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AXON ENTERPRISE, INC. - Quarter Report: 2022 September (Form 10-Q)

Table of Contents

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

Form 10-Q

(Mark One)

QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the quarterly period ended September 30, 2022

or

TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from                      to                   

Commission File Number: 001-16391

Axon Enterprise, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware

86-0741227

(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)

(I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)

17800 North 85th Street

Scottsdale,  Arizona

85255

(Address of principal executive offices)

(Zip Code)

(480) 991-0797

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Not Applicable

(Former name, former address and former fiscal year, if changed since last report)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each class

Trading Symbol(s)

Name of each exchange on which registered

Common Stock, $0.00001 Par Value

AXON

The Nasdaq Global Select Market

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.   Yes      No  

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).   Yes      No  

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Large accelerated filer

Accelerated filer

Non-accelerated Filer

Smaller reporting company

Emerging growth company

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).   Yes       No  

The number of shares of the registrant’s common stock outstanding as of November 4, 2022 was 71,165,354.

Table of Contents

AXON ENTERPRISE, INC.

INDEX TO QUARTERLY REPORT ON FORM 10-Q

FOR THE QUARTERLY PERIOD ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2022

Page

Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

ii

PART I - FINANCIAL INFORMATION

1

Item 1. Financial Statements

1

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as of September 30, 2022 (Unaudited) and December 31, 2021

1

Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss) for the Three Months and Nine Months Ended September 30, 2022 and 2021

2

Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity for the Three Months and Nine Months Ended September 30, 2022 and 2021

3

Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2022 and 2021

5

Notes to Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements

6

Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

28

Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

41

Item 4. Controls and Procedures

42

PART II - OTHER INFORMATION

42

Item 1. Legal Proceedings

42

Item 1A. Risk Factors

43

Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds

43

Item 3. Defaults Upon Senior Securities

43

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures

43

Item 5. Other Information

43

Item 6. Exhibits

44

SIGNATURES

45

Table of Contents

Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This Report on Form 10-Q contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), including statements regarding our expectations, beliefs, intentions and strategies regarding the future. We intend that such forward-looking statements be subject to the safe-harbor provided by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. From time to time, we also provide forward-looking statements in other materials we release to the public as well as verbal forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements regarding: proposed products and services and related development efforts and activities; expectations about the market for our current and future products and services; the impact of pending litigation; strategies and trends relating to subscription plan programs and revenues; our anticipation that contracts with governmental customers will be fulfilled; strategies and trends, including the amounts and benefits of, research and development investments; the sufficiency of our liquidity and financial resources; expectations about customer behavior; the impact on our investment portfolio of changes in interest rates; our potential use of foreign currency forward and option contracts; statements concerning projections, predictions, expectations, estimates or forecasts as to our business, financial and operational results and future economic performance; statements of management’s strategies, goals and objectives and other similar expressions; as well as the ultimate resolution of financial statement items requiring critical accounting estimates, including those set forth in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021. Such statements give our current expectations or forecasts of future events; they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. Words such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “would,” “predict,” “potential,” “continue,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “future,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “estimate,” and similar expressions, as well as statements in future tense, identify forward-looking statements. However, not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words.

We cannot guarantee that any forward-looking statement will be realized, although we believe we have been prudent in our plans and assumptions. Achievement of future results is subject to risks, uncertainties and potentially inaccurate assumptions. The following important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements: the potential global impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic; our exposure to cancellations of government contracts due to appropriation clauses, exercise of a cancellation clause, or non-exercise of contractually optional periods; our ability to design, introduce and sell new products or features; our ability to defend against litigation and protect our intellectual property, and the resulting costs of this activity; our ability to manage our supply chain and avoid production delays, shortages, and impacts to expected gross margins; the impact of stock compensation expense, impairment expense, and income tax expense on our financial results; customer purchase behavior, including adoption of our software as a service delivery model; negative media publicity regarding our products; the impact of product mix on projected gross margins; defects in our products; changes in the costs of product components and labor; loss of customer data, a breach of security, or an extended outage, including by our third party cloud-based storage providers; exposure to international operational risks; delayed cash collections and possible credit losses due to our subscription model; changes in government regulations in the U.S. and in foreign markets, especially related to the classification of our products by the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; our ability to integrate acquired businesses; our ability to attract and retain key personnel; and counter-party risks relating to cash balances held in excess of FDIC insurance limits. Many events beyond our control may determine whether results we anticipate will be achieved. Should known or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove inaccurate, actual results could differ materially from past results and those anticipated, estimated or projected. You should bear this in mind as you consider forward-looking statements. The Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") on February 25, 2022 lists various important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from expected and historical results. These factors are intended as cautionary statements for investors within the meaning of Section 21E of the Exchange Act and Section 27A of the Securities Act. Readers can find them under the heading “Risk Factors” in the Report on Form 10-K, and investors should refer to them. You should understand that it is not possible to predict or identify all such factors. Consequently, you should not consider any such list to be a complete set of all potential risks or uncertainties.

Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to publicly update forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. You are advised, however, to consult any further disclosures we make on related subjects in our Form 10-Q, 8-K and 10-K reports to the SEC. Our filings with the SEC may be accessed at the SEC’s web site at www.sec.gov.

ii

Table of Contents

PART I - FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1. Financial Statements

AXON ENTERPRISE, INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(in thousands, except share data)

    

September 30, 

December 31, 

2022

2021

(Unaudited)

ASSETS

 

  

 

  

Current assets:

 

  

 

  

Cash and cash equivalents

$

147,711

$

356,332

Marketable securities

35,280

72,180

Short-term investments

 

194,627

 

14,510

Accounts and notes receivable, net of allowance of $2,273 and $2,203 as of September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively

 

418,308

 

320,819

Contract assets, net

 

168,673

 

180,421

Inventory

 

173,046

 

108,688

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

 

68,054

 

56,540

Total current assets

 

1,205,699

 

1,109,490

Property and equipment, net

 

164,160

 

138,457

Deferred tax assets, net

 

96,355

 

127,193

Intangible assets, net

 

13,039

 

15,470

Goodwill

 

44,819

 

43,592

Long-term investments

 

28,536

 

31,232

Long-term notes receivable, net

 

8,462

 

11,256

Long-term contract assets, net

48,388

29,753

Strategic investments

290,329

83,520

Other long-term assets

 

110,643

 

98,247

Total assets

$

2,010,430

$

1,688,210

LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

 

  

 

  

Current liabilities:

 

  

 

  

Accounts payable

$

50,193

$

32,220

Accrued liabilities

 

112,766

 

103,707

Current portion of deferred revenue

 

246,446

 

265,591

Customer deposits

 

15,317

 

10,463

Other current liabilities

 

6,801

 

6,540

Total current liabilities

 

431,523

 

418,521

Deferred revenue, net of current portion

 

313,823

 

185,721

Liability for unrecognized tax benefits

 

7,317

 

3,797

Long-term deferred compensation

 

5,369

 

5,679

Deferred tax liability, net

1

811

Long-term lease liabilities

 

16,311

 

20,440

Other long-term liabilities

 

4,773

 

5,392

Total liabilities

 

779,117

 

640,361

Commitments and contingencies (Note 13)

 

  

 

  

Stockholders’ equity:

 

  

 

  

Preferred stock, $0.00001 par value; 25,000,000 shares authorized; no shares issued and outstanding as of September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively

 

 

Common stock, $0.00001 par value; 200,000,000 shares authorized; 71,151,670 and 70,896,856 shares issued and outstanding as of September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively

 

1

 

1

Additional paid-in capital

 

1,167,218

 

1,095,229

Treasury stock at cost, 20,220,227 shares as of September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021

 

(155,947)

 

(155,947)

Retained earnings

 

227,847

 

109,883

Accumulated other comprehensive loss

 

(7,806)

 

(1,317)

Total stockholders’ equity

 

1,231,313

 

1,047,849

Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity

$

2,010,430

$

1,688,210

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.

1

Table of Contents

AXON ENTERPRISE, INC.

UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)

(in thousands, except per share data)

Three Months Ended September 30, 

Nine Months Ended September 30, 

    

2022

    

2021

    

2022

    

2021

Net sales from products

$

210,398

$

165,803

$

586,653

$

463,116

Net sales from services

 

101,356

 

66,186

 

267,140

 

182,687

Net sales

 

311,754

 

231,989

 

853,793

 

645,803

Cost of product sales

 

93,724

 

71,336

 

260,578

 

195,253

Cost of service sales

 

24,773

 

16,086

 

70,256

 

44,701

Cost of sales

 

118,497

 

87,422

 

330,834

 

239,954

Gross margin

 

193,257

 

144,567

 

522,959

 

405,849

Operating expenses:

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

Sales, general and administrative

 

102,023

 

99,295

 

287,157

 

403,554

Research and development

 

59,127

 

42,382

 

165,090

 

143,352

Total operating expenses

 

161,150

 

141,677

 

452,247

 

546,906

Income (loss) from operations

 

32,107

 

2,890

 

70,712

 

(141,057)

Interest and other income (expense), net

 

(11,249)

 

(5,530)

 

91,076

 

36,896

Income (loss) before provision for income taxes

 

20,858

 

(2,640)

 

161,788

 

(104,161)

Provision for (benefit from) income taxes

 

8,727

 

(51,164)

 

43,824

 

(57,651)

Net income (loss)

$

12,131

$

48,524

$

117,964

$

(46,510)

Net income (loss) per common and common equivalent shares:

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

Basic

$

0.17

$

0.73

$

1.66

$

(0.71)

Diluted

$

0.17

$

0.67

$

1.63

$

(0.71)

Weighted average number of common and common equivalent shares outstanding:

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

Basic

 

71,107

 

66,192

 

71,033

 

65,139

Diluted

 

72,525

 

72,441

 

72,386

 

65,139

UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)

Net income (loss)

$

12,131

$

48,524

$

117,964

$

(46,510)

Foreign currency translation adjustments

 

(2,275)

 

(793)

 

(5,513)

 

(1,161)

Unrealized losses on available-for-sale investments

(326)

(976)

Comprehensive income (loss)

$

9,530

$

47,731

$

111,475

$

(47,671)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.

2

Table of Contents

AXON ENTERPRISE, INC.

UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

(in thousands, except share data)

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

Accumulated

    

Additional

Other

Total

Common Stock

Paid-in

Treasury Stock

Retained

Comprehensive

Stockholders’

Shares

Amount

Capital

Shares

Amount

Earnings

Loss

Equity

Balance, December 31, 2021

 

70,896,856

$

1

$

1,095,229

 

20,220,227

$

(155,947)

$

109,883

$

(1,317)

$

1,047,849

Issuance of common stock

(70)

(70)

Issuance of common stock under employee plans, net

 

99,802

(1,388)

(1,388)

Stock-based compensation

 

25,088

25,088

Net income

 

54,871

54,871

Other comprehensive loss, net

 

(1,561)

(1,561)

Balance, March 31, 2022

 

70,996,658

$

1

$

1,118,859

 

20,220,227

$

(155,947)

$

164,754

$

(2,878)

$

1,124,789

Issuance of common stock

(4)

(4)

Issuance of common stock under employee plans, net

 

81,041

(931)

 

(931)

Stock-based compensation

 

21,162

 

21,162

Net income

 

 

50,962

50,962

Other comprehensive loss, net

 

 

(2,327)

(2,327)

Balance, June 30, 2022

 

71,077,699

$

1

$

1,139,086

 

20,220,227

$

(155,947)

$

215,716

$

(5,205)

$

1,193,651

Issuance of common stock under employee plans, net

 

73,971

 

(72)

 

 

 

 

 

(72)

Stock-based compensation

 

 

 

28,204

 

 

 

 

 

28,204

Net income

 

 

 

 

 

 

12,131

 

 

12,131

Other comprehensive loss, net

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(2,601)

 

(2,601)

Balance, September 30, 2022

 

71,151,670

$

1

$

1,167,218

 

20,220,227

$

(155,947)

$

227,847

$

(7,806)

$

1,231,313

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.

3

Table of Contents

AXON ENTERPRISE, INC.

UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

(in thousands, except share data)

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

Accumulated

    

    

Additional

Other

Total

Common Stock

Paid-in

Treasury Stock

Retained

Comprehensive

Stockholders’

Shares

Amount

Capital

Shares

Amount

Earnings

Income (Loss)

Equity

Balance, December 31, 2020

    

63,766,555

$

1

$

962,159

 

20,220,227

$

(155,947)

$

169,901

$

141

$

976,255

Issuance of common stock under employee plans, net

 

906,536

(7,045)

 

(7,045)

Stock-based compensation

 

89,610

 

89,610

Net loss

(47,917)

 

(47,917)

Other comprehensive income, net

 

1

1

Balance, March 31, 2021

 

64,673,091

$

1

$

1,044,724

 

20,220,227

$

(155,947)

$

121,984

$

142

$

1,010,904

Issuance of common stock under employee plans, net

 

1,001,255

 

 

(3,268)

 

 

 

 

 

(3,268)

Stock-based compensation

 

 

 

137,549

 

 

 

 

 

137,549

Net loss

 

 

 

 

 

 

(47,117)

 

 

(47,117)

Other comprehensive loss, net

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(369)

 

(369)

Balance, June 30, 2021

 

65,674,346

1

1,179,005

 

20,220,227

(155,947)

74,867

(227)

1,097,699

Issuance of common stock

 

577,956

 

 

105,615

 

 

 

 

 

105,615

Issuance of common stock under employee plans, net

1,325,566

(172,204)

(172,204)

Stock-based compensation

 

 

 

35,062

 

 

 

 

 

35,062

Net income

 

 

 

 

 

 

48,524

 

 

48,524

Other comprehensive loss, net

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(793)

 

(793)

Balance, September 30, 2021

 

67,577,868

$

1

$

1,147,478

 

20,220,227

$

(155,947)

$

123,391

$

(1,020)

$

1,113,903

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.

4

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AXON ENTERPRISE, INC.

UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(in thousands)

Nine Months Ended September 30, 

    

2022

    

2021

Cash flows from operating activities:

 

  

 

  

Net income (loss)

$

117,964

$

(46,510)

Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by operating activities:

 

  

 

  

Depreciation and amortization

 

18,171

 

13,420

Purchase accounting adjustments to goodwill

58

Loss on disposal and abandonment of intangible assets

 

68

 

130

Loss on disposal and impairment of property, equipment, and other assets, net

 

1,964

 

74

Realized and unrealized gains on strategic investments and marketable securities, net

(92,498)

(34,195)

Stock-based compensation

 

74,454

 

262,221

Deferred income taxes

 

30,349

 

(58,893)

Unrecognized tax benefits

 

3,519

 

77

Bond amortization

(61)

 

4,606

Noncash lease expense

 

4,997

 

4,087

Provision for expected credit losses

569

615

Change in assets and liabilities:

 

 

Accounts and notes receivable and contract assets

 

(115,046)

 

(118,094)

Inventory

 

(66,267)

 

(3,154)

Prepaid expenses and other assets

 

(17,871)

 

(28,906)

Accounts payable, accrued and other liabilities

 

28,684

 

28,528

Deferred revenue

 

115,187

 

87,558

Net cash provided by operating activities

 

104,241

 

111,564

Cash flows from investing activities:

 

  

 

  

Purchases of investments

 

(194,142)

 

(362,479)

Proceeds from call / maturity of investments

 

15,485

 

499,172

Exercise of warrants of strategic investments

(6,555)

Proceeds from sale of strategic investments

14,546

Purchases of property and equipment

 

(44,218)

 

(36,501)

Proceeds from disposal of property and equipment

226

31

Purchases of intangible assets

 

(193)

 

(157)

Strategic investments

 

(70,500)

 

(20,500)

Business acquisition, net of cash acquired

(2,104)

(700)

Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities

 

(302,001)

 

93,412

Cash flows from financing activities:

 

  

 

  

Net proceeds from equity offering

(74)

 

105,615

Income and payroll tax payments for net-settled stock awards

 

(2,391)

 

(182,517)

Net cash used in financing activities

 

(2,465)

 

(76,902)

Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents

 

(6,783)

 

(1,827)

Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents

 

(207,008)

 

126,247

Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period

 

356,438

 

155,551

Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period

$

149,430

$

281,798

Supplemental disclosures:

 

  

 

  

Cash and cash equivalents

$

147,711

$

281,691

Restricted cash (Note 1)

 

1,719

 

107

Total cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash shown in the statements of cash flows

$

149,430

$

281,798

Cash paid for income taxes, net of refunds

$

7,503

$

5,016

Non-cash transactions

 

  

 

  

Property and equipment purchases in accounts payable and accrued liabilities

$

1,244

$

1,211

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.

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AXON ENTERPRISE, INC.

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Note 1 - Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Axon Enterprise, Inc. (“Axon,” the “Company,” "we," or "us") is a market-leading provider of law enforcement technology solutions. Our core mission is to protect life. We fulfill that mission through developing hardware and software products that advance the long term objectives of a) obsoleting the bullet, b) reducing social conflict, and c) enabling a fair and effective justice system.

Our headquarters in Scottsdale, Arizona houses our executive management, sales, marketing, certain engineering, manufacturing, finance and other administrative support functions. Our global software hub is located in Seattle, Washington, and we also have subsidiaries and / or offices located in Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom, and Vietnam.

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Axon Enterprise, Inc. and our subsidiaries. All material intercompany accounts, transactions, and profits have been eliminated.

Basis of Presentation and Use of Estimates

These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC. Certain information related to our organization, significant accounting policies and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”) has been condensed or omitted. The accounting policies followed in the preparation of these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements are consistent with those followed in our annual consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2021, as filed on Form 10-K, with the exception of our adoption of certain accounting pronouncements which we describe below. In the opinion of management, these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements contain all material adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring adjustments, necessary to fairly state our financial position, results of operations and cash flows for the periods presented and the presentations and disclosures herein are adequate when read in conjunction with our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021. The results of operations for the three months and nine months ended September 30, 2022 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year (or any other period). Significant estimates and assumptions in these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include:

product warranty reserves,
inventory valuation,
revenue recognition,
reserve for expected credit loss,
valuation of goodwill, intangible and long-lived assets,
valuation of strategic investments,
recognition, measurement and valuation of current and deferred income taxes,
stock-based compensation, and
recognition and measurement of contingencies and accrued litigation expense.

Actual results could differ materially from those estimates.

Segment Information

Our operations are comprised of two reportable segments: the manufacture and sale of conducted electrical devices ("CEDs"), batteries, accessories, extended warranties and other products and services (collectively, the “TASER” segment); and the development, manufacture, and sale of software and sensors, which includes the sale of devices, wearables, applications, cloud and mobile products, and services (collectively, the “Software and Sensors” segment). In both segments, we report sales of products and services. Service revenue in both segments includes sales related to Axon

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NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS – (Continued)

Evidence. In the Software and Sensors segment, service revenue also includes other recurring cloud-hosted software revenue and related professional services. Collectively, this revenue is sometimes referred to as "Axon Cloud revenue."  

Reportable segments are determined based on discrete financial information reviewed by our Chief Executive Officer who is our chief operating decision maker ("CODM"). We organize and review operations based on products and services, and currently there are no operating segments that are aggregated. We perform an analysis of our reportable segments at least annually. Additional information related to our business segments is summarized in Note 16.

Geographic Information and Major Customers / Suppliers

For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022, no individual country outside the U.S. represented more than 10% of total net sales. Individual sales transactions in the international market are generally larger and occur more intermittently than in the domestic market due to the profile of our customers. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022, no customer represented more than 10% of total net sales. At September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, no customer represented more than 10% of the aggregate balance of accounts and notes receivable and contract assets.

We currently purchase both off the shelf and custom components, including, but not limited to, finished circuit boards, injection-molded plastic components, small machined parts, custom cartridge components, electronic components, and off the shelf sub-assemblies from suppliers located in the U.S., Canada, China, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Taiwan, and Vietnam. We may source from other countries as well. Although we currently obtain many of these components from single source suppliers, we own the injection molded component tooling, most of the designs, and the test fixtures used in their production for all custom components. As a result, we believe we could obtain alternative suppliers in most cases. Although we have experienced supply chain disruptions relating to materials and port constraints, we have remained focused on closely managing our supply chain. We continue to bolster our strategic relationships in our supply chain, identifying secondary/alternate sourcing, adjusting build plans accordingly, and building in logistic modes in support of our increasing demand while working to minimize disruption to customers. We acquire most of our components on a purchase order basis and do not currently have significant long-term purchase contracts with most component suppliers.

Income per Common Share

Basic income per common share is computed by dividing net income by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the periods presented. Diluted income per share reflects the potential dilution from outstanding stock options and unvested restricted stock units. The calculation of the weighted average number of shares outstanding and earnings per share are as follows (in thousands except per share data):

Three Months Ended September 30, 

Nine Months Ended September 30, 

    

2022

    

2021

    

2022

    

2021

Numerator for basic and diluted earnings per share:

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

Net income (loss)

$

12,131

$

48,524

$

117,964

$

(46,510)

Denominator:

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

Weighted average shares outstanding

 

71,107

 

66,192

 

71,033

 

65,139

Dilutive effect of stock-based awards

 

1,418

 

6,249

 

1,353

 

Diluted weighted average shares outstanding

 

72,525

 

72,441

 

72,386

 

65,139

Anti-dilutive stock-based awards excluded

 

2,977

 

3,481

 

2,952

 

8,920

Net income (loss) per common share:

 

 

 

  

 

  

Basic

$

0.17

$

0.73

$

1.66

$

(0.71)

Diluted

$

0.17

$

0.67

$

1.63

$

(0.71)

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AXON ENTERPRISE, INC.

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS – (Continued)

Standard Warranties

We warranty our CEDs, Axon cameras and certain related accessories from manufacturing defects on a limited basis for a period of one year after purchase and, thereafter, will repair or replace any defective unit for a fee. Estimated costs for the standard warranty are charged to cost of products sold when revenue is recorded for the related product. Future warranty costs are estimated based on historical data related to warranty claims and this rate is applied to current product sales. Historically, reserve amounts have been increased if management becomes aware of a component failure or other issue that could result in larger than anticipated warranty claims from customers. The warranty reserve is reviewed quarterly to verify that it sufficiently reflects the remaining warranty obligations based on the anticipated expenditures over the balance of the warranty obligation period, and adjustments are made when actual warranty claim experience differs from estimates. The warranty reserve is included in accrued liabilities on the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets.

Changes in our estimated product warranty liabilities were as follows (in thousands):

Nine Months Ended September 30, 

    

2022

2021

Balance, beginning of period

$

2,822

$

769

Utilization of reserve

 

(1,988)

 

(582)

Warranty expense

 

161

 

1,176

Balance, end of period

$

995

$

1,363

Fair Value Measurements and Financial Instruments

We use the fair value framework that prioritizes the inputs to valuation techniques for measuring financial assets and liabilities measured on a recurring basis and for non-financial assets and liabilities when these items are re-measured. Fair value is considered to be the exchange price in an orderly transaction between market participants, to sell an asset or transfer a liability at the measurement date. The hierarchy below lists three levels of fair value based on the extent to which inputs used in measuring fair value are observable in the market. We categorize each of our fair value measurements in one of these three levels based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety. These levels are:

 

Level 1 – Valuation techniques in which all significant inputs are unadjusted quoted prices from active markets for assets or liabilities that are identical to the assets or liabilities being measured.
Level 2 – Valuation techniques in which significant inputs include quoted prices from active markets for assets or liabilities that are similar to the assets or liabilities being measured and/or quoted prices for assets or liabilities that are identical or similar to the assets or liabilities being measured from markets that are not active. Also, model-derived valuations in which all significant inputs and significant value drivers are observable in active markets are Level 2 valuation techniques.
Level 3 – Valuation techniques in which one or more significant inputs or significant value drivers are unobservable. Unobservable inputs are valuation technique inputs that reflect our own assumptions about inputs that market participants would use in pricing an asset or liability.

We have cash equivalents and investments, which at September 30, 2022 were comprised of money market funds, commercial paper, corporate bonds, municipal bonds, U.S. Government agency bonds, and U.S. Treasury bills. Cash equivalents and investments at December 31, 2021 were comprised of money market funds, corporate bonds, municipal bonds, and U.S. Government agency bonds. See additional disclosure regarding the fair value of our cash equivalents and investments in Note 3. Included in the balance of other long-term assets as of September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021

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was $4.0 million and $5.3 million, respectively, related to corporate-owned life insurance policies which are used to fund our deferred compensation plan. We determine the fair value of insurance contracts by obtaining the cash surrender value of the contracts from the issuer, a Level 2 valuation technique.

We have an investment in marketable securities, for which changes in fair value are recorded in the condensed consolidated statement of operations as unrealized gain or (loss) on marketable securities, which is included in interest and other income (expense), net.

We have strategic investments in eight unconsolidated affiliates as of September 30, 2022. The estimated fair value of the investments was determined based on Level 3 inputs. In determining the estimated fair value of our strategic investments in privately held companies, we utilize observable data available to us as discussed further in Note 7.

Our financial instruments also include accounts and notes receivable, accounts payable and accrued liabilities. Due to the short-term nature of these instruments, their fair values approximate their carrying values on the condensed consolidated balance sheet.

Restricted Cash

Restricted cash balances as of September 30, 2022 were $1.7 million primarily related to funds held in an international bank account securing a guarantee and funds held in an international bank account for a country in which we are required to maintain a minimum balance to operate. Approximately $1.6 million was included in prepaid expenses and other assets on our condensed consolidated balance sheet, with the remainder in other long-term assets. Restricted cash balances as of December 31, 2021 included $0.1 million primarily related to funds held in an international bank account for a country in which we are required to maintain a minimum balance to operate. Approximately half of the balance was included in prepaid expenses and other current assets on our condensed consolidated balance sheet, with the remainder included in other long-term assets.

Valuation of Goodwill, Intangibles and Long-lived Assets

We evaluate whether events and circumstances have occurred that indicate the remaining estimated useful life of long-lived assets and identifiable intangible assets, excluding goodwill and intangible assets with indefinite useful lives, may warrant revision or that the remaining balance of these assets may not be recoverable. Such circumstances could include, but are not limited to, a change in the product mix, a change in the way products are created, produced or delivered, or a significant change in the way products are branded and marketed. In performing the review for recoverability, we estimate the future undiscounted cash flows expected to result from the use of the assets and their eventual disposition. The amount of the impairment loss, if impairment exists, is calculated based on the excess of the carrying amounts of the assets over their estimated fair value computed using discounted cash flows.

We do not amortize goodwill and intangible assets with indefinite useful lives; rather such assets are required to be tested for impairment at least annually or sooner whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the assets may be impaired. We perform our annual goodwill and intangible asset impairment tests in the fourth quarter of each year.

Recently Issued Accounting Guidance

Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

In November 2021, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2021-10, Government Assistance (Topic 832). The guidance improves the transparency of government assistance accounting as it requires business entities to disclose transactions that involve government assistance received if the transactions were accounted for by applying a grant or contribution accounting model by analogy. The ASU is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2021. We adopted ASU 2021-10 on January 1, 2022 and will

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NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS – (Continued)

apply the disclosure requirement prospectively to all transactions within the scope of the amendments that are reflected in the financial statements at the date of the initial application along with new transactions that are entered into after the date of initial application. Adoption of this ASU did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

Reclassification of Prior Year Presentation

Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified for consistency with the current year presentation. These reclassifications are not material and had no effect on the reported results of operations.

Note 2 - Revenues

Nature of Products and Services

The following tables present our revenues by primary product and service offering (in thousands):

Three Months Ended September 30, 2022

Three Months Ended September 30, 2021

    

    

Software and

    

    

    

Software and

    

TASER

Sensors

Total

TASER

Sensors

Total

TASER 7

$

65,951

$

$

65,951

$

50,641

$

50,641

TASER X26P

 

5,897

 

 

5,897

 

9,086

 

9,086

TASER X2

 

8,298

 

 

8,298

 

10,078

 

10,078

TASER Consumer devices

 

1,702

 

 

1,702

 

967

 

967

Cartridges

 

46,475

 

 

46,475

 

39,313

 

39,313

Axon Body

 

 

35,427

 

35,427

 

20,862

 

20,862

Axon Flex

 

 

687

 

687

 

1,488

 

1,488

Axon Fleet

 

 

10,139

 

10,139

 

6,063

 

6,063

Axon Dock

 

 

4,830

 

4,830

 

6,460

 

6,460

Axon Evidence and cloud services

 

5,125

 

96,814

 

101,939

 

2,711

63,272

 

65,983

Extended warranties

 

7,290

 

14,511

 

21,801

 

6,099

8,983

 

15,082

Other

 

4,145

 

4,463

 

8,608

 

2,596

3,370

 

5,966

Total

$

144,883

$

166,871

$

311,754

$

121,491

$

110,498

$

231,989

Nine Months Ended September 30, 2022

Nine Months Ended September 30, 2021

    

    

Software and

    

    

    

Software and

    

TASER

Sensors

Total

TASER

Sensors

Total

TASER 7

$

169,457

$

$

169,457

$

112,760

$

112,760

TASER X26P

 

27,715

 

 

27,715

 

28,618

 

28,618

TASER X2

 

16,451

 

 

16,451

 

39,001

 

39,001

TASER Consumer devices

 

5,085

 

 

5,085

 

4,873

 

4,873

Cartridges

 

134,145

 

 

134,145

 

116,409

 

116,409

Axon Body

 

 

92,603

 

92,603

 

60,545

 

60,545

Axon Flex

 

 

2,637

 

2,637

 

3,481

 

3,481

Axon Fleet

 

 

39,840

 

39,840

 

15,073

 

15,073

Axon Dock

 

 

18,159

 

18,159

 

18,889

 

18,889

Axon Evidence and cloud services

 

11,862

 

258,664

 

270,526

 

5,809

175,933

 

181,742

Extended warranties

 

21,428

 

36,070

 

57,498

 

17,602

24,632

 

42,234

Other

 

8,686

 

10,991

 

19,677

 

7,946

14,232

 

22,178

Total

$

394,829

$

458,964

$

853,793

$

333,018

$

312,785

$

645,803

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AXON ENTERPRISE, INC.

