Applied Materials Announces Results for Fourth Fiscal Quarter 2003; New Orders Increase to $1.28 Billion; Net Sales Increase to $1.22 Billion
SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 12, 2003--Applied Materials, Inc.(NASDAQ-NMS:AMAT) (Nasdaq:AMAT), the world's largest supplier of wafer fabrication solutions to the semiconductor industry, reported results for its fourth fiscal quarter ended October 26, 2003. Net sales were $1.22 billion, up 12 percent from $1.09 billion for the third fiscal quarter of 2003, and down 16 percent from $1.45 billion for the fourth fiscal quarter of 2002. Gross margin for the fourth fiscal quarter of 2003 was 40.5 percent, up from 31.7 percent for the third fiscal quarter of 2003 and down from 41.7 percent for the fourth fiscal quarter of 2002. Net income for the fourth fiscal quarter of 2003 was $15 million, or $0.01 per share, compared to a loss of $37 million, or $0.02 per share, for the third fiscal quarter of 2003, and down from net income of $147 million, or $0.09 per share, for the fourth fiscal quarter of 2002.
The company reported a pre-tax realignment charge of $114 million, or $0.05 per share after tax for the fourth fiscal quarter of 2003. Realignment activities consisted primarily of consolidation of facilities and employee-related costs. Excluding the charges associated with realignment activities, the company would have reported ongoing net income of $95 million, or $0.06 per share, for the fourth fiscal quarter of 2003, an increase from $78 million, or $0.05 per share, for the third fiscal quarter of 2003. Ongoing gross margin of 40.5 percent for the fourth fiscal quarter of 2003 was the same as reported gross margin, compared to 40.2 percent ongoing gross margin for the third fiscal quarter of 2003.
New orders of $1.28 billion for the fourth fiscal quarter of 2003 increased 21 percent from $1.05 billion for the third fiscal quarter of 2003, and decreased 18 percent from $1.56 billion for the fourth fiscal quarter of 2002. Regional distribution of new orders for the fourth fiscal quarter of 2003 was: Japan 25 percent, North America 19 percent, Southeast Asia and China 17 percent, Taiwan 15 percent, Europe 13 percent, and Korea 11 percent. Backlog at the end of the fourth fiscal quarter of 2003 was $2.50 billion, compared to $2.53 billion at the end of the third fiscal quarter of 2003.
"We are pleased with the improvement in both revenue and orders this quarter," said Mike Splinter, president and chief executive officer of Applied Materials. "Our revenue and order momentum reflects customers' confidence in business conditions, their increased capacity investments for 300mm volume manufacturing and our leadership in advanced products. These operating results also demonstrate the impact of Applied Materials' realignment activities on our profitability."
The company also announced results for its fiscal year ended October 26, 2003. Fiscal 2003 new orders were $4.32 billion, a 30 percent decrease from fiscal 2002 new orders of $6.14 billion. Net sales for fiscal 2003 were $4.48 billion, a 12 percent decrease from fiscal 2002 net sales of $5.06 billion. The net loss for fiscal 2003 was $149 million, or $0.09 loss per share, down from $269 million net income, or $0.16 earnings per share, for fiscal 2002. Ongoing net income for fiscal 2003 was $223 million or $0.13 earnings per share, down from $337 million or $0.20 earnings per share, for fiscal 2002.
During this fiscal year, the company continued its market leadership position in copper, low k and CMP technologies, which are of strategic importance to customers as they move to the next generation of chip manufacturing. Applied Materials' Producer Black Diamond CVD system helped launch a new era in chip making, becoming the first low k solution used in production by multiple chipmakers for fabricating faster, lower power chips. New systems for copper electroplating, dielectric etch, CMP and defect inspection were also introduced, providing breakthrough technology to customers for new chip development. In addition, Applied Global Services, with its worldwide support infrastructure, was recognized by customers for contributing to fab efficiencies. In the dynamic flat panel display market, Applied Materials' market-leading AKT CVD equipment business increased its product portfolio to help customers build ever-larger glass substrates.
"We believe that we are in the early stages of an industry uptrend. Stronger end-user demand for devices such as wireless PCs and communications products is driving the semiconductor manufacturers' need for Applied Materials' industry-leading copper, low k, and 300mm solutions. Our increased customer focus, technology and market leadership strategically position Applied Materials for growth," concluded Splinter.
Reconciliations of reported results of operations under U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) to the pro forma amounts have been included as a supplement to this press release. Due to the amount of charges incurred with realignment activities, Applied Materials believes that reconciliation to ongoing operations facilitates meaningful comparison with prior periods. To supplement the consolidated condensed financial statements prepared under GAAP, the company uses a pro forma measure of net income that is GAAP net income, adjusted to exclude costs associated with realignment activities. The company believes that pro forma net income reports baseline performance before charges associated with realignment activities. In addition, pro forma net income is the primary indicator management uses to plan and forecast future periods. These measures are neither in accordance with, nor an alternative for, GAAP, and may be materially different from pro forma methods of accounting and reporting used by other companies. The presentation of this additional information should not be considered as a substitute for net income prepared in accordance with GAAP.
This press release contains forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, those relating to the impact of realignment activities, the company's strategic position and growth opportunities, customers' investments in manufacturing capacity and new technology, and the semiconductor industry's positive trend and outlook. These forward-looking statements are based on management's estimates, projections and assumptions as of the date hereof. Forward-looking statements may contain words such as "expects," "anticipates," "believes," "may," "should," "will," "estimates," "forecasts," or similar expressions, and include the assumptions that underlie such statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the sustainability of the uptrend in the semiconductor industry, which is subject to many factors, including global economic conditions, business spending, consumer confidence, demand for electronic products and semiconductors, and geopolitical uncertainties; customers' capacity requirements, including capacity utilizing the latest technology; the timing, rate, amount and sustainability of increases in capital spending for new technology, such as 300mm and 90nm and below applications; the company's ability to develop, deliver and support a broad range of products and services on a timely basis; the company's successful and timely development of new markets, products, processes and services; the company's ability to timely satisfy manufacturing demands; the company's ability to complete implementation of realignment activities according to the timetable and to the extent anticipated; the impact of the realignment activities on the company's operations, net sales and profitability; the company's ability to maintain effective cost controls and timely align its cost structure with market conditions; changes in management; and other risks described in Applied Materials' Forms 10-K, 10-Q and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company assumes no obligation to update the information in this press release.
Applied Materials will be discussing its fourth fiscal quarter results, along with its outlook for the first fiscal quarter of 2004, on a conference call today beginning at 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time. A webcast of the conference call will be available on Applied Materials' web site under the "Investors" section.
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Applied Materials (Nasdaq:AMAT), the largest supplier of products and services to the global semiconductor industry, is one of the world's leading information infrastructure providers. Applied Materials enables Information for Everyone(TM) by helping semiconductor manufacturers produce more powerful, portable and affordable chips