POWI-2014.3.31-10Q Q1
Table of Contents

 
 
 
 
 
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, DC 20549
 ____________________________________________________________________________
FORM 10-Q
 ____________________________________________________________________________
(Mark One)
x
Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
 
For the quarterly period ended March 31, 2014
or
o
Transition report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
 
For the transition period from ______  to  ______
Commission File Number 0-23441
 ____________________________________________________________________________
POWER INTEGRATIONS, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
 ____________________________________________________________________________
DELAWARE
 
94-3065014
(State or other jurisdiction of
Incorporation or organization)
 
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)
5245 Hellyer Avenue, San Jose, California, 95138
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip code)
(408) 414-9200
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
 ____________________________________________________________________________
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.    YES  x    NO o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant 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 (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).    YES  x   NO  o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act:
Large accelerated filer  x
 
Accelerated filer  o
Non-accelerated filer    o 
(Do not check if  a smaller reporting company)
 
Smaller reporting company  o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).    YES  o    NO  x
Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the issuer’s classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date.
Class
Shares Outstanding at April 18, 2014
Common Stock, $.001 par value
30,419,313
 
 
 
 
 


Table of Contents

POWER INTEGRATIONS, INC.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
 
 
 
Page
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Item 1.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Item 2.
 
 
 
Item 3.
 
 
 
Item 4.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Item 1.
 
 
 
Item 1A.
 
 
 
Item 2.
 
 
 
Item 5.
 
 
 
Item 6.
 
 
 
 

2

Table of Contents


Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q includes a number of forward-looking statements that involve many risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements are identified by the use of the words “would”, “could”, “will”, “may”, “expect”, “believe”, “should”, “anticipate”, “if”, “future”, “intend”, “plan”, “estimate”, “potential”, “targets”, “seek” or “continue” and similar words and phrases, including the negatives of these terms, or other variations of these terms, that denote future events. These statements reflect our current views with respect to future events and our potential financial performance and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results and financial position to differ materially and adversely from what is projected or implied in any forward-looking statements included in this Form 10-Q. These factors include, but are not limited to, the risks described under Item 1A of Part II — “Risk Factors,” Item 2 of Part I — “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, including, but not limited to: our quarterly operating results are volatile and difficult to predict, and if we fail to meet the expectations of public market analysts or investors, the market price of our common stock may decrease significantly; if demand for our products declines in our major end markets, our net revenues will decrease; intense competition in the high-voltage power supply industry may lead to a decrease in our average selling price and reduced sales volume of our products; if we are unable to adequately protect or enforce our intellectual property rights, we could lose market share, incur costly litigation expenses, suffer incremental price erosion or lose valuable assets, any of which could harm our operations and negatively impact our profitability; if we do not prevail in our litigation, we will have expended significant financial resources, potentially without any benefit, and may also suffer the loss of rights to use some technologies; and our international sales activities account for a substantial portion of our net revenues, which subjects us to substantial risks. We make these forward-looking statements based upon information available on the date of this Form 10-Q, and we have no obligation (and expressly disclaim any obligation) to update or alter any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information or otherwise except as otherwise required by securities regulations.



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Table of Contents

PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION
ITEM 1. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
POWER INTEGRATIONS, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(Unaudited)
(In thousands)
 
March 31,
 
December 31,
 
2014
 
2013
ASSETS
 
 
 
CURRENT ASSETS:
 
 
 
Cash and cash equivalents
$
83,967

 
$
92,928

Short-term marketable securities
133,684

 
109,179

Accounts receivable, net of allowances of $105 and $120 in 2014 and 2013, respectively (Note 2)
16,421

 
12,389

Inventories
47,934

 
42,235

Deferred tax assets
2,059

 
2,059

Prepaid expenses and other current assets
17,027

 
18,632

Total current assets
301,092

 
277,422

PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT, net
92,142

 
90,141

INTANGIBLE ASSETS, net
38,478

 
40,334

GOODWILL
80,599

 
80,599

DEFERRED TAX ASSETS (Note 9)
5,686

 
9,449

OTHER ASSETS
3,332

 
3,476

Total assets
$
521,329

 
$
501,421

 
 
 
 
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
 
 
 
CURRENT LIABILITIES:
 
 
 
Accounts payable
$
23,600

 
$
20,772

Accrued payroll and related expenses
8,046

 
8,900

Taxes payable
1,768

 
2,266

Deferred tax liabilities
1,325

 
943

Deferred income on sales to distributors
17,844

 
15,727

Other accrued liabilities
1,698

 
1,810

Total current liabilities
54,281

 
50,418

LONG-TERM INCOME TAXES PAYABLE (Note 9)
2,612

 
6,885

DEFERRED TAX LIABILITIES
4,991

 
5,273

OTHER LIABILITIES
2,267

 
2,159

Total liabilities
64,151

 
64,735

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES (Notes 9, 11 and 12)

 

STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY:
 
 
 
Common stock
30

 
30

Additional paid-in capital
234,667

 
223,660

Accumulated other comprehensive loss
(315
)
 
(470
)
Retained earnings
222,796

 
213,466

Total stockholders’ equity
457,178

 
436,686

Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity
$
521,329

 
$
501,421

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

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POWER INTEGRATIONS, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
(Unaudited)
(In thousands, except per share amounts)
 
 
Three Months Ended
 
March 31,
 
2014

2013
NET REVENUES
$
83,073

 
$
77,040

COST OF REVENUES
37,096

 
37,176

GROSS PROFIT
45,977

 
39,864

 

 
 
OPERATING EXPENSES:

 
 
Research and development
13,490

 
12,272

Sales and marketing
12,110

 
10,781

General and administrative
7,646

 
7,734

Total operating expenses
33,246

 
30,787

INCOME FROM OPERATIONS
12,731

 
9,077

OTHER INCOME
 
 
 
Other income, net
257

 
217

Total other income
257

 
217

INCOME BEFORE PROVISION FOR (BENEFIT FROM) INCOME TAXES
12,988

 
9,294

PROVISION FOR (BENEFIT FROM) INCOME TAXES
625

 
(1,609
)
NET INCOME
$
12,363

 
$
10,903

 
 
 
 
EARNINGS PER SHARE:
 
 
 
Basic
$
0.41

 
$
0.38

Diluted
$
0.40

 
$
0.37

 

 
 
SHARES USED IN PER SHARE CALCULATION:

 
 
Basic
30,239

 
28,754

Diluted
31,167

 
29,783

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


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POWER INTEGRATIONS, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
(Unaudited)
(In thousands)

 
Three Months Ended
 
March 31,
 
2014

2013
Net income
$
12,363

 
$
10,903

Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax:
 
 
 
Foreign currency translation adjustments, net of $0 tax in the quarters ended March 31, 2014 and 2013 (Note 2)
(6
)
 
(151
)
Unrealized gain (loss) on marketable securities, net of $0 tax in the quarters ended March 31, 2014 and 2013 (Note 2)
147

 
(54
)
Amortization of defined benefit pension items, net of tax of $4 and $4 in the quarters ended March 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively (Note 2)
14

 
14

Total other comprehensive income (loss)
155

 
(191
)
Total comprehensive income
$
12,518

 
$
10,712

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


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POWER INTEGRATIONS, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(Unaudited)
(In thousands)
 
Three Months Ended
 
March 31,
 
2014
 
2013
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
 
 
 
Net income
$
12,363

 
$
10,903

Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
 
 
 
Depreciation
3,971

 
3,975

Amortization of intangibles
1,856

 
1,842

Loss on sale of property and equipment
159

 

Stock-based compensation expense
3,915

 
3,636

Amortization of premium on marketable securities
394

 
104

Deferred income taxes
3,864

 
(3,236
)
Reduction in accounts receivable allowances
(15
)
 
(20
)
Change in operating assets and liabilities:
 
 
 
Accounts receivable
(4,017
)
 
(7,393
)
Inventories
(5,652
)
 
893

Prepaid expenses and other assets
1,825

 
3,928

Accounts payable
1,088

 
2,832

Taxes payable and accrued liabilities
(5,624
)
 
1,172

Deferred income on sales to distributors
2,116

 
2,936

Net cash provided by operating activities
16,243

 
21,572

 
 
 
 
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
 
 
 
Purchases of property and equipment
(4,465
)
 
(3,950
)
Purchases of marketable securities
(24,751
)
 
(19,422
)
Proceeds from maturities of marketable securities

 
1,500

Net cash used in investing activities
(29,216
)
 
(21,872
)
 
 
 
 
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
 
 
 
Issuance of common stock under employee stock plans
7,045

 
8,705

Payments of dividends to stockholders
(3,033
)
 
(2,310
)
Net cash provided by financing activities
4,012

 
6,395

 
 
 
 
NET INCREASE (DECREASE) IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
(8,961
)
 
6,095

CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS AT BEGINNING OF PERIOD
92,928

 
63,394

CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS AT END OF PERIOD
$
83,967

 
$
69,489

 
 
 
 
SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURE OF NON-CASH INVESTING AND FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
 
 
 
Unpaid property and equipment
$
4,602

 
$
1,469

SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURE OF CASH FLOW INFORMATION:
 
 
 
Cash refund for income taxes, net of payments
$
(1,942
)
 
$
(3,698
)

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


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POWER INTEGRATIONS, INC.
NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS


1. BASIS OF PRESENTATION:

The condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Power Integrations, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and its wholly owned subsidiaries. Significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.
    
While the financial information furnished is unaudited, the condensed consolidated financial statements included in this report reflect all adjustments (consisting only of normal recurring adjustments) that the Company considers necessary for the fair presentation of the results of operations for the interim periods covered and the financial condition of the Company at the date of the interim balance sheet in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”). The results for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results for the entire year. The condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Power Integrations, Inc. consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto for the year ended December 31, 2013, included in its Form 10-K filed on February 13, 2014, with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES:

No material changes have been made to the Company's significant accounting policies disclosed in Note 2, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, in its Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed on February 13, 2014, for the year ended December 31, 2013. The accounting policy information below is to aid in the understanding of the financial information disclosed.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

The Company considers cash invested in highly liquid financial instruments with maturities of three months or less at the date of purchase to be cash equivalents.

