MERIDIAN BIOSCIENCE INC - Quarter Report: 2017 March (Form 10-Q)

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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

Form 10-Q

For the Quarterly Period Ended March 31, 2017

OR

For the transition period from                      to                     

Commission file number 0-14902

MERIDIAN BIOSCIENCE, INC.

Incorporated under the laws of Ohio

31-0888197

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

3471 River Hills Drive

Cincinnati, Ohio 45244

(513) 271-3700

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

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).    Yes  ☒    No  ☐

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

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

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

Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the issuer’s classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date.

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MERIDIAN BIOSCIENCE, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

TABLE OF CONTENTS TO QUARTERLY REPORT ON FORM 10-Q

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q contains forward-looking statements. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a safe harbor from civil litigation for forward-looking statements accompanied by meaningful cautionary statements. Except for historical information, this report contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, which may be identified by words such as “estimates”, “anticipates”, “projects”, “plans”, “seeks”, “may”, “will”, “expects”, “intends”, “believes”, “should” and similar expressions or the negative versions thereof and which also may be identified by their context. All statements that address operating performance or events or developments that Meridian expects or anticipates will occur in the future, including, but not limited to, statements relating to per share diluted earnings and revenue, are forward-looking statements. Such statements, whether expressed or implied, are based upon current expectations of the Company and speak only as of the date made. Specifically, Meridian’s forward-looking statements are, and will be, based on management’s then-current views and assumptions regarding future events and operating performance. Meridian assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements even if experience or future changes make it clear that any projected results expressed or implied therein will not be realized. These statements are subject to various risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, including, without limitation, the following: Meridian’s continued growth depends, in part, on its ability to introduce into the marketplace enhancements of existing products or new products that incorporate technological advances, meet customer requirements and respond to products developed by Meridian’s competition, and its ability to effectively sell such products. While Meridian has introduced a number of internally developed products, there can be no assurance that it will be successful in the future in introducing such products on a timely basis or in protecting its intellectual property. Meridian relies on proprietary, patented and licensed technologies. As such, the Company’s ability to protect its intellectual property rights, as well as the potential for intellectual property litigation, would impact its results. Ongoing consolidations of reference laboratories and formation of multi-hospital alliances may cause adverse changes to pricing and distribution. Recessionary pressures on the economy and the markets in which our customers operate, as well as adverse trends in buying patterns from customers, can change expected results. Costs and difficulties in complying with laws and regulations, including those administered by the United States Food and

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Drug Administration, can result in unanticipated expenses and delays and interruptions to the sale of new and existing products, as well as the uncertainty of regulatory approvals and the regulatory process. The international scope of Meridian’s operations, including changes in the relative strength or weakness of the U.S. dollar and general economic conditions in foreign countries, can impact results and make them difficult to predict. One of Meridian’s growth strategies is the acquisition of companies and product lines. There can be no assurance that additional acquisitions will be consummated or that, if consummated, will be successful and the acquired businesses will be successfully integrated into Meridian’s operations. There may be risks that acquisitions may disrupt operations and may pose potential difficulties in employee retention, and there may be additional risks with respect to Meridian’s ability to recognize the benefits of acquisitions, including potential synergies and cost savings or the failure of acquisitions to achieve their plans and objectives. Meridian cannot predict the possible impact of U.S. health care legislation enacted in 2010 – the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act – and any modification or repeal of any of the provisions thereof, and any similar initiatives in other countries on its results of operations. Efforts to reduce the U.S. federal deficit, breaches of Meridian’s information technology systems and natural disasters and other events could have a materially adverse effect on Meridian’s results of operations and revenues. In addition to the factors described in this paragraph, Part I, Item 1A Risk Factors of our Annual Report on Form 10-K contains a list and description of uncertainties, risks and other matters that may affect the Company. Readers should carefully review these forward-looking statements and risk factors and not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements.

