Monolithic Power Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:MPWR) Q4 2023 Earnings Call Transcript

Monolithic Power Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:MPWR) Q4 2023 Earnings Call Transcript February 7, 2024

Monolithic Power Systems, Inc.  isn’t one of the 30 most popular stocks among hedge funds at the end of the third quarter (see the details here).

Operator: Welcome everyone to the MPS Fourth Quarter 2023 Earnings Webinar. My name is Genevieve Cunningham and I will be the moderator for this webinar. Joining me today are Michael Hsing, CEO and Founder of MPS, and Bernie Blegen, EVP and CFO. In the course of today’s webinar, we will make forward-looking statements and projections that involve risk and uncertainty, which could cause results to differ materially from management’s current views and expectations. Risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause actual results to differ are identified in the Safe Harbor statements contained in the Q4 earnings release and in our latest SEC filings, including our Form 10-K and our Form 10-Q, which are accessible through our website.

MPS assumes no obligation to update the information provided on today’s call. We will be discussing gross margin, operating expense, operating income, other income, income before income taxes, net income, and earnings on both a GAAP and a non-GAAP basis. These non-GAAP financial measures are not prepared in accordance with GAAP and should not be considered as a substitute for or superior to measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with GAAP. Tables that outline the reconciliation between the non-GAAP financial measures to GAAP financial measures are included in our Q4 2023 earnings release. I’d also like to remind you that today’s conference call is being webcast live over the internet and will be available for replay on our website for one year, along with the earnings release, which was furnished to the SEC earlier today and is available on our website as well.

Now I’d like to turn the call over to Bernie Blegen.

Bernie Blegen: Thanks Gen. For the full-year of 2023 MPS achieved record revenue of $1.82 billion. This is our 12th consecutive year of revenue growth driven by consistent execution, continued innovation and strong customer focus. As announced today, MPS is expanding into a new $1 billion market with the acquisition of our partner Axign B.V. Axign is a Netherlands-based startup with early revenue, specializing in programmable multi-core digital signal processors. Axign competitive difference is its ability to deliver signals with near-zero distortion and reduce power consumption for automotive and consumer audio systems. The combination of Axign and MPS’s IP, which has been accepted by several high-end audio customers, will change people’s experience in their cars, homes, concert venues, and stadiums.

Let me turn to a few highlights from this past year. Our integrated power management solutions for artificial intelligence enabled our customers to unlock previously untapped opportunities for innovation and growth. We created new automotive content, powering the ramp of autonomous driving, the digital cockpit and lighting systems for both conventional and electric vehicles. We continued to diversify our global R&D footprint with the further expansion of our engineering centers of excellence in Europe and Taiwan. And finally, we continue to expand and diversify our operating footprint with the qualification of multiple new fab and packaging partners in Taiwan, Singapore, and Malaysia. Turning to our full-year 2023 revenue by market segment.

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Q&A Session

Automotive revenue grew $94.6 million year-over-year to $394.7 million in 2023. This 31.5% gain was primarily driven by increased sales of our highly integrated applications supporting advanced driver assistance systems, the digital cockpit and lighting applications. Automotive revenue represented 21.7% of MTS’s full-year 2023 revenue, compared with 16.7% in 2022. Full year 2023 enterprise data revenue grew $71.6 million over the prior year to $323 million. This 28.5% increase was primarily due to higher sales of our power management solutions for AI applications. Enterprise Data revenue represented 17.7% of MPS’ total revenue in 2023, compared with 14.8% in 2022. Storage and computing revenue for 2023 grew $38.5 million over the prior year to $491.1 million.

This 8.5% increase was primarily driven by increased sales of products for notebooks. Storage and computing revenue represented 27.0% of MPS’ total revenue in 2023, compared with 25.3% in 2022. Communications revenue fell by $46.5 million to $204.9 million, this 18.5% reduction was a result of lower 4G and 5G infrastructure sales. Communications revenue represented 11.3% of our 2023 revenue, compared with 14.0% in 2022. Industrial revenue fell by $46.5 million to $172.7 million in 2023. This 21.2% decrease primarily reflected lower sales in applications for industrial automation, security and power sources. Industrial revenue represented 9.4% of MPS’ full-year 2023 revenue, compared with 12.2% in 2022. Consumer revenue decreased $84.8 million to $234.7 million in 2023.

