CLEARONE INC - Quarter Report: 2007 March (Form 10-Q)
UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON,
D.C. 20549
FORM
10-Q
(Mark
One)
x Quarterly
Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934
For
the
quarterly period ended March
31, 2007
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: 000-17219
CLEARONE
COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
(Exact
name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Utah
|
87-0398877
|
|
(State
or other jurisdiction of
incorporation
or organization)
|
(I.R.S.
employer
identification
number)
|
5225
Wiley Post Way, Suite 500
Salt
Lake City, Utah
|
84116
|
|
(Address
of principal executive offices)
|
(Zip
Code)
|
Registrant’s
telephone number, including area code: (801)
975-7200
Indicate
by check 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
x No
¨
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an
accelerated filer, or a non-accelerated filer. See definition of “accelerated
filer and larger accelerated filer” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check
one):
Larger
Accelerated Filer ¨
Accelerated Filer ¨
Non-Accelerated Filer x
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule
12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ¨ No
x
Indicate
the number of shares outstanding of each of the registrant’s classes of common
stock, as of the latest practicable date. There were 10,886,859 shares of the
Company’s Common Stock, par value $0.001, outstanding on May 11,
2007.
1
CLEARONE
COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
INDEX
TO FORM 10-Q
FOR
THE QUARTER ENDED MARCH 31, 2007
Page
Number
|
||
Disclosure
Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
|
3
|
|
PART
I - FINANCIAL INFORMATION
|
||
Item
1
|
Condensed
Consolidated Financial Statements
|
|
Condensed
Consolidated Balance Sheets as of March 31, 2007 and June 30,
2006
|
4
|
|
Condensed
Consolidated Statements of Income for the three months ended March
31,
2007 and 2006 and the nine months ended March 31, 2007 and
2006
|
5
|
|
Condensed
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the nine months ended March
31,
2007 and 2006
|
7
|
|
Notes
to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements
|
9
|
|
Item
2
|
Management’s
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations
|
13
|
Item
3
|
Quantitative
and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
|
20
|
Item
4
|
Controls
and Procedures
|
21
|
PART
II - OTHER INFORMATION
|
||
Item
1
|
Legal
Proceedings
|
22
|
Item
1A
|
Risk
Factors
|
22
|
Item
2
|
Unregistered
Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds
|
28
|
Item
3
|
Defaults
Upon Senior Securities
|
28
|
Item
4
|
Submission
of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders
|
28
|
Item
5
|
Other
Information
|
28
|
Item
6
|
Exhibits
|
29
|
Signatures
|
29
|
2
DISCLOSURE
REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This
report contains forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements reflect our views with respect
to future events based upon information available to us at this time. These
forward-looking statements are subject to uncertainties and other factors that
could cause actual results to differ materially from these statements.
Forward-looking statements are typically identified by the use of the words
“believe,” “may,” “could,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,”
“project,” “propose,” “plan,” “intend,” and similar words and expressions;
however, not all forward-looking statements contain these words. Examples of
forward-looking statements are statements that describe the proposed
development, manufacturing, and sale of our products; statements that describe
our results of operations, pricing trends, the markets for our products, our
anticipated capital expenditures, our cost reduction and operational
restructuring initiatives, and regulatory developments; statements with regard
to the nature and extent of competition we may face in the future; statements
with respect to the sources of and need for future financing; and statements
with respect to future strategic plans, goals, and objectives. Forward-looking
statements are contained in this report in Item 2, “Management’s Discussion and
Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” Item 3,
“Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk,” and Item 4,
“Controls and Procedures” included in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. The
forward-looking statements are based on present circumstances and on our
predictions respecting events that have not occurred, that may not occur, or
that may occur with different consequences and timing than those now assumed
or
anticipated. Actual events or results may differ materially from those discussed
in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including
the
risk factors discussed in this report under Part II - Other Information, Item
1A, “Risk Factors” and the application of “Critical Accounting Policies” as
discussed in Item 2, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial
Condition and Results of Operations.” These cautionary statements are intended
to be applicable to all related forward-looking statements wherever they appear
in this report. The cautionary statements contained or referred to in this
report should also be considered in connection with any subsequent written
or
oral forward-looking statements that may be issued by us or persons acting
on
our behalf. Any forward-looking statements are made only as of the date of
this
report and ClearOne assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements
to reflect subsequent events, changes in circumstances, or changes in estimates.
3
PART
I - FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Item
1. Financial Statements
CLEARONE
COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
CONDENSED
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(in
thousands of dollars, except per share amounts)
Unaudited
|
|||||||
March
31,
|
June
30,
|
||||||
2007
|
2006
|
||||||
ASSETS
|
|||||||
Current
assets:
|
|||||||
Cash
and cash equivalents
|
$
|
1,312
|
$
|
1,240
|
|||
Marketable
securities
|
20,650
|
20,550
|
|||||
Accounts
receivable
|
6,847
|
7,784
|
|||||
Note
receivable
|
160
|
-
|
|||||
Inventories,
net
|
6,953
|
6,614
|
|||||
Income
tax receivable
|
-
|
3,240
|
|||||
Deferred
income taxes, net
|
132
|
128
|
|||||
Prepaid
expenses
|
299
|
255
|
|||||
Net
assets of discontinued operations
|
-
|
565
|
|||||
Total
current assets
|
36,353
|
40,376
|
|||||
Property
and equipment, net
|
2,689
|
1,647
|
|||||
Note
receivable - long-term
|
85
|
-
|
|||||
Other
assets
|
13
|
15
|
|||||
Total
assets
|
$
|
39,140
|
$
|
42,038
|
|||
LIABILITIES
AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY
|
|||||||
Current
liabilities:
|
|||||||
Accounts
payable
|
$
|
1,946
|
$
|
2,597
|
|||
Accrued
taxes
|
456
|
-
|
|||||
Accrued
liabilities
|
1,814
|
2,397
|
|||||
Deferred
product revenue
|
5,111
|
5,871
|
|||||
Total
current liabilities
|
9,327
|
10,865
|
|||||
Deferred
rent
|
894
|
-
|
|||||
Deferred
income taxes, net
|
132
|
128
|
|||||
Other
long-term liabilities
|
578
|
633
|
|||||
Total
liabilities
|
10,931
|
11,626
|
|||||
Shareholders'
equity:
|
|||||||
Common
stock, par value $0.001, 50,000,000 shares authorized,
|
|||||||
10,881,262
and 12,184,727 shares issued and outstanding, respectively
|
11
|
12
|
|||||
Additional
paid-in capital
|
47,578
|
52,764
|
|||||
Accumulated
deficit
|
(19,380
|
)
|
(22,364
|
)
|
|||
Total
shareholders' equity
|
28,209
|
30,412
|
|||||
Total
liabilities and shareholders' equity
|
$
|
39,140
|
$
|
42,038
|
|||
See
accompanying notes to condensed consolidated financial
statements
|
4
CLEARONE
COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
CONDENSED
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
(Unaudited)
(in
thousands of dollars, except per share amounts)
Three
Months Ended
|
Nine
Months Ended
|
||||||||||||
March
31,
|
March
31,
|
March
31,
|
March
31,
|
||||||||||
2007
|
2006
|
2007
|
2006
|
||||||||||
Product
Revenue:
|
$
|
9,355
|
$
|
8,278
|
$
|
28,873
|
$
|
26,158
|
|||||
Cost
of goods sold:
|
4,190
|
4,253
|
13,366
|
12,737
|
|||||||||
Gross
profit
|
5,165
|
4,025
|
15,507
|
13,421
|
|||||||||
Operating
expenses:
|
|||||||||||||
Marketing
and selling
|
2,004
|
1,920
|
5,711
|
5,542
|
|||||||||
General
and administrative
|
763
|
1,060
|
2,260
|
4,288
|
|||||||||
Settlement
in shareholders' class action
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(1,205
|
)
|
||||||||
Research
and product development
|
1,848
|
2,201
|
5,782
|
5,778
|
|||||||||
Total
operating expenses
|
4,615
|
5,181
|
13,753
|
14,403
|
|||||||||
Operating
income (loss)
|
550
|
(1,156
|
)
|
1,754
|
(982
|
)
|
|||||||
Other
income (expense), net:
|
|||||||||||||
Interest
income
|
572
|
218
|
1,163
|
563
|
|||||||||
Other,
net
|
5
|
19
|
66
|
31
|
|||||||||
Other
income (expense), net:
|
577
|
237
|
1,229
|
594
|
|||||||||
Income
(loss) from continuing operations before income taxes
|
1,127
|
(919
|
)
|
2,983
|
(388
|
)
|
|||||||
(Provision)
benefit from income taxes
|
(167
|
)
|
782
|
(303
|
)
|
1,150
|
|||||||
Income
(loss) from continuing operations
|
960
|
(137
|
)
|
2,680
|
762
|
||||||||
Discontinued
operations:
|
|||||||||||||
Income
from discontinued operations
|
-
|
50
|
75
|
268
|
|||||||||
Gain
(loss) on disposal of discontinued operations
|
420
|
1,030
|
410
|
2,676
|
|||||||||
Income
tax provision
|
(157
|
)
|
(403
|
)
|
(181
|
)
|
(1,098
|
)
|
|||||
Income
from discontinued operations:
|
263
|
677
|
304
|
1,846
|
|||||||||
Net
income
|
$
|
1,223
|
$
|
540
|
$
|
2,984
|
$
|
2,608
|
|||||
See
accompanying notes to condensed consolidated financial
statements
|
5
CLEARONE
COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
CONDENSED
