EMCORE Reports Fiscal 2024 Fourth Quarter Results

Rhea-AI Summary

EMCORE (EMKR) reported its fiscal 2024 fourth quarter results, showing mixed performance with some improvements in operational efficiency. Revenue increased 6% quarter-over-quarter to $21.7 million, while generating positive cash flow of $1.8 million. The company significantly reduced operating expenses from $14.3M to $7.8M.

However, gross margin declined from 25% to 21% quarter-over-quarter. Net loss on continuing operations improved to ($3.2M) from ($11.5M) in the previous quarter. The company paid off its loan totaling $8.4 million, strengthening its balance sheet. Cash and cash equivalents stood at $10.8M at the end of the period.

Positive

• Revenue increased 6% quarter-over-quarter to $21.7M
• Operating expenses reduced significantly by $6.5M to $7.8M
• Generated positive cash flow of $1.8M
• Net loss improved by $8.3M to ($3.2M)
• Eliminated $8.4M in debt

Negative

• Gross margin declined from 25% to 21%
• Continuing operations still showing net loss of $3.2M
• Revenue declined year-over-year from $26.8M to $21.7M
• Adjusted EBITDA remains negative at ($0.4M)

Insights

Financial Analyst

EMCORE's Q4 fiscal 2024 results show mixed signals. Revenue increased $1.3M sequentially to $21.7M, but gross margins declined from 25% to 21%. The positive development is the significant reduction in operating expenses from $14.3M to $7.8M and positive cash flow of $1.8M. The company's restructuring efforts are bearing fruit, evidenced by the narrowing net loss from $11.5M to $3.2M. The complete payoff of $8.4M in debt strengthens the balance sheet, though cash position remains tight at $10.8M. The aerospace and defense focus appears to be gaining traction with growing backlog, but margins need improvement for sustainable profitability. The transition from broadband to aerospace markets continues to pressure near-term results.

Market Research Analyst

The inertial navigation solutions market positioning shows promise but faces execution challenges. Sequential revenue growth of 6% and increasing backlog suggest improving market acceptance of EMCORE's PIC and MEMS technologies. The $3.2M reduction in non-GAAP operating expenses reflects successful cost management, though the 23% non-GAAP gross margin indicates pricing pressures and scale inefficiencies. The vertical integration across three facilities (Budd Lake, Concord and Tinley Park) provides manufacturing control but carries fixed cost burden at current revenue levels. Market position in aerospace/defense appears stable with ISO 9001 and AS9100 certifications, but revenue scale needs to expand significantly to achieve profitability.

Tech Industry Expert

The transition to specialized inertial navigation systems leveraging Photonic Integrated Chip technology represents a strategic pivot from legacy broadband markets. The improved quarterly bookings and backlog suggest product-market fit, but the $2M non-GAAP net loss indicates the technology transition remains costly. The restructuring has trimmed $3M in quarterly non-GAAP operating expenses, essential for reaching breakeven at current revenue levels. The technology stack combining PIC, Quartz MEMS and Lithium Niobate positions EMCORE uniquely in aerospace/defense navigation, but achieving manufacturing efficiency at these volumes remains challenging. The positive cash flow marks an important milestone, though sustained technology investment will be important for competitive differentiation.

BUDD LAKE, NJ, Jan. 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- EMCORE Corporation (Nasdaq: EMKR), a leading provider of inertial navigation solutions to the aerospace and defense industry, today announced results for the fiscal 2024 fourth quarter (4Q24) ended September 30, 2024.

“As we close out the fiscal year, we are pleased to report that execution on our previously announced restructuring plan resulted in significant progress in all areas of the business. During 4Q24, the Company generated positive cash flow of $1.8 million and substantially lowered operating expenses,” said Matt Vargas, interim Chief Executive Officer. “In addition, on a sequential-quarter basis, we increased revenue 6% and grew backlog on the strength of continued strong bookings during 4Q24.”

