VICOR CORP (VICR) FY 2024 MD&A

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations is based upon our Consolidated Financial Statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”). The preparation of these financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues, expenses, and related disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities. On an ongoing basis, we evaluate our estimates and assumptions, and our associated judgments, including those related to inventories, income taxes, contingencies, and litigation. We base our estimates, assumptions, and judgments on historical experience, knowledge of current conditions, and on various other factors we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying value of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. We also have other policies we consider key accounting policies (See Note 2 to the Consolidated Financial Statements – Significant Accounting Policies –Impact of recently issued accounting standards). However, the application of these other policies does not require us to make significant estimates and assumptions difficult to support quantitatively.

Inventories

We employ a variety of methodologies to evaluate inventory that is estimated to be excess, obsolete or unmarketable, in order to write down that inventory to net realizable value. Our estimation process for assessing net realizable value is based upon forecasted future usage which we derive based on backlog, historical consumption, and expected market conditions. For both our Brick and Advanced Product lines, the methodology used compares on-hand quantities to forecasted usage and historical consumption, such that amounts of inventory on hand in excess of management’s estimate of expected future utility, are fully reserved. While we have used our best efforts and believe we have used the best available information to estimate future demand, due to uncertainty in the economy and our business and the inherent difficulty in forecasting future usage, it is possible actual demand for our products will differ from our estimates. If actual future demand or market conditions are less favorable than those projected by management, additional inventory reserves for existing inventories may need to be recorded in future periods.

Evaluation of the Realizability of Deferred Tax Assets

Significant management judgment is required in determining whether deferred tax assets will be realized in full or in part. We assess the need for a valuation allowance on a quarterly basis. We record a valuation allowance to reduce our deferred tax assets to the amount we believe is more likely than not to be realized. In assessing the need for a valuation allowance, we consider all positive and negative evidence, including scheduled reversals of deferred tax liabilities, projected future taxable income, tax planning strategies, and past financial performance. Despite recent positive operating results, we face uncertainties in forecasting our operating results due to the unpredictability of customer orders in certain markets, product transitions, new program introductions and adoption times of new technology offerings. This operating uncertainty also makes it difficult to predict the availability and utilization of tax benefits over the next several years. As a result, management has concluded, as of December 31, 2024, it is more likely than not our net domestic deferred tax assets will not be realized, and a full valuation allowance against all net domestic deferred tax assets is still warranted as of December 31, 2024. The valuation allowance against these deferred tax assets may require adjustment in the future based on changes in the mix of temporary differences, changes in tax laws, and operating performance. If the positive operating results continue, and our concerns about the unpredictability of customer orders in certain markets, product transitions, new program introductions and adoption times of new technology offerings are resolved, and we believe future taxable income can be more reliably forecasted, we may release all or a portion of the valuation allowance in the near-term. Certain state tax credits, though, will likely never be released by the valuation allowance. If and when we determine the valuation allowance should be released (i.e., reduced), the adjustment would result in a tax benefit reported in that period’s Consolidated Statements of Operations, the effect of which would be an increase in reported net income.

The amount of any such tax benefit associated with release of our valuation allowance in a particular quarter may be material.

New Accounting Pronouncements

From time to time, new accounting pronouncements are issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) that we adopt as of the specified effective date. Unless otherwise discussed, we believe the impact of recently issued accounting standards will not have a material impact on our future financial condition and results of operations. See Note 2 – Significant Accounting Policies – Impact of recently issued accounting standards, to the Consolidated Financial Statements for a description of recently issued and adopted accounting pronouncements, including the dates of adoption and expected impact on our financial position and results of operations.

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Other new pronouncements issued but not effective until after December 31, 2024 are not expected to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

Year ended December 31, 2024 compared to Year ended December 31, 2023

Consolidated net revenues for 2024 were $359,058,000, a decrease of $46,001,000, or 11.4%, as compared to $405,059,000 for 2023.

Net revenues, by product line, for the years ended December 31 were as follows (dollars in thousands):

The decrease in net revenues for Advanced Products was primarily due to continued softness in underpenetrated markets, partially offset by increased royalty revenue. The decrease in net revenues for Brick Products was primarily due to reduced market demand.

Gross margin for the twelve months ended December 31, 2024 decreased $20,931,000, or 10.2%, to $183,998,000 from $204,929,000 for the twelve months ended December 31, 2023. Gross margin, as a percentage of net revenues, increased to 51.2% for the twelve-month period ended December 31, 2024, as compared to 50.6% for the twelve-month period ended December 31, 2023. The decrease in gross margin dollars was primarily the result of lower sales volume in 2024, with the increase in gross margin percentage primarily attributable to higher royalty revenue and improved production efficiencies compared to 2023 along with certain reductions in supply chain costs, including a reduction of $1,958,000 in outsourced manufacturing costs partially offset by incremental costs of bringing production in-house for certain Advanced Products, offset by slightly unfavorable sales mix and an increase in freight-in and tariff spending of $953,000 (net of approximately $1,669,000 in duty drawback recovery in 2024 and $6,954,000 in duty drawback recovery in 2023 of previously paid tariffs).

Selling, general, and administrative expenses were $96,886,000 for 2024, an increase of $11,172,000, or 13.0%, as compared to $85,714,000 for 2023. As a percentage of net revenues, selling, general, and administrative expenses increased to 27.0% in 2024 from 21.2% in 2023.

The components of the $11,172,000 increase in selling, general, and administrative expenses were as follows (dollars in thousands):

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(1)
Increase primarily attributable to an increase in activity related to corporate legal matters, including the assertion of our intellectual property rights.

