Form 10-Q for Newport Corporation
Table of Contents

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, DC 20549

 


 

FORM 10-Q

 

(Mark One)

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

 

For the quarterly period ended April 2, 2005

 

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: 000-01649

 


 

NEWPORT CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

Nevada   94-0849175
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)
  (IRS Employer Identification No.)

 

1791 Deere Avenue, Irvine, California 92606

(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (949) 863-3144

 


 

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 Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).

 

Yes  x    No  ¨

 

As of April 30, 2005, 43,146,347 shares of the registrant’s sole class of common stock were outstanding.

 



Table of Contents

 

NEWPORT CORPORATION

 

FORM 10-Q

 

INDEX

 

         Page
Number


PART I.

 

FINANCIAL INFORMATION

    

Item 1.

 

Financial Statements:

    
   

Consolidated Statements of Operations for the Three Months Ended April 2, 2005 and April 3, 2004

   3
   

Consolidated Balance Sheets as of April 2, 2005 and January 1, 2005

   4
   

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the Three Months Ended April 2, 2005 and April 3, 2004

   5
   

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

   6-15

Item 2.

 

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

   16-36

Item 3.

 

Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

   36-37

Item 4.

 

Controls and Procedures

   37

PART II.

 

OTHER INFORMATION

    

Item 6.

 

Exhibits

   37

SIGNATURES

   38

 

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Table of Contents

PART I – FINANCIAL INFORMATION

 

ITEM 1. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

NEWPORT CORPORATION

Consolidated Statements of Operations

(In thousands, except per share data)

(Unaudited)

 

     Three Months Ended

 
     April 2,
2005


   

April 3,

2004


 

Net sales

   $ 96,991     $ 35,906  

Cost of sales

     56,440       23,065  
    


 


Gross profit

     40,551       12,841  

Selling, general and administrative expense

     25,111       9,768  

Research and development expense

     8,727       3,017  
    


 


Operating income

     6,713       56  

Interest and other income (expense), net

     (438 )     1,499  
    


 


Income from continuing operations before income taxes

     6,275       1,555  

Income tax provision (benefit)

     1,086       (200 )
    


 


Income from continuing operations before extraordinary item

     5,189       1,755  

Loss from discontinued operations, net of income taxes of $723 and $0, respectively

     (3,591 )     (614 )

Extraordinary gain on settlement of litigation

     2,891       —    
    


 


Net income

   $ 4,489     $ 1,141  
    


 


Basic and diluted net income per share:

                

Income from continuing operations before extraordinary item

   $ 0.12     $ 0.04  

Loss from discontinued operations, net of income taxes

     (0.08 )     (0.01 )

Extraordinary gain on settlement of litigation

     0.06       —    
    


 


Net income

   $ 0.10     $ 0.03  
    


 


Shares used in the computation of net income per share:

                

Basic

     42,894       39,168  

Diluted

     44,384       41,413  

 

See accompanying notes.

 

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Table of Contents

NEWPORT CORPORATION

Consolidated Balance Sheets

(In thousands, except share data)

(Unaudited)

 

    

April 2,

2005


   

January 1,

2005


 

ASSETS

                

Current assets:

                

Cash and cash equivalents

   $ 38,879     $ 41,443  

Marketable securities

     62,515       66,739  

Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $1,273 and $2,057, respectively

     64,564       63,334  

Notes receivable, net

     4,328       6,891  

Inventories

     73,238       75,257  

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

     9,838       8,710  

Assets of discontinued operations

     16,439       18,400  
    


 


Total current assets

     269,801       280,774  

Property and equipment, net

     53,557       55,577  

Goodwill

     176,235       176,235  

Intangible assets, net

     53,291       54,420  

Investments and other assets

     11,256       11,462  
    


 


     $ 564,140     $ 578,468  
    


 


LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

                

Current liabilities:

                

Short-term obligations

   $ 14,034     $ 17,186  

Accounts payable

     20,221       22,328  

Accrued payroll and related expenses

     16,401       20,739  

Accrued expenses and other current liabilities

     27,802       32,012  

Accrued restructuring costs

     2,333       2,672  

Obligations under capital leases

     100       161  

Liabilities of discontinued operations

     2,914       3,474  
    


 


Total current liabilities

     83,805       98,572  

Long-term debt

     46,897       46,716  

Obligations under capital leases, less current portion

     1,481       1,576  

Accrued pension liabilities

     11,242       11,410  

Accrued restructuring costs and other liabilities

     4,480       4,685  

Commitments and contingencies

                

Stockholders’ equity:

                

Common stock, par value $0.1167 per share, 200,000,000 shares authorized; 43,114,112 and 43,022,866 shares issued and outstanding, respectively

     5,031       5,021  

Capital in excess of par value

     492,652       493,986  

Deferred stock compensation

     (1,080 )     (1,379 )

Accumulated other comprehensive income

     5,732       8,470  

Accumulated deficit

     (86,100 )     (90,589 )
    


 


Total stockholders’ equity

     416,235       415,509  
    


 


     $ 564,140     $ 578,468  
    


 


 

See accompanying notes.

 

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NEWPORT CORPORATION

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

(In thousands)

(Unaudited)

 

     Three Months Ended

 
    

April 2,

2005


   

April 3,

2004


 

CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:

                

Net income

   $ 4,489     $ 1,141  

Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash used in operating activities:

                

Depreciation and amortization

     5,481       2,299  

Provision for doubtful accounts

     (534 )     27  

Provision for losses on inventories

     126       151  

Gain on disposal of property and equipment

     (216 )     —    

Extraordinary gain

     (2,891 )     —    

Other non-cash items, net

     181       (152 )

Increase (decrease) in cash due to changes in:

                

Accounts and notes receivable

     (634 )     (3,424 )

Inventories

     1,556       (252 )

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

     (1,210 )     (40 )

Other assets and liabilities

     24       (159 )

Accounts payable

     (2,587 )     660  

Accrued payroll and related expenses

     (4,160 )     (437 )

Accrued expenses and other current liabilities

     (4,044 )     (1,224 )

Accrued restructuring costs

     (380 )     (623 )
    


 


Net cash used in operating activities

     (4,799 )     (2,033 )

CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:

                

Purchase of property and equipment

     (2,591 )     (697 )

Proceeds from the sale of property and equipment

     310       11  

Purchase of marketable securities

     (101,075 )     (109,920 )

Proceeds from the sale of marketable securities

     104,723       115,594  

Purchase of equity investments

     —         (410 )
    


 


Net cash provided by investing activities

     1,367       4,578  

CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:

                

Repayment of long-term debt and obligations under capital leases

     (74 )     (74 )

Short-term borrowings

     (295 )     —    

Proceeds from the issuance of common stock under employee plans

     1,892       1,999  
    


 


Net cash provided by financing activities

     1,523       1,925  

Impact of foreign exchange rate changes on cash balances

     (655 )     (55 )
    


 


Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents

     (2,564 )     4,415  

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period

     41,443       11,795  
    


 


Cash and cash equivalents at end of period

   $ 38,879     $ 16,210  
    


 


Supplemental disclosures of cash flow information:

                

Cash paid (received) during the period for:

                

Interest

   $ 755     $ 41  

Income taxes, net

   $ 224     $ (125 )

 

See accompanying notes.

 

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NEWPORT CORPORATION

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

April 2, 2005

 

NOTE 1 BASIS OF PRESENTATION

 

The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. These financial statements are unaudited and have been prepared in accordance with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal and recurring accruals and acquisition-related items) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included. All significant intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation.

 

The accompanying consolidated financial statements do not include certain footnotes and financial presentations normally required under generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and, therefore, should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and related notes contained in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended January 1, 2005. The results for the interim period are not necessarily indicative of results for the full year ending December 31, 2005. The January 1, 2005 balances reported herein are derived from the audited consolidated financial statements included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended January 1, 2005.

 

Certain prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation.

 

NOTE 2 DERIVATIVE INSTRUMENTS

 

The Company recognizes all derivative financial instruments in the consolidated financial statements at fair value regardless of the purpose or intent for holding the instrument. The accounting for changes in the fair value (i.e., gains or losses) of a derivative instrument depends on whether it has been designated and qualifies as part of a hedging relationship and further, on the type of hedging relationship. The Company does not engage in currency speculation; however, the Company uses forward exchange contracts to mitigate the risks associated with certain foreign currency transactions entered into in the ordinary course of business, primarily foreign currency denominated receivables and payables. Such contracts do not qualify for hedge accounting and, accordingly, changes in fair values are reported in the statements of operations. The forward exchange contracts generally require the Company to exchange U.S. dollars for foreign currencies at maturity, at rates agreed to at the inception of the contracts. If the counterparties to the exchange contracts (AA or A+ rated banks) do not fulfill their obligations to deliver the contracted currencies, the Company could be at risk for any currency-related fluctuations. Transaction gains and losses are included in the statements of operations in interest and other income (expense), net.

 

There were no foreign exchange contracts outstanding as of April 2, 2005 or January 1, 2005.

 

NOTE 3 ACCOUNTS AND NOTES RECEIVABLE

 

The Company records reserves for specific receivables deemed to be at risk for collection, as well as a reserve based on the Company’s historical collections experience. The Company estimates the collectibility of customer receivables on an ongoing basis by reviewing past due invoices and assessing the current credit-worthiness of each customer. A considerable amount of judgment is required in assessing the ultimate realization of these receivables. In the first quarter of 2005, the Company revised its method of estimating its reserve based upon the Company’s historical collections experience. As a result of this revision, the allowance for doubtful accounts was reduced by approximately $0.7 million. This amount reduced selling, general and administrative expense for the first quarter of 2005 in the accompanying statement of operations.

 

Certain of the Company’s Japanese customers provide the Company with promissory notes on the due date of the receivable. The payment date of the promissory notes is generally 90 days from the original receivable due date. Subsequently, certain of these promissory notes are sold with recourse under line of credit agreements to one of four banks within Japan with which the Company does business. Such transactions are conducted in the ordinary course of business. For balance sheet presentation purposes, amounts due to the Company under such promissory notes are reclassified from accounts receivable to current notes receivable. At April 2, 2005 and January 1, 2005, total promissory notes receivable amounted to $4.3 million and $6.9 million, respectively. The principal amount of promissory notes sold with recourse is included in both notes receivable, net and short-term obligations until the

 

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Table of Contents

NEWPORT CORPORATION

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

April 2, 2005

 

underlying note obligations are ultimately satisfied by payment of the note obligation by the customers to the banks. At April 2, 2005 and January 1, 2005, the principal amounts of such promissory notes included in notes receivable, net and short-term obligations in the accompanying consolidated balance sheet were $1.8 million and $4.3 million, respectively.

 

NOTE 4 REVENUE RECOGNITION

 

The Company recognizes revenue after title to and risk of loss of products have passed to the customer (which typically occurs upon shipment), or delivery of the service has been completed, provided that persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, the fee is fixed or determinable and collectibility is probable. The Company recognizes revenue and related costs for arrangements with multiple deliverables, such as equipment and installation, as each element is delivered or completed based upon its relative fair value, determined based upon the price that would be charged on a standalone basis. However, if a portion of the total contract price is not payable until installation is complete, the Company defers revenue up to the amount that is not payable. Revenues for training are deferred until the service is completed. Revenues for extended service contracts are recognized over the related contract periods.

 

Customers generally have 30 days from the original invoice date (generally 60 days for international customers) to return a standard catalog product purchase for exchange or credit. Catalog products must be returned in the original condition and meet certain other criteria. Product returns of catalog items have historically been insignificant and are charged against revenue in the period returned. Custom, option-configured and certain other products as defined in the terms and conditions of sale cannot be returned. For certain non-catalog products, the Company establishes a sales return reserve based on the historical product returns.

 

NOTE 5 STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION

 

The Company applies the intrinsic value based method of accounting prescribed by Accounting Principles Board (APB) Opinion No. 25, Accounting for Stock Issued to Employees and related Interpretations in accounting for its stock-based compensation and complies with the disclosure provisions of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (SFAS) No. 148, Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation – Transition and Disclosure and SFAS No. 123, Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation. Accordingly, no compensation expense is recognized for employee stock options with exercise prices greater than or equal to the Company’s stock price at the date of grant. Costs related to restricted stock grants, representing the difference between the grant date fair value of the award and the purchase price, if any, of the related shares, are fixed at the date of grant and amortized over the vesting period. Pro forma amounts adjusted for the effect of recording compensation cost related to the Company’s stock option and employee stock purchase plans determined based upon the fair value of awards under these plans as of the grant date, consistent with the methodology prescribed under SFAS No. 148 and SFAS No. 123, are presented below:

 

     Three Months Ended

 

(In thousands, except per share data)


   April 2,
2005


    April 3,
2004


 

Net income – reported

   $ 4,489     $ 1,141  

Employee compensation expense under fair value method

     (1,787 )     (3,669 )
    


 


Net income (loss) – pro forma

   $ 2,702     $ (2,528 )
    


 


Basic and diluted net income (loss) per share – reported

   $ 0.10     $ 0.03  

Basic and diluted net income (loss) per share – pro forma

   $ 0.06     $ (0.06 )

Shares used in computation of net income (loss) per share:

                

Basic – reported and pro forma

     42,894       39,168  

Diluted– reported

     44,384       41,413  

Diluted – pro forma

     44,384       39,168  

 

Common stock equivalents of 2,245 have been excluded from the denominator for purposes of calculating pro forma diluted net loss per share for the three months ended April 3, 2004 as their inclusion would be antidilutive due to the pro forma net loss for the respective period.

