COGNEX CORP (CGNX) FY 2022 MD&A

ITEM 7: MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Certain statements made in this report, as well as oral statements made by the Company from time to time, constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Readers can identify these forward-looking statements by our use of the words “expects,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” "potential," “believes,” “projects,” “intends,” “plans,” “will,” “may,” “shall,” “could,” “should,” and similar words and other statements of a similar sense. These statements are based on our current estimates and expectations as to prospective events and circumstances, which may or may not be in our control and as to which there can be no firm assurances given. These forward-looking statements, which include statements regarding business and market trends, future financial performance and financial targets, the expected impact of the fire at our primary contract manufacturer's plant on our assets, business and results of operations and related insurance recoveries, customer demand and order rates and timing of related revenue, managing supply shortages, delivery lead times, future product mix, research and development activities, sales and marketing activities, new product offerings and product development activities, capital expenditures, investments, liquidity, dividends and stock repurchases, strategic and growth plans, and estimated tax benefits and expenses and other tax matters, involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Such risks and uncertainties include: (1) the reliance on key suppliers, such as our primary contract manufacturer, to manufacture and deliver products; (2) the expected impact of the fire at our primary contract manufacturer's plant on our assets, business, and results of operations and related insurance recoveries; (3) delays in the delivery of our products, the failure to meet delivery schedules, and resulting customer dissatisfaction or loss of sales; (4) the inability to obtain, or the delay in obtaining, components for our products at reasonable prices; (5) the failure to effectively manage product transitions or accurately forecast customer demand; (6) the inability to manage disruptions to our distribution centers or to our key suppliers; (7) the inability to design and manufacture high-quality products; (8) the impact, duration, and severity of the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in China, including the availability and effectiveness of vaccines as well as government lockdowns; (9) the loss of, or curtailment of purchases by, large customers in the logistics, consumer electronics, or automotive industries; (10) information security breaches; (11) the failure to comply with laws or regulations relating to data privacy or data protection; (12) the inability to protect our proprietary technology and intellectual property; (13) the inability to attract and retain skilled employees and maintain our unique corporate culture; (14) the technological obsolescence of current products and the inability to develop new products; (15) the failure to properly manage the distribution of products and services, including the management of lead times and delivery dates; (16) the impact of competitive pressures; (17) the challenges in integrating and achieving expected results from acquired businesses; (18) potential disruptions in our business systems; (19) potential impairment charges with respect to our investments or acquired intangible assets; (20) exposure to additional tax liabilities, increases and fluctuations in our effective tax rate, and other tax matters; (21) fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates and the use of derivative instruments; (22) unfavorable global economic conditions, including increases in interest rates and high inflation rates; (23) business disruptions from natural or man-made disasters, such as fire, or public health issues; (24) economic, political, and other risks associated with international sales and operations, including the impact of trade disputes on the economic climate in China and the war in Ukraine; (25) exposure to potential liabilities, increased costs, reputational harm, and other adverse effects associated with expectations relating to environmental, social, and governance considerations; (26) stock price volatility; and (27) our involvement in time-consuming and costly litigation or activist shareholder activities. The foregoing list should not be construed as exhaustive and we encourage readers to refer to the detailed discussion of risk factors included in Part I - Item 1A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. The Company cautions readers not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. The Company disclaims any obligation to subsequently revise forward-looking statements to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events or circumstances after the date such statements are made.

EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW

Cognex Corporation (“the Company”) invents and commercializes technologies that address some of the most critical manufacturing and distribution challenges. We are a leading global provider of machine vision products and solutions that seek to improve efficiency and quality in a wide range of businesses across attractive industrial end markets. In addition to product revenue derived from the sale of machine vision products, the Company also

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generates revenue by providing maintenance and support, consulting, and training services to its customers; however, service revenue accounted for less than 10% of total revenue for all periods presented.

Machine vision is used in a variety of industries where technology is widely recognized as an important component of automated production, distribution, and quality assurance. Virtually every manufacturer or distributor can achieve better quality and efficiency by using machine vision, leading to applications with a broad base of customers across a variety of industries, including automotive, logistics, consumer electronics, medical-related, semiconductor, consumer products, food and beverage, and others.

Revenue for the year ended December 31, 2022 totaled $1,006,090,000, representing a decrease of 3% from 2021. The decrease was driven by three primary factors: (i) lower revenue from the logistics industry, our largest market in 2021, as a result of the slowing of large e-commerce customer projects as such customers absorbed excess capacity built up during the pandemic; (ii) the unfavorable impact of foreign currency exchange rate changes on revenue; and (iii) the impact of the June 7, 2022 fire at our primary contract manufacturer's plant in Indonesia, which destroyed a large amount of component inventory limiting our ability to fulfill certain orders in the year. This decrease was partially offset by growth in the broader factory automation market, most notably in the consumer electronics, automotive, and semiconductor industries.