Marketable Securities

The Company generally holds securities until maturity; however, they may be sold under certain circumstances including, but not limited to, when necessary for the funding of acquisitions and other strategic investments. As a result the Company classifies its investment portfolio as available-for-sale. The Company classifies all investments with an original maturity date greater than three months as short-term investments in its Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet. As of March 31, 2014, and December 31, 2013, the Company's marketable securities consisted primarily of highly liquid corporate securities, commercial paper and other high-quality commercial securities.

Amortized cost and estimated fair market value of investments classified as available-for-sale at March 31, 2014, are as follows (in thousands):
 
Amortized
 
Gross Unrealized
 
Estimated Fair
 
 Cost
 
Gains
Losses
 
 Market Value
Investments due in less than 3 months:
 
 
 
 
 
 
       Commercial paper
$
3,722

 
$
1

$

 
$
3,723

       Total
$
3,722

 
$
1

$

 
$
3,723

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Investments due in 4-12 months:
 
 
 
 
 
 
       Corporate securities
$
16,502

 
$
63

$

 
$
16,565

       Total
$
16,502

 
$
63

$

 
$
16,565

Investments due between 12 months and 5-years:
 
 
 
 
 
 
       Corporate securities
$
116,826

 
$
300

$
(7
)
 
$
117,119

       Total
$
116,826

 
$
300

$
(7
)
 
$
117,119

Total investment securities
$
137,050

 
$
364

$
(7
)
 
$
137,407



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POWER INTEGRATIONS, INC.
NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

Amortized cost and estimated fair market value of investments classified as available-for-sale at December 31, 2013, are as follows (in thousands):    
 
Amortized
 
Gross Unrealized
 
Estimated Fair
 
 Cost
 
Gains
Losses
 
 Market Value
Investments due in less than 3 months:
 
 
 
 
 
 
       Commercial paper
$
3,098

 
$
1

$

 
$
3,099

       Total
$
3,098

 
$
1

$

 
$
3,099

 

 


 
 
Investments due in 4-12 months:

 


 
 
       Corporate securities
$
6,007

 
$
33

$

 
$
6,040

       Total
$
6,007

 
$
33

$

 
$
6,040

 

 


 
 
Investments due between 12 months and 5-years:

 


 
 
       Corporate securities
$
102,963

 
$
202

$
(26
)
 
$
103,139

       Total
$
102,963

 
$
202

$
(26
)
 
$
103,139

Total investment securities
$
112,068

 
$
236

$
(26
)
 
$
112,278

As of March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013, the Company evaluated the nature of the investments with a loss position which were primarily high-quality corporate securities, and determined the unrealized losses were not other-than-temporary.

Revenue Recognition

Product revenues consist of sales to original equipment manufacturers (“OEMs”), merchant power supply manufacturers and distributors. Approximately 75% of the Company's net product sales were made to distributors in the three months ended March 31, 2014, and 75% in the twelve months ended December 31, 2013. The Company applies the provisions of Accounting Standard Codification (“ASC”) 605-10 (“ASC 605-10”) and all related appropriate guidance. Revenue is recognized when all of the following criteria have been met: (1) persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, (2) delivery has occurred, (3) the price is fixed or determinable, and (4) collectability is reasonably assured. Customer purchase orders are generally used to determine the existence of an arrangement. Delivery is considered to have occurred when title and risk of loss have transferred to the Company's customer. The Company evaluates whether the price is fixed or determinable based on the payment terms associated with the transaction and whether the sales price is subject to refund or adjustment. With respect to collectability, the Company performs credit checks for new customers and performs ongoing evaluations of its existing customers' financial condition and requires letters of credit whenever deemed necessary.

Sales to international OEM customers and merchant power supply manufacturers that are shipped from the Company's facility in California are pursuant to “delivered at frontier” (“DAF”) shipping terms. As such, title to the product passes to the customer when the shipment reaches the destination country and revenue is recognized upon the arrival of the product in that country. Sales to international OEMs and merchant power supply manufacturers for shipments from the Company's facility outside of the United States are pursuant to “EX Works” ("EXW") shipping terms, meaning that title to the product transfers to the customer upon shipment from the Company's foreign warehouse. Shipments to OEMs and merchant power supply manufacturers in the Americas are pursuant to “free on board” (“FOB”) point of origin shipping terms meaning that title is passed to the customer upon shipment. Revenue is recognized upon title transfer for sales to OEMs and merchant power supply manufacturers, assuming all other criteria for revenue recognition are met.
    
Sales to most of the Company's distributors are made under terms allowing certain price adjustments and rights of return on the Company's products held by its distributors. As a result of these rights, the Company defers the recognition of revenue and the costs of revenues derived from sales to distributors until the Company's distributors report that they have sold the Company's products to their customers. The Company's recognition of such distributor revenue is based on point of sale reports received from the distributors, at which time the price is no longer subject to adjustment and is fixed, and the products are no longer subject to return to the Company except pursuant to warranty terms. The gross profit that is deferred as a result of this policy is reflected as “deferred income on sales to distributors” in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets. The total deferred revenue as of March 31, 2014, and December 31, 2013, was approximately $29.2 million and $25.5

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Table of Contents
POWER INTEGRATIONS, INC.
NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

million, respectively. The total deferred cost as of March 31, 2014, and December 31, 2013, was approximately $11.3 million and $9.8 million, respectively.

Frequently, distributors need to sell at a price lower than the standard distribution price in order to win business. At or soon after the distributor invoices its customer, the distributor submits a “ship and debit” price adjustment claim to the Company to adjust the distributor's cost from the standard price to the pre-approved lower price. After verification by the Company, a credit memo is issued to the distributor for the ship and debit claim. The Company maintains a reserve for unprocessed claims and future ship and debit price adjustments. The reserve appears as a reduction to accounts receivable in the Company's accompanying consolidated balance sheets. To the extent future ship and debit claims significantly exceed amounts estimated, there could be a material impact on the deferred revenue and deferred margin ultimately recognized. To evaluate the adequacy of its reserves, the Company analyzes historical ship and debit payments and levels of inventory in the distributor channels.

Sales to certain distributors of the Company are made under terms that do not include rights of return or price concessions after the product is shipped to the distributor. Accordingly, product revenue is recognized upon shipment and title transfer assuming all other revenue recognition criteria are met.

Common Stock Repurchases and Cash Dividend

In October 2012, the Company's board of directors authorized the use of $50 million for the repurchase of the Company's common stock, with repurchases to be executed according to pre-defined price/volume guidelines set by the board of directors. As of March 31, 2014, the Company had $29.5 million available for future stock repurchases. The Company did not purchase shares in the three-month periods ended March 31, 2014 and 2013, as the price of the Company’s stock exceeded the maximum price set forth in the guidelines mentioned above. Authorization of future stock repurchase programs is at the discretion of the board of directors and will depend on the Company's financial condition, results of operations, capital requirements, business conditions and other factors.

In January 2013, the Company's board of directors declared quarterly cash dividend payments in the amount of $0.08 per share to be paid to stockholders of record at the end of each quarter in 2013. Dividend payouts totaling approximately $2.3 million each were paid on March 29, 2013 and June 28, 2013, and approximately $2.4 million was paid on each of September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2013.

In October 2013, the Company's board of directors declared four quarterly cash dividends in the amount of $0.10 per share to be paid to stockholders of record at the end of each quarter in 2014. In April 2014, the board of directors declared that the payouts for the third and fourth quarters of 2014 shall increase to $0.12 per share. The first quarterly dividend payout, totaling approximately $3.0 million, was paid on March 31, 2014. The declaration of any future cash dividend is at the discretion of the board of directors and will depend on the Company's financial condition, results of operations, capital requirements, business conditions and other factors, as well as a determination that cash dividends are in the best interests of the Company's stockholders.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. On an ongoing basis, the Company evaluates its estimates, including those related to revenue recognition, income tax, stock-based compensation and inventories. These estimates are based on historical facts and various other assumptions that the Company believes to be reasonable at the time the estimates are made. 

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POWER INTEGRATIONS, INC.
NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

Components of the Company's Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet    
Accounts Receivable (in thousands):
 
 
March 31,
2014
 
December 31,
2013
Accounts receivable trade
$
47,842

 
$
42,410

Accrued ship and debit and rebate claims
(31,316
)
 
(29,901
)
Allowance for doubtful accounts
(105
)
 
(120
)
Total
$
16,421

 
$
12,389

Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets (in thousands):
 
 
March 31,
2014
 
December 31,
2013
Prepaid legal fees
$
5,129

 
$
6,267

Prepaid income tax
4,048

 
7,521

Prepaid maintenance agreements
725

 
947

Interest receivable
678

 
519

Supplier prepayment
1,511

 
757

Other
4,936

 
2,621

Total
$
17,027

 
$
18,632

    
Changes in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) for the three months ended March 31, 2014 (in thousands):
 
Unrealized Gains and Losses on Available-for-Sale Securities
 
Defined Benefit Pension Items
 
Foreign Currency Items
 
Total
Beginning balance at December 31, 2013
$
210

 
$
(780
)
 
$
100

 
$
(470
)
Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications
147

 

 
(6
)
 
141

Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)

 
14

(1)

 
14

Net-current period other comprehensive income (loss)
147

 
14

 
(6
)
 
155

Ending balance at March 31, 2014
$
357

 
$
(766
)
 
$
94

 
$
(315
)
____________________________
(1) This component of accumulated other comprehensive income is included in the computation of net periodic pension cost for the three months ended March 31, 2014.

