# COHERENT CORP. (COHR) FY 2023 MD&A

Verbatim Item 7 Management's Discussion and Analysis from COHERENT CORP.'s 10-K for fiscal year 2023.

SEC filing source: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/820318/000082031823000016/iivi-20230630.htm
Accession: 0000820318-23-000016
Filing date: 2023-08-18
Report date: 2023-06-30
Extracted structurally from real Item 7 body heading to real Item 7A/8 boundary.
Confidence: high

Company profile: /company/COHR/
All MD&A years: /company/COHR/mda/
Previous year: /company/COHR/mda/fy2022/ (FY 2022)
Next year: /company/COHR/mda/fy2024/ (FY 2024)

Item 7.        MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (MD&A) is designed to provide a reader of Coherent’s financial statements with a narrative from the perspective of management. The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with our Consolidated Financial Statements and related notes included under Item 8 of this annual report. Coherent’s MD&A is presented in ten sections:

•Forward-Looking Statements

•Overview

•Acquisition and Background of Coherent, Inc.

•Restructuring and Site Consolidation

•Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

•Transfer to the New York Stock Exchange and Conversion of Series A Preferred Stock

•Fiscal Year 2023 Compared to Fiscal Year 2022

•Fiscal Year 2022 Compared to Fiscal Year 2021

•Liquidity and Capital Resources

•Off Balance Sheet Arrangements

Forward-looking statements in Item 7 may involve risks and uncertainties that could cause results to differ materially from those projected (refer to Item 1A for discussion of these risks and uncertainties).

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this MD&A are forward-looking statements as defined by Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including statements regarding projected growth rates, markets, product development, financial position, capital expenditures and foreign currency exposure. Forward-looking statements are also identified by words such as “expects,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “intends,” “plans,” “projects” or similar expressions.

Although our management considers these expectations and assumptions to have a reasonable basis, there can be no assurance that management’s expectations, beliefs or projections as expressed in the forward-looking statements will actually occur or prove to be correct. In addition to general industry and global economic conditions, factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K include, but are not limited to: (i) the failure of any one or more of the assumptions stated above to prove to be correct; and (ii) the risks relating to forward-looking statements and other “Risk Factors” discussed herein at Item 1A. The Company disclaims any obligation to update information contained in these forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or developments, or otherwise.

In addition, we operate in a highly competitive and rapidly changing environment; new risk factors can arise, and it is not possible for management to anticipate all such risk factors, or to assess the impact of all such risk factors on our business or the extent to which any individual risk factor, or combination of risk factors, may cause results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. The forward-looking statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K are based only on information currently available to us and speak only as of the date of this Report. We do not assume any obligation, and do not intend to, update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by the securities laws. Investors should, however, consult any further disclosures of a forward-looking nature that the Company may make in its subsequent Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, or other disclosures filed with or furnished to the SEC.

Investors should also be aware that, while the Company does communicate with securities analysts from time to time, such communications are conducted in accordance with applicable securities laws. Investors should not assume that the Company agrees with any statement, conclusion of any analysis, or report issued by any analyst irrespective of the content of the statement or report.

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Overview

Coherent Corp. (“Coherent”, the “Company,” “we,” “us” or “our”), a global leader in materials, networking, and lasers, is a vertically integrated manufacturing company that develops, manufactures, and markets engineered materials, optoelectronic components and devices, and lasers for use in the industrial, communications, electronics and instrumentation markets. Headquartered in Saxonburg, Pennsylvania, Coherent has research and development, manufacturing, sales, service, and distribution facilities worldwide. Coherent produces a wide variety of lasers, along with application-specific photonic and electronic materials and components, and deploys them in various forms, including integrated with advanced software to enable its customers.

We generate almost all of our revenues, earnings and cash flows from developing, manufacturing and marketing a broad portfolio of products and services for our end markets. We also generate revenue, earnings and cash flows from government-funded research and development contracts relating to the development and manufacture of new technologies, materials and products.

Our customer base includes original equipment manufacturers; laser end users; system integrators of high-power lasers; manufacturers of equipment and devices for industrial, optical communications, electronics, and instrumentation markets; U.S. government prime contractors; and various U.S. government agencies.

As we grow, we are focused on scaling our Company and deriving the continued benefits of vertical integration as we strive to be a best-in-class player in all of our highly competitive markets. We may elect to change the way in which we operate or are organized in the future to enable the most efficient implementation of our strategy.

Acquisition and Background of Coherent, Inc.

The acquisition of Coherent, Inc. (“Legacy Coherent”), one of the world’s leading providers of laser and optics-based product solutions, closed on July 1, 2022. For the full fiscal year 2023, Legacy Coherent was included in the combined company and renamed as the Lasers segment. The Lasers segment’s lasers and optics products serve industrial customers in semiconductor and display capital equipment, precision manufacturing and aerospace & defense, as well as instrumentation customers in life science and scientific instrumentation.