This 26.6% year-over-year decrease was a result of broad market weakness across all segments. Consumer revenue represented 12.9% of MPS’ full-year 2023 revenue compared with 17.8% in 2022. Let me take a moment to talk about the general business conditions. Throughout 2023, we highlighted that customer ordering patterns were oscillating, reflecting general economic uncertainty. While we saw a nominal improvement in Q4 ordering patterns, we remain cautious as visibility beyond the current quarter is limited. Despite this ongoing uncertainty, we continue to execute against our long-term strategy by bringing innovative new products to market and expanding design wins across our broad base of customers. We believe these ongoing investments position us well for future growth when the macro environment stabilizes.

Switching to Q4 results. MPS had fourth quarter revenue of $454.0 million, down 4.4% from the third quarter of 2023 and down 1.3% from the fourth quarter of 2022. Comparing year-over-year results, fourth quarter 2023 revenue for enterprise data grew by 88.4%. Storage and computing fell 2.9%. Automotive was down 7.8%, Consumer decreased 17.5%, Communications decreased 36.3% and Industrial fell 40.5%. Fourth quarter 2023 GAAP gross margin was 55.3%, down 20 basis points from the third quarter of 2023 and 290 basis points below the fourth quarter of 2022. Fourth quarter 2023 non-GAAP gross margin was 55.7%, flat with the third quarter of 2023, but 280 basis points lower than the fourth quarter of 2022. This year-over-year reduction in fourth quarter non-GAAP gross margin is largely due to sales mix.

Turning to operating expenses. Our GAAP operating expenses were $141.6 million in the fourth quarter, compared with $128 million in the third quarter of 2023 and $130.9 million in the fourth quarter of 2022. Our non-GAAP fourth quarter 2023 operating expenses were $96.7 million, roughly flat with the third quarter of 2023 and up from the $94.8 million reported in the fourth quarter of 2022. The differences between GAAP and non-GAAP operating expenses for the quarters discussed here are primarily stock compensation expense and income or loss from an unfunded deferred compensation plan. Fourth quarter 2023 stock compensation expense, including $1.2 million charge to cost of goods sold was $41.1 million, compared with $33.6 million recorded in the third quarter of 2023.

Switching to the bottom line. Fourth quarter 2023, GAAP net income was $96.9 million or $1.98 per fully diluted share, compared with $2.48 per share in the third quarter of 2023 and $2.45 per share in the fourth quarter of 2022. Q4 2023 non-GAAP net income was $140.9 million or $2.88 per fully diluted share, compared with $3.08 per share in the third quarter of 2023 and $3.17 per share in the fourth quarter of 2022. Fully diluted shares outstanding at the end of Q4 2023 were $48.9 million. As for our balance sheet, as of December 31, 2023, cash, cash equivalents and investments totaled $1.11 billion, compared to $1.04 billion at the end of the third quarter 2023. For the fourth quarter of 2023, MPS generated operating cash flow of about $153.3 million, compared with $175.9 million in Q3 2023.

Fourth quarter 2023 capital spending totaled $13.8 million. Accounts receivable ended the fourth quarter of 2023 at $179.9 million, compared with the $185.8 million reported at the end of the third quarter of 2023 and $182.7 million at the end of the fourth quarter of 2022. There were 36 days of sales outstanding across these comparable periods. Our internal inventories at the end of the fourth quarter of 2023 were $383.7 million down from the $397.3 million at the end of the third quarter of 2023. Days of inventory rose to 172 days at the end of Q4 2023 from 171 days at the end of third quarter of 2023. We have carefully managed our internal inventories throughout the year given the uncertainty in the market. Using next quarter revenue as a basis, inventory was 175 days at the end of the fourth quarter of 2023, down from 178 days at the end of the third quarter of 2023.

I would now like to turn to our Q1 2024 outlook. We are forecasting Q1 2024 revenue in the range of $437.0 million to $457.0 million. GAAP gross margin in the range of 55.1% to 55.7%. Non-GAAP gross margin in the range of 55.4% to 56.0%. Total stock-based compensation expense, including associated employer taxes of $46.2 million to $48.2 million, including approximately $1.4 million that would be charged to cost of goods sold. GAAP operating expenses between $147.2 million and $151.2 million. Non-GAAP operating expenses to be in the range of $101.8 million to $103.8 million. This estimate excludes stock-based compensation expense and amortization of recently purchased intangible assets, but includes litigation expense and the expense from our recent Axign acquisition.