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS – (Continued)

The following table presents our revenues disaggregated by geography (in thousands):

Three Months Ended September 30, 

Nine Months Ended September 30, 

 

2022

2021

2022

2021

 

United States

    

$

264,644

    

85

%  

$

192,756

    

83

%  

$

707,304

    

83

%  

$

518,050

    

80

%

Other countries

 

47,110

 

15

 

39,233

 

17

 

146,489

 

17

 

127,753

 

20

Total

$

311,754

 

100

%  

$

231,989

 

100

%  

$

853,793

 

100

%  

$

645,803

 

100

%

Contract Balances

The following table presents our contract assets, contract liabilities and certain information related to these balances as of and for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 (in thousands):

    

September 30, 2022

Contract assets, net

$

217,061

Contract liabilities (deferred revenue)

 

560,269

Revenue recognized in the period from:

 

  

Amounts included in contract liabilities at the beginning of the period

 

228,278

Contract liabilities (deferred revenue) consisted of the following (in thousands):

September 30, 2022

December 31, 2021

    

Current

    

Long-Term

    

Total

    

Current

    

Long-Term

    

Total

Warranty:

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

TASER

$

15,031

$

19,349

$

34,380

$

21,257

$

4,766

$

26,023

Software and Sensors

 

22,357

 

17,825

 

40,182

 

23,175

 

18,137

 

41,312

 

37,388

 

37,174

 

74,562

 

44,432

 

22,903

 

67,335

Hardware:

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

TASER

 

21,263

 

38,948

 

60,211

 

12,944

 

28,727

 

41,671

Software and Sensors

 

37,972

 

109,947

 

147,919

 

34,862

 

81,223

 

116,085

 

59,235

 

148,895

 

208,130

 

47,806

 

109,950

 

157,756

Services:

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

TASER

 

4,648

 

9,655

 

14,303

 

2,701

 

3,482

 

6,183

Software and Sensors

 

145,175

 

118,099

 

263,274

 

170,652

 

49,386

 

220,038

149,823

127,754

277,577

173,353

52,868

226,221

Total

$

246,446

$

313,823

$

560,269

$

265,591

$

185,721

$

451,312

September 30, 2022

December 31, 2021

    

Current

    

Long-Term

    

Total

    

Current

    

Long-Term

    

Total

TASER

$

40,942

$

67,952

$

108,894

$

36,902

$

36,975

$

73,877

Software and Sensors

 

205,504

 

245,871

 

451,375

 

228,689

 

148,746

 

377,435

Total

$

246,446

$

313,823

$

560,269

$

265,591

$

185,721

$

451,312

Remaining Performance Obligations

As of September 30, 2022, we had approximately $3.73 billion of remaining performance obligations, which included both recognized contract liabilities as well as amounts that will be invoiced and recognized in future periods. The remaining performance obligations are limited only to arrangements that meet the definition of a contract under Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, as of September 30, 2022. We expect to recognize between 15% - 20% of this balance over the next twelve months, and generally expect the

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NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS – (Continued)

remainder to be recognized over the following ten years, subject to risks related to delayed deployments, budget appropriation or other contract cancellation clauses.

Note 3 - Cash, Cash Equivalents and Investments

The following tables summarize our cash, cash equivalents, marketable securities, and available-for-sale investments at September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021 (in thousands):

As of September 30, 2022

    

  

Gross

  

Gross

  

  

 

Cash and

  

  

  

Amortized

Unrealized

Unrealized

 

Cash

Marketable

Short-Term

Long-Term

Cost

Gains

Losses

Fair Value

 

Equivalents

Securities

Investments

Investments

Cash

$

94,638

$

$

$

94,638

$

94,638

$

$

$

Level 1:

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

Money market funds

 

6,982

 

 

6,982

 

6,982

 

 

Agency bonds

 

68,072

6

 

(69)

 

68,009

 

28,000

 

 

35,763

4,246

Treasury bills

55,520

2

(162)

55,360

14,999

40,361

Marketable securities

90,000

(54,720)

35,280

 

 

35,280

 

Subtotal

 

220,574

8

 

(54,951)

 

165,631

49,981

35,280

76,124

4,246

Level 2:

State and municipal obligations

6,935

(54)

6,881

6,881

Corporate bonds

75,412

6

(1,233)

74,185

2,096

47,799

24,290

Commercial paper

64,819

64,819

996

63,823

Subtotal

147,166

6

(1,287)

145,885

3,092

118,503

24,290

Total

$

462,378

$

14

$

(56,238)

$

406,154

$

147,711

$

35,280

$

194,627

$

28,536

As of September 30, 2022, we had $136.3 million of available-for-sale investments with unrealized losses.

During the year ended December 31, 2021, we acquired 9,000,000 shares of common stock of Cellebrite DI Ltd (“CLBT”) with a fair value of $90.0 million. The CLBT common stock is recorded as marketable securities in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets and its fair value is adjusted every reporting period. Changes in fair value are recorded in the condensed consolidated statement of operations as unrealized gain or (loss) on marketable securities, which is included in interest and other income (expense), net. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022, we recorded an unrealized loss on marketable securities of $10.6 million and $36.9 million, respectively, relating to CLBT.

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AXON ENTERPRISE, INC.

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS – (Continued)

As of December 31, 2021

  

  

Gross

  

Gross

  

  

 

Cash and

  

  

  

Amortized

Unrealized

Unrealized

 

Cash

Marketable

Short-Term

Long-Term

Cost

Gains

Losses

Fair Value

 

Equivalents

Securities

Investments

Investments

Cash

$

353,488

$

$

$

353,488

$

353,488

$

$

$

Level 1:

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

Money market funds

 

2,844

 

 

2,844

 

2,844

 

 

Agency bonds

 

10,700

4

 

 

10,704

 

 

 

10,704

Marketable securities

90,000

(17,820)

72,180

 

 

72,180

 

Subtotal

 

103,544

4

 

(17,820)

 

85,728

2,844

72,180

10,704

Level 2:

State and municipal obligations

2,570

(5)

2,565

1,400

1,165

Corporate bonds

32,748

1

(276)

32,473

2,406

30,067

Subtotal

35,318

1

(281)

35,038

3,806

31,232

Total

$

492,350

$

5

$

(18,101)

$

474,254

$

356,332

$

72,180

$

14,510

$

31,232

Note 4 - Expected Credit Losses

We are exposed to credit losses primarily through sales of products and services. Our expected loss allowance methodology for accounts receivable, notes receivable, and contract assets is developed using historical collection experience, published or estimated credit default rates for entities that represent our customer base, current and future economic and market conditions and a review of the current status of customers' trade accounts receivables. Additionally, specific allowance amounts are established to record the appropriate provision for customers that have a higher probability of default. Our monitoring activities include account reconciliation, dispute resolution, payment confirmation, consideration of customers' financial condition and macroeconomic conditions. Balances are written off when determined to be uncollectible.

We review receivables for U.S. and international customers separately to better reflect different published credit default rates and economic and market conditions.

The following table provides a roll-forward of the allowance for expected credit losses that is deducted from the amortized cost basis of accounts receivable, notes receivable, and contract assets to present the net amount expected to be collected (in thousands):

    

Nine Months Ended September 30, 2022

United States

Other countries

Total

Balance, beginning of period

$

3,171

$

178

$

3,349

Provision for expected credit losses

254

315

569

Amounts written off charged against the allowance

(382)

-

(382)

Other, including foreign currency translation

 

-

 

(3)

 

(3)

Balance, end of period

$

3,043

$

490

$

3,533

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AXON ENTERPRISE, INC.

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS – (Continued)

As of September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, the allowance for expected credit losses for each type of customer receivable was as follows (in thousands):

September 30, 

December 31, 

    

2022

2021

Accounts receivable and notes receivable, current

$

2,273

$

2,203

Contract assets, net

 

1,120

 

1,010

Long-term notes receivable, net of current portion

 

140

 

136

Total allowance for expected credit losses on customer receivables

$

3,533

$

3,349

Note 5 - Inventory

Inventories are stated at the lower of cost, determined on the first-in, first-out (“FIFO”) basis, or net realizable value, net of an inventory valuation allowance. We use a standard cost methodology to determine the cost basis for its inventories. Costs include allocations for materials, labor, and overhead. All variances between actual costs and standard costs are apportioned to inventory and cost of goods sold based upon inventory turnover. We evaluate inventory on a quarterly basis for obsolete or slow-moving items to ascertain if the recorded allowance is reasonable and adequate. Additional provisions are made to reduce excess, obsolete or slow-moving inventories to their net realizable value.

Inventory consisted of the following at September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021 (in thousands):

    

September 30, 2022

    

December 31, 2021

Raw materials

$

61,921

$

38,267

Finished goods

 

111,125

 

70,421

Total inventory

$

173,046

$

108,688

Note 6 – Property and Equipment

Property and equipment consisted of the following (in thousands):

Estimated

    

Useful Life

    

September 30, 2022

    

December 31, 2021

Land

N/A

$

51,612

$

54,868

Building and leasehold improvements

3-39 years

26,860

25,712

Production equipment

3-5 years

 

56,237

 

54,090

Computers, equipment and software

3-5 years

 

23,478

 

15,343

Furniture and office equipment

3-5 years

 

7,511

 

6,838

Vehicles

5 years

 

3,746

 

2,932

Capitalized internal software development costs

3-5 years

 

14,198

 

12,200

Construction-in-process

N/A

 

53,262

 

25,258

Total cost

 

236,904

 

197,241

Less: Accumulated depreciation

 

(72,744)

 

(58,784)

Property and equipment, net

 

$

164,160

$

138,457

Construction-in-process includes $25.6 million and $12.4 million related to the development of our new campus at September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively.

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Note 7 - Strategic Investments

Strategic investments include investments in a number of non-public technology-driven companies. We account for strategic investments under the ASC 321 measurement alternative for equity securities without readily determinable fair values, as there are no quoted market prices for the investments. The investments are measured at cost less impairment, adjusted for observable price changes and are assessed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable.

In conjunction with certain of our strategic investments, we have the ability to commit additional capital over time through warrants and call options; for some investments, the exercisability and exercise prices are conditional on the achievement of certain performance metrics.

The following tables provide a roll-forward of the balance of strategic investments (in thousands):

Nine Months Ended September 30, 2022

Nine Months Ended September 30, 2021

  

Strategic investments

  

Warrants

  

Call options

  

Total

  

Strategic investments

  

Warrants

  

Total

Balance, beginning of period

$

80,775

$

2,745

$

$

83,520

$

9,500

$

2,211

$

11,711

Investments

53,164

459

17,233

70,856

20,500

20,500

Observable price changes (1)

40,784

28,539

69,323

40,321

534

40,855

Exercises

96,719

(30,089)

66,630

Sales

(14,546)

(14,546)

Balance, end of period

$

271,442

$

1,654

$

17,233

$

290,329

$

55,775

$

2,745

$

58,520

Inception to date

  

Strategic investments

  

Warrants

  

Call options

  

Total

Investments

$

105,732

$

3,047

$

17,233

$

126,012

Observable price changes (1)

83,537

28,696

112,233

Exercises

96,719

(30,089)

66,630

Sales

(14,546)

(14,546)

Balance, end of period

$

271,442

$

1,654

$

17,233

$

290,329

(1)Includes a realized gain of $12.3 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2021.

During the three months ended September 30, 2022, we made minority, non-controlling investments totaling $8.8 million in a drone company and a biometrics sensor company. Both investments included multiple financial instruments.  

During the nine months ended September 30, 2022, certain of our strategic investees issued new equity to us and/or other investors. These events represented observable price changes for our existing investments and related warrants, resulting in unrealized gains of $70.4 million and unrealized losses of $1.1 million. Additionally, we exercised warrants in one of our strategic investees for a total exercise price of $6.6 million, resulting in an unrealized gain of $60.1 million that was recognized in earnings for the nine months ended September 30, 2022. The estimated fair value of the investments were calculated using valuation techniques that included both observable and unobservable inputs. This estimated fair value reflects a value that was lower than the issue per share of the new equity issued by the strategic investees because of different characteristics of the newly issued equity instruments compared to our existing investments. The valuation techniques included both Level 2 and Level 3 inputs as defined by ASC Topic 820.

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Note 8 - Variable Interest Entities

We evaluate our investments and other significant relationships to determine whether any investee is a variable interest entity (“VIE”). If we conclude that an investee is a VIE, we evaluate our power to direct the activities of the investee, our obligation to absorb the expected losses of the investee and our right to receive the expected residual returns of the investee to determine whether we are the primary beneficiary of the investee. If we are the primary beneficiary of a VIE, we consolidate such entity and reflects the non-controlling interest of other beneficiaries of that entity.

We determine whether we are the primary beneficiary of a VIE by performing an analysis that principally considers:

The VIE’s purpose, design, and risks the VIE was designed to create and pass through to its variable interest holders;
The VIE’s capital structure;
The terms between the VIE and its variable interest holders and other parties involved with the VIE; and
Related-party affiliations.

The table below presents a summary of the nonconsolidated VIEs in which we hold variable interests:

    

September 30, 2022

    

December 31, 2021

Total nonconsolidated variable interest entities:

Carrying value of variable interest - assets

$

5,296

$

895

Carrying value of variable interest - liabilities

 

 

Maximum exposure to loss:

 

 

Non-public equity (1)

5,296

895

Total

$

5,296

$

895

(1) The maximum exposure to loss is limited to the carrying value of the interest.

In the table above:

The nature of our variable interest is described in the row under maximum exposure to loss.
Our exposure to the obligations of the VIE is limited to our interest in the entity.

The primary purpose of our U.S-based, nonconsolidated VIE investments is to create strategic partnerships within market-leading providers of law enforcement technology solutions. We present all variable interests in unconsolidated VIEs as strategic investments within the long-term assets section of the condensed consolidated balance sheet.

We have provided financial support to the nonconsolidated VIEs in exchange for preferred equity as well as warrants and call options that give us the ability to commit additional capital overtime. Financial support provided to the nonconsolidated VIEs is used to continue to finance their operations. We have no explicit or implicit arrangements to provide additional financial support to the VIEs and we have no liabilities to the VIEs as of September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021.

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Note 9 - Accrued Liabilities

Accrued liabilities consisted of the following at September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021 (in thousands):

    

September 30, 2022

    

December 31, 2021

Accrued salaries, benefits and bonus

$

69,058

$

62,425

Accrued professional, consulting and lobbying fees

 

3,918

 

7,152

Accrued warranty expense

 

995

 

2,822

Accrued income and other taxes

 

3,871

 

3,736

Accrued inventory in transit

11,081

9,945

Other accrued expenses

 

23,843

 

17,627

Accrued liabilities

$

112,766

$

103,707

Note 10 - Income Taxes

We file income tax returns for federal purposes and in many states, as well as in multiple foreign jurisdictions. Our tax filings remain subject to examination by applicable tax authorities for a certain length of time, generally three to four years, but can be up to ten years in some jurisdictions following the tax year to which these filings relate. We have been previously notified that an income tax audit may commence for Axon Public Safety Southeast Asia LLC, our entity in Vietnam; however, there has been no audit activity to date.

