Linear Technology Reports Increased Revenues and Profits Over the Prior Quarter.
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Linear Technology Reports Increased Revenues and Profits Over the Prior Quarter.

MILPITAS, Calif., April 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Linear Technology Corporation (NASDAQ: LLTC), a leading, independent manufacturer of high performance linear integrated circuits, today announced that total revenues for its third quarter ended April 2, 2006, of $278,888,000, increased 5% over second quarter total revenues of $265,146,000. The Company also reported that third quarter net income of $110,555,000, or $0.35 diluted earnings per share, increased 7% over second quarter net income of $103,264,000 or $0.33 diluted earnings per share. Sequentially, the Company's cash and short-term investments increased by $74.1 million, net of spending $20.2 million to purchase 532,769 shares of common stock. A cash dividend of $0.15 per share will be paid on May 17, 2006 to stockholders of record on April 28, 2006.

On a year-over-year basis, fiscal 2006 third quarter total revenues of $278,888,000 decreased 4% from total revenues of $290,734,000 for the third quarter of the previous year. Included in last year's quarterly revenues was a royalty payment of $40,000,000, which represented past royalties under terms of a settlement and license agreement with another company. Subsequent quarterly royalty payments have been immaterial to each individual quarter's total revenues. Net income for the quarter of $110,555,000 or $0.35 diluted earnings per share, ($119,742,000 or $0.38 per share pro forma excluding stock-based compensation as noted below) decreased 9% as compared to $121,633,000 or $0.39 diluted earnings per share ($126,562,000 or $0.40 per share pro forma) reported for the third quarter of last year. Net income for the third quarter of last year was also positively affected by the $40,000,000 royalty payment.

During this fiscal year, the Company implemented Financial Accounting Standard No. 123R (FAS123R), "Share-based Payment," which requires companies to estimate the cost of all forms of stock-based compensation, including stock options, restricted stock and employee stock purchase plans, and record a commensurate expense in their income statement. For Linear Technology, the total amount of stock-based compensation during this quarter was $13,218,000. Under FAS123R calculations, there was also an increase in estimated diluted shares outstanding. Consequently, pro forma diluted earnings per share, excluding stock-based compensation accounting estimates, would have been $0.38 for the quarter ended April 2, 2006 versus $0.40 on a similar basis for the prior year's quarter.

According to Lothar Maier, CEO, "Sales and profits for the March quarter increased sequentially from the December quarter. Demand increased resulting in a positive book to bill ratio. Our return on sales was a strong 40%, or 43% on a pro forma basis prior to the impact of stock-based compensation accounting, and we continue to be cash flow positive.

As we had anticipated, strong sales for domestic and European distributors signaled a solid improvement in our broad based industrial business. Looking ahead, we currently expect this to continue into the June quarter and we are expecting sales and profits to again increase roughly 5%."

Except for historical information contained herein, the matters set forth in this press release are forward-looking statements. In particular, the statements regarding the demand for our products, our customers' ordering patterns and the anticipated growth of our sales and profits are forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements are dependent on certain risks and uncertainties, including such factors, among others, as the timing, volume and pricing of new orders received and shipped, the timely introduction of new processes and products, general conditions in the world economy and financial markets and other factors described in our 10-K for the fiscal year ended July 3, 2005.

Company officials will be discussing these results in greater detail in a conference call tomorrow, Wednesday, April 19, 2006 at 8:30 a.m. Pacific Coast Time. Those investors wishing to listen in may call (719) 234-0008 before 8:15 a.m. to be included in the audience. There will be a live webcast of this conference call that can be accessed through www.linear.com or www.streetevents.com. A replay of the conference call will be available from April 19 through April 25, 2006. You may access this post view by calling (719) 457-0820 and entering reservation #2022842. An archive of the webcast will also be available at www.linear.com and www.streetevents.com as of April 19, 2006 until the third quarter earnings release next year.

Linear Technology Corporation, a manufacturer of high performance linear integrated circuits, was founded in 1981, became a public company in 1986 and joined the S&P 500 index of major public companies in 2000. Linear Technology products include high performance amplifiers, comparators, voltage references, monolithic filters, linear regulators, DC-DC converters, battery chargers, power supply modules, data converters, communications interface circuits, RF signal conditioning circuits, and many other analog functions. Applications for Linear Technology's high performance circuits include telecommunications, cellular telephones, networking products such as optical switches, notebook and desktop computers, computer peripherals, video/multimedia, industrial instrumentation, security monitoring devices, high-end consumer products such as digital cameras and MP3 players, complex medical devices, automotive electronics, factory automation, process control, and military and space systems. For more information, visit www.linear.com.

    For further information contact Paul Coghlan at Linear Technology
Corporation, 1630 McCarthy Blvd., Milpitas, California   95035-7417,
(408) 432-1900.


