COHU INC - Quarter Report: 2018 March (Form 10-Q)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these statements.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these statements.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these statements.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these statements.

Cohu, Inc.

Notes to Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements

March 31, 2018

Cohu, Inc.

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

March 31, 2018

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

This Form 10-Q contains certain forward-looking statements including expectations of market conditions, challenges and plans, within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and is subject to the Safe Harbor provisions created by that statute. Such forward-looking statements are based on management’s current expectations and beliefs, including estimates and projections about our business and include, but are not limited to, statements concerning financial position, business strategy, and plans or objectives for future operations. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties, and assumptions that are difficult to predict and may cause actual results to differ materially from management’s current expectations. Such risks and uncertainties include those set forth in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and our 2017 Annual Report on Form 10-K under the heading “Item 1A. Risk Factors”. The forward-looking statements in this report speak only as of the time they are made, and do not necessarily reflect management’s outlook at any other point in time. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or for any other reason, however, readers should carefully review the risk factors set forth in other reports or documents we file from time to time with the SEC after the date of this Quarterly Report.

OVERVIEW

Cohu is a leading supplier of semiconductor test and inspection handlers, micro-electro mechanical system (MEMS) test modules, test contactors and thermal subsystems used by global semiconductor manufacturers and test subcontractors. Our business is significantly dependent on capital expenditures by semiconductor manufacturers and test subcontractors, which in turn is dependent on the current and anticipated market demand for semiconductors that is subject to seasonal trends. We expect that the semiconductor equipment industry will continue to be seasonal in part because consumer electronics, automotive and mobility, the principal end markets for integrated circuits, are highly dynamic industries and demand has traditionally fluctuated with global consumer spending. In light of these conditions, our results can vary significantly year-over-year.

During the first three months of 2018, our net sales increased 11% from the fourth quarter of 2017 and 17% from the first quarter of 2017. The increase in sales was driven by market share gains for semiconductor test handlers used for testing devices used in mobility and IoT (Internet of Things) and automotive markets. Customer test cell utilization and business conditions remain strong.  We continue to see momentum in the automotive, mobility and industrial markets and are optimistic about the prospects for our business due to the increasing ubiquity of semiconductors, the diminishing impact of parallel test, increasing semiconductor complexity and increasing quality demands from semiconductor customers. We are continuing our investment in new products and are focused on growing our market share in the semiconductor test handling and test contactor markets, and expanding into the semiconductor inspection market.

Subsequent Event

On May 8, 2018, we announced that we entered into the Merger Agreement, dated as of May 7, 2018, by and between Cohu and Xcerra. At the effective time of the Merger, each share of Xcerra Common Stock issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Merger will be converted into the right to receive $9.00 in cash, without interest, and 0.2109 of a validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable share of Cohu Common Stock. We currently expect the Merger, which is subject to stockholder and regulatory approvals, and other customary closing conditions, to close in the second half of 2018.

Application of Critical Accounting Estimates and Policies

Our discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations is based upon our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. The preparation of these financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. We base our estimates on historical experience, forecasts and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, however actual results may differ from those estimates under different assumptions or conditions. The methods, estimates and judgments we use in applying our accounting policies have a significant impact on the results we report in our financial statements. Some of our accounting policies require us to make difficult and subjective judgments, often as a result of the need to make estimates of matters that are inherently uncertain.

Our critical accounting estimates that we believe are the most important to an investor’s understanding of our financial results and condition and require complex management judgment include:

Cohu, Inc.

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

March 31, 2018

Below, we discuss these policies further, as well as the estimates and judgments involved. We also have other policies that we consider key accounting policies; however, these policies typically do not require us to make estimates or judgments that are difficult or subjective.

Revenue Recognition: Our net sales are derived from the sale of products and services and are adjusted for estimated returns and allowances, which historically have been insignificant. We recognize revenue when the obligations under the terms of a contract with our customers are satisfied; generally, this occurs with the transfer of control of our systems, non-system products or services. In circumstances where control is not transferred until destination or acceptance, we defer revenue recognition until such events occur.  Revenue for established products that have previously satisfied a customer’s acceptance requirements is generally recognized upon shipment.  In cases where a prior history of customer acceptance cannot be demonstrated or from sales where customer payment dates are not determinable and in the case of new products, revenue and cost of sales are deferred until customer acceptance has been received.  Our post-shipment obligations typically include installation and standard warranties.  The estimated fair value of installation related revenue is recognized in the period the installation is performed.  Service revenue is recognized over time as the transfer of control is completed for the related contract or upon completion of the services if they are short-term in nature.  Spares, contactor and kit revenue is generally recognized upon shipment.  Certain of our equipment sales have multiple performance obligations.  These arrangements involve the delivery or performance of multiple performance obligations, and transfer of control of performance obligations may occur at different points in time or over different periods of time.  For arrangements containing multiple performance obligations, the revenue relating to the undelivered performance obligation is deferred using the relative standalone selling price method utilizing estimated sales prices until satisfication of the deferred performance obligation.  Unsatisfied performance obligations primarily represent contracts for products with future delivery dates and with an original expected duration of one year or less. As allowed under ASC 606, we have opted to not disclose unsatisfied performance obligations as these contracts have original expected durations of less than one year.  We generally sell our equipment with a product warranty. The product warranty provides assurance to customers that delivered products are as specified in the contract (an “assurance-type warranty”). Therefore, we account for such product warranties under ASC 460, Guarantees (ASC 460), and not as a separate performance obligation.  The transaction price reflects our expectations about the consideration we will be entitled to receive from the customer and may include fixed or variable amounts. Fixed consideration primarily includes sales to customers that are known as of the end of the reporting period. Variable consideration includes sales in which the amount of consideration that we will receive is unknown as of the end of a reporting period. Such consideration primarily includes sales made to certain customers with cumulative tier volume discounts offered.  Variable consideration arrangements are rare; however, when they occur, we estimate variable consideration as the expected value to which we expect to be entitled. Included in the transaction price estimate are amounts in which it is probable that a significant reversal of cumulative revenue recognized will not occur when the uncertainty associated with the variable consideration is subsequently resolved. The estimate is based on information available for projected future sales.  Variable consideration that does not meet revenue recognition criteria is deferred.   Accounts receivable represents our unconditional right to receive consideration from our customer. Payments terms do not exceed one year from the invoice date and therefore do not include a significant financing component. To date, there have been no material impairment losses on accounts receivable. There were no material contract assets or contract liabilities recorded on the condensed consolidated balance sheet in any of the periods presented. On shipments where sales are not recognized, gross profit is generally recorded as deferred profit in our consolidated balance sheet representing the difference between the receivable recorded and the inventory shipped.

Accounts Receivable: We maintain an allowance for doubtful accounts for estimated losses resulting from the inability of our customers to make required payments. If the financial condition of our customers deteriorates, resulting in an impairment of their ability to make payments, additional allowances may be required.

Inventory: The valuation of inventory requires us to estimate obsolete or excess inventory as well as inventory that is not of saleable quality. The determination of obsolete or excess inventory requires us to estimate the future demand for our products. The demand forecast is a direct input in the development of our short-term manufacturing plans. We record valuation reserves on our inventory for estimated excess and obsolete inventory and lower of cost or net realizable value concerns equal to the difference between the cost of inventory and the estimated realizable value based upon assumptions about future product demand, market conditions and product selling prices. If future product demand, market conditions or product selling prices are less than those projected by management or if continued modifications to products are required to meet specifications or other customer requirements, increases to inventory reserves may be required which would have a negative impact on our gross margin.