    

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POWER INTEGRATIONS, INC.
NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

Changes in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) for the quarter ended March 31, 2013 (in thousands):
 
Unrealized Gains and Losses on Available-for-Sale Securities
 
Defined Benefit Pension Items
 
Foreign Currency Items
 
Total
Beginning balance at December 31, 2012
$
138

 
$
(560
)
 
$
129

 
$
(293
)
Other comprehensive income before reclassifications
(54
)
 

 
(151
)
 
(205
)
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income

 
14

(1)

 
14

Net-current period other comprehensive income
(54
)
 
14

 
(151
)
 
(191
)
Ending balance at March 31, 2013
$
84

 
$
(546
)
 
$
(22
)
 
$
(484
)
____________________________
(1) This component of accumulated other comprehensive income is included in the computation of net periodic pension cost for the three months ended March 31, 2013.


3. STOCK PLANS AND SHARE-BASED COMPENSATION:

Stock Plans
As of March 31, 2014, the Company had two stock-based compensation plans (the “Plans”) which are described below.

2007 Equity Incentive Plan

The 2007 Equity Incentive Plan (the "2007 Plan") was adopted by the board of directors on September 10, 2007, and approved by the stockholders on November 7, 2007, as an amendment and restatement of the 1997 Stock Option Plan (the "1997 Plan").  The 2007 Plan provides for the grant of incentive stock options, nonstatutory stock options, restricted stock awards, restricted stock unit awards ("RSUs"), stock appreciation rights, performance-based awards ("PSUs"), long-term performance based awards ("PRSUs") and other stock awards to employees, directors and consultants. As of March 31, 2014, the maximum remaining number of shares that may be issued under the 2007 Plan was 6,870,264 shares, which includes options granted but not exercised and awards granted but unvested and shares remaining available for issuance under the 1997 Plan, including shares subject to outstanding options and stock awards under the 1997 Plan.  Pursuant to the 2007 Plan, the exercise price for incentive stock options and nonstatutory stock options is generally at least 100% of the fair market value of the underlying shares on the date of grant.  Options generally vest over 48 months measured from the date of grant. Options generally expire no later than ten years after the date of grant, subject to earlier termination upon an optionee's cessation of employment or service.  

Beginning January 27, 2009, grants pursuant to the Directors Equity Compensation Program (that was adopted by the board of directors on January 27, 2009) to nonemployee directors have been made primarily under the 2007 Plan. The Directors Equity Compensation Program provides for grants to outside directors as follows: effective annually, upon the first trading day of July, each outside director would receive a grant of an equity award with an aggregate value of $100,000, which will become exercisable or vest immediately prior to the Company's next year Annual Meeting of Stockholders, subject to the director's continued service.  At each outside director's election, such award would consist entirely of RSUs or entirely of stock options.  The quantity of options would be calculated by dividing $100,000 by the Black-Scholes value on the date of grant. The quantity of RSUs issued would be calculated by dividing $100,000 by the grant date fair value.  Further, on the date of election of a new outside director, such new director would receive such grant as continuing outside directors receive on the first trading day of July; provided, however, that such grant is prorated for the portion of the year that such new outside director will serve until the next first trading day of July.  The Directors Equity Compensation Program will remain in effect at the discretion of the board of directors or the compensation committee of the board.


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NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

On July 28, 2009, the 2007 Plan was amended generally to prohibit outstanding options or stock appreciation rights from being cancelled in exchange for cash without stockholder approval.

1997 Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Under the 1997 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the “Purchase Plan”), eligible employees may apply accumulated payroll deductions, which may not exceed 15% of an employee's compensation, to the purchase of shares of the Company's common stock at periodic intervals. The purchase price of stock under the Purchase Plan is equal to 85% of the lower of (i) the fair market value of the Company's common stock on the first day of each offering period, or (ii) the fair market value of the Company's common stock on the purchase date (as defined in the Purchase Plan). Each offering period consists of one purchase period of approximately six months duration. An aggregate of 3,000,000 shares of common stock were reserved for issuance to employees under the Purchase Plan. As of March 31, 2014, 2,646,861 shares had been purchased and 353,139 shares were reserved for future issuance under the Purchase Plan.

Stock-Based Compensation

The Company applies the provisions of ASC 718-10. Under the provisions of ASC 718-10, the Company recognizes the fair value of stock-based compensation in financial statements over the requisite service period of the individual grants, which generally equals a four-year vesting period. The Company uses estimates of volatility, expected term, risk-free interest rate, dividend yield and forfeitures in determining the fair value of these awards and the amount of compensation expense to recognize. The Company uses the straight-line method to amortize all stock awards granted over the requisite service period of the award, and uses historical data to estimate pre-vesting forfeitures, recognizing expense only for those awards that are expected to vest.
 
Determining Fair Value of Stock Options

The Company uses the Black-Scholes valuation model for valuing stock option grants using the following assumptions and estimates:

Expected Volatility. The Company calculates expected volatility based on the historical price volatility of the Company's stock.

Expected Term. The Company utilizes a model which uses historical exercise, cancellation and outstanding option data to calculate the expected term of stock option grants.

Risk-Free Interest Rate. The Company bases the risk-free interest rate used in the Black-Scholes valuation model on the implied yield available on a U.S. Treasury note with a term approximately equal to the expected term of the underlying grants.

Dividend Yield.  The dividend yield was calculated by dividing the annual dividend by the average closing price of the Company's common stock on a quarterly basis.

The following table summarizes the stock-based compensation expense recognized in accordance with ASC 718-10 for the three months ended March 31, 2014, and March 31, 2013 (in thousands).
 
Three Months Ended
 
March 31,
 
2014

2013
Cost of revenues
$
219

 
$
264

Research and development
1,212

 
1,106

Sales and marketing
935

 
829

General and administrative
1,549

 
1,437

Total stock-based compensation expense
$
3,915

 
$
3,636


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NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)


Stock compensation expense in the three months ended March 31, 2014, was $3.9 million (comprising approximately $0.5 million related to stock options, $0.5 million related to performance-based awards, $2.6 million related to restricted stock units and $0.3 million related to the Purchase Plan). Stock compensation expense in the three months ended March 31, 2013, was $3.6 million (comprising approximately $1.0 million related to stock options, $0.4 million related to performance-based awards, $1.9 million related to restricted stock units and $0.3 million related to the Purchase Plan).

The following table summarizes total compensation expense related to unvested awards not yet recognized, net of expected forfeitures, and the weighted-average period over which it is expected to be recognized as of March 31, 2014.
 
March 31, 2014
 
Unrecognized
Compensation
Expense for Unvested
Awards
 
Weighted Average
Remaining
Recognition
Period
 
(In thousands)
 
(In years)
Options
 
$
1,497

 
 
1.44
Performance-based awards
 
1,706

 
 
0.75
Long term performance-based awards
 
2,156

 
 
2.75
Restricted stock units
 
20,511

 
 
2.38
Purchase plan
 
396

 
 
0.50
Total unrecognized compensation expense
 
$
26,266

 
 
 

The Company did not grant stock options in the three months ended March 31, 2014 or March 31, 2013, and therefore no fair-value assumptions were reported for those periods.
    

The fair value of employees’ stock purchase rights under the Purchase Plan was estimated using the Black-Scholes model with the following weighted-average assumptions:
        

Three Months Ended
 
March 31,
 
2014

2013
Risk-free interest rates
0.07%

0.11%
Expected volatility rates
30%

33%
Expected dividend yield
0.66%

0.80%
Expected term of purchase right (in years)
0.5

0.5
Weighted-average estimated fair value of purchase rights
$13.31

$9.14
    
A summary of stock option activity under the Plans, excluding performance-based awards and restricted stock units, as of March 31, 2014, and changes during the three months then ended is presented below:
 
Shares
(in thousands)
 
Weighted-
Average
Exercise
Price
 
Weighted-Average
Remaining
Contractual
Term
(in years)
 
Aggregate
Intrinsic Value
(in thousands)
Outstanding at January 1, 2014
1,691

 
$27.34
 
 
 
 
Granted

 

 
 
 
 
Exercised
(176
)
 
$27.26
 
 
 
 
Forfeited or expired

 

 
 
 
 
Outstanding at March 31, 2014
1,515

 
$27.35
 
4.30
 
$
58,210

Exercisable at March 31, 2014
1,400

 
$26.29
 
4.03
 
$
55,288

Vested and expected to vest at March 31, 2014
1,512

 
$27.32
 
4.29
 
$
58,145


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POWER INTEGRATIONS, INC.
NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)


The Company did not grant stock options in the three months ended March 31, 2014 and March 31, 2013. Since 2010 the Company's equity grants to new hires and its annual incentive grants to non-executive employees have been primarily in the form of RSUs. The total intrinsic value of options exercised during the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013, was approximately $5.8 million and $5.2 million, respectively.

Performance-based Awards ("PSUs")

Under the performance-based awards program, the Company grants awards in the first half of the performance year in an amount equal to twice the target number of shares to be issued if the target performance metrics are met. The number of shares that are released at the end of the performance year can range from zero to 200% of the targeted number depending on the Company's performance. In 2014, the performance metrics of this program are annual targets consisting of net revenue and non-GAAP operating earnings. Each performance-based award granted from the 2007 Plan will reduce the number of shares available for issuance under the 2007 Plan by 2.0 shares.

During the three months ended March 31, 2014, the Company granted approximately 44,000 annual performance-based awards. As the net revenue and non-GAAP operating earnings are considered performance conditions, expenses associated with these awards, net of estimated forfeitures, are recorded throughout the year depending on the number of shares expected to be earned based on progress toward the performance targets. The cost of performance-based awards is determined using the fair value of the Company's common stock on the grant date, reduced by the discounted present value of dividends expected to be declared before the awards vest. If the performance conditions are not achieved, no compensation cost is recognized and any previously recognized compensation is reversed.

In January 2014, it was determined that approximately 83,000 shares of the approximately 100,000 performance-based awards granted in 2013, less forfeitures, vested in aggregate. The 2013 performance metrics consisted of revenue, non-GAAP operating income and strategic-goals for such awards. Accordingly, 83,000 performance-based awards were released to the Company's employees and executives in the first quarter of 2014.