Legacy Coherent delivers systems to the world’s leading brands, innovators, and researchers, all backed with a global service and support network. Since inception in 1966, Legacy Coherent has grown through internal organic expansion and through strategic acquisitions of complementary businesses, technologies, intellectual property, manufacturing processes, and product offerings.

The word “laser” is an acronym for “light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation.” Lasers emit an intense output of light with unique and highly useful properties, of which its near perfect collimation (beam like property) is the most commonly known, as well usually being highly monochromatic at a precise wavelength (color). The name Coherent originates from another key property which is related to the synchronization of the phase of the light oscillations, which is known as coherence. Therefore, lasers are many orders of magnitude brighter than any other optical source. Lasers also can be pulsed at almost any repetition rate, even beyond a billion times per second, and are the technology which underpin the global fiber optic communications network, as well as producing the shortest man-made pulses of any technology known.

As a result of their highly collimated beams, the light can be focused to a very small and intense spot or line, useful for applications requiring enough power to modify the target material, with very high precision through processes such as heat treating (annealing), welding or cutting almost any material. The laser’s high spatial resolution is also useful for microscopic imaging and inspection applications, where the laser light is essentially a highly precise illumination source. These applications typically operate at lower powers, so as not to alter the physical property of the target material.

Lasers can produce the lasing action in the form of a gas, liquid, semiconductor, solid state crystal or fiber. Lasers can also be classified by their output wavelength: ultraviolet, visible, infrared or wavelength tunable. The Lasers segment manufactures all of these laser types, in various options such as continuous wave, pulse duration, output power, and beam dimensions. Each application has its own specific requirements in terms of laser performance.

The Lasers segment's key laser applications include: semiconductor wafer inspection; manufacturing of advanced printed circuit boards; flat panel display manufacturing; metal cutting and welding, including welding of electric vehicle batteries; manufacturing of medical devices; marking; medical; bio-instrumentation and imaging; and research and development. For example, UV lasers are enabling the continuous move towards miniaturization, which drives innovation and growth in many markets. In addition, the advent of industrial grade ultrafast lasers continues to open up new applications for laser processing.

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The Lasers segment’s products are manufactured at sites in California, Oregon, Michigan, New Jersey, and Connecticut in the United States; Germany, Scotland, Finland, Sweden, Switzerland, and Spain in Europe; and South Korea, Singapore, and Malaysia in Asia. In addition, our Lasers segment uses contract manufacturers in Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe and the United States for the production of certain assemblies and turnkey solutions.

Restructuring and Site Consolidation

Restructuring Plan

On May 23, 2023, the Board of Directors approved the Company’s May 2023 Restructuring Plan which includes site consolidations, facilities moves and closures, as well as the relocation and requalification of certain manufacturing facilities. These restructuring actions are expected to be accompanied by other cost reductions and are intended to realign our cost structure as part of a transformation to a simpler, more streamlined, resilient and sustainable business model.

In the fourth quarter of fiscal 2023, these activities resulted in $119 million of charges primarily for employee termination and the write-off of property and equipment, net of $65 million from reimbursement arrangements. We expect the restructuring actions to be substantially completed by the end of fiscal 2025. However, the actual timing and costs associated with these restructuring actions may differ from our current expectations and estimates and such differences may be material. See Note 21. Restructuring and Synergy and Site Consolidation Plan to the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information.

Synergy and Site Consolidation Plan

On May 20, 2023, the Company announced that it has accelerated some of the actions planned as part of its multi-year synergy and site consolidation efforts following the acquisition of Legacy Coherent, including site consolidations and relocations to lower cost sites. These relocations and other actions are expected to result in the Company achieving its previously announced $250 million synergy plan, which includes savings from supply chain management, internal supply of enabling materials and components, operational efficiencies in all functions due to scale, global functional model efficiencies and consolidation of corporate costs. In the fourth quarter of fiscal 2023, the acceleration of these activities resulted in $20 million in charges primarily for employee termination, the write-off of inventory for products that are being exited and shut down costs. See Note 21. Restructuring and Synergy and Site Consolidation Plan to the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information.

SiC Strategy

On May 10, 2023, the Company announced that it has commenced a review of strategic alternatives for its Silicon Carbide “SiC” business. We expect to consider a range of strategic alternatives including a minority investment in the SiC business by a strategic or financial partner, joint venture, and/or a sale of the SiC business in fiscal 2024.

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Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

The preparation of financial statements and related disclosures in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires the Company’s management to make judgments, assumptions and estimates that affect the amounts reported in its Consolidated Financial Statements and accompanying notes. Note 1. Nature of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, of the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements contained in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, describes the significant accounting policies and accounting methods used in the preparation of the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements. Management bases its estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that it believes to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities. Actual results may differ from these estimates.