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (CONTINUED)
(Unaudited)
(in
thousands of dollars, except per share amounts)
Three
Months Ended
|
Nine
Months Ended
|
||||||||||||
March
31,
|
March
31,
|
March
31,
|
March
31,
|
||||||||||
2007
|
2006
|
2007
|
2006
|
||||||||||
Basic
earnings per common share from continuing operations
|
$
|
0.09
|
$
|
(0.01
|
)
|
$
|
0.23
|
$
|
0.06
|
||||
Diluted
earnings per common share from continuing operations
|
$
|
0.09
|
$
|
(0.01
|
)
|
$
|
0.23
|
$
|
0.06
|
||||
Basic
earnings per common share from discontinued operations
|
$
|
0.02
|
$
|
0.06
|
$
|
0.03
|
$
|
0.16
|
|||||
Diluted
earnings per common share from discontinued operations
|
$
|
0.02
|
$
|
0.06
|
$
|
0.03
|
$
|
0.15
|
|||||
Basic
earnings per common share
|
$
|
0.11
|
$
|
0.04
|
$
|
0.25
|
$
|
0.22
|
|||||
Diluted
earnings per common share
|
$
|
0.11
|
$
|
0.04
|
$
|
0.25
|
$
|
0.21
|
|||||
Basic
weighted average shares
|
10,994,607
|
12,184,727
|
11,705,853
|
11,882,375
|
|||||||||
Diluted
weighted average shares
|
11,101,791
|
12,187,446
|
11,770,145
|
12,214,401
|
|||||||||
See
accompanying notes to condensed consolidated financial
statements
|
6
CLEARONE
COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
CONDENSED
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(Unaudited)
(in
thousands of dollars, except per share amounts)
Nine
Months Ended
|
|||||||
March
31,
|
March
31,
|
||||||
2007
|
2006
|
||||||
Cash
flows from operating activities:
|
|||||||
Net
income from continuing operations
|
$
|
2,680
|
$
|
762
|
|||
Adjustments
to reconcile net income from continuing operations
|
|||||||
to
net cash provided by (used in) operations:
|
|||||||
Depreciation
and amortization expense
|
678
|
998
|
|||||
Stock-based
compensation
|
658
|
875
|
|||||
Write-off
of inventory
|
499
|
425
|
|||||
(Gain)
loss on disposal of assets and fixed assets write-offs
|
1
|
(59
|
)
|
||||
Provision
for doubtful accounts
|
1
|
3
|
|||||
Accounts
receivable
|
936
|
(125
|
)
|
||||
Note
receivable - Ken-A-Vision
|
(245
|
)
|
-
|
||||
Inventories
|
(838
|
)
|
(250
|
)
|
|||
Other
assets
|
(43
|
)
|
(215
|
)
|
|||
Accounts
payable
|
(651
|
)
|
(366
|
)
|
|||
Accrued
liabilities
|
(737
|
)
|
(1,647
|
)
|
|||
Income
taxes receivable
|
3,696
|
276
|
|||||
Other
liabilities
|
(55
|
)
|
18
|
||||
Deferred
product revenue
|
(760
|
)
|
300
|
||||
Net
cash provided by continuing operating activities
|
5,820
|
995
|
|||||
Net
cash provided by discontinued operating activities
|
47
|
267
|
|||||
Net
cash provided by operating activities
|
5,867
|
1,262
|
|||||
Cash
flows from investing activities:
|
|||||||
Purchase
of property and equipment
|
(732
|
)
|
(233
|
)
|
|||
Proceeds
from the sale of property and equipment
|
60
|
82
|
|||||
Purchase
of marketable securities
|
(22,650
|
)
|
(5,450
|
)
|
|||
Sale
of marketable securities
|
22,550
|
2,400
|
|||||
Net
cash provided by (used in) continuing investing activities
|
(772
|
)
|
(3,201
|
)
|
|||
Net
cash provided by discontinued investing activities
|
822
|
1,678
|
|||||
Net
cash provided by (used in) investing activities
|
50
|
(1,523
|
)
|
||||
Cash
flows from financing activities:
|
|||||||
Proceeds
from common stock
|
36
|
-
|
|||||
Purchase
and retirement of stock
|
(5,881
|
)
|
-
|
||||
Net
cash used in financing activities
|
(5,845
|
)
|
-
|
||||
Net
increase in cash and cash equivalents
|
72
|
(261
|
)
|
||||
Cash
and cash equivalents at the beginning of the period
|
1,240
|
1,892
|
|||||
Cash
and cash equivalents at the end of the period
|
$
|
1,312
|
$
|
1,631
|
|||
See
accompanying notes to condensed consolidated financial
statements
|
7
CLEARONE
COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
CONDENSED
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (CONTINUED)
(Unaudited)
(in
thousands of dollars, except per share amounts)
Nine
Months Ended
|
|||||||
March
31,
|
March
31,
|
||||||
2007
|
2006
|
||||||
Supplemental
disclosure of cash flow information:
|
|||||||
Cash
paid for interest
|
$
|
1
|
$
|
-
|
|||
Cash
paid (received) for income taxes
|
(3,176
|
)
|
(346
|
)
|
|||
Supplemental
disclosure of non-cash financing activities:
|
|||||||
Value
of common shares issued in shareholder settlement
|
$
|
-
|
$
|
2,264
|
|||
Lease
incentive for Edgewater leasehold improvements
|
1,049
|
-
|
|||||
See
accompanying notes to condensed consolidated financial
statements
|
8
CLEARONE
COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
NOTES
TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(Unaudited)
(in
thousands of dollars, except per share amounts)
1.
Basis of Presentation
The
accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements, consisting of the
condensed consolidated balance sheets as of March 31, 2007 and June 30, 2006,
the condensed consolidated statements of income for the three and nine months
ended March 31, 2007 and 2006, and the condensed consolidated statements
of cash
flows for the nine months ended March 31, 2007 and 2006, have been prepared
in
accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States
for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q.
Accordingly, certain information and footnote disclosures normally included
in
complete financial statements have been condensed or omitted. These condensed
consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the
consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company's
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended June 30, 2006.
In
management’s opinion, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring
adjustments) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included.
The results of operations for interim periods are not necessarily indicative
of
the results of operations to be expected for the entire year or for any future
period.
2.
Inventory
Inventories,
net of reserves, consisted of the following as of March 31, 2007 and June
30,
2006 (in thousands):
March
31,
|
June
30,
|
||||||
2007
|
2006
|
||||||
Raw
materials
|
$
|
168
|
$
|
513
|
|||
Finished
goods
|
4,520
|
3,284
|
|||||
Consigned
inventory
|
2,265
|
2,817
|
|||||
Total
inventory
|
$
|
6,953
|
$
|
6,614
|
Consigned
inventory represents inventory at distributors and other customers where
revenue
recognition criteria have not been achieved.
3.
Share-Based Payment
The
Company’s share-based compensation primarily consists of the following
plans:
On
March
31, 2007, the Company had one active share-based compensation plan, the 1998
Stock Option Plan (the “1998 Plan”). Provisions of the 1998 Plan include the
granting of up to 2,500,000 incentive and non-qualified stock options. Options
may be granted to directors, officers, and key employees and may be granted
upon
such terms as the Board of Directors, in their sole discretion, determine.
Through December 1999, 1,066,000 options were granted that would cliff vest
after 9.8 years; however, such vesting was accelerated for 637,089 of these
options upon meeting certain earnings per share goals through the fiscal
year
ended June 30, 2003. Subsequent to December 1999 and through June 2002,
1,248,250 options were granted that would cliff vest after 6.0 years; however,
such vesting was accelerated for 300,494 of these options upon meeting certain
earnings per share goals through the fiscal year ended June 30, 2005. As
of
March 31, 2007, 22,500 and 150,250 of these options that cliff vest after
9.8
and 6.0 years, respectively, remain outstanding.
9
Of
the
options granted subsequent to June 2002, all vesting schedules are based
on 3 or
4-year vesting schedules, with either one-third or one-fourth vesting on
the
first anniversary and the remaining options vesting ratably over the remainder
of the vesting term. Generally, directors and officers have 3-year vesting
schedules and all other employees have 4-year vesting schedules. Additionally,
in the event of a change in control or the occurrence of a
corporate
transaction, the Company’s Board of Directors have the authority to elect that
all unvested options shall vest and become exercisable immediately prior
to the
event or closing of the transaction. All options outstanding as of March
31,
2007 had contractual lives of ten years. Under the 1998 Plan, 2,500,000 shares
were authorized for grant. The 1998 Plan expires June 10, 2008, or when all
the
shares available under the plan have been issued if this occurs earlier.
As of
March 31, 2007, there were 1,303,248 options outstanding under the 1998 Plan,
which includes the cliff vesting and 3 or 4-year vesting options discussed
above.
The
Company also has an Employee Stock Purchase Plan (“ESPP”). Employees can
purchase common stock through payroll deductions of up to 10 percent of their
base pay. Amounts deducted and accumulated by the employees are used to purchase
shares of common stock on or about the first day of each month. The Company
contributes to the account of the employee one share of common stock for
every
nine shares purchased by the employee under the ESPP. The program was suspended
during the period the Company failed to remain current in its filing of periodic
reports with the SEC and reinstated in fiscal year 2007 after the Company
became
current.
Effective
July 1, 2005, the Company adopted SFAS No. 123R, “Share-Based Payment.” The
Company adopted the fair value recognition provisions of SFAS No. 123R using
the
modified prospective transition method. Under this transition method,
stock-based compensation cost recognized beginning July 1, 2005 includes
the
straight-line compensation cost for (a) all share-based payments granted
prior
to July 1, 2005, but not yet vested, based on the grant date fair values
used in
the pro-forma disclosures under the original SFAS No. 123 and (b) all
share-based payments granted on or after July 1, 2005, in accordance with
the
provisions of SFAS No. 123R.