 

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NEWPORT CORPORATION

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

April 2, 2005

 

The fair value of each option granted in 2005 was estimated as of the date of the grant using the Black-Scholes option pricing model with the following weighted-average assumptions: no annualized dividend yield; expected annual volatility of 60.1%; risk-free interest rate of 3.9%; expected life of 5 years; and expected turnover rate of 12.9%.

 

NOTE 6 RECENT ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS

 

In December 2004, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued SFAS No. 123R, Share-Based Payment. SFAS No. 123R requires employee stock options and rights to purchase shares under stock participation plans to be accounted for under the fair value method, and eliminates the ability to account for these instruments under the intrinsic value method prescribed by APB Opinion No. 25, and allowed under the original provisions of SFAS No. 123. SFAS No. 123R requires the use of an option pricing model for estimating fair value, which is amortized to expense over the period in which the related employee services are rendered. The Company is currently assessing the impact that the adoption of SFAS No. 123R will have on its consolidated results of operations. Although the assessment is ongoing, management believes that the impact of the adoption of SFAS No. 123R will be material to the Company’s consolidated results of operations, but that it will have no impact on the Company’s overall financial position. If the Company had applied the provisions of SFAS No. 123R to the financial statements for the period ended April 2, 2005, the Company’s net income would have been reduced by approximately $1.8 million. However, due to the alternative option pricing models and assumptions, the lower numbers of options granted in recent years, and the lower valuations of such options compared with options granted previously, this figure may not be representative of the impact to future results of operations. In April 2005, the Securities and Exchange Commission issued Release No. 33-8568, which delayed the effective date to fiscal years beginning after June 15, 2005. SFAS No. 123R allows for either prospective recognition of compensation expense or retrospective recognition. The retrospective method would be applied to all prior years in which SFAS No. 123 was effective. The Company is currently evaluating these transition methods.

 

In November 2004, the FASB issued SFAS No. 151, Inventory Costs — An Amendment of ARB No. 43, Chapter 4. SFAS No. 151 clarifies that abnormal amounts of idle facility expense, freight, handling costs and spoilage should be expensed as incurred and not included in overhead. Further, SFAS No. 151 requires that allocation of fixed and production facilities overhead to conversion costs should be based on normal capacity of the production facilities. The provisions in SFAS No. 151 are effective for inventory costs incurred during fiscal years beginning after June 15, 2005. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the adoption of this standard, but does not believe that the adoption of SFAS No. 151 will have a significant effect on its results of operations or financial position.

 

In March 2004, the FASB approved the consensus reached on the Emerging Issues Task Force (EITF) Issue No. 03-1, The Meaning of Other-Than-Temporary Impairment and Its Application to Certain Investments. It provides guidance for identifying other-than-temporarily impaired investments. EITF 03-1 also provides new disclosure requirements for investments that are deemed to be temporarily impaired. In September 2004, the FASB issued a FASB Staff Position (FSP) EITF 03-1-1 that delays the effective date of the measurement and recognition guidance in EITF 03-1 until further notice. The disclosure requirements of EITF 03-1 are effective for fiscal years ending after December 15, 2003 and are reflected in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended January 1, 2005. After the FASB reaches a final decision on the measurement and recognition provisions, the Company will evaluate the impact of the adoption of the accounting provisions of EITF 03-1.

 

NOTE 7 ACQUISITION

 

In July 2004, the Company acquired all of the issued and outstanding capital stock of Spectra-Physics, Inc. and certain related entities (collectively, Spectra-Physics). Spectra-Physics manufactures high-power solid-state, gas and dye lasers, high-power laser diodes, and ultrafast laser systems, as well as other photonic components and devices used in a wide range of applications, including scientific research, industrial and microelectronics manufacturing and analytical instrumentation for life and health sciences. The combination creates a leading photonics company with an integrated technology mix.

 

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NEWPORT CORPORATION

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

April 2, 2005

 

The transaction was accounted for using the purchase method. The Company’s results of operations for 2004 included the results of operations of Spectra-Physics from the date of acquisition on July 16, 2004. Accordingly, the Company’s results of operations for the first quarter of 2004 do not include the results of operations of Spectra-Physics.

 

The purchase price for Spectra-Physics, which resulted in the recognition of goodwill of $175.3 million, was determined by arms-length negotiation between management and Thermo Electron Corporation, Spectra-Physics’ former parent, taking into account a number of factors, including the value of the assets, the historical and projected financial performance of Spectra-Physics and the valuations of certain recently acquired companies with comparable businesses and financial performance.

 

The aggregate purchase price was approximately $275.3 million, which consisted of approximately $174.9 million in cash, $48.1 million in common stock of the Company, $46.4 million in debt and $5.9 million in other costs, which primarily consisted of professional fees related to the acquisition.

 

The number of shares of the Company’s common stock issued was determined by dividing $50.0 million by the average closing price of the Company’s common stock for the 20 trading days ending two days before the acquisition date of July 16, 2004, which was $15.53 per share. The fair value of the Company’s common stock issued was determined using an average price of $14.93, which was the average closing price of the Company’s common stock two days before and after the measurement date of July 14, 2004.

 

The debt, which has a principal amount of $50.0 million and bears interest at 5% per annum, was valued at approximately $46.4 million on the date of acquisition, based upon the present value of cash flows, using a discount rate of 6.75% in order to reflect a market rate of interest for similar debt with similar characteristics.

 

In connection with the acquisition of Spectra-Physics, the Company formulated a restructuring plan to consolidate certain locations and this preliminary plan was approved by the Company’s Board of Directors. The Company is still finalizing this plan with respect to the employee severance, relocation and facility closure costs required for certain locations. Changes in these costs with respect to Spectra-Physics locations will result in adjustments to goodwill. The Company expects to finalize such plan by the end of the second quarter of 2005.

 

Supplemental Pro Forma Information

 

The financial information below summarizes the combined results of operations of the Company and Spectra-Physics, on a pro forma basis, as though the companies had been combined as of the beginning of 2004. This pro forma financial information is presented for information purposes only and is not necessarily indicative of the results of operations that would have been achieved had the acquisition taken place at the beginning of the period presented. The pro forma condensed combined statement of operations for the three months ended April 3, 2004 includes the historical results of the Company, plus the historical results of Spectra-Physics for the three months ended April 3, 2004:

 

(In thousands)


   Three Months
Ended
April 3,
2004


Pro forma net sales

   $ 94,894

Pro forma income from continuing operations before extraordinary item

     2,977

Pro forma net income

     2,363

Pro forma basic net income per share

     0.06

Pro forma diluted net income per share

   $ 0.05

 

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NEWPORT CORPORATION

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

April 2, 2005

 

NOTE 8 DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS

 

In the first quarter of 2005, the Company’s Board of Directors approved a plan to sell the Company’s robotic systems operations, which serve the front-end semiconductor equipment industry with product lines including wafer-handling robots, load ports and equipment front-end modules. Following the acquisition of Spectra-Physics, the Company conducted a strategic review of all of its businesses and concluded that these operations were no longer core to the Company’s strategy. The Company has hired an investment banking firm to assist it in selling the assets of the operations and expects to complete the divestiture by the end of 2005. The robotic systems operations were included in the Company’s former Advanced Packaging and Automation Systems (APAS) Division. These operations have been accounted for as discontinued operations for all periods presented.

 

The net sales and loss before income taxes from the discontinued operations consisted of the following:

 

     Three Months Ended

 

(In thousands)


   April 2,
2005


   

April 3,

2004


 

Net sales

   $ 3,960     $ 6,493  

Loss before income taxes

     (3,591 )     (614 )

 

NOTE 9 INCOME TAXES

 

The Company provides for income taxes in interim periods based on the estimated effective income tax rate for the complete fiscal year. The income tax provision (benefit) is computed on the pretax income (loss) of the consolidated entities located within each taxing jurisdiction based on current tax law. Deferred taxes result from the future tax consequences associated with temporary differences between the amount of assets and liabilities for tax and financial accounting purposes. A valuation allowance for deferred tax assets is recorded to the extent the Company cannot determine, in accordance with the provisions of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 109, Accounting for Income Taxes (SFAS No. 109), that the ultimate realization of the net deferred tax assets is more likely than not.

 

The ultimate realization of deferred tax assets is dependent upon the generation of future taxable income during the periods in which those temporary differences become deductible. Management considers taxable income in carryback years, the scheduled reversal of deferred tax liabilities, tax planning strategies and projected future taxable income in making this assessment. As of April 2, 2005, due to uncertainties surrounding the realization of the Company’s cumulative federal and state net operating losses, the Company has recorded a valuation allowance against a portion of its gross deferred tax assets. For the foreseeable future, the Federal tax provision related to future earnings will be substantially offset by a reduction in the valuation reserve, and any future pretax losses will not be offset by a tax benefit due to the uncertainty of the recoverability of the deferred tax assets. Accordingly, current and future tax expense will consist primarily of certain required state income taxes and taxes in certain foreign jurisdictions.

 

NOTE 10 INVENTORIES

 

Inventories are stated at the lower of cost (determined on either a first in, first-out [FIFO] or average cost basis) or fair market value and include materials, labor and manufacturing overhead. The Company writes down excess and obsolete inventory to net realizable value. In assessing the ultimate realization of inventories, the Company makes judgments as to future demand requirements and compares those requirements with the current or committed inventory levels. Amounts required to reduce the carrying value of inventory to net realizable value are recorded as a charge to cost of sales.

 

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NEWPORT CORPORATION

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

April 2, 2005

 

Inventories consisted of the following:

 

(In thousands)


  

April 2,

2005


  

January 1,

2005


Raw materials and purchased parts

   $ 33,929    $ 37,628

Work in process

     18,892      19,481

Finished goods

     20,417      18,148
    

  

     $ 73,238    $ 75,257
    

  

 

NOTE 11 ACCRUED EXPENSES AND OTHER CURRENT LIABILITIES

 

Accrued expenses and other current liabilities consisted of the following:

 

(In thousands)


  

April 2,

2005


  

January 1,

2005


Deferred revenue

   $ 9,922    $ 9,820

Accrued warranty obligations

     4,368      4,890

Other

     13,512      17,302
    

  

     $ 27,802    $ 32,012
    

  

 

NOTE 12 ACCRUED WARRANTY OBLIGATIONS

 

Unless otherwise stated in the Company’s product literature or in its agreements with customers, products sold by the Company’s Photonics and Precision Technologies Division generally carry a one-year warranty from the original invoice date on all product material and workmanship. Products of such division sold to original equipment manufacturer (OEM) customers generally carry longer warranties, typically 15 to 24 months. Products sold by the Company’s Lasers Division generally carry warranties that vary by product and product component, but generally range from 90 days to two years. In certain cases, such warranties are limited by amount of usage of the product. Defective products will be either repaired or replaced, generally at the Company’s option, upon meeting certain criteria. The Company accrues a provision (based on historical experience) for the estimated costs that may be incurred for warranties relating to a product as a component of cost of sales at the time revenue for that product is recognized.

 

The activity in accrued warranty obligations is as follows:

 

     Three Months Ended

 

(In thousands)


  

April 2,

2005


   

April 3,

2004


 

Balance at beginning of year

   $ 4,890     $ 806  

Additions charged to cost of sales

     554       375  

Warranty claims

     (1,076 )     (608 )
    


 


Balance at end of period

   $ 4,368     $ 573  
    


 


 

Such amounts are included in accrued expenses and other current liabilities in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.

 

NOTE 13 ACCRUED RESTRUCTURING COSTS

 

2004 Restructuring Plan

 

In connection with the acquisition of Spectra-Physics, the Company formulated a restructuring plan to consolidate certain locations and such preliminary plan was approved by the Company’s Board of Directors. The Company is still finalizing this plan with respect to the employee severance, relocation and facility closure costs required for certain locations. This plan currently includes $2.2 million for employee relocation and employee severance and

 

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NEWPORT CORPORATION

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

April 2, 2005

 

related termination costs and $3.2 million related to facility consolidations. Changes in these costs with respect to Spectra-Physics locations will result in adjustments to goodwill. The Company expects to finalize such plan by the end of the second quarter of 2005.