Management has discussed the development and selection of the critical accounting policies and estimates described below with the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors and the Audit Committee has reviewed the related disclosure. In addition, there are other items within our Consolidated Financial Statements that require estimation but are not deemed critical. Changes in estimates used in these and other items could impact the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Goodwill

We test goodwill for impairment annually, and when events or changes in circumstances indicate that goodwill might be impaired. The determination of whether goodwill is impaired requires us to make judgments based on long-term projections of future performance. Estimates of fair value are based on our projection of revenues, operating costs and cash flows of each reporting unit, considering historical and anticipated results and general economic and market conditions and their projections. For fiscal year 2023, we performed a quantitative assessment, The fair values of the reporting units were determined using a discounted cash flow analysis with projected financial information based on our most recently completed long-term strategic planning processes and also considers the current financial performance compared to our prior projections of the reporting units, as well as a market analysis. Determination of the fair value requires discretion and the use of estimates by management. As of April 1, 2023, we had significant headroom in the Networking and Materials reporting units.

For the Lasers reporting unit, as of April 1, 2023, based on the quantitative assessment, the estimated fair value exceeded the carrying value by approximately 10% and we had determined that the goodwill was at risk for impairment going forward should there be a deterioration of projected cash flows of the reporting unit. Our Lasers reporting unit has goodwill of approximately $3.2 billion at June 30, 2023. In evaluating the Lasers reporting unit, significant weight was provided to the forecasted revenue and related gross margins as we determined that these have the most significant impact on its fair value. The forecasted profitability is expected to increase as volumes increase and the achievement of operating efficiencies and the benefit from the multi-year synergy and site consolidation plans are realized. We used a discount rate of 13.0% which is the required return a market participant would require in its investment in the Reporting Unit based on observed market inputs. If actual results are not consistent with management’s estimates and assumptions, a material goodwill impairment charge could occur, which could have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial statements.

Due to the cyclical nature of our business, and the other factors described in the section on Risk Factors set forth in Item 1A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, the profitability of our individual reporting units may periodically be affected by downturns in customer demand, operational challenges and other factors. If material adverse conditions occur that impact one or more of our reporting units, our determination of future fair value might not support the carrying amount of one or more of our reporting units, and the related goodwill would need to be impaired. We will continue to monitor any changes to our assumptions and will evaluate goodwill as deemed warranted during future periods.

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Income Taxes

The Company prepares and files tax returns based on its interpretation of tax laws and regulations and records estimates based on these judgments and interpretations. In the normal course of business, the Company’s tax returns are subject to examination by various taxing authorities, which may result in future tax, interest and penalty assessments by these authorities. The Company recognizes the tax benefit from an uncertain tax position only if it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained on examination by the taxing authorities, based on the technical merits of the position. The tax benefits recognized in the financial statements from such a position are measured based on the largest benefit that has a greater than 50% likelihood of being realized upon ultimate resolution. The amount of unrecognized tax benefits is adjusted for changes in facts and circumstances. For example, adjustments could result from significant amendments to existing tax law and the issuance of regulations or interpretations by the taxing authorities, new information obtained during a tax examination, or resolution of an examination. The Company believes that its estimates for uncertain tax positions are appropriate and sufficient to pay assessments that may result from examinations of its tax returns. The Company recognizes both accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits in income tax expense.

Management evaluates the realizability of deferred tax assets for each jurisdiction in which it operates. If the Company experiences cumulative pretax income in a particular jurisdiction in a three-year period including the current and prior two years, management normally concludes that the income tax assets will more likely than not be realizable and no valuation allowance is recognized, unless known or planned operating developments, or changes in tax laws, would lead management to conclude otherwise. However, if the Company experiences cumulative pretax losses in a particular jurisdiction in a three-year period, management then considers a series of factors in the determination of whether the deferred tax assets can be realized. The Company has recorded valuation allowances against certain of its deferred tax assets, primarily those that have been generated from net operating losses in certain foreign taxing jurisdictions and acquired U.S. carryforwards. In evaluating whether the Company would more likely than not recover these deferred tax assets, it has not assumed any future taxable income or tax planning strategies in the jurisdictions associated with these carryforwards where history does not support such an assumption. Implementation of tax planning strategies to recover these deferred tax assets or future income generation in these jurisdictions could lead to the reversal of these valuation allowances and a reduction of income tax expense.

Business Combinations

Business combinations are accounted for using the purchase method of accounting. As such, assets acquired, including identified intangible assets, and liabilities assumed are recorded at their fair value, which often involves estimates based on third party valuations, such as appraisals, or internal valuations based on discounted cash flow analyses or other valuation techniques, all of which are inherently subjective. Management engages third party experts to assist in the valuation of material acquisitions. For our acquisition of Legacy Coherent, we used the multi-period excess earnings method to value the customer relationships and relief from royalty method to value trade name and technology intangible assets. The significant assumptions used to estimate the fair value of customer relationships included the forecasted revenue growth, gross margin, projected operating expenses inclusive of expected synergies, including future cost savings, and other benefits expected to be achieved by combining the Company and Legacy Coherent, attrition rate and discount rate. The significant assumption used to estimate the fair value of the trade name included an estimated royalty rate. The significant assumptions used to estimate the fair value of technology included the forecasted revenue growth and an estimated royalty rate. These significant assumptions are forward-looking and could be affected by future economic and market conditions.