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PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1. Financial Statements

MERIDIAN BIOSCIENCE, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (Unaudited)

(in thousands, except per share data)

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

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MERIDIAN BIOSCIENCE, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Unaudited)

(in thousands)

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

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MERIDIAN BIOSCIENCE, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited)

(in thousands)

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

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MERIDIAN BIOSCIENCE, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets

(in thousands)

ASSETS

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

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MERIDIAN BIOSCIENCE, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets

(dollars in thousands)

LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY

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

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MERIDIAN BIOSCIENCE, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

Condensed Consolidated Statement of Changes in Shareholders’ Equity  (Unaudited)

(dollars and shares in thousands)

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

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MERIDIAN BIOSCIENCE, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements

Dollars in Thousands, Except Per Share Amounts

(Unaudited)

The interim condensed consolidated financial statements are unaudited and are prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America for interim financial information, and the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations. In the opinion of Management, the interim financial statements include all normal adjustments and disclosures necessary to present fairly the Company’s financial position as of March 31, 2017, the results of its operations for the three and six month periods ended March 31, 2017 and 2016, and its cash flows for the six month periods ended March 31, 2017 and 2016. These statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and footnotes thereto included in the Company’s fiscal 2016 Annual Report on Form 10-K. Financial information as of September 30, 2016 has been derived from the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements. The results of operations for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the year.

A summary of the Company’s significant accounting policies is included in Note 1 to the audited consolidated financial statements of the Company’s fiscal 2016 Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements –

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, which supersedes and replaces nearly all currently-existing U.S. GAAP revenue recognition guidance including related disclosure requirements. This guidance, including any clarification guidance thereon, will be effective for the Company beginning October 1, 2018 (fiscal 2019). While the Company has begun the process of identifying, categorizing and analyzing its various revenue streams, the Company has not yet completed its assessment of the impact that adoption of this guidance will have on its financial statements.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases, which amends the accounting guidance related to leases. These changes, which are designed to increase transparency and comparability among organizations for both lessees and lessors, include, among other things, requiring recognition of lease assets and liabilities on the balance sheet and disclosing key information about leasing arrangements. Adoption and implementation of the guidance is not required by the Company until the beginning of fiscal 2020, although early adoption is permitted. The Company expects to begin its assessment of the impact that adoption of this guidance will have on its financial statements in fiscal 2018.

In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-09, Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting, which amends the accounting for share-based payment transactions. These changes, which are designed for simplification, involve several aspects of the accounting for share-based transactions, including the income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, and classification on the statement of cash flows. Adoption and implementation of the guidance is not required by the Company until the beginning of fiscal 2018, although early adoption is permitted. The Company has assessed the impact that adoption of this guidance will have, and believes that the impact will primarily relate to the treatment of the differences between stock compensation expense recorded in the Company’s financial statements and the stock compensation ultimately deducted on its tax returns. The tax effect of such differences is currently recorded in additional paid-in capital and reflected within the financing activities section of the statement of cash flows but upon adoption of this guidance will be required to be recorded directly to income tax expense and reflected within the operating activities section of the statement of cash flows. While the impact of this guidance, which the Company plans to adopt on a prospective

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basis at the beginning of fiscal 2018, is dependent on numerous factors (e.g., the market price of the Company’s common stock on the equity award grant date, the exercise/lapse dates of equity awards, and the market price of the Company’s common stock on such exercise/lapse dates), based on currently outstanding awards and the current market price of the Company’s common stock, the effect on the Company’s annual tax provision is not expected to be material.

In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-15, Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments. The update addresses certain specific cash flows and their treatment, with the objective being to reduce the existing diversity in how the items are presented and classified within the statement of cash flows. Adoption and implementation of the guidance is not required by the Company until the beginning of fiscal 2019, although early adoption is permitted. Adoption of this guidance is not expected to have a significant impact on the Company’s statement of cash flows.

In October 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-16, Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets Other Than Inventory, which intends to improve the accounting for the income tax consequences of intra-entity transfers of assets other than inventory. Adoption and implementation of the guidance is not required by the Company until the beginning of fiscal 2019, although early adoption is permitted. While the Company has not yet begun its assessment of the impact that adoption of this guidance will have on its financial statements, in light of the levels of such transfer activity within the Company, adoption of this guidance is not expected to have a significant impact on the Company’s consolidated results of operations, cash flows or financial position.

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-04, Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment, which serves to simplify the process of testing for goodwill impairment by eliminating the “Step 2” comparison of a reporting unit’s implied fair value to its carrying amount. The guidance requires an entity to compare a reporting unit’s fair value to its carrying amount, and if the carrying amount exceeds the fair value, an impairment equal to the excess carrying amount is recorded; no Step 2 implied fair value comparison is required. Adoption and implementation of the guidance is not required by the Company until the beginning of fiscal 2021, although early adoption is permitted.