	Three Months Ended
	Sep 30, 2024			Jun 30, 2024			+increase/ -decrease
	4Q24			3Q24
Revenue	$21.7M			$20.4M			+$1.3M
Gross margin	21%			25%			-4%
Operating expenses	$7.8M			$14.3M			-$6.5M
Net loss on continuing operations	($3.2M)			($11.5M)			+$8.3M
Net loss on continuing operations per share, basic and diluted	($0.35)			($1.27)			+$0.92
Non-GAAP gross margin (a)	23%			24%			-1%
Non-GAAP operating expenses (a)	$6.1M			$9.1M			-$3.0M
Non-GAAP net loss on continuing operations (a)	($2.0M)			($4.4M)			+$2.4M
Non-GAAP net loss on continuing operations per share, basic and diluted (a)	($0.22)			($0.49)			+$0.27
Adjusted EBITDA (a)	($0.4M)			($3.6M)			+$3.2M
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	$10.8M			$9.0M			+$1.8M
Line of credit and loan payable (b)	$0.0M			$8.4M			-$8.4M
(a) Please refer to the schedules at the end of this press release for GAAP to non-GAAP reconciliations and other information related to non-GAAP financial measures. (b) 4Q24 includes loan payoff totaling $8.4 million .

About EMCORE

EMCORE Corporation is a leading provider of inertial navigation solutions to the aerospace and defense markets. We leverage industry-leading Photonic Integrated Chip (PIC), Quartz MEMS, and Lithium Niobate chip-level technology to deliver state-of-the-art component and system-level products across our end-market applications. EMCORE has vertically-integrated manufacturing capability at its facilities in Budd Lake, NJ, Concord, CA, and Tinley Park, IL. Our manufacturing facilities all maintain ISO 9001 quality management certification, and we are AS9100 aerospace quality certified at our facilities in Budd Lake and Concord. For further information about EMCORE, please visit https://www.emcore.com.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

The Company conforms to U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“GAAP”) in the preparation of its financial statements. We disclose supplemental non-GAAP earnings measures, including for gross profit, gross margin, operating expenses, net loss, net loss per share, and adjusted EBITDA. The Company has, regardless of result, applied consistent rationale and methods when presenting supplemental non-GAAP measures.

Management believes these supplemental non-GAAP measures reflect the Company’s core ongoing operating performance and facilitate comparisons across reporting periods. The Company uses these measures when evaluating its financial results and for planning and forecasting of future periods. We believe that these supplemental non-GAAP measures are also useful to investors in assessing our operating performance. While we believe in the usefulness of these supplemental non-GAAP measures, there are limitations. Our non-GAAP measures may not be reported by other companies in our industry and/or may not be directly comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies due to potential differences in calculation. We compensate for these limitations by using these non-GAAP measures as a supplement to GAAP and by providing the reconciliations to the most comparable GAAP measure.

The schedules at the end of this press release reconcile the Company’s non-GAAP measures to the most directly comparable GAAP measure. The adjustments share one or more of the following characteristics: (a) they are unusual and the Company does not expect them to recur in the ordinary course of its business, (b) they do not involve the expenditure of cash, (c) they are unrelated to the ongoing operation of the business in the ordinary course, or (d) their magnitude and timing is largely outside of the Company’s control. All of these items meet one or more of the characteristics listed above. The criteria that must be met for litigation-related expense to qualify as a non-GAAP measure is that it must be directly connected to active litigation that the Company infrequently encounters and is unrelated to the ongoing operations of the business in the ordinary course. All legal expenses related to the ordinary course of business are included in the non-GAAP results consistently for all reporting periods. The Company has, for all reporting periods disclosed in this press release, applied consistent rationale, method, and adjustments in reconciling non-GAAP measures to the most directly comparable GAAP measure, reflecting the Company’s core ongoing operating performance and facilitating comparisons across reporting periods that the Company uses when evaluating its financial results, planning and forecasting future periods, and that are useful to investors in assessing our performance.