Transfer to New York Stock Exchange and Conversion of Series A Preferred Stock

On February 8, 2023, the Company announced the voluntary transfer of the listing of its common stock, no par value (“Company Common Stock”) and Series A Mandatory Convertible Preferred Stock, no par value (“Mandatory Convertible Preferred Stock”), from the NASDAQ Global Select Market to the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”), effective as of the close of trading on February 22, 2023. The Company Common Stock and Mandatory Convertible Preferred Stock began trading on the NYSE on February 23, 2023, under the ticker symbols “COHR” and “IIVI”, respectively.

All outstanding shares of Mandatory Convertible Preferred Stock were converted to Company Common Stock on July 3, 2023, and no shares of Mandatory Convertible Preferred Stock are currently issued and outstanding.

Fiscal Year 2023 Compared to Fiscal Year 2022

Effective July 1, 2022, the Company was aligned to report its financial results in the following three designated segments: (i) Materials, (ii) Networking, and (iii) Lasers. The Materials segment represents the former Compound Semiconductors segment and the Networking segment represents the former Photonic Solutions segment. The Lasers segment represents Legacy Coherent. In addition, prior year numbers have been recast to reflect the transfer of two entities between the Networking and Materials segments. We are reporting financial information (revenue and operating income) for these new reporting segments in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

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The following table sets forth select items from our Consolidated Statements of Earnings (Loss) for the years ended June 30, 2023 and 2022 ($ in millions except per share information):

[[GREPCENT_TABLE]]
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[[/GREPCENT_TABLE]]

Consolidated

Revenues. Revenues for the year ended June 30, 2023 increased 56% to $5,160 million, compared to $3,317 million for the prior fiscal year. The biggest driver of increased revenue relates to the Lasers segment, which was acquired as part of the Legacy Coherent (“Merger”) acquisition. The largest growth was in the industrial market with increased sales of $1,015 million, or 136%, year-over-year primarily due to the Lasers segment. The remaining contributions to the increased revenues were from growth in the electronics market, which grew 102% year-over-year, contributing an incremental $315 million in sales, and strength in the communications market, which grew by 6% year-over-year, contributing an incremental $139 million in sales. The growth in the industrial end market was primarily due to incremental sales of $1,088 million in the Lasers segment, partially offset by $73 million of softer sales in the Materials and Networking segments. The growth in the electronics market was primarily in the Materials segment due to innovations in sensing products. The strength in the communications market, primarily in the Networking segment, was due to stronger demand in telecom and datacom. Lasers revenue for fiscal 2023 was $1,469 million, of which 74% was in the industrial end market and 26% in the instrumentation end market.

Organic revenue growth was $374 million, or 11%, year-over-year. Materials contributed $230 million of this organic growth year-over-year, with $316 million growth in the electronics end market from innovations in sensing products, partially offset by softer sales from the industrial end market. Networking increased $144 million year-over-year, with growth in both telecom and datacom.

Gross margin. Gross margin for the year ended June 30, 2023 was $1,618 million, or 31%, of total revenues, compared to $1,265 million, or 38% of total revenues, for fiscal 2022. Gross margin as a percentage of revenues decreased 680 basis points compared to the prior fiscal year. The decrease as a percent of revenue for fiscal 2023 was driven by $158 million of additional expense related to the preliminary fair value adjustment on acquired inventory from the Merger and $87 million of incremental amortization expense related to technology acquired as a result of the Merger. Gross margins excluding the fair value adjustment on acquired inventory and incremental amortization decreased 206 basis points for fiscal 2023 compared to the fiscal 2022, which included a less favorable mix of revenues, higher costs related to the write-off of inventory for product lines that are being exited, underutilized operating capacity in several plants, shut down costs related to site consolidations, and the unfavorable impact of foreign exchange rates.

Internal research and development. IR&D expenses for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023 were $500 million, or 10% of revenues, compared to $377 million, or 11% of revenues, last fiscal year. The increase of $122 million for fiscal 2023 was driven by an additional $132 million of IR&D expenses from the Lasers segment. As a percentage of revenues, IR&D spend in the Materials segment decreased 4% year-over-year, due to higher costs in fiscal 2022 related to the launch of new products. The IR&D expenses are primarily related to our continued investment in new products and manufacturing processes across all of our businesses, including significant investments in indium phosphide semiconductor lasers, silicon carbide materials, devices for both power electronics and wireless devices, and lasers for display processing and semiconductor capital equipment.

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Selling, general and administrative. Selling, general and administrative (“SG&A”) expenses for the year ended June 30, 2023 were $1,037 million, or 20% of revenues, compared to $474 million, or 14% of revenues, last fiscal year. The increase in SG&A as a percentage of revenue for fiscal 2023 compared to fiscal 2022 was primarily the result of incremental amortization expense of $240 million, including $209 million related to the Merger and $31 million charges for impairment of certain tradename and customer list intangibles assets (see Note 7. Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets to the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information). In addition, the increase in SG&A as a percentage of revenue was due to higher one time-charges related to the Merger of $125 million for integration, share-based compensation, and transaction fees, as well as the comparatively larger sales and administrative efforts required to sell an entire laser system versus components and subsystems.