Issued but not yet effective accounting pronouncements are not expected to have a material impact on the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

On March 24, 2016, we acquired all of the outstanding common stock of Magellan Biosciences, Inc., and its wholly-owned subsidiary Magellan Diagnostics, Inc. (collectively, “Magellan”), for $67,874, utilizing the proceeds from a $60,000 five-year term loan and cash and equivalents on hand. An amount of the acquisition consideration totaling $2,383 remains payable to the sellers, pending the realization of tax benefits for certain net operating loss carryforwards in future tax returns. Headquartered near Boston, Massachusetts, Magellan is a leading manufacturer of FDA-cleared products for the testing of blood to diagnose lead poisoning in children and adults. Magellan is the leading provider of point-of-care lead testing systems in the U.S.

Since the consideration paid exceeded the fair value of the net assets acquired, goodwill in the amount of $40,591 was recorded in connection with this acquisition, none of which will be deductible for tax purposes. This goodwill results largely from the addition of Magellan’s complementary customer base and distribution channels, industry reputation in the U.S. as a leader in lead testing, and management talent and workforce. Our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations for the three and six months ended March 31, 2016 include $1,105 of transaction costs related to the Magellan acquisition, which are reflected as Operating Expenses.

The Magellan results of operations, which are included in our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations for the three and six months ended March 31, 2017 and reported as part of the Diagnostics operating segment, include $675 and $1,387, respectively, of general and administrative expenses related to the amortization of specific identifiable intangible assets recorded on the opening balance sheet, including customer relationships, technology, non-compete agreements, and trade names.

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The results of Magellan included in the Company’s consolidated results for the three and six months ended March 31, 2017 are as follows, reflecting the items noted above and excluding interest expense on the debt secured by Meridian in connection with the transaction:

The recognized amounts of identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed in the acquisition of Magellan are as follows:

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The consolidated pro forma results of the combined entities of Meridian and Magellan, had the acquisition date been October 1, 2015, are as follows for the periods indicated:

These pro forma amounts have been calculated by including the results of Magellan, and adjusting the combined results to give effect to the following, as if the acquisition had been consummated on October 1, 2015, together with the consequential tax effects thereon:

Cash and equivalents include the following components:

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Inventories are comprised of the following:

A summary of our acquired intangible assets subject to amortization, as of March 31, 2017 and September 30, 2016, is as follows:

The actual aggregate amortization expense for these intangible assets was $936 and $374 for the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively, and $1,904 and $762 for the six months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. The estimated aggregate amortization expense for these intangible assets for each of the fiscal years through fiscal 2022 is as follows: remainder of fiscal 2017 – $1,866, fiscal 2018 – $3,529, fiscal 2019 – $3,308, fiscal 2020 – $3,148, fiscal 2021 – $2,560, and fiscal 2022 – $2,182.

In connection with the acquisition of Magellan (see Note 3), on March 22, 2016 the Company entered into a $60,000 five-year term loan with a commercial bank. The term loan requires quarterly principal and interest payments, with interest at a variable rate tied to LIBOR, and a balloon principal payment due March 31, 2021. The required principal payments on the term loan for each of the five succeeding fiscal years are as follows: remainder of fiscal 2017 – $2,250, fiscal 2018 – $4,500, fiscal 2019 – $5,250, fiscal 2020 – $6,000, and fiscal 2021 – $39,000. In light of the term loan’s interest being determined on a variable rate basis, the fair value of the term loan at March 31, 2017 approximates the current carrying value reflected in the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet.

In order to limit exposure to volatility in the LIBOR interest rate, the Company and the commercial bank also entered into an interest rate swap that effectively converts the variable interest rate on the term loan to a fixed rate of 2.76%. With an initial notional balance of $60,000, the interest rate swap was established with critical terms identical to those of the term loan, including (i) notional reduction amounts and dates; (ii) LIBOR settlement rates;

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(iii) rate reset dates; and (iv) term/maturity. Due to this, the interest rate swap has been designated as an effective cash flow hedge, with changes in fair value reflected as a separate component of other comprehensive income in the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income. At March 31, 2017, the fair value of the interest rate swap was an asset of $960, and is reflected as a non-current asset in the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet. This fair value was determined by reference to a third party valuation, and is considered a Level 2 input within the fair value hierarchy of valuation techniques.

In addition, the Company maintains a $30,000 revolving credit facility with a commercial bank, which expires March 31, 2021. There were no borrowings outstanding on this credit facility at March 31, 2017 or September 30, 2016.