Gross margin as a percentage of revenue was 72% in 2022 compared to 73% in 2021. The decrease resulted primarily from higher inventory costs, due largely to global supply chain constraints and the expedited replenishment of inventories lost in the fire at our primary contract manufacturer's plant on June 7, 2022. These circumstances have resulted in broker-buy purchases for components at higher-than-normal costs. A more favorable revenue mix and the Company's price increases partially offset this decrease in gross margin.

Operating expenses increased by $30,950,000, or 7%, from 2021. On June 7, 2022, our primary contract manufacturer suffered a fire at its Indonesian plant destroying a large portion of the Company's component inventories. In 2022, the Company recorded a net loss related to the fire of $20,779,000, consisting primarily of losses from inventories and other assets of $48,339,000, offset by insurance recoveries of $27,560,000. Excluding the loss from fire of $20,779,000 and restructuring charges of $1,657,000 related to a business acquisition in 2022, operating expenses increased by $8,514,000, or 2%, as higher personnel-related costs and stock-based compensation expense, were largely offset by decreases in incentive compensation due to weaker business performance and the favorable impact of foreign currency exchange rate changes on expenses.

Operating income decreased to 24% of revenue in 2022 compared to 30% of revenue in 2021. This decrease was driven primarily by the loss from the fire of $20,779,000 and the decrease in revenue of $31,008,000. This lower level of operating income resulted in net income of 21% of revenue in 2022 compared to 27% of revenue in 2021, and net income per diluted share of $1.23 in 2022 compared to $1.56 in 2021.

The following table sets forth certain consolidated financial data as a percentage of revenue:

(1) Amounts may not total properly due to rounding.

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

As foreign currency exchange rates are a factor in understanding period-to-period comparisons, we believe the presentation of results on a constant-currency basis in addition to reported results helps improve investors’ ability to

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understand our operating results and evaluate our performance in comparison to prior periods. We also use results on a constant-currency basis as one measure to evaluate our performance. Constant-currency information compares results between periods as if exchange rates had remained constant period-over-period. We generally refer to such amounts calculated on a constant-currency basis as excluding the impact of foreign currency exchange rate changes. Results on a constant-currency basis are not in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (U.S. GAAP) and should be considered in addition to, and not as a substitute for, results prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP.

Year Ended December 31, 2022 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2021

Revenue

Revenue for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $1,006,090,000 compared to $1,037,098,000 for the prior year, representing a decrease of 3%. Changes in foreign exchange rates resulted in a lower level of reported revenue in 2022 as compared to 2021. Excluding the impact of foreign currency exchange rate changes, revenue increased by 1% compared to 2021.

The fire on June 7, 2022 at our primary contract manufacturer’s plant in Indonesia, which destroyed a large amount of component inventory, limited our ability to fulfill certain orders in the year, which resulted in lower revenue. Revenue from the logistics industry, our largest market in 2021, decreased by approximately 25% as a result of the slowing of large e-commerce customer projects as such customers absorbed excess capacity built up during the pandemic. Excluding these decreases in revenue from a few large logistics customers, revenue from the remainder of the logistics industry grew, as the broader base of logistics customers continued to invest in automation. The decline in overall revenue from the logistics industry was partially offset by growth in the broader factory automation market, most notably in the consumer electronics, automotive, and semiconductor industries. Consumer electronics revenue increased by approximately 8%, and 14% on a constant-currency basis, primarily as a result of increased large-customer demand. Revenue from our largest industry in 2022, automotive, increased by 7%, and 13% on a constant-currency basis, primarily as a result of continued investment in electric vehicles.

Changes in revenue from a geographic perspective were as follows:

•Revenue from customers based in the Americas decreased by 10% from the prior year driven primarily by a decrease in revenue from customers in the logistics industry. This decrease was partially offset by an increase in revenue from other industries, led by growth in the automotive and consumer electronics industries.

•Revenue from customers based in Europe decreased by 5% from the prior year. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates resulted in a lower level of reported revenue in 2022, as sales denominated in Euros were translated into U.S. Dollars at a lower rate. Excluding the impact of foreign currency exchange rate changes, revenue from customers based in Europe increased by 5% from the prior year. The increase came from customers in a variety of industries, most notably the automotive and consumer electronics industries, partially offset by a decrease in revenue from customers in the logistics industry.