A summary of performance-based awards outstanding as of March 31, 2014, and activity during the three months then ended, is presented below:
 
Shares
(in thousands)
 
Weighted- Average Grant Date Fair Value Per Share
 
Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Term
(in years)
 
Aggregate Intrinsic Value
(in thousands)
Outstanding at January 1, 2014
100

 
$38.48
 
 
 
 
Granted
44

 
$58.55
 
 
 
 
Vested
(83
)
 
$38.48
 
 
 
 
Change in units due to performance achievement for PSUs vested in the year
(17
)
 
$38.48
 
 
 
 
Forfeited or expired

 

 
 
 
 
Outstanding at March 31, 2014
44

 
$58.55
 
0.75
 
$
2,868

Outstanding and expected to vest at March 31, 2014
37

 
 
 
0.75
 
$
2,466

    
The weighted-average grant-date fair value per share of performance-based awards granted in the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013 was approximately $58.55, and $36.43, respectively. The grant-date fair value of awards released, which were fully vested, in the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013, was approximately $3.2 million and $2.0 million, respectively.

Long-Term Performance-based Awards ("PRSUs")

            The Company's PRSU program provides for the issuance of PRSUs which will vest based on Company performance measured against the 2014 PRSU Plan's established 2016 revenue target. The PRSUs were granted in an amount equal to twice

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POWER INTEGRATIONS, INC.
NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

the target number of shares to be issued if the target performance metric is met. The actual number of shares the recipient receives is determined at the end of a three-year performance period based on results achieved versus the Company's performance goal, and may range from zero to 200% of the targeted number. The performance goal for PRSUs granted in fiscal 2014 was based on the Company's adjusted annual revenue growth. Each long-term performance-based award granted from the 2007 Plan will reduce the number of shares available for issuance under the 2007 Plan by 2.0 shares.

            Recipients of a PRSU award generally must remain employed by the Company on a continuous basis through the end of the applicable three-year performance period in order to receive shares subject to that award. Expenses associated with these awards, net of estimated forfeitures, are recorded throughout the year depending on the number of shares expected to be earned based on progress toward the performance target. The cost of long-term performance-based awards is determined using the fair value of the Company's common stock on the grant date, reduced by the discounted present value of dividends expected to be declared before the awards vest. If the performance conditions are not achieved, no compensation cost is recognized and any previously recognized compensation is reversed.

A summary of long-term performance-based awards outstanding as of March 31, 2014, and activity during the three months then ended, is presented below:
 
Shares
(in thousands)
 
Weighted- Average Grant Date Fair Value Per Share
 
Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Term
(in years)
 
Aggregate Intrinsic Value
(in thousands)
Outstanding at January 1, 2014

 

 
 
 
 
Granted
47

 
$57.76
 
 
 
 
Vested

 

 
 
 
 
Forfeited or expired

 

 
 
 
 
Outstanding at March 31, 2014
47

 
$57.76
 
2.75
 
$
3,072

Outstanding and expected to vest at March 31, 2014
40

 
 
 
2.75
 
$
2,629


Restricted Stock Units (RSUs)

The Company grants restricted stock units to employees under the 2007 Plan. RSUs granted to employees typically vest ratably over a four-year period, and are converted into shares of the Company's common stock upon vesting on a one-for-one basis subject to the employee's continued service with the Company over that period. The fair value of RSUs is determined using the fair value of the Company's common stock on the date of the grant, reduced by the discounted present value of dividends expected to be declared before the awards vest. Compensation expense is recognized on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period of each grant adjusted for estimated forfeitures. Each RSU award granted from the 2007 plan will reduce the number of shares available for issuance under the 2007 Plan by 2.0 shares.
A summary of RSUs outstanding as of March 31, 2014, and changes during the three months then ended, are as follows: 
 
Shares
(in thousands)
 
Weighted- Average Grant Date Fair Value Per Share
 
Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Term
(in years)
 
Aggregate Intrinsic Value
(in thousands)
Outstanding at January 1, 2014
714

 
$38.97
 
 
 
 
Granted
86

 
$57.05
 
 
 
 
Vested
(46
)
 
$35.93
 
 
 
 
Forfeited or expired
(4
)
 
$39.47
 
 
 
 
Outstanding at March 31, 2014
750

 
$41.21
 
1.44
 
$
49,312

Outstanding and expected to vest at March 31, 2014
704

 
 
 
1.34
 
$
46,280



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POWER INTEGRATIONS, INC.
NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

The weighted-average grant-date fair value per share of RSUs awarded in the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013 was approximately $57.05 and $35.68, respectively. The grant-date fair value of RSUs vested in the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013, was approximately $1.6 million and $0.2 million, respectively.

4. FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS:
ASC 820-10, Fair Value Measurements, clarifies that fair value is an exit price, representing the amount that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants. As such, fair value is a market-based measurement that should be determined based on assumptions that market participants would use in pricing an asset or liability. As a basis for considering such assumptions, ASC 820-10 establishes a three-tier value hierarchy, which prioritizes the inputs used in measuring fair value as follows: (Level 1) observable inputs such as quoted prices for identical assets in active markets; (Level 2) inputs other than the quoted prices in active markets that are observable either directly or indirectly; and (Level 3) unobservable inputs in which there is little or no market data, which requires the Company to develop its own assumptions. This hierarchy requires the Company to use observable market data, when available, and to minimize the use of unobservable inputs when determining fair value.
The Company's cash and investment instruments are classified within Level 1 or Level 2 of the fair-value hierarchy because they are valued using quoted market prices, broker or dealer quotations, or alternative pricing sources with reasonable levels of price transparency. The type of instrument valued based on quoted market prices in active markets primarily includes money market securities. This type of instrument is generally classified within Level 1 of the fair-value hierarchy. The types of instruments valued based on other observable inputs (Level 2 of the fair-value hierarchy) include investment-grade corporate bonds and government, state, municipal and provincial obligations. Such types of investments are valued by using a multi-dimensional relational model, the inputs are primarily benchmark yields, reported trades, broker/dealer quotes, issuer spreads, two-sided markets, benchmark securities, bids, offers, and reference data including market research publications. The Company principally holds securities until maturity; however, they may be sold under certain circumstances, including, but not limited to, the funding of acquisitions and other strategic investments. As a result the Company classified its investment portfolio as available-for-sale. The Company's investments classified as Level 1 and Level 2 are available-for-sale investments, and were recorded at fair market value.
The fair-value hierarchy of the Company's marketable securities at March 31, 2014, and December 31, 2013, was as follows (in thousands):
 
Fair Value Measurement at
 
 
March 31, 2014
 
Description
March 31, 2014
 
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1)
 
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)
 
Commercial paper
$
3,723

 
$

 
$
3,723

 
Money market funds
17,516

 
17,516

 

 
Corporate securities
133,684

 

 
133,684

 
     Total
$
154,923

 
$
17,516

 
$
137,407

 

 
Fair Value Measurement at
 
 
December 31, 2013
 
Description
December 31, 2013
 
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1)
 
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)
 
Commercial paper
$
3,099

 
$

 
$
3,099

 
Money market funds
17,492

 
17,492

 

 
Corporate securities
109,179

 

 
109,179

 
     Total
$
129,770

 
$
17,492

 
$
112,278

 

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POWER INTEGRATIONS, INC.
NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)


The Company did not transfer any investments between Level 1 and Level 2 of the fair-value hierarchy in the three months ended March 31, 2014, and the twelve months ended December 31, 2013.

5. INVENTORIES:

Inventories (which consist of costs associated with the purchases of wafers from domestic and offshore foundries and of packaged components from offshore assembly manufacturers, as well as internal labor and overhead associated with the testing of both wafers and packaged components) are stated at the lower of cost (first-in, first-out) or market. Provisions, when required, are made to reduce excess and obsolete inventories to their estimated net realizable values. Inventories consist of the following (in thousands):
 
March 31,
2014
 
December 31,
2013
Raw materials
$
11,257

 
$
8,221

Work-in-process
12,207

 
13,216

Finished goods
24,470

 
20,798

Total
$
47,934

 
$
42,235


6. GOODWILL AND INTANGIBLE ASSETS:

There were no changes in the carrying amount of goodwill during the three months ended March 31, 2014.

Intangible assets consist primarily of developed technology, acquired licenses, customer relationships, trade name, in-process research and development and patent rights, and are reported net of accumulated amortization. The Company amortizes the cost of all intangible assets over the shorter of the estimated useful life or the term of the developed technology, acquired licenses, customer relationships, trade name and patent rights, which range from two to 12 years, with the exception of $4.7 million of in-process research and development. In-process research and development is assessed for impairment until the development is completed and products are available for sale, at which time the Company will begin to amortize the in-process research and development. The Company does not expect the amortization of in-process research and development to begin in 2014. Amortization for acquired intangible assets was approximately $1.9 million and $1.8 million in the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively. The Company does not believe there is any significant residual value associated with the following intangible assets:
 
March 31, 2014
 
December 31, 2013
 
Gross
 
Accumulated
Amortization
 
Net
 
Gross
 
Accumulated
Amortization
 
Net
 
(in thousands)
In-process research and development
$
4,690

 
$

 
$
4,690

 
$
4,690

 
$

 
$
4,690

Technology licenses
3,000

 
(2,400
)
 
600

 
3,000

 
(2,325
)
 
675

Patent rights
1,949

 
(1,949
)
 

 
1,949

 
(1,949
)
 

Developed technology
26,670

 
(5,893
)
 
20,777

 
26,670

 
(5,247
)
 
21,423

Customer relationships
17,610

 
(5,349
)
 
12,261

 
17,610

 
(4,664
)
 
12,946

Trade name
3,600

 
(3,450
)
 
150

 
3,600

 
(3,000
)
 
600

Total intangible assets
$
57,519

 
$
(19,041
)
 
$
38,478

 
$
57,519

 
$
(17,185
)
 
$
40,334


    

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POWER INTEGRATIONS, INC.
NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

The estimated future amortization expense related to intangible assets at March 31, 2014, is as follows:
Fiscal Year
Estimated
Amortization
(in  thousands)
2014
(remaining 9 months)
$
4,216

2015
 
5,009

2016
 
4,394

2017
 
3,994

2018
 
3,746

Thereafter
12,429

Total (1)
$
33,788

_______________
(1)
 The total above excludes $4.7 million of in-process research and development that will be amortized upon completion of development over the estimated useful life of the technology.