The
Company uses judgment in determining the fair value of the share-based payments
on the date of grant using an option-pricing model with assumptions regarding
a
number of highly complex and subjective variables. These variables include,
but
are not limited to, the risk-free interest rate of the awards, the expected
life
of the awards, the expected volatility over the term of the awards, the expected
dividends of the awards, and an estimate of the amount of awards that are
expected to be forfeited. The Company uses the Black-Scholes option pricing
model to determine the fair value of share-based payments granted under SFAS
No.
123R and the original SFAS No. 123.
10
4.
Discontinued Operations
During
the first fiscal quarter of 2007, the Company completed the sales of its
document and educational camera product line to Ken-A-Vision Manufacturing.
Additionally, during fiscal 2005, the Company completed the sale of its
conferencing services business component to Premiere Conferencing (“Premiere”)
and its Canadian audiovisual integration services, OM Video, to 6351352 Canada
Inc, a Canada corporation (the “OM Purchaser”). During fiscal 2006, the Company
received the $1,000 Indemnity Escrow payment from Premiere and certain payments
on the note receivable from the new owners of OM Video. Accordingly, the
results
of operations and the financial position have been reclassified in the
accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements as discontinued
operations. Finally, during fiscal 2001, the Company sold certain assets
to Burk
Technology, Inc. (“Burk”) whose sales proceeds are included with discontinued
operations. Summary operating results of the discontinued operations are
as
follows (in thousands of dollars):
Three
Months Ended
|
Nine
Months Ended
|
|||||||||||||||
March
31,
|
March
31,
|
March
31,
|
March
31,
|
|||||||||||||
2007
|
2006
|
2007
|
2006
|
|||||||||||||
Income
from discontinued operations:
|
||||||||||||||||
Ken-A-Vision
|
$
|
-
|
$
|
50
|
$
|
75
|
$
|
268
|
||||||||
Gain
(loss) on disposal of discontinued operations:
|
||||||||||||||||
Ken-A-Vision
|
$
|
-
|
$
|
-
|
$
|
(10
|
)
|
$
|
-
|
|||||||
Conferencing
Services
|
-
|
1,030
|
-
|
1,030
|
||||||||||||
OM
Video
|
420
|
-
|
420
|
300
|
||||||||||||
Burk
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
1,346
|
||||||||||||
Total
gain (loss) on disposal of discontinued operations
|
420
|
1,030
|
410
|
2,676
|
||||||||||||
Income
tax benefit (provision):
|
||||||||||||||||
Ken-A-Vision
|
$
|
-
|
$
|
-
|
$
|
(24
|
)
|
$
|
(81
|
)
|
||||||
Conferencing
Services
|
-
|
(384
|
)
|
-
|
(384
|
)
|
||||||||||
OM
Video
|
(157
|
)
|
(19
|
)
|
(157
|
)
|
(131
|
)
|
||||||||
Burk
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(502
|
)
|
|||||||||||
Total
income tax benefit (provision)
|
(157
|
)
|
(403
|
)
|
(181
|
)
|
(1,098
|
)
|
||||||||
Total
income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of income
taxes:
|
||||||||||||||||
Ken-A-Vision
|
$
|
-
|
$
|
50
|
$
|
41
|
$
|
187
|
||||||||
Conferencing
Services
|
-
|
646
|
-
|
646
|
||||||||||||
OM
Video
|
263
|
(19
|
)
|
263
|
169
|
|||||||||||
Burk
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
844
|
||||||||||||
Total
income (loss) from discontinued operations,
|
||||||||||||||||
net
of income taxes
|
$
|
263
|
$
|
677
|
$
|
304
|
$
|
1,846
|
OM
Video
On
March
4, 2005, the Company sold all of the issued and outstanding stock of its
Canadian subsidiary, ClearOne Communications of Canada, Inc. (“ClearOne Canada”)
to 6351352 Canada Inc., a Canada corporation. ClearOne Canada owned all the
issued and outstanding stock of Stechyson Electronics, Ltd., which conducts
business under the name OM Video. The Company agreed to sell the stock of
ClearOne Canada for $200 in cash; a $1,256 note receivable over a 15-month
period, with interest accruing on the unpaid balance at the rate of 5.3 percent
per year; and contingent consideration ranging from 3.0 percent to 4.0 percent
of related gross revenues over a five-year period. In June 2005, the Company
was
advised that the OM Purchaser had settled an action brought by the former
employer of certain of OM Purchaser’s owners and employees alleging violation of
non-competition agreements. The settlement reportedly involved a cash payment
and an agreement not to sell certain products for a period of one year. Based
on
an analysis of the facts and circumstances that existed at the end of fiscal
2005, and considering the guidance from Topic 5U of the SEC Rules and
Regulations, “Gain Recognition on the Sale of a Business or Operating Assets to
a Highly Leveraged Entity,” the gain is being recognized as cash is collected
(as collection was not reasonably assured). Through December 31, 2005, all
required payments had been made however, 6351352 Canada Inc. failed to make
any
subsequent, required payments under the note receivable until June 30, 2006,
when we received a payment of $50. The Company recently reevaluated its options
and concluded that its best course of action is to enforce its security and
appoint a receiver over the assets of OM Video. As of March 31, 2007, the
amount
of the promissory note and contingent earn-out provision was approximately
$800
which is net of $420 collected through receivership. The Company expects
to
collect up to an additional $150, which is net of receiver fees, over the
next
several periods.
11
5.
Shareholders’ Equity
The
Company’s shareholders’ equity of $28.20 million at March 31, 2007 declined
approximately $2.2 million from June 30, 2006. During the first nine months
of
fiscal 2007, the Company repurchased 1.3 million shares at aggregate cost
of
$5.84 million, the majority of which were repurchased in a tender offer during
fiscal 2Q 2007. The cost of the share repurchases were offset by approximately
$600 in stock-based compensation and $3.0 million in net income for the nine
months ended March 31, 2007.
6.
Reclassifications
Certain
amounts in the reported June 30, 2006 balance sheet have been reclassified
to
conform with the March 31, 2007 presentation.
7. |
Recent
Accounting Pronouncements
|
In
July 2006, the FASB issued Interpretation No. 48 (“FIN 48”),
Accounting
for Uncertainty in Income Taxes,
which
clarifies the accounting for uncertainty in income taxes recognized in the
financial statements in accordance with FASB Statement No. 109,
Accounting
for Income Taxes.
FIN 48
provides guidance on the financial statement recognition and measurement
of a
tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. FIN 48 also provides
guidance on recognition, classification, interest and penalties, accounting
in
interim periods, disclosures, and transition. FIN 48 is effective for fiscal
years beginning after December 15, 2006. We are currently evaluating the
impact of FIN 48 on our consolidated financial statements.
12
Item
2.
|
MANAGEMENT'S
DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF
OPERATIONS
|
The
following discussion should be read in conjunction with our unaudited condensed
consolidated financial statements and related notes to condensed consolidated
financial statements included in this Form 10-Q and our audited consolidated
financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year
ended June 30, 2006 filed with the SEC and management’s discussion and analysis
contained therein. This discussion contains forward-looking statements based
on
current expectations that involve risks and uncertainties, such as our plans,
objectives, expectations, and intentions, as set forth under “Disclosure
Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.” Our actual results and the timing of
events could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking
statements as a result of various factors, including those set forth in the
following discussion and under the caption “Risk Factors” in Part II, Item 1A,
as well as other information found in the documents we file from time to
time
with the SEC. Unless otherwise indicated, all references to a year reflect
our
fiscal year that ends on June 30.
BUSINESS
OVERVIEW
We
are an
audio conferencing products company. We develop, manufacture, market, and
service a comprehensive line of audio conferencing products, which range
from
personal speakerphones to tabletop conferencing phones to professionally
installed audio systems. We believe we have a strong history of product
innovation and plan to continue to apply our expertise in audio engineering
to
developing innovative new products. The performance and reliability of our
high-quality solutions create a natural communication environment, which
saves
organizations of all sizes time and money by enabling more effective and
efficient communication between geographically separated businesses, employees,
and customers.
CRITICAL
ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Our
discussion and analysis of our results of operations and financial condition
are
based upon our condensed consolidated financial statements, which have been
prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.
We
review the accounting policies used in reporting our financial results on
a
regular basis. The preparation of these financial statements requires management
to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets
and
liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date
of
the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses
during the reporting period. We evaluate our assumptions and estimates on
an
ongoing basis and may employ outside experts to assist in our evaluations.
We
believe that the estimates we use are reasonable; however, actual results
could
differ from those estimates. We believe the following critical accounting
policies affect our more significant assumptions and estimates that we used
to
prepare our condensed consolidated financial statements.
Revenue
and Associated Allowances for Revenue Adjustments and Doubtful
Accounts
Included
in continuing operations is product revenue, primarily from product sales
to
distributors, dealers, and end-users. Product revenue is recognized when
(i) the
products are shipped and any right of return expires, (ii) persuasive evidence
of an arrangement exists, (iii) the price is fixed and determinable, and
(iv)
collection is reasonably assured.