•Revenue from customers based in Greater China increased by 14% from the prior year. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates resulted in a lower level of reported revenue in 2022, primarily from sales denominated in Chinese Renminbi. Excluding the impact of foreign currency exchange rate changes, revenue from customers based in Greater China increased by 17% from the prior year. The increase was driven primarily by higher revenue in the consumer electronics industry, particularly due to increased large-customer demand, and to a lesser extent, growth in the semiconductor and automotive industries.

•Revenue from other countries in Asia remained flat with the prior year. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates resulted in a lower level of reported revenue in 2022, primarily from sales denominated in Japanese Yen and Korean Won. Excluding the impact of foreign currency exchange rate changes, revenue from these customers in other countries in Asia increased by 8% from the prior year, led by higher revenue in semiconductor and automotive industries, and, to a lesser extent, the logistics industry. These increases were partially offset by a decrease in revenue from the consumer electronic industry.

As of the date of this report, we expect revenue for the first quarter of 2023 to be lower than the revenue reported for the fourth quarter of 2022 of $239,433,000, primarily due to lower revenue from a few large e-commerce customers and broader macroeconomic softness.

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Gross Margin

Gross margin as a percentage of revenue decreased to 72% in 2022 compared to 73% in 2021. The decrease resulted primarily from higher inventory costs, due largely to global supply chain constraints and the expedited replenishment of inventories lost in the fire at our primary contract manufacturer's plant on June 7, 2022. These circumstances have resulted in broker-buy purchases for components at higher-than-normal costs. The decrease in gross margin was also due to an unfavorable impact of foreign currency exchange rate changes.

A more favorable revenue mix partially offset this decrease in gross margin. A lesser percentage of revenue came from the logistics industry, which has relatively lower gross margins, and a greater percentage of revenue came from the consumer electronics industry, which has relatively higher gross margins. Further, the Company has increased prices, which has offset the impact of component cost inflation (not including broker-buy purchases) on our gross margin.

As of the date of this report, we expect gross margin as a percentage of revenue for the first quarter of 2023 to be in the low-70% range, primarily as a result of the significant premiums the Company has paid to replenish inventories lost in the fire at our primary contract manufacturer's plant on June 7, 2022.

Operating Expenses

Research, Development, and Engineering Expenses

Research, development, and engineering (RD&E) expenses in 2022 increased by $5,761,000, or 4%, from the prior year as detailed in the table below (in thousands).

RD&E expenses increased primarily due to higher personnel-related costs resulting from headcount additions to support new product initiatives and salary increases provided to employees as part of our merit and promotion process. Stock-based compensation expense also increased from the prior year due to a higher level of stock-based grants at a higher average economic value, as well as the impact of a forfeiture rate true-up that resulted in higher expense.

These increases were partially offset by lower incentive compensation expense compared to the prior year due to weaker business performance. Relevant performance goals for incentive compensation plans are set at the beginning of each year, with the ability to earn upside if the goals are exceeded. In contrast to 2022, performance goals set for 2021 incentive bonuses were exceeded, resulting in a higher level of bonus expense recorded in 2021. The impact of foreign currency exchange rate changes further offset the increase to RD&E expenses, as costs denominated in foreign currencies were translated into U.S. Dollars at a lower rate.

RD&E expenses as a percentage of revenue was 14% in 2022 compared to 13% in 2021. We believe that a continued commitment to RD&E activities is essential in order to maintain or achieve product leadership with our existing products and to provide innovative new product offerings, as well as to provide engineering support for large customers. In addition, we consider our ability to accelerate the time to market for new products to be critical to our revenue growth and competitive position. This annual percentage is impacted by revenue levels and investing cycles.

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Selling, General, and Administrative Expenses

Selling, general, and administrative (SG&A) expenses increased in 2022 by $2,753,000, or 1%, from the prior year as detailed in the table below (in thousands).

SG&A expenses increased primarily due to higher personnel-related costs resulting from headcount additions, primarily for sales personnel to support the Company's anticipated revenue growth, and salary increases provided to employees as part of our merit and promotion process. In addition to salaries and fringe benefits, these personnel-related costs included sales commissions and travel expenses related to the additional headcount. Stock-based compensation expense also increased from the prior year due to a higher level of stock-based grants at a higher average economic value, as well as the impact of a forfeiture rate true-up that resulted in higher expense. While travel expenses increased due to the number of sales personnel added, expenses also increased due to a higher level of travel activity as restrictions related to COVID-19 continued to ease.