Deferred Tax Assets

Net deferred income tax assets at September 30, 2022, primarily include R&D tax credits, stock-based compensation expense, deferred revenue, accruals and reserves, R&D capitalization, net of amortization and net operating losses, partially offset by accelerated depreciation expense, unrealized investment gains, and valuation allowance reserve. Our total net deferred tax assets at September 30, 2022 were $96.4 million.

In preparing our condensed consolidated financial statements, management assesses the likelihood that its deferred tax assets will be realized from future taxable income. In evaluating our ability to recover our deferred income tax assets, management considers all available positive and negative evidence, including our operating results, ongoing tax planning and forecasts of future taxable income on a jurisdiction by jurisdiction basis. A valuation allowance is established if it is determined that it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the net deferred tax assets will not be realized. Management exercises significant judgment in determining our provision for income taxes, our deferred tax assets and liabilities, and our future taxable income for purposes of assessing our ability to utilize any future tax benefit from our deferred tax assets.

As of September 30, 2022, management continues to believe the positive evidence from projected future earnings outweighs the negative evidence and a valuation allowance is not needed beyond the following items further described. We have concluded that a valuation allowance is necessary against unrealized investment losses and related costs incurred in connection with certain investments. Additionally, we do have Arizona R&D tax credits expiring unutilized each year; therefore, management has concluded that it is more likely than not that our Arizona R&D deferred tax asset will not be realized, and a valuation allowance has been recorded against this net asset.

In Australia, we have determined that sufficient deferred tax liabilities will reverse in order to realize all assets except one long-lived intangible where there is not an expectation that the asset may be realized. Therefore, we continue to recognize a partial valuation allowance for Australia.

We complete R&D tax credit studies for each year that an R&D tax credit is claimed for federal and state income tax purposes. Management has made the determination that it is more likely than not that the full benefit of the R&D tax credit will not be sustained on examination and recorded a liability for unrecognized tax benefits of $20.3 million as of

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September 30, 2022. Should the unrecognized benefit of $20.3 million be recognized, our effective tax rate would be favorably impacted. Approximately $12.0 million of the unrecognized tax benefit associated with R&D credits has been netted against the R&D deferred tax asset.

Effective Tax Rate

Our overall effective tax rate for the nine months ended September 30, 2022, after discrete period adjustments, was 27.1%. Before discrete adjustments, the tax rate was 28.0%, which differs from the federal statutory rate, primarily due to the impact of R&D tax credits offset by the executive compensation limitation under Internal Revenue Code ("IRC") Section 162(m) and an increase in valuation allowance and unrecognized tax benefits, on projected pre-tax income for the year. The effective tax rate was favorably impacted by a $1.4 million discrete tax benefit primarily associated with net windfalls related to stock-based compensation for restricted stock units (“RSUs”) and performance stock units (“PSUs”) that vested during the nine months ended September 30, 2022.

Note 11 - Stockholders’ Equity

Performance-based stock awards

We have issued performance-based stock options and performance-based RSUs, the vesting of which is generally contingent upon the achievement of certain performance criteria related to our operating performance, as well as successful and timely development and market acceptance of future product introductions. In addition, certain of the performance RSUs have additional service requirements subsequent to the achievement of the performance criteria. Compensation expense is recognized over the requisite service period, which is defined as the longest explicit, implicit or derived service period based on management’s estimate of the probability of the performance criteria being satisfied, adjusted at each balance sheet date. For both service-based and performance-based RSUs, we account for forfeitures as they occur as a reduction to stock-based compensation expense and additional paid-in-capital.

For performance-based options with a vesting schedule based entirely on the attainment of both performance and market conditions, stock-based compensation expense is recognized for each pair of performance and market conditions over the longer of the expected achievement period of the performance and market conditions, beginning at the point in time that the relevant performance condition is considered probable of achievement. The fair value of such awards is estimated on the grant date using Monte Carlo simulations.

CEO Performance Award

On May 24, 2018, our stockholders approved the Board of Directors’ grant of 6,365,856 stock option awards to Patrick W. Smith, our CEO (the “CEO Performance Award”). The CEO Performance Award consists of 12 vesting tranches with a vesting schedule based entirely on the attainment of both operational goals (performance conditions) and market capitalization goals (market conditions), assuming continued employment either as the CEO or as both Executive Chairman and Chief Product Officer and service through each attainment date. Each of the 12 vesting tranches of the CEO Performance Award have a 10-year contractual term and will vest upon certification by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors that both (i) the market capitalization goal for such tranche, which begins at $2.5 billion for the first tranche and increases by increments of $1.0 billion thereafter, and (ii) any one of the following eight operational goals focused on revenue or eight operational goals focused on Adjusted EBITDA have been met for the previous four consecutive fiscal quarters. Adjusted EBITDA for purposes of the CEO Performance Award ("Adjusted EBITDA (CEO Performance Award)") is defined as net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders before interest expense, interest

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and other income (such as dividends) earned on investments in marketable securities, provision (benefit) for income taxes, depreciation and amortization, and stock-based compensation expense.

Revenue Goal (1)
(in thousands)

Achievement Status

Adjusted EBITDA
(in thousands)

Achievement Status

Goal #1, $710,058

Achieved

Goal #1, $125,000

Achieved

Goal #2, $860,058

Achieved

Goal #2, $155,000

Achieved

Goal #3, $1,010,058

Achieved

Goal #3, $175,000

Achieved

Goal #4, $1,210,058

Probable

Goal #4, $190,000

Achieved

Goal #5, $1,410,058

Not Applicable

Goal #5, $200,000

Achieved

Goal #6, $1,610,058

Not Applicable

Goal #6, $210,000

Achieved

Goal #7, $1,810,058

Not Applicable

Goal #7, $220,000

Achieved

Goal #8, $2,010,058

Not Applicable

Goal #8, $230,000

Achieved

(1)In connection with the business acquisition that was completed during the three months ended September 30, 2018, the revenue goals were adjusted for the acquiree’s Target Revenue, as defined in the CEO Performance Award agreement.

Stock-based compensation expense associated with the CEO Performance Award is recognized over the longer of the expected achievement period for each pair of market capitalization and operational goals, beginning at the point in time when the relevant operational goal is considered probable of being met. The probability of meeting an operational goal and the expected achievement point in time for meeting a probable operational goal are based on a subjective assessment of our forward-looking financial projections, taking into consideration statistical analysis. Even though no tranches of the CEO Performance Award vest unless a market capitalization and a matching operational goal are both achieved, stock-based compensation expense is recognized when an operational goal is considered probable of achievement regardless of whether a market capitalization goal is actually achieved. Stock-based compensation represents a non-cash expense and is recorded in sales, general, and administrative operating expense on our consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income.

The first ten market capitalization goals have been achieved as of September 30, 2022. As of September 30, 2022, 5.3 million stock options have been certified by the Compensation Committee and vested. The eleventh market capitalization goal has not yet been attained, though the related operational goal was achieved as of September 30, 2022. As twelve operational goals have been achieved or are considered probable of achievement, we recorded stock-based compensation expense of $240.0 million related to the CEO Performance Award from the grant date through September 30, 2022. The number of stock options that would vest related to the remaining unvested tranches is approximately 1.1 million shares. As of September 30, 2022, we had $6.0 million of total unrecognized stock-based compensation expense for the performance goals that were considered probable of achievement, which will be recognized over a weighted-average period of 0.4 years.

eXponential Stock Performance Plan

On February 12, 2019, our shareholders approved the 2019 Stock Incentive Plan (the “2019 Plan”), which was adopted by the Board of Directors to reserve a sufficient number of shares to facilitate our eXponential Stock Performance Plan (“XSPP”) and grants of eXponential Stock Units (“XSUs”) under the plan. Initial awards under the plan were granted in January 2019, with additional employee awards granted since that date.

The XSUs are grants of Restricted Stock Units (“RSUs”), each with a term of approximately nine years, that vest in 12 equal tranches. Each of the 12 tranches will vest upon certification by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors that both (i) the market capitalization goal for such tranche, which begins at $2.5 billion for the first tranche and increases by increments of $1.0 billion thereafter, and (ii) any one of eight operational goals focused on revenue or eight operational goals focused on Adjusted EBITDA (CEO Performance Award) have been met for the previous four

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consecutive fiscal quarters. Beginning with the quarter ended June 30, 2021, new XSU grants are divided into a reduced number of tranches depending on employee eligibility and current market capitalization attainment.

The XSPP contains an anti-dilution provision incorporated into the plan based on shareholder feedback, which affects the calculation of the market capitalization goals in the plan. The plan defines a maximum number of shares outstanding that may be used in the calculation of the market capitalization goals (the “XSU Maximum”). If the actual number of shares outstanding exceeds the XSU Maximum guardrail, then the lower pre-defined number of shares in the XSU Maximum, rather than the higher actual number of shares outstanding, is used to calculate market capitalization for the determination of the market capitalization goals in the XSPP, which, together with the operational goals, determines whether XSUs vest for participating employees.

The XSU Maximum is defined as the actual number of shares outstanding on the original XSU grant date of January 2, 2019, increased by a 3% annual rate over the term of the XSPP and by shares issued upon the exercise of CEO Performance Award options. The XSU Maximum is also adjusted for acquisitions, spin-offs or other changes in the number of outstanding shares of common stock, if such changes have a corresponding adjustment on the market capitalization goals.

New shares issued for any other reasons, including shares issued upon vesting of XSUs, RSUs, and Performance Stock Units (“PSUs”) as well as shares issued to raise capital through equity issuances or in other transactions, do not increase the XSU Maximum.

The market capitalization and operational goals are identical to the CEO Performance Award, but a different number of shares is used to calculate the market capitalization goals if shares outstanding exceed the XSU Maximum. Additionally, because the grant date is different than that of the CEO Performance Award, the measurement period for market capitalization is not identical. As of September 30, 2022, actual shares outstanding exceeded the XSU Maximum. Accordingly, market capitalization as calculated for the purposes of achieving additional goals uses the lower XSU Maximum share amount rather than actual shares outstanding.

The first nine market capitalization goals have been achieved as of September 30, 2022. The tenth and eleventh market capitalization goals have not yet been attained, though the related operational goals were achieved as of September 30, 2021 and September 30, 2022, respectively. As all twelve operational goals have been achieved or are considered probable of achievement, we recorded stock-based compensation expense of $183.2 million related to the XSU awards from their respective grant dates through September 30, 2022. The number of XSU awards that would vest related to the remaining three tranches is approximately 1.2 million shares. As of September 30, 2022, we had $15.5 million of total unrecognized stock-based compensation expense, which will be recognized over a weighted-average period of 1.4 years.

Restricted Stock Units

The following table summarizes RSU activity for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 (number of units and aggregate intrinsic value in thousands):

    

Number of

    

Weighted Average

    

Aggregate

Units

Grant-Date Fair Value

Intrinsic Value

Units outstanding, beginning of year

 

1,115

$

133.40

 

  

Granted

 

625

 

113.42

 

  

Released

 

(240)

 

93.14

 

  

Forfeited

 

(128)

 

136.22

 

  

Units outstanding, end of period

 

1,372

 

131.08

$

158,838

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Aggregate intrinsic value represents our closing stock price on the last trading day of the period, which was $115.75 multiplied by the number of RSUs outstanding. As of September 30, 2022, there was $126.9 million in unrecognized compensation costs related to RSUs under our stock plans for shares that are expected to vest. We expect to recognize the cost related to the RSUs over a weighted average period of 2.1 years. RSUs are released when vesting requirements are met.

Certain RSUs that vested in the nine months ended September 30, 2022 were net-share settled such that we withheld shares to cover the employees’ tax obligation for the applicable income and other employment taxes, and remitted the cash to the appropriate taxing authorities. Total shares withheld related to RSUs were approximately seven thousand and had a value of $0.9 million on their respective vesting dates as determined by the closing stock price on such dates. Payments for the employees’ tax obligations are reflected as a financing activity within the condensed consolidated statements of cash flows. We record a liability for the tax withholding to be paid by us as a reduction to additional paid-in capital.

Performance Stock Units

The following table summarizes PSU activity, inclusive of XSUs, for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 (number of units and aggregate intrinsic value in thousands):

    

Number of

    

Weighted Average

    

Aggregate

Units

Grant-Date Fair Value

Intrinsic Value

Units outstanding, beginning of year

 

1,499

$

39.86

 

  

Granted

 

142

 

102.60

 

  

Released

 

(36)

 

122.83

 

  

Forfeited

 

(180)

 

34.15

 

  

Units outstanding, end of period

 

1,425

 

44.72

$

164,980

Aggregate intrinsic value represents our closing stock price on the last trading day of the period, which was $115.75 per share, multiplied by the number of PSUs outstanding. As of September 30, 2022, there was $22.4 million in unrecognized compensation costs related to PSUs under our stock plans for shares that are expected to vest. We expect to recognize the cost related to the PSUs over a weighted average period of 1.4 years. PSUs are released when vesting requirements are met.

As of September 30, 2022, the performance criteria had been met for approximately forty-two thousand of the 1.4 million PSUs outstanding.

Certain PSUs that vested in the nine months ended September 30, 2022 were net-share settled such that we withheld shares to cover the employees’ tax obligation for the applicable income and other employment taxes, and remitted the cash to the appropriate taxing authorities. Total shares withheld related to PSUs were approximately twelve thousand and had a value of $1.5 million on their respective vesting dates as determined by the closing stock price on such dates.  Payments for the employees’ tax obligations are reflected as a financing activity within the condensed consolidated statements of cash flows. We record a liability for the tax withholding to be paid by us as a reduction to additional paid-in capital.

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NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS – (Continued)

Stock Option Activity

The following table summarizes stock option activity for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 (number of units and aggregate intrinsic value in thousands):

    

    

    

Weighted

    

Weighted

Average

Number

Average

Remaining

of

Exercise

Contractual

Aggregate

Options

Price

Life (years)

Intrinsic Value

Options outstanding, beginning of year

 

2,438

$

28.58

 

  

 

  

Granted

 

 

 

  

 

  

Exercised

 

 

 

  

 

  

Expired / terminated

 

 

 

 

  

Options outstanding, end of period

 

2,438

 

28.58

 

5.41

$

212,517

Options exercisable, end of period

 

1,377

 

28.58

 

5.41

 

120,031

Aggregate intrinsic value represents the difference between the exercise price of the underlying stock option awards and the closing market price of our common stock of $115.75 on September 30, 2022. There were no options exercised for the nine months ended September 30, 2022. As of September 30, 2022, total options outstanding included 1.1 million unvested performance-based stock options, which relate to the CEO Performance Award and are probable of achievement.

