STMicroelectronics Reports Q2 2018 Financial Results

STMicroelectronics, a global semiconductor leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications, reported U.S. GAAP financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2018. 

Second quarter net revenues and gross margin were above the mid-point of the Company’s outlook.  ST reported second quarter net revenues of $2.27 billion, gross margin of 40.2%, operating margin of 12.7%, and net income of $261 million or $0.29 diluted earnings per share. Jean-Marc Chery, STMicroelectronics President & CEO, made the following comments:

• “ST had another quarter of double-digit, year-over-year revenue growth, with improved performance across key financial metrics. We are on track with the goal set at our Capital Markets Day to grow year-over-year 2018 revenues between about 14% to 17%.
• “Revenue increased 18% year-over-year on balanced growth across all product groups, regions and end markets, with an especially strong performance in Industrial.
• “Operating income and net income were up sharply year-over-year, increasing respectively about 60% and 73%.
• “ST’s third quarter outlook is for revenues to grow sequentially about 10.0%, reflecting year-over-year growth of 16.8%, and gross margin to be about 40.0%. This is driven by continued healthy demand in our end markets and, as anticipated, by growth in smartphone applications.”

Financial Summary (U.S. GAAP)⁽¹⁾

 ⁽¹⁾ Certain amounts in the prior periods have been adjusted to reflect the January 1, 2018 adoption of ASU 2017-07 related to the reclassification of certain pension costs.

Second Quarter 2018 Summary Review

Effective January 1, 2018, the Subsystems business unit was transferred from Others to Analog, MEMS and Sensors Group (AMS). Prior periods have been restated accordingly.

Net revenues increased 1.9% sequentially, 40 basis points better than the mid-point of the Company’s guidance. On a year-over-year basis, second quarter net revenues increased 18.0% with all product groups delivering double-digit revenue growth. Year-over-year sales to OEMs and Distribution were up 9.8% and 33.4%, respectively.

Gross profit totaled $911 million, representing a year-over-year increase of 23.6%. Gross margin was 40.2%, 20 basis points better than the mid-point of the Company’s guidance, and increasing 190 basis points year-over-year, largely driven by improved manufacturing efficiency and reflecting a favorable mix shift toward higher value products.

Operating income was $289 million, compared to $181 million in the year-ago quarter, with all product groups growing double-digit and delivering improved profitability. The Company’s operating margin increased 330 basis points to 12.7% of net revenues, compared to 9.4% in the 2017 second quarter.

By product group, compared with the year-ago quarter: 

Automotive and Discrete Group (ADG): 

• Revenue grew double-digits, in both Automotive and Power Discrete.
• Operating profit increased by 28.8% to $84 million, mainly due to higher revenue and associated gross profit. Operating margin increased to 9.7% from 8.7%.

Analog, MEMS and Sensors Group (AMS):

• Revenue grew double-digits, in both Imaging and in Analog.
• Operating profit increased by 24.1% to $64 million, mainly due to higher revenue and associated gross profit. Operating margin increased to 10.5% from 9.4%.

Microcontrollers and Digital ICs Group (MDG):

• Revenue grew double-digits, in both Microcontrollers and Digital ICs.
• Operating profit increased by 121.6% to $159 million mainly due to higher revenue and associated gross profit. Operating margin increased to 20.3% from 11.7%.

Net income and diluted earnings per share increased to $261 million and $0.29, respectively, compared to $151 million and $0.17, respectively, in the year-ago quarter.

Cash Flow and Balance Sheet Highlights

Capital expenditure payments, net of proceeds from sales, in the second quarter were $390 million, in line with the Company’s CAPEX guidance of $1.2-$1.3 billion for the 2018 full year. In the year-ago quarter, capital expenditures were $307 million.

Inventory at the end of the quarter was $1.56 billion, up from $1.43 billion in the prior quarter, to support demand expected in the third quarter. Day sales of inventory at quarter-end was 103 days, up from 97 days in the prior quarter.

As a result, free cash flow (non-U.S. GAAP) was negative $40 million and positive $56 million in the year-to-date period.

In the second quarter of 2018, the Company paid cash dividends totaling $54 million. A cash dividend of $0.24 per common share payable in equal quarterly installments of $0.06 in each of the second, third and fourth quarters of 2018 and first quarter of 2019 was approved on May 31st at the 2018 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders. ST’s net financial position (non-U.S. GAAP) was $411 million at June 30, 2018 compared to $522 million at March 31, 2018 and reflected total financial resources of $2.13 billion and total financial debt of $1.72 billion.

Business Outlook

The Company expects third quarter 2018 revenues to increase about 10.0% Q/Q (16.8% Y/Y) at the mid-point of the Company’s guidance, driven by continued healthy demand in the Automotive and Industrial end markets and, as anticipated, by growth in smartphone applications.

The Company’s guidance for the 2018 third quarter is: 

• Net revenue is expected to increase about 10.0% sequentially, plus or minus 350 basis points;
• Gross margin of about 40.0%, plus or minus 200 basis points;
• This outlook is based on an assumed effective currency exchange rate of approximately $1.19 = €1.00 for the 2018 third quarter and includes the impact of existing hedging contracts.
• The third quarter will close on September 29, 2018.