We
provide a right of return on product sales to distributors. Currently, we
do not
have sufficient historical return experience with our distributors that is
predictive of future events given historical excess levels of inventory in
the
distribution channel. Accordingly, revenue from product sales to distributors
is
not recognized until the return privilege has expired, which approximates
when
product is sold-through to customers of the Company’s distributors (dealers,
system integrators, value-added resellers, and end-users) rather than when
the
product is initially shipped to a distributor. We evaluate, at each quarter-end,
the inventory in the channel through information provided by certain of our
distributors. The level of inventory in the channel will fluctuate up or
down,
each quarter, based upon our distributors’ individual operations. Accordingly,
each quarter-end revenue deferral is calculated and recorded based upon the
underlying, estimated channel inventory at quarter-end. Although, certain
distributors provide certain channel inventory amounts, we make judgments
and
estimates with regard to the amount of inventory in the entire channel, for
all customers and for all channel inventory items, and the appropriate
revenue and cost of goods sold associated with those channel
products. Although these assumptions and judgments regarding total channel
inventory revenue and cost of goods sold could differ from actual
amounts, we believe that our calculations are indicative of actual levels
of
inventory in the distribution channel. As of March 31, 2007, the Company
deferred
13
$5.1
million in revenue and $2.3 million in cost of goods sold related to products
sold where return rights had not lapsed. The amounts of deferred cost of
goods
sold were included in consigned inventory. The following table details the
amount of deferred revenue and cost of goods sold at each period end for
the
21-month period ended March 31, 2007 (in thousands).
Deferred
Revenue
|
Deferred
Cost of Goods Sold
|
Deferred
Gross Profit
|
||||||||
March
31, 2007
|
$
|
5,111
|
$
|
2,265
|
$
|
2,846
|
||||
December
31, 2006
|
4,711
|
2,166
|
2,545
|
|||||||
September
30, 2006
|
5,249
|
2,541
|
2,708
|
|||||||
June
30, 2006
|
5,871
|
2,817
|
3,054
|
|||||||
March
31, 2006
|
5,355
|
2,443
|
2,912
|
|||||||
December
31, 2005
|
4,936
|
2,199
|
2,737
|
|||||||
September
30, 2005
|
4,848
|
2,373
|
2,475
|
|||||||
June
30, 2005
|
5,055
|
2,297
|
2,758
|
|||||||
March
31, 2005
|
5,456
|
2,321
|
3,135
|
|||||||
December
31, 2004
|
4,742
|
1,765
|
2,977
|
|||||||
September
30, 2004
|
5,617
|
1,920
|
3,697
|
|||||||
June
30, 2004
|
6,107
|
2,381
|
3,726
|
We
offer
rebates and market development funds to certain of our distributors and direct
dealers/resellers based upon volume of product purchased by them. We record
rebates as a reduction of revenue in accordance with Emerging Issues Task
Force
(“EITF”) Issue No. 00-22, “Accounting for Points and Certain Other Time-Based or
Volume-Based Sales Incentive Offers, and Offers for Free Products or Services
to
Be Delivered in the Future.” Beginning January 1, 2002, we adopted EITF Issue
No. 01-9, “Accounting for Consideration Given by a Vendor to a Customer
(Including a Reseller of the Vendor’s Products).” We continue to record rebates
as a reduction of revenue in the period revenue is recognized.
We
offer
credit terms on the sale of our products to a majority of our customers and
perform ongoing credit evaluations of our customers’ financial condition. We
maintain an allowance for doubtful accounts for estimated losses resulting
from
the inability or unwillingness of our customers to make required payments
based
upon our historical collection experience and expected collectibility of
all
accounts receivable. Our actual bad debts in future periods may differ from
our
current estimates and the differences may be material, which may have an
adverse
impact on our future accounts receivable and cash position.
Goodwill
and Purchased Intangibles
We
assess
the impairment of goodwill and other identifiable intangibles annually or
whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value
may
not be recoverable. Some factors we consider important which could trigger
an
impairment review include the following:
· |
Significant
underperformance relative to projected future operating
results;
|
· |
Significant
changes in the manner of our use of the acquired assets or the strategy
for our overall business; and
|
· |
Significant
negative industry or economic trends.
|
If
we
determine that the carrying value of goodwill and other identified intangibles
may not be recoverable based upon the existence of one or more of the above
indicators of impairment, we would typically measure any impairment based
on a
projected discounted cash flow method using a discount rate determined by
us to
be commensurate
with the risk inherent in our current business model. We evaluate goodwill
for
impairment at least annually.
We
plan
to conduct our annual impairment tests in the fourth quarter of every fiscal
year, unless impairment indicators exist sooner. Screening for and assessing
whether impairment indicators exist or if events or changes in circumstances
have occurred, including market conditions, operating fundamentals, competition,
and general economic conditions, requires significant judgment. Additionally,
changes in the high-technology industry occur frequently and quickly. Therefore,
there can be no assurance that a charge to operations will not occur as a
result
of future purchased intangible impairment tests.
14
Impairment
of Long-Lived Asset
We
assess
the impairment of long-lived assets, such as property, equipment, and
definite-lived intangibles subject to amortization, annually or whenever
events
or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of an asset
may not
be recoverable. Recoverability of assets to be held and used is measured
by a
comparison of the carrying amount of an asset or asset group to estimated
future
undiscounted net cash flows of the related asset or group of assets over
their
remaining lives. If the carrying amount of an asset exceeds its estimated
future
undiscounted cash flows, an impairment charge is recognized for the amount
by
which the carrying amount exceeds the estimated fair value of the asset.
Impairment of long-lived assets is assessed at the lowest levels for which
there
are identifiable cash flows that are independent of other groups of assets.
The
impairment of long-lived assets requires judgments and estimates. If
circumstances change, such estimates could also change. Assets held for sale
are
reported at the lower of the carrying amount or fair value, less the estimated
costs to sell.
Accounting
for Income Taxes
We
are
subject to income taxes in both the United States and in certain non-U.S.
jurisdictions. We estimate our current tax position together with our future
tax
consequences attributable to temporary differences resulting from differing
treatment of items, such as deferred revenue, depreciation, and other reserves
for tax and accounting purposes. These temporary differences result in deferred
tax assets and liabilities. We must then assess the likelihood that our deferred
tax assets will be recovered from future taxable income, prior year carryback,
or future reversals of existing taxable temporary differences. To the extent
we
believe that recovery is not more likely than not, we establish a valuation
allowance against these deferred tax assets. Significant management judgment
is
required in determining our provision for income taxes, our deferred tax
assets
and liabilities, and any valuation allowance recorded against our deferred
tax
assets. To the extent we establish a valuation allowance in a period, we
must
include an expense for the allowance within the tax provision in the condensed
consolidated statement of operations. The reversal of a previously established
valuation allowance results in a benefit for income taxes. As of March 31,
2007
we continued to be fully reserved against our net deferred tax assets which
total to approximately $5.2 million.
Lower-of-Cost
or Market Adjustments and Reserves for Excess and Obsolete
Inventory
We
account for our inventory on a first-in, first-out (“FIFO”) basis, and make
appropriate adjustments on a quarterly basis to write down the value of
inventory to the lower-of-cost or market.
In
order
to determine what, if any, inventory needs to be written down, we perform
a
quarterly analysis of obsolete and slow-moving inventory. In general, we
write
down our excess and obsolete inventory by an amount that is equal to the
difference between the cost of the inventory and its estimated market value
if
market value is less than cost, based upon assumptions about future product
life-cycles, product demand, or market conditions. Those items that are found
to
have a supply in excess of our estimated demand are considered to be slow-moving
or obsolete and the appropriate reserve is made to write down the value of
that
inventory to its realizable value. These charges are recorded in cost of
goods
sold. At the point of the loss recognition, a new, lower-cost basis for that
inventory is established and subsequent changes in facts and circumstances
do
not result in the restoration or increase in that newly established cost
basis.
If there were to be a sudden and significant decrease in demand for our
products, or if there were a higher incidence of inventory obsolescence because
of rapidly changing technology and customer requirements, we could be required
to increase our inventory allowances, and our gross profit could be adversely
affected.
Share-Based
Payment
Prior
to
June 30, 2005 and as permitted under the original SFAS No. 123, we accounted
for
our share-based payments following the recognition and measurement principles
of
Accounting Principles Board Opinion No. 25, “Accounting for Stock Issued to
Employees,” as interpreted. Accordingly, no share-based compensation expense had
been reflected in our statements of operations for unmodified option grants
since (1) the exercise price equaled the market value of the underlying common
stock on the grant date and (2) the related number of shares to be granted
upon
exercise of the stock option was fixed on the grant date.
15
In
December 2004, the FASB issued SFAS No. 123R, “Share-Based Payment.” SFAS No.
123R is a revision of SFAS No. 123. SFAS No. 123R establishes standards for
the
accounting for transactions in which an entity exchanges its equity instruments
for goods or services. Primarily, SFAS No. 123R focuses on accounting for
transactions in which an entity obtains employee services in share-based
payment
transactions. It also addresses transactions in which an entity incurs
liabilities in exchange for goods or services that are based on the fair
value
of the entity’s equity instruments or that may be settled by the issuance of
those equity instruments.
Under
SFAS No. 123R, we measure the cost of employee services received in exchange
for
an award of equity instruments based on the grant date fair value of the
award
(with limited exceptions). That cost will be recognized over the period during
which an employee is required to provide service in exchange for the awards
-
the requisite service period (usually the vesting period). No compensation
cost
is recognized for equity instruments for which employees do not render the
requisite service. Therefore, if an employee does not ultimately render the
requisite service, the costs associated with the unvested options will not
be
recognized, cumulatively.
Effective
July 1, 2005, we adopted SFAS No. 123R and its fair value recognition provisions
using the modified prospective transition method. Under this transition method,
stock-based compensation cost recognized after July 1, 2005 includes the
straight-line basis compensation cost for (a) all share-based payments granted
prior to July 1, 2005, but not yet vested, based on the grant date fair values
used for the pro-forma disclosures under the original SFAS No. 123 and (b)
all
share-based payments granted or modified on or after July 1, 2005, in accordance
with the provisions of SFAS No. 123R.