                        LINEAR TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
                      CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
                   (In thousands, except per share amounts)
                               GAAP (unaudited)

                              Three Months Ended        Nine Months Ended
                             April 2,     April 3,      April 2,    April 3,
                              2006          2005          2006        2005
    Net sales               $278,888     $250,734      $800,047    $753,883
    Royalty revenue               --       40,000            --      40,000
      Total revenue          278,888      290,734       800,047     793,883
    Cost of sales (1)         60,021       56,600       174,785     165,329
     Gross profit            218,867      234,134       625,262     628,554

    Expenses:

     Research &
      development (1)         40,982       36,002       116,801      99,049
     Selling, general &
      administrative (1)      32,252       32,172        95,733      81,551
                              73,234       68,174       212,534     180,600
    Operating income         145,633      165,960       412,728     447,954
    Interest income, net      13,439        7,802        37,633      20,514

    Income before
     income taxes            159,072      173,762       450,361     468,468
    Provision for
     income taxes             48,517       52,129       137,361     140,541

    Net income              $110,555     $121,633      $313,000    $327,927

    Earnings per share:
     Basic                     $0.36        $0.39         $1.02       $1.07
     Diluted                   $0.35        $0.39         $1.00       $1.04

    Shares used in the
     calculation of
     earnings per share:
     Basic                   306,136      307,960       305,873     307,811
     Diluted                 314,046      315,617       314,326     316,452

    Pro forma earnings
     per share excluding
     the effects of stock-based
     compensation:
     Basic                     $0.39        $0.41         $1.11       $1.10
     Diluted                   $0.38        $0.40         $1.09       $1.07

    Pro forma shares used
     in the calculation
     of pro forma earnings
     per share:
     Basic                   306,136      307,960       305,873     307,811
     Diluted                 312,088      315,617       312,383     316,452

    (1) Includes stock-based compensation charges as follows:

    Cost of sales              2,323          720         5,836       2,016
    Research and development   5,878        1,849        17,331       5,218
    Sales, general and
     administrative            5,017        4,473        17,120       7,905
     Total stock-based
      compensation            13,218        7,042        40,287      15,139



                        LINEAR TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
             RECONCILIATION OF NET INCOME TO PRO FORMA NET INCOME
                   (In thousands, except per share amounts)
                             NON-GAAP (unaudited)

                             Three Months Ended        Nine Months Ended
                           April 2,      April 3,      April 2,   April 3,
                             2006          2005          2006       2005

    Net income             $110,555      $121,633      $313,000    $327,927

    Adjustments to
     reconcile net income
     to pro forma net income:
     Stock-based
      compensation           13,218         7,042        40,287      15,139
     Tax effect             (4,031)       (2,113)      (12,287)     (4,542)
    Pro forma net income    119,742       126,562       341,000     338,524

    Pro forma earnings per
     share excluding
     the effects of
     stock-based compensation:
     Basic                    $0.39         $0.41         $1.11       $1.10
     Diluted                  $0.38         $0.40         $1.09       $1.07

    Shares used in the calculation of pro
    forma earnings per share:
     Basic                  306,136       307,960       305,873     307,811
     Diluted             312,088(1)       315,617    312,383(1)     316,452

     (1) Excludes 1,958 and 1,943 shares for the three and nine months ended
         April 2, 2006, respectively, to conform diluted outstanding shares
         calculated under FAS123R to diluted shares calculated under prior
         accounting standards

FAS123R - Share-Based Payment became effective and was adopted by the Company during the quarter ended October 2, 2005. FAS123R requires the Company to estimate the cost of all forms of stock-based compensation, including employee stock options, and to record a commensurate expense in the income statement. To supplement our consolidated financial statements presented in accordance with GAAP, we have shown above a non-GAAP (pro forma) presentation of the Company's earnings per share, which is adjusted to reflect the GAAP results to exclude all stock-based compensation. This non-GAAP presentation of earnings per share is provided to enhance the user's overall understanding of the Company's historical financial performance and comparability between periods. We believe the non-GAAP results provide useful information to investors by excluding stock-based compensation particularly during this transitional period when many companies are initially adopting the provisions of FAS123R.


                        LINEAR TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
                    CONSOLIDATED CONDENSED BALANCE SHEETS
                            (Dollars in thousands)


                                                   April 2,         July 3,
                                                     2006             2005
                                                  (unaudited)       (audited)
    ASSETS

    Current assets:
     Cash, cash equivalents and
      short-term investments                      $1,915,721     $1,790,912

      Accounts receivable, net of
       allowance for doubtful
       accounts of $1,808 ($1,713
       at July 3, 2005)                              148,597        125,864

      Inventories                                     37,986         34,328

      Deferred tax assets and other current
       assets                                         73,040         56,205

      Total current assets                         2,175,344      2,007,309

    Property, plant & equipment, net                 242,722        221,028
    Other noncurrent assets                           48,663         57,897

    Total assets                                  $2,466,729     $2,286,234

                                                    April 2,       July 3,
                                                      2006           2005
                                                  (unaudited)     (audited)

    LIABILITIES & STOCKHOLDERS ' EQUITY

    Current liabilities:
     Accounts payable                                $13,762        $11,800

     Accrued income taxes, payroll
      & other accrued liabilities                    151,771        152,231

     Deferred income on shipments
      to distributors                                 47,764         43,708

       Total current liabilities                     213,297        207,739

    Deferred tax and other long-term liabilities      68,066         71,461
    Stockholders' equity:

     Common stock                                  1,030,970        926,763
     Retained earnings                             1,159,514      1,083,110
     Accumulated other comprehensive
      income                                         (5,118)        (2,839)
      Total stockholders' equity                   2,185,366      2,007,034
                                                  $2,466,729     $2,286,234

CONTACT: Paul Coghlan, Vice President, Finance, +1-408-432-1900

Web site: http://www.linear.com/