(2)
Increase primarily attributable to annual compensation adjustments in May 2024 and higher stock-based compensation expense associated with stock options awarded in May 2024.

(3)
Increase primarily attributable to an increase in post-judgment interest relating to the SynQor litigation-contingency accrual.

(4)
Increase primarily attributable to an increase in computer software services relating to new internal-use software implementation.

(5)
Increase primarily attributable to an increase in audit and tax fees.

(6)
Increase primarily attributable to an increase in the use of consultants and outside services relating to new internal-use software implementation.

(7)
Decrease primarily attributable to the fact that the Company no longer uses outside sales representatives.

Research and development expenses increased $1,065,000, or 1.6%, to $68,922,000 in 2024 from $67,857,000 in 2023. As a percentage of net revenues, research and development expenses increased to 19.2% in 2024 from 16.8% in 2023.

The components of the $1,065,000 increase in research and development expenses were as follows (dollars in thousands):

(1)
Increase primarily attributable to annual compensation adjustments in May 2024 and higher stock-based compensation expense associated with stock options awarded in May 2024.

(2)
Increase primarily attributable to a decrease in research and development personnel incurring time on production activities, compared to research and development activities.

(3)
Increase primarily attributable to an increase in waste disposal activities of Advanced Products related to improving production process capabilities.

(4)
Increase primarily attributable to an increase in utilities and building maintenance expenses.

(5)
Increase attributable to net additions of furniture and fixtures and capitalization of building improvements.

(6)
Decrease in engineering supplies.

(7)
Decrease primarily attributable to decreased prototype development costs for Advanced Products.

Litigation-contingency expense was $19,500,000 for 2024, which related to the SynQor litigation, as compared to $0 for 2023. See Note 16 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information regarding the SynQor litigation-contingency expense.

The significant changes in the components of "Other income (expense), net" for the years ended December 31 were as follows (in thousands):

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Our exposure to market risk fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates relates to the operations of Vicor Japan Company, Ltd. ("VJCL"), for which the functional currency is the Japanese Yen, and all other subsidiaries in Europe and Asia, for which the functional currency is the U.S. Dollar. These subsidiaries in Europe and Asia experienced more unfavorable foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations in 2024 compared to 2023. In 2024, interest income increased due to higher balances of cash and cash equivalents held by the Company.

Income before income taxes was $10,487,000 in 2024, as compared to $60,244,000 in 2023.

The provision for income taxes and the effective income tax rate for the years ended December 31 were as follows (dollars in thousands):

The effective tax rates differ from the statutory tax rates for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 primarily due to the Company’s full valuation allowance position against net domestic deferred tax assets. The provision for income taxes for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 included estimated federal, state, and foreign income taxes in jurisdictions in which the Company does not have sufficient tax attributes.

The Company's tax expense and the rate for the year ended December 31, 2024 continues to be negatively impacted by the capitalization of research and development expenses under Section 174 in the U.S., which given the Company's performance, is having an outsized impact on the rate by increasing the taxable income position, which causes a significant tax expense. This is further compounded by the Company not getting a deferred tax benefit from temporary differences due to the full valuation allowance on net domestic deferred tax assets.

See Note 15 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for disclosure regarding our current assessment of the valuation allowance against all net domestic deferred tax assets, and the possible release (i.e., reduction) of the allowance in the future.

We reported net income for the year ended December 31, 2024 of $6,129,000, or $0.14 per diluted share, as compared to $53,595,000, or $1.19 per diluted share, for the year ended December 31, 2023.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

At December 31, 2024, we had $277,273,000 in cash and cash equivalents. The ratio of current assets to current liabilities was 7.5:1 at December 31, 2024, as compared to 9.5:1 at December 31, 2023. Net working capital increased $25,017,000 to $401,214,000 at December 31, 2024 from $376,197,000 at December 31, 2023.

The primary working capital changes were due to the following (in thousands):

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The primary sources of cash for the year ended December 31, 2024 were $50,842,000 of cash generated from operations and $8,490,000 of cash received in connection with the exercise of options to purchase our Common Stock awarded under our stock option plans and the issuance of Common Stock under our 2017 Employee Stock Purchase Plan. The primary use of cash during the year ended December 31, 2024 was $23,602,000 for the purchase of machinery and equipment and internal-use software.

In November 2000, our Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of up to $30,000,000 of our Common Stock (the “November 2000 Plan”). In July 2024, our Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of up to $100,000,000 of our Common Stock (the “New Repurchase Authorization”). The New Repurchase Authorization replaces the November 2000 Plan in its entirety and no further repurchases will be made pursuant to the November 2000 Plan. As of December 31, 2024, we had approximately $99,503,000 remaining available for repurchases of our Common Stock under the New Repurchase Authorization. The timing and amounts of Common Stock repurchases under the New Repurchase Authorization are at the discretion of the Company's President and Chief Executive Officer based upon economic and financial market conditions.

As of December 31, 2024, we had a total of approximately $12,669,000 of cancelable and non-cancelable capital expenditure commitments, principally for manufacturing and production equipment, which we intend to fund with existing cash, and approximately $1,946,000 of capital expenditure items and internal-use software which had been received and included in Property, plant and equipment in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets, but not yet paid for. Our primary needs for liquidity are for making continuing investments in manufacturing and production equipment. We believe cash generated from operations together with our available cash and cash equivalents will be sufficient to fund planned operational needs and capital equipment purchases for the foreseeable future.

We do not consider the impact of inflation and changing prices on our business activities or fluctuations in the exchange rates for foreign currency transactions to have been significant during the last three fiscal years.