Income Taxes: The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“Tax Act”) was enacted on December 22, 2017. Due to the timing of the enactment and the complexity involved in applying the provisions of the Tax Act, we have made reasonable estimates of the effects and recorded provisional amounts in our financial statements for the year ended December 30, 2017 and the three months ended March 31, 2018, as provided for in SAB 118. As we collect and prepare necessary data, and interpret any additional guidance issued by the U.S. Treasury Department, the IRS or other standard-setting bodies, we may make adjustments to the provisional amounts. Those adjustments may materially impact the provision for income taxes and the effective tax rate in the period in which the adjustments are made. The accounting for the tax effects of the enactment of the Tax Act will be completed in 2018.

We estimate our liability for income taxes based on the various jurisdictions where we conduct business. This requires us to estimate our (i) current taxes; (ii) temporary differences that result from differing treatment of certain items for tax and accounting purposes and (iii) unrecognized tax benefits. Temporary differences result in deferred tax assets and liabilities that are reflected in the consolidated balance sheet. The deferred tax assets are reduced by a valuation allowance if, based upon all available evidence, it is more likely than not that some or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. Establishing, reducing or increasing a valuation allowance in an accounting period generally results in an increase or decrease in tax expense in the statement of operations. We must make significant judgments to determine the provision for income taxes, deferred tax assets and liabilities, unrecognized tax benefits and any valuation allowance to be recorded against deferred tax assets. Our gross deferred tax asset balance as of December 30, 2017, was approximately $37.7 million, with a valuation allowance of approximately $31.5 million. Our deferred tax assets consist primarily of reserves and accruals that are not yet deductible for tax and tax credit and net operating loss carry-forwards.

Cohu, Inc.

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

March 31, 2018

Segment Information: We applied the provisions of ASC Topic 280, Segment Reporting, (“ASC 280”), which sets forth a management approach to segment reporting and establishes requirements to report selected segment information quarterly and to report annually entity-wide disclosures about products, major customers and the geographies in which the entity holds material assets and reports revenue. An operating segment is defined as a component that engages in business activities whose operating results are reviewed by the chief operating decision maker and for which discrete financial information is available. Based on the provisions of ASC 280, we have determined that our identified operating segments qualify for aggregation under ASC 280 due to similarities in their customers, their economic characteristics, and the nature of products and services provided. As a result, we report in one segment, semiconductor equipment.

Goodwill, Other Intangible Assets and Long-lived Assets: We evaluate goodwill for impairment annually and when an event occurs or circumstances change that indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable. We test goodwill for impairment by first comparing the book value of net assets to the fair value of the reporting units. If the fair value is determined to be less than the book value, a second step is performed to compute the amount of impairment as the difference between the estimated fair value of goodwill and the carrying value. We estimated the fair values of our reporting units primarily using the income approach valuation methodology that includes the discounted cash flow method, taking into consideration the market approach and certain market multiples as a validation of the values derived using the discounted cash flow methodology. Forecasts of future cash flows are based on our best estimate of future net sales and operating expenses, based primarily on customer forecasts, industry trade organization data and general economic conditions.

We conduct our annual impairment test as of October 1st of each year, and have determined there was no impairment as of October 1, 2017, as we determined that the estimated fair values of our reporting units exceeded their carrying values on that date. Other events and changes in circumstances may also require goodwill to be tested for impairment between annual measurement dates. As of March 31, 2018, we do not believe that circumstances have occurred that indicate impairment of our goodwill is more-likely-than-not. In the event we determine that an interim goodwill impairment review is required, in a future period, the review may result in an impairment charge, which would have a negative impact on our results of operations.

Long-lived assets, other than goodwill, are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the assets might not be recoverable. Conditions that would necessitate an impairment assessment include a significant decline in the observable market value of an asset, a significant change in the extent or manner in which an asset is used, or any other significant adverse change that would indicate that the carrying amount of an asset or group of assets may not be recoverable. For long-lived assets, impairment losses are only recorded if the asset’s carrying amount is not recoverable through its undiscounted, probability-weighted future cash flows. We measure the impairment loss based on the difference between the carrying amount and estimated fair value.

Warranty: We provide for the estimated costs of product warranties in the period sales are recognized. Our warranty obligation estimates are affected by historical product shipment levels, product performance and material and labor costs incurred in correcting product performance problems. Should product performance, material usage or labor repair costs differ from our estimates, revisions to the estimated warranty liability would be required.

Contingencies: We are subject to certain contingencies that arise in the ordinary course of our businesses which require us to assess the likelihood that future events will confirm the existence of a loss or an impairment of an asset. If a loss or asset impairment is probable and the amount of the loss or impairment is reasonably estimable, we accrue a charge to operations in the period such conditions become known.

Share-based Compensation: Share-based compensation expense related to restricted stock unit awards is calculated based on the market price of our common stock on the grant date, reduced by the present value of dividends expected to be paid on our common stock prior to vesting of the restricted stock unit. Share-based compensation on performance stock units with market-based goals is calculated using a Monte Carlo simulation model on the date of the grant. Share-based compensation expense related to stock options is recorded based on the fair value of the award on its grant date, which we estimate using the Black-Scholes valuation model.

Cohu, Inc.

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

March 31, 2018

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

For a description of accounting changes and recent accounting pronouncements, including the expected dates of adoption and estimated effects, if any, on our consolidated financial statements, see Note 1, “Recent Accounting Pronouncements” in Part I, Item 1 of this Form 10-Q.

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

On January 4, 2017, we completed the acquisition of Kita and the results of its operations have been included in our consolidated financial statements since that date. The following table summarizes certain operating data as a percentage of net sales:

First Quarter of Fiscal 2018 Compared to First Quarter of Fiscal 2017

Net Sales

Our consolidated net sales increased 17.3% to $95.2 million in 2018, compared to net sales of $81.1 million in 2017.  Consolidated net sales in 2018 continued to benefit from favorable business conditions within the semiconductor industry and our success in growing share in the test handler and test contactor markets.  Increased sales in 2018, as compared to 2017, were driven primarily by demand for thermal subsystems for mobile processor test

Gross Margin

Gross margin consists of net sales less cost of sales. Cost of sales consists primarily of the cost of materials, assembly and test labor, and overhead from operations. Our gross margin can fluctuate due to a number of factors, including, but not limited to, the mix of products sold, product support costs, inventory reserve adjustments, and utilization of manufacturing capacity. Our gross margin, as a percentage of net sales, was 41.6% in 2018 and 39.8% in 2017. As compared to the prior year, gross margin in the first quarter of 2018 benefitted from favorable product mix and increased business volume which enabled us to better leverage our fixed costs. Additionally, in the first quarter of 2018 our gross margin benefited from the acceptance of our new Eclipse XTA as certain costs had been previously expensed to R&D during product development. In 2017, gross margin was negatively impacted by the amortization of $0.3 million of purchase accounting inventory step-up adjustment recorded in cost of sales as a result of our acquisition of Kita. No amounts were expensed in 2018 as all inventory step-up amounts were amortized in 2017.

Our gross margin can be impacted by charges to cost of sales related to excess, obsolete and lower of cost or net realizable value inventory issues. We compute the majority of our excess and obsolete inventory reserve requirements using a one-year inventory usage forecast. During the first quarter of fiscal 2018 and 2017, we recorded charges to cost of sales of approximately $0.4 million and $0.1 million for excess and obsolete inventory, respectively. While we believe our reserves for excess and obsolete inventory and lower of cost or market concerns are adequate to cover known exposures at March 31, 2018, reductions in customer forecasts or continued modifications to products, as a result of our failure to meet specifications or other customer requirements, may result in additional charges to operations that could negatively impact our results of operations and gross margin in future periods.