 

The following table summarizes the activity in the accrued restructuring costs related to the purchase of Spectra-Physics, which primarily involve the payment of cash:

 

(In thousands)


   Employee
Relocation
and
Severance


    Facility
Consolidation


   Total

 

Accrued restructuring at January 1, 2005

   $ 1,687     $ 3,186    $ 4,873  

Cash payments

     (290 )     —        (290 )
    


 

  


Accrued restructuring at April 2, 2005

   $ 1,397     $ 3,186    $ 4,583  
    


 

  


 

The facility consolidation costs will be paid over the associated lease terms, which expire at various dates between 2007 and 2011. At April 2, 2005 and January 1, 2005, $1.8 million and $2.1 million, respectively, of these accrued restructuring costs were expected to be paid within one year and are reflected in current liabilities in accrued restructuring costs; and $2.8 million of accrued restructuring costs were included in long-term liabilities in accrued restructuring costs and other liabilities in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets for both periods.

 

2002 Restructuring Plan

 

During 2002, in response to the continued severe downturn in the fiber optic communications market and the uncertainty with respect to the pace of recovery in the semiconductor equipment market, our Board of Directors approved a restructuring and cost reduction plan designed to bring our operating costs in line with our business outlook at that time.

 

The following table summarizes the activity in accrued restructuring costs related to the 2002 restructuring plan:

 

(In thousands)


   Facility
Consolidation


 

Accrued restructuring at January 1, 2005

   $ 833  

Cash payments

     (90 )
    


Accrued restructuring at April 2, 2005

   $ 743  
    


 

As of April 2, 2005, $0.7 million of facility-related costs remained accrued for under the Company’s 2002 restructuring plan. The facility consolidation reserves will be paid over the associated lease terms, which expire at various dates between 2005 and 2008. At April 2, 2005 and January 1, 2005, $0.5 million and $0.6 million, respectively, of accrued restructuring costs were expected to be paid within one year and were included in current liabilities in accrued restructuring costs, and $0.2 million of accrued restructuring costs were included in long-term liabilities in accrued restructuring costs and other liabilities in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets for both periods.

 

NOTE 14 SHORT-TERM OBLIGATIONS

 

At April 2, 2005, the Company had a total of seven lines of credit, including one domestic revolving line of credit, two revolving lines of credit with Japanese banks, and four other lines of credit with Japanese banks which are used to sell trade notes receivable with recourse to the banks.

 

The Company’s domestic revolving line of credit has a total credit limit of $5.0 million and expires December 1, 2005. Certain of the marketable securities that are being managed by the lending institution collateralize the line of credit. The line bears interest at the prevailing prime rate, or the prevailing London Interbank Offered Rate (2.88% at April 2, 2005) plus 1.5%, at the Company’s option, and an unused line fee of 0.25% per year. At April 2, 2005,

 

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NEWPORT CORPORATION

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

April 2, 2005

 

there were no balances outstanding under the line of credit, with $1.8 million available under the line, after considering outstanding letters of credit totaling $3.2 million.

 

The two revolving lines of credit with Japanese banks total 1.5 billion yen ($14.0 million at April 2, 2005) and expire as follows: $10.3 million on November 30, 2005 and $3.7 million on March 18, 2006. The lines are not secured and bear interest at the prevailing bank rate. At April 2, 2005, the Company had $12.3 million outstanding and $1.7 million available for borrowing under these lines of credit.

 

The four other lines of credit with Japanese banks, which are used to sell notes receivable with recourse, total 800 million yen ($7.5 million at April 2, 2005), have no expiration date and bear interest at the bank’s prevailing rate. At April 2, 2005, the Company had $1.8 million outstanding and $5.7 million available for the sale of notes receivable under these lines of credit. The weighted average interest rate on all borrowings on all six Japanese lines of credit as of April 2, 2005 was 1.7%.

 

NOTE 15 INTEREST AND OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE), NET

 

Interest and other income (expense), net, consisted of the following:

 

     Three Months Ended

 

(In thousands)


   April 2,
2005


    April 3,
2004


 

Interest and dividend income

   $ 650     $ 1,294  

Interest expense

     (929 )     (41 )

Bank and portfolio asset management fees

     (126 )     (132 )

Foreign exchange losses, net

     (69 )     (42 )

Gains (losses) on sales of marketable securities, net

     (20 )     312  

Other income, net

     56       108  
    


 


     $ (438 )   $ 1,499  
    


 


 

NOTE 16 ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

 

Accumulated other comprehensive income consisted of the following:

 

(In thousands)


   April 2,
2005


    January 1,
2005


 

Cumulative foreign currency translation gains

   $ 6,153     $ 8,672  

Unrealized losses on marketable securities

     (421 )     (202 )
    


 


     $ 5,732     $ 8,470  
    


 


 

The components of comprehensive income, net of related tax, were as follows:

 

     Three Months Ended

 

(In thousands)


   April 2,
2005


    April 3,
2004


 

Net income

   $ 4,489     $ 1,141  

Foreign currency translation loss

     (2,519 )     (444 )

Unrealized holding period gains (losses) arising during period

     (239 )     711  

Less: reclassification adjustments for (gain) loss included in net income

     20       (312 )
    


 


     $ 1,751     $ 1,096  
    


 


 

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NEWPORT CORPORATION

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

April 2, 2005

 

NOTE 17 EXTRAORDINARY GAIN ON SETTLEMENT OF LITIGATION

 

In March 2005, the Company settled a dispute arising out of its acquisition of Micro Robotics Systems, Inc. (MRSI). As a result of this settlement, the Company recorded an extraordinary gain of $2.9 million in the first quarter of 2005. Pursuant to the terms of the settlement agreement, 114,691 shares of the Company’s common stock, which were being held in escrow, were returned to the Company and cancelled. Such shares had been issued to the former MRSI stockholders at the time of the acquisition of MRSI, or had been issued upon the exercise of options to purchase the Company’s common stock which had been granted at the time of the acquisition in connection with the assumption and conversion of options to purchase MRSI common stock. In addition, outstanding options to purchase 21,606 shares of the Company’s common stock were cancelled and the exercise prices of all remaining outstanding and unexercised options which had been granted in connection with the MRSI acquisition were increased to reflect an adjustment to the total consideration paid for the acquisition.

 

NOTE 18 NET INCOME PER SHARE

 

The following table sets forth the numerator and denominator used in the computation of net income per share:

 

     Three Months Ended

 

(In thousands)


   April 2,
2005


    April 3,
2004


 

Numerator for basic and diluted net income per share:

                

Income from continuing operations before extraordinary item

   $ 5,189     $ 1,755  

Loss from discontinued operations, net of income taxes

     (3,591 )     (614 )

Extraordinary gain on settlement of litigation

     2,891       —    
    


 


Net income

   $ 4,489     $ 1,141  
    


 


Denominator for basic and diluted net income per share:

                

Weighted average shares outstanding

     43,086       39,232  

Weighted unvested restricted stock outstanding

     (192 )     (64 )
    


 


Denominator for basic net income per share:

     42,894       39,168  

Effect of dilutive securities:

                

Employee stock options

     1,298       2,181  

Restricted stock

     192       64  
    


 


Denominator for diluted net income per share:

     44,384       41,413  
    


 


 

NOTE 19 DEFINED BENEFIT PENSION PLANS

 

Several of the Company’s non-U.S. subsidiaries have defined benefit pension plans covering substantially all full-time employees at those subsidiaries. Some of the plans are unfunded, as permitted under the plans and applicable laws. For financial reporting purposes, the calculation of net periodic pension costs is based upon a number of actuarial assumptions, including a discount rate for plan obligations, an assumed rate of return on pension plan assets and an assumed rate of compensation increase for employees covered by the plan. All of these assumptions are based upon management’s judgment, considering all known trends and uncertainties. Actual results that differ from these assumptions would impact future expense recognition and the cash funding requirements of our pension plans.

 

Spectra-Physics was acquired by the Company on July 16, 2004. Accordingly, no pension plan information for Spectra-Physics’ subsidiaries is presented for the first quarter of 2004. Pension plan information related to the Company’s other subsidiaries for the first quarter of 2004 has not been presented as the amounts were not material.

 

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NEWPORT CORPORATION

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

April 2, 2005

 

Net periodic benefit costs for the plans in aggregate included the following components:

 

(In thousands)


   Three Months
Ended
April 2,
2005


 

Service cost

   $ 152  

Interest cost on benefit obligation

     155  

Expected return on plan assets

     (36 )
    


     $ 271  
    


 

NOTE 20 SEGMENT REPORTING

 

In 2005, in connection with the decision to divest its robotic systems operations, the Company realigned its business segments to eliminate the previously reported Advanced Packaging and Automation Systems Division. Portions of this division were reclassified into the Photonics and Precision Technologies Division and into Unallocated operating expenses. The results from all prior periods reflect this change in business segment reporting.

 

(In thousands)


   Lasers

   Photonics
and
Precision
Technologies


   Total

Three months ended April 2, 2005:

                    

Sales to external customers

   $ 45,999    $ 50,992    $ 96,991

Segment income

     4,409      8,193      12,602

Three months ended April 3, 2004:

                    

Sales to external customers

   $ —      $ 35,906    $ 35,906

Segment income

     —        2,911      2,911

 

The following reconciles segment income to consolidated income from continuing operations before income taxes:

 

     Three Months Ended

 

(In thousands)


   April 2,
2005


   

April 3,

2004


 

Segment income

   $ 12,602     $ 2,911  

Unallocated operating expenses

     (5,548 )     (2,826 )

Restructuring, impairment, integration and other charges

     (341 )     (29 )

Interest and other income (expense), net

     (438 )     1,499  
    


 


Income from continuing operations before income taxes

   $ 6,275     $ 1,555  
    


 


 

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ITEM 2. MANAGEMENTS DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED APRIL 2, 2005 AND APRIL 3, 2004

 

Introductory Note

 

This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and we intend that such forward-looking statements be subject to the safe harbors created thereby. Words such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “could,” “estimate,” or “continue” or the negative or other variations thereof or comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements. In addition, any statements that refer to projections of our future financial performance, trends in our businesses, or other characterizations of future events or circumstances are forward-looking statements.

 

The forward-looking statements included herein are based on current expectations and involve a number of risks and uncertainties, all of which are difficult or impossible to predict accurately and many of which are beyond our control. As such, our actual results may differ significantly from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, those discussed in more detail under the subheading “RISKS RELATING TO OUR BUSINESS” on pages 27 through 36 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, and in Item 1 (Business) and Item 7 (Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations) in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended January 1, 2005. Readers should carefully review these risks, as well as the additional risks described in other documents we file from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In light of the significant risks and uncertainties inherent in the forward-looking information included herein, the inclusion of such information should not be regarded as a representation by us or any other person that such results will be achieved, and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking information. We undertake no obligation to revise the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

 

The following is our discussion and analysis of certain significant factors that have affected our earnings and financial position during the periods included in the accompanying financial statements. This discussion compares the three-month periods ended April 2, 2005 and April 3, 2004. This discussion should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and associated notes included elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and in conjunction with our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended January 1, 2005.

 

Acquisition

 

In July 2004, we acquired all of the issued and outstanding capital stock of Spectra-Physics, Inc. and certain related entities (collectively, Spectra-Physics). Spectra-Physics manufactures high-power solid-state, gas and dye lasers, high-power laser diodes and ultrafast laser systems, as well as other photonic components and devices used in a wide range of applications, including scientific research, industrial and microelectronic manufacturing and analytical instrumentation for life and health sciences. The transaction was accounted for using the purchase method. Our results of operations for 2004 included the results of operations of Spectra-Physics from the date of acquisition on July 16, 2004. Accordingly, our results of operations for the first quarter of 2004 do not include the results of operations of Spectra-Physics. As a result, comparisons of financial results with corresponding amounts in prior periods may not be meaningful. See further discussion in Note 7 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.

 

Discontinued Operations

 

In the first quarter of 2005, our Board of Directors approved a plan to sell our robotic systems operations, which serve the front-end semiconductor equipment industry with product lines including wafer-handling robots, load ports and equipment front-end modules. Following the acquisition of Spectra-Physics, we conducted a strategic review of all of our businesses and concluded that these operations were no longer core to our strategy. We have hired an investment banking firm to assist us in selling the assets of the operations and expect to complete the divestiture by the end of 2005. The robotic systems operations were included in our former Advanced Packaging and Automation

 

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Systems (APAS) Division. These operations have been accounted for as discontinued operations for all periods presented. Unless otherwise indicated, Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations excludes these operations and relates only to continuing operations.