7. SIGNIFICANT CUSTOMERS AND INTERNATIONAL SALES:

Segment Reporting

The Company is organized and operates as one reportable segment, the design, development, manufacture and marketing of integrated circuits and related components for use primarily in the high-voltage power-conversion market. The Company's chief operating decision maker, the Chief Executive Officer, reviews financial information presented on a consolidated basis for purposes of making operating decisions and assessing financial performance.
Customer Concentration
Ten customers accounted for approximately 59% and 58% of net revenues for the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively. A significant portion of these revenues are attributable to sales of the Company’s products to distributors of electronic components. These distributors sell the Company’s products to a broad, diverse range of end users, including OEMs and merchant power supply manufacturers.

Customers representing 10% or more of total net revenues are as follows:
        
 
Three Months Ended
 
March 31,
Customer
2014
 
2013
A
19
%
 
19
%
B
*

 
10
%
____________________
* Total customer revenue was less than 10% of net revenues.

Customers A and B are distributors of the Company's products. No other customers accounted for 10% or more of the Company's net revenues in the periods mentioned.

Concentration of Credit Risk

Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist principally of cash investments and trade receivables. The Company has cash investment policies that limit cash investments to low-risk investments. With respect to trade receivables, the Company performs ongoing evaluations of its customers' financial conditions and requires letters of credit whenever deemed necessary. Additionally, the Company establishes an allowance for doubtful accounts based upon factors surrounding the credit risk of specific customers, historical trends related to past write-offs and other relevant information. Account balances are charged off against the allowance after all means of collection have been exhausted and the potential for recovery is considered remote. The Company does not have any off-balance-sheet credit

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POWER INTEGRATIONS, INC.
NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

exposure related to its customers. As of March 31, 2014, and December 31, 2013, 67% and 71%, respectively, of accounts receivable were concentrated with the Company's top 10 customers.
The following customers represented 10% or more of accounts receivable:
        
Customer
March 31,
2014
 
December 31,
2013
Avnet
27
%
 
21
%
ATM Electronic Corporation
11
%
 
17
%

Customers A and B are distributors of the Company’s products. No other customers accounted for 10% or more of the Company’s accounts receivable in these periods.
 
International Sales

The Company markets its products globally through its sales personnel and a worldwide network of independent sales representatives and distributors. As a percentage of total net revenues, international sales, which consist of domestic and foreign sales to distributors and direct customers outside of the United States of America, comprise the following:
        

Three Months  Ended
 
March 31,
 
2014

2013
Hong Kong/China
44
%

44
%
Taiwan
16
%

15
%
Korea
11
%

13
%
Western Europe (excluding Germany)
11
%

12
%
Japan
6
%

5
%
Singapore
2
%

3
%
Germany
2
%

2
%
Other
3
%

1
%
Total foreign revenue
95
%

95
%
    
The remainder of the Company’s sales is to customers within the United States of America.

Product Sales
    
Net revenues consist primarily of sales of the Company's high-voltage integrated-circuit products, IGBT drivers and high-voltage silicon diodes. When evaluating the Company's net revenues, the Company categorizes its sales into the following four major end-market categories; communications, computer, consumer and industrial. The table below provides the percentage of net sales activity by end markets served on a comparative basis for the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013:
        
 
Three Months Ended
 
March 31,
End Market
2014
 
2013
Communications
18
%
 
22
%
Computer
10
%
 
10
%
Consumer
37
%
 
36
%
Industrial
35
%
 
32
%


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POWER INTEGRATIONS, INC.
NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

8. EARNINGS PER SHARE:

 Basic earnings per share are calculated by dividing net income by the weighted-average shares of common stock outstanding during the period. Diluted earnings per share are calculated by dividing net income by the weighted-average shares of common stock and dilutive common equivalent shares outstanding during the period. Dilutive common equivalent shares included in this calculation consist of dilutive shares issuable upon the assumed exercise of outstanding common stock options, the assumed vesting of outstanding restricted stock units and both short- and long-term performance-based awards, and the assumed issuance of awards under the stock purchase plan, as computed using the treasury stock method.

A summary of the earnings per share calculation is as follows (in thousands, except per share amounts):
        
 
Three Months Ended
 
March 31,
 
2014
 
2013
Basic earnings per share:
 
 
 
Net income
$
12,363

 
$
10,903

Weighted-average common shares
30,239

 
28,754

Basic earnings per share
$
0.41

 
$
0.38

Diluted earnings per share (1):
 
 
 
Net income
$
12,363

 
$
10,903

Weighted-average common shares
30,239

 
28,754

Effect of dilutive securities:

 

Employee stock plans
928

 
1,029

Diluted weighted-average common shares
31,167

 
29,783

Diluted earnings per share
$
0.40

 
$
0.37

_______________ 

(1)
The Company includes the shares underlying performance-based awards in the calculation of diluted earnings per share if the performance conditions have been satisfied as of the end of the reporting period and excludes such shares when the necessary conditions have not been met. The Company has excluded the shares underlying the 2014 and 2013 awards in the 2014 and 2013 calculation, respectively, as those shares were not contingently issuable as of the end of the period. 

In the three months ended March 31, 2014, all shares were included in the computation of diluted earnings per share as none were determined to be anti-dilutive, and in 2013, 281,973 shares were not included in the computation of diluted earnings per share for the period then ended because they were determined to be anti-dilutive.

9. PROVISION FOR INCOME TAXES:

The Company accounts for income taxes under the provisions of ASC 740. Under the provisions of ASC 740, deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized based on the differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases, utilizing the tax rates that are expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled.

In assessing the realizability of deferred tax assets, management considers whether it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. The ultimate realization of deferred tax assets is dependent upon the generation of future taxable income during the periods in which those temporary differences become deductible. Management considers the scheduled reversal of deferred tax liabilities and projected future taxable income. In the event that the Company determines, based on available evidence and management judgment, that all or part of the net deferred tax assets will not be realized in the future, the Company would record a valuation allowance in the period the determination is made. In addition, the calculation of tax liabilities involves significant judgment in estimating the impact of uncertainties in the application of complex tax laws. Resolution of these uncertainties in a manner inconsistent with the Company's expectations could have a material impact on its results of operations and financial position.

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As of March 31, 2014, the Company continues to maintain a valuation allowance on capital losses for federal purposes, and on its California deferred tax assets as the Company believes that it is not more likely than not that these deferred tax assets will be fully realized. The Company also maintains a valuation allowance with respect to certain of its deferred tax assets relating to tax credits in Canada.

Income tax expense includes a provision for (benefit from) federal, state and foreign taxes based on the annual estimated effective tax rate applicable to the Company and its subsidiaries, adjusted for certain discrete items which are fully recognized in the period they occur. The Company's effective tax rates for the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013, were 4.8% and (17.3)%, respectively. The difference between the expected statutory rate of 35% and the Company's effective tax rate for the three months ended March 31, 2014, was primarily due to the beneficial impact of the geographic distribution of the Company's world-wide earnings. The difference between the expected statutory rate of 35% and the Company's effective tax rate for the three months ended March 31, 2013, was primarily due to the beneficial impact of the geographic distribution of the Company's world-wide earnings and passage of the American Tax Relief Act of 2012 signed into law on January 2, 2013. The prior year impact of the 2012 Federal research and development tax credit benefit was recorded in the quarter ended March 31, 2013 due to the signing of the law in 2013. The Federal R&D tax credit has not been extended for 2014 as of the end of the first quarter, therefore no Federal R&D tax benefits have been recognized.  If Congress extends the research tax credit there will be a favorable impact on the Company's 2014 effective income tax rate.
 
The royalty arrangement between the Company and its foreign subsidiary concluded on October 31, 2012, resulting in a substantially lower effective tax rate for the Company in future years. As a result of the royalty arrangement ending and to ensure an additional source of U.S. cash, the Company plans to repatriate a portion of its current year offshore earnings to the U.S. for domestic operations and accordingly has provided for estimated federal and state income taxes on such earnings. For earnings accumulated as of December 31, 2013 and for the remaining portion of the current year earnings, the Company continues to permanently reinvest such amounts in its foreign jurisdictions, except to the extent there is any previously taxed income which is expected to be repatriated.  If circumstances change and it becomes apparent that some or all of those undistributed earnings of the Company's offshore subsidiary will be remitted in the foreseeable future but income taxes have not been recognized, the Company will accrue income taxes attributable to that remittance.

Determining the consolidated provision for (benefit from) income tax expense, income tax liabilities and deferred tax assets and liabilities involves judgment. The Company calculates and provides for income taxes in each of the tax jurisdictions in which it operates, which involves estimating current tax exposures as well as making judgments regarding the recoverability of deferred tax assets in each jurisdiction. The estimates used could differ from actual results, which may have a significant impact on operating results in future periods.

In July 2013, the FASB issued a new accounting standard that requires the presentation of certain unrecognized tax benefits as reductions to deferred tax assets rather than as liabilities in the Company's Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets when a net operating loss carryforward, a similar tax loss, or a tax credit carryforward exists. The Company adopted this new standard on a prospective basis in the first quarter of 2014. The impact of the adoption was a reduction to long-term deferred tax assets and non current income tax payable of approximately $4.3 million.

10. INDEMNIFICATIONS:

The Company sells products to its distributors under contracts, collectively referred to as Distributor Sales Agreements (“DSA”). Each DSA contains the relevant terms of the contractual arrangement with the distributor, and generally includes certain provisions for indemnifying the distributor against losses, expenses, and liabilities from damages that may be awarded against the distributor in the event the Company's products are found to infringe upon a patent, copyright, trademark, or other proprietary right of a third party (“Customer Indemnification”). The DSA generally limits the scope of and remedies for the Customer Indemnification obligations in a variety of industry-standard respects, including, but not limited to, limitations based on time and geography, and a right to replace an infringing product. The Company also, from time to time, has granted a specific indemnification right to individual customers.
    