The term loan and the revolving credit facility are collateralized by the business assets of the Company’s U.S. subsidiaries and require compliance with financial covenants that limit the amount of debt obligations and require a minimum level of coverage of fixed charges, as defined in the borrowing agreement. As of March 31, 2017, the Company is in compliance with all covenants. The Company is also required to maintain a cash compensating balance with the bank in the amount of $1,000, and is in compliance with this requirement.

Meridian was formed in 1976 and functions as a fully-integrated research, development, manufacturing, marketing, and sales organization with primary emphasis in the fields of infectious disease (in vitro) and blood lead diagnostics, and life science research and industrial components. Our principal businesses are (i) the development, manufacture and distribution of diagnostic test kits primarily for gastrointestinal, viral, respiratory and parasitic infectious diseases, and elevated blood lead levels; and (ii) the manufacture and distribution of bulk antigens, antibodies, PCR/qPCR reagents, nucleotides, competent cells, and bioresearch reagents used by organizations in the life science and agri-bio industries engaged in research, and by other diagnostics manufacturers.

Our reportable segments are Diagnostics and Life Science. The Diagnostics segment consists of manufacturing operations for infectious disease products in Cincinnati, Ohio; Magellan’s manufacturing operations for products detecting elevated lead levels in blood in Billerica, Massachusetts (near Boston); and the sale and distribution of diagnostics products domestically and abroad. This segment’s products are used by hospitals, reference labs and physician offices to detect infectious diseases and elevated lead levels.

The Life Science segment consists of manufacturing operations in Memphis, Tennessee; Boca Raton, Florida; London, England; Luckenwalde, Germany; and Sydney, Australia, and the sale and distribution of bulk antigens, antibodies, PCR/qPCR reagents, nucleotides, competent cells, and bioresearch reagents domestically and abroad, including sales and business development offices in Singapore and Beijing, China to further pursue growing revenue opportunities in Asia. This segment’s products are used by manufacturers and researchers in a variety of applications (e.g., in-vitro medical device manufacturing, microRNA detection, next-gen sequencing, plant genotyping, and mutation detection, among others).

Amounts due from two Diagnostics distributor customers accounted for 15% and 16% of consolidated accounts receivable at March 31, 2017 and September 30, 2016, respectively. Revenues from these two distributor customers accounted for 33% and 26% of the Diagnostics segment third-party revenues during the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively, and 28% and 33% during the six months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. These distributors represented 23% and 19% of consolidated revenues for the fiscal 2017 and 2016 second quarters, respectively, and 20% and 24% for the respective year-to-date six month periods.

Within our Life Science segment, two diagnostic manufacturing customers accounted for 21% and 18% of the segment’s third-party revenues during the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively, and 20% and 18% during the six months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively.

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Segment information for the interim periods is as follows:

Transactions between segments are accounted for at established intercompany prices for internal and management purposes, with all intercompany amounts eliminated in consolidation.

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ITEM 2. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Refer to “Forward-Looking Statements” following the Table of Contents in front of this Form 10-Q. In the discussion that follows, all dollar amounts are in thousands (both tables and text), except per share data.

Following is a discussion and analysis of the financial statements and other statistical data that management believes will enhance the understanding of Meridian’s financial condition, changes in financial condition and results of operations. This discussion should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and notes thereto beginning on page 1.

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Quarterly Overview

The second quarter of fiscal 2017 was characterized by improvement in the Company’s overall results compared to those of the first quarter, with both our Diagnostics and Life Science reportable segments reflecting revenue increases over both the fiscal 2017 first quarter and the comparable fiscal 2016 second quarter. These improvements reflect the benefits of measures taken since late in fiscal 2016 to stabilize our Americas core diagnostics business, including making changes to our senior management team and strengthening our relationships with key distribution partners, as well as actions taken to align resources, reduce expenses and optimize investments in product development. Revenues for the second quarter of fiscal 2017 were 16% higher than the first quarter. Similarly, net earnings for the second quarter of fiscal 2017 were 48% higher than the first quarter.

Three Months Ended March 31, 2017

Net earnings for the second quarter of fiscal 2017 increased 2% to $9,312, or $0.22 per diluted share, from net earnings for the second quarter of fiscal 2016 of $9,091, or $0.21 per diluted share. Reflected within the fiscal 2016 quarterly results are transaction costs related to acquisition activity, including the 2016 Magellan acquisition ($1,000, or $0.02 per diluted share, net of tax). Consolidated revenues increased 6% to $54,125 for the second quarter of fiscal 2017 compared to the same period of the prior year (also 6% on a constant-currency basis).