Stock-based Compensation Expense

The following table summarizes the composition of stock-based compensation expense for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021 (in thousands):

Three Months Ended September 30, 

Nine Months Ended September 30, 

    

2022

    

2021

    

2022

    

2021

Cost of product sales and service sales

$

1,157

$

1,112

$

3,331

$

4,439

Sales, general and administrative expenses

 

14,268

 

25,969

 

35,860

 

211,073

Research and development expenses

 

12,779

 

7,981

 

35,263

 

46,709

Total stock-based compensation expense

$

28,204

$

35,062

$

74,454

$

262,221

Stock Incentive Plan

In May 2022, our shareholders approved the Axon Enterprise, Inc. 2022 Stock Incentive Plan (the “2022 Plan”) authorizing an additional 2.5 million shares, plus remaining available shares under prior plans, for issuance under the new plan. Combined with the 2019 Plan and other legacy stock incentive plans, there are 3.2 million shares available for grant as of September 30, 2022.

Stock Inducement Plan

In September 2022, our Board of Directors adopted the Axon Enterprise, Inc. 2022 Stock Inducement Plan (the “2022 Inducement Plan”) pursuant to which we reserved 250,000 shares of common stock for issuance under the Inducement Plan. In accordance with Rule 5635(c)(4) and Rule 5635(c)(3) of the Nasdaq Listing Rules, awards under the Inducement Plan may only be made to individuals not previously employed by us (or following such individuals’ bona fide periods of non-employment by us), as an inducement material to the individuals’ entry into employment with us. The terms and conditions of the 2022 Inducement Plan are substantially similar to our 2019 Stock Inducement Plan. There are approximately 0.1 million shares available for grant as of September 30, 2022.

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Stock Repurchase Plan

In February 2016, our Board of Directors authorized a stock repurchase program to acquire up to $50.0 million of our outstanding common stock subject to stock market conditions and corporate considerations. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, no common shares were purchased under the program. As of September 30, 2022, $16.3 million remains available under the plan for future purchases. Any future purchases will be discretionary.

At-the-Market equity offering

During the year ended December 31, 2021, we sold 577,956 shares of our common stock under our "at-the-market" equity offering program (the “ATM”). We generated approximately $107.6 million in aggregate gross proceeds from sales under the ATM.  Aggregate net proceeds from the ATM were $105.4 million after deducting related expenses, including commissions to the sales agent of $1.6 million and issuance costs of $0.5 million. No shares were sold during the nine months ended September 30, 2022.

We may sell up to a total of 3.0 million shares of our common stock under the ATM. The ATM expires on April 20, 2024. We intend to use the net proceeds from this offering for general corporate purposes, which may include, among other things, providing capital to satisfy a portion of the tax obligations related to the vesting and settlement of stock compensation awards granted to our executive officers and other employees under our stock incentive plans, to support our growth, and to acquire or invest in product lines, products, services, technologies or facilities.

Note 12 - Line of Credit

We have a $50.0 million unsecured revolving line of credit with a domestic bank, of which $20.0 million is available for letters of credit. The credit agreement matures on December 31, 2023 and has an accordion feature which allows for an increase in the total line of credit up to $100.0 million, subject to certain conditions, including the availability of additional bank commitments.

At September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, there were no borrowings under the line. Under the terms of the line of credit, available borrowings are reduced by outstanding letters of credit. As of September 30, 2022, we had letters of credit outstanding of approximately $6.5 million under the facility and available borrowing of $43.5 million, excluding amounts available under the accordion feature. Advances under the line of credit bear interest at Term SOFR plus 1.0 to 1.5% per year determined in accordance with a pricing grid based on our funded debt to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization ("EBITDA") ratio. “SOFR” is defined as a rate equal to the secured overnight financing rate as administered by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York (“NYFRB”) or a successor administrator of the secured overnight financing rate.

We are required to comply with a maximum funded debt to EBITDA ratio of no greater than 2.50 to 1.00 based upon a trailing four fiscal quarter period. At September 30, 2022, our funded debt to EBITDA ratio was 0.00 to 1.00.

Note 13 - Commitments and Contingencies

Data Storage Renewal Commitment

In June 2022, we entered into a purchase agreement for cloud hosting with a six year term beginning July 1, 2022. The purchase agreement includes a total commitment of $425.0 million. Storage fees under this agreement were $11.2 million for the three months ended September 30, 2022. The remaining purchase commitment at September 30, 2022 was $413.8 million.

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Product Litigation

As a manufacturer of weapons and other law enforcement tools used in high-risk field environments, we are often the subject of products liability litigation concerning the use of our products.  We are currently named as a defendant in two lawsuits in which the plaintiffs allege either wrongful death or personal injury in situations in which a TASER CED was used by law enforcement officers in connection with arrests or training. While the facts vary from case to case, these product liability claims typically allege defective product design, manufacturing, and/or failure to warn.  They seek compensatory and sometimes punitive damages, often in unspecified amounts.

We continue to aggressively defend all product litigation. As a general rule, it is our policy not to settle suspect injury or death cases. Exceptions are sometimes made where the settlement is strategically beneficial to us. Due to the confidential nature of our litigation strategy and the confidentiality agreements that are executed in the event of a settlement, we do not identify or comment on specific settlements by case or amount. Based on current information, we do not believe that the outcome of any such legal proceeding will have a material effect on our financial position, results of operations, or cash flows. We are self-insured for the first $5.0 million of any product claim made after 2014. No judgment or settlement has ever exceeded this amount in any products case. We continue to maintain product liability insurance coverage, including an insurance policy fronting arrangement, above our self-insured retention with various limits depending on the policy period.

The litigation information in this note is current through the date of these financial statements.

U.S. Federal Trade Commission Litigation

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) filed an administrative enforcement action in January 2020 regarding our May 2018 acquisition of an insolvent body worn camera competitor, Vievu LLC. The FTC alleges the merger was anticompetitive and adversely affected the body worn camera and digital evidence management market for “large metropolitan police departments,” which we deny. The administrative hearing remains stayed pending our federal court constitutional challenges to the FTC’s structure and administrative processes. Even if we ultimately are required to divest Vievu and other assets, any such result will not interfere with our ability to meet contractual obligations or implement our solutions.

Prior to the FTC’s enforcement action, we sued the FTC in federal court in the District of Arizona for declaratory and injunctive relief alleging the FTC’s structure and administrative processes violate Article II of the U.S. Constitution and our Fifth Amendment rights to due process and equal protection. The district court dismissed the action, without prejudice, for lack of jurisdiction. The Ninth Circuit affirmed in a split decision but granted our motion to stay the appellate mandate pending the filing of our petition for certiorari with the U.S. Supreme Court. On January 24, 2022, the Supreme Court granted our petition. Oral argument was held November 7, 2022. The FTC’s administrative case will remain stayed pending resolution of the Supreme Court proceedings.

In parallel to these matters, we are evaluating strategic alternatives to litigation, which we might pursue if determined to be in the best interests of shareholders and customers. This could include a divestiture of the Vievu entity and/or related assets and the licensure of certain intellectual and other intangible property. While we continue to believe the acquisition of Vievu was lawful and a benefit to Vievu’s customers, the cost, risk and distraction of protracted litigation merit consideration of settlement if achievable on terms agreeable to the FTC and Axon.

General

From time to time, we are notified that we may be a party to a lawsuit or that a claim is being made against us. It is our policy to not disclose the specifics of any claim or threatened lawsuit until the summons and complaint are actually served on us. After carefully assessing the claim, and assuming we determine that we are not at fault or we disagree with the damages or relief demanded, we vigorously defend any lawsuit filed against us. We record a liability when losses are

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AXON ENTERPRISE, INC.

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS – (Continued)

deemed probable and reasonably estimable. When losses are deemed reasonably possible but not probable, we determine whether it is possible to provide an estimate of the amount of the loss or range of possible losses for the claim, if material for disclosure. In evaluating matters for accrual and disclosure purposes, we take into consideration factors such as our historical experience with matters of a similar nature, the specific facts and circumstances asserted, the likelihood of our prevailing, the availability of insurance, and the severity of any potential loss. We reevaluate and update accruals as matters progress over time.

Based on our assessment of outstanding litigation and claims as of September 30, 2022, we have determined that it is not reasonably possible that these lawsuits will individually, or in the aggregate, materially affect our results of operations, financial condition or cash flows. However, the outcome of any litigation is inherently uncertain and there can be no assurance that any expense, liability or damages that may ultimately result from the resolution of these matters will be covered by our insurance or will not be in excess of amounts recognized or provided by insurance coverage and will not have a material adverse effect on our operating results, financial condition or cash flows.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

Under certain circumstances, we use letters of credit and surety bonds to guarantee our performance under various contracts, principally in connection with the installation and integration of Axon cameras and related technologies. Certain of our letters of credit and surety bonds have stated expiration dates with others being released as the contractual performance terms are completed. At September 30, 2022, we had outstanding letters of credit issued under our credit facility of $6.5 million that are expected to expire throughout 2023. We also had outstanding letters of credit of $0.4 million that do not draw against our credit facility. The outstanding letters of credit that do not draw against our credit facility are expected to expire in May 2023. Additionally, we had $21.1 million of outstanding surety bonds at September 30, 2022, with $3.1 million expiring in 2022, $7.5 million expiring in 2023 and the remaining $10.5 million expiring in 2024.

Note 14 – Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (loss)

The following tables reflect the changes in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax (in thousands):

Unrealized Gains (Losses)

on Available-for-Sale

Foreign Currency

Investments

Translation

Total

Balance, December 31, 2021

$

(207)

$

(1,110)

$

(1,317)

Other comprehensive loss

(489)

(1,072)

(1,561)

Balance, March 31, 2022

$

(696)

$

(2,182)

$

(2,878)

Other comprehensive loss

(161)

(2,166)

(2,327)

Balance, June 30, 2022

$

(857)

$

(4,348)

$

(5,205)

Other comprehensive loss

(326)

(2,275)

(2,601)

Balance, September 30, 2022

$

(1,183)

$

(6,623)

$

(7,806)

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AXON ENTERPRISE, INC.

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS – (Continued)

Unrealized Gains (Losses)

on Available-for-Sale

Foreign Currency

Investments

Translation

Total

Balance, December 31, 2020

$

$

141

$

141

Other comprehensive income

1

1

Balance, March 31, 2021

$

$

142

$

142

Other comprehensive loss

(369)

(369)

Balance, June 30, 2021

$

$

(227)

$

(227)

Other comprehensive loss

(793)

(793)

Balance, September 30, 2021

$

$

(1,020)

$

(1,020)

Note 15 - Employee Benefit Plans

We have a defined contribution 401(k) plan for eligible employees, which is qualified under Sections 401(a) and 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. Employees are entitled to make tax-deferred contributions of up to the maximum amount allowed by law of their eligible compensation. Contributions to the plan are made by both the employee and us. Our contributions to the 401(k) plan are based on the level of employee contributions and are immediately vested. Future matching contributions to the plans are at our sole discretion.

We also sponsor defined contribution plans in Australia, Canada, Finland, and the United Kingdom.

Our matching contributions for all defined contribution plans were $2.6 million and $1.7 million for the three months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively, and $8.0 million and $5.6 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

Note 16 - Segment Data

Our operations are comprised of two reportable segments: the TASER segment and the Software and Sensors segment.

Information relative to our reportable segments was as follows (in thousands):

Three Months Ended September 30, 2022

Three Months Ended September 30, 2021

Software and 

Software and 

    

TASER

    

Sensors

    

Total

    

TASER

    

Sensors

    

Total

Net sales from products

$

139,267

$

71,131

$

210,398

$

118,569

$

47,234

$

165,803

Net sales from services

 

5,616

 

95,740

 

101,356

 

2,922

 

63,264

 

66,186

Net sales

 

144,883

 

166,871

 

311,754

 

121,491

 

110,498

 

231,989

Cost of product sales

 

53,422

 

40,302

 

93,724

 

41,554

 

29,782

 

71,336

Cost of service sales

 

 

24,773

 

24,773

 

 

16,086

 

16,086

Cost of sales

 

53,422

 

65,075

 

118,497

 

41,554

 

45,868

 

87,422

Gross margin

$

91,461

$

101,796

$

193,257

$

79,937

$

64,630

$

144,567

Research and development

$

13,864

$

45,263

$

59,127

$

10,476

$

31,906

$

42,382

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AXON ENTERPRISE, INC.

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS – (Continued)

Nine Months Ended September 30, 2022

Nine Months Ended September 30, 2021

Software and

Software and

    

TASER

    

Sensors

    

Total

    

TASER

    

Sensors

    

Total

Net sales from products

$

382,142

$

204,511

$

586,653

$

326,508

136,608

$

463,116

Net sales from services

 

12,687

 

254,453

 

267,140

 

6,510

 

176,177

 

182,687

Net sales

 

394,829

 

458,964

 

853,793

 

333,018

 

312,785

 

645,803

Cost of product sales

 

142,510

 

118,068

 

260,578

 

112,200

 

83,053

 

195,253

Cost of service sales

 

 

70,256

 

70,256

 

145

 

44,556

 

44,701

Cost of sales

 

142,510

 

188,324

 

330,834

 

112,345

 

127,609

 

239,954

Gross margin

$

252,319

$

270,640

$

522,959

$

220,673

$

185,176

$

405,849

Research and development

$

37,076

$

128,014

$

165,090

$

32,032

$

111,320

$

143,352

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Item 2.    Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition as of September 30, 2022, and results of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, should be read in conjunction with the condensed consolidated financial statements and related notes included in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and the audited consolidated financial statements and related notes in our 2021 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 25, 2022. This discussion contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors, including but not limited to those described under “Risk Factors” in our 2021 Annual Report on Form 10-K. See also "Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" on page ii of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.

Overview

Axon is a technology leader in global public safety. Our moonshot goal is to cut gun-related deaths between police and the public by 50% before 2033. Axon is building the public safety operating system of the future by integrating a suite of hardware devices and cloud software solutions that lead modern policing. Axon’s suite includes TASER energy devices, body-worn cameras, in-car cameras, cloud-hosted digital evidence management solutions, productivity software and real-time operations capabilities. Axon’s growing global customer base includes first responders across international, federal, state, and local law enforcement, fire, corrections, and emergency medical services, as well as the justice sector, commercial enterprises, and consumers.

Our revenues for the three months ended September 30, 2022 were $311.8 million, an increase of $79.8 million, or 34.4%, from the comparable period in the prior year. We had income from operations of $32.1 million compared to $2.9 million for the same period in the prior year. Gross margin dollars increased $48.7 million but decreased slightly as a percentage of revenue compared to the three months ended September 30, 2021, reflecting higher labor and freight costs. Operating expenses increased $19.5 million, reflecting an increase in salaries, benefits, and bonus expense and increases in sales, marketing, and commissions expense, partially offset by a decrease of $6.9 million in stock-based compensation expense primarily related to the CEO Performance Award and XSPP. Net income of $12.1 million included unrealized losses of $11.3 million related to observable price changes for our existing strategic investments and marketable securities related to our investment in CLBT, compared to net income of $48.5 million for the comparable period in the prior year.

Our revenues for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 were $853.8 million, an increase of $208.0 million, or 32.2%, from the comparable period in the prior year. We had income from operations of $70.7 million compared to a loss from operations of $141.1 million for the same period in the prior year. Gross margin dollars increased $117.1 million but decreased as a percentage of revenue compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2021, primarily reflecting higher labor and freight costs. Operating expenses decreased $94.7 million, reflecting a decrease of $186.7 million in stock-based compensation expense primarily related to the CEO Performance Award and XSPP, partially offset by an increase in salaries and bonus expense, and increases in travel and commissions expense. For the nine months ended September 30, 2022, we recorded net income of $118.0 million, which reflected net unrealized gains of $129.4 million related to observable price changes for our existing investments and related warrants and an unrealized loss of $36.9 million on marketable securities related to our investment in CLBT, compared to net loss of $46.5 million for the comparable period in the prior year.

