could cause our customers to defer or forego purchases of our existing test systems, which would also hurt our business.

 

Our success depends on attracting and retaining key personnel.

 

Our success will depend substantially upon the continued service of our executive officers and key personnel, none of whom are bound by an employment or non-competition agreement. Our success will depend on our ability to attract and retain highly qualified managers and technical, engineering, marketing, sales and support personnel. Competition for such specialized personnel is intense, and it may become more difficult for us to hire or retain them. Our volatile business cycles only aggravate this problem. Our layoffs in any industry downturn could make it more difficult for us to hire or retain qualified personnel. Our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected by the loss of any of our key employees, by the failure of any key employee to perform in his or her current positions, or by our inability to attract and retain skilled employees.

 

We may not be able to protect our intellectual property rights.

 

Our success depends in part on our ability to obtain intellectual property rights and licenses and to preserve other intellectual property rights covering our products and development and testing tools. To that end, we have obtained certain domestic patents and may continue to seek patents on our inventions when appropriate. We have also obtained certain trademark registrations. To date, we have not sought patent protection in any countries other than the United States, which may impair our ability to protect our intellectual property in foreign jurisdictions. The process of seeking intellectual property protection can be time consuming and expensive. We cannot ensure that:

 

  patents will issue from currently pending or future applications;

 

20


Table of Contents
  our existing patents or any new patents will be sufficient in scope or strength to provide meaningful protection or any commercial advantage to us;

 

  foreign intellectual property laws will protect our intellectual property rights; or

 

  others will not independently develop similar products, duplicate our products or design around our technology.

 

If we do not successfully enforce our intellectual property rights, our competitive position could suffer, which could harm our operating results. We also rely on trade secrets, proprietary know-how and confidentiality provisions in agreements with employees and consultants to protect our intellectual property. Other parties may not comply with the terms of their agreements with us, and we may not be able to adequately enforce our rights against these people.

 

Third parties may claim we are infringing their intellectual property, and we could suffer significant litigation costs, licensing expenses or be prevented from selling our products.

 

Intellectual property rights are uncertain and involve complex legal and factual questions. We may be unknowingly infringing on the intellectual property rights of others and may be liable for that infringement, which could result in significant liability for us. If we do infringe the intellectual property rights of others, we could be forced to either seek a license to intellectual property rights of others or alter our products so that they no longer infringe the intellectual property rights of others. A license could be very expensive to obtain or may not be available at all. Similarly, changing our products or processes to avoid infringing the rights of others may be costly or impractical.

 

We are responsible for any patent litigation costs. If we were to become involved in a dispute regarding intellectual property, whether ours or that of another company, we may have to participate in legal proceedings. These types of proceedings may be costly and time consuming for us, even if we eventually prevail. If we do not prevail, we might be forced to pay significant damages, obtain licenses, modify our products or processes, stop making products or stop using processes.

 

Our stock price is volatile.

 

In the twelve-month period ending on October 31, 2004, our stock price ranged from a low of $4.99 to a high of $19.83. The price of our common stock has been and likely will continue to be subject to wide fluctuations in response to a number of events and factors, such as:

 

  quarterly variations in operating results;

 

  variances of our quarterly results of operations from securities analyst estimates;

 

  changes in financial estimates and recommendations by securities analysts;

 

  announcements of technological innovations, new products, or strategic alliances; and

 

  news reports relating to trends in our markets.

 

In addition, the stock market in general, and the market prices for semiconductor-related companies in particular, have experienced significant price and volume fluctuations that often have been unrelated to the operating performance of the companies affected by these fluctuations. These broad market fluctuations may adversely affect the market price of our common stock, regardless of our operating performance.

 

We have substantial indebtedness.