Under
SFAS No. 123R, we recognize compensation cost net of an anticipated forfeiture
rate and recognize the associated compensation cost for those awards expected
to
vest on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period. We use judgment
in determining the fair value of the share-based payments on the date of
grant
using an option-pricing model with assumptions regarding a number of highly
complex and subjective variables. These variables include, but are not limited
to, the expected life of the awards, the expected volatility over the term
of
the awards, the expected dividends of the awards, the risk-free interest
rate of
the awards, and an estimate of the amount of awards that are expected to
be
forfeited. If assumptions change in the application of SFAS No. 123R in future
periods, the stock-based compensation cost ultimately recorded under SFAS
No.
123R may differ significantly from what was recorded in the current
period.
SEASONALITY
Our
audio
conferencing products revenue has historically been strongest during our
second
and fourth quarters. There can be no assurance that any historic sales patterns
will continue and, as a result, sales for any prior quarter are not necessarily
indicative of the sales to be expected in any future quarter.
ANALYSIS
OF RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Results
of Operations for the three months or the third fiscal quarter (“3Q”) and nine
months of the fiscal year (“9M”) ended March 31, 2007 and
2006
The
following table sets forth certain items from our unaudited condensed
consolidated statements of operations (in thousands) for the three and nine
months ended March 31, 2007 and 2006, together with the percentage of total
revenue which each such item represents:
16
CLEARONE
COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
CONDENSED
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
(Unaudited)
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
(in
thousands of dollars, except per share amounts)
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
Three
Months Ended
|
Nine
Months Ended
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
March
31,
|
March
31,
|
March
31,
|
March
31,
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
2007
|
2006
|
2007
|
2006
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
%
of Revenue
|
%
of Revenue
|
%
of Revenue
|
%
of Revenue
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Product
Revenue:
|
$
|
9,355
|
100%
|
|
$
|
8,278
|
100%
|
|
$
|
28,873
|
100%
|
|
$
|
26,158
|
100%
|
|
|||||||||
Cost
of goods sold:
|
4,190
|
45%
|
|
4,253
|
51%
|
|
13,366
|
46%
|
|
12,737
|
49%
|
|
|||||||||||||
Gross
profit
|
5,165
|
55%
|
|
4,025
|
49%
|
|
15,507
|
54%
|
|
13,421
|
51%
|
|
|||||||||||||
Operating
expenses:
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
Marketing
and selling
|
2,004
|
21%
|
|
1,920
|
23%
|
|
5,711
|
20%
|
|
5,542
|
21%
|
|
|||||||||||||
General
and administrative
|
763
|
8%
|
|
1,060
|
13%
|
|
2,260
|
8%
|
|
4,288
|
16%
|
|
|||||||||||||
Settlement
in shareholders' class action
|
-
|
0%
|
|
-
|
0%
|
|
-
|
0%
|
|
(1,205
|
)
|
-5%
|
|
||||||||||||
Research
and product development
|
1,848
|
20%
|
|
2,201
|
27%
|
|
5,782
|
20%
|
|
5,778
|
22%
|
|
|||||||||||||
Total
operating expenses
|
4,615
|
49%
|
|
5,181
|
63%
|
|
13,753
|
48%
|
|
14,403
|
55%
|
|
Revenue
Revenue
for 3Q 2007 increased by 13%, or approximately $1.1 million, compared to
3Q
2006. The
3Q
2007 increase was due mainly to growth in the Company’s professional audio and
premium conferencing products which collectively increased approximately
$1.3
million over 3Q 2006. The 3Q 2007 increases were offset by an approximate
$150,000 collective decline in the Company’s tabletop and conferencing furniture
lines over the same period of 2006.
9M
2007
revenue increased by 10%, or approximately $2.7 million compared to 9M
2006.
The 9M
2007 revenue increase was led by growth in professional audio and tabletop
product sales which increased $2.7 million over 9M 2006. The Company also
realized gains in its personal conferencing, OEM and accessories products
which
collectively increased about $450,000. These increases were offset by reduced
premium conferencing, conferencing furniture and other product sales which
together declined about $400,000 in 9M 2007.
We
evaluate, at each quarter-end, the inventory in the channel through information
provided by certain of our distributors. The level of inventory in the
channel will fluctuate up or down, each quarter, based upon our distributors’
individual operations. Accordingly, each quarter-end revenue deferral is
calculated and recorded based upon the underlying, estimated channel inventory
at quarter-end. During 3Q 2007 and 2006, the net change in deferred
revenue based on the net movement of inventory in the channel was a net deferral
of ($400,000) and ($419,000) in revenue, respectively. For 9M 2007 and 2006,
the
net change in deferred revenue based on the net movement of inventory in
the
channel was a net recognition (deferral) of $760,000 and ($300,000) in revenue,
respectively.
Total
revenues from sales outside of the United States accounted for 30% total
revenue
for the three and nine months ended March 31, 2007, respectively and 32%
and 26%
of total revenue for the three and nine months ended March 31, 2006,
respectively.
Costs
of Goods Sold and Gross Profit
Costs
of
goods sold (“COGS”) from the product segment includes expenses associated with
finished goods purchased from outsourced manufacturers, the manufacture of
our
products, including material and direct labor, our manufacturing and operations
organization, property and equipment depreciation, warranty expense, freight
expense, royalty payments, and the allocation of overhead expenses.
17
The
following table displays our COGS and gross profit together with each item’s
amount as a percentage of total revenue:
Three
Months Ended March 31,
|
Nine
Months Ended March 31,
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
(in
thousands)
|
(in
thousands)
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
2007
|
2006
|
2007
|
2006
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
%
of Revenue
|
%
of Revenue
|
%
of Revenue
|
%
of Revenue
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Cost
of goods sold
|
$
|
4,190
|
44.8%
|
|
$
|
4,253
|
51.4%
|
|
$
|
13,366
|
46.3%
|
|
$
|
12,737
|
48.7%
|
|
|||||||||
Gross
profit
|
$
|
5,165
|
55.2%
|
|
$
|
4,025
|
48.6%
|
|
$
|
15,507
|
53.7%
|
|
$
|
13,421
|
51.3%
|
|
The
Company’s gross profit margin (GPM), gross profit as a percentage of sales, was
55.2% and 53.7% in 3Q and 9M 2007, respectively, compared to 48.6% and 51.3%
in
3Q and 9M 2006, respectively. GPM for 3Q 2007 was significantly higher than
the
same period of 2006 due primarily to a $400,000 decrease in inventory cost
variances and product write-off’s in addition to the favorable mix and magnitude
of the $1.1 million or 13% increase in 3Q 2007 revenue. The increase in GPM
for
9M 2007 over the same period of 2006 was also due primarily to a favorable
mix
of higher margin product revenue in 9M 2007, led by the Company’s professional
audio conferencing products, in addition to lower inventory cost variances
and
product write-off’s.
Operating
Expenses
3Q
2007
operating expenses were $4.6 million, a decrease of $566,000, or 10.9%, from
$5.2 million for 3Q 2006. 9M 2007 operating expenses of $13.8 million were
$650,000 or 5% lower than the 9M 2006 total of $14.4 million. The 9M 2006
figure
included a $1.2 million benefit related to the settlement in the shareholders’
class action. Without the 9M 2006 settlement benefit, 9M 2006 operating expenses
were $15.6 million, or 12% higher than 9M 2007. The following is a more detailed
discussion of expenses related to marketing and selling, general and
administrative, and research and product development.
Marketing
and selling expenses.
Marketing and selling expenses include selling, customer service, and marketing
expenses such as employee-related costs, allocations of overhead expenses,
trade
shows, and other advertising and selling expenses. 3Q 2007 marketing and
selling
expenses increased $84,000, or 4%, to $2.0 million compared to 3Q 2006 expenses
of $1.9 million. As a percentage of revenues, 3Q 2007 and 2006 marketing
and
selling expenses were 21.4% and 23.2%, respectively. The lower 3Q 2007
percentage can be attributed to the 13% higher revenues in 3Q2007 over the
same
period of 2006 without an associated increase in marketing and selling expenses.
9M 2007 and 2006 marketing and selling expenses were also about the same
at $5.7
million and $5.5 million, respectively. As a percentage of revenues, 9M 2007
and
2006 marketing and selling expenses were 19.8% and 21.2%, respectively. The
lower 9M 2007 percentage is primarily due to the 10% higher revenues over
the
same period of 2006.
General
and administrative expenses.
G&A
expenses include employee-related costs, professional service fees, allocations
of overhead expenses, litigation costs, including costs associated with the
SEC
investigation and subsequent litigation, and corporate administrative costs,
including finance and human resources. 3Q 2007 G&A expenses decreased
$297,000, or 28%, to $763,000 compared to 3Q 2006 expenses of $1.1 million.
3Q
2007 and 2006 G&A expenses were 8.2% and 12.8% of sales, respectively. The
significant 3Q 2007 decrease was largely due to lower audit fees of $193,000
as
higher fees were required in much of fiscal 2006 to bring the Company’s
financial statements current, lower depreciation of $228,000 related to much
of
the Company’s computer and related equipment becoming fully depreciated and
lower payroll and related expenses of $113,000 associated with lower G&A
headcount. 9M 2007 G&A expenses decreased $2.0 million, or 47%, to $2.3
million compared to 9M 2006 expenses of $4.3 million. 9M 2007 and 2006 G&A
expenses were 7.8% and 16.4% of sales, respectively. The $2.0 million decrease
in 9M 2007 was due mainly to lower audit fees of $1.1 million, lower payroll
and
related expenses of $400,000 and lower depreciation expense of $348,000,
each of
which decreased for the same reasons discussed in the 3Q change discussed
above.
Research
and product development expenses.