Research and Development Expense (“R&D Expense”)

R&D expense consists primarily of salaries and related costs of employees engaged in ongoing research, product design and development activities, costs of engineering materials and supplies, and professional consulting expenses. R&D expense was $11.8 million or 12.4% of net sales in 2018, compared to $9.8 million or 12.1% in 2017. New product development programs resulted in higher R&D labor and material expense in 2018.

Cohu, Inc.

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

March 31, 2018

Selling, General and Administrative Expense (“SG&A Expense”)

SG&A expense consists primarily of salaries and benefit costs of employees, commission expense for independent sales representatives, product promotion and costs of professional services. SG&A expense was $17.8 million or 18.7% of net sales in 2018, compared to $14.5 million or 17.8% in 2017. SG&A expense in 2018 was higher as a result of increased business volume. Our SG&A expense has also been negatively affected by the weakening of the U.S. Dollar, which resulted in the recognition of $1.6 million and $1.3 million in foreign currency transaction losses in the first quarter of 2018 and 2017, respectively.

Income Taxes

We used the estimated effective tax rate (“ETR”) expected to be applicable for the full fiscal year in computing our interim tax provisions. The ETR on income from continuing operations for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and March 25, 2017 was 20.8% and 16.7%, respectively. The tax provision in 2018 and 2017 differs from the U.S. federal statutory rate primarily due to the lack of a provision (benefit) on our domestic income (losses) as a result of our valuation allowance on deferred tax assets, foreign income taxed at different rates, changes in our deferred tax asset valuation allowance, state taxes and interest related to unrecognized tax benefits.

We have not adjusted our provisional tax estimates related to the U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“Tax Act”) that we recorded in the fourth quarter of 2017. Our accounting remains incomplete as of the first three months of 2018 and will be refined and, if necessary, adjusted throughout 2018 as required by SEC SAB No. 118 based on our ongoing analysis of data and tax positions along with new guidance from regulators and interpretation of the law.

Due to the complexity of the Tax Act’s global intangible low-taxed income (“GILTI”) tax rules, we are continuing to evaluate this provision and the application of ASC 740. Under GAAP, we are allowed to make an accounting policy election to either (i) treat taxes due on future U.S. inclusions in taxable income related to GILTI as a current-period expense when incurred or (ii) factor such amounts into a company’s measurement of its deferred taxes. We have not yet decided on an accounting policy with respect to the new GILTI tax rules. Our net tax provision for the quarter ended March 31, 2018 did not include any incremental amount of GILTI tax as we expect to utilize existing net operating losses, that have a full valuation allowance, to offset the impact of the GILTI inclusion.

Other than for foreign currency exchange rate changes and the Kita Acquisition, there was no material change to our unrecognized tax benefits and related accrued interest and penalties during the three-month periods ended March 31, 2018 and March 25, 2017.

Income from Continuing Operations and Net Income

As a result of the factors set forth above, our income from continuing operations and net income was $8.1 million during the three months ended March 31, 2018. In 2017, income from continuing operations and net income was $6.8 million during the three months ended March 25, 2017.

LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES

Our primary business is dependent on capital expenditures by semiconductor manufacturers and test subcontractors that are, in turn, dependent on the current and anticipated market demand for semiconductors. The cyclical and volatile nature of demand for semiconductor equipment, our primary industry, makes estimates of future revenues, results of operations and net cash flows difficult.

Our primary historical source of liquidity and capital resources has been cash flow generated by our operations and we manage our businesses to maximize operating cash flows as our primary source of liquidity. We use cash to fund growth in our operating assets and to fund new products and product enhancements primarily through research and development. As of March 31, 2018, $79.9 million or 57% of our cash and cash equivalents was held by our foreign subsidiaries.  If these funds are needed for our operations in the U.S., we may be required to accrue and pay foreign withholding taxes if we repatriate these funds. At March 31, 2018 we accrued $2.4 million of foreign withholding tax that would be payable in the event we repatriate funds from certain of our foreign subsidiaries.

Cohu, Inc.

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

March 31, 2018

Liquidity

Working Capital: The following summarizes our cash, cash equivalents, short-term investments and working capital:

Cash Flows

Operating Activities: Operating cash flows for the first three months of fiscal 2018 consisted of our net income, adjusted for non-cash expenses and changes in operating assets and liabilities. These adjustments include depreciation expense on property, plant and equipment, share-based compensation expense, amortization of intangible assets deferred income taxes and mark-to-market adjustment on the Kita contingent consideration. Our net cash used in operating activities in the first three months of fiscal 2018 totaled $9.3 million. Net cash used in operating activities was impacted by changes in current assets and liabilities and included increases in accounts receivable of $13.2 million, accounts payable of $2.9 million and decreases in deferred profit of $2.5 million and accrued compensation, warranty and other liabilities of $6.2 million. The increase in accounts receivable resulted from a sequential increase in product shipments and the timing of the resulting cash conversion cycle. The increase in accounts payable was driven by increased product shipments in the first quarter of 2018 and the timing of cash payments to our vendors and suppliers. Deferred profit decreased due to the recognition of sales that had been previously deferred in accordance with our revenue recognition policy. Accrued compensation, warranty and other liabilities decreased as a result of incentive compensation and profit sharing earned during 2017 that was paid during the first quarter of 2018.

Investing Activities: Investing cash flows consist primarily of cash used for capital expenditures in support of our businesses, proceeds from investment maturities, asset disposals and cash used for purchases of investments and business acquisitions. Net cash used in investing activities in the first three months of fiscal 2018 totaled $4.3 million. The acquisition of Kita was a strategic transaction to expand our total available market, extend our market leadership and broaden our product offerings. Investing activities in the first three months of fiscal 2018 were impacted by $18.8 million in cash used for purchases of short-term investments offset, in part, by $15.5 million in net proceeds from sales and maturities of short-term investments. We invest our excess cash, in an attempt to seek the highest available return while preserving capital, in short-term investments since excess cash is only temporarily available and may be required for a business related purpose. Additions to property, plant and equipment of $1.1 million were made to support the operating and development activities of our business.

Financing Activities: Cash flows from financing activities consist primarily of net proceeds from the issuance of common stock under our stock option and employee stock purchase plans, cash used to pay dividends to our stockholders. We issue restricted stock units, stock options and maintain an employee stock purchase plan as components of our overall employee compensation. In the first three months of fiscal 2018, cash used to settle the minimum statutory tax withholding requirements on behalf of our employees upon vesting of restricted and performance stock awards, net of proceeds from the exercise of employee stock options was $3.6 million. We paid dividends totaling $1.8 million, or $0.06 per common share and on May 3, 2018, Cohu's Board of Directors approved a quarterly cash dividend of $0.06 per share payable on July 27, 2018 to shareholders of record on June 15, 2018. Future quarterly dividends are subject to our cash liquidity, capital availability and periodic determinations by our Board of Directors that cash dividends are in the best interests of our stockholders. Total repayments of short-term borrowings and long-term debt during the first three months of fiscal 2018 totaled $0.4 million, additionally we made payments of $0.8 million to settle contingent consideration liabilities related to the acquisition of Kita in 2017.