 

We have $150 million principal amount of 4.25% Convertible Subordinated Notes (the “Notes”) due 2006. We may incur substantial additional indebtedness in the future. The level of indebtedness, among other things, could

 

  make it difficult for us to make payments on our debt and other obligations;

 

21


Table of Contents
  make it difficult for us to obtain any necessary future financing for working capital, capital expenditures, debt service requirements or other purposes;

 

  require the dedication of a substantial portion of any cash flow from operations to service for indebtedness, thereby reducing the amount of cash flow available for other purposes, including capital expenditures;

 

  limit our flexibility in planning for, or reacting to changes in, its business and the industries in which we compete;

 

  place us at a possible competitive disadvantage with respect to less leveraged competitors and competitors that have better access to capital resource; and

 

  make us more vulnerable in the event of a further downturn in our business.

 

There can be no assurance that we will be able to meet our debt service obligations, including our obligations under the Notes.

 

We may not be able to satisfy a change in control offer.

 

The indenture governing the Notes contains provisions that apply to a change in control of LTX. If someone triggers a fundamental change as defined in the indenture, we may be required to offer to purchase the Notes with cash. If we have to make that offer, we cannot be sure that we will have enough funds to pay for all the Notes that the holders could tender.

 

We may not be able to pay our debt and other obligations.

 

If our cash flow is inadequate to meet our obligations, we could face substantial liquidity problems. In particular, our 4.25% convertible notes mature in August 2006. Our line of credit and credit facility mature on an annual basis and will expire in November 2004 and July 2005, respectively, if not renewed by us and the issuing bank. If we are unable to generate sufficient cash flow or otherwise obtain funds necessary to make required payment of our 4.25% convertible notes, or certain or our other obligations, we would be in default under the terms thereof, which could permit the holders of those obligations to accelerate their maturity and also could cause default under future indebtedness we may incur. Any such default could have material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial position and operating results. In addition, we may not be able to repay amounts due in respect of our 4.25% convertible notes if payment of those obligations were to be accelerated following the occurrence of any other event of default as defined in the instruments creating those obligations. Moreover, we may not have sufficient funds or be able to arrange for financing to pay the principal amount of our 4.25% convertible notes at their maturity.

 

We may need additional financing, which could be difficult to obtain.

 

We expect that our existing cash and marketable securities, and borrowings from available bank financings, will be sufficient to meet our cash requirements to fund operations and expected capital expenditures for the foreseeable future. In the event, we may need to raise additional funds, we cannot be certain that we will be able to obtain such additional financing on favorable terms if at all. Further, if we issue additional equity securities, stockholders may experience additional dilution or the new equity securities may have rights, preferences or privileges senior to those of existing holders of common stock. Future financings may place restrictions on how we operate our business. If we cannot raise funds on acceptable terms, if and when needed, we may not be able to develop or enhance our products and services, take advantage of future opportunities, grow our business or respond to competitive pressures, which could seriously harm our business.

 

Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

 

There has been no material change in the Company’s Market Risk exposure since the filing of the 2004 Annual Report on Form 10-K.

 

Item 4. Controls and Procedures

 

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures. Based on the evaluation by management, with the participation of the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) as of the end of the period covered by this quarterly report on Form 10-Q, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have concluded that the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures (1) were designed to ensure that material information relating to the Company, including its consolidated subsidiaries, was made known to them by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report was being prepared and (2) effective, in that they provide reasonable assurance that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act, including information regarding its consolidated subsidiaries, is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified by the SEC.

 

22


Table of Contents

Changes in Internal Controls. No change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act) occurred during the fiscal quarter ended October 31, 2004 that has materially affected or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

Limitations on the Effectiveness of Controls

 

The Company’s management, including the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, does not expect that the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures or the Company’s internal controls can prevent all error and all fraud. A control system, no matter how well conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the control system are met. Further, the design of a control system must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints, and the benefits of controls must be considered relative to their costs. The inherent limitations in all control systems include the realities that judgments in decision-making can be faulty and that breakdowns can occur because of simple error or mistake. Additionally, controls can be circumvented by the individual acts of some persons or by collusion of two or more people. Because of the inherent limitations in a cost-effective control system, misstatements due to error or fraud may occur and not be detected.

 

PART II - OTHER INFORMATION

 

Item 4. Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders

 

  (a) The Company held its Annual Meeting of Stockholders on December 8, 2004.