These increases were partially offset by lower incentive compensation expenses than the prior year, which included sales commissions and incentive bonuses, primarily due to weaker business performance. Relevant performance goals for these plans are set at the beginning of each year, with the ability to earn upside if the goals are exceeded. In contrast to 2022, performance goals set for 2021 sales commissions and incentive bonuses were exceeded, resulting in a higher level of incentive compensation expenses recorded in 2021. The impact of foreign currency exchange rate changes further offset the increase to SG&A expenses, as costs denominated in foreign currencies were translated into U.S. Dollars at a lower rate.

Loss from Fire

On June 7, 2022, the Company’s primary contract manufacturer experienced a fire at its plant in Indonesia. The fire destroyed a significant amount of Cognex-owned consigned inventories, as well as component inventories owned by the contract manufacturer that were designated for Cognex products. There was no significant damage to the Company's production equipment. Since the date of the fire, the Company has worked with the contract manufacturer to assess the damage, resume production, maintain standards of product quality, and replenish inventories destroyed by the fire. The Company has also been working to ramp up an additional contract manufacturer to further mitigate risk, diversify supply chain, and expand production capacity.

As a result of the fire, the Company recorded $48,339,000 in gross losses in 2022, related to $37,663,000 of Cognex-owned inventories, $8,709,000 of primarily prepayments related to Cognex-designated components that were owned by the contract manufacturer and other assets, and $1,967,000 related to deleveraging of costs related to our distribution centers.

Gross losses have been reduced by insurance proceeds received from the Company’s insurance carrier of $27,560,000 in the fourth quarter of 2022. Gross losses net of insurance recovery of $20,779,000 are presented in the caption “Loss from fire” on the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

As of December 31, 2022 and through the date of financial statement issuance, management cannot yet estimate additional recoveries that could be available from the contract manufacturer. Any future, additional recoveries in excess of recognized losses will be treated as gain contingencies and will be recognized when the gain is realized or realizable. There can be no assurance, however, that additional insurance coverage and/or recoveries from the contract manufacturer will be available to cover the net loss from the fire.

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Restructuring Charges

On December 7, 2022, the Company acquired all of the outstanding shares of SAC Sirius Advanced Cybernetics GmbH ("SAC"), a leader in computational lighting technology based in Germany. The acquisition of SAC and its technology is expected to expand the Company’s capabilities in defect detection, and accelerate our growth trajectory with electric vehicle battery manufacturers. In December 2022, following its acquisition of SAC, the Company performed restructuring activities to align the cost and operating structure of the acquired business with the Company's business strategy. The restructuring activities resulted in charges of $1,657,000 in 2022. As of December 31, 2022, the majority of these restructuring actions were completed and no additional charges are expected to be incurred in future periods in relation to this restructuring plan.

Non-operating Income (Expense)

The Company recorded foreign currency losses of $1,837,000 in 2022 and $2,270,000 in 2021. Foreign currency gains and losses result primarily from the revaluation and settlement of assets and liabilities that are denominated in currencies other than the functional currencies of our subsidiaries or the reporting currency of our company, which is the U.S. Dollar.

Investment income increased by $55,000, or 1%, from the prior year. The slight increase was due primarily to higher yields on investments, partially offset by lower average investment balances and changes in realized gains and losses.

The Company recorded other expense of $412,000 in 2022 and $591,000 in 2021.

Income Tax Expense

The Company’s effective tax rate was 14% of pre-tax income in 2022, compared to 12% in 2021.

The increase in effective tax rate in 2022 primarily resulted from the impact of discrete tax items, including a decrease in tax benefits related to stock-based compensation, an increase in certain international tax reserves, and a net expense related to return-to-provision adjustments. These impacts were partially offset by discrete tax benefits related to audit settlements, a release in the valuation allowance, Global Intangible Low-Taxed Income ("GILTI") adjustments, and a rate revaluation on deferred state tax assets.

Excluding the impact of all discrete tax items, the Company’s effective tax rate was 16% of pre-tax income for both 2022 and 2021.

Year Ended December 31, 2021 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2020

Revenue

Revenue for the year ended December 31, 2021 was $1,037,098,000 compared to $811,020,000 for the prior year, representing an increase of 28%. Revenue from customers in the logistics industry increased by approximately 65% from the prior year, with the most significant portion of this growth coming from e-commerce and omni-channel retailers. Higher sales from traditional brick-and-mortar retailers also contributed to growth in the logistics industry.

Growth in the automotive, semiconductor, medical-related, and consumer products industries also contributed to the increase in total revenue. After declining for two consecutive years, revenue from customers in the automotive industry grew faster than the company average in 2021, due in part to electric vehicle investments. These increases were partially offset by a decrease in revenue from customers in the consumer electronics industry due to lower investment in smartphone manufacturing and other devices that we believe benefited from remote work conditions in 2020.