Restructuring Charges. Restructuring charges related to our Restructuring Plan for the year ended June 30, 2023 were $119 million, or 2% of revenues, and consist of severance and equipment write-offs, net of reimbursements, due to the consolidation of certain manufacturing sites. See Note 21. Restructuring and Synergy and Site Consolidation Plan for further information.

Interest and other, net. Interest and other, net for the year ended June 30, 2023 was expense of $318 million compared to expense of $132 million last fiscal year, an increase of $186 million. Included in interest and other, net, were interest expense on borrowings, Merger financing fees, foreign currency gains and losses, amortization of debt issuance costs, equity gains and losses from unconsolidated investments, and interest income on excess cash balances. The increase of $186 million in comparison to fiscal 2022 was driven by $166 million incremental interest expense due to the new debt assumed in the financing of the Merger, with $79 million of the fiscal 2022 interest expense related to funding both raised in advance of the closing of the Merger, and fees for financing to be funded contingent upon the close of the Merger, as well as $35 million incurred in the current year related to financing of the Merger. The increases were partially offset by $6 million lower net foreign currency losses and $5 million of incremental interest income.

Foreign currency losses were $11 million for the year ended June 30, 2023, primarily the result of volatility in the foreign exchange market, compared to $16 million of losses for the year ended June 30, 2022. The fiscal 2022 losses include a $24 million realized loss related the purchase of $345 million Euros to pay off the Euro based debt of Legacy Coherent at transaction closing.

Income taxes. Our effective income tax rate for fiscal 2023 was 27%, compared to an effective tax rate of 17% last fiscal year. The difference between our effective tax rate and the U.S. statutory rate of 21% was due to research and development incentives in certain jurisdictions.

Segment Reporting

Revenues and operating income for our reportable segments are discussed below. Operating income differs from net earnings in that operating income excludes certain expenses, including interest, the impact of foreign exchange, and other miscellaneous expenses as reported. Management believes operating income to be a useful measure for investors, as it reflects the results of segment performance over which management has direct control and is used by management in its evaluation of segment performance. See Note 14. Segment and Geographic Reporting to the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information on the Company’s reportable segments and for the reconciliation of operating income to net earnings, which is incorporated herein by reference.

Networking ($ in millions)

[[GREPCENT_TABLE]]
[["","","Year Ended June 30,","","% Increase"],["","","2023","","2022"],["Revenues","","$","2,341","","","$","2,197","","","7","%"],["Operating income","","$","222","","","$","232","","","(4)","%"]]
[[/GREPCENT_TABLE]]

Revenues for the year ended June 30, 2023 for Networking increased 7% to $2,341 million, compared to $2,197 million for last fiscal year. The increase in revenues of $144 million during fiscal 2023 was primarily due to increased revenue in the communications market due to stronger demand in telecom and datacom.

Operating income for the year ended June 30, 2023 for Networking decreased 4% to $222 million, compared to operating income of $232 million last fiscal year. The driver of the decreased operating income was the $56 million in restructuring charges, primarily severance, related to our Restructuring Plan, partially offset by strong sales, lower variable compensation costs and the leveraging of corporate resources across each of our three segments.

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Materials ($ in millions)

[[GREPCENT_TABLE]]
[["","","Year Ended June 30,","","% Increase"],["","","2023","","2022"],["Revenues","","$","1,350","","","$","1,119","","","21","%"],["Operating income","","$","160","","","$","219","","","(27)","%"]]
[[/GREPCENT_TABLE]]

Revenues for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023 for Materials increased 21% to $1,350 million, compared to revenues of $1,119 million last fiscal year. The increase in revenues during the current fiscal year was primarily driven by an increase in demand in the electronics end market from innovations in sensing products, partially offset by softer demand in the industrial end market.

Operating income for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023 for Materials decreased 27%, with operating income of $160 million in the current year, compared to operating income of $219 million last fiscal year. The decrease in operating income during the current fiscal year was driven by $60 million in restructuring charges, primarily severance, related to our Restructuring Plan and $33 million for charges for impairment of certain tradename, customer list and technology intangibles. The increases were partially offset by lower variable compensation costs and lower IR&D spending. As a percentage of revenue, operating income decreased from 20% to 12% primarily due to lower gross margins and the fiscal 2023 restructuring charges, partially offset by lower IR&D spending and lower variable compensation. The lower gross margins as a percentage of revenue were driven by less favorable mix of revenues, higher costs related to the write-off of inventory for products that are being exited, underutilized operating capacity in several plants and shut down costs related to site consolidations.

