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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): April 28, 2022

AXT, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware

  

000-24085

  

94-3031310

(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)

(Commission File Number)

(IRS Employer Identification No.)

4281 Technology Drive

Fremont, California 94538

(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (510) 438-4700

Not Applicable

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each class:

    

Trading Symbol

    

Name of each exchange on which registered:

Common Stock, $0.001 par value

AXTI

The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC

Item 2.02 Results of Operations and Financial Condition

On April 28, 2022 AXT, Inc. issued a press release announcing its financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2022.  A copy of the Company’s press release, announcing the results, is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and incorporated herein by reference.

 

The information in Exhibit 99.1 hereto discussing the Company’s results of operations and financial condition for the quarter ended March 31, 2022, is being “furnished” in accordance with General Instruction B.2 of Form 8-K and shall not be deemed to be “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section, or Sections 11 and 12(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.  The information contained herein and in the accompanying exhibit shall not be incorporated by reference into any filing of the Registrant, whether made before or after the date hereof, regardless of any general incorporation language in such filing, unless expressly incorporated by specific reference to such filing.

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits

(d)       Exhibits

99.1     Press release dated April 28, 2022, regarding the financial results of AXT, Inc. for the quarter ended March 31, 2022.

EXHIBIT INDEX

Eptem

Exhibit
Number

 

Description

 

 

 

99.1

Press release dated April 28, 2022, regarding the financial results of AXT, Inc. for the quarter ended March 31, 2022.

104

Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document)

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

AXT, INC.

Date: April 28, 2022

By:

/s/ Gary L. Fischer

Gary L. Fischer

Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Secretary

Y

Graphic

Exhibit 99.1

AXT, Inc. First Quarter 2022 Results

April 28, 2022

Page 1 of 7

AXT, Inc. Announces First Quarter 2022 Financial Results

Q1 Revenue Grows 26% from Q1 2021

FREMONT, Calif., April 28, 2022 – AXT, Inc. (NasdaqGS: AXTI), a leading manufacturer of compound semiconductor substrates, today reported financial results for the first quarter, ended March 31, 2022.

Management Qualitative Comments


“Q1 was another strong quarter for AXT,” said Morris Young, chief executive officer. “As our growth demonstrates, we have reached an inflection point in our business, where our investments in technology, business operations, and customer relationships are contributing to our growth. Market share gains, and expansion into new applications and Tier-one opportunities enabled us to post a 26 percent revenue increase in Q1 from the prior year. We are particularly pleased with the continued strong growth of our indium phosphide products. Total revenue growth is coming from a diverse set of applications and customers across telecom infrastructure, data center, industrial, consumer, healthcare, automotive, and other markets – giving us confidence in the sustainability of our business model throughout 2022 and beyond.”

First Quarter 2022 Results

In order to provide better clarity on its operational and financial results, AXT began reporting its financial results on both a GAAP and non-GAAP basis in the third quarter of 2021. Non-GAAP results exclude stock-based compensation. Investors can find GAAP to non-GAAP reconciliation tables in the financial statements in this earnings release.  

Revenue for the first quarter of 2022 was $39.7 million, compared with $37.7 million for the fourth quarter of 2021 and $31.4 million for the first quarter of 2021. This is an approximately 26 percent increase over the first quarter of 2021 and is our ninth consecutive quarter of revenue growth.

GAAP gross margin was 33.6 percent of revenue for the first quarter of 2022, compared with 32.2 percent of revenue for the fourth quarter of 2021 and 36.8 percent for the first quarter of 2021.

Non-GAAP gross margin was 33.8 percent of revenue for the first quarter of 2022, compared with 32.4 percent of revenue for the fourth quarter of 2021 and 36.9 percent for the first quarter of 2021.


AXT, Inc. First Quarter 2022 Results

April 28, 2022

Page 2 of 7

GAAP operating expenses were $9.6 million for the first quarter of 2022, compared with $9.1 million for the fourth quarter of 2021 and $8.0 million for the first quarter of 2021.  

Non-GAAP operating expenses were $8.6 million for the first quarter of 2022, compared with $8.1 million for the fourth quarter of 2021 and $7.2 million for the first quarter of 2021.  

GAAP operating profit for the first quarter of 2022 was $3.7 million, compared with $3.0 million for the fourth quarter of 2021 and $3.6 million for the first quarter of 2021.

Non-GAAP operating profit for the first quarter of 2022 was $4.8 million, compared with $4.1 million for the fourth quarter of 2021 and $4.4 million for the first quarter of 2021.

Non-operating income and expense, net (including income attributable to noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interests) for the first quarter of 2022 was an expense of $0.5 million, compared with an expense of $0.1 million in the fourth quarter of 2021 and an expense of $0.1 million for the first quarter of 2021.