From a geographic perspective, revenue from customers based in the Americas increased by 40% from the prior year driven primarily by higher revenue in the logistics industry. Revenue from customers in medical-related industries was also notably higher than the prior year.

Revenue from customers based in Europe increased by 19% from the prior year. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates resulted in a higher level of reported revenue in 2021, as sales denominated in Euros were translated into U.S. Dollars at a higher rate. Excluding the impact of foreign currency exchange rate changes, revenue from customers based in Europe increased by 15% from the prior year. The increase came from customers in a variety of industries, most notably logistics, automotive, and consumer products, partially offset by lower revenue in the consumer electronics industry. The decline in revenue from consumer electronics was partially a result of procurement changes made by certain customers, shifting their purchases to China from Europe.

Revenue from customers based in Greater China increased by 19% from the prior year. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates resulted in a higher level of reported revenue in 2021, as sales denominated in Chinese

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Renminbi were translated into U.S. Dollars at a higher rate. Excluding the impact of foreign currency exchange rate changes, revenue from customers based in Greater China increased by 12% from the prior year. The increase was driven primarily by higher revenue in the automotive and semiconductor industries, partially offset by lower revenue in the consumer electronics industry.

Revenue from other countries in Asia increased by 24% from the prior year due primarily to higher revenue in the automotive, semiconductor, and consumer electronics industries.

Gross Margin

Gross margin as a percentage of revenue decreased to 73% in 2021 compared to 75% in 2020. The decrease in gross margin percentage was primarily due to higher prices paid to purchase inventories in 2021, including higher costs for components and freight, due largely to global supply chain constraints. The decrease was also due to a greater percentage of total revenue coming from the logistics industry, which has relatively lower gross margins and included some comparatively lower margins from strategic logistics projects in 2021.

The unfavorable impact of higher inventory purchase prices and a higher percentage of logistics revenue was partially offset by manufacturing efficiencies related to the higher revenue level and lower provisions for excess and obsolete inventories as compared to the prior year. The higher provisions for excess and obsolete inventories in 2020 took into account the global economic conditions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Operating Expenses

Research, Development, and Engineering Expenses

Research, development, and engineering (RD&E) expenses in 2021 increased by $4,390,000, or 3%, from the prior year as detailed in the table below (in thousands).

RD&E expenses increased due to foreign currency exchange rate changes, as costs denominated in foreign currencies were translated into U.S. Dollars at a higher rate. Higher spending on outsourced engineering services due to the timing of product development activities, including engineering prototypes for large sales opportunities, also contributed to the increase. These increases were partially offset by lower personnel-related costs due to a workforce reduction in the second quarter of 2020. Higher costs from annual salary increases and fringe benefits provided to employees, as well as headcount additions to support new product initiatives, partially offset the lower costs from the workforce reduction.

RD&E expenses as a percentage of revenue was 13% in 2021 compared to 16% in 2020. We believe that a continued commitment to RD&E activities is essential in order to maintain or achieve product leadership with our existing products and to provide innovative new product offerings, as well as to provide engineering support for large customers. In addition, we consider our ability to accelerate the time to market for new products to be critical to our revenue growth. This annual percentage is impacted by revenue levels and investing cycles.

Selling, General, and Administrative Expenses

Selling, general, and administrative (SG&A) expenses increased in 2021 by $41,761,000, or 16%, from the prior year as detailed in the table below (in thousands).

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SG&A expenses increased due to higher expenses related to annual incentive compensation plans, which include sales commissions and incentive bonuses. Relevant performance goals for these plans, as well as any changes to employee eligibility, are set at the beginning of each year, with the ability to earn upside if the goals are exceeded. Sales commissions were higher than the prior year primarily due to the higher business levels, which resulted in a greater portion of our sales team exceeding the performance goals set in their commission plans in 2021 versus 2020. Likewise, the performance goal set for 2021 incentive bonuses was exceeded based on the Company's operating income margin, with the same being true in 2020. However, incentive bonus accruals in 2021 were higher than the prior year primarily due to the impact of changes to employee eligibility, of which the most significant related to members of the Company's senior leadership team who were not eligible for 2020 incentive bonuses as part of the Company's restructuring plan.