The Company believes its internal development processes and other policies and practices limit its exposure related to such indemnifications. In addition, the Company requires its employees to sign a proprietary information and inventions agreement, which assigns the rights to its employees' development work to the Company. To date, the Company has not had to

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reimburse any of its distributors or customers for any losses related to these indemnifications and no material claims were outstanding as of March 31, 2014. For several reasons, including the lack of prior indemnification claims and the lack of a monetary liability limit for certain infringement cases, the Company cannot determine the maximum amount of potential future payments, if any, related to such indemnifications.

11. COMMITMENTS:

Supplier Agreements

Three of the Company's major suppliers have wafer supply agreements based in U.S. dollars; however, the agreements with two of these foundries, Seiko Epson Corporation, or Epson, and ROHM Lapis Semiconductor Co., Ltd., or Lapis, also allow for mutual sharing of the impact of the exchange rate fluctuation between Japanese yen and the U.S. dollar on future purchases. Each year, the Company's management and these two suppliers review and negotiate future pricing; the negotiated pricing is denominated in U.S. dollars but is subject to contractual exchange rate provisions. The fluctuation in the exchange rate is shared equally between the Company and each of these suppliers on future purchases.

12. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS AND CONTINGENCIES:

From time to time in the ordinary course of business, the Company becomes involved in lawsuits, or customers and distributors may make claims against the Company. In accordance with ASC 450-10, the Company makes a provision for a liability when it is both probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated.

On October 20, 2004, the Company filed a complaint against Fairchild Semiconductor International, Inc. and Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation (referred to collectively as "Fairchild") in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware. In its complaint, the Company alleged that Fairchild has and is infringing four of Power Integrations' patents pertaining to PWM integrated circuit devices. Fairchild denied infringement and asked for a declaration from the court that it does not infringe any Power Integrations patent and that the patents are invalid. The Court issued a claim construction order on March 31, 2006 which was favorable to the Company. The Court set a first trial on the issues of infringement, willfulness and damages for October 2, 2006. At the close of the first trial, on October 10, 2006, the jury returned a verdict in favor of the Company finding all asserted claims of all four patents-in-suit to be willfully infringed by Fairchild and awarding $34.0 million in damages. Fairchild raised defenses contending that the asserted patents are invalid or unenforceable, and the Court held a second trial on these issues beginning on September 17, 2007. On September 21, 2007, the jury returned a verdict in the Company's favor, affirming the validity of the asserted claims of all four patents-in-suit. Fairchild submitted further materials on the issue of enforceability along with various other post-trial motions, and the Company filed post-trial motions seeking a permanent injunction and increased damages and attorneys' fees, among other things. On September 24, 2008, the Court denied Fairchild's motion regarding enforceability and ruled that all four patents are enforceable. On December 12, 2008, the Court ruled on the remaining post-trial motions, including granting a permanent injunction, reducing the damages award to $6.1 million, granting Fairchild a new trial on the issue of willful infringement in view of an intervening change in the law, and denying the Company's motion for increased damages and attorneys' fees with leave to renew the motion after the resolution of the issue of willful infringement. On December 22, 2008, at Fairchild's request, the Court temporarily stayed the permanent injunction for 90 days. On January 12, 2009, Fairchild filed a notice of appeal challenging the Court's refusal to enter a more permanent stay of the injunction, and Fairchild filed additional motions requesting that both the Federal Circuit and the District Court extend the stay of injunction. The District Court temporarily extended the stay pending the Federal Circuit ruling on Fairchild's pending motion, but the Federal Circuit dismissed Fairchild's appeal and denied its motion on May 5, 2009, and the District Court issued an order on May 13, 2009 confirming the reinstatement of the permanent injunction as originally entered in December 2008. On June 22, 2009, the Court held a brief bench re-trial on the issue of willful infringement. On July 22, 2010, the Court found that Fairchild willfully infringed all four of the asserted patents, and the Court also invited briefing on enhanced damages and attorneys' fees. Fairchild also filed a motion requesting that the Court amend its findings regarding willfulness. On January 18, 2011, the Court denied Fairchild's request to amend the findings regarding Fairchild's willful infringement and doubled the damages award against Fairchild but declined to award attorneys' fees. On February 3, 2011, the Court entered final judgment in favor of the Company for a total damages award of $12.9 million. Fairchild filed a notice of appeal challenging the final judgment and a number of the underlying rulings, and the Company filed a cross-appeal seeking to increase the damages award. The appeal was argued on January 11, 2012, and the Federal Circuit issued a mixed ruling on March 26, 2013, affirming Fairchild's infringement of certain claims that support the basis for the permanent injunction while reversing, vacating, and remanding

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the findings with respect to other claims, including the Company's claim for damages. The Company filed a petition seeking Supreme Court review of the Federal Circuit’s ruling on damages issues, and the Supreme Court called for a response from Fairchild but ultimately declined to review the case. On remand, the Company intends to pursue its claim for financial compensation based on Fairchild's infringement.

On May 9, 2005, the Company filed a Complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission (“ITC”) under section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended, 19 U.S.C. section 1337 against System General (“SG”). The Company filed a supplement to the complaint on May 24, 2005. The Company alleged infringement of its patents pertaining to pulse width modulation (“PWM”) integrated circuit devices produced by SG, which are used in power conversion applications such as power supplies for computer monitors. The Commission instituted an investigation on June 8, 2005 in response to the Company's complaint. SG filed a response to the ITC complaint asserting that the patents-in-suit were invalid and not infringed. The Company subsequently and voluntarily narrowed the number of patents and claims in suit, which proceeded to a hearing. The hearing on the investigation was held before the Administrative Law Judge (“ALJ”) from January 18 to January 24, 2006. Post-hearing briefs were submitted and briefing concluded February 24, 2006. The ALJ's initial determination was issued on May 15, 2006. The ALJ found all remaining asserted claims valid and infringed, and recommended the exclusion of the infringing products as well as certain downstream products that contain the infringing products. After further briefing, on June 30, 2006, the Commission decided not to review the initial determination on liability, but did invite briefs on remedy, bonding and the public interest. On August 11, 2006 the Commission issued an order excluding from entry into the United States the infringing SG PWM chips, and any LCD computer monitors, AC printer adapters and sample/demonstration circuit boards containing an infringing SG chip. The U.S. Customs Service is authorized to enforce the exclusion order. On October 11, 2006, the presidential review period expired without any action from the President, and the ITC exclusion order is now in full effect. SG appealed the ITC decision, and on November 19, 2007, the Federal Circuit affirmed the ITC's findings in all respects. On October 27, 2008, SG filed a petition to modify the exclusion order in view of a recent Federal Circuit opinion in an unrelated case, and the Company responded to oppose any modification, but the Commission modified the exclusion order on February 27, 2009. Nevertheless, the exclusion order still prohibits SG and related entities from importing the infringing SG chips and any LCD computer monitors, AC printer adapters, and sample/demonstration circuit boards containing an infringing SG chip.

On May 23, 2008, the Company filed a complaint against Fairchild Semiconductor International, Inc., Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation, and Fairchild's wholly owned subsidiary System General Corporation in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware. In its complaint, the Company alleged that Fairchild has infringed and is infringing three patents pertaining to power supply controller integrated circuit devices. Fairchild answered the Company's complaint on November 7, 2008, denying infringement and asking for a declaration from the Court that it does not infringe any Power Integrations patent and that the patents are invalid and unenforceable. Fairchild's answer also included counterclaims accusing the Company of infringing three patents pertaining to primary side power conversion integrated circuit devices. Fairchild had earlier brought these same claims in a separate suit against the Company, also in Delaware, which Fairchild dismissed in favor of adding its claims to the Company's already pending suit against Fairchild. The Company has answered Fairchild's counterclaims, denying infringement and asking for a declaration from the Court that it does not infringe any Fairchild patent and that the Fairchild patents are invalid. Fairchild also filed a motion to stay the case, but the Court denied that motion on December 19, 2008. On March 5, 2009, Fairchild filed a motion for summary judgment to preclude any recovery for post-verdict sales of parts found to infringe in the parties' other ongoing litigation, described above, and the Company filed its opposition and a cross-motion to preclude Fairchild from re-litigating the issues of infringement and damages for those same products. On June 26, 2009, the Court held a hearing on the parties' motions, and on July 9, 2009 the Court issued an order denying the parties' motions but staying proceedings with respect to the products that were found to infringe and which are subject to the injunction in the other Delaware case between the parties pending the entry of final judgment in that case; those products are expected to be addressed in the context of the parties’ remand proceedings following the appeal in their earlier litigation in Delaware, and the remainder of the case is proceeding. On December 18, 2009, the Court issued an order construing certain terms in the asserted claims of the Company's and Fairchild's patents in suit. Following the Court's ruling on claim construction, Fairchild withdrew its claim related to one of its patents and significantly reduced the number of claims asserted for the remaining two patents. The parties thereafter filed and argued a number of motions for summary judgment, and the Court denied the majority of the parties' motions but granted the Company's motion to preclude Fairchild from re-arguing validity positions that were rejected in the prior case between the parties. Because the assigned Judge retired at the end of July 2010, the case was re-assigned to a different Judge, and the Court vacated the trial schedule and had the parties provide their input on the appropriate course of action. The Court thereafter set a trial schedule