GAAP net income, after minority interests, for the first quarter of 2022 was $3.2 million, or $0.07 per share, compared with net income of $3.0 million or $0.07 per share for the fourth quarter of 2021 and net income of $3.4 million or $0.08 per share for the first quarter of 2021.

Non-GAAP net income for the first quarter of 2022 was $4.3 million, or $0.10 per share, compared with net income of $4.1 million or $0.09 per share for the fourth quarter of 2021 and net income of $4.2 million or $0.10 per share for the first quarter of 2021.

STAR Market Listing Update

On January 10, 2022 AXT announced that Tongmei, its subsidiary in Beijing, China, submitted to the Shanghai Stock Exchange in late December 2021 its application to go public on the STAR Market. The application was accepted for consideration on January 10, 2022. Subsequently Tongmei responded to questions received from the Shanghai Stock Exchange and submitted a revised application, which was accepted for review by the Shanghai Stock Exchange on April 18, 2022. The process of going public on the STAR Market includes several periods of review and, therefore, is a lengthy process. Tongmei expects to accomplish this goal in the second half of 2022. AXT has posted a brief summary of the plan and the process on its website at http://www.axt.com.


AXT, Inc. First Quarter 2022 Results

April 28, 2022

Page 3 of 7

Conference Call

The company will host a conference call to discuss these results today at 1:30 p.m. PT. The conference call can be accessed at (844) 892-6598 (passcode 4697118). The call will also be simulcast at www.axt.com. Replays will be available at (855) 859-2056 (passcode 4697118) until May 4, 2022. Financial and statistical information to be discussed in the call will be available on the company’s website immediately prior to commencement of the call. Additional investor information can be accessed at http://www.axt.com or by calling the company’s Investor Relations Department at (510) 438-4700.

About AXT, Inc.

AXT is a material science company that develops and manufactures high-performance compound and single element semiconductor substrate wafers comprising indium phosphide (InP), gallium arsenide (GaAs) and germanium (Ge). The company’s substrate wafers are used when a typical silicon substrate wafer cannot meet the performance requirements of a semiconductor or optoelectronic device. End markets include 5G infrastructure, data center connectivity (silicon photonics), passive optical networks, LED lighting, lasers, sensors, power amplifiers for wireless devices and satellite solar cells. AXT’s worldwide headquarters are in Fremont, California where the company maintains sales, administration and customer service functions. AXT has its Asia headquarters in Beijing, China and manufacturing facilities in three separate locations in China. In addition, as part of its supply chain strategy, the company has partial ownership in ten companies in China producing raw materials for its manufacturing process. For more information, see AXT’s website at http://www.axt.com.

Note Regarding Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

As discussed above, in addition to the company’s condensed consolidated financial statements, which are presented according to GAAP, the company provides certain non-GAAP financial information that excludes stock-based compensation. We believe that non-GAAP measures provide better comparability with our peer companies, many of which also use similar non-GAAP financial measures. Further, the company believes that these non-GAAP measures offer an important analytical tool to help investors understand the company’s core operating results and trends. These non-GAAP measures have certain limitations and are not meant to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for GAAP financial information. Please note that other companies may calculate non-GAAP financial measures differently.d A reconciliation of our GAAP consolidated financial statements to our non-GAAP consolidated financial statements is provided below.

Forward-Looking Statements

The foregoing paragraphs contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Federal securities laws, including, for example, statements regarding the timing and completion of the proposed listing of shares of Tongmei on the STAR Market. Additional examples of forward-looking statements include statements regarding the market demand for our products, our growth


AXT, Inc. First Quarter 2022 Results

April 28, 2022

Page 4 of 7

prospects and opportunities for continued business expansion, including technology trends and new applications, our market opportunity, our ability to lead our industry, our relocation and our expectations with respect to our business prospects and financial results. These forward-looking statements are based upon assumptions that are subject to uncertainties and factors relating to the company’s operations and business environment, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements contained in the foregoing discussion. These uncertainties and factors include but are not limited to: the withdrawal, cancellations or requests for redemptions by private equity funds in China of investments in Tongmei, the administrative challenges in satisfying the requirements of various government agencies in China in connection with the investments in Tongmei and the listing of shares of Tongmei on the STAR Market, continued open access to companies to list shares on the STAR Market, investor enthusiasm for new listings of shares on the STAR Market and geopolitical tensions between China and the United States. Additional uncertainties and factors include, but are not limited to: the timing and receipt of significant orders; the cancellation of orders and return of product; emerging applications using chips or devices fabricated on our substrates; end-user acceptance of products containing chips or devices fabricated on our substrates; our ability to bring new products to market; product announcements by our competitors; the ability to control costs and improve efficiency; the ability to utilize our manufacturing capacity; product yields and their impact on gross margins; the relocation of manufacturing lines and ramping of production; possible factory shutdowns as a result of air pollution in China or COVID-19; COVID-19 or other outbreaks of a contagious disease; tariffs and other trade war issues; the financial performance of our partially owned supply chain companies; policies and regulations in China; and other factors as set forth in the company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and other filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Each of these factors is difficult to predict and many are beyond the company’s control. The company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