 

Extraordinary Gain

 

In March 2005, we settled a dispute arising out of our acquisition of Micro Robotics Systems, Inc. (MRSI). As a result of this settlement, we recorded an extraordinary gain of $2.9 million in the first quarter of 2005. Pursuant to the terms of the settlement agreement, 114,691 shares of our common stock, which were being held in escrow, were returned to us and cancelled. Such shares had been issued to the former MRSI stockholders at the time of the acquisition of MRSI, or had been issued upon the exercise of options to purchase our common stock which had been granted at the time of the acquisition in connection with the assumption and conversion of options to purchase MRSI common stock. In addition, outstanding options to purchase 21,606 shares of our common stock were cancelled and the exercise prices of all remaining outstanding and unexercised options which had been granted in connection with the MRSI acquisition were increased to reflect an adjustment to the total consideration paid for the acquisition.

 

End Markets

 

In connection with our acquisition of Spectra-Physics in the third quarter of 2004, we realigned our end markets into four customer markets: scientific research, aerospace and defense/security; microelectronics (which is comprised primarily of semiconductor capital equipment customers); life and health sciences; and all other end markets (which includes general industrial and fiber optic communications customers). Our discussion of our results of operations includes comparisons within these end markets and our results for the quarter ended April 3, 2004 have been reclassified to conform to this realignment.

 

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

 

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations is based on our consolidated financial statements included in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States for interim financial information and in accordance with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. The preparation of these financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. On an ongoing basis, we evaluate these estimates and assumptions, including those related to allowance for doubtful accounts, inventory reserves, warranty obligations, restructuring reserves, asset impairment valuations, pension liabilities and income tax valuations. We base these estimates on historical experience and on various other factors which we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. These estimates and assumptions by their nature involve risks and uncertainties, and may prove to be inaccurate. In the event that any of our estimates or assumptions are inaccurate in any material respect, it could have a material adverse effect on our reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods.

 

The following critical accounting policies affect our more significant judgments and estimates used in the preparation of our consolidated financial statements.

 

Revenue Recognition

 

We recognize revenue after title to and risk of loss of products have passed to the customer (which typically occurs upon shipment), or delivery of the service has been completed, provided that persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, the fee is fixed or determinable and collectibility is probable. We recognize revenue and related costs for arrangements with multiple deliverables, such as equipment and installation, as each element is delivered or completed based upon its relative fair value, determined based upon the price that would be charged on a standalone basis. However, if a portion of the total contract price is not payable until installation is complete, we defer revenue

 

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up to the amount that is not payable. We defer revenues for training until the service is completed. We recognize revenue for extended service contracts over the related contract periods.

 

Our customers generally have 30 days from the original invoice date (generally 60 days for international customers) to return a standard catalog product purchase for exchange or credit. Catalog products must be returned in the original condition and meet certain other criteria. Product returns of catalog items have historically been insignificant and are charged against revenue in the period returned. Custom, option-configured and certain other products as defined in the terms and conditions of sale cannot be returned. For certain non-catalog products, we establish a sales return reserve based on the historical product returns.

 

Accounts and Notes Receivable

 

We record reserves for specific receivables deemed to be at risk for collection, as well as a reserve based on our historical collections experience. We estimate the collectibility of customer receivables on an ongoing basis by reviewing past due invoices and assessing the current credit-worthiness of each customer. A considerable amount of judgment is required in assessing the ultimate realization of these receivables. In the first quarter of 2005, we revised our method of estimating our reserve based upon our historical collections experience. As a result, our allowance for doubtful accounts was reduced by approximately $0.7 million. This amount reduced selling, general and administrative expense for the first quarter of 2005 in the accompanying statement of operations.

 

Certain of our Japanese customers provide us with promissory notes on the due date of the receivable. The payment date of the promissory notes is generally 90 days from the original receivable due date. Subsequently, certain of these promissory notes are sold with recourse under line of credit agreements to one of four banks within Japan with which we do business. Such transactions are conducted in the ordinary course of business. For balance sheet presentation purposes, amounts due to us under such promissory notes are reclassified from accounts receivable to current notes receivable. At April 2, 2005 and January 1, 2005, total promissory notes receivable amounted to $4.3 million and $6.9 million, respectively. The principal amount of promissory notes sold with recourse is included in both notes receivable, net and short-term obligations until the underlying note obligations are ultimately satisfied by payment of the note obligation by the customers to the banks. At April 2, 2005 and January 1, 2005, the principal amounts of such promissory notes included in notes receivable, net and short-term obligations were $1.8 million and $4.3 million, respectively.

 

Pension Plans

 

Several of our non-U.S. subsidiaries have defined benefit pension plans covering substantially all full-time employees at those subsidiaries. Some of the plans are unfunded, as permitted under the plans and applicable laws. For financial reporting purposes, the calculation of net periodic pension costs is based upon a number of actuarial assumptions, including a discount rate for plan obligations, an assumed rate of return on pension plan assets and an assumed rate of compensation increase for employees covered by the plan. All of these assumptions are based upon our judgment, considering all known trends and uncertainties. Actual results that differ from these assumptions would impact future expense recognition and the cash funding requirements of our pension plans.

 

Inventories

 

We state our inventories at the lower of cost (determined on either a first in, first-out [FIFO] or average cost basis) or fair market value and include materials, labor and manufacturing overhead. We write down excess and obsolete inventory to net realizable value. In assessing the ultimate realization of inventories, we make judgments as to future demand requirements and compare those requirements with the current or committed inventory levels. We record any amounts required to reduce the carrying value of inventory to net realizable value as a charge to cost of sales.

 

Warranty

 

Unless otherwise stated in our product literature or in our agreements with our customers, products sold by our Photonics and Precision Technologies Division generally carry a one-year warranty from the original invoice date on all product material and workmanship. Products of such division sold to original equipment manufacturer

 

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(OEM) customers generally carry longer warranties, typically 15 to 24 months. Products sold by our Lasers Division generally carry warranties that vary by product and product component, but generally range from 90 days to two years. In certain cases, such warranties are limited by amount of usage of the product. Defective products will be either repaired or replaced, generally at our option, upon meeting certain criteria. We accrue a provision (based on historical experience) for the estimated costs that may be incurred for product warranties relating to a product as a component of cost of sales at the time revenue for that product is recognized. While we engage in extensive product quality programs and processes, including actively monitoring and evaluating the quality of our component suppliers, our warranty obligations are affected by product failure rates, material usage and service delivery costs incurred in correcting a product failure. Should actual product failure rates, material usage and/or service delivery costs differ from our estimates, revisions to the estimated warranty obligation would be required which could adversely affect our operating results.

 

Impairment of Assets

 

We assess the impairment of long-lived assets whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that their carrying value may not be recoverable. The determination of related estimated useful lives and whether or not these assets are impaired involves significant judgments, related primarily to the future profitability and/or future value of the assets. Changes in our strategic plan and/or market conditions could significantly impact these judgments and could require adjustments to recorded asset balances. We hold minority interests in companies having operations or technologies in areas which are within or adjacent to our strategic focus when acquired, all of which are privately held and whose values are difficult to determine. We record an investment impairment charge in any reporting period where we believe an investment has experienced a decline in value that is other than temporary. Future changes in our strategic direction, adverse changes in market conditions or poor operating results of underlying investments could result in losses or an inability to recover the carrying value of the investments that may not be reflected in an investment’s current carrying value, thereby possibly requiring an impairment charge in the future.

 

We perform annual impairment tests of our goodwill and other intangible assets in accordance with Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (SFAS) No. 142, Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets. Under SFAS No. 142, goodwill is no longer amortized but is subject to impairment tests based upon a comparison of the fair value of each of our reporting units, as defined, and the carrying value of the reporting units’ net assets, including goodwill. SFAS No. 142 requires a review of goodwill and other intangible assets for impairment at least annually or when circumstances exist that would indicate an impairment of such goodwill or other intangible assets. We perform the annual impairment review as of the beginning of the fourth quarter of each year.

 

Income Taxes

 

We provide for income taxes in interim periods based on the estimated effective income tax rate for the complete fiscal year. The income tax provision is computed on the pretax income of the consolidated entities located within each taxing jurisdiction based on current tax law. Deferred taxes result from the future tax consequences associated with temporary differences between the recorded amounts of the assets and liabilities for tax and financial accounting purposes. A valuation allowance for deferred tax assets is recorded to the extent we cannot determine, in accordance with the provisions of SFAS No. 109, Accounting for Income Taxes, that the ultimate realization of the net deferred tax assets is more likely than not.

 

We currently have significant deferred tax assets, which are subject to periodic recoverability assessments. We recorded a valuation reserve in the third quarter of 2002 against our deferred tax assets pursuant to SFAS No. 109, due to the uncertainty as to the timing and ultimate realization of those assets. As such, we did not recognize any tax benefit on the losses recorded in 2004 and recorded a valuation allowance against deferred tax assets for the first quarter of 2005. For the foreseeable future, the Federal tax provision related to future earnings will be substantially offset by a reduction in the valuation reserve, and any future pretax losses will not be offset by a tax benefit due to the uncertainty of the recoverability of the deferred tax assets. Accordingly, future tax expense will consist primarily of certain required state income taxes and taxes in certain foreign jurisdictions.

 

Realization of our deferred tax assets is principally dependent upon our achievement of future taxable income, the estimation of which requires significant management judgment. Our judgments regarding future profitability may change due to many factors, including future market conditions and our ability to successfully execute our business

 

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plans and/or tax planning strategies. These changes, if any, may require material adjustments to these deferred tax asset balances.

 

We are routinely under audit by federal, state or foreign tax authorities. These audits include questioning the timing and amount of deductions, the nexus of income among various tax jurisdictions and compliance with federal, state and local tax laws. In evaluating the exposure associated with various tax filing positions, we often accrue charges for probable exposures. During 2004, we concluded a number of tax examinations with favorable results. Therefore, during the annual evaluation of tax positions for 2004, we decreased the amount previously accrued for probable exposures. At April 2, 2005, we believe that we have appropriately accrued for probable exposures. To the extent we were to prevail in matters for which accruals have been established or be required to pay amounts in excess of reserves, our effective tax rate in a given financial statement period could be materially affected.

 

Accrued Restructuring Costs

 

2004 Restructuring Plan

 

In connection with the acquisition of Spectra-Physics, we formulated a restructuring plan in the third quarter of 2004 to consolidate certain locations and this preliminary plan was approved by our Board of Directors. We are still finalizing this plan with respect to the employee severance, relocation and facility closure costs required for certain locations. This plan currently includes $2.2 million for employee relocation and employee severance and related termination costs and $3.2 million related to facility consolidations. Changes in these costs with respect to Spectra-Physics locations will result in adjustments to goodwill. We expect to finalize such plan by the end of the second quarter of 2005.

 

The following table summarizes the activity in the accrued restructuring costs related to the purchase of Spectra-Physics, which primarily involve the payment of cash:

 

(In thousands)


  

Employee

Relocation and
Severance


    Facility
Consolidation


   Total

 

Accrued restructuring at January 1, 2005

   $ 1,687     $ 3,186    $ 4,873  

Cash payments

     (290 )     —        (290 )
    


 

  


Accrued restructuring at April 2, 2005

   $ 1,397     $ 3,186    $ 4,583  
    


 

  


 

The facility consolidation costs will be paid over the associated lease terms, which expire at various dates between 2007 and 2011. At April 2, 2005 and January 1, 2005, $1.8 million and $2.1 million, respectively, of these accrued restructuring costs were expected to be paid within one year and are reflected in current liabilities in accrued restructuring costs; and $2.8 million of accrued restructuring costs were included in long-term liabilities in accrued restructuring costs and other liabilities in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets for both periods.

 

2002 Restructuring Plan

 

During 2002, in response to the continued severe downturn in the fiber optic communications market and the uncertainty with respect to the pace of recovery in the semiconductor equipment market, our Board of Directors approved a restructuring and cost reduction plan designed to bring our operating costs in line with our business outlook at that time.

 

The following table summarizes the activity in accrued restructuring costs related to the 2002 restructuring plan:

 

(In thousands)


   Facility
Consolidation


 

Accrued restructuring at January 1, 2005

   $ 833  

Cash payments

     (90 )
    


Accrued restructuring at April 2, 2005

   $ 743  
    


 

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As of April 2, 2005, $0.7 million of facility-related costs remained accrued for under our 2002 restructuring plan. The facility consolidation reserves will be paid over the associated lease terms, which expire at various dates between 2005 and 2008. At April 2, 2005 and January 1, 2005, $0.5 million and $0.6 million, respectively, of accrued restructuring costs were expected to be paid within one year and were included in current liabilities in accrued restructuring costs, and $0.2 million of accrued restructuring costs were included in long-term liabilities in accrued restructuring costs and other liabilities in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets for both periods.