Lasers ($ in millions)

[[GREPCENT_TABLE]]
[["","","Year Ended June 30,","","% Increase"],["","","2023","","2022"],["Revenues","","$","1,469","","","$","\u2014","","","N/A"],["Operating income","","$","(419)","","","$","\u2014","","","N/A"]]
[[/GREPCENT_TABLE]]

Revenues for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023 for Lasers were $1,469 million, with 74% in the industrial end market and 26% from the instrumentation end market.

Operating loss for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023 for Lasers was $419 million. The loss was driven by $297 million of amortization expense related to the preliminary fair value of intangible assets acquired, $158 million of amortization of the preliminary fair value step-up on acquired inventory, $79 million of integration and site consolidation and shut down costs, one-time charges of $39 million for transaction fees and financing, and $18 million of nonrecurring share-based compensation.

Fiscal Year 2022 Compared to Fiscal Year 2021

Effective July 1, 2022, the Company was aligned to report its financial results in the following three designated segments: (i) Materials, (ii) Networking, and (iii) Lasers. The Materials segment represents the former Compound Semiconductors segment and the Networking segment represents the former Photonic Solutions segment. The Lasers segment represents Legacy Coherent. In addition, prior year numbers have been recast to reflect the transfer of two entities between the Networking and Materials segments. We are reporting financial information (revenue and operating income) for these new reporting segments in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

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The following table sets forth select items from our Consolidated Statements of Earnings (Loss) for the years ended June 30, 2022 and 2021 ($ in millions except per share information):

[[GREPCENT_TABLE]]
[["","","Year Ended","","Year Ended"],["","","June 30, 2022","","June 30, 2021"],["","","","","% of Revenues","","","","% of Revenues"],["Total revenues","","$","3,317","","","100","%","","$","3,106","","","100","%"],["Cost of goods sold","","2,051","","","62","","","1,928","","","62"],["Gross margin","","1,265","","","38","","","1,177","","","38"],["Operating expenses:"],["Internal research and development","","377","","","11","","","330","","","11"],["Selling, general and administrative","","474","","","14","","","445","","","14"],["Interest and other, net","","132","","","4","","","50","","","2"],["Earnings before income tax","","282","","","8","","","353","","","11"],["Income taxes","","47","","","1","","","55","","","2"],["Net earnings","","$","235","","","7","%","","$","298","","","10","%"],["Diluted earnings per share","","$","1.45","","","","","$","2.37"]]
[[/GREPCENT_TABLE]]

Consolidated

Revenues. Revenues for the year ended June 30, 2022 increased 7% to $3,317 million, compared to $3,106 million for fiscal 2021. The biggest driver of increased revenue was strength in the communications market, which grew by 7% year-over-year, contributing an incremental $151 million in sales. The strength in the communications market was due to strong demand in datacom and transceivers, specifically for transceivers with data rates greater than 100G. In addition, semiconductor capital equipment sales grew 29% and industrial sales grew 26% compared to fiscal 2021, with an additional $34 million and $85 million in incremental revenue, respectively. This growth was partially offset by decreased revenue in the consumer market, which fell 20%, or $56 million, year-over-year due to lower sales in 3D sensing.

Gross margin. Gross margin for the year ended June 30, 2022 was $1,265 million, or 38%, of total revenues, compared to $1,177 million, or 38% of total revenues, for fiscal 2021. Gross margin as a percentage of revenues increased 20 basis points compared to fiscal 2021.

Internal research and development. IR&D expenses for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022 were $377 million, or 11% of revenues, compared to $330 million, or 11%. of revenues, in fiscal 2021. The IR&D expenses are primarily related to our continued investment in new products and manufacturing processes across all its businesses including significant investments in indium phosphide semiconductor lasers, silicon carbide materials and devices for both power electronics and wireless devices, semiconductor technology, gallium arsenide semiconductor lasers, and silicon carbide semiconductor technology.

Selling, general and administrative. SG&A expenses for the year ended June 30, 2022 were $474 million, or 14% of revenues, compared to $445 million, or 14% of revenues, in fiscal 2021. We incurred transaction and integration costs relating to the Merger, which increased $9 million year-over-year.

Interest and other, net. Interest and other, net for the year ended June 30, 2022 included expense of $132 million compared to expense of $50 million in fiscal 2021, or an increase of $83 million year over year. Interest and other, net includes $121 million for interest expense on borrowings, and $16 million of foreign currency losses. Interest expense of $121 million incurred in fiscal 2022 was related to funding both raised in advance of the closing of the Merger, as well as fees for financing to be funded contingent upon the close of the transaction, the combined expense totaling $79 million.

Foreign currency losses were $16 million for the year ended June 30, 2022, as compared to $6 million of losses for fiscal 2021. The increased foreign currency impact was the result of volatility in the foreign exchange market, particularly in regard to the Euro. The Company purchased $345 million Euros to pay off the Euro based debt of Coherent at transaction closing, which resulted in a $24 million realized loss during fiscal 2022.

Income taxes. Our effective income tax rate in fiscal 2022 was 17%, compared to an effective tax rate of 16% in fiscal 2021. The fiscal 2022 effective tax rate was lower than statutory rates because of favorable research and development incentives in certain jurisdictions and tax rate differentials between U.S. and foreign jurisdictions.