###

FINANCIAL TABLES TO FOLLOW


AXT, Inc. First Quarter 2022 Results

April 28, 2022

Page 5 of 7

AXT, INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(Unaudited, in thousands, except per share data)

    

Three Months Ended

    

March 31,

2022

    

2021

    

Revenue

$

39,653

$

31,350

Cost of revenue

 

26,345

 

19,814

Gross profit

 

13,308

 

11,536

Operating expenses:

Selling, general and administrative

 

6,450

 

5,570

Research and development

 

3,159

 

2,405

Total operating expenses

 

9,609

 

7,975

Income from operations

 

3,699

 

3,561

Interest expense, net

 

(183)

 

(50)

Equity in income of unconsolidated joint ventures

 

1,125

 

1,111

Other expense, net

 

(9)

 

(111)

Income before provision for income taxes

 

4,632

 

4,511

Provision for income taxes

 

660

 

746

Net income

 

3,972

 

3,765

Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interests

 

(807)

 

(340)

Net income attributable to AXT, Inc.

$

3,165

$

3,425

Net income attributable to AXT, Inc. per common share:

Basic

$

0.07

$

0.08

Diluted

$

0.07

$

0.08

Weighted-average number of common shares outstanding:

Basic

 

41,871

 

41,004

Diluted

 

42,662

 

42,726


AXT, Inc. First Quarter 2022 Results

April 28, 2022

Page 6 of 7

AXT, INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(Unaudited, in thousands)

    

March 31,

    

December 31,

2022

2021

 

ASSETS

Current assets:

Cash and cash equivalents

$

29,494

$

36,763

Short-term investments

 

5,400

 

5,419

Accounts receivable, net

 

39,848

 

34,839

Inventories

 

68,821

 

65,912

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

 

16,501

 

17,252

Total current assets

 

160,064

 

160,185

Long-term investments

 

9,400

 

9,576

Property, plant and equipment, net

 

147,286

 

142,415

Operating lease right-of-use assets

2,223

2,324

Other assets

 

19,426

 

17,941

Total assets

$

338,399

$

332,441

LIABILITIES, REDEEMABLE NONCONTROLLING INTERESTS AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

Current liabilities:

Accounts payable

$

14,399

$

16,649

Accrued liabilities

 

12,213

 

17,057

Short-term loan, related party

1,887

Bank loan

20,192

12,229

Total current liabilities

 

46,804

 

47,822

Noncurrent operating lease liabilities

1,810

1,935

Other long-term liabilities

 

2,263

 

2,453

Total liabilities

 

50,877

 

52,210

Redeemable noncontrolling interests

50,971

50,385

Stockholders’ equity:

Preferred stock

 

3,532

 

3,532

Common stock

 

43

 

43

Additional paid-in capital

 

232,311

 

231,622

Accumulated deficit

 

(26,805)

 

(29,970)

Accumulated other comprehensive income

 

6,629

 

6,302

Total AXT, Inc. stockholders’ equity

 

215,710

 

211,529

Noncontrolling interests

 

20,841

 

18,317

Total stockholders’ equity

 

236,551

 

229,846

Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests and stockholders’ equity

$

338,399

$

332,441


AXT, Inc. First Quarter 2022 Results

April 28, 2022

Page 7 of 7

AXT, INC.

Reconciliation of Statements of Operations Under GAAP and Non-GAAP

(Unaudited, in thousands)

    

Three Months Ended

    

March 31,

2022

    

2021

GAAP gross profit

$

13,308

$

11,536

Stock compensation expense

113

39

Non-GAAP gross profit

$

13,421

$

11,575

GAAP operating expenses

$

9,609

$

7,975

Stock compensation expense

975

777

Non-GAAP operating expenses

$

8,634

$

7,198

GAAP income from operations

$

3,699

$

3,561

Stock compensation expense

1,088

816

Non-GAAP income from operations

$

4,787

$

4,377

GAAP net income

$

3,165

$

3,425

Stock compensation expense

1,088

816

Non-GAAP net income

$

4,253

$

4,241

GAAP net income per diluted share

$

0.07

$

0.08

Stock compensation expense per diluted share

$

0.03

$

0.02

Non-GAAP net income per diluted share

$

0.10

$

0.10

Shares used to compute diluted net income per share

 

42,662

 

42,726