Non-GAAP measures are not in accordance with or an alternative to GAAP, nor are they meant to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for comparable GAAP measures. Our disclosures of these measures should be read only in conjunction with our financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP. Non-GAAP measures should not be viewed as a substitute for the Company’s GAAP results.

EMCORE CORPORATION Consolidated Balance Sheets (unaudited)
	September 30,				September 30,
(in thousands)	2024				2023
ASSETS
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$	10,291			$	26,211
Restricted cash		495				495
Accounts receivable, net of credit loss of $173 and $356, respectively		14,342				15,575
Contract assets		1,182				8,402
Inventory		25,065				28,905
Prepaid expenses		3,504				4,612
Other current assets		137				922
Assets held for sale		—				7,264
Total current assets		55,016				92,386
Property, plant, and equipment, net		7,868				15,517
Operating lease right-of-use assets		18,094				21,564
Other intangible assets, net		10,289				12,245
Other non-current assets		2,646				2,201
Total assets	$	93,913			$	143,913
LIABILITIES and SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	$	8,563			$	9,683
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities		5,220				8,471
Contract liabilities		1,424				1,630
Loan payable - current		—				852
Financing payable		587				460
Loan payable - current		—				852
Operating lease liabilities - current		2,668				3,033
Liabilities held for sale		—				4,662
Total current liabilities		18,462				28,791
Line of credit		—				6,418
Loan payable - non-current		—				3,330
Operating lease liabilities - non-current		18,247				20,882
Asset retirement obligations		2,378				4,194
Warrant liability and other long-term liabilities		4,660				8
Total liabilities		43,747				63,623
Commitments and contingencies
Shareholders’ equity:
Common stock, no par value, 100,000 shares authorized; 9,764 shares issued and 9,073 shares outstanding as of September 30, 2024; 8,401 shares issued and 7,711 shares outstanding as of September 30, 2023		825,625				825,119
Treasury stock at cost; 691 shares as of September 30, 2024 and September 30, 2023		(47,721	)			(47,721	)
Accumulated other comprehensive income		958				350
Accumulated deficit		(728,696	)			(697,458	)
Total shareholders’ equity		50,166				80,290
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity	$	93,913			$	143,913

EMCORE CORPORATION Consolidated Statements of Operations (unaudited)
	Three Months Ended September 30,								Fiscal Year Ended September 30,
(in thousands, except for per share data)		2024				2023				2024				2023
Revenue	$	21,704			$	26,769			$	85,896			$	97,716
Cost of revenue		17,232				19,876				67,076				74,323
Gross profit		4,472				6,893				18,820				23,393
Operating expense:
Selling, general, and administrative		5,011				8,638				22,281				32,731
Research and development		2,057				4,468				12,922				17,910
Restructuring		872				—				2,219				—
Severance		(168	)			—				2,919				27
Impairment		3				22,612				3,010				22,612
Loss (gain) on sale of assets		50				—				18				(1,147	)
Total operating expense		7,825				35,718				43,369				72,133
Operating loss		(3,353	)			(28,825	)			(24,549	)			(48,740	)
Other income (expense):
Loss on extinguishment of debt and change in fair value of warrant liability		(2,572	)			—				(4,660	)			—
Interest expense, net		(940	)			(147	)			(1,195	)			(751	)
Other income (expense)		3,612				(9	)			3,581				120
Total other income (expense)		100				(156	)			(2,274	)			(631	)
Loss from continuing operations before income tax benefit (expense)		(3,253	)			(28,981	)			(26,823	)			(49,371	)
Income tax benefit (expense) from continuing operations		85				135				(29	)			(42	)
Net loss from continuing operations	$	(3,168	)		$	(28,846	)		$	(26,852	)		$	(49,413	)
Income (loss) from discontinued operations	$	63			$	(12,735	)		$	(4,386	)		$	(25,946	)
Net loss	$	(3,105	)		$	(41,581	)		$	(31,238	)		$	(75,359	)
Pension adjustment		608				(91	)			608				(91	)
Comprehensive loss	$	(2,497	)		$	(41,672	)		$	(30,630	)		$	(75,450	)
Per share data:
Net loss on continuing operations per share, basic and diluted	$	(0.35	)		$	(0.42	)		$	(2.98	)		$	(0.96	)
Net income (loss) on discontinued operations per share, basic and diluted	$	0.01			$	(0.18	)		$	(0.49	)		$	(0.50	)
Net loss per share, basic and diluted	$	(0.34	)		$	(0.60	)		$	(3.46	)		$	(1.46	)
Weighted-average number of shares outstanding, basic and diluted		9,063				69,209				9,020				51,510