 

Results of Operations for the Quarters Ended April 2, 2005 and April 3, 2004

 

The following table represents the results of operations for the periods indicated as a percentage of net sales:

 

     Percentage of Net Sales

 
     Three Months Ended

 
     April 2,
2005


   

April 3,

2004


 

Net sales

   100.0 %   100.0 %

Cost of sales

   58.2     64.2  
    

 

Gross profit

   41.8     35.8  

Selling, general and administrative expense

   25.9     27.2  

Research and development expense

   9.0     8.4  
    

 

Operating income

   6.9     0.2  

Interest and other income (expense), net

   (0.5 )   4.2  
    

 

Income from continuing operations before income taxes

   6.4     4.4  

Income tax provision (benefit)

   1.1     (0.6 )
    

 

Income from continuing operations before extraordinary item

   5.3     5.0  

Loss from discontinued operations, net of income taxes

   (3.7 )   (1.7 )

Extraordinary gain on settlement of litigation

   3.0     —    
    

 

Net income

   4.6 %   3.3 %
    

 

 

Net Sales

 

For the quarters ended April 2, 2005 and April 3, 2004, our net sales totaled $97.0 million and $35.9 million, respectively. Net sales for the first quarter of 2005 increased $61.1 million, or 170.2%, compared with the first quarter of 2004. The net sales increase was due primarily to our acquisition of Spectra-Physics in July 2004. Spectra-Physics contributed $58.1 million to net sales in the first quarter of 2005. In addition, net sales in our other businesses increased by a total of $3.0 million, or 8.4%, compared with the first quarter of 2004.

 

Net sales to the scientific research, aerospace and defense/security markets were $39.3 million and $13.4 million for the quarters ended April 2, 2005 and April 3, 2004, respectively. Net sales to these markets in the first quarter of 2005 increased by $25.9 million, or 193.3%, compared with the corresponding prior year period. The increase was due primarily to our acquisition of Spectra-Physics, which contributed $25.6 million in net sales to these markets in the first quarter of 2005. The increase was also attributable to increases in sales to these markets by our other businesses totaling $0.3 million, or 2.2%, in the first quarter of 2005 compared with the first quarter of 2004.

 

Net sales to the microelectronics market were $21.9 million and $13.3 million for the quarters ended April 2, 2005 and April 3, 2004, respectively. Net sales to this market increased $8.6 million, or 64.7%, in the first quarter of 2005 compared with the same period in 2004. The increase was due to our acquisition of Spectra-Physics, which contributed $10.9 million in net sales to this market in the first quarter of 2005. This increase was offset in part by decreases in sales to this market by our other businesses totaling $2.3 million, or 17.3%, in the first quarter of 2005 compared with the first quarter of 2004, due to significantly reduced demand by semiconductor manufacturers for capital equipment on a year-over-year basis as a result of the cyclical downturn in this market.

 

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Net sales to the life and health sciences market were $17.5 million and $2.9 million for the quarters ended April 2, 2005 and April 3, 2004, respectively. Net sales to this market in the first quarter of 2005 increased $14.6 million, or 503.4%, compared with the same period in 2004. This increase was due primarily to our acquisition of Spectra-Physics, which contributed $11.9 million in net sales to this market in the first quarter of 2005. In addition, our other businesses saw increases in sales to this market totaling $2.7 million, or 93.1%, in the first quarter of 2005 compared with the first quarter of 2004, due primarily to payments totaling approximately $1.4 million from one of our largest customers in this market under a transition services agreement, as well as to higher sales of products to this customer.

 

Net sales to our other end markets were $18.3 million and $6.3 million for the quarters ended April 2, 2005 and April 3, 2004, respectively. Net sales to these markets in the first quarter of 2005 increased by $12.0 million, or 190.5%, compared with the corresponding prior year period. The increase was due primarily to our acquisition of Spectra-Physics, which contributed $9.7 million in net sales to these markets in the first quarter of 2005. In addition, our other businesses saw increases in sales to these markets totaling $2.3 million, or 36.5%, in the first quarter of 2005 compared with the same period in 2004, due primarily to the strong overall conditions in these end markets.

 

Domestic and international sales by end market were as follows:

 

Domestic Sales:

 

     Three Months Ended

   Increase

   Percentage
Increase


 

(In thousands)


   April 2,
2005


   April 3,
2004


     

Scientific research, aerospace and defense/security

   $ 16,819    $ 6,904    $ 9,915    143.6 %

Microelectronics

     16,635      11,963      4,672    39.1  

Life and health sciences

     10,360      2,633      7,727    293.5  

Other end markets

     6,656      3,173      3,483    109.8  
    

  

  

      
     $ 50,470    $ 24,673    $ 25,797    104.6 %
    

  

  

      

 

International Sales:

 

     Three Months Ended

   Increase

   Percentage
Increase


 

(In thousands)


   April 2,
2005


   April 3,
2004


     

Scientific research, aerospace and defense/security

   $ 22,515    $ 6,532    $ 15,983    244.7 %

Microelectronics

     5,248      1,279      3,969    310.3  

Life and health sciences

     7,120      247      6,873    2,782.6  

Other end markets

     11,638      3,175      8,463    266.6  
    

  

  

      
     $ 46,521    $ 11,233    $ 35,288    314.1 %
    

  

  

      

 

Geographically, net sales to international customers were as follows:

 

     Three Months Ended

   Increase

   Percentage
Increase


 

(In thousands)


   April 2,
2005


   April 3,
2004


     

Europe

   $ 22,554    $ 6,633    $ 15,921    240.0 %

Pacific Rim

     19,364      3,364      16,000    475.6  

Other

     4,603      1,236      3,367    272.4  
    

  

  

      
     $ 46,521    $ 11,233    $ 35,288    314.1 %
    

  

  

      

 

The increases in sales to international customers for the first quarter of 2005 compared with the corresponding 2004 period were due primarily to our addition of Spectra-Physics, which contributed $31.1 million to international sales in the first quarter of 2005. In addition, our other businesses saw international sales increases totaling $4.2 million, or 37.5%, compared with the first quarter of 2004.

 

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The results of our international operations are subject to currency fluctuations. As the value of the U.S. dollar weakens relative to other currencies, sales in those currencies convert to more U.S. dollars; conversely, when the value of the U.S. dollar strengthens relative to other currencies, sales in those countries convert to fewer U.S. dollars. Currency fluctuations did not have a material impact on our results for the first quarter of 2005 compared with the corresponding 2004 period.

 

We expect net sales in the second quarter of 2005 to be slightly higher than the first quarter level. However, our business is subject to risks arising from market conditions in our primary end markets, as well as from general economic conditions.

 

We expect that our sales to the scientific research, aerospace and defense/security markets will be flat to up slightly in the second quarter of 2005 compared with the first quarter of 2005 due primarily to the historical seasonal sales pattern in the scientific research market. Overall, we expect that our sales to these markets will fluctuate from period to period in line with changes in overall research and defense spending levels, but will increase over time as we increase our penetration of these markets.

 

We expect our sales to the microelectronics market to be flat to up slightly in the second quarter of 2005 compared with the first quarter of 2005, and to increase further in the second half of 2005 due primarily to expected shipments of automated manufacturing tools to a computer peripherals manufacturer. Overall, we expect our sales to this market to fluctuate from period to period, due primarily to cyclical changes in the levels of capital spending by semiconductor manufacturers.

 

We expect our sales to the life and health sciences market for the second quarter of 2005 to be flat to down slightly compared with the first quarter of 2005, due primarily to the $1.4 million of non-recurring revenue received in the first quarter from the transition services agreement discussed previously. In general, we expect our sales to this market to fluctuate on a quarter to quarter basis in the short term due to our concentration of significant OEM customers in this market, but to increase over time as we increase our penetration of this market.

 

Gross Margin

 

Gross margin was 41.8% and 35.8% for the quarters ended April 2, 2005 and April 3, 2004, respectively. Gross margin for the first quarter of 2005 was positively impacted compared with the same period in 2004 by the addition of sales of Spectra-Physics’ products, which carried higher overall gross margins, and by approximately $1.4 million of gross profit from the transition services agreement discussed previously. This positive impact was offset in part by lower margins in our other businesses, due primarily to product mix and a higher proportion of sales to OEM customers.

 

We expect gross margin in the second quarter of 2005 to be similar to the level in the first quarter of 2005. In addition, we expect gross margin in the second half of the year to be positively impacted by higher expected sales levels and increased manufacturing efficiencies resulting from our integration actions.

 

Selling, General and Administrative (SG&A) Expense

 

SG&A expense totaled $25.1 million, or 25.9% of net sales, and $9.8 million, or 27.2% of net sales, for the quarters ended April 2, 2005 and April 3, 2004, respectively. The increase in absolute dollars for the first quarter of 2005 compared with the first quarter of 2004 was attributable primarily to the addition of $11.9 million of SG&A expense of Spectra-Physics and to $1.1 million of amortization of acquired intangible assets related to the acquisition, offset in part by $0.7 million for the reduction of the allowance for doubtful accounts resulting from a revision of our method of estimating this allowance. The remainder of the increase in SG&A expense in the first quarter of 2005 compared with the same period in 2004 was attributable primarily to an increase in variable selling expenses and incentive compensation associated with the higher sales volume and to increased accounting and auditing fees due to our increased size and to compliance with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 for Spectra-Physics’ operations.

 

We expect that SG&A expense will be flat to slightly higher in the second quarter of 2005 compared with the first quarter of 2005. In general, we expect that SG&A expense will vary as a percentage of sales in the future on an

 

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inverse basis with our sales level in any given period. Because the majority of our SG&A expense is fixed in the short term, these fluctuations will likely not be in proportion to the changes in net sales.

 

Research and Development (R&D) Expense

 

R&D expense totaled $8.7 million, or 9.0% of net sales, and $3.0 million, or 8.4% of net sales, for the quarters ended April 2, 2005 and April 3, 2004, respectively. R&D expense increased $5.7 million, or 190.0%, in the first quarter of 2005 compared with the corresponding prior year period. This increase was attributable primarily to the addition of R&D expense for Spectra-Physics in the first quarter of 2005 of $5.5 million.

 

We expect that R&D expense in the second quarter of 2005 will be comparable with the first quarter level. We believe that the continued development and advancement of our key products and technologies is critical to our future success, and we intend to continue to invest in key R&D initiatives, while working to ensure that the efforts are focused and the funds are deployed efficiently. In general, we expect that R&D expense as a percentage of net sales will vary in the future on an inverse basis with our sales level in any given period. Because of our commitment to continued product development, and because the majority of our R&D expense is fixed in the short term, these fluctuations will likely not be in proportion to the changes in net sales.

 

Interest and Other Income (Expense), Net

 

Interest and other expense, net for the first quarter of 2005 totaled $0.4 million and interest and other income, net for the first quarter of 2004 totaled $1.5 million. Interest and other income (expense), net was negatively impacted in the first quarter of 2005 compared with the first quarter of 2004 due primarily to our acquisition of Spectra-Physics in July 2004, which led to higher interest expense and lower interest income. We recorded higher interest expense in the first quarter of 2005 compared with the prior year period, due primarily to interest expense on the debt we issued in connection with the acquisition, and interest expense on lines of credit we assumed in connection with the acquisition. As a result of cash paid in connection with the acquisition, our average cash and marketable securities balances were significantly lower in the first quarter of 2005 compared with the prior year period, resulting in lower interest income earned. In addition, due to rising interest rates, we realized lower gains on sales of marketable securities during the 2005 period and our portfolio shifted to a net unrealized loss position.

 

We expect to incur interest and other expense, net in future periods, due primarily to interest expense incurred on short-term and long-term debt, offset in part by interest earned on cash and marketable securities. The level of such interest income will fluctuate period to period based on our cash balances and market interest rates.

 

Income Taxes

 

The effective tax rate from continuing operations for the quarter ended April 2, 2005 was an expense of 17.3%, versus a benefit of 12.9% in the corresponding prior-year period. The net income tax benefit in the first quarter of 2004 was primarily attributable to the favorable settlement of a state income tax examination for less than amounts originally estimated. We have recorded a valuation reserve against our deferred tax assets pursuant to SFAS No. 109 due to the uncertainty as to the timing and ultimate realization of those assets. As such, for the foreseeable future, the Federal tax provision related to future earnings will be substantially offset by a reduction in the valuation reserve, and any future pretax losses will not be offset by a tax benefit due to the uncertainty of the recoverability of the deferred tax assets. Accordingly, current and future tax expense will consist primarily of certain required state income taxes and taxes in certain foreign jurisdictions.