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Results of Operations

Three Months Ended September 30, 2022 Compared to the Three Months Ended September 30, 2021

The following table presents data from our condensed consolidated statements of operations as well as the percentage relationship to total net sales of items included in our statements of operations (dollars in thousands):

Three Months Ended September 30, 

 

    

2022

    

2021

 

Net sales from products

$

210,398

67.5

%  

$

165,803

71.5

%

Net sales from services

 

101,356

 

32.5

 

66,186

 

28.5

Net sales

 

311,754

 

100.0

 

231,989

 

100.0

Cost of product sales

 

93,724

 

30.1

 

71,336

 

30.7

Cost of service sales

 

24,773

 

7.9

 

16,086

 

6.9

Cost of sales

 

118,497

 

38.0

 

87,422

 

37.6

Gross margin

 

193,257

 

62.0

 

144,567

 

62.4

Operating expenses:

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

Sales, general and administrative

 

102,023

 

32.7

 

99,295

 

42.8

Research and development

 

59,127

 

19.0

 

42,382

 

18.3

Total operating expenses

 

161,150

 

51.7

 

141,677

 

61.1

Income (loss) from operations

 

32,107

 

10.3

 

2,890

 

1.3

Interest and other income (expense), net

 

(11,249)

 

(3.6)

 

(5,530)

 

(2.4)

Income (loss) before provision for income taxes

 

20,858

 

6.7

 

(2,640)

 

(1.1)

Provision for (benefit from) income taxes

 

8,727

 

2.8

 

(51,164)

 

(22.0)

Net income

$

12,131

 

3.9

%  

$

48,524

 

20.9

%

The following table presents our revenues disaggregated by geography (in thousands):

Three Months Ended September 30, 

    

2022

    

2021

United States

$

264,644

85

%  

$

192,756

83

%

Other countries

 

47,110

 

15

 

39,233

 

17

Total

$

311,754

 

100

%  

$

231,989

 

100

%

International revenue increased compared to the prior year comparable period, but decreased as a percentage of total revenue. The increase in domestic revenue was driven by demand for the premium versions of our products and bundles, as well as increases in our federal business.

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Table of Contents

Net Sales

Net sales by product line were as follows (dollars in thousands):

Three Months Ended September 30, 

Dollar

Percent

    

2022

    

2021

    

Change

    

Change

TASER segment:

TASER 7

$

65,951

 

21.2

%

$

50,641

 

21.8

%  

$

15,310

 

30.2

%

TASER X26P

 

5,897

 

1.9

 

9,086

 

3.9

 

(3,189)

 

(35.1)

TASER X2

 

8,298

 

2.7

 

10,078

 

4.3

 

(1,780)

 

(17.7)

TASER Consumer devices

 

1,702

 

0.6

 

967

 

0.4

 

735

 

76.0

Cartridges

 

46,475

 

14.9

 

39,313

 

16.9

 

7,162

 

18.2

Axon Evidence and cloud services

 

5,125

 

1.6

 

2,711

 

1.2

 

2,414

 

89.0

Extended warranties

 

7,290

 

2.3

 

6,099

 

2.6

 

1,191

 

19.5

Other

 

4,145

 

1.3

 

2,596

 

1.3

 

1,549

 

59.7

Total TASER segment

 

144,883

 

46.5

 

121,491

 

52.4

 

23,392

 

19.3

Software and Sensors segment:

 

  

 

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

Axon Body

 

35,427

 

11.4

 

20,862

 

9.0

 

14,565

 

69.8

Axon Flex

 

687

 

0.2

 

1,488

 

0.6

 

(801)

 

(53.8)

Axon Fleet

 

10,139

 

3.3

 

6,063

 

2.6

 

4,076

 

67.2

Axon Dock

 

4,830

 

1.5

 

6,460

 

2.8

 

(1,630)

 

(25.2)

Axon Evidence and cloud services

 

96,814

 

31.1

 

63,272

 

27.3

 

33,542

 

53.0

Extended warranties

 

14,511

 

4.6

 

8,983

 

3.9

 

5,528

 

61.5

Other

 

4,463

 

1.4

 

3,370

 

1.4

 

1,093

 

32.4

Total Software and Sensors segment

 

166,871

 

53.5

 

110,498

 

47.6

 

56,373

 

51.0

Total net sales

$

311,754

 

100.0

%  

$

231,989

 

100.0

%  

$

79,765

 

34.4

%  

Net unit sales for TASER segment products and Software and Sensors segment products were as follows:

    

Three Months Ended September 30, 

    

Unit

    

Percent

2022

2021

 

Change

 

Change

TASER 7

 

40,502

 

36,350

 

4,152

 

11.4

%

TASER X26P

 

3,745

 

6,596

 

(2,851)

 

(43.2)

TASER X2

 

5,120

 

5,562

 

(442)

 

(7.9)

TASER Consumer devices

 

7,180

 

3,232

 

3,948

 

122.2

Cartridges

 

1,481,169

 

1,327,971

 

153,198

 

11.5

Axon Body

 

71,070

 

58,248

 

12,822

 

22.0

Axon Flex

 

1,188

 

3,390

 

(2,202)

 

(65.0)

Axon Fleet

 

2,342

 

2,753

 

(411)

 

(14.9)

Axon Dock

 

3,822

 

8,556

 

(4,734)

 

(55.3)

Net sales for the TASER segment increased 19.3% primarily due to an increase of $15.3 million in TASER 7 devices that was partially offset by a decrease of sales in our legacy devices of $5.0 million. We continue to see a shift to purchases of our latest generation device, TASER 7, from legacy devices. TASER 7 revenue was favorably impacted by higher average selling prices and an increase in unit sales. The increase in revenue from Axon Evidence and cloud services was driven by an increase in the number of TASER 7 devices in the field and VR training. Cartridge revenue was impacted by an increase in unit sales, in particular for TASER 7 cartridges, and by higher average selling prices.

Net sales for the Software and Sensors segment increased 51.0% for the three months ended September 30, 2022 as compared to the prior year quarter as we continued to add users and associated devices to our network. The increase in the aggregate number of users drove the majority of the increase in Axon Evidence revenue of $33.5 million. The $14.6 million increase in Axon Body revenue was primarily driven by higher unit sales and higher average selling prices. An increase in cameras and docks in the field drove the $5.5 million increase in extended warranties, as most of those devices

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are sold with extended warranties. Higher average selling prices drove the $4.1 million increase in Axon Fleet revenue, partially offset by decreased unit sales.

We consider total company future contracted revenues a forward-looking performance indicator. As of September 30, 2022, we had approximately $3.73 billion of total company future contracted revenue, which included both recognized contract liabilities as well as amounts that will be invoiced and recognized in future periods. We expect to recognize between 15% - 20% of this balance over the next twelve months, and expect the remainder to be recognized over the following ten years, subject to risks related to delayed deployments, budget appropriation or other contract cancellation clauses.

Cost of Product and Service Sales

Within the TASER segment, cost of product and service sales increased to $53.4 million for the three months ended September 30, 2022 from $41.6 million for the same period in 2021, primarily related to higher unit sales and increased cost of raw materials. Cost as a percentage of sales increased to 36.9% from 34.2%. The increase was primarily attributable to higher labor and freight costs as well as increased manufacturing overhead costs due to expanding our manufacturing capabilities. While we continue to adjust strategic inventory levels based on areas of risk to mitigate potential supply disruptions, global supply conditions could further impact our margins.

Within the Software and Sensors segment, cost of product and service sales increased to $65.1 million for the three months ended September 30, 2022 from $45.9 million for the same period in 2021. Cost as a percentage of sales decreased to 39.0% from 41.5%. The decrease in cost of product and service sales as a percentage of sales was primarily driven by higher average selling prices and savings on cloud hosting costs as a percent of revenue, partially offset by increased indirect manufacturing costs and supplies.

Gross Margin

As a percentage of net sales, gross margin for the TASER segment decreased to 63.1% from 65.8% for the three months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively. The decrease was a result of higher labor costs and increased freight.

As a percentage of net sales, gross margin for the Software and Sensors segment increased to 61.0% from 58.5% for the three months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively. Within the Software and Sensors segment, hardware gross margin increased to 43.3% for the three months ended September 30, 2022 compared to 36.9% for the same period in 2021 due to increased unit sales and higher average selling prices of Axon Body 3 and Axon Fleet, and savings on cloud hosting costs. Service margins decreased slightly to 74.1% for the three months ended September 30, 2022 from 74.6% for the same period in 2021 due to the mix of services provided.

Sales, General and Administrative Expenses

Sales, general and administrative ("SG&A") expenses were comprised as follows (dollars in thousands):

    

Three Months Ended September 30, 

    

Dollar

    

Percent

2022

2021

 

Change

 

Change

Total sales, general and administrative expenses

$

102,023

$

99,295

$

2,728

 

2.7

Sales, general, and administrative as a percentage of net sales

 

32.7

%  

 

42.8

%  

 

  

 

  

Stock-based compensation expense decreased $11.7 million in comparison to the prior year comparable period, which was primarily attributable to a decrease of $11.3 million in expense related to the CEO Performance Award and a $5.3 million decrease related to the XSPP. The decreases were attributable to the vesting of ten tranches of the CEO Performance Award and nine tranches of the XSPP in 2021, which have no remaining unrecognized expense for the vested tranches. Partially offsetting the decreases was an increase in stock-based compensation expense for time-based awards due to higher headcount.

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Table of Contents

Net salaries, benefits, and bonus expense increased $4.3 million. An increase of $10.2 million in salaries, benefits, and bonus expense was attributable due to an increase in headcount and higher anticipated attainment on bonuses expected to be paid to employees at the senior director level and below. Offsetting the increase was a decrease of $5.9 million in payroll taxes related to the vesting of five tranches of our XSPP in September 2021; as no tranches of the XSPP have vested in 2022, we have not recognized payroll tax expense related to the program this year.

Sales and marketing and travel expenses increased $5.9 million. The increase was partially attributable to a $4.4 million increase related to employee commissions driven by higher revenue. The increase also reflects a $1.5 million increase in travel expenses, reflecting a return to normalized levels and an increase of in-person customer meetings. Also impacting higher travel expense was increased travel costs per trip.

Impairment expenses increased $1.4 million, primarily as a result of the decision to slow pacing on construction of our new Scottsdale, Arizona campus.

Research and Development Expenses

Research and development ("R&D") expenses were comprised as follows (dollars in thousands):

    

Three Months Ended September 30, 

    

Dollar

    

Percent

2022

2021

 

Change

 

Change

Total research and development expenses

$

59,127

$

42,382

$

16,745

 

39.5

Research and development as a percentage of net sales

 

19.0

%  

 

18.3

%  

 

  

 

  

Within the TASER segment, R&D expense increased $3.4 million. An increase of $2.1 million in salaries, benefits and bonus expense reflected higher headcount. Additionally, indirect manufacturing costs and supplies increased $1.2 million related to the development of next generation products.

R&D expense for the Software and Sensors segment increased $13.4 million, reflecting an increase of $8.9 million in salaries, benefits, and bonus expense due to higher headcount and higher anticipated attainment on bonuses expected to be paid to employees at the senior director level and below. Additionally, there was a $4.3 million increase related to stock-based compensation expense, primarily related to increased headcount.

We expect R&D expense to continue to increase in absolute dollars as we focus on growing the Software and Sensors segment as we add headcount and additional resources to develop new products and services to further advance our scalable cloud-connected device platform. We are investing in technologies that include our CEDs, body cameras, in-car cameras and other sensors, artificial intelligence, digital evidence management, productivity software, communications software, and technologies that enable real-time situational awareness for public safety.

Interest and Other Income (Expense), Net

Interest and other income (expense), net was an expense of $11.2 million for the three months ended September 30, 2022, compared to expense of $5.5 million for the same period in 2021. During the third quarter of 2022, we recorded a $10.6 million unrealized loss on marketable securities related to our investment in CLBT and a $0.7 million loss related to observable price changes on our existing strategic investments.

Provision for Income Taxes

The provision for income taxes was an expense of $8.7 million for the three months ended September 30, 2022, which was an effective tax rate of 41.8%. Our estimated full year effective income tax rate for 2022, before discrete period adjustments, is 28.0%, which differs from the federal statutory rate primarily due to the impact of R&D tax credits offset by the executive compensation limitation under Internal Revenue Code ("IRC") Section 162(m) and an increase in valuation allowance and unrecognized tax benefits, on projected pre-tax income for the year. The effective tax rate was unfavorably impacted by a $0.2 million discrete tax expense associated with shortfalls related to stock-based compensation for RSUs and PSUs that vested during the three months ended September 30, 2022.

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Net Income

We recorded net income of $12.1 million for the three months ended September 30, 2022 compared to net income of $48.5 million for the same period in 2021. Net income per basic share was $0.17 for the three months ended September 30, 2022 compared to $0.73 net income per basic share for the same period in 2021. Net income per diluted share was $0.17 for the three months ended September 30, 2022 compared to $0.67 net income per diluted share for the same period in 2021.

