EANS-Adhoc: ams AG ams reports first quarter 2017 results above previous
guidance; sequential revenue growth expected for second quarter; fully on track
for expected second half 2017 ramp-ups; significantly increased customer
forecasts and revenue ...
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Annual Reports/quarterly report
24.04.2017
Key financial data for first quarter 2017
Premstaetten, Austria (24 April 2017) - ams (SIX: AMS), a leading worldwide
supplier of high performance sensor solutions, reports first quarter 2017
results with revenues and operating profitability above previous guidance. ams
expects sequential revenue growth for the second quarter 2017 with revenues of
EUR 174-181 million and adjusted operating margin around break-even.
Preparations for ramp-ups in the second half 2017 are fully on track while
increased customer forecasts and a higher revenue pipeline drive a strong
increase in capital expenditures. ams' mid-term revenue growth target is under
upward revision.
First quarter group revenues were EUR 149.3 million, above the upper end of ams'
previous guidance, up 12% sequentially compared to the fourth quarter and
increasing 9% from EUR 137.2 million in the same quarter 2016. On a constant
currency basis, first quarter revenues were up 6% compared to the first quarter
last year. Excluding the Heptagon business, revenues were slightly up
sequentially compared to the fourth quarter 2016, which was also above previous
guidance.
In the first quarter, adjusted gross margin (excluding acquisition-related and
share-based compensation costs) stood at 46% with IFRS reported gross margin at
40%, compared to 57% and 54% respectively, in the same quarter 2016. The lower
gross margin was due to the underutilization of ams' production facilities in
Singapore which reflects the ongoing capacity expansion to support high volume
product ramp-ups expected to start in the third quarter 2017.
The adjusted result from operations (EBIT) (excluding acquisition-related and
share-based compensation costs) for the first quarter was EUR 4.1 million or 3%
of revenues which was above previous guidance, decreasing from EUR 28.2 million
in the same period 2016. Excluding the Heptagon business, the adjusted EBIT
margin stood at 14%, which was well above previous guidance. The IFRS reported
result from operations (EBIT) for the first quarter was EUR -13.8 million or -9%
of revenues, down from EUR 19.7 million in the same period 2016.
The net result for the first quarter was EUR -16.2 million compared to EUR 13.6
million in the same period last year. Basic and diluted earnings per share were
CHF -0.23/-0.23 or EUR -0.22/-0.21 based on 74,496,209/76,213,409 shares
(basic/diluted; weighted average) compared to CHF 0.22/0.21 or EUR 0.20/0.19 for
the first quarter 2016 based on 68,667,002/70,932,874 shares (basic/diluted;
weighted average).
Operating cash flow for the first quarter was EUR 26.1 million compared to EUR
7.5 million in the same quarter last year. Total backlog on March 31, 2017
(excluding consignment stock agreements) was EUR 195.6 million - a sharp
increase compared to EUR 136.1 million at the end of the fourth quarter 2016 and
EUR 126.2 million on March 31, 2016.
ams' business had a strong start into the year in the first quarter of 2017
recording a meaningful quarter-on-quarter increase in revenues amid solid demand
from most end markets. These results demonstrate ams' strong market position in
both the consumer and smartphone markets and across its balanced portfolio of
consumer and non-consumer businesses.
The consumer and communications business showed attractive results in the first
quarter based on overall better volumes across ams' broad customer base. Leading
OEMs rely on the company's solutions and drove positive run rates of ams' high
performance optical sensor solutions including ambient light sensing, proximity
sensing and other optical applications. ams' other consumer product lines
including audio solutions saw continued good volume shipments to a range of
device vendors which contributed positively to ams' first quarter results.
Design momentum in ams' consumer business remains strong as OEMs realize the
attractiveness of ams' offering across key areas of sensing. ams' multi-year
project and product pipeline is supported and advanced by the company's clear
development focus on next generation sensing in optical / 3D, audio and
environmental.
ams is receiving positive market feedback on the acquisition of Princeton
Optronics which ams announced in the quarter. ams' ability to offer a complete
value chain in optical sensing including VCSEL illumination sources opens up
very attractive new growth opportunities for the coming years. ams sees the
potential to increase its presence in consumer and smartphone applications as
well as future automotive applications for 3D sensing, based on the combination
of Princeton and ams technologies.
ams' industrial, medical, and automotive businesses performed well in the first
quarter 2017. Demand in these non-consumer end markets is showing positive
momentum and appears improved when compared to last year. ams' strong market
position in industrial sensing is based on differentiated sensor and sensor
interface solutions that enable high performance applications for leading OEMs
and their customers globally. In ams' medical business, digital imaging sensor
solutions for computed tomography (CT), digital X-ray, and mammography continued
their attractive contribution driven by technology leadership. New Asian
customers are offering future opportunities in this area. ams' automotive
sensing business is built around sensor and sensor interface technologies for
safety, driver assistance, position, and emerging applications where ams sees
good demand continuing this year.
ams expects significant high volume ramp-ups in its consumer business in the
second half of 2017. ams' preparation for these growth opportunities is fully on
track and related activities are progressing to plan. ams is seeing
significantly increased customer forecasts and a higher revenue pipeline for
2017 and particularly 2018 while ams is adding new projects and additional
design-wins. As a consequence, ams is strongly increasing its capital
expenditures this year and now expects group capital expenditures of around EUR
400-450 million in 2017. This increase includes additional equipment investments
for optical layer deposition and an acceleration of capacity expansion at ams'
Singapore sites to prepare for expected customer volume needs into 2018.
Given these very positive forecast and pipeline developments ams' mid-term
revenue growth target is currently under upward revision.
For the second quarter 2017, ams is seeing a positive development of its
business apart from the Heptagon business which ams expects to show the
anticipated more flattish revenue development quarter-on-quarter. Based on
available information and a current USD/EUR exchange rate of 1.08, ams expect
second quarter revenues of EUR 174-181 million, a sequential growth of 17-21%.
This expected quarter-on-quarter growth echoes a stronger business momentum in
both ams' consumer and non-consumer businesses driven by an improved backlog and
order intake as all end markets are expected to contribute positively.
The adjusted operating margin for the second quarter (excluding
acquisition-based and share-based compensation costs) is expected to be around
break-even reflecting the current underutilization of production capacity in
ams' Heptagon business. This anticipated underutilization in the second quarter
is due to the installation of additional production capacity for expected high
volume ramp-ups in the second half. The related adjusted EBIT margin excluding
the Heptagon business is expected to be above 18% of revenues.
The quarterly report for the first quarter 2017 including additional financial
information is available on the company website at
www.ams.com/eng/Investor/Financial-Reports . Concurrently, ams has published the
Annual Report 2016 which is also available on the company website at
www.ams.com/eng/Investor/Financial-Reports .
Further inquiry note:
Moritz M. Gmeiner
Vice President Investor Relations
Tel: +43 3136 500-31211
Fax: +43 3136 500-931211
Email: investor@ams.com
end of announcement euro adhoc
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issuer: ams AG
Tobelbader Strasse 30
A-8141 Premstaetten
phone: +43 3136 500-0
FAX: +43 3136 500-931211
mail: investor@ams.com
WWW: www.ams.com
sector: Technology
ISIN: AT0000A18XM4
indexes:
stockmarkets: official dealing: SIX Swiss Exchange
language: English