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with the jury trial on infringement and validity to begin in July 2011. On April 18, 2011, the Court rescheduled the trial to begin in January 2012, and on June 2, 2011, the Court moved the trial date to April 2012 to permit the parties to address another patent the Company accused Fairchild of infringing. Following a trial in April 2012, the jury returned a verdict finding that Fairchild infringes two of the Company's patents, that Fairchild has induced others to infringe the Company's patents, and also upheld the validity of the infringed patents. Of the two remaining counterclaim patents Fairchild asserted in the case, one was found not to be infringed, but the jury found the second patent to be infringed by a limited number of the Company's products, although the jury further found the Company did not induce infringement by any customers, including customers outside the United States. On March 29, 2013, the District Court denied most of the parties' post-trial motions on liability but granted the Company's motion for judgment as a matter of law finding that Fairchild infringed another of the Company's patents. On April 25, 2013, the Court denied both parties' motions regarding the unenforceability of each other's patents. The Company intends to challenge adverse findings on appeal; nevertheless, the Company estimates that even if the verdict on Fairchild's patent were ultimately upheld, the sales potentially impacted would amount to only about 0.3% of the Company's revenues. The Company has also requested an injunction preventing further infringement of its own patents by Fairchild, and Fairchild has requested an injunction as well; a hearing on the issue is scheduled for June of this year, with a ruling expected in the months to follow. The Company is also seeking financial damages, as well as enhanced damages for willful infringement, issues to be decided in separate proceedings at a later date.
On June 28, 2004, the Company filed a complaint for patent infringement in the U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, against SG Corporation, a Taiwanese company, and its U.S. subsidiary. The Company's complaint alleged that certain integrated circuits produced by SG infringed and continue to infringe certain of its patents. On June 10, 2005, in response to the initiation of the International Trade Commission (ITC) investigation discussed above, the District Court stayed all proceedings. Subsequent to the completion of the ITC proceedings, the District Court temporarily lifted the stay and scheduled a case management conference. On December 6, 2006, SG filed a notice of appeal of the ITC decision as discussed above. In response, and by agreement of the parties, the District Court vacated the scheduled case management conference and renewed the stay of proceedings pending the outcome of the Federal Circuit appeal of the ITC determination. On November 19, 2007, the Federal Circuit affirmed the ITC's findings in all respects, and SG did not file a petition for review. The parties subsequently filed a motion to dismiss the District Court case without prejudice. On November 4, 2009, the Company re-filed its complaint for patent infringement against SG and its parent corporations, Fairchild Semiconductor International, Inc. and Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation, to address their continued infringement of patents at issue in the original suit that recently emerged from SG requested reexamination proceedings before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The Company seeks, among other things, an order enjoining Fairchild and SG from infringing the Company's patents and an award of damages resulting from the alleged infringement. Fairchild has denied infringement and asked for a declaration from the Court that it does not infringe any Power Integrations patent, that the patents are invalid, and that one of the two of the Company's patents now at issue in the case is unenforceable. On May 5, 2010, Fairchild and SG filed an amended answer including counterclaims accusing the Company of infringing two patents, and since that time Fairchild has withdrawn its claim for infringement of one of the patents it originally asserted against the Company but added another patent to the case over the Company's objections; the Company contests these claims vigorously. Both parties filed summary judgment motions and challenges to each other’s experts’ testimony, and the Court granted the Company’s motion for summary judgment of non-infringement with respect to one of Fairchild’s two patents. Following a trial on the remaining claims in February 2014, the jury returned a verdict in the Company’s favor, affirming the validity of the asserted claims of the Company’s patents-in-suit, finding that Fairchild and SG willfully infringed the Company’s asserted patents and induced infringement by others, and awarding $105 million in damages. Although the jury awarded damages, at this stage of the proceedings the Company cannot state the amount, if any, it might ultimately recover from Fairchild, and no benefits have been recorded in the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements as a result of the damages verdict. The Jury also rejected Fairchild’s remaining counterclaims for infringement against the Company. Fairchild has indicated that it intends to challenge these rulings and press its unenforceability claim with respect to one of the two patents it was found to infringe, while the Company intends to seek enhanced damages and injunctive relief; these issues are to be briefed in the coming months prior to a hearing scheduled for July 2014.

In February 2010, Fairchild and System General (“SG”) filed suits for patent infringement against the Company, Power Integrations Netherlands B.V., and representative offices of Power Integrations Netherlands in Shanghai and Shenzhen with the Suzhou Intermediate Court in the People's Republic of China. The suits assert four Chinese patents and seek an injunction and damages of approximately $19.0 million. Power Integrations Netherlands filed invalidation proceedings for all four asserted SG patents in the People's Republic of China Patent Reexamination Board (PRB) of the State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO), and all four challenges were accepted by the PRB, with hearings conducted in September 2010. In

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early January 2012, the Company received rulings from the PRB invalidating the majority of the claims Fairchild asserted in litigation, and the PRB determinations are currently on appeal. The Suzhou Court conducted evidentiary hearings in 2012 and issued rulings in late December 2012, finding that the Company did not infringe any of the asserted patents. Fairchild has filed appeals challenging the Suzhou Court's non-infringement rulings, but the Company continues to believe the Fairchild and SG claims are without merit and will continue to contest them vigorously.

On July 11, 2011, the Company filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court, District of Columbia, against David Kappos in his capacity as Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“PTO”) as part of the ongoing reexamination proceedings related to one of the patents asserted against Fairchild and SG in the Delaware litigation described above. The Company filed a motion for summary judgment on a preliminary jurisdictional issue, and the PTO filed a cross-motion to dismiss on this same issue; briefing on those motions was completed in October, 2011. On November 18, 2013, the Court granted the PTO’s motion and transferred the case to the Federal Circuit, where additional briefing is expected to take place over the next few months.

On May 1, 2012, Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation and Fairchild's wholly-owned subsidiary, System General Corporation (referred to collectively as “Fairchild”), filed a complaint against the Company in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware. In its complaint, Fairchild alleges that the Company has infringed and is infringing four patents pertaining to power conversion integrated circuit devices. The Company has answered Fairchild's complaint, denying infringement and asking for a declaration from the Court that it does not infringe any Fairchild patent and that the Fairchild patents are invalid, and the Company has also asserted counterclaims against Fairchild for infringement of five of the Company's patents. Fairchild has withdrawn its claim for infringement of one of the patents it asserted against the Company after the Company's preliminary challenge; discovery is under way on the remaining patents, with an anticipated trial date in 2015.

On February 5, 2013, Trinity Capital Investment, LLC (“Trinity”) filed suit against the Company in California Superior Court.  The complaint alleged that SemiSouth Laboratories Inc. had entered into a lease agreement with Trinity, and that the Company guaranteed SemiSouth's obligations under the lease agreement.  The complaint further alleged that SemiSouth defaulted on the lease agreement in October 2012, and therefore the Company owed Trinity $2.4 million under the lease guaranty. On April 19, 2013, the Company answered the complaint, denying the allegations therein. On April 18, 2014, Trinity filed a request to dismiss the action without prejudice.

The Company is unable to predict the outcome of legal proceedings with certainty, and there can be no assurance that Power Integrations will prevail in the above-mentioned unsettled litigations. These litigations, whether or not determined in Power Integrations' favor or settled, will be costly and will divert the efforts and attention of the Company's management and technical personnel from normal business operations, potentially causing a material adverse effect on the business, financial condition and operating results. Currently, the Company is not able to estimate a loss or a range of loss for the ongoing litigation disclosed above, however adverse determinations in litigation could result in monetary losses, the loss of proprietary rights, subject the Company to significant liabilities, require Power Integrations to seek licenses from third parties or prevent the Company from licensing the technology, any of which could have a material adverse effect on the Company's business, financial condition and operating results.

Although the Company files U.S. federal, U.S. state, and foreign tax returns, its major tax jurisdiction is the U.S. In the quarter ended March 31, 2011, the IRS began an audit of fiscal years 2007 through 2009 which is currently in process. Audit outcomes and the timing of audit settlements are subject to significant uncertainty. It is reasonably possible that within the next 12 months the Company will resolve the matters presently under consideration for the 2007-2009 tax years with the IRS.
    
13. RECENT ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS:

Recently Adopted Standard

            In July 2013, the FASB issued a new accounting standard that requires the presentation of certain unrecognized tax benefits as reductions to deferred tax assets rather than as liabilities in the Company's Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets when a net operating loss carryforward, a similar tax loss, or a tax credit carryforward exists. The Company adopted this new standard on a prospective basis in the first quarter of 2014. The impact of the adoption was a reduction to long-term deferred tax assets and non current income tax payable of approximately $4.3 million.

14. BANK LINE OF CREDIT:

On July 5, 2012, the Company entered into a Credit Agreement (the "Credit Agreement") with two banks. The Credit Agreement provides the Company with a $100.0 million revolving line of credit to use for general corporate purposes with a $20.0 million sublimit for the issuance of standby and trade letters of credit. The Credit Agreement was amended on April 1, 2014, to extend the Credit Agreement termination date from July 5, 2015 to April 1, 2017, with all other terms of the Credit Agreement remaining the same. The Company's ability to borrow under the revolving line of credit is conditioned upon the Company's compliance with specified covenants, including reporting and financial covenants, primarily a minimum cash

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requirement and a debt to earnings ratio, with which the Company is currently in compliance. All advances under the revolving line of credit will become due on April 1, 2017, or earlier in the event of a default. As of March 31, 2014, the Company had no amount outstanding under the credit agreement.


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

The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with the condensed consolidated financial statements and the notes to those statements included elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, and with the consolidated financial statements and management's discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013, filed with the SEC on February 13, 2014. This discussion contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results could differ materially from those contained in these forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including those discussed in Part II, Item 1A-“Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this report. See also “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” at the beginning of this report.