Three Months Ended September 30, 2022 Compared to the Three Months Ended June 30, 2022

Net Sales

Net sales by product line were as follows (dollars in thousands):

    

Three Months Ended

    

Three Months Ended

    

Dollar

    

Percent

September 30, 2022

June 30, 2022

Change

Change

TASER segment:

TASER 7

$

65,951

 

21.2

%  

$

53,440

 

18.7

%  

$

12,511

 

23.4

%

TASER X26P

 

5,897

 

1.9

 

12,339

 

4.3

 

(6,442)

 

(52.2)

TASER X2

 

8,298

 

2.7

 

4,534

 

1.6

 

3,764

 

83.0

TASER Consumer devices

 

1,702

 

0.6

 

1,687

 

0.6

 

15

 

0.9

Cartridges

46,475

14.9

49,845

17.5

(3,370)

(6.8)

Axon Evidence and cloud services

 

5,125

 

1.6

 

3,720

 

1.3

 

1,405

 

37.8

Extended warranties

 

7,290

 

2.3

 

7,459

 

2.6

 

(169)

 

(2.3)

Other

 

4,145

 

1.3

 

2,562

 

0.9

 

1,583

 

61.8

TASER segment

 

144,883

 

46.5

 

135,586

 

47.5

 

9,297

 

6.9

Software and Sensors segment:

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

Axon Body

 

35,427

 

11.4

 

27,468

 

9.6

 

7,959

 

29.0

Axon Flex

 

687

 

0.2

 

621

 

0.2

 

66

 

10.6

Axon Fleet

 

10,139

 

3.3

 

15,881

 

5.6

 

(5,742)

 

(36.2)

Axon Dock

 

4,830

 

1.5

 

5,849

 

2.0

 

(1,019)

 

(17.4)

Axon Evidence and cloud services

 

96,814

 

31.1

 

81,911

 

28.7

 

14,903

 

18.2

Extended warranties

 

14,511

 

4.6

 

12,498

 

4.4

 

2,013

 

16.1

Other

 

4,463

 

1.4

 

5,799

 

2.0

 

(1,336)

 

(23.0)

Software and Sensors segment

 

166,871

 

53.5

 

150,027

 

52.5

 

16,844

 

11.2

Total net sales

$

311,754

 

100.0

%  

$

285,613

 

100.0

%  

$

26,141

 

9.2

%

Net unit sales for TASER segment products and Software and Sensors segment products were as follows:

    

Three Months Ended

    

    

 

Unit

Percent

September 30, 2022

June 30, 2022

Change

Change

TASER 7

 

40,502

 

32,790

 

7,712

 

23.5

%  

TASER X26P

 

3,745

 

8,831

 

(5,086)

 

(57.6)

TASER X2

 

5,120

 

2,745

 

2,375

 

86.5

TASER Consumer devices

 

7,180

 

5,157

 

2,023

 

39.2

Cartridges

 

1,481,169

 

1,536,332

 

(55,163)

 

(3.6)

Axon Body

 

71,070

 

59,851

 

11,219

 

18.7

Axon Flex

 

1,188

 

1,136

 

52

 

4.6

Axon Fleet

 

2,342

 

6,146

 

(3,804)

 

(61.9)

Axon Dock

 

3,822

 

5,314

 

(1,492)

 

(28.1)

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Net sales within the TASER segment increased by approximately $9.3 million or 6.9% as compared to the prior quarter, primarily due to an increase of $12.5 million in TASER 7 revenue due to increased units sold. Cartridge revenue decreased $3.4 million due to a small decrease in the overall average selling prices and a decrease in legacy cartridge units. An overall decrease in sales for our TASER legacy devices was driven by lower unit sales for TASER X26P devices, partially offset by higher average selling prices and an increase in sales of our TASER X2 devices.

Within the Software and Sensors segment, net sales increased $16.8 million or 11.2% during the three months ended September 30, 2022 compared to the prior quarter. Net sales of Axon Body drove increases in the aggregate number of users, which resulted in increased Axon Evidence revenue of $14.9 million. Axon Body revenue increased $8.0 million due to increased unit sales and higher average selling prices. Partially offsetting the increases in segment revenue, Axon Fleet revenue decreased $5.7 million as a result of decreased units sold, partially offset by higher average selling prices.

Nine months ended September 30, 2022 Compared to the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2021

The following table presents data from our condensed consolidated statements of operations as well as the percentage relationship to total net sales of items included in our statements of operations (dollars in thousands):

Nine Months Ended September 30, 

 

2022

    

2021

 

Net sales from products

    

$

586,653

    

68.7

%  

$

463,116

    

71.7

%

Net sales from services

 

267,140

 

31.3

 

182,687

 

28.3

Net sales

 

853,793

 

100.0

 

645,803

 

100.0

Cost of product sales

 

260,578

 

30.5

 

195,253

 

30.2

Cost of service sales

 

70,256

 

8.2

 

44,701

 

6.9

Cost of sales

 

330,834

 

38.7

 

239,954

 

37.1

Gross margin

 

522,959

 

61.3

 

405,849

 

62.9

Operating expenses:

Sales, general and administrative

 

287,157

 

33.6

 

403,554

 

62.5

Research and development

 

165,090

 

19.4

 

143,352

 

22.2

Total operating expenses

 

452,247

 

53.0

 

546,906

 

84.7

Income (loss) from operations

 

70,712

 

8.3

 

(141,057)

 

(21.8)

Interest and other income, net

 

91,076

 

10.6

 

36,896

 

5.7

Income (loss) before provision for income taxes

 

161,788

 

18.9

 

(104,161)

 

(16.1)

Provision for (benefit from) income taxes

 

43,824

 

5.1

 

(57,651)

 

(8.9)

Net income (loss)

 

$

117,964

 

13.8

%  

$

(46,510)

 

(7.2)

%

The following table presents our revenues disaggregated by geography (in thousands):

Nine Months Ended September 30, 

 

2022

2021

 

United States

    

$

707,304

    

83

%  

$

518,050

    

80

%

Other Countries

 

146,489

 

17

 

127,753

 

20

Total

$

853,793

 

100

%  

$

645,803

 

100

%

International revenue increased compared to the prior year comparable period, driven primarily by increased sales in our Asia-Pacific (“APAC”) region.

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Net Sales

Net sales by product line were as follows (dollars in thousands):

Nine Months Ended September 30, 

    

Dollar

    

Percent

 

2022

2021

Change

Change

 

TASER segment:

    

  

    

  

    

  

    

  

    

  

    

  

TASER 7

$

169,457

 

19.8

%  

$

112,760

 

17.5

%  

$

56,697

 

50.3

%

TASER X26P

 

27,715

 

3.2

 

28,618

 

4.4

 

(903)

 

(3.2)

TASER X2

 

16,451

 

1.9

 

39,001

 

6.0

 

(22,550)

 

(57.8)

TASER Consumer devices

 

5,085

 

0.6

 

4,873

 

0.8

 

212

 

4.4

Cartridges

 

134,145

 

15.7

 

116,409

 

18.0

 

17,736

 

15.2

Axon Evidence and cloud services

 

11,862

 

1.4

 

5,809

 

0.9

 

6,053

 

104.2

Extended warranties

 

21,428

 

2.5

 

17,602

 

2.7

 

3,826

 

21.7

Other

 

8,686

 

1.1

 

7,946

 

1.3

 

740

 

9.3

TASER segment

 

394,829

 

46.2

 

333,018

 

51.6

 

61,811

 

18.6

Software and Sensors segment:

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

  

Axon Body

 

92,603

 

10.9

 

60,545

 

9.4

 

32,058

 

52.9

Axon Flex

 

2,637

 

0.3

 

3,481

 

0.5

 

(844)

 

(24.2)

Axon Fleet

 

39,840

 

4.7

 

15,073

 

2.3

 

24,767

 

164.3

Axon Dock

 

18,159

 

2.1

 

18,889

 

2.9

 

(730)

 

(3.9)

Axon Evidence and cloud services

 

258,664

 

30.3

 

175,933

 

27.2

 

82,731

 

47.0

Extended warranties

 

36,070

 

4.2

 

24,632

 

3.8

 

11,438

 

46.4

Other

 

10,991

 

1.3

 

14,232

 

2.3

 

(3,241)

 

(22.8)

Software and Sensors segment

 

458,964

 

53.8

 

312,785

 

48.4

 

146,179

 

46.7

Total net sales

$

853,793

 

100.0

%  

$

645,803

 

100.0

%  

$

207,990

 

32.2

%

Net unit sales for TASER segment products and Software and Sensors segment products were as follows:

Nine Months Ended September 30, 

Unit

Percent

    

2022

    

2021

    

Change

    

Change

TASER 7

 

104,687

 

77,421

 

27,266

 

35.2

%

TASER X26P

 

18,914

 

21,837

 

(2,923)

 

(13.4)

TASER X2

 

9,871

 

24,188

 

(14,317)

 

(59.2)

TASER Consumer devices

 

18,538

 

18,225

 

313

 

1.7

Cartridges

 

4,107,440

 

3,751,060

 

356,380

 

9.5

Axon Body

 

193,483

 

149,914

 

43,569

 

29.1

Axon Flex

 

5,451

 

6,801

 

(1,350)

 

(19.9)

Axon Fleet

 

14,235

 

6,655

 

7,580

 

113.9

Axon Dock

 

17,200

 

20,625

 

(3,425)

 

(16.6)

Net sales for the TASER segment increased 18.6% primarily due to an increase of $56.7 million in TASER 7 devices and $17.7 million in cartridge revenue. We continue to see a shift to purchases of our latest generation device, TASER 7, from legacy devices. TASER 7 revenue was impacted by higher average selling prices and an increase in unit sales. The increase in cartridge revenue was impacted by an increase in unit sales and by higher average selling prices, driven by the increase in TASER 7 cartridge units. The increase in revenue from Axon Evidence and cloud services was driven by revenue from our VR training offering and an increase in the number of TASER 7 devices in the field. Offsetting the increases were decreased unit sales for our legacy TASER devices. During the nine months ended September 30, 2022, we recognized $33.3 million in TASER 7 revenue for orders that were scheduled to ship prior to December 31, 2021, but could not be fulfilled due to the delayed receipt of a manufacturing component for our TASER 7 devices.

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Table of Contents

Net sales for the Software and Sensors segment increased 46.7%, or $146.2 million during the nine months ended September 30, 2022 as we continued to add users and associated devices to our network. The increase in the aggregate number of users drove the majority of the increase in Axon Evidence revenue of $82.7 million. Increased unit sales of our Axon Body 3 camera drove the $32.1 million increase in Axon Body. The $24.8 million increase in Axon Fleet revenue was primarily driven by higher unit sales and higher average selling prices. Our newest Fleet product, Axon Fleet 3, which includes automated license plate reader technology, began shipping on June 30, 2021. An increase in cameras and docks in the field drove the $11.4 million increase in extended warranties, as most of those devices are sold with extended warranties. Partially offsetting the overall increase in the Software and Sensors segment revenue was a $3.2 million decrease of Other revenue, driven primarily by $2.8 million of contra-revenue during the period related to a free trial program of third party products. During the nine months ended September 30, 2022, we recognized $14.7 million for orders that were scheduled to ship prior to December 31, 2021, but could not be fulfilled due to supply chain constraints for our Axon Body 3 devices.

We consider total company future contracted revenues a forward-looking performance indicator. As of September 30, 2022, we had approximately $3.73 billion of total company future contracted revenue, which included both recognized contract liabilities as well as amounts that will be invoiced and recognized in future periods. We expect to recognize between 15% - 20% of this balance over the next twelve months, and expect the remainder to be recognized over the following ten years, subject to risks related to delayed deployments, budget appropriation or other contract cancellation clauses.

Cost of Product and Service Sales

Within the TASER segment, cost of product and service sales increased to $142.5 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 from $112.4 million for the same period in 2021, primarily related to higher unit sales and increased cost on raw materials. Cost as a percentage of sales increased to 36.1% from 33.7%. The increase was primarily attributable to higher labor and freight costs as well as increased manufacturing overhead costs due to expanding our manufacturing capabilities. While we continue to adjust strategic inventory levels based on areas of risk to mitigate potential supply disruption, global supply conditions could further impact our margins.

Within the Software and Sensors segment, cost of product and service sales increased to $188.3 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 from $127.6 million for the same period in 2021. Cost as a percentage of sales increased slightly to 41.0% from 40.8%. The increase was primarily driven by product mix and an increase in low-to-no margin professional services that support new installations for software customers.

Gross Margin

As a percentage of net sales, gross margin for the TASER segment decreased to 63.9% from 66.3% for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively. The decrease was a result of higher labor costs and increases on freight and raw materials.

As a percentage of net sales, gross margin for the Software and Sensors segment decreased slightly to 59.0% from 59.2% for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively. Within the Software and Sensors segment, hardware gross margin was 42.3% for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 compared to 39.2% for the same period in 2021, while the service margins were 72.4% and 74.7% during those same periods, respectively.

Sales, General and Administrative Expenses

Sales, general and administrative ("SG&A") expenses were comprised as follows (dollars in thousands):

Nine Months Ended September 30, 

Dollar

Percent

    

2022

    

2021

    

Change

    

Change

Total sales, general and administrative expenses

$

287,157

$

403,554

$

(116,397)

 

(28.8)

%

SG&A expenses as a percentage of net sales

33.6

%  

62.5

%  

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Table of Contents

Stock-based compensation expense decreased $175.2 million in comparison to the prior year comparable period, which was primarily attributable to a decrease of $116.0 million in expense related to the CEO Performance Award and a decrease of $74.3 million related to our XSPP. The decrease related to the vesting of ten tranches of the CEO Performance Award and nine tranches of the XSPP in 2021, which have no remaining unrecognized expense for the vested tranches. The decrease was partially offset by increased stock-based compensation expense for time-based awards due to higher headcount.

Salaries, benefits, and bonus expense increased $17.9 million. Of the total increase, $21.0 million is attributable to an increase in salaries and related primarily to increased headcount. An increase in bonus expense of $6.1 million reflected higher anticipated attainment on bonuses expected to be paid to employees at the senior director level and below, as well as on our annual bonus. Partially offsetting the increase was a decrease of $9.2 million in payroll taxes related to the vesting of nine tranches of the XSPP in the nine months ending September 30, 2021; as no tranches have vested in 2022, we have not recognized payroll tax expense related to the program this year.

Sales and marketing and travel expenses increased $21.5 million. The increase was primarily driven by a $9.2 million increase in commissions expense tied to higher revenue. Also impacting the change in expense was an increase in travel expenses of $8.6 million reflecting increased in-person customer and vendor meetings. Increased travel costs per trip also impacted higher travel expenses. An increase of $4.3 million related to trade shows and seminars, as we hosted in-person events including our annual user conference, Axon Accelerate, in 2022.

Professional and consulting expenses increased $7.4 million in comparison to the prior year comparable period, driven primarily by increased legal and consulting expense.  

Research and Development Expenses

Research and development ("R&D") expenses were comprised as follows (dollars in thousands):

Nine Months Ended September 30, 

Dollar

Percent

    

2022

    

2021

    

Change

    

Change

Total research and development expenses

$

165,090

$

143,352

$

21,738

 

15.2

%

R&D expenses as a percentage of net sales

19.4

%

22.2

%

Within the TASER segment, R&D expense increased $5.0 million. An increase of $6.1million in salaries, benefits and bonus expense reflected higher headcount. Additionally, indirect manufacturing costs and supplies increased $2.5 million related to the development of next generation products. Fully offsetting these increases was a decrease in stock-based compensation expense of $5.6 million, due to the vesting of nine XSPP tranches during 2021, for which there is no remaining unamortized expense.

R&D expense for the Software and Sensors segment increased $16.7 million, reflecting an increase of $21.5 million in salaries, benefits, and bonus expense due to higher headcount, higher attainment on bonuses expected to be paid to employees at the senior director level and below and on our annual bonus. Partially offsetting the increase was a decrease in stock-based compensation expense of $5.8 million, due to the vesting of nine XSPP tranches during 2021, for which there is no remaining unamortized expense for the vested tranches.

We expect R&D expense to continue to increase in absolute dollars as we focus on growing the Software and Sensors segment as we add headcount and additional resources to develop new products and services to further advance our scalable cloud-connected device platform. We are investing in technologies that include our CEDs, body cameras, in-car cameras and other sensors, artificial intelligence, digital evidence management, productivity software, communications software, and technologies that enable real-time situational awareness for public safety.

Interest and Other Income, Net

Interest and other income, net was $91.1 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2022, compared to income of $36.9 million for the same period in 2021. During the nine months ended September 30, 2022, we recorded a

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Table of Contents

net unrealized gain of $129.4 million related to observable price changes for our existing investments and related warrants and the exercise of warrants in one of our strategic investees, which was partially offset in part by a $36.9 million unrealized loss on marketable securities related to our investment in CLBT. For the nine months ended September 30, 2021, we recorded a gain of $40.9 million related to observable price changes for our investments in certain unconsolidated affiliates and related warrants; $12.3 million of this gain was realized during the period on the sale of a portion of our existing investment.