Personnel-related costs increased due to higher costs from annual salary increases and fringe benefits provided to employees, as well as sales headcount additions in strategic growth areas of the business, partially offset by the impact of the workforce reduction that took place in the second quarter of 2020. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates also resulted in a higher level of expenses, as costs denominated in foreign currencies were translated into U.S. Dollars at a higher rate. Expenses were also higher due to investments the Company is making in business systems related to its sales process, including systems to help our sales team more efficiently manage customer relationships and sales opportunities. A portion of these costs was expensed as incurred, while the majority of these investments were accounted for as a capital asset that was placed into service in the first quarter of 2022. The Company also increased spending on marketing programs in an effort to generate future sales opportunities, particularly related to new product introductions, and incurred higher travel expenses as restrictions related to COVID-19 eased in certain regions.

Restructuring and Intangible Asset Impairment Charges

On May 26, 2020, the Company's Board of Directors approved a restructuring plan intended to reduce the Company's operating costs, optimize its business model, and address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Company recorded restructuring charges of $15,924,000 in 2020, as a result of actions related to the restructuring plan, which included a global workforce reduction of approximately 8% and office closures. In addition, the adverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic triggered a review of long-lived assets for potential impairment in the second quarter of 2020. This review resulted in intangible asset impairment charges totaling $19,571,000 recorded in the second quarter of 2020.

Non-operating Income (Expense)

The Company recorded foreign currency losses of $2,270,000 in 2021 and foreign currency gains of $3,697,000 in 2020. Foreign currency gains and losses result primarily from the revaluation and settlement of assets and liabilities that are denominated in currencies other than the functional currencies of our subsidiaries or the reporting currency of our company, which is the U.S. Dollar.

Investment income decreased by $6,334,000, or 49%, from the prior year. The decrease was due primarily to lower yields on the Company's portfolio of debt securities, partially offset by higher invested balances.

The Company recorded other expense of $591,000 in 2021 and $309,000 in 2020. Other income (expense) includes fair value adjustments of contingent consideration liabilities arising from business acquisitions.

Income Tax Expense

The Company’s effective tax rate was 12% of pre-tax income in 2021, compared to 6% in 2020.

The increase in effective tax rate in 2021 primarily resulted from the impact of discrete tax items, including a decrease in tax benefits related to stock-based compensation and return-to-provision adjustments. These impacts were partially offset by a decrease in tax expenses for certain international tax reserves.

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Excluding the impact of all discrete tax items, the Company’s effective tax rate was an expense of 16% of pre-tax income in 2021 and 17% of pre-tax income in 2020. The decrease in the effective tax rate excluding discrete tax items was due to the impact of higher estimated tax credits in 2021, partially offset by more of the Company's profits being earned and taxed in higher tax jurisdictions.

LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES

The Company has historically been able to generate positive cash flow from operations, which has funded its operating activities and other cash requirements and resulted in an accumulated cash and investment balance of $854,250,000 as of December 31, 2022. The Company has established guidelines relative to credit ratings, diversification, and maturities of its investments that maintain liquidity.

The Company’s cash requirements in 2022 were primarily met with positive cash flows from operations, the sale and maturity of investments, and the proceeds from stock option exercises. Cash requirements consisted of operating activities, the repurchase of common stock, the payment of dividends, capital expenditures, purchases of investments, and payments related to our acquisition of SAC on December 7, 2022. Cash flows from operating activities included the purchase of inventories intended to support higher business levels, secure key strategic components to meet customer demand, carry higher stocking levels to mitigate the Company's exposure to demand changes or supply disruptions, and replenish inventories destroyed by the fire on June 7, 2022 at the Company's primary contract manufacturer. Cash outlays in the first quarter of 2023 are planned to include incentive compensation payments that were earned and accrued in 2022.

Capital expenditures in 2022 totaled $19,677,000 and consisted primarily of computer hardware and software, manufacturing test equipment related to new product introductions, and improvements made to primarily the Company's distribution center in Southborough, Massachusetts. In 2021, the Company made investments in business systems related to its sales process, the majority of which were accounted for as a capital asset that was placed into service in the first quarter of 2022. Although the Company continues to make investments in its business systems related to its sales process, these investments are not expected to be material over the short or long term.

The Company's material cash requirements include contractual obligations related to inventory purchase commitments and leases. As of December 31, 2022, the Company had inventory purchase commitments of $50,942,000, with the majority payable within 12 months, and lease payment obligations of $44,336,000, with $9,473,000 payable within 12 months.