Research
and product development expenses include research and development, product
line
management, engineering services, and test and application expenses, including
employee-related costs, outside services, expensed materials, depreciation,
and
an allocation of overhead expenses. 3Q 2007 research and product development
expenses decreased to $1.9 million from $2.2 million in 3Q 2006. As a percentage
of revenues, 3Q 2007 and 2006 research and product development expenses were
19.8% and 26.6%, respectively. The 3Q 2007 percentage and dollar decreases
were
due primarily to the 13% increase in revenues and lower outside engineering
services. 9M 2007 and 9M 2006 research and product development expenses were
about the same at $5.8 million. As a percentage of revenues, 9M 2007 and
2006
research and product development expenses were 20.0% and 22.1% of sales,
respectively; the lower 9M 2007 percentage is attributable to the 10% increase
in revenues from 9M 2006.
18
Operating
income.
3Q 2007
operating income was $550,000 compared to an operating loss of ($1.2 million)
in
3Q 2006. The 3Q 2007 operating income increase of approximately $1.7 million
was
due mainly to the $1.1 million increase in gross profit combined with the
$297,000 decrease in G&A expenses and the $353,000 decrease in research and
development expenses. 9M 2007 operating income was $1.8 million compared
to an
operating loss of ($1.0 million) in 9M 2006. As previously discussed, 9M
2006
included a $1.2 million benefit related to a settlement in the shareholders’
class action. Without the 9M 2006 settlement benefit, 9M 2007 operating income
would have been approximately $3.9 million higher than 9M 2006 reflecting
the 9M
2007 $2.1 million gross profit increase and $2.0 million decrease in G&A
expenses, slightly offset by the $170,000 increase in marketing and selling
expenses.
Other
income (expense), net.
Other
income (expense), net, includes interest income, interest expense, capital
gains, gain (loss) on the disposal of assets, and currency gain (loss). 3Q
2007
other income was $577,000, an increase of $340,000 from other income of $237,000
in 3Q 2006. 9M 2007 other income was $1.2 million, an increase of $635,000
from
other income of $594,000 in 9M 2006. The increases in both 3Q and 9M 2007
were
primarily due to an increase in interest income associated with benefiting
from
higher interest rates on our marketable securities and receipt of $326,000
in
interest income related to an income tax refund.
Income
(loss) from continuing operations before income taxes.
3Q 2007
income from continuing operations was $1.0 million compared to a (loss) in
3Q
2006 of ($137,000). As a percentage of revenues, 3Q 2007 and 2006 income
(loss)
from continuing operations was 10.3% and (1.7%), respectively. 9M 2007 income
from continuing operations was $2.7 million compared to $762,000 in 9M 2006.
As
a percentage of revenues, 9M 2007 and 2006 income from continuing operations
was
9.3% and 2.9%, respectively. We attribute the fiscal 2007 improvement in
income
to the results of operations described above.
Income
(loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax. During
3Q
2007 and 2006 we recorded income from discontinued operations, net of tax
of
$263,000 and $677,000, respectively. The 3Q 2007 income was exclusively related
to funds received through the receivership of OM Video. The 3Q 2006 income
of
$677,000 was related to receipt of final payment on our sale of the conferencing
services business in addition to income from the discontinued operations
of the
document and educational camera product line. For 9M 2007 and 2006 income
from
discontinued operations, net of tax was $304,000 and $1.8 million, respectively.
The significant decrease in 9M 2007 can be attributed mainly to the 9M 2006
realized gain, net of tax, of $844,000 related to a Mutual Release and Waiver
with Burk Technology, Inc. as well as the realized gain, net of tax, of $646,000
related to the final payment on our sale of the conferencing services business
previously discussed. Additionally, we recognized $168,000 in income from
discontinued operations from the document and educational camera product
line
and $188,000 of payments on our OM Video promissory note.
19
LIQUIDITY
AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
As
of
March 31, 2007, our cash and cash equivalents were approximately $1.3 million
and our marketable securities were approximately $20.65 million, representing
an
overall increase of $172,000 in our balances from June 30, 2006 which had
cash
and cash equivalents of approximately $1.2 million and marketable securities
of
approximately $20.6 million. Despite the slight increase in cash and marketable
securities in March 31, 2007 versus June 30, 2006, we experienced significant
fluctuations in these balances for the first nine months of fiscal 2007.
During
the first nine months of fiscal 2007 the Company repurchased of 1.3 million
shares of common stock for approximately $5.8 million. These share repurchases
were offset by receipt of a $3.5 million federal income tax refund and
associated interest in addition to other net increases in cash provided by
operating and investing activities.
Net
cash
flows provided by operating activities were $5.9 million for the nine months
ended March 31, 2007, an increase of $4.6 million from the net cash flows
provided by operating activities of $1.3 for the nine months ended March
31,
2006. The year-over-year increase can be attributed primarily to an increase
in
net income from continuing operations of $1.9 million and receipt of the
$3.5
million federal income tax refund and associated interest, offset by
depreciation and amortization which decreased $320,000 and stock-based
compensation which decreased $217,000.
Net
cash
flows provided by investing activities were $50,000 for the nine months ended
March 31, 2007, an increase of $1.6 million from the net cash flows (used
in)
investing activities of ($1.5 million) for the nine months ended March 31,
2006.
The change was primarily attributable to the purchase of $3.0 million in
marketable securities and $233,000 in property and equipment partially offset
by
$1.7 million net cash provided by discontinued investing activities during
the
nine months ending March 31, 2006.
Net
cash
(used in) financing activities for the nine months ended March 31, 2007 totaled
($5.8 million) and was primarily related to the Company’s repurchase of 1.3
million shares of common stock. We did not use nor receive cash from financing
activities during the same period ending March 31, 2006.
Additionally,
we recorded $1.1 million in non-cash financing activities related to leasehold
improvements to our new headquarters, the majority of which was paid as an
incentive by the lessor as part of the lease agreement. These improvements
are
being accounted for in accordance with FASB Technical Bulletin No. 88-1,
Issues
Relating to Accounting for Leases,
which
states among other things that landlord incentives which fund leasehold
improvements should be recorded as deferred rent and amortized as reductions
to
lease expense over the term of the lease.
Management
believes that future income from operations and effective management of working
capital will provide the liquidity needed to finance growth plans. In addition
to capital expenditures, the Company plans to use cash during the remainder
of
fiscal 2007 for selective infusions of technological, marketing or product
manufacturing rights to broaden the Company's product offerings; for continued
share repurchases; and if available for a reasonable price, acquisitions
that
may strategically fit the Company’s business and are accretive to performance.
Item
3. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET
RISK
Our
exposure to market risk has not changed materially since June 30,
2006.
20
Item
4. CONTROLS
AND PROCEDURES
We
maintain disclosure controls and procedures designed to ensure that information
required to be disclosed in our reports filed under the Securities Exchange
Act
of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), is recorded, processed, summarized,
and reported within the required time periods and that such information is
accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive
Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate, to allow for timely
decisions regarding required disclosure. The effectiveness of any system
of
disclosure controls and procedures is subject to certain limitations, including
the exercise of judgment in designing, implementing, and evaluating the controls
and procedures, the assumptions used in identifying the likelihood of future
events, and the inability to eliminate improper conduct completely. A controls
system, no matter how well-designed and operated, cannot provide absolute
assurance that the objectives of the controls system are met, and no evaluation
of controls can provide absolute assurance that all control issues and instances
of fraud, if any, within a company have been detected. As a result, there
can be
no assurance that our disclosure controls and procedures will detect all
errors
or fraud.
As
required by Rule 13a-15 under the Exchange Act, we have completed an evaluation,
under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including
the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer, of the
effectiveness and the design and operation of our disclosure controls and
procedures as of March 31, 2007.
Based
upon this evaluation, our management, including the Chief Executive Officer
and
the Chief Financial Officer, has concluded that our disclosure controls and
procedures were effective as of March 31, 2007.
There
were no changes in the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting that
occurred during the quarter ended March 31, 2007, that have materially affected,
or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal controls
over financial reporting.
21
PART
II - OTHER INFORMATION
Item
1. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
Legal
Proceedings.
In
addition to the legal proceedings described below, we are also involved from
time to time in various claims and other legal proceedings which arise in
the
normal course of business. Such matters are subject to many uncertainties
and
outcomes that are not predictable. However, based on the information available
to us as of May 11, 2007 and after discussions with legal counsel, we do
not
believe any such other proceedings will have a material, adverse effect on
our
business, results of operations, financial position, or liquidity, except
as
described below.
Theft
of Trade Secrets Complaint.
On
January 3, 2007, the Company filed a lawsuit in the Third Judicial District
Court, Salt Lake County, State of Utah against WideBand Solutions, Inc.,
Biamp
Systems Corporation, Inc. and two individuals; one a former employee and
one
previously affiliated with the Company. The Complaint brings claims against
different combinations of the defendants for, among other things,
misappropriation of certain trade secrets, breach of contract, conversion,
unjust enrichment and intentional interference with business and contractual
relations. The relief being sought by the Company includes an order enjoining
the defendants from further use of the Company’s trade secrets and an award
consisting of, among other things, compensation and damages related the unjust
enrichment of the defendants. The litigation is in the early stages, is subject
to all of the risks and uncertainties of litigation and there can be no
assurance as to the probable result of this litigation.
Item
1A. RISK FACTORS
Investors
should carefully consider the risks described below. The risks described
below
are not the only ones we face, and there are risks that we are not presently
aware of or that we currently believe are immaterial that may also impair
our
business operations. Any of these risks could harm our business. The trading
price of our common stock could decline significantly due to any of these
risks
and investors may lose all or part of their investment. In assessing these
risks, investors should also refer to the other information contained or
incorporated by reference in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, including
our
March 31, 2007 unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and
related
notes.
Risks
Relating to Our Business
We
face intense competition in all of the markets for our products and services;
our operating results will be adversely affected if we cannot compete
effectively against other companies.