 

Overall, we expect our tax rate in the second quarter of 2005 to be consistent with the tax rate in the first quarter of 2005.

 

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Liquidity and Capital Resources

 

Net cash used in our operating activities of $4.8 million for the three months ended April 2, 2005 was attributable primarily to higher prepaid expenses and other current assets and lower accounts payable and accrued expenses (including incentive compensation and restructuring costs) due primarily to the timing of payments. These amounts were offset in part by the cash provided by our results of operations and lower inventories.

 

Net cash provided by investing activities of $1.4 million for the three months ended April 2, 2005 consisted of net proceeds from the sale of marketable securities of $3.6 million, offset in part by net purchases of property and equipment of $2.2 million.

 

Net cash provided by financing activities of $1.5 million for the three months ended April 2, 2005 consisted of proceeds of $1.9 million received from the issuance of common stock in connection with stock option and employee stock purchase plans, offset in part by payments of short-term and capital lease obligations of $0.4 million.

 

At April 2, 2005, we had cash and cash equivalents of $38.9 million and marketable securities of $62.5 million. The majority of these securities are invested in one portfolio managed by a professional investment management firm, under the oversight of our senior financial management team. Such portfolio manager invests the funds allocated in accordance with our Investment Policy, which is reviewed regularly by our senior financial management and the Audit Committee of our Board of Directors. We expect that our cash balances will fluctuate in the future based on factors such as cash used in or provided by ongoing operations, acquisitions or divestitures, investments in other companies, share repurchases, capital expenditures and contractual obligations, and changes in interest rates.

 

At April 2, 2005, we had a total of seven lines of credit, including one domestic revolving line of credit, two revolving lines of credit with Japanese banks, and four other lines of credit with Japanese banks which are used to sell trade notes receivable with recourse to the banks.

 

Our domestic revolving line of credit has a total credit limit of $5.0 million and expires December 1, 2005. Certain of the marketable securities that are being managed by the lending institution collateralize the line of credit. The line bears interest at the prevailing prime rate, or the prevailing London Interbank Offered Rate (2.88% at April 2, 2005) plus 1.5%, at our option, and an unused line fee of 0.25% per year. At April 2, 2005, there were no balances outstanding under the line of credit, with $1.8 million available under the line, after considering outstanding letters of credit totaling $3.2 million.

 

The two revolving lines of credit with Japanese banks total 1.5 billion yen ($14.0 million at April 2, 2005) and expire as follows: $10.3 million on November 30, 2005 and $3.7 million on March 18, 2006. The lines are not secured and bear interest at the prevailing bank rate. At April 2, 2005, we had $12.3 million outstanding and $1.7 million available for borrowing under these lines of credit.

 

The four other lines of credit with Japanese banks, which are used to sell notes receivable with recourse, total 800 million yen ($7.5 million at April 2, 2005), have no expiration date and bear interest at the bank’s prevailing rate. At April 2, 2005, we had $1.8 million outstanding and $5.7 million available for the sale of notes receivable under these lines of credit. The weighted average interest rate on all borrowings on all six Japanese lines of credit as of April 2, 2005 was 1.7%.

 

In 2003, we announced that our Board of Directors had approved a share repurchase program. The Board authorized us to purchase up to 3.9 million shares, or 10% of the then-outstanding stock. The purchases may be made from time to time in the open market or in privately negotiated transactions, and the timing and amount of the purchases will be based on factors including our share price, cash balances, expected cash requirements and general business and market conditions. In 2003, we purchased 285,529 shares at a cost of $4.5 million under this program. We did not make any purchases under this program in 2004 or in the first quarter of 2005, and any future purchases will depend on the aforementioned factors.

 

We believe our current working capital position, together with our expected future cash flows from operations will be adequate to fund our operations in the ordinary course of business, anticipated capital expenditures, debt payment requirements and other contractual obligations for the foreseeable future. However, this belief is based upon many

 

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assumptions and is subject to numerous risks (see “Risks Relating To Our Business,” on pages 27-36), and there can be no assurance that we will not require additional funding in the future.

 

We have no present agreements or commitments with respect to any material acquisitions of other businesses, products, product rights or technologies or any material capital expenditures. However, we will continue to evaluate acquisitions of and/or investments in products, technologies, capital equipment or improvements or companies that complement our business and may make such acquisitions and/or investments in the future. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that we will not need to obtain additional sources of capital in the future to finance any such potential acquisitions and/or investments. We cannot assure you that any such financing would be available, or that, if available, such financing would be obtainable on terms favorable to us and would not be dilutive.

 

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

 

In December 2004, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued SFAS No. 123R, Share-Based Payment. SFAS No. 123R requires employee stock options and rights to purchase shares under stock participation plans to be accounted for under the fair value method, and eliminates the ability to account for these instruments under the intrinsic value method prescribed by APB Opinion No. 25, and allowed under the original provisions of SFAS No. 123. SFAS No. 123R requires the use of an option pricing model for estimating fair value, which is amortized to expense over the period in which the related employee services are rendered. We are currently assessing the impact that the adoption of SFAS No. 123R will have on our consolidated results of operations. Although the assessment is ongoing, management believes that the impact of the adoption of SFAS No. 123R will be material to our consolidated results of operations, but that it will have no impact on our overall financial position. If we had applied the provisions of SFAS No. 123R to the financial statements for the period ended April 2, 2005, our net income would have been reduced by approximately $1.8 million. However, due to the alternative option pricing models and assumptions, the lower numbers of options granted in recent years, and the lower valuations of such options compared with options granted previously, this figure may not be representative of the impact to future results of operations. In April 2005, the Securities and Exchange Commission issued Release 33-8568, which delayed the effective date to fiscal years beginning after June 15, 2005. SFAS No. 123R allows for either prospective recognition of compensation expense or retrospective recognition. The retrospective method would be applied to all prior years in which SFAS No. 123 was effective. We are currently evaluating these transition methods.

 

In November 2004, the FASB issued SFAS No. 151, Inventory Costs — An Amendment of ARB No. 43, Chapter 4. SFAS No. 151 clarifies that abnormal amounts of idle facility expense, freight, handling costs and spoilage should be expensed as incurred and not included in overhead. Further, SFAS No. 151 requires that allocation of fixed and production facilities overhead to conversion costs should be based on normal capacity of the production facilities. The provisions in SFAS No. 151 are effective for inventory costs incurred during fiscal years beginning after June 15, 2005. We are currently evaluating the impact of the adoption of this standard, but do not believe that the adoption of SFAS No. 151 will have a significant effect on our results of operations or financial position.

 

In March 2004, the FASB approved the consensus reached on the Emerging Issues Task Force (EITF) Issue No. 03-1, The Meaning of Other-Than-Temporary Impairment and Its Application to Certain Investments. It provides guidance for identifying other-than-temporarily impaired investments. EITF 03-1 also provides new disclosure requirements for investments that are deemed to be temporarily impaired. In September 2004, the FASB issued a FASB Staff Position (FSP) EITF 03-1-1 that delays the effective date of the measurement and recognition guidance in EITF 03-1 until further notice. The disclosure requirements of EITF 03-1 are effective for fiscal years ending after December 15, 2003 and are reflected in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended January 1, 2005. After the FASB reaches a final decision on the measurement and recognition provisions, we will evaluate the impact of the adoption of the accounting provisions of EITF 03-1.

 

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RISKS RELATING TO OUR BUSINESS

 

The following is a summary of certain risks we face in our business. They are not the only risks we face. Additional risks of which we are not presently aware or that we currently believe are immaterial may also harm our business and results of operations. The trading price of our common stock could decline due to the occurrence of any of these risks, and investors could lose all or part of their investment. In assessing these risks, investors should also refer to the other information contained or incorporated by reference in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended January 1, 2005 and in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, including our consolidated financial statements and related notes included therein and herein.

 

We may not be able to effectively or completely integrate the business and operations of Spectra-Physics or future acquisitions, which could materially harm our operating results.

 

In connection with our acquisition of Spectra-Physics, we face several significant challenges in integrating the business and operations of Spectra-Physics with our own. We may not be able to achieve the integration in an effective, complete, timely or cost-efficient manner. The acquisition of Spectra-Physics approximately doubled our size, including with respect to revenue, number of employees and facilities. The acquisition and integration of Spectra-Physics with our operations involves substantial risks, including:

 

    our overall ability to integrate and manage Spectra-Physics’ operations, products and personnel;

 

    our ability to integrate the products of Spectra-Physics so that they complement our own;

 

    our ability to continue the development of the Spectra-Physics products and underlying technology;

 

    our ability to manufacture and sell the Spectra-Physics products;

 

    a decline in the demand for the Spectra-Physics products in the marketplace;

 

    our ability to retain and expand the customer base of Spectra-Physics;

 

    customer dissatisfaction or performance problems with the Spectra-Physics products;

 

    our ability to integrate the international operations of Spectra-Physics, particularly in those countries in which we have not had prior operations;

 

    our ability to retain key personnel who remained employed with Spectra-Physics following the acquisition;

 

    our ability to expand our financial and management controls and reporting systems and procedures to integrate and manage Spectra-Physics;

 

    our ability to realize expected synergies resulting from the acquisition;

 

    diversion of management’s time and attention;

 

    administrative integration and elimination of redundancies;

 

    assumption of unknown or contingent liabilities, or other unanticipated events or circumstances;

 

    our ability to maintain the competitiveness of Spectra-Physics and its products and technology in the marketplace; and

 

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    the need to incur or record significant cash or non-cash charges or write down the carrying value of intangible assets obtained in the Spectra-Physics acquisition, which could adversely impact our cash flow or lower our earnings in the period or periods for which we incur such charges or write down such assets.

 

The business and operations of Spectra-Physics may not achieve the anticipated revenues and operating results. We may in the future choose to close or divest certain sectors or divisions of Spectra-Physics, which could require us to record losses and/or spend cash relating to such closures or divestitures. Any of the foregoing risks could materially harm our business, financial conditions and results of operations.

 

In addition, we have in the past, and expect in the future, to achieve growth through a combination of internally developed new products and acquisitions. In recent years we have acquired several companies and technologies in addition to Spectra-Physics, and we expect to continue to pursue acquisitions of other companies, technologies and complementary product lines in the future to expand our product offerings and technology base to further our strategic goals. We have faced and continue to face the same and other similar risks as referenced above in connection with our prior acquisitions, and we expect that we would face the same and other similar risks as referenced above in connection with any such future acquisitions.

 

Our operating results are difficult to predict, and if we fail to meet the expectations of investors and/or securities analysts, the market price of our common stock will likely decline significantly.

 

Our operating results in any given quarter have fluctuated and will likely continue to fluctuate. These fluctuations are typically unpredictable and can result from numerous factors including:

 

    fluctuations in our customers’ capital spending, industry cyclicality (particularly in the semiconductor industry), levels of government funding available to our customers, and other economic conditions within the markets we serve;

 

    demand for our products and the products sold by our customers;

 

    the level of orders within a given quarter and preceding quarters;

 

    the timing and level of cancellations and delays of orders for our products;

 

    the timing of product shipments within a given quarter;

 

    our timing in introducing new products;

 

    variations in the mix of products we sell in each of the markets in which we do business;

 

    changes in our pricing policies or in the pricing policies of our competitors or suppliers;

 

    market acceptance of any new or enhanced versions of our products;

 

    the availability and cost of key components and raw materials we use to manufacture our products;

 

    our ability to manufacture a sufficient quantity of our products to meet customer demand;

 

    fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates;

 

    timing of new product introductions by our competitors; and

 

    our levels of expenses.

 

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We may in the future choose to change prices, increase spending, or add or eliminate products in response to actions by competitors or in an effort to pursue new market opportunities. These actions may also adversely affect our business and operating results and may cause our quarterly results to be lower than the results of previous quarters.

 

In addition, we often recognize a substantial portion of our sales in the last month of the quarter. Thus, unexpected variations in timing of sales, particularly for our higher-priced, higher-margin products such as our laser products, can cause significant fluctuations in our quarterly operating results. Orders expected in one quarter could shift to another period due to changes in the anticipated timing of customers’ purchase decisions or rescheduled delivery dates requested by our customers. Our operating results for a particular quarter or year may be adversely affected if our customers, particularly our largest customers, cancel or reschedule orders, or if we cannot fill orders in time due to unexpected delays in manufacturing, testing, shipping, and product acceptance. Also, we base our manufacturing on our forecasted product mix for the quarter. If the actual product mix varies significantly from our forecast, we may not be able to fill some orders during that quarter, which would result in delays in the shipment of our products and could shift sales to a subsequent period. In addition, our expenses for any given quarter are typically based on expected sales, and if sales are below expectations in any given quarter, the adverse impact of the shortfall on our operating results may be magnified by our inability to adjust spending quickly to compensate for the shortfall.