 

  (b) Stockholders elected Messrs. Mark S. Ain and Samuel Rubinovitz as Class III Directors to serve additional terms of three years. Messrs. Richard S. Hill, Stephen M. Jennings and Robert E. Moore continued to serve as Class I Directors, with their terms of office expiring at the 2005 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. Messrs. Roger W. Blethen, Robert J. Boehlke and Roger J. Maggs continued to serve as Class II Directors, with their terms of office expiring at the 2006 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.

 

  (c) Matters voted upon and the results of the voting were are follows:

 

  i. Stockholders voted 49,372,190 shares FOR and 6,381,544 shares WITHHELD from the election of Mark S. Ain as a Class III Director. Stockholders voted 51,670,948 shares FOR and 4,082,786 shares WITHHELD from the election of Samuel Rubinovitz as a Class III Director.

 

  ii. Stockholders voted 24,680,283 shares FOR, 14,907,793 AGAINST and 104,643 shares ABSTAINED regarding the vote to approve the LTX Corporation 2004 Stock Plan.

 

23


Table of Contents

Item 5. Other Information

 

(a) The 2004 Stock Plan was approved by the stockholders of the Company on December 8, 2004. A description of the 2004 Stock Plan, along with a copy thereof, was included in the Company’s Proxy Statement dated November 5, 2004 furnished in connection with the Annual Meeting of Stockholders held on December 8, 2004 (the “Proxy Statement”). A copy of the 2004 Stock Plan is attached hereto as Exhibit 10.15 and is incorporated herein by reference. The form of Nonstatutory Stock Option Agreement for Non-Employee Directors is attached hereto as Exhibit 10.16 and the form of Incentive Stock Option Agreement for Executives is attached hereto as Exhibit 10.17; both are incorporated herein by reference.

 

(b) At a meeting on December 8, 2004, the Board of Directors, based on the recommendation of the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee, appointed the Audit Committee, the Compensation Committee, and the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee, as well as each such committees’ members for the year. The Board also set the annual compensation for non-employee directors of the Board (as set forth below) and granted an option for 20,000 shares of Company common stock at a fair market exercise price to Roger Maggs in consideration of his continuing service as a director.

 

Non-employee Director Annual Compensation:

 

  A $20,000 annual retainer;

 

  a fee of $3,000 for each directors meeting attended;

 

  a fee of $1,000 for each committee meeting attended (or, if chairman of the Audit or the Compensation Committee, $3,000 and $2,000 respectively);

 

  a grant of an option to purchase 9,500 shares of Company common stock in each year served as a member of the Board;

 

  a grant of an option to purchase 1,500 shares of Company common stock in each year served as a member of a committee of the Board (or 3,000 in each year served as a chairman);

 

  reimbursement of travel expenses for attending meetings.

 

Item 6. Exhibits and Reports on Form 8-K

 

(a)

 

  (i) Exhibit 10.15+ 2004 Stock Plan

 

  (ii) Exhibit 10.16 Form of Nonstatutory Stock Option Agreement for Non-Employee Directors

 

  (iii) Exhibit 10.17 Form of Incentive Stock Option Agreement for Executives

 

  (iv) Exhibit 31.1 and 31.2 Rule 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a) Certifications

 

  (v) Exhibit 32 Section 1350 Certifications

 

(b)

 

  (i) On September 20, 2004, the Company furnished a current report on Form 8-K under Item 2 (Costs Associated with Exit or Disposal Activities) describing its reorganization actions for the fiscal quarter ended October 31, 2004.

 

  (ii) On August 26, 2004, the Company furnished a current report on Form 8-K under Item 12 (Results of Operations and Financial Condition) describing and furnishing the press release announcing its earnings for the fiscal quarter ended July 31, 2004, which press release included its consolidated financial statements for the period.

 

24


Table of Contents

SIGNATURE

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

 

   

LTX Corporation

Date: December 9, 2004

 

By:

 

/s/ Mark J. Gallenberger


       

Mark J. Gallenberger

       

Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer

       

(Principal Financial Officer)

 

25