Capital Resources

We have credit agreements with multiple financial institutions in Japan under which they administer lines of credit on behalf of our wholly owned Kita subsidiary. The credit facilities renew monthly and provide Kita with access to working capital totaling up to $6.6 million. At March 31, 2018 total borrowings outstanding under the revolving lines of credit were $3.3 million. As these credit facility agreements renew monthly, they have been included in short-term borrowings in our condensed consolidated balance sheet. We also have long-term term loans from a series of Japanese financial institutions totaling $5.8 million primarily related to the expansion of Kita’s facility in Osaka, Japan. The loans are collateralized by the facility and land. The loans carry interest rates ranging from 0.05% to 0.45% and expire at various dates through 2034. At March 31, 2018, $1.3 million of the term loans have been included in current installments of long-term debt in our condensed consolidated balance sheet. The revolving lines of credit and term loans are denominated in Japanese Yen and, as a result, amounts will fluctuate as a result of changes in currency exchange rates.

Cohu, Inc.

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

March 31, 2018

We also have a credit agreement with a financial institution under which it administers a line of credit on behalf of our wholly owned Ismeca subsidiary. The agreement provides Ismeca with 2.0 million Swiss Francs of available credit and at March 31, 2018, no amounts were outstanding. We expect that we will continue to make capital expenditures to support our business and we anticipate that present working capital will be sufficient to meet our operating requirements for at least the next twelve months.

We have a secured letter of credit facility (the “Secured Facility”) under which Bank of America, N.A., has agreed to administer the issuance of letters of credit on our behalf. The Secured Facility requires us to maintain deposits of cash or other approved investments, which serve as collateral, in amounts that approximate our outstanding letters of credit and contains customary restrictive covenants. As of March 31, 2018, no amounts were outstanding under standby letters of credit under the Secured Facility.

Xcerra Acquisition

On May 7, 2018, Cohu entered to a Merger Agreement with Xcerra and Xavier Acquisition Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cohu. Refer to Note 8, “Subsequent Event,” herein for further information. Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., a subsidiary of Deutsche Bank AG, has committed to capitalize Cohu to fund the transaction.

Contractual Obligations and Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

Contractual Obligations: Our significant contractual obligations consist of liabilities for debt, operating leases, unrecognized tax benefits, pensions, post-retirement benefits and warranties. These obligations have not changed materially from those disclosed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 30, 2017.

Purchase Commitments: From time to time, we enter into commitments with our vendors and outsourcing partners to purchase inventory at fixed prices or in guaranteed quantities. We are not able to determine the aggregate amount of such purchase orders that represent contractual obligations, as purchase orders may represent authorizations to purchase rather than binding agreements. Our purchase orders are based on our current manufacturing needs and are fulfilled by our vendors within relatively short time horizons. We typically do not have significant agreements for the purchase of raw materials or other goods specifying minimum quantities or set prices that exceed our expected requirements for the next three months.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements: During the ordinary course of business, we provide standby letters of credit instruments to certain parties as required. As of March 31, 2018, no amounts were outstanding under standby letters of credit.

Item 3.      Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.

Investment and Interest Rate Risk.

At March 31, 2018, our investment portfolio included short-term, fixed-income investment securities with a fair value of approximately $24.6 million. These securities are subject to interest rate risk and will likely decline in value if interest rates increase. Our future investment income may fall short of expectations due to changes in interest rates or we may suffer losses in principal if we are forced to sell securities that decline in market value due to changes in interest rates. As we classify our short-term securities as available-for-sale, no gains or losses are recognized due to changes in interest rates unless such securities are sold prior to maturity or declines in fair value are determined to be other-than-temporary. Due to the relatively short duration of our investment portfolio, an immediate ten percent change in interest rates would have no material impact on our financial condition or results of operations.

We evaluate our investments periodically for possible other-than-temporary impairment by reviewing factors such as the length of time and extent to which fair value has been below cost basis, the financial condition of the issuer and our ability and intent to hold the investment for a period of time sufficient for anticipated recovery of market value. As of March 31, 2018, we had $23.5 million of investments with loss positions. We evaluated the nature of these investments, credit worthiness of the issuer and the duration of these impairments and concluded that these losses were temporary and we have the ability and intent to hold these investments to maturity.

Foreign Currency Exchange Risk.

We have operations in several foreign countries and conduct business in the local currency in these countries. As a result, we have risk associated with currency fluctuations as the value of foreign currencies fluctuate against the U.S. dollar, in particular the Swiss Franc, Euro, Malaysian Ringgit, Chinese Yuan, Philippine Peso and Japanese Yen. These fluctuations can impact our reported earnings.

Fluctuations in currency exchange rates also impact the U.S. Dollar amount of our net investment in foreign operations. The assets and liabilities of our foreign subsidiaries are translated into U.S. Dollars at the exchange rates in effect at the fiscal year-end balance sheet date. Income and expense accounts are translated at an average exchange rate during the year which approximates the rates in effect at the transaction dates. The resulting translation adjustments are recorded in stockholders’ equity as a component of accumulated other comprehensive loss. As a result of fluctuations in certain foreign currency exchange rates in relation to the U.S. Dollar as of March 31, 2018 compared to December 30, 2017, our stockholders’ equity increased by $3.9 million.

Based upon the current levels of net foreign assets, a hypothetical 10% devaluation of the U.S. Dollar as compared to these currencies as of March 31, 2018 would result in an approximate $20.0 million positive translation adjustment recorded in other comprehensive income within stockholders’ equity. Conversely, a hypothetical 10% appreciation of the U.S. Dollar as compared to these currencies as of March 31, 2018 would result in an approximate $20.0 million negative translation adjustment recorded in other comprehensive income within stockholders’ equity.

Item 4.      Controls and Procedures.

(a) Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures. Under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, we evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures, as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Based on this evaluation, our principal executive officer and principal financial officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of the end of the period covered by this quarterly report.

It should be noted that any system of controls, however well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable, and not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the system are met. In addition, the design of any control system is based in part upon certain assumptions about the likelihood of future events. Because of these and other inherent limitations of control systems, there can be no assurance that any design will succeed in achieving its stated goals under all potential future conditions, regardless of how remote. Our disclosure controls and procedures are designed to provide reasonable assurance of achieving their objectives and our principal executive officer and principal financial officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective at the reasonable assurance level.

(b) Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting. There have been no changes in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the first quarter of 2018 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

The information set forth above under Note 6 contained in the "Notes to Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements" of this Form 10-Q is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 1A.     Risk Factors.

The risks described below may not be the only risks we face. Additional risks that we are unaware of, or that we currently believe are not material, may also impair our business operations. The risk factors set forth below with an asterisk (*) next to the title contain changes to the description of the risk factors associated with our business as previously disclosed in Item 1A to our 2017 Annual Report on Form 10-K. If any of the events or circumstances described in the following risks occur, our business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows could suffer, and the trading price of our common stock and our market capitalization could decline.

* There can be no assurance that we will successfully complete our acquisition of Xcerra Corporation on the terms or timetable currently proposed or at all.

On May 8, 2018, we announced that we entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”), dated as of May 7, 2018, by and among Cohu, Xavier Acquisition Corporation, a Delaware corporation and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cohu (“Merger Sub”) and Xcerra Corporation, a Massachusetts corporation (“Xcerra”). Under the terms of the Merger Agreement, the acquisition of Xcerra will be accomplished through a merger of Merger Sub with and into Xcerra (the “Merger”), with Xcerra surviving the Merger as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cohu.