As
described in more detail in the section entitled “Competition,” in our Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the year ended June 30, 2006, the markets for our
products and services are characterized by intense competition and pricing
pressures and rapid technological change. We compete with businesses having
substantially greater financial, research and development, manufacturing,
marketing, and other resources. If we are not able to continually design,
manufacture, and successfully introduce new or enhanced products or services
that are comparable or superior to those provided by our competitors and
at
comparable or better prices, we could experience pricing pressures and reduced
sales, gross profit, profits, and market share, each of which could have
a
materially adverse effect on our business.
Difficulties
in estimating customer demand in our products segment could harm our profit
margins.
Orders
from our distributors and other distribution participants are based on demand
from end-users. Prospective end-user demand is difficult to measure. This
means
that our revenues in any fiscal quarter could be adversely impacted by low
end-user demand, which could in turn negatively affect orders we receive
from
distributors and dealers. Our expectations for both short- and long-term
future
net revenues are based on our own estimates of future demand.
Revenues
for any particular time period are difficult to predict with any degree of
certainty. We usually ship products within a short time after we receive
an
order; so consequently, unshipped backlog has not been a good indicator of
future revenues. We believe that the current level of backlog will fluctuate
dependent in part on our ability to forecast revenue mix and plan our
manufacturing accordingly. A significant portion of our customers’ orders are
received in the last month of the quarter. We budget the amount of our expenses
based on our revenue estimates. If our estimates of sales are not accurate
and
we experience unforeseen variability in our revenues and operating results,
we
may be unable to adjust our expense levels accordingly and our gross profit
and
results of operations will be adversely affected. Higher inventory levels
or
stock shortages may also result from difficulties in estimating customer
demand.
22
Our
sales depend to a certain extent on government funding and
regulation.
In
the
audio conferencing products market, the revenues generated from sales of
our
audio conferencing products for distance learning and courtroom facilities
are
dependent on government funding. In the event government funding for such
initiatives was reduced or became unavailable, our sales could be negatively
impacted. Additionally, many of our products are subject to governmental
regulations. New regulations could significantly impact sales in an adverse
manner.
Environmental
laws and regulations subject us to a number of risks and could result in
significant costs and impact on revenue
New
regulations regarding the materials used in manufacturing, the process of
disposing of electronic equipment, and the efficient use of energy have emerged
in the last few years. The first implementations of these regulations have
taken
place in Europe and have required significant effort from ClearOne to comply.
Other countries and U.S. states are currently enacting or considering similar
regulations, which could require additional resources and effort from ClearOne
to comply.
The
European Parliament has published the RoHS Directive, which restricts the
use of
certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment beginning
July 1, 2006. In order to comply with this directive, it has become necessary
to
re-design the majority of our products and switch over to components that
do not
contain the restricted substances, such as lead, mercury, and cadmium. This
process involves procurement of the new compliant components, engineering
effort
to design, develop, test, and validate them, and re-submitting these re-designed
products for multiple country emissions, safety, and telephone line interface
compliance testing and approvals. This effort has consumed resources and
time
that would otherwise have been spent on new product development, which will
continue until the products have been updated.
To
date,
we have completed the re-design of our products and are shipping these products
into the European market. Certain of our products will not be re-designed.
Accordingly, sales into the European market may be negatively impacted and
our
results of operations could suffer. Our outsourced manufacturers may hold
us
responsible for the cost of purchased components that have become obsolete
as a
result of our re-design efforts. To the extent that we cannot manage these
potential exposures to our current estimates, our results of operations could
be
negatively impacted. In addition, because this has essentially become a
worldwide issue for all electronics manufacturers who wish to sell into the
European market, we have seen increased lead times for compliant components
because of the increased demand. This is an issue that is not unique to
ClearOne, but also applies to many manufacturers exporting products to the
European Union.
The
European Parliament has also published the WEEE Directive, which makes producers
of certain electrical and electronic equipment financially responsible for
collection, reuse, recycling, treatment, and disposal of equipment placed
on the
European Union market after August 13, 2005. We are currently compliant in
terms
of the labeling requirements and have finalized the recycling processes with
the
appropriate entities within Europe. According to our understanding of the
directive, distributors of our product are deemed producers and must comply
with
this directive by contracting with a recycler for the recovery, recycling,
and
reuse of product.
The
California law regarding efficient use of energy goes into effect in July
2007
and will require re-design of power supplies on certain products in order
to
comply. ClearOne has already begun this effort.
Product
development delays or defects could harm our competitive position and reduce
our
revenues.
We
have,
in the past, and may again experience, technical difficulties and delays
with
the development and introduction of new products. Many of the products we
develop contain sophisticated and complicated circuitry and components, and
utilize manufacturing techniques involving new technologies. Potential
difficulties in the development process that could be experienced by us include
difficulty in:
23
·
|
meeting
required specifications and regulatory standards;
|
·
|
meeting
market expectations for performance and price;
|
·
|
hiring
and keeping a sufficient number of skilled developers;
|
·
|
obtaining
prototype products at anticipated cost levels;
|
·
|
having
the ability to identify problems or product defects in the development
cycle; and
|
·
|
achieving
necessary manufacturing
efficiencies.
|
Once
new
products reach the market, they may have defects, or may be met by unanticipated
new competitive products, which could adversely affect market acceptance
of
these products and our reputation. If we are not able to manage and minimize
such potential difficulties, our business and results of operations could
be
negatively affected.
Our
profitability may be adversely affected by our continuing dependence on our
distribution channels.
We
market
our products primarily through a network of distributors who in turn sell
our
products to systems integrators, dealers, and value-added resellers. All
of our
agreements with such distributors and other distribution participants are
non-exclusive, terminable at will by either party and generally short-term.
No
assurances can be given that any or all such distributors or other distribution
participants will continue their relationship with us. Distributors and to
a
lesser extent systems integrators, dealers, and value-added resellers cannot
easily be replaced and the loss of revenues and our inability to reduce expenses
to compensate for the loss of revenues could adversely affect our net revenues
and profit margins.
Although
we rely on our distribution channels to sell our products, our distributors
and
other distribution participants are not obligated to devote any specified
amount
of time, resources, or efforts to the marketing of our products or to sell
a
specified number of our products. There are no prohibitions on distributors
or
other resellers offering products that are competitive with our products
and
most do offer competitive products. The support of our products by distributors
and other distribution participants may depend on the competitive strength
of
our products and the price incentives we offer for their support. If our
distributors and other distribution participants are not committed to our
products, our revenues and profit margins may be adversely
affected.
Reporting
of channel inventory by certain distributors.
We
defer
recognition of revenue from product sales to distributors until the return
privilege has expired, which approximates when product is sold-through to
customers of our distributors. We evaluate, at each quarter-end, the inventory
in the channel through information provided by certain of our distributors.
We
use this information along with our judgment and estimates to determine the
amount of inventory in the entire channel, for all customers and for all
inventory items, and the appropriate revenue and cost of goods sold associated
with those channel products. We cannot guarantee that the third party data,
as
reported, or that our assumptions and judgments regarding total channel
inventory revenue and cost of goods sold will be accurate.
We
depend on an outsourced manufacturing strategy.
In
August
2005, we entered into a manufacturing agreement with a manufacturing services
provider, to be the exclusive manufacturer of substantially all the products
that were previously manufactured at our Salt Lake City, Utah manufacturing
facility. This manufacturer is currently the primary manufacturer of many
of our
products. We also have agreements with offshore manufacturers for the
manufacture of other product lines. If any of these outsourced manufacturers
experience difficulties in obtaining sufficient supplies of components,
component prices significantly exceed anticipated costs, an interruption
in
their operations, or otherwise suffer capacity constraints, we would experience
a delay in shipping these products which would have a negative impact on
our
revenues. Should there be any disruption in services due to natural disaster,
economic or political difficulties, quarantines, transportation restrictions,
acts of terror, or other restrictions associated with infectious diseases,
or
other similar events, or any other reason, such disruption would have a material
adverse effect on our business. Operating in the international environment
exposes us to certain inherent risks, including unexpected changes in regulatory
requirements and tariffs, and potentially adverse tax consequences, which
could
materially affect our results of operations. Currently, we have no second
source
of manufacturing for substantially all of our products.
The
cost
of delivered product from our outsourced manufacturers is a direct function
of
their ability to buy components at a competitive price and to realize
efficiencies and economies of scale within their overall business structure.
If
they are unsuccessful in driving efficient cost models, our delivered costs
could rise, affecting our profitability and ability to compete. In addition,
if
the outsourced manufacturers are unable to achieve greater operational
efficiencies, delivery schedules for new product development and current
product
delivery could be negatively impacted.
24
We
depend on a single source for certain components.
Certain
of our products have been qualified to utilize components for which we rely
upon
a consistent supply from a single source. Our reliance on a single source
puts
us at risk if, for whatever reason, we are unable to receive these
single-sourced components to meet demand which could have a material adverse
effect on our business.
Product
obsolescence could harm demand for our products and could adversely affect
our
revenues and our results of operations.
Our
industry is subject to rapid and frequent technological innovations that
could
render existing technologies in our products obsolete and thereby decrease
market demand for such products. If any of our products become slow-moving
or
obsolete and the recorded value of our inventory is greater than its market
value, we will be required to write down the value of our inventory to its
fair
market value, which would adversely affect our results of operations. In
limited
circumstances, we are required to purchase components that our outsourced
manufacturers use to produce and assemble our products. Should technological
innovations render these components obsolete, we will be required to write
down
the value of this inventory, which could adversely affect our results of
operations.
If
we
are unable to protect our intellectual property rights or have insufficient
proprietary rights, our business would be materially impaired.