 

Due to these and other factors, we believe that quarter-to-quarter comparisons of results from operations, or any other similar period-to-period comparisons, should not be construed as reliable indicators of our future performance. In any period, our results may be below the expectations of market analysts and investors, which would likely cause the trading price of our common stock to drop.

 

We are dependent in part on the semiconductor equipment industry, which is volatile and unpredictable.

 

A significant portion of our current and expected future business comes from sales of components, subsystems and laser products to manufacturers of semiconductor fabrication, metrology and wafer inspection equipment and sales of capital equipment to integrated semiconductor device manufacturers. The semiconductor market has historically been characterized by sudden and severe cyclical variations in product supply and demand. The timing, severity and duration of these market cycles are difficult to predict, and we may not be able to respond effectively to these cycles. The continuing uncertainty in this market severely limits our ability to predict our business prospects or financial results in this market.

 

During industry downturns, our revenues from this market will decline suddenly and significantly. Our ability to rapidly and effectively reduce our cost structure in response to such downturns is limited by the fixed nature of many of our expenses in the near term and by our need to continue our investment in next-generation product technology and to support and service our products. In addition, due to the relatively long manufacturing lead times for some of the systems and, subsystems we sell to this market, we may incur expenditures or purchase raw materials or components for products we cannot sell. Accordingly, downturns in the semiconductor capital equipment market may materially harm our operating results. Conversely, when upturns in this market occur, we must be able to rapidly and effectively increase our manufacturing capacity to meet increases in customer demand that may be extremely rapid, and if we fail to do so we may lose business to our competitors and our relationships with our customers may be harmed.

 

A limited number of customers account for a significant portion of our sales to the microelectronics market, and if we lose any of these customers or they significantly curtail their purchases of our products, our results of operations would be harmed.

 

Our sales to the microelectronics market (which is comprised primarily of semiconductor capital equipment customers) constituted 22.6%, 33.4% and 38.0% of our consolidated net sales for the three months ended April 2, 2005, the year ended January 1, 2005 (which included Spectra-Physics’ results of operations for the period after July 16, 2004, the date of acquisition), and the year ended December 31, 2003, respectively. We rely on a limited number of customers for a significant portion of our sales to this market. Our top five customers in this market comprised approximately 49.3%, 56.5% and 62.0% of our sales to this market for the three months ended April 2, 2005, the year ended January 1, 2005 (which included Spectra-Physics’ results of operations for the period after July 16, 2004, the date of acquisition), and the year ended December 31, 2003, respectively. No single customer in this market comprised 10% or more of our consolidated net sales in the three months ended April 2, 2005 or the year

 

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ended January 1, 2005. If any of our principal customers discontinues its relationship with us, replaces us as a vendor for certain products or suffers downturns in its business, our business and results of operations could be harmed significantly. In addition, because a relatively small number of companies dominate the front-end equipment portion of this market, and because those companies rarely change vendors in the middle of a product’s life cycle, it may be particularly difficult for us to replace these customers if we lose their business.

 

The microelectronics market is characterized by rapid technological change, frequent product introductions, changing customer requirements and evolving industry standards. Because our customers face uncertainties with regard to the growth and requirements of these markets, their products and components may not achieve, or continue to achieve, anticipated levels of market acceptance. If our customers are unable to deliver products that gain market acceptance, it is likely that these customers will not purchase our products or will purchase smaller quantities of our products. We often invest substantial resources in developing our systems and subsystems in advance of significant sales of these systems and/or subsystems to such customers. A failure on the part of our customers’ products to gain market acceptance, or a failure of the semiconductor capital equipment market to grow would have a significant negative effect on our business and results of operations.

 

Many of the markets and industries that we serve are subject to rapid technological change, and if we do not introduce new and innovative products or improve our existing products, our business and results of operations will be negatively affected.

 

Many of our markets are characterized by rapid technological advances, evolving industry standards, shifting customer needs and new product introductions and enhancements. Products in our markets often become outdated quickly and without warning. We depend to a significant extent upon our ability to enhance our existing products, to anticipate and address the demands of the marketplace for new and improved technology, either through internal development or by acquisitions, and to be price competitive. If we or our competitors introduce new or enhanced products, it may cause our customers to defer or cancel orders for our existing products. In addition, because certain of our markets experience severe cyclicality in capital spending, if we fail to introduce new products in a timely manner we may miss market upturns, and may fail to have our products or subsystems designed into our customers’ products. We may not be successful in acquiring, developing, manufacturing or marketing new products on a timely or cost-effective basis. If we fail to adequately introduce new, competitive products on a timely basis, our business and results of operations would be harmed.

 

We offer products for multiple industries and must face the challenges of supporting the distinct needs of each of the markets we serve.

 

We offer products for a number of markets, including semiconductor capital equipment, scientific research, aerospace and defense/security, life and health sciences and fiber optic communications. Because we operate in multiple markets, we must work constantly to understand the needs, standards and technical requirements of several different industries and must devote significant resources to developing different products for these industries. Product development is costly and time consuming. Many of our products are used by our customers to develop, manufacture and test their own products. As a result, we must anticipate trends in our customers’ industries and develop products before our customers’ products are commercialized. If we do not accurately predict our customers’ needs and future activities, we may invest substantial resources in developing products that do not achieve broad market acceptance. Our decision to continue to offer products to a given market or to penetrate new markets is based in part on our judgment of the size, growth rate and other factors that contribute to the attractiveness of a particular market. If our product offerings in any particular market are not competitive or our analyses of a market are incorrect, our business and results of operations would be harmed.

 

Because the sales cycle for some of our products is long and difficult to predict, and certain of our orders are subject to rescheduling or cancellation, we may experience fluctuations in our operating results.

 

Many of our capital equipment, system and subsystem products are complex, and customers for these products require substantial time to make purchase decisions. These customers often perform, or require us to perform extensive configuration, testing and evaluation of our products before committing to purchasing them. The sales cycle for our capital equipment, system and subsystem products from initial contact through shipment typically varies, is difficult to predict and can last as long as one year. The orders comprising our backlog are generally

 

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subject to cancellation and changes in delivery schedules by our customers without significant penalty. We have from time to time experienced order rescheduling and cancellations that have caused our revenues in a given period to be materially less than would have been expected based on our backlog at the beginning of the period. If we experience such rescheduling and/or cancellations in the future, our operating results will fluctuate from period to period. These fluctuations could harm our results of operations and cause our stock price to drop.

 

If we are delayed in introducing our new products into the marketplace, or if our new products contain defects, our operating results will suffer.

 

Because certain of our products, particularly lasers, are sophisticated and complex, we may experience delays in introducing new products or enhancements to our existing products. If we do not introduce our new products or enhancements into the marketplace in a timely fashion, our customers may choose to use competitors’ products. In addition, because certain of our markets, such as the semiconductor equipment market, are highly cyclical in nature, if we fail to timely introduce new products in advance of an upturn in the market’s cycle, we may be foreclosed from selling products to many customers until the next cycle. As such, our inability to introduce new or enhanced products in a timely manner could cause our business and results of operations to suffer. In addition, our products may contain defects or undetected errors. As a result, we could incur substantial expenses in fixing any defects or undetected errors, which could result in damage to our competitive position and harm our business and results of operations.

 

We face significant risks from doing business in foreign countries.

 

Our business is subject to risks inherent in conducting business internationally. For the three months ended April 2, 2005, the year ended January 1, 2005 (which included Spectra-Physics’ results of operations for the period after July 16, 2004, the date of acquisition), and the year ended December 31, 2003, our international revenues accounted for approximately 47.9%, 37.8% and 31.5%, respectively, of total net sales, with a substantial portion of international sales originating in Europe. We expect that international revenues will continue to account for a significant percentage of total net sales for the foreseeable future, and that, in particular, the proportion of our sales to Asian customers will increase as a result of the purchase of Spectra-Physics. Our international operations expose us to various risks, which include:

 

    adverse changes in the political or economic conditions in countries or regions where we manufacture or sell our products;

 

    challenges of administering our business globally;

 

    compliance with multiple and potentially conflicting regulatory requirements including export requirements, tariffs and other trade barriers;

 

    longer accounts receivable collection periods;

 

    overlapping, differing or more burdensome tax structures;

 

    adverse currency fluctuations;

 

    differing protection of intellectual property;

 

    difficulties in staffing and managing each of our individual foreign operations;

 

    increased risk of exposure to terrorist activities; and

 

    trade restrictions and licensing requirements.

 

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In addition, fluctuations in foreign exchange rates could affect the sales price in local currencies of our products in foreign markets, potentially making our products less price competitive. Such exchange rate fluctuations could also increase the costs and expenses of our foreign operations or require us to modify our current business practices. If we experience any of the risks associated with international business, our business and results of operations could be significantly harmed.

 

We face substantial competition, and if we fail to compete effectively, our operating results will suffer.

 

The markets for our products are intensely competitive, and we believe that competition from both new and existing competitors will increase in the future. We compete in several specialized markets, against a limited number of companies in each market. We also face competition in some of our markets from our existing and potential customers who have developed or may develop products that are competitive to ours, or who engage subcontract manufacturers to manufacture subassembly products on their behalf. Many of our existing and potential competitors are more established, enjoy greater name recognition and possess greater financial, technological and marketing resources than we do. Other competitors are small and highly specialized firms that are able to focus on only one aspect of a market. We compete on the basis of product performance, features, quality, reliability and price and on our ability to manufacture and deliver our products on a timely basis. We may not be able to compete successfully in the future against existing or new competitors. In addition, competitive pressures may force us to reduce our prices, which could negatively affect our operating results. If we do not respond adequately to competitive challenges, our business and results of operations would be harmed.

 

If we fail to protect our intellectual property and proprietary technology, we may lose our competitive advantage.

 

Our success and ability to compete depend in large part upon protecting our proprietary technology. We rely on a combination of patent, trademark and trade secret protection and nondisclosure agreements to protect our proprietary rights. The steps we have taken may not be sufficient to prevent the misappropriation of our intellectual property, particularly in foreign countries where the laws may not protect our proprietary rights as fully as in the United States. The patent and trademark law and trade secret protection may not be adequate to deter third party infringement or misappropriation of our patents, trademarks and similar proprietary rights. In addition, patents issued to us may be challenged, invalidated or circumvented. Our rights granted under those patents may not provide competitive advantages to us, and the claims under our patent applications may not be allowed. We have in the past and may in the future be subject to or may initiate interference proceedings in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, which can demand significant financial and management resources. The process of seeking patent protection can be time consuming and expensive and patents may not be issued from currently pending or future applications. Moreover, our existing patents or any new patents that may be issued may not be sufficient in scope or strength to provide meaningful protection or any commercial advantage to us. We may in the future initiate claims or litigation against third parties for infringement of our proprietary rights in order to determine the scope and validity of our proprietary rights or the proprietary rights of our competitors, which claims could result in costly litigation, the diversion of our technical and management personnel and the assertion of counterclaims by the defendants, including counterclaims asserting invalidity of our patents. For example, we have notified several manufacturers of semiconductor wafer handling robots and load ports that we believe that they are infringing upon certain of our U.S. patents, and may institute litigation against one or more of such companies in the future. We will take such actions where we believe that they are of sufficient strategic or economic importance to us to justify the cost.

 

We have experienced, and may in the future experience, intellectual property infringement claims, which could be costly and time-consuming to defend.

 

We have from time to time received communications from third parties alleging that we are infringing certain trademarks, patents or other intellectual property rights held by them. Whenever such claims arise, we evaluate their merits. Any claims of infringement brought by third parties could result in protracted and costly litigation, and we could become subject to damages for infringement, or to an injunction preventing us from selling one or more of our products or using one or more of our trademarks. Such claims could also result in the necessity of obtaining a license relating to one or more of our products or current or future technologies, which may not be available on commercially reasonable terms or at all. Any intellectual property litigation and the failure to obtain necessary

 

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licenses or other rights or develop substitute technology may divert management’s attention from other matters and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, the terms of our customer contracts typically require us to indemnify the customer in the event of any claim of infringement brought by a third party based on our products. Any such claims of this kind may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.

 

If we are unable to attract new employees and retain and motivate existing employees, our business and results of operations will suffer.

 

Our ability to maintain and grow our business is directly related to the service of our employees in each area of our operations. Our future performance will be directly tied to our ability to hire, train, motivate and retain qualified personnel. Competition for personnel in the technology marketplace is intense, and if we are unable to hire sufficient numbers of employees with the experience and skills we need or to retain our employees, our business and results of operations would be harmed.

 

Our reliance on sole-source and limited source suppliers could result in delays in production and distribution of our products.

