Cree Inc. (NASDAQ:CREE) reported non-GAAP loss of 10 cents per share for second-quarter fiscal 2020, which matched the Zacks Consensus Estimate. The company had reported earnings of 21 cents per share in the year-ago quarter.
The loss can be attributed to a $8.3 million (or 5 cents per share) reserve on inventory related to Huawei. The reserve was included due to the ban on shipment of products to Huawei by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Revenues came in at $239.9 million, which beat the consensus mark by 1.6% but fell 14% year over year.
Cree, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Cree, Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Cree, Inc. Quote
Quarter Details
Post the divestiture of its Lighting segment, Cree now has two reportable segments — Wolfspeed and LED Products.
Wolfspeed revenues declined 11% year over year to $120.7 million and accounted for 50.3% of total revenues. The drop in revenues was due to weakness in the power business, owing to a decline in electric vehicle sales in China after the withdrawal of government subsidies.
LED Products revenues were $119.2 million, down 18% on a year-over-year basis and accounted for 49.7% of total revenues. Softness in China amid the U.S.-China trade war affected LED revenues.
Non-GAAP gross margin was 27%, which decreased from 38% in the year-ago quarter. Segment wise, LED Products gross margin was 22% compared with 30% in the year-ago quarter, while Wolfspeed gross margin decreased from 48% in the year-ago quarter to 35%.
Non-GAAP operating loss during the quarter was $20.8 million against operating income of $25.1 million reported in the year-ago quarter.
Balance Sheet & Cash Flow
Cree had cash, cash equivalents & short-term investments of $951.5 million as of Dec 29, 2019 compared with $993.9 million as of Sep 29, 2019.
During the second quarter, cash used in operations was $11.8 million and free cash outflow was $53 million.
Guidance
For third-quarter fiscal 2020, Cree expects revenues in the range of $221-$229 million. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues is pegged at $238.6 million.
Non-GAAP loss is projected in the range of 9-15 cents per share. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for loss is pegged at 9 cents.
LED revenues are projected in the range of $105-$109 million, reflecting the extension of the Lunar New Year holiday due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Wolfspeed business is anticipated to be flat or slightly down sequentially on account of the softness in 5G network spending and lower electric vehicle sales in China.
Non-GAAP gross margin is expected to be approximately 30%. Wolfspeed and LED margins are expected to be in the range of 39-42% and 20-21%, respectively.
Zacks Rank & Other Stocks to Consider
Cree currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
Perion Network Ltd. (NASDAQ:PERI) , CEVA Inc. (NASDAQ:CEVA) and Microchip Technology Incorporated (NASDAQ:MCHP) are some other top-ranked stocks in the broader computer and technology sector. All three stocks sport a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Perion, CEVA and Microchip are set to report quarterly results on Feb 12, 18 and 3, respectively.
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Cree, Inc. (CREE): Free Stock Analysis Report
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