We
currently rely primarily on a combination of trade secrets, copyrights,
trademarks, patents, patents pending, and nondisclosure agreements to establish
and protect our proprietary rights in our products. No assurances can be
given
that others will not independently develop similar technologies, or duplicate
or
design around aspects of our technology. In addition, we cannot assure that
any
patent or registered trademark owned by us will not be invalidated, circumvented
or challenged, or that the rights granted thereunder will provide competitive
advantages to us. Litigation may be necessary to enforce our intellectual
property rights. We believe our products and other proprietary rights do
not
infringe upon any proprietary rights of third parties; however, we cannot
assure
that third parties will not assert infringement claims in the future. Our
industry is characterized by vigorous protection of intellectual property
rights. Such claims and the resulting litigation are expensive and could
divert
management’s attention, regardless of their merit. In the event of a claim, we
might be required to license third-party technology or redesign our products,
which may not be possible or economically feasible.
We
currently hold only a limited number of patents. To the extent that we have
patentable technology for which we have not filed patent applications, others
may be able to use such technology or even gain priority over us by patenting
such technology themselves.
International
sales account for a significant portion of our net revenue and risks inherent
in
international sales could harm our business.
International
sales represent a significant portion of our total product sales. We anticipate
that the portion of our total product revenue from international sales will
continue to increase as we further enhance our focus on developing new products,
establishing new distribution partners, strengthening our presence in key
growth
areas, and improving product localization with country-specific product
documentation and marketing materials. Our international business is subject
to
the financial and operating risks of conducting business internationally,
including:
·
|
unexpected
changes in, or the imposition of, additional legislative or regulatory
requirements;
|
·
|
unique
environmental regulations;
|
·
|
fluctuating
exchange rates;
|
·
|
tariffs
and other barriers;
|
·
|
difficulties
in staffing and managing foreign sales operations;
|
·
|
import
and export restrictions;
|
·
|
greater
difficulties in accounts receivable collection and longer payment
cycles;
|
·
|
potentially
adverse tax consequences;
|
·
|
potential
hostilities and changes in diplomatic and trade
relationships;
|
·
|
disruption
in services due to natural disaster, economic or political difficulties,
quarantines, transportation,
or
other restrictions associated with infectious
diseases.
|
25
We
may not be able to hire and retain qualified key and highly-skilled technical
employees, which could affect our ability to compete effectively and may
cause
our revenue and profitability to decline.
We
depend
on our ability to hire and retain qualified key and highly-skilled employees
to
manage, research and develop, market, and service new and existing products.
Competition for such key and highly-skilled employees is intense, and we
may not
be successful in attracting or retaining such personnel. To succeed, we must
hire and retain employees who are highly skilled in the rapidly changing
communications and Internet technologies. Individuals who have the skills
and
can perform the services we need to provide our products and services are
in
great demand. Because the competition for qualified employees in our industry
is
intense, hiring and retaining employees with the skills we need is both
time-consuming and expensive. We might not be able to hire enough skilled
employees or retain the employees we do hire. In addition, provisions of
the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and related rules of the SEC impose heightened
personal liability on some of our key employees. The threat of such liability
could make it more difficult to identify, hire and retain qualified key and
highly-skilled employees. We have relied on our ability to grant stock options
as a means of recruiting and retaining key employees. Recent accounting
regulations requiring the expensing of stock options will impair our future
ability to provide these incentives without incurring associated compensation
costs. Our inability to hire and retain employees with the skills we seek
could
hinder our ability to sell our existing products, systems, or services or
to
develop new products, systems, or services with a consequent adverse effect
on
our business, results of operations, financial position, or
liquidity.
Our
reliance on third-party technology or license agreements.
We
have
licensing agreements with various suppliers for software and hardware
incorporated into our products. These third-party licenses may not continue
to
be available to us on commercially reasonable terms, if at all. The termination
or impairment of these licenses could result in delays of current product
shipments or delays or reductions in new product introductions until equivalent
designs could be developed, licensed, and integrated, if at all possible,
which
would have a material adverse effect on our business.
We
may have difficulty in collecting outstanding receivables.
We
grant
credit without requiring collateral to substantially all of our customers.
In
times of economic uncertainty, the risks relating to the granting of such
credit
would typically increase. Although we monitor and mitigate the risks associated
with our credit policies, we cannot ensure that such mitigation will be
effective. We have experienced losses due to customers failing to meet their
obligations. Future losses could be significant and, if incurred, could harm
our
business and have a material adverse effect on our operating results and
financial position.
Interruptions
to our business could adversely affect our operations.
As
with
any company, our operations are at risk of being interrupted by earthquake,
fire, flood, and other natural and human-caused disasters, including disease
and
terrorist attacks. Our operations are also at risk of power loss,
telecommunications failure, and other infrastructure and technology based
problems. To help guard against such risks, we carry business interruption
loss
insurance to help compensate us for losses that may occur.
26
Risks
Relating to Our Company
Our
stock price fluctuates as a result of the conduct of our business and stock
market fluctuations.
The
market price of our common stock has experienced significant fluctuations
and
may continue to fluctuate significantly. The market price of our common stock
may be significantly affected by a variety of factors, including:
·
|
statements
or changes in opinions, ratings, or earnings estimates made by
brokerage
firms or industry analysts relating to the market in which we do
business
or relating to us specifically;
|
·
|
disparity
between our reported results and the projections of
analysts;
|
·
|
the
shift in sales mix of products that we currently sell to a sales
mix of
lower-gross profit product offerings;
|
·
|
the
level and mix of inventory levels held by our
distributors;
|
·
|
the
announcement of new products or product enhancements by us or our
competitors;
|
·
|
technological
innovations by us or our competitors;
|
·
|
success
in meeting targeted availability dates for new or redesigned
products;
|
·
|
the
ability to profitably and efficiently manage our supplies of products
and
key components;
|
·
|
the
ability to maintain profitable relationships with our
customers;
|
·
|
the
ability to maintain an appropriate cost structure;
|
·
|
quarterly
variations in our results of operations;
|
·
|
general
consumer confidence or general market conditions or market conditions
specific to technology industries;
|
·
|
domestic
and international economic conditions;
|
·
|
the
adoption of the new accounting standard, SFAS No. 123R, “Share-Based
Payments,” which requires us to record compensation expense for certain
options issued before July 1, 2005 and for all options issued or
modified
after June 30, 2005;
|
·
|
our
ability to report financial information in a timely manner;
and
|
·
|
the
markets in which our stock is
traded.
|
We
have previously identified material weaknesses in our internal
controls.
In
our
Form 10-K for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2006, we reported and identified
a
material weakness in our internal controls. Although we believe we have remedied
this weakness through the commitment of considerable resources, we are always
at
risk that any future failure of our own internal controls or the internal
control at any of our outsourced manufacturers or service providers could
result
in additional reported material weaknesses. Any future failures of our internal
controls could have a material impact on our market capitalization, results
of
operations, or financial position, or have other adverse
consequences.
Our
directors and officers own a significant percentage of the Company, and may
exert significant influence over us.
Our
officers and directors together have beneficial ownership in excess of 20%
percent of our common stock. With this significant holding in the aggregate,
the
officers and directors, acting together, could exert a significant degree
of
influence over us and may be able to delay or prevent a change in
control.
27
Item
2. UNREGISTERED SALES OF EQUITY SECURITIES AND USE OF
PROCEEDS
Items
2(a) and (b) are not applicable
(c)
Stock
Repurchases
The
following table details purchases by ClearOne of its own securities during
3Q
2007.
ISSUER
PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
Period
|
Total
Number of Shares Purchased
|
Average
Price Paid per Share
|
Total
Number of Shares Purchased as Part of Publicly Announced Plans
or
Programs
|
Maximum
Number (or Approximate Dollar Value) of Shares that May by Purchased
Under
the Plans or Programs (1)
|
January
1, 2007 - January 31, 2007
|
3,700
|
$4.42
|
3,700
|
$1,841,000
|
February
1, 2007 - February 28, 2007
|
144,301
|
$5.56
|
148,001
|
$1,039,000
|
March
1, 2007 - March 31, 2007
|
50,000
|
$6.35
|
198,001
|
$721,000
|
Total
|
198,001
|
198,001
|
(1) |
On
August 31, 2006, the Company announced that its Board of Directors
had
approved a stock buy-back program to purchase up to $2,000,000 of
the
Company’s common stock over the next 12 months on the open market. All
repurchased shares will be immediately retired. The stock buy-back
program
will expire in August 2007.
|
Item
3. DEFAULTS UPON SENIOR SECURITIES
Not
Applicable.
Item
4. SUBMISSION OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITY HOLDERS
Not
Applicable
Item
5. OTHER INFORMATION
Not
Applicable.
28
Item
6. EXHIBITS
Exhibit
|
SEC
Ref.
|
||
No.
|
No.
|
Title
of Document
|
Location
|
31.1
|
31
|
Section
302 Certification of Chief Executive Officer
|
This
filing
|
31.2
|
31
|
Section
302 Certification of Chief Financial Officer
|
This
filing
|
32.1
|
32
|
Section
906 Certification of Chief Executive Officer
|
This
filing
|
32.2
|
32
|
Section
906 Certification of Chief Financial Officer
|
This
filing
|
SIGNATURES
Pursuant
to the requirements of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant
has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned
thereunto duly authorized.
CLEARONE
COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
|
||
May
11, 2007
|
By:
|
/s/
Zeynep Hakimoglu
|
Zeynep
Hakimoglu
|
||
President
and Chief Executive Officer
|
||
(Principal
Executive Officer)
|
||
May
11, 2007
|
By:
|
/s/
Greg A. LeClaire
|
Greg
A. LeClaire
|
||
VP
Finance
|
||
(Principal
Financial and Accounting
Officer)
|
29