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Segment Reporting

Revenues and operating income for our reportable segments are discussed below. Operating income differs from net earnings in that operating income excludes certain expenses, including interest, the impact of foreign exchange, and other miscellaneous expenses as reported. Management believes operating income to be a useful measure for investors, as it reflects the results of segment performance over which management has direct control and is used by management in its evaluation of segment performance. See Note 14. Segment and Geographic Reporting to the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information on the Company’s reportable segments and for the reconciliation of operating income to net earnings, which is incorporated herein by reference.

Networking ($ in millions)

[[GREPCENT_TABLE]]
[["","","Year Ended June 30,","","% Increase"],["","","2022","","2021"],["Revenues","","$","2,197","","","$","2,004","","","10","%"],["Operating income","","$","232","","","$","201","","","15","%"]]
[[/GREPCENT_TABLE]]

Revenues for the year ended June 30, 2022 for Networking increased 10% to $2,197 million, compared to $2,004 million for fiscal year 2021. Our transceiver business grew across all product lines including the 200G and 400G modules, an increase of $152 million year-over-year.

Operating income for the year ended June 30, 2022 for Networking increased 15% to $232 million, compared to operating income of $201 million for fiscal year 2021. The drivers of the increased operating income were higher sales volume, and improved operating performance.

Materials ($ in millions)

[[GREPCENT_TABLE]]
[["","","Year Ended June 30,","","% Increase"],["","","2022","","2021"],["Revenues","","$","1,119","","","$","1,102","","","2","%"],["Operating income","","$","219","","","$","227","","","(4)","%"]]
[[/GREPCENT_TABLE]]

Revenues for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022 for Materials increased 2% to $1,119 million, compared to revenues of $1,102 million for fiscal year 2021. The increase in revenues during the current fiscal year was primarily driven by strong sales in the industrial market with an increase of $77 million compared to fiscal 2021. This growth was partially offset by a $67 million decrease in the communications market.

Operating income for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022 for Materials decreased 4% to $219 million, compared to operating income of $227 million for fiscal year 2021. The decrease in operating income during the current fiscal year as a percent of revenue was driven by a $53 million increase in R&D spend in fiscal year 2022 as compared to fiscal year 2021, primarily for SiC materials and devices and InP technology platforms. Additionally, supply chain costs increased year-over-year further driving the decrease in operating income as a percent of revenue.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Historically, our primary sources of cash have been provided from operations, long-term borrowings, sale of our equity securities and advance funding from customers. Our historic uses of cash have been for business acquisitions, capital expenditures, investments in research and development, payments of principal and interest on outstanding debt obligations, payments of debt and equity issuance costs to obtain financing and payments in satisfaction of employees’ minimum tax obligations. Supplemental information pertaining to our sources and uses of cash for the periods indicated is presented as follows:

59

Sources (uses) of Cash (millions):

[[GREPCENT_TABLE]]
[["Year Ended June 30,","","2023","","2022","","2021"],["Proceeds from long-term borrowings and revolving credit facility","","$","3,715","","","$","\u2014","","","$","\u2014"],["Net proceeds from debt and equity issuances","","1,358","","","990","","","1,611"],["Net cash provided by operating activities","","634","","","413","","","574"],["Proceeds from exercises of stock options and purchases of stock under employee stock purchase plan","","24","","","18","","","32"],["Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents and other items","","(4)","","","34","","","22"],["Payment on Convertible Debt and Finisar Notes","","(4)","","","(15)","","","\u2014"],["Other investing and financing","","(5)","","","(8)","","","5"],["Payment of dividends","","(28)","","","(35)","","","(20)"],["Payments in satisfaction of employees\u2019 minimum tax obligations","","(54)","","","(21)","","","(20)"],["Debt issuance costs","","(127)","","","(10)","","","\u2014"],["Additions to property, plant & equipment","","(436)","","","(314)","","","(146)"],["Payments on existing debt","","(1,330)","","","(62)","","","(926)"],["Purchases of businesses, net of cash acquired","","(5,489)","","","\u2014","","","(34)"]]
[[/GREPCENT_TABLE]]

Net cash provided by operating activities:

Net cash provided by operating activities was $634 million during the current fiscal year ended June 30, 2023 compared to $413 million of cash provided by operating activities during the same period last fiscal year. The increase in cash flows provided by operating activities during the year ended June 30, 2023 compared to the same period last fiscal year was driven by improved management of working capital accounts.

Net cash provided by operating activities was $413 million and $574 million for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively. The increase in cash flows provided by operating activities during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022 compared to the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021 was primarily driven by decreased net earnings of $63 million due to increased interest expense. In addition, higher levels of working capital were needed in order to ensure business continuity in the face of supply chain challenges and projected growth.

Net cash used in investing activities:

Net cash used in investing activities was $5.9 billion for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023, compared to net cash used of $320 million for the same period last fiscal year. In fiscal 2023, $5.5 billion was used to fund the Merger. Cash used to fund capital expenditures increased by $122 million year-over-year, to continue to increase capacity to meet the growing demand for our product portfolio.