We currently anticipate that we will close the Merger by the end of 2018, but we cannot be certain when or if the conditions for the Merger will be satisfied or waived. The Merger cannot be completed until the conditions are satisfied or waived, including receipt of our stockholders’ approval of the issuance of additional shares of Cohu common stock as consideration in the Merger, receipt of Xcerra’s stockholders’ approval of the Merger, receipt of required antitrust and other regulatory approvals, and other customary closing conditions. Satisfying the conditions to the closing of the Merger may take longer than we expect.

* We have incurred and will continue to incur significant transaction costs in connection with the Merger that could adversely affect our results of operations.

Whether or not we complete the Merger, we have incurred, and will continue to incur, significant transaction costs in connection with the Merger, including payment of certain fees and expenses incurred in connection with the Merger and related financing transactions. Additional unanticipated costs may be incurred in the integration process. These could adversely affect our results of operations in the period in which such expenses are recorded or our cash flow in the period in which any related costs are actually paid. Furthermore, we may incur material restructuring charges in connection with the Merger, which may adversely affect our operating results following the closing of the Merger in which such expenses are recorded or our cash flow in the period in which any related costs are actually paid. A delay in closing or a failure to complete the Merger could have a negative impact on our business.

* We may fail to realize all of the anticipated benefits of the Merger or those benefits may take longer to realize than expected.

Our ability to realize the anticipated benefits of the Merger will depend, to a large extent, on our ability to integrate Xcerra, which is a complex, costly and time-consuming process. The integration process may disrupt our business and, if implemented ineffectively, could restrict the realization of the full expected benefits. The failure to meet the challenges involved in the integration process and to realize the anticipated benefits of the Merger could cause an interruption of, or a loss of momentum in, our operations and could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

In addition, the integration of Xcerra may result in material unanticipated problems, expenses, liabilities, competitive responses, and loss of customers, suppliers and other business relationships. Additional integration challenges include:

Many of these factors will be outside of our control and any one of them could result in increased costs, decreases in the amount of expected revenues, and diversion of management’s time and energy, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations and result in us becoming subject to litigation. In addition, even if Xcerra is integrated successfully, the full anticipated benefits of the Merger may not be realized, including the synergies, cost savings or sales or growth opportunities that are anticipated. These benefits may not be achieved within the anticipated time frame, or at all. Further, additional unanticipated costs may be incurred in the integration process. All of these factors could cause reductions in our earnings per share and decrease or delay the expected accretive effect of the Merger. As a result, it cannot be assured that the Merger will result in the realization of the full or any anticipated benefits.

* The pendency of the Merger could adversely affect our business, financial results and operations.

The announcement and pendency of the Merger could cause disruptions and create uncertainty surrounding our business and affect our relationships with our customers and employees. In addition, we have diverted, and will continue to divert, significant management resources to complete the Merger, which could have a negative impact on our ability to manage existing operations or pursue alternative strategic transactions, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

* The regulatory approvals required in connection with the Merger may not be obtained or may contain materially burdensome conditions.

Completion of the Merger is conditioned upon the receipt of certain regulatory approvals, and we cannot provide assurance that these approvals will be obtained. If any conditions or changes to the proposed structure of the Merger are required to obtain these regulatory approvals, they may have the effect of jeopardizing or delaying completion of the Merger or reducing the anticipated benefits of the Merger. If we agree to any material conditions in order to obtain any approvals required to complete the Merger, the business and results of operations of the combined company may be adversely affected.

* The issuance of shares of our common stock in connection with the Merger, and any future offerings of securities by us, will dilute our shareholders’ ownership interest in the company.

The Merger will be financed in part by the issuance of additional shares of our common stock to shareholders of Xcerra, comprising approximately 30% of our issued and outstanding shares of common stock, based on the number of issued and outstanding shares of our common stock on May 7, 2018 and Xcerra’s estimated fully diluted shares of common stock outstanding on May 7, 2018. These issuances of additional shares of our common stock will dilute your ownership interest in our company, and you will have a reduced ownership and voting interest in our company following the completion of the Merger.

* We expect to incur additional indebtedness to finance the Merger and may not be able to meet our debt service requirements.

If the Merger is consummated, we will incur significant additional indebtedness of $350 million or more. This increased level of indebtedness could have important consequences to our business, including, but not limited to:

The definitive documents governing the additional indebtedness will contain covenants that limit our ability to take certain actions. These restrictions may limit our ability to operate our businesses and may prohibit or limit our activity to enhance our operations or take advantage of potential business opportunities as they arise. All of these limitations are subject to significant exceptions and qualifications. These covenants could limit our ability to finance our future operations and capital needs and our ability to pursue business opportunities and activities that may be in our interest.

* If the Merger is completed, Xcerra may underperform relative to our expectations.

Following completion of the Merger, we may not be able to maintain the growth rate, levels of revenue, earnings, or operating efficiency that we and Xcerra have achieved or might achieve separately. The business and financial performance of Xcerra are subject to certain risks and uncertainties. Our failure to do so could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

We are exposed to risks associated with acquisitions, investments and divestitures.

As part of our business strategy, we regularly evaluate investments in, or acquisitions of, complementary businesses, joint ventures, services and technologies, and we expect that periodically we will continue to make such investments and acquisitions in the future, such as our acquisition of Kita, which was completed on January 4, 2017. Acquisitions and investments involve numerous risks, including, but not limited to:

We may decide to finance future acquisitions and investments through a combination of borrowings, proceeds from equity or debt offerings and the use of cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments. If we finance acquisitions by issuing convertible debt or equity securities, our existing stockholders may be diluted which could affect the market price of our stock.

Mergers, acquisitions and investments are inherently risky and the inability to effectively manage these risks could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. At March 31, 2018, we had goodwill and net purchased intangible assets balances of $66.8 million and $16.1 million, respectively.

We are making investments in new products to enter new markets, which may adversely affect our operating results; these investments may not be successful.

Given the highly competitive and rapidly evolving technology environment in which we operate, we believe it is important to develop new product offerings to meet strategic opportunities as they evolve. This includes developing products that we believe are necessary to meet the future needs of the marketplace. We are currently investing in new product development programs to enable us to compete in the test contactor and wafer level package (WLP) probe and inspection markets, which includes a significant ongoing investment in our PANTHER platform. We expect to continue to make investments and we may at any time, based on product need or marketplace demand, decide to significantly increase our product development expenditures in these or other products. The cost of investments in new product offerings can have a negative impact on our operating results and PANTHER, for example, has not generated any material revenues for us. There can be no assurance that any new products we develop will be accepted in the marketplace or generate material revenues for us.

We are exposed to the risks of operating a global business.

We are a global corporation with offices and subsidiaries in certain foreign locations to manufacture our products, support our sales and services to the global semiconductor industry and, as such, we face risks in doing business abroad. Certain aspects inherent in transacting business internationally could negatively impact our operating results, including:

Additionally, managing geographically dispersed operations presents difficult challenges associated with organizational alignment and infrastructure, communications and information technology, inventory control, customer relationship management, terrorist threats and related security matters and cultural diversities. If we are unsuccessful in managing such operations effectively, our business and results of operations will be adversely affected.

     We have manufacturing operations in Asia. Any failure to effectively manage multiple manufacturing sites and to secure raw materials meeting our quality, cost and other requirements, or failures by our suppliers to perform, could harm our sales, service levels and reputation.