Revenues for the Diagnostics segment for the second quarter of fiscal 2017 increased 1% compared to the second quarter of fiscal 2016 (increased 2% on a constant-currency basis), comprised of a 2% decrease in molecular products and a 2% increase in non-molecular products, including $3,645 of Magellan revenues. With a 25% increase in its immunoassay components business and a 4% increase in its molecular components business, revenues of our Life Science segment increased by 18% during the second quarter of fiscal 2017 compared to the second quarter of fiscal 2016 (increasing 20% on a constant-currency basis).

Six Months Ended March 31, 2017

For the six month period ended March 31, 2017, net earnings decreased 13% to $15,591, or $0.37 per diluted share, compared to net earnings for the comparable fiscal 2016 period of $17,984, or $0.42 per diluted share. Reflected within the year-to-date fiscal 2016 results are transaction costs related to acquisition activity, including the 2016 Magellan acquisition ($1,233, or $0.03 per diluted share, net of tax). Consolidated revenues increased 3% to $100,934 for the first six months of fiscal 2017 compared to the same period of the prior year (also 3% on a constant-currency basis).

Revenues for the Diagnostics segment for the first six months of fiscal 2017 decreased 1% compared to the first six months of fiscal 2016 (also 1% on a constant-currency basis), comprised of a 12% decrease in molecular products and a 2% increase in non-molecular products, including $8,844 of Magellan revenues. With a 19% increase in its immunoassay components business and a 6% increase in its molecular components business, revenues of our Life Science segment increased by 14% during the first six months of fiscal 2017 compared to the first six months of fiscal 2016 (increasing 16% on a constant-currency basis).

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USE OF NON-GAAP MEASURES

We have supplemented our reported GAAP financial information with information on net earnings, basic earnings per share and diluted earnings per share, excluding the effect of costs associated with acquisition activity, each of which is a non-GAAP financial measure, as well as reconciliations to amounts reported under U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. We believe that this information is useful to those who read our financial statements and evaluate our operating results because:

These non-GAAP measures may be different from non-GAAP measures used by other companies. In addition, these non-GAAP measures are not based on any comprehensive set of accounting rules or principles. Non-GAAP measures have limitations, in that they do not reflect all amounts associated with our results as determined in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Therefore, these measures should only be used to evaluate our results in conjunction with corresponding GAAP measures.

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REVENUE OVERVIEW

Below are analyses of the Company’s revenue, provided for each of the following:

Revenue Overview – By Reportable Segment & Geographic Region

Our reportable segments are Diagnostics and Life Science, with products sold and distributed in the countries comprising North and Latin America (the “Americas”); Europe, Middle East and Africa (“EMEA”); and other countries outside of the Americas and EMEA (rest of the world, or “ROW”). A full description of our segments is set forth in Note 8 of the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

Revenues for the Diagnostics segment, in the normal course of business, may be affected from quarter to quarter by buying patterns of major distributors, seasonality and strength of certain diseases, and foreign currency exchange rates. Revenues for the Life Science segment, in the normal course of business, may be affected from quarter to quarter by buying patterns of major customers, and foreign currency exchange rates. We believe that the overall breadth of our product lines serves to reduce the variability in consolidated revenues due to these factors.

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Revenue Overview – By Product Platform/Type

The revenues generated by each of our reportable segments result primarily from the sale of the following segment-specific categories of products:

Diagnostics

Life Science

Revenues for each product platform/type, as well as its relative percentage of segment revenues, are shown below.

Following is a discussion of the revenues generated by each of these product platforms/types:

Diagnostics Products

Molecular Products

Revenues for our illumigene molecular platform of products decreased 2% to $9,477 for the second quarter of fiscal 2017 (also 2% on a constant-currency basis), and decreased 12% to $17,188 for the six month year-to-date period (also 12% on a constant-currency basis). This decrease reflects the ongoing increased competition within the molecular-based testing market, most notably within the market for C. difficile testing.

We have nearly 1,550 customer account placements. Of these account placements, over 1,300 accounts have completed evaluations and validations and are regularly purchasing product, with the balance of our account placements being in some stage of product evaluation and/or validation. Of our account placements, we have approximately 475 accounts that are regularly purchasing, evaluating and/or validating two or more assays. Increasing the number of customers utilizing two or more assays is a key objective, as we believe broader menu utilization lessens the risk of displacement by competitors.