 

We obtain some of the materials used to build our systems and subsystems, such as the sheet steel used in some of our vibration isolation tables, and the laser crystals used in certain of our laser products, from single or limited sources due to unique component designs as well as specialized quality and performance requirements needed to manufacture our products. If our components or raw materials are unavailable in adequate amounts at acceptable quality levels or are unavailable on satisfactory terms, we may be required to purchase them from alternative sources, if available, which could increase our costs and cause delays in the production and distribution of our products. If we do not obtain comparable replacement components from other sources in a timely manner, our business and results of operations will be harmed. Many of our suppliers require long lead-times to deliver the quantities of components that we need. If we fail to accurately forecast our needs, or if we fail to obtain sufficient quantities of components that we use to manufacture our products, then delays or reductions in production and shipment could occur, which would harm our business and results of operations.

 

Our products could contain defects, which would increase our costs and harm our business.

 

Certain of our products, especially our laser and automation products, are inherently complex in design and require ongoing regular maintenance. Further, the manufacture of these products often involves a highly complex and precise process. As a result of the technical complexity of these products, design defects, changes in our or our suppliers’ manufacturing processes or the inadvertent use of defective materials by us or our suppliers could adversely affect our manufacturing yields and product reliability, which could in turn harm our business, operating results, financial condition and customer relationships.

 

We provide warranties for our products, and we accrue allowances for estimated warranty costs at the time we recognize revenue for the sale of the products. The determination of such allowances requires us to make estimates of product return rates and expected costs to repair or replace the products under warranty. We establish warranty reserves based on historical warranty costs for our products. If actual return rates or repair and replacement costs differ significantly from our estimates, adjustments to recognize additional cost of sales may be required in future periods.

 

Our customers may discover defects in our products after the products have been fully deployed and operated under peak stress conditions. In addition, some of our products are combined with products from other suppliers, which may contain defects. As a result, should problems occur, it may be difficult to identify the source of the problem. If we are unable to identify and fix defects or other problems, we could experience, among other things:

 

    loss of customers;

 

    increased costs of product returns and warranty expenses;

 

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    damage to our brand reputation;

 

    failure to attract new customers or achieve market acceptance;

 

    diversion of development and engineering resources; or

 

    legal action by our customers.

 

The occurrence of any one or more of the foregoing factors could seriously harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

Our products are subject to potential product liability claims which, if successful, could adversely affect our results of operations.

 

We are exposed to significant risks for product liability claims if personal injury or death results from the use of our products. We may experience material product liability losses in the future. We currently maintain insurance against product liability claims. However, our insurance coverage may not continue to be available on terms that we accept, if at all. This insurance coverage also may not adequately cover liabilities that we incur. Further, if our products are defective, we may be required to recall or redesign these products. A successful claim against us that exceeds our insurance coverage level, or any claim or product recall, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

While we believe we currently have adequate internal control over financial reporting, we are required to evaluate our internal control over financial reporting under Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 each year, and any adverse results from such evaluation could result in a loss of investor confidence in our financial reports and have an adverse effect on our stock price.

 

Pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (Section 404), we are required to furnish a report by our management each year on our internal control over financial reporting. This report contains, among other matters, an assessment of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of the end of our fiscal year, including a statement as to whether or not our internal control over financial reporting is effective. This assessment must include disclosure of any material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting identified by management. This report must also contain a statement that our auditors have issued an attestation report on management’s assessment of such internal controls.

 

The Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) provides a framework for companies to assess and improve their internal control systems. Auditing Standard No. 2 provides the professional standards and related performance guidance for auditors to attest to, and report on, management’s assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting under Section 404. Management’s assessment of internal controls over financial reporting requires management to make subjective judgments and, particularly because Section 404 and Auditing Standard No. 2 are newly effective, some of the judgments will be in areas that may be open to interpretation and therefore the report may be uniquely difficult to prepare and our auditors may not agree with our assessments.

 

Spectra-Physics, which now constitutes over half of our business, was formerly a division of a much larger organization with more complex and integrated internal control processes, causing our review of those internal controls over financial reporting to be time-consuming and costly. While we currently believe that the internal control over financial reporting of Spectra-Physics is effective, we are still performing the system and process documentation and evaluation relating to Spectra-Physics needed to comply with Section 404 and, as permitted by the Securities and Exchange Commission, will not complete such work until the third quarter of 2005. During this process, if our management identifies one or more material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting, we will be unable to assert such internal control is effective.

 

If we are unable to assert each year that our internal control over financial reporting is effective (or if our auditors are unable to attest that our management’s report is fairly stated or they are unable to express an opinion on the

 

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effectiveness of our internal controls), we could lose investor confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports, which would have an adverse effect on our stock price. In addition, if any such unidentified material weaknesses were to result in fraudulent activity and/or a material misstatement or omission in our financial statements, we could suffer losses and be subject to civil and criminal penalties, all of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

Our financial results will be adversely affected by changes in the accounting rules governing the recognition of stock-based compensation expense.

 

We measure compensation expense for our employee stock compensation plans under the intrinsic value method of accounting prescribed by APB Opinion No. 25, Accounting for Stock Issued to Employees. Recently, the Financial Accounting Standards Board has adopted changes to the accounting rules concerning the recognition of stock option compensation expense which would require us to account for equity compensation under the fair value method of accounting prescribed by SFAS No. 123R, Share-Based Payment. We provide disclosures of our operating results as if we had applied the fair value method of accounting on a pro forma basis in accordance with SFAS No. 123, Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation. In accordance with Release 33-8568, issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission in April 2005, beginning in the first quarter of 2006, we and other companies currently using the intrinsic value method will be required to measure compensation expense using the fair value method, which will adversely affect our results of operations by significantly increasing our equity compensation expense.

 

Compliance with environmental regulations and potential environmental liabilities could adversely affect our financial results.

 

Our operations are subject to various federal, state and local environmental protection regulations relating to the protection of the environment, including those governing discharges of pollutants into the air and water, the management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes and the cleanup of contaminated sites. In the United States, we are subject to the federal regulation and control of the Environmental Protection Agency. Comparable authorities are involved in other countries. Some of our operations require environmental permits and controls to prevent and reduce air and water pollution, and these permits are subject to modification, renewal and revocation by issuing authorities. Future developments, administrative actions or liabilities relating to environmental matters could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations or financial condition.

 

Although we believe that our safety procedures for using, handling, storing and disposing of such materials comply with the standards required by state and federal laws and regulations, we cannot completely eliminate the risk of accidental contamination or injury from these materials. In the event of such an accident involving such materials, we could be liable for damages and such liability could exceed the amount of our liability insurance coverage and the resources of our business.

 

Spectra-Physics’ Mountain View, California facility is an EPA-designated Superfund site and is subject to a cleanup and abatement order from the California Regional Water Quality Control Board. Spectra-Physics, along with several other entities with facilities located near the Mountain View, California facility, have been identified as Responsible Parties with respect to this Superfund site, due to releases of hazardous substances during the 1960s and 1970s. The site is mature, and investigations and remediation efforts have been ongoing for approximately 20 years. Spectra-Physics and the other Responsible Parties have entered into a cost-sharing agreement covering the costs of remediating the off-site groundwater impact. We have established reserves relating to the estimated cost of these remediation efforts, however our ultimate costs of remediation are difficult to predict. In addition, while we are not aware of any unresolved property damage or personal injury claims relating to this site, such claims could be made against us in the future. While Thermo Electron Corporation has agreed in connection with our purchase of Spectra-Physics to indemnify us, subject to certain conditions, for environmental liabilities relating to this site in excess of our reserves, this indemnity may not cover all liabilities relating to this site. In such event, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.

 

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Natural disasters or power outages could disrupt or shut down our operations, which would negatively impact our operations.

 

We are headquartered, and have significant operations, in the State of California and other areas where our operations are susceptible to damages from earthquakes, floods, fire, loss of power or water supplies, or other similar contingencies. If any of our facilities were to experience a catastrophic loss or significant power outages, it could disrupt our operations, delay production, shipments and revenue, and result in large expenses to repair or replace the facility, any of which would harm our business. We are predominantly uninsured for losses and interruptions caused by earthquakes.

 

ITEM 3. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK

 

The principal market risks (i.e., the risk of loss arising from adverse changes in market rates and prices) to which we are exposed are foreign exchange rates which may generate translation and transaction gains and losses and interest rate risk.

 

Foreign Currency Risk

 

Operating in international markets sometimes involves exposure to volatile movements in currency exchange rates. The economic impact of currency exchange rate movements on our operating results is complex because such changes are often linked to variability in real growth, inflation, interest rates, governmental actions and other factors. These changes, if material, may cause us to adjust our financing and operating strategies. Consequently, isolating the effect of changes in currency does not incorporate these other important economic factors.

 

From time to time we use forward exchange contracts to mitigate the risks associated with certain foreign currency transactions entered into in the ordinary course of business, primarily foreign currency denominated receivables and payables. We do not engage in currency speculation. The forward exchange contracts generally require us to exchange U.S. dollars for foreign currencies at maturity, at rates agreed to at inception of the contracts. If the counterparties to the exchange contracts (AA or A+ rated banks) do not fulfill their obligations to deliver the contracted currencies, we could be at risk for any currency related fluctuations. Transaction gains and losses are included in our current net income in our statement of operations. Net foreign exchange gains and losses were not material to our reported results of operations for the last three years.

 

Our operating income from international operations totaled $2.7 million for the three months ended April 2, 2005. As currency exchange rates change, translation of the income statements of international operations into U.S. dollars affects year-over-year comparability of operating results. We do not generally hedge translation risks because cash flows from international operations are generally reinvested locally. We do not enter into hedges to minimize volatility of reported earnings because we do not believe it is justified by the exposure or the cost.

 

Changes in currency exchange rates that would have the largest impact on translating future international operating profit include the euro, British pound, Japanese yen, Canadian dollar and Taiwan dollar. We estimate that a 10% change in foreign exchange rates would not have had a material effect on reported net income for the quarter ended April 2, 2005. We believe that this quantitative measure has inherent limitations because, as discussed in the first paragraph of this section, it does not take into account any governmental actions or changes in either customer purchasing patterns or financing and operating strategies.

 

Interest Rate Risk

 

The interest rates we pay on certain of our debt instruments are subject to interest rate risk. Our collateralized line of credit bears interest at either the prevailing prime rate, or the prevailing London Interbank Offered Rate plus 1.5%, at our option. Our investments in marketable securities, which totaled $62.5 million at April 2, 2005, are sensitive to changes in the general level of U.S. interest rates. We estimate that a 10% change in the interest rate earned on our investment portfolio or a 10% change in interest rates on our line of credit would not have had a material effect on our net income for the quarter ended April 2, 2005.

 

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The sensitivity analyses described in the interest rate and foreign exchange discussions above disregard the possibility that rates can move in opposite directions and that gains from one category may or may not be offset by losses from another category and vice versa.

 

ITEM 4. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

 

  (a) Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

 

Our chief executive officer and our chief financial officer, after evaluating our “disclosure controls and procedures” (as defined in Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) Rules 13a-15(e) and 15-d-15(e)) as of the end of the period covered by this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (the “Evaluation Date”), have concluded that as of the Evaluation Date, our disclosure controls and procedures are effective to ensure that information we are required to disclose in reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in Securities and Exchange Commission rules and forms, and to ensure that information required to be disclosed by us in such reports is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our chief executive officer and chief financial officer, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

 

  (b) Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

 

There was no change in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the period covered by this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting. We continue to enhance our internal control over financial reporting, primarily by evaluating and enhancing our process and control documentation and increasing our systems security, in connection with our ongoing efforts to meet the requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. We discuss with and disclose these matters to the Audit Committee of our Board of Directors and our auditors.

 

PART II – OTHER INFORMATION

 

ITEM 6. EXHIBITS

 

Exhibit
Number


  

Description of Exhibit


31.1    Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) or Rule 15d-14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”).
31.2    Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) or Rule 15d-14(a) of the Exchange Act.
32.1    Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(b) or Rule 15d-14(b) of the Exchange Act and 18 U.S.C. Section 1350.
32.2    Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(b) or Rule 15d-14(b) of the Exchange Act and 18 U.S.C. Section 1350.

 

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SIGNATURES

 

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.

 

Dated: May 11, 2005

     

NEWPORT CORPORATION

            By:  

/s/ Charles F. Cargile

               

Charles F. Cargile,

                Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer (Principal Financial Officer and Duly Authorized Officer)

 

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EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit
Number


  

Description of Exhibit


31.1    Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) or Rule 15d-14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”).
31.2    Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) or Rule 15d-14(a) of the Exchange Act.
32.1    Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(b) or Rule 15d-14(b) of the Exchange Act and 18 U.S.C. Section 1350.
32.2    Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(b) or Rule 15d-14(b) of the Exchange Act and 18 U.S.C. Section 1350.

 

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