Provision for Income Taxes

The provision for income taxes was an expense of $43.8 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2022, which was an effective tax rate of 27.1%. Our estimated full year effective income tax rate for 2022, before discrete period adjustments, is 28.0%, which differs from the federal statutory rate primarily due to the impact of R&D tax credits offset by the executive compensation limitation under IRC Section 162(m) and an increase in valuation allowance and unrecognized tax benefits, on projected pre-tax income for the year. The effective tax rate was favorably impacted by a $1.4 million discrete tax benefit primarily associated with net windfalls related to stock-based compensation for RSUs and PSUs that vested during the nine months ended September 30, 2022.

Net Income

We recorded net income of $118.0 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 compared to net loss of $46.5 million for the same period in 2021. Net income per basic share was $1.66 for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 compared to $0.71 net loss per basic share for the same period in 2021. Net income per diluted share was $1.63 for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 compared to $0.71 net loss per diluted share for the same period in 2021.

Non-GAAP Measures

To supplement our financial results presented in accordance with GAAP, we present the non-GAAP financial measures of EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA (CEO Performance Award). Our management uses these non-GAAP financial measures in evaluating our performance in comparison to prior periods. We believe that both management and investors benefit from referring to these non-GAAP financial measures in assessing our performance, and when planning and forecasting our future periods. A reconciliation of GAAP to the non-GAAP financial measures is presented below.

EBITDA (Most comparable GAAP Measure: Net income) - Earnings before interest expense, investment interest income, taxes, depreciation and amortization.
Adjusted EBITDA (CEO Performance Award) (Most comparable GAAP Measure: Net income) - Earnings before interest expense, investment interest income, taxes, depreciation, amortization and non-cash stock-based compensation expense.

Although these non-GAAP financial measures are not consistent with GAAP, management believes investors will benefit by referring to these non-GAAP financial measures when assessing our operating results, as well as when forecasting and analyzing future periods. However, management recognizes that:

these non-GAAP financial measures are limited in their usefulness and should be considered only as a supplement to our GAAP financial measures;
these non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered in isolation from, or as a substitute for, our GAAP financial measures;
these non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered to be superior to our GAAP financial measures; and

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these non-GAAP financial measures were not prepared in accordance with GAAP and investors should not assume that the non-GAAP financial measures presented in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q were prepared under a comprehensive set of rules or principles.

EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA (CEO Performance Award) reconciles to net income (loss) as follows (in thousands):

Three Months Ended

Nine Months Ended

    

September 30, 

    

June 30, 

    

September 30, 

    

September 30, 

    

September 30, 

2022

2022

2021

2022

2021

Net income (loss)

$

12,131

$

50,962

$

48,524

$

117,964

$

(46,510)

Depreciation and amortization

 

6,206

 

6,210

 

4,838

 

18,171

 

13,420

Interest expense

 

3

 

3

 

5

 

14

 

27

Investment interest (income) loss

 

(1,098)

 

584

 

(123)

 

(168)

 

(1,158)

Provision for (benefit from) income taxes

 

8,727

 

17,475

 

(51,164)

 

43,824

 

(57,651)

EBITDA

$

25,969

$

75,234

$

2,080

$

179,805

$

(91,872)

Adjustments:

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

Stock-based compensation expense

 

28,204

 

21,162

 

35,062

 

74,454

 

262,221

Adjusted EBITDA (CEO Performance Award)

$

54,173

$

96,396

$

37,142

$

254,259

$

170,349

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Summary

As of September 30, 2022, we had $147.7 million of cash and cash equivalents, a decrease of $208.6 million as compared to December 31, 2021. Cash and cash equivalents and investments totaled $370.9 million, representing a decrease of $31.2 million from December 31, 2021.

Our ongoing sources of cash include cash on hand, investments, and cash flows from operations. Restricted cash balance of $1.7 million primarily related to funds held in an international bank account securing a guarantee and funds held in an international bank account for a country in which we are required to maintain a minimum balance to operate. This balance is included in prepaid expenses and other current assets, as well as other long-term assets on our condensed consolidated balance sheet. In addition, our $50.0 million revolving credit facility is available for additional working capital needs or investment opportunities. Under the terms of the line of credit, available borrowings are reduced by outstanding letters of credit. Advances under the line of credit bear interest at Term SOFR plus 1.0 to 1.5% per year determined in accordance with a pricing grid based on our funded debt to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization ("EBITDA") ratio.

As of September 30, 2022, we had letters of credit outstanding of $6.5 million, leaving the net amount available for borrowing of $43.5 million. The facility matures on December 31, 2023, and has an accordion feature which allows for an increase in the total line of credit up to $100.0 million, subject to certain conditions, including the availability of additional bank commitments. There can be no assurance that we will continue to generate cash flows at or above current levels or that we will be able to maintain our ability to borrow under our revolving credit facility. At September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, there were no borrowings under the line other than the outstanding letters of credit.

Based on our strong balance sheet and the fact that we do not have long-term debt at September 30, 2022, we believe financing will be available, both through our existing revolving credit facility and possible additional financing. However, there is no assurance that such funding will be available on terms acceptable to us, or at all. We believe that our sources of funding will be sufficient to satisfy our currently anticipated cash requirements including capital expenditures, working capital requirements, potential acquisitions or investments, income and payroll tax payments for net-settled stock awards, and other liquidity requirements through at least the next 12 months. We and our Board of Directors may consider repurchases of our common stock from time to time pursuant to our stock repurchase plan. Further repurchases of our

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common stock would take place on the open market, would be financed with available cash and are subject to market and business conditions.

Cash Flows

The following table summarizes our cash flows from operating, investing and financing activities (in thousands):

Nine Months Ended September 30, 

    

2022

    

2021

Operating activities

$

104,241

$

111,564

Investing activities

(302,001)

93,412

Financing activities

(2,465)

(76,902)

Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents

 

(6,783)

 

(1,827)

Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash

$

(207,008)

$

126,247

Operating activities

Net cash provided by operating activities in the first nine months of 2022 of $104.2 million reflects net income of $118.0 million, non-cash income statement items totaling $41.6 million, and a decrease of $55.3 million for the net change in operating assets and liabilities. Included in the non-cash items were $74.5 million in stock-based compensation expense, a decrease of $30.3 million in deferred income taxes, net, $18.2 million in depreciation and amortization expense, and a $92.5 million gain on the change in fair value of strategic investments and marketable securities, net. Cash provided by operations was favorably impacted by increased deferred revenue of $115.2 million, which was primarily attributable to increased sales where payment is received from the customer before performance occurs. Additionally, accounts payable, accrued and other liabilities increased $28.7 million due to an increase in accounts payable due to the timing of invoice payments and to increased accrued commissions on higher revenue. Offsetting this activity was an increase of accounts and notes receivables and contract assets of $115.0 million, an increase of $66.3 million in inventory, and an increase in prepaid expenses and other assets of $17.9 million. The increase in accounts and notes receivable and contract assets is due to increased sales and timing of satisfied performance obligations compared to customer payments of accounts receivable. Inventory increases were a result of advance purchases to support future sales. The increase in prepaid expenses and other assets was driven by an increase of deferred commissions related to increased bookings. 

Net cash provided by operating activities in the first nine months of 2021 of $111.6 million reflects a net loss of $46.5 million, non-cash income statement items totaling $192.1 million, and a use of cash of $34.1 million for the net change in operating assets and liabilities. Included in the non-cash items were $13.4 million in depreciation and amortization expense, $262.2 million in stock-based compensation expense and a $40.9 million gain on the change in fair value of strategic investments, offset by an  unrealized loss of $6.7 million on marketable securities. Cash provided by operations was impacted by increased deferred revenue of $87.6 million, which was primarily attributable to increased sales. This increase was offset by increased accounts and notes receivable and contract assets of $118.1 million and increased prepaid expenses and other assets of $28.9 million. The increase in accounts and notes receivable and contract assets was primarily driven by increased sales. The increase in prepaid expenses and other assets was driven by increases in deferred commissions for bookings not yet recognized as revenue, an increase in prepaid licenses, an increase in right-of-use lease assets, and an increase in income tax receivable as compared to the prior year end.

Investing activities

We used $302.0 million of cash for investing activities during the first nine months of 2022. Cash outflows from investing activities included $70.5 million for new strategic minority investments, $6.6 million for the exercise price of warrants related to our strategic investments, and $2.1 million for a business acquisition. The outflows also included $178.7 million for the purchase of available-for-sale investments, net of proceeds from calls and maturities. Property and equipment purchases totaled $44.0 million, net of proceeds on disposals.

Net cash provided by investing activities was $93.4 million during the first nine months of 2021. Cash inflows from investing activities included proceeds, net of purchases, from held-to-maturity investments and marketable securities

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of $136.7 million, and $14.5 million of proceeds from the sale of a portion of one of our existing strategic investments. The inflows were partially offset by outflows of $20.5 million for new or incremental strategic minority investments and $36.7 million for the purchase of property and equipment and intangible assets.

Financing activities

Net cash used in financing activities was $2.5 million during the first nine months of 2022 and was primarily attributable to the payment of income and payroll taxes on behalf of employees who net-settled stock awards during the period.

Net cash used in financing activities was $76.9 million during the first nine months of 2021 and was attributable to the payment of income and payroll taxes on behalf of employees who net-settled stock awards during the period, net of proceeds received from our ATM offering. Net-settled stock awards included five tranches of our XSPP which vested during the three months ended September 30, 2021.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

The discussion under the heading off-balance sheet arrangements in Note 13 of the notes to our condensed consolidated financial statements within this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q is incorporated by reference herein.

Critical Accounting Estimates

Our management’s discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operation is based on our condensed consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The preparation of these condensed consolidated financial statements requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenue and expenses, and related disclosures. Our estimates are based on historical experience and various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances, and we evaluate our estimates and assumptions on an ongoing basis. While we do not believe that a change in these estimates is reasonably likely, there can be no assurance that our actual results will not differ from these estimates. 

Our significant accounting policies are discussed in Note 1 to our consolidated financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021. There have been no significant changes to these policies for the nine months ended September 30, 2022.

Item 3.    Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

Interest Rate Risk

We typically invest in a limited number of financial instruments, consisting principally of investments in money market accounts, certificates of deposit, corporate and municipal bonds with a typical long-term debt rating of “A” or better by any nationally recognized statistical rating organization, denominated in U.S. dollars. All of our cash equivalents and investments are treated as “available-for-sale”.  We report available-for-sale investments at fair value as of each balance sheet date and record any unrealized gains or losses within accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) as a component of stockholders’ equity. The cost of securities sold is determined on a specific identification basis, and realized gains and losses are included in interest and other income (expense), net within the condensed consolidated statements of operations. When the fair value is below the amortized cost of a marketable security, an estimate of expected credit losses is made. The credit-related impairment amount is recognized in the consolidated statements of operations. Credit losses are recognized through the use of an allowance for credit losses account in the condensed consolidated balance sheet and subsequent improvements in expected credit losses are recognized as a reversal of an amount in the allowance account. If we have the intent to sell the security or it is more likely than not that we will be required to sell the security prior to recovery of its amortized cost basis, then the allowance for the credit loss is written-off and the excess of the amortized cost basis of the asset over its fair value is recorded in the condensed consolidated statements of operations. Based on investment positions as of September 30, 2022, a hypothetical 100 basis point increase in interest rates across all maturities

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would result in a $4.8 million decline in the fair market value of the portfolio. Such losses would only be realized if we sold the investments prior to maturity.

Additionally, we have access to a $50.0 million line of credit borrowing facility which bears interest at Term SOFR plus 1.0 to 1.5% per year determined in accordance with a pricing grid based on our funded debt to EBITDA ratio. Under the terms of the line of credit, available borrowings are reduced by outstanding letters of credit, which totaled $6.5 million at September 30, 2022. At September 30, 2022, there was no amount outstanding under the line of credit and the available borrowing under the line of credit was $43.5 million. We have not borrowed any funds under the line of credit since its inception; however; should we need to do so in the future, such borrowings could be subject to adverse or favorable changes in the underlying interest rate.

Exchange Rate Risk

Our results of operations and cash flows are subject to fluctuations due to changes in foreign currency exchange rates, in each case compared to the U.S. dollar, related to transactions by our foreign subsidiaries. The majority of our sales to international customers are transacted in foreign currencies and therefore are subject to exchange rate fluctuations on these transactions. The cost of our products to our customers increases when the U.S. dollar strengthens against their local currency, and we may have more sales and expenses denominated in foreign currencies in future years which could increase our foreign exchange rate risk. Additionally, intercompany sales to our non-U.S. dollar functional currency international subsidiaries are transacted in U.S. dollars which could increase our foreign exchange rate risk caused by foreign currency transaction gains and losses.

To date, we have not engaged in any currency hedging activities. However, we may enter into foreign currency forward and option contracts with financial institutions to protect against foreign exchange risks associated with certain existing assets and liabilities, certain firmly committed transactions, forecasted future cash flows and net investments in foreign subsidiaries. However, we may choose not to hedge certain foreign exchange exposures for a variety of reasons, including but not limited to the prohibitive economic cost of hedging particular exposures. As such, fluctuations in currency exchange rates could harm our business in the future.

Item 4.    Controls and Procedures

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

Our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer are responsible for the evaluation of the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act) as of the end of the period covered by this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. Our disclosure controls and procedures are designed to ensure that information we are required to disclose in reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is (i) recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms and (ii) accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. Based on that evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of September 30, 2022.

There was no change in our internal control over financial reporting during the quarter ended September 30, 2022 that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

PART II - OTHER INFORMATION

Item 1.    Legal Proceedings

The discussion under the headings Product Litigation and U.S. Federal Trade Commission Litigation in Note 13 of the notes to our condensed consolidated financial statements included within this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q is incorporated by reference herein.

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Item 1A.    Risk Factors

There are no material changes from the risk factors previously disclosed in Part I, Item 1A, "Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021.

Item 2.    Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds

None.

Item 3.    Defaults Upon Senior Securities

None.

Item 4.    Mine Safety Disclosures

None.

Item 5.   Other Information

None.

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Item 6.    Exhibits

10.1+*

10.2

31.1*

31.2*

32**

101.INS*

Inline XBRL Instance Document - the instance document does not appear in the Interactive Data File because its XBRL tags are embedded within the Inline XBRL document.

101.SCH*

Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document

101.CAL*

Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document

101.DEF*

Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document

101.LAB*

Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document

101.PRE*

Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document

104*

The cover page from the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2022, formatted in Inline XBRL

+Management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement

*     Filed herewith

**   Furnished herewith

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

AXON ENTERPRISE, INC.

Date:

November 9, 2022

By:

/s/ PATRICK W. SMITH

Chief Executive Officer

(Principal Executive Officer)

Date:

November 9, 2022

By:

/s/ BRITTANY BAGLEY

Chief Financial Officer and Chief Business Officer

(Principal Financial and

Accounting Officer)

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