Our reliance on overseas manufacturers exposes us to significant risks including complex management, foreign currency, legal, tax and economic risks, which we may not be able to address quickly and adequately. In addition, it is time consuming and costly to qualify overseas supplier relationships. If we should fail to effectively manage overseas manufacturing operations, or if one or more of them should experience delays, disruptions or quality control problems, or if we had to change or add additional manufacturing sites, our ability to ship products to our customers could be delayed. Also, the addition of overseas manufacturing locations increases the demands on our administrative and operations infrastructure and the complexity of our supply chain management. If our overseas manufacturing locations are unable to meet our manufacturing requirements in a timely manner, our ability to ship products and to realize the related revenues when anticipated could be materially affected.

Our suppliers are subject to the fluctuations in general economic cycles, and global economic conditions may impact their ability to operate their business. They may also be impacted by increasing costs of raw materials, labor and distribution, resulting in demands for less attractive contract terms or an inability for them to meet our requirements or conduct their own businesses. The performance and financial condition of a supplier may cause us to alter our business terms or to cease doing business with a particular supplier, or change our sourcing practices generally, which could in turn adversely affect our own business and financial condition.

Failure of critical suppliers to deliver sufficient quantities of parts in a timely and cost-effective manner could adversely impact our operations.

We use numerous vendors to supply parts, components and subassemblies for the manufacture of our products. It is not always possible to maintain multiple qualified suppliers for all of our parts, components and subassemblies. As a result, certain key parts may be available only from a single supplier (“sole source”) or a limited number of suppliers. In addition, suppliers may significantly raise prices or cease manufacturing certain components (with or without advance notice to us) that are difficult to replace without significant reengineering of our products. On occasion, we have experienced problems in obtaining adequate and reliable quantities of various parts and components from certain key or sole source suppliers. Our results of operations may be materially and adversely impacted if we do not receive sufficient parts to meet our requirements in a timely and cost effective manner.

The semiconductor industry we serve is seasonal, volatile and unpredictable. 

Visibility into our markets is limited. The semiconductor equipment business is highly dependent on the overall strength of the semiconductor industry. Historically, the semiconductor industry has been seasonal with recurring periods of oversupply and excess capacity, which often have had a significant effect on the semiconductor industry’s demand for capital equipment, including equipment of the type we manufacture and market. We anticipate that the markets for newer generations of semiconductors and semiconductor equipment will also be subject to similar cycles and severe downturns. Any significant reductions in capital equipment investment by semiconductor integrated device manufacturers and test subcontractors will materially and adversely affect our business, financial position and results of operations. In addition, the seasonal, volatile and unpredictable nature of semiconductor equipment demand has in the past and may in the future expose us to significant excess and obsolete and lower of cost or net realizable value inventory write-offs and reserve requirements. In 2017, 2016 and 2015, we recorded pre-tax inventory-related charges of approximately $1.1 million, $1.1 million, and $2.4 million, respectively, primarily as a result of changes in customer forecasts.

Due to the nature of our business, we need continued access to capital, which if not available to us or if not available on favorable terms, could harm our ability to operate or expand our business.  

Our business requires capital to finance accounts receivable and product inventory that is not financed by trade creditors when our business is expanding. If cash from available sources is insufficient or cash is used for unanticipated needs, we may require additional capital sooner than anticipated.

We believe that our existing sources of liquidity, including cash resources and cash provided by operating activities will provide sufficient resources to meet our working capital and cash requirements for at least the next twelve months. In the event we are required, or elect, to raise additional funds, we may be unable to do so on favorable terms, or at all, and may incur expenses in raising the additional funds and increase our interest rate exposure, and any future indebtedness could adversely affect our operating results and severely limit our ability to plan for, or react to, changes in our business or industry. We could also be limited by financial and other restrictive covenants in credit arrangements, including limitations on our borrowing of additional funds and issuing dividends. If we choose to issue new equity securities, existing stockholders may experience dilution, or the new equity securities may have rights, preferences or privileges senior to those of existing holders of common stock. If we cannot raise funds on acceptable terms, we may not be able to take advantage of future opportunities or respond to competitive pressures or unanticipated requirements. Any inability to raise additional capital when required could have an adverse effect on our business and operating results.

The semiconductor equipment industry is intensely competitive.

The semiconductor test handler industry is intensely competitive and we face substantial competition from numerous companies throughout the world. The test handler industry, while relatively small in terms of worldwide market size compared to other segments of the semiconductor equipment industry, has several participants resulting in intense competitive pricing pressures. Future competition may include companies that do not currently supply test handlers. Some of our competitors are part of larger corporations that have substantially greater financial, engineering, manufacturing and customer support capabilities and provide more extensive product offerings. In addition, there are emerging semiconductor equipment companies that provide or may provide innovative technology incorporated in products that may compete successfully against our products. We expect our competitors to continue to improve the design and performance of their current products and introduce new products with improved performance capabilities. Our failure to introduce new products in a timely manner, the introduction by our competitors of products with perceived or actual advantages, or disputes over rights to use certain intellectual property or technology could result in a loss of our competitive position and reduced sales of, or margins on our existing products. Intense competition has adversely impacted our product average selling prices and gross margins on certain products. If we are unable to reduce the cost of our existing products and successfully introduce new lower cost products, then we expect that these competitive conditions would negatively impact our gross margin and operating results in the foreseeable future.

In addition, with the acquisition of Kita in 2017, we increased our investments in our test contactor business, and announced significant growth targets for the business over the next several years. The test contactor market is fragmented, with many entrenched regional players, and subject to intense price competition and also high customer support requirements. We believe that customer support and responsiveness and an ability to consistently meet tight deadlines is critical to our success. If we are unable to reduce the cost of our test contactor products, while also meeting customer support requirements and deadlines, then we expect that these competitive conditions would negatively impact our gross margin and operating results in the foreseeable future.

Semiconductor equipment is subject to rapid technological change, product introductions and transitions which may result in inventory write-offs, and our new product development involves numerous risks and uncertainties.

Semiconductor equipment and processes are subject to rapid technological change. We believe that our future success will depend in part on our ability to enhance existing products and develop new products with improved performance capabilities. We expect to continue to invest heavily in research and development and must manage product transitions successfully, as introductions of new products, including the products obtained in our acquisitions, may adversely impact sales and/or margins of existing products. In addition, the introduction of new products by us or by our competitors, the concentration of our revenues in a limited number of large customers, the migration to new semiconductor testing methodologies and the custom nature of our inventory parts increases the risk that our established products and related inventory may become obsolete, resulting in significant excess and obsolete inventory exposure. This exposure resulted in charges to operations during each of the years in the three-year period ended December 30, 2017. Future inventory write-offs and increased inventory reserve requirements could have a material adverse impact on our results of operations and financial condition.

The design, development, commercial introduction and manufacture of new semiconductor equipment is an inherently complex process that involves a number of risks and uncertainties. These risks include potential problems in meeting customer acceptance and performance requirements, integration of the equipment with other suppliers’ equipment and the customers’ manufacturing processes, transitioning from product development to volume manufacturing and the ability of the equipment to satisfy the semiconductor industry’s constantly evolving needs and achieve commercial acceptance at prices that produce satisfactory profit margins. The design and development of new semiconductor equipment is heavily influenced by changes in integrated circuit assembly, test and final manufacturing processes and integrated circuit package design changes. We believe that the rate of change in such processes and integrated circuit packages is accelerating. As a result of these changes and other factors, assessing the market potential and commercial viability of handling, MEMS, system-level and burn-in test equipment and test contactors is extremely difficult and subject to a great deal of risk. In addition, not all integrated circuit manufacturers employ the same manufacturing processes. Differences in such processes make it difficult to design standard test products that can achieve broad market acceptance. As a result, we might not accurately assess the semiconductor industry’s future equipment requirements and fail to design and develop products that meet such requirements and achieve market acceptance. Failure to accurately assess customer requirements and market trends for new semiconductor test products may have a material adverse impact on our operations, financial condition and results of operations.