Net cash used in investing activities was $320 million and $173 million for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively. Net cash used in investing activities during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022 primarily included $314 million of cash expenditures to continue to increase capacity to meet the growing demand for our product portfolio. Net cash used in investing activities during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021 primarily included $34 million for net cash paid for the acquisition of Ascatron AB and INNOViON Corporation and $146 million of cash expenditures to continue to increase capacity to meet the growing demand for our product portfolio.

Net cash provided by financing activities:

Net cash provided by financing activities was $3.6 billion for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023, compared to net cash provided by financing activities of $863 million for the same period last fiscal year. Cash inflow for the current year-to-date period was from borrowings under the New Term Facilities, defined below, as well the net proceeds from the issuance of Coherent’s Series B-2 Convertible Preferred Stock. Financing outflows included payments to settle the Company’s existing senior credit facilities.

Net cash provided by financing activities was $863 million for the year ended June 30, 2022 compared to net cash provided by financing activities of $676 million for the year ended June 30, 2021. Net cash provided by financing activities during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022 was primarily driven by $980 million of net proceeds from the Company’s issuance of 5.000% Senior Notes due 2029, issued in December 2021, partially offset by cash used to repay borrowings and Series A dividends, of $62 million and $35 million, respectively.

60

Senior Credit Facilities as of June 30, 2022

On July 1, 2022, the amounts outstanding under the Company’s prior senior credit facilities were repaid in full using proceeds from the New Term Facilities (defined below).

New Senior Credit Facilities

On July 1, 2022, Coherent entered into a Credit Agreement by and among the Company, the lenders, and other parties thereto, and JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent and collateral agent, which provides for senior secured financing of $4.0 billion, consisting of a term loan A credit facility (the “Term A Facility”), with an aggregate principal amount of $850 million, a term loan B credit facility (the “Term B Facility” and, together with the Term A Facility, the “Term Facilities”), with an aggregate principal amount of $2,800 million, and a revolving credit facility (the “Revolving Credit Facility” and, together with the Term Facilities, the “Senior Credit Facilities”), in an aggregate available amount of $350 million, including a letter of credit sub-facility of up to $50 million. On March 31, 2023, Coherent entered into Amendment No. 1 to the Credit Agreement, which replaced the adjusted LIBOR-based rate of interest therein with an adjusted Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) based rate of interest. As amended, the Term A Facility and the Revolving Credit Facility each bear interest at an adjusted SOFR rate subject to a 0.10% floor plus a range of 1.75% to 2.50%, based on the Company’s total net leverage ratio. The Term A Facility and the Revolving Credit Facility borrowings bear interest at adjusted SOFR plus 1.75% as of June 30, 2023. As amended, the Term B Facility bears interest at an adjusted SOFR rate (subject to a 0.50% floor) plus 2.75%. In relation to the Term Facilities, the Company incurred expense of $256 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023, which is included in interest expense in the Consolidated Statements of Earnings (Loss).

During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023, the Company made payments of $265 million for the Term Facilities, including voluntary prepayments of $212 million.

As of June 30, 2023, the Company had no borrowings outstanding under the Revolving Credit Facility. In the three months ended December 31, 2022, we repaid the $65 million that was borrowed in the three months ended September 30, 2022.

Weighted Average Interest Rate

The weighted average interest rate of total borrowings was 6% and 2% for the years ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively.

Our cash position, borrowing capacity and debt obligations are as follows (in millions):

[[GREPCENT_TABLE]]
[["","","June 30, 2023","","June 30, 2022"],["Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash","","$","833","","","$","2,582"],["Available borrowing capacity under New Revolving Credit Facility","","348","","","450"],["Total debt obligations","","4,310","","","2,300"]]
[[/GREPCENT_TABLE]]

On July 1, 2022, we utilized $2.1 billion of cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash as part of the funding required to complete the Merger. The Company believes existing cash, cash flow from operations, and available borrowing capacity from its Senior Credit Facilities will be sufficient to fund its needs for working capital, capital expenditures, repayment of scheduled long-term borrowings and lease obligations, investments in IR&D, and internal and external growth objectives at least through fiscal year 2024.

Our cash and cash equivalent balances are generated and held in numerous locations throughout the world, including amounts held outside the United States. As of June 30, 2023, we held approximately $636 million of cash and cash equivalents outside of the United States. Generally, cash balances held outside the United States could be repatriated to the United States.

At June 30, 2023, we had $16 million of restricted cash.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

We have no off-balance sheet arrangements as defined by Regulation S-K of the Securities Act of 1933.

Contractual Obligations

As of June 30, 2023, in the ordinary course of business, we had total estimated purchase commitments from vendors of approximately $757 million. In addition, as of June 30, 2023, we had obligations under our operating leases of approximately $219 million, $47 million of which will be paid in the fiscal year 2024.

61