In addition to the obligations described above, the following items may also result in future material uses of cash:

Stock Repurchases

In October 2018, the Company's Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of $200,000,000 of the Company's common stock. Under this October 2018 program, in addition to repurchases made in prior years, the Company repurchased 1,215,000 shares at a cost of $51,036,000 in 2020, and 957,000 shares at a cost of $78,652,000 in 2021, which completed purchases under the October 2018 program. On March 12, 2020, the Company's Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of an additional $200,000,000 of the Company's common stock. Under this March 2020 program, the Company repurchased 1,060,000 shares, including 5,000 shares that were repurchased in 2021 and settled in 2022, at a cost of $83,000,000 in 2021, and 1,677,000 shares at a cost of $117,000,000 in 2022, which completed purchases under the March 2020 program. On March 3, 2022, the Company's Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of an additional $500,000,000 of the Company's common stock. Under this March 2022 program, the Company repurchased 1,682,000 shares at a total cost of $87,314,000 in 2022, leaving a remaining balance of $412,686,000. The Company may repurchase shares under this program in future periods depending on a variety of factors, including, among other things, the impact of dilution from employee stock awards, stock price, share availability, and cash requirements. The Company is authorized to make repurchases of its common stock through open market purchases, pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 trading plans, or in privately negotiated transactions.

Dividends

The Company’s Board of Directors declared and paid cash dividends of $0.055 per share in the first, second, and third quarters of 2020, $0.060 per share in the fourth quarter of 2020 and in the first, second, and third quarters of 2021, and $0.065 per share in the fourth quarter of 2021 and in the first, second, and third quarters of 2022. The dividend was increased to $0.070 per share in the fourth quarter of 2022. Also, in the fourth quarter of 2020, an additional special cash dividend of $2.00 per share was declared and paid. Total dividends paid were $45,921,000 in 2022, $43,263,000 in 2021, and $390,508,000 in 2020, which included $351,428,000 paid for the special cash dividend. Future dividends will be declared at the discretion of the Company's Board of Directors and will depend on

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such factors as the Board deems relevant, including, among other things, the Company's ability to generate positive cash flow from operations.

Business Acquisitions

The total consideration for the 2019 acquisition of Sualab Co., Ltd. included deferred payments of $24,040,000 that may become payable in October 2023, contingent upon the continued employment of key talent.

Income Taxes

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 subjected unrepatriated foreign earnings to a one-time transition tax. During 2022, the Company paid $6,319,000 related to this one-time transition tax. As of December 31, 2022, the Company had a remaining balance payable of $44,010,000 and expects to continue making payments through 2024.

The Company believes that its existing cash and investment balances, together with cash flow from operations, will be sufficient to meet its operating, investing, and financing activities for the next twelve months. In addition, the Company has no long-term debt. We believe that our strong cash position has put us in a relatively good position with respect to anticipated longer-term liquidity needs.

The Inflation Reduction Act ("IRA") was enacted into law on August 16, 2022. Included in the IRA was a provision to implement a 15% corporate alternative minimum tax on “adjusted financial statement income” for applicable corporations and a 1% excise tax on repurchases of stock. These provisions are effective for tax years beginning after December 31, 2022. We are in the process of evaluating the provisions of the IRA, but we do not currently believe the IRA will have a material impact on our reported results, cash flows, approach to stock repurchases, or financial position.

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES

Our discussion and analysis of the Company’s financial condition and results of operations are based on the consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. The preparation of these financial statements requires management to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenue, and expenses, and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. We base our estimates on historical experience and various other assumptions believed 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. Changes in accounting estimates are reasonably likely to occur from period to period. Accordingly, actual results could differ from these estimates under different assumptions or circumstances resulting in charges that could be material in future reporting periods. We believe the following critical accounting policies require the use of significant estimates and judgments in the preparation of our consolidated financial statements.

Revenue Recognition

The Company recognizes revenue in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 606, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers.” The core principle of ASC 606 is to recognize revenue in a manner that depicts the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the Company expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services.

Management uses significant judgment when determining the amount of revenue to be recognized each period for application-specific customer solutions. Accounting for application-specific customer solutions requires management to monitor and evaluate customer contracts to determine the point in time at which the solution is validated. The Company’s application-specific customer solutions are comprised of a combination of products and services which are accounted for as one performance obligation to deliver a total solution to the customer. On-site support services that are provided to the customer after the solution is deployed are accounted for as a separate performance obligation. These solutions are provided to customers in a variety of industries, including the consumer electronics and logistics industries.

Revenue for application-specific customer solutions is recognized at the point in time when the solution is validated, which is the point in time when the Company can objectively determine that the agreed-upon specifications in the contract have been met and the customer should reasonably accept the performance obligations in the arrangement. Although the customer may have taken legal title and physical possession of the goods when they arrived at the customer’s designated site, the significant risks and rewards of ownership transfer to the customer only upon validation. Revenue for on-site support services related to these solutions is recognized over the time the service is provided.