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We continue to invest in new product development for our molecular testing platform, and this platform now has nine commercialized tests spanning hospital acquired infections, women’s health, respiratory, sexually transmitted diseases, and tropical diseases. Our illumigene Malaria test has been placed in nearly 100 accounts in the EMEA region for use as a screening test for travelers returning to Europe from endemic areas in Africa. We have initiated efforts to develop market channels in the endemic areas of Africa, and early results are encouraging.

We believe that the diagnostic testing market, particularly in the U.S., is continuing to selectively move away from culture and immunoassay testing to molecular testing for diseases where there is a favorable cost/benefit position for the total cost of health care. During the second quarter of fiscal 2017 we experienced 5% growth in all testing categories, other than the hyper-competitive C. difficile arena and 6% growth during the six month year-to-date period. While this market is competitive, with molecular companies such as Cepheid and Becton Dickinson, and others such as Quidel, Great Basin, Nanosphere and Alere, we believe we are well-positioned. Our simple, easy-to-use, illumigene platform, with its expanding menu, requires no expensive equipment purchase and little to no maintenance cost. We believe these features, along with its small footprint and the performance of the illumigene assays, make illumigene an attractive molecular platform for any size hospital or physician office laboratory that runs moderately-complex tests. We continue to invest in the development of additional assays for this platform.

Non-molecular Products

Revenues from our Diagnostics segment’s non-molecular products increased 2% in both the second quarter of fiscal 2017 and on a six month year-to-date basis. These results reflect the addition of Magellan’s revenue, largely offset by decreased revenues in our H. pylori and other immunoassay product lines.

Revenues from Magellan’s sales of products to test for elevated levels of lead in blood totaled $3,645 and $8,844 during the second quarter of fiscal 2017 and the six month year-to-date period, respectively. Compared to the three-month and six-month periods ended March 31, 2016, which were prior to Meridian’s ownership of Magellan, these revenues were approximately flat and up approximately 17%, respectively. Magellan’s revenues for the second quarter of fiscal 2017 were adversely affected by distributor and international order patterns. Also, during the second quarter, Magellan executed distribution agreements with distributors in China and Kenya that are expected to contribute revenues during the second half of fiscal 2017.

During the second quarter of fiscal 2017, revenues from our H. pylori products decreased 7% (6% on a constant-currency basis) to $7,725. These revenues decreased 13% to $14,881 during the first six months of fiscal 2017 (12% on a constant-currency basis). In fiscal 2016, we employed bulk-buy sales programs (also referred to as “stock-and-block” programs) intended to increase major customer inventory levels as a defense against potential competitors upon the expiration of our patent, as further described below. Although certain participating customers are continuing to consume the inventory purchased as part of these programs, we expect our H. pylori revenue to return to flat to low single-digit growth during the second half of fiscal 2017. This growth expectation reflects customers working through this inventory and replenishing product, and our realizing volume growth from the ongoing conversion of serology testing to our antigen tests. We continue to believe there are ongoing benefits to be realized from our partnerships with managed care companies in promoting: (i) the health and economic benefits of a test and treat strategy; (ii) changes in policies that discourage the use of traditional serology methods and promote the utilization of active infection testing methods; and (iii) physician behavior of movement away from serology-based testing and toward direct antigen testing. A significant amount of the H. pylori product revenues are sales to reference labs, whose buying patterns may not be consistent from period to period. We recently introduced capabilities to identify resistance to Clarithromycin, the antibiotic commonly used to treat H. pylori. We believe that partnering the ability to diagnose H. pylori and identify resistance is a strong competitive advantage.

The patents for our H. pylori products are owned by us and expired in May 2016 in the U.S. and in May 2017 in countries outside the U.S. We expect competition with respect to our H. pylori products to increase over the next 12 months, as we currently market the only FDA-cleared tests to detect H. pylori antigen in stool samples. Such competition may have an adverse impact on our selling prices for these products, or our ability to retain business at prices acceptable to us, and consequently, adversely affect our future results of operations and liquidity, including revenues and gross profit. In order to defend against competition, our product development pipeline includes multiple new product initiatives for the detection of H. pylori. We are unable to provide assurances that we will be successful with any competition defense strategy or that any competition defense strategy will prevent an adverse effect on our future results of operations and liquidity, including revenues and gross profit.

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During the second quarter of fiscal 2017, revenues from our other immunoassay products (including C. difficile, foodborne and respiratory) decreased 14% (also 14% on a constant-currency basis) to $15,922. These revenues decreased 16% to $29,537 during the first six months of fiscal 2017 (also 16% on a constant-currency basis). These decreases result primarily from the effects of continued increased competition and distributor order patterns.