Overview

We design, develop and market analog and mixed-signal integrated circuits (ICs) and other electronic components and circuitry used in high-voltage power conversion. Our products are used in power converters that convert electricity from a high-voltage source (typically 48 volts or higher) to the type of power required for a specified downstream use. In most cases, this conversion entails, among other functions, converting alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC) or vice versa, reducing or increasing the voltage, and regulating the output voltage and/or current according to the customer's specifications.
A large percentage of our products are ICs used in AC-DC power supplies, which convert the high-voltage AC from a wall outlet to the low-voltage DC required by most electronic devices. Power supplies incorporating our products are used with all manner of electronic products including mobile phones, computers, entertainment and networking equipment, appliances, electronic utility meters, industrial controls and LED lights.
    Since our May 2012 acquisition of CT-Concept Technologie AG (Concept), we also offer IGBT drivers - circuit boards containing multiple ICs, electrical isolation components and other circuitry - used to operate arrays of high-voltage, high-power transistors known as IGBT modules. These driver/module combinations are used for power conversion in high-power applications (i.e., power levels ranging from tens of kilowatts up to one gigawatt) such as industrial motors, solar- and wind-power systems, electric vehicles and high-voltage DC transmission systems.

Our products bring a number of important benefits to the power-conversion market compared with less advanced alternatives, including reduced component count and design complexity, smaller size, higher reliability and reduced time-to-market. Our products also improve the energy efficiency of power converters, helping our customers meet the increasingly stringent efficiency standards that have been adopted around the world for many electronic products, and improving the efficacy of renewable-energy systems, electric vehicles and other high-power applications.

While the size of the power-supply market fluctuates with changes in macroeconomic conditions, the market has generally exhibited a modest growth rate over time as growth in the unit volumes of power supplies has largely been offset by reductions in the average selling price of components in this market. Therefore, the growth of our business depends primarily on our penetration of the power supply market, and our success in expanding the addressable market by introducing new products that address a wider range of applications. Our growth strategy includes the following elements:

Increase the penetration of our ICs in the “low-power” AC-DC power supply market. The largest proportion of our revenues comes from power-supply applications requiring 50 watts of output or less. We continue to introduce more advanced products that make our IC-based solutions more attractive in this market. We have also increased the size of our sales and field-engineering staff considerably in recent years, and we continue to expand our offerings of technical documentation and design-support tools and services to help customers use our ICs. These tools and services include our PI Expert™ design software, which we offer free of charge, and our transformer-sample service.

Increase the penetration of our products in higher-power applications. We believe we have developed and acquired technologies and products that enable us to bring the benefits of integration to applications requiring more than 50 watts of output. These include such applications as main power supplies for flat-panel TVs,

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desktop PCs, game consoles and, by virtue of our acquisition of Concept, IGBT-driver applications such as industrial motors, renewable energy systems and electric vehicles.

Capitalize on the growing demand for more energy-efficient electronic products and lighting technologies, and for cleaner energy and transportation technologies. We believe that energy-efficiency is becoming an increasingly important design criterion for power supplies due largely to the emergence of standards and specifications that encourage, and in some cases mandate, the design of more energy-efficient electronic products. Power supplies incorporating our ICs are generally able to comply with all known efficiency specifications currently in effect.    

Additionally, technological advances combined with regulatory and legislative actions are resulting in the adoption of alternative lighting technologies such as light-emitting diodes, or LEDs. We believe this presents a significant opportunity for us because our ICs are used in power-supply, or driver circuitry for high-voltage LED lighting applications. Finally, the growing desire for less carbon-intensive sources of energy and modes of transportation represents an opportunity for us since our CONCEPT IGBT-driver products are used in renewable-energy systems as well as electric trains and automobiles.

Our quarterly operating results are difficult to predict and subject to significant fluctuations. We plan our production and inventory levels based on internal forecasts of projected customer demand, which are highly unpredictable and can fluctuate substantially. Customers typically may cancel or reschedule orders on short notice without significant penalty and, conversely, often place orders with very short lead times to delivery. Also, external factors such as global economic conditions and supply-chain dynamics can cause our operating results to be volatile. Furthermore, because our industry is intensely price-sensitive, our gross margin (gross profit divided by net revenues) is subject to change based on the relative pricing of solutions that compete with ours. Variations in product and customer mix can also cause our gross margin to fluctuate. Because we purchase a large percentage of our silicon wafers from foundries located in Japan, our gross margin is influenced by fluctuations in the exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and the Japanese yen. Changes in the prices of raw materials used in our products, such as copper and gold, can also affect our gross margin. Although our wafer-fabrication and assembly operations are outsourced, as are most of our test operations, a portion of our production costs are fixed in nature. As a result, our unit costs and gross profit margin are impacted by the volume of units we produce.     

Recent Results

Our net revenues were $83.1 million and $77.0 million in the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively. We experienced year-over-year growth in revenues from three of our primary end-market categories (industrial, consumer and computer), driven by higher unit sales for a wide range of applications including industrial motor drives, renewable-energy systems, appliances, LED lighting and desktop computers. The increase was partially offset by lower sales into the communications end market due primarily to lower unit sales related to mobile-phone chargers. Our top ten customers, including distributors that resell to OEMs and merchant power supply manufacturers, accounted for 59% and 58% of our net revenues in the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively. Our top two customers, both distributors of our products, collectively accounted for approximately 28% and 29% of our net revenues in the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively. International sales accounted for 94% and 95% of our net revenues in the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively.

Our gross profit margin was 55% and 52% of net revenues in the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively. The increase in gross margin for the three months ended March 31, 2014, compared with the same period in the prior year was due to end-market mix, with a greater percentage of revenue coming from sales into higher-margin end markets, lower manufacturing costs stemming from a combination of internal cost-reduction initiatives, unit-cost benefits from higher production volumes, and the decline in the value of the Japanese yen versus the U.S. dollar, which decreased the cost of silicon wafers purchased from our Japanese wafer-fabrication foundries.

Total operating expenses in the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013, were $33.2 million and $30.8 million, respectively. Expenses were higher in 2014 due primarily to higher research and development expenses, including increased headcount as well as greater engineering-materials and equipment-depreciation expenses, all in support of our product-development efforts. Sales and marketing expenses also increased, due primarily to the expansion of our sales and application-support staffs, which resulted in higher salary and related expenses.


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Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

The preparation of financial statements and related disclosures in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. On an ongoing basis, we evaluate our estimates, including those listed below. We base our estimates on historical facts and various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable at the time the estimates are made. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Our critical accounting policies are as follows:
revenue recognition;
stock-based compensation;
estimating write-downs for excess and obsolete inventory;
income taxes
business combinations, and
goodwill and intangible assets.

Our critical accounting policies are important to the portrayal of our financial condition and results of operations, and require us to make judgments and estimates about matters that are inherently uncertain. A brief description of these critical accounting policies is set forth below. For more information regarding our accounting policies, see Note 2, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, in our Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

Revenue recognition

Product revenues consist of sales to original equipment manufacturers, or OEMs, merchant power supply manufacturers and distributors. Approximately 75% of our net product sales were made to distributors in both the three months ended March 31, 2014, and the twelve months ended December 31, 2013. We apply the provisions of Accounting Standard Codification (“ASC”) 605-10 (“ASC 605-10”) and all related appropriate guidance. Revenue is recognized when all of the following criteria have been met: (1) persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, (2) delivery has occurred, (3) the price is fixed or determinable, and (4) collectability is reasonably assured. Customer purchase orders are generally used to determine the existence of an arrangement. Delivery is considered to have occurred when title and risk of loss have transferred to our customer. We evaluate whether the price is fixed or determinable based on the payment terms associated with the transaction and whether the sales price is subject to refund or adjustment. With respect to collectability, we perform credit checks for new customers and perform ongoing evaluations of our existing customers' financial condition and require letters of credit whenever deemed necessary.

Sales to international OEMs and merchant power supply manufacturers for shipments from our facility outside of the United States are pursuant to EX Works, or EXW, shipping terms, meaning that title to the product transfers to the customer upon shipment from our foreign warehouse. Sales to international OEM customers and merchant power supply manufacturers that are shipped from our facility in California are pursuant to Delivered at Frontier, or DAF, shipping terms. As such, title to the product passes to the customer when the shipment reaches the destination country and revenue is recognized upon the arrival of the product in that country. Shipments to OEMs and merchant power supply manufacturers in the Americas are pursuant to Free on Board, or FOB, point of origin shipping terms meaning that title is passed to the customer upon shipment. Revenue is recognized upon title transfer for sales to OEMs and merchant power supply manufacturers, assuming all other criteria for revenue recognition are met.

Sales to most distributors are made under terms allowing certain price adjustments and rights of return on our products held by the distributors. As a result of these rights, we defer the recognition of revenue and the costs of revenues derived from sales to distributors until our distributors report that they have sold our products to their customers. Our recognition of such distributor sell-through is based on point of sales reports received from the distributor, at which time the price is no longer subject to adjustment and is fixed, and the products are no longer subject to return to us except pursuant to warranty terms. The gross profit that is deferred upon shipment to the distributor is reflected as “deferred income on sales to distributors” in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. The total deferred revenue as of March 31, 2014, and December 31, 2013, was approximately $29.2 million and $25.5 million, respectively. The total deferred cost as of March 31, 2014, and December 31, 2013, was approximately $11.3 million and $9.8 million, respectively.


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Frequently, distributors need to sell at a price lower than the standard distribution price to win business. At the time the distributor invoices its customer or soon thereafter, the distributor submits a “ship and debit” price adjustment claim to us to adjust the distributor's cost from the standard price to the pre-approved lower price. After we verify that the claim was pre-approved, a credit memo is issued to the distributor for the ship and debit claim. We maintain a reserve for these unprocessed claims and for estimated future ship and debit price adjustments. The reserve appears as a reduction to accounts receivable in our accompanying consolidated balance sheets. To the extent future ship and debit claims significantly exceed amounts estimated, there could be a material impact on the deferred revenue and deferred margin ultimately recognized. To evaluate the adequacy of our reserves, we analyze historical ship and debit payments and levels of inventory in the distributor channels.

Sales to certain of our distributors are made under terms that do not include rights of return or price concessions after the product is shipped to the distributor. Accordingly, product revenue is recognized upon shipment and title transfer assuming all other revenue recognition criteria are met.

Stock-based compensation

We apply the provisions of ASC 718-10, Share-Based Payment. Under the provisions of ASC 718-10