EMCORE CORPORATION Reconciliations of GAAP to Non-GAAP Financial Measures (unaudited)
	Three Months Ended
	September 30				June 30
(in thousands, except for percentages)	4Q24				3Q24
Gross profit	$	4,472			$	5,013
Gross margin		21	%			25	%
Stock-based compensation expense		40				70
Asset retirement obligation accretion		61				61
Intangible asset amortization		482				486
Compensation accrual adjustment		—				(806	)
Non-GAAP gross profit	$	5,055			$	4,824
Non-GAAP gross margin		23	%			24	%

	Three Months Ended
	September 30				June 30
(in thousands)	4Q24				3Q24
Operating expense	$	7,825			$	14,276
Stock-based compensation expense		(359	)			1,182
Impairment expense		(3	)			(2,919	)
Severance expense		168				(1,856	)
Restructuring expense		(872	)			(1,347	)
Loss on sale of assets		(50	)			—
Compensation accrual adjustment		—				506
Transition/M&A-related expense		(598	)			(615	)
Litigation-related expense		(39	)			(156	)
Non-GAAP operating expense	$	6,072			$	9,071

	Three Months Ended
	September 30				June 30
(in thousands, except for per share data and percentages)	4Q24				3Q24
Net loss from continuing operations	$	(3,168	)		$	(11,545	)
Net loss from continuing operations per share, basic and diluted	$	(0.35	)		$	(1.27	)
Stock-based compensation expense		399				(1,112	)
Asset retirement obligation accretion		61				61
Intangible asset amortization		482				486
Impairment expense		3				2,919
Severance expense		(168	)			1,856
Restructuring expense		872				1,347
Loss on sale of assets		50				—
Compensation accrual adjustment		—				(1,312	)
Transition/M&A-related expense		598				615
Litigation-related expense		39				156
Loss on extinguishment of debt and change in fair value of warrant liability		2,572				2,087
Other (income) expense		(3,612	)			16
Income tax benefit		(85	)			—
Non-GAAP net loss from continuing operations	$	(1,957	)		$	(4,426	)
Non-GAAP net loss from continuing operations per share, basic and diluted	$	(0.22	)		$	(0.49	)
Interest expense, net		940				179
Depreciation expense		580				670
Adjusted EBITDA	$	(437	)		$	(3,577	)
Adjusted EBITDA % of revenue		(2.0	%)			(18	%)

FAQ

What was EMKR's revenue in Q4 2024?

EMCORE (EMKR) reported revenue of $21.7 million in Q4 2024, representing a 6% increase from $20.4 million in Q3 2024.

How much did EMKR reduce its operating expenses in Q4 2024?

EMKR reduced its operating expenses by $6.5 million, from $14.3 million in Q3 2024 to $7.8 million in Q4 2024.

What was EMKR's net loss in Q4 2024?

EMKR reported a net loss of $3.2 million on continuing operations in Q4 2024, improved from a net loss of $11.5 million in Q3 2024.

How much debt did EMKR pay off in Q4 2024?

EMKR paid off $8.4 million in loans during Q4 2024, eliminating its line of credit and loan payable.

What was EMKR's cash position at the end of Q4 2024?

EMKR had cash and cash equivalents of $10.8 million at the end of Q4 2024, an increase of $1.8 million from the previous quarter.