Life Science Products

During the second quarter of fiscal 2017, revenues from our Life Science segment increased 18%, with revenues from molecular component sales increasing 4% from the comparable fiscal 2016 quarter and revenues from immunoassay component sales increasing 25%. For the first six months of fiscal 2017, revenues from our Life Science segment increased 14%, with revenues from molecular component sales increasing 6% from the year-to-date fiscal 2016 period and revenues from immunoassay component sales increasing 19%. Our molecular component business’ growth was negatively impacted by the movement in currency exchange rates since the fiscal 2016 periods, with revenues increasing 10% and 12% on a constant-currency basis over the second quarter and first six months of fiscal 2016, respectively. Our Life Science segment continued to benefit from increased sales into China, with such sales totaling approximately $1,300 during the second quarter of fiscal 2017 (approximately $200 in the molecular components business and $1,100 in the immunoassay components business) and approximately $2,000 during the year-to-date period (approximately $400 in the molecular components business and $1,600 in the immunoassay components business) New products also contributed to growth, including EPIK™ miRNA Select, JetSeq™, SensiFast™ Lyo-Ready, and MIC Personal qPCR Cycler and accessories.

Significant Customers

Revenue concentrations related to certain customers within our Diagnostics and Life Science segments are set forth in Note 8 of the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

Medical Device Tax

During the first three months of fiscal 2016, the Company recorded approximately $500 of medical device tax expense, which is reflected as a component of cost of sales in the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations. During December 2015, the Consolidations Appropriations Act of 2016 imposed a two-year moratorium on this excise tax effective January 1, 2016. We are unable to predict any future legislative changes or developments related to this moratorium or excise tax.

Gross Profit

The gross profit decreases experienced in fiscal 2017 primarily result from the combined effects of (i) mix of products sold, particularly decreased contribution from our higher margin H. pylori products; (ii) customer mix; (iii) operating segment mix; and (iv) decreased production levels in certain of our production facilities.

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Operating Expenses

Total operating expenses increased during both the second quarter and first six months of fiscal 2017 compared to the corresponding fiscal 2016 periods. These levels of operating expenses result primarily from the combined effects of (i) the addition of Magellan’s operating expenses totaling $2,700 and $5,500 for the quarterly and year-to-date periods, respectively; (ii) decreased selling, marketing, general and administrative operating expenses in our core diagnostics business, including the effect of revising vacation accrual policies; and (iii) the acquisition-related expenses included within the fiscal 2016 periods. Although research and development expenses of our core diagnostics business were flat on a six-month basis, we expect a modest increase in such spending as we move a number of new products through development.

Operating Income

Operating income decreased 6% to $14,186 for the second quarter of fiscal 2017, and decreased 16% to $24,271 for the first six months of fiscal 2017, as a result of the factors discussed above.

Income Taxes

The effective rate for income taxes was 34% and 35% for the fiscal 2017 second quarter and six month year-to-date periods, respectively. These rates are lower than the 39% and 37% in the comparable fiscal 2016 periods due to the non-deductibility of certain expenses incurred in connection with fiscal 2016 acquisition activities. For the fiscal year ending September 30, 2017, we expect the effective tax rate to approximate 35%-36%.

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Liquidity and Capital Resources

Comparative Cash Flow Analysis

Our cash flow and financing requirements are determined by analyses of operating and capital spending budgets, debt service, consideration of acquisition plans, and consideration of common share dividends. We have historically maintained a credit facility to augment working capital requirements and to respond quickly to acquisition opportunities.

Following the release of results for the fiscal 2017 first quarter, the Board of Directors announced that the fiscal 2017 indicated cash dividend rate had been reduced to $0.50 per share (down from $0.80 per share, and representing approximately 75% of the revised fiscal 2017 earnings per diluted share guidance), and a first quarter cash dividend of $0.125 per share was declared. This action, as well as the declaration of a $0.125 per share cash dividend for the second quarter, serves to bring the annual dividend rate more in line with our long-standing policy of establishing a cash dividend payout ratio of between 75% and 85% of diluted earnings per share. This reduction in the annual indicated dividend rate is intended to enable the Company to fund its ongoing global expansion and new product development efforts.

We have an investment policy that guides the holdings of our investment portfolio, which presently consists of overnight repurchase agreements, bank savings accounts and institutional money market mutual funds. Our objectives in managing the investment portfolio are to (i) preserve capital; (ii) provide sufficient liquidity to meet working capital requirements and fund strategic objectives such as acquisitions; and (iii) capture a market rate of return commensurate with market conditions and our policy’s investment eligibility criteria. As we look forward, we will continue to manage the holdings of our investment portfolio with preservation of capital being the primary objective.