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In certain instances, an arrangement may include customer-specified acceptance provisions or performance guarantees that allow the customer to accept or reject delivered products that do not meet the customer’s requirements. If the Company can objectively determine that control of a good or service has been transferred to the customer in accordance with the agreed-upon requirements in the contract, then customer acceptance is a formality. If acceptance provisions are presumed to be substantive, then revenue is deferred until customer acceptance.

Investments

As of December 31, 2022, the Company’s investment portfolio of debt securities totaled $672,876,000. These debt securities are reported at fair value, with unrealized gains and losses, net of tax, included in shareholders’ equity as other comprehensive income (loss) since these securities are designated as available-for-sale securities. As of December 31, 2022, the Company’s portfolio of debt securities had a net unrealized loss of $26,817,000. Included in this net loss, were gross unrealized losses totaling $27,560,000, of which $12,718,000 were in a loss position for less than twelve months and $14,842,000 were in a loss position for greater than twelve months. Management currently intends to hold these securities to full value recovery at maturity.

Management monitors its debt securities that are in an unrealized loss position to determine whether a loss exists related to the credit quality of the issuer. When developing an estimate of expected credit losses, management considers all relevant information including historical experience, current conditions, and reasonable forecasts of expected future cash flows. Credit losses on debt securities were not material in 2022, 2021, or 2020.

Stock-Based Compensation

The Company recognizes compensation expense for grants of stock options and restricted stock units ("RSUs"), including performance restricted stock units ("PRSUs"). Management is responsible for determining the appropriate valuation model and estimating the fair value of stock-based awards, and in doing so, considers a number of factors, including information provided by an outside valuation advisor and the observable market price of the Company's common stock on the grant date. The fair value of RSUs is determined based on the observable market price of the Company's common stock on the grant date less the present value of expected future dividends. The fair value of PRSUs where the performance goal includes service and market conditions is calculated using a Monte Carlo simulation model to estimate the probability of satisfying the service and market conditions stipulated in the award grant.

The use of valuation models requires us to make estimates of key assumptions such as expected volatility, expected term, risk-free interest rate, expected dividend yield, forfeiture rate and others. The estimate of these key assumptions is based on historical information and judgment regarding market factors and trends. As a result, if factors change and different assumptions are used, future stock-based compensation expense could be significantly different from what the Company recorded in the current period.

Income Taxes

Significant judgment is required in determining worldwide income tax expense based on tax laws in the various jurisdictions in which the Company operates. The Company has established reserves for income taxes by applying the “more likely than not” criteria, under which the recognition threshold is met when an entity concludes that a tax position, based solely on its technical merits, is more likely than not to be sustained upon examination by the relevant tax authority. All tax positions are analyzed periodically and adjustments are made as events occur that warrant modification, such as the completion of audits or the expiration of statutes of limitations, which may result in future charges or credits to income tax expense. We classify interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions in "Income tax expense" on the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

As part of the process of preparing consolidated financial statements, management is required to estimate income taxes in each of the jurisdictions in which the Company operates. These estimates occur in the calculation of income tax credits, benefits, and deductions, and in the calculation of certain tax assets and liabilities, which arise from differences in the timing of the recognition of certain expenses for tax and financial statement purposes. We assess the likelihood of the realization of deferred tax assets and record a corresponding valuation allowance as necessary if we determine those deferred tax assets may not be realized due to the uncertainty of the timing and amount to be realized of certain federal, state, and international tax credit carryovers.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 imposed a minimum tax on foreign earnings related to intangible assets, known as the Global Intangible Low-Taxed Income (GILTI) tax. In 2019, the Company elected to account for the impact of the GILTI minimum tax in deferred taxes, a change from the Company’s initial election made in 2018 whereby the GILTI minimum tax was included in income tax expense as incurred on an annual basis. Management has

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determined that this change is considered preferable, based on the conclusion that it appropriately matches the Company’s current and deferred income tax implications related to the change in tax structure noted below.

In 2019, the Company made changes to its international tax structure as a result of tax reform legislation enacted by the European Union that resulted in an intercompany sale of intellectual property based on the fair value of this intellectual property. Also in 2019, in connection with the acquisition of Sualab Co. Ltd., the Company migrated acquired intellectual property to certain subsidiaries to align with its corporate tax structure. Significant judgment was required to estimate the fair value of the migrated intellectual property, including management estimates related to forecasted future cash flows and discount rates.

NEW PRONOUNCEMENTS

Refer to Part II, Item 8 - Note 2 within this Form 10-K, for a full description of recently issued accounting pronouncements including the expected dates of adoption and expected impact on the financial position and results of operations of the Company.