The transition from product development to the manufacture of new semiconductor equipment is a difficult process and delays in product introductions and problems in manufacturing such equipment are common. We have in the past and may in the future experience difficulties in manufacturing and volume production of our new equipment. In addition, as is common with semiconductor equipment, after sale support and warranty costs have typically been significantly higher with new products than with our established products. Future technologies, processes and product developments may render our current or future product offerings obsolete and we might not be able to develop, introduce and successfully manufacture new products or make enhancements to our existing products in a timely manner to satisfy customer requirements or achieve market acceptance. Furthermore, we might not realize acceptable profit margins on such products.

Global economic conditions may have an impact on our business and financial condition in ways that we currently cannot predict.

Our operations and financial results depend on worldwide economic conditions and their impact on levels of business spending. Continued uncertainties may reduce future sales of our products and services. While we believe we have a strong customer base and have experienced strong collections in the past, if the current market conditions deteriorate, we may experience increased collection times and greater write-offs, either of which could have a material adverse effect on our cash flow.

In addition, the tightening of credit markets and concerns regarding the availability of credit may make it more difficult for our customers to raise capital, whether debt or equity, to finance their purchases of capital equipment, including the products we sell. Delays in our customers’ ability to obtain such financing, or the unavailability of such financing would adversely affect our product sales and revenues and therefore harm our business and operating results. We cannot predict the timing, duration of or effect on our business of an economic slowdown or the timing or strength of a subsequent recovery.

A limited number of customers account for a substantial percentage of our net sales. 

A small number of customers have been responsible for a significant portion of our net sales. During the past five years, the percentage of our sales derived from these significant customers has varied greatly. Such variations are due to changes in the customers’ business, consolidation within the semiconductor industry and their purchase of products from our competitors. It is common in the semiconductor test handler industry for customers to purchase equipment from more than one equipment supplier, increasing the risk that our competitive position with a specific customer may deteriorate. No assurance can be given that we will continue to maintain our competitive position with these or other significant customers. Furthermore, we expect the percentage of our revenues derived from significant customers will vary greatly in future periods. The loss of, or a significant reduction in, orders by these or other significant customers as a result of competitive products, market conditions including end market demand for our customers’ products, outsourcing final semiconductor test to test subcontractors that are not our customers or other factors, would have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Furthermore, the concentration of our revenues in a limited number of large customers is likely to cause significant fluctuations in our future annual and quarterly operating results.

If we cannot continue to develop, manufacture and market products and services that meet customer requirements for innovation and quality, our revenue and gross margin may suffer.

The process of developing new high technology products and services and enhancing existing products and services is complex, costly and uncertain, and any failure by us to anticipate customers’ changing needs and emerging technological trends accurately could significantly harm our market share and results of operations. In addition, in the course of conducting our business, we must adequately address quality issues associated with our products and services, including defects in our engineering, design and manufacturing processes, as well as defects in third-party components included in our products. To address quality issues, we work extensively with our customers and suppliers and engage in product testing to determine the cause of quality problems and appropriate solutions. Finding solutions to quality issues can be expensive and may result in additional warranty, replacement and other costs, adversely affecting our profits. In addition, quality issues can impair our relationships with new or existing customers and adversely affect our reputation, which could lead to a material adverse effect on our operating results.

The seasonal nature of the semiconductor equipment industry places enormous demands on our employees, operations and infrastructure. 

The semiconductor equipment industry is characterized by dramatic and sometimes rapid changes in demand for its products. These are generally dictated by introduction of new consumer products, launch of new model vehicles, implementation of new communications infrastructure, or in response to an increase in industrial equipment and machinery that utilizes semiconductors. A number of other factors including changes in integrated circuit design and packaging may affect demand for our products. Sudden changes in demand for semiconductor equipment commonly occur, and have a significant impact on our operations. We have in the past and may in the future experience difficulties, particularly in manufacturing, in training and recruiting the large number of additions to our workforce. The volatility in headcount and business levels, combined with the seasonal nature of the semiconductor industry, may require that we invest substantial amounts in new operational and financial systems, procedures and controls. We may not be able to successfully adjust our systems, facilities and production capacity to meet our customers’ changing requirements. The inability to meet such requirements will have an adverse impact on our business, financial position and results of operations.

The loss of key personnel could adversely impact our business.

Certain key personnel are critical to our business. Our future operating results depend substantially upon the continued service of our key personnel, many of whom are not bound by employment or non-competition agreements. Our future operating results also depend in significant part upon our ability to attract and retain qualified management, manufacturing, technical, engineering, marketing, sales and support personnel. Competition for qualified personnel, particularly those with technical skills, is intense, and we cannot ensure success in attracting or retaining qualified personnel. In addition, the cost of living in the San Diego, California, Kolbermoor, Germany, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland and Osaka, Japan areas, where the majority of our engineering personnel are located, is high and we have had difficulty in recruiting prospective employees from other locations. There may be only a limited number of persons with the requisite skills and relevant industry experience to serve in these positions and it may become increasingly difficult for us to hire personnel over time. Our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected by the loss of any of our key employees, by the failure of any key employee to perform in his or her current position, or by our inability to attract and retain skilled employees.

Third parties may violate our proprietary rights or accuse us of infringing upon their proprietary rights.

We rely on patent, copyright, trademark and trade secret laws to establish and maintain proprietary rights in our technology and products. Any of our proprietary rights may expire due to patent life, or be challenged, invalidated or circumvented. In addition, from time-to-time, we receive notices from third parties regarding patent or copyright claims. Any such claims, with or without merit, could be time-consuming to defend, result in costly litigation, divert management’s attention and resources and cause us to incur significant expenses. In the event of a successful claim of infringement against us and our failure or inability to license the infringed technology or to substitute similar non-infringing technology, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.

A majority of our revenues are generated from exports to foreign countries, primarily in Asia, that are subject to economic and political instability and we compete against a number of Asian test handling equipment suppliers.

The majority of our export sales are made to destinations in Asia. Political or economic instability, particularly in Asia, may adversely impact the demand for capital equipment, including equipment of the type we manufacture and market. In addition, we face intense competition from a number of Asian suppliers that have certain advantages over United States (“U.S.”) suppliers, including us. These advantages include, among other things, proximity to customers, lower cost structures, favorable tariffs and affiliation with significantly larger organizations. In addition, changes in the amount or price of semiconductors produced in Asia could impact the profitability or capital equipment spending programs of our foreign and domestic customers.

* Unanticipated changes in our tax provisions, enactment of new tax laws, or exposure to additional income tax liabilities could affect our profitability.

We are subject to income and other taxes in the U.S. and numerous foreign jurisdictions. Our tax liabilities are affected by, among other things, the amounts our affiliated entities charge each other for intercompany transactions. We may be subject to ongoing tax examinations in various jurisdictions. Tax authorities may disagree with our intercompany charges or other matters and assess additional taxes. While we regularly assess the likely outcomes of these examinations to determine the appropriateness of our tax provision, tax audits are inherently uncertain and an unfavorable outcome could occur. An unanticipated, unfavorable outcome in any specific period could harm our operating results for that period or future periods. The financial cost and management attention and time devoted to defending income tax positions may divert resources from our business operations, which could harm our business and profitability. Tax examinations may also impact the timing and/or amount of our refund claims. In addition, our effective tax rate in the future could be adversely affected by changes in the mix of earnings in countries with differing statutory tax rates, changes in the valuation of our deferred tax assets and liabilities, changes in tax laws and the discovery of new information in the course of our tax return preparation process. In particular, the carrying value of our deferred tax assets and the utilization of our net operating loss and credit carryforwards are dependent on our ability to generate future taxable income in the U.S and other countries. Furthermore, these carryforwards may be subject to annual limitations as a result of changes in Cohu’s ownership.