Following its June 23, 2016 vote to leave the European Union (commonly referred to as “Brexit”), on March 29, 2017, the United Kingdom invoked Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty; thus formally commencing the process of exiting the European Union. While the impact of Brexit remains uncertain, the resulting immediate changes in foreign currency exchange rates have had a limited overall impact due to natural hedging. However, any predicted deterioration in the United Kingdom and European economic outlook may have an adverse effect on revenue growth, but the extent of such effect cannot yet be quantified. In the longer term, it is possible that we will be directly impacted in a number of key areas including the hiring and retention of qualified staff, regulatory affairs, manufacturing and logistics. We are closely monitoring the Brexit developments in order to determine, quantify and proactively address changes as they become clear. Despite the Brexit developments, we do not expect macroeconomic conditions to have a significant impact on our liquidity needs, financial condition or results of operations, although no assurances can be made in this regard. We intend to continue to fund our working capital requirements and dividends from current cash flows from operating activities and cash on hand. If needed, we also have an additional source of liquidity through our $30,000 bank revolving credit facility. Our liquidity needs may change if overall economic conditions worsen and/or liquidity and credit within the financial markets tightens for an extended period of time, and such conditions impact the collectibility of our customer accounts receivable or impact credit terms with our vendors, or disrupt the supply of raw materials and services.

Net cash provided by operating activities totaled $25,132 for the first six months of fiscal 2017, a 36% increase from the $18,461 provided during the first six months of fiscal 2016. While reflecting the timing of payments from customers and to suppliers and taxing authorities, this increase also results in large part from the net effects of (i) decreased inventory levels during the year-to-date fiscal 2017 period, compared to increased levels during the year-to-date fiscal 2016 period; and (ii) decreased accrued employee compensation costs during the first six months of fiscal 2017, reflecting the payment of discretionary bonuses related to fiscal 2016. Net cash flows from operating activities and cash on hand are anticipated to be adequate to fund working capital requirements, capital expenditures and dividends at the previously-noted reduced rate during the next 12 months.

As described in Notes 3 and 7 of the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements, on March 24, 2016, the Company acquired all of the outstanding common stock of Magellan for $67,874, utilizing the proceeds from a $60,000 five-year term loan and cash and equivalents on hand. An amount of the acquisition consideration totaling $2,383 remains payable to the sellers, pending the realization of tax benefits for certain net operating loss carryforwards in future tax returns.

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Capital Resources

As described in Notes 3 and 7 of the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements, in connection with the acquisition of Magellan, the Company entered into a $60,000 five-year term loan with a commercial bank. The term loan requires quarterly principal and interest payments, with interest at a variable rate tied to LIBOR, and a balloon principal payment due March 31, 2021. As also described in Note 7, exposure to the volatility of the term loan’s variable interest rate is limited by an interest rate swap agreement with the commercial bank. In addition, we have a $30,000 revolving credit facility with a commercial bank that expires March 31, 2021. As of April 30, 2017, there were no borrowings outstanding on this facility and we had 100% borrowing capacity available to us. We have had no borrowings outstanding under this revolving credit facility during the first six months of fiscal 2017 or during the full year of fiscal 2016.

Our capital expenditures are estimated to range between approximately $3,000 to $5,000 for fiscal 2017, with the actual amount dependent upon actual operating results and the phasing of certain projects. Such expenditures may be funded with cash and equivalents on hand, operating cash flows, and/or availability under the $30,000 revolving credit facility discussed above.

We do not utilize any special-purpose financing vehicles or have any undisclosed off-balance sheet arrangements.

ITEM 3. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK

There have been no material changes in the Company’s exposure to market risk since September 30, 2016.

ITEM 4. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

As of March 31, 2017, an evaluation was completed under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures pursuant to Rule 13a-15(b) and 15d-15(b) promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Based on that evaluation, our management, including the CEO and CFO, concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of March 31, 2017. There have been no changes in our internal control over financial reporting identified in connection with the evaluation of internal control that occurred during the second fiscal quarter that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting, or in other factors that could materially affect internal control subsequent to March 31, 2017. We routinely refine our internal controls over financial reporting in the normal course of business as new business activities arise or risks change. These refinements are made under a program of continuous improvement.