July 28, 2022 16:05 ET | Source: AXT, Inc. AXT, Inc.
Year-Over-Year Revenue Growth of 22% in 1H22; Gross Margin Expands
FREMONT, Calif., July 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AXT, Inc. (NasdaqGS: AXTI), a leading manufacturer of compound semiconductor wafer substrates, today reported financial results for the second quarter, ended June 30, 2022.
“This is an exciting time in our business,” said Morris Young, chief executive officer. “Our strong execution on a number of fronts has set the stage for great opportunities in the coming quarters. We continue to achieve strong growth in highly strategic applications, and are currently ramping several Tier-1 customers. We are also achieving notable success in the development of larger diameter substrates that we believe will enable the next generation of technology innovation across a number of end-markets. This strong execution has driven first half revenue growth of 22% over the previous year and continues to enable us to outperform our market, with emerging opportunities that will layer on over the coming quarters.”
On January 10, 2022, AXT announced that Beijing Tongmei Xtal Technology Co., Ltd. (“Tongmei”), its subsidiary in Beijing, China, submitted to the Shanghai Stock Exchange (the “SSE”) its application to list its shares in an initial public offering (the “IPO”) on the SSE’s Sci-Tech innovAtion boaRd (the “STAR Market”) and the application was accepted for review. Subsequently, Tongmei responded to several rounds of questions received from the SSE. On July 12, 2022, the SSE approved the listing of Tongmei’s shares in an IPO on the STAR Market. The STAR Market IPO remains subject to review and approval by the China Securities Regulatory Commission (“CSRC”) and other authorities. The process of going public on the STAR Market includes several periods of review and, therefore, is a lengthy process. Subject to review and approval by the CSRC and other authorities, Tongmei expects to accomplish this goal in the second half of 2022, probably in Q4 2022. AXT has posted a brief summary of the plan and the process on its website at http://www.axt.com.
The company will host a conference call to discuss these results on July 28, 2022 at 1:30 p.m. PT. To access the call by phone, please go to this link to register and you will be provided with dial in details: https://register.vevent.com/register/BI845e5e766e5542c4807cba2ad13e21f8. A webcast link for the call will also be available on the investor relations page at www.axt.com. Additional investor information can be accessed at http://www.axt.com or by calling the company’s Investor Relations Department at (510) 438-4700.
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 and includes 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.
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 prospects and opportunities for continued business expansion, including technology trends, new applications and the ramping of Tier-1 customers, our market opportunity, our ability to lead our industry, our relocation, our expectations with respect to our business prospects and financial results and our development of larger diameter substrates that we believe will enable the next generation of technology innovation across a number of end-markets. 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 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 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.
Contacts: Gary Fischer Chief Financial Officer (510) 438-4700
Leslie Green Green Communications Consulting, LLC (650) 312-9060
AXT, INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (Unaudited, in thousands, except per share data)
AXT, INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Unaudited, in thousands)
AXT, INC. Reconciliation of Statements of Operations Under GAAP and Non-GAAP (Unaudited, in thousands)