On December 22, 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“Tax Act”) was signed into law in the United States. The changes in the Tax Act are broad and complex and we continue to examine the impact the Tax Act may have on our business and financial results. Among its many provisions, the Tax Act imposed a mandatory one-time transition tax on undistributed foreign earnings regardless of whether they are repatriated, reduced the U.S. corporate income tax rate from 35% to 21%, imposed limitations on the deductibility of interest and certain other corporate deductions, moved from a “worldwide” system of taxation that generally allows deferral of U.S. tax on foreign earnings until repatriated to a “territorial”/dividend exemption system with a minimum tax that will subject foreign earnings to U.S. Tax when earned and created new taxes on certain foreign-sourced earnings and related-party payments, which are referred to as the global intangible low-taxed income tax and the base erosion and anti-abuse tax, respectively. In accordance with applicable SEC guidance (SAB 118), we recorded a provisional net tax benefit in the fourth quarter of 2017 however, this provisional tax benefit is subject to change in 2018, possibly materially, due to, among other things, changes in estimates, interpretations and assumptions we have made, changes in Internal Revenue Service (IRS) interpretations, the issuance of new guidance, legislative actions, changes in accounting standards or related interpretations in response to the Tax Act and future actions by states within the United States that have not currently adopted the Tax Act. For further information regarding the potential impact of the Tax Act see Note 5, "Income Taxes", to our consolidated financial statements.

Compliance with regulations may impact sales to foreign customers and impose costs.

Certain products and services that we offer require compliance with U.S. and other foreign country export and other regulations. Compliance with complex U.S. and other foreign country laws and regulations that apply to our international sales activities increases our cost of doing business in international jurisdictions and could expose us or our employees to fines and penalties. These laws and regulations include import and export requirements, the U.S. State Department International Traffic in Arms Regulations (“ITAR”) and U.S. and other foreign country laws such as the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”), and local laws prohibiting corrupt payments to governmental officials. Violations of these laws and regulations could result in fines, criminal sanctions against us, our officers or our employees, prohibitions on the conduct of our business and damage to our reputation. Although we have implemented policies and procedures designed to ensure compliance with these laws, there can be no assurance that our employees, contractors or agents will not violate our policies, or that our policies will be effective in preventing all potential violations. Any such violations could include prohibitions on our ability to offer our products and services to one or more countries, and could also materially damage our reputation, our brand, our international expansion efforts, our ability to attract and retain employees, our business and our operating results. Further, defending against claims of violations of these laws and regulations, even if we are successful, could be time-consuming, result in costly litigation, divert management’s attention and resources and cause us to incur significant expenses.

In addition to government regulations regarding sale and export, we are subject to other regulations regarding our products. For example, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has adopted disclosure rules for companies that use conflict minerals in their products, with substantial supply chain verification requirements if the materials come from, or could have come from, the Democratic Republic of the Congo or adjoining countries. These new rules and verification requirements will impose additional costs on us and on our suppliers, and may limit the sources or increase the cost of materials used in our products. Further, if we are unable to certify that our products are conflict free, we may face challenges with our customers that could place us at a competitive disadvantage, and our reputation may be harmed.

There may be changes in, and uncertainty with respect to, legislation, regulation and governmental policy in the United States.

The change in administration in the United States has resulted and may continue to result in significant changes in, and uncertainty with respect to, legislation, regulation and government policy. While it is not possible to predict whether and when any such additional changes will occur, changes at the local, state or federal level could impact fuel cell market adoption in the U.S. and the alternative energy technologies sector in the U.S., generally. Specific legislative and regulatory proposals that could have a material impact on us include, but are not limited to, infrastructure renewal programs; and modifications to international trade policy, such as approvals by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States; public company reporting requirements; environmental regulation and antitrust enforcement.

Our business and operations could suffer in the event of security breaches.

Attempts by others to gain unauthorized access to information technology systems are becoming more sophisticated and are sometimes successful. These attempts, which might be related to industrial or other espionage, include covertly introducing malware to our computers and networks and impersonating authorized users, among others. We seek to detect and investigate all security incidents and to prevent their recurrence, but in some cases, we might be unaware of an incident or its magnitude and effects. The theft, unauthorized use or publication of our intellectual property and/or confidential business information could harm our competitive position, reduce the value of our investment in research and development and other strategic initiatives or otherwise adversely affect our business. To the extent that any security breach results in inappropriate disclosure of our customers' or licensees' confidential information, we may incur liability as a result. In addition, we may be required to devote additional resources to the security of our information technology systems.

Our implementation of enterprise resource planning (“ERP”) systems may adversely affect our business and results of operations or the effectiveness of internal controls over financial reporting.

We recently implemented a new ERP system within our Switzerland and Malaysia operations, to conform these operations to the same ERP system used within our other principal business locations. We intend to continue to make investments and upgrades to our global ERP systems to support our business requirements. ERP implementations are complex and time-consuming projects that involve substantial expenditures on system software and implementation activities. If we do not effectively implement the ERP system or if the system does not operate as intended, it could adversely affect our financial reporting systems and our ability to produce financial reports and process transactions, the effectiveness of internal controls over financial reporting, and our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

The occurrence of natural disasters and geopolitical instability caused by terrorist attacks and other threats may adversely impact our operations and sales.

Our Corporate headquarters is located in San Diego, California, our Asian sales and service headquarters is located in Singapore and the majority of our sales are made to destinations in Asia. In addition, we have manufacturing plants in Malaysia, Philippines and Japan. These regions are known for being vulnerable to natural disasters and other risks, such as earthquakes, tsunamis, fires and floods, and geopolitical risks, which at times have disrupted the local economies. For example, a significant earthquake or tsunami could materially affect operating results. We are not insured for most losses and business interruptions of this kind, or for geopolitical or terrorism impacts, and presently have limited redundant, multiple site capacity in the event of a disaster. In the event of such disaster, our business would materially suffer.

Our financial and operating results may vary and fall below analysts’ estimates, which may cause the price of our common stock to decline.

Our operating results may fluctuate from quarter to quarter due to a variety of factors including, but not limited to:

Due to these factors or other unanticipated events, quarter-to-quarter comparisons of our operating results may not be reliable indicators of our future performance. In addition, from time-to-time our quarterly financial results may fall below the expectations of the securities and industry analysts who publish reports on our company or of investors in general. This could cause the market price of our stock to decline, perhaps significantly.

We have experienced significant volatility in our stock price.

A variety of factors may cause the price of our stock to be volatile. The stock market in general, and the market for shares of high-technology companies in particular, including ours, have experienced extreme price fluctuations, which have often been unrelated to the operating performance of affected companies. During the three-year period ended March 31, 2018 the price of our common stock has ranged from $26.17 to $9.14. The price of our stock may be more volatile than the stock of other companies due to, among other factors, the unpredictable, volatile and seasonal nature of the semiconductor industry, our significant customer concentration, intense competition in the test handler industry, our limited backlog and our relatively low daily stock trading volume. The market price of our common stock is likely to continue to fluctuate significantly in the future, including fluctuations related and unrelated to our performance.

None.

None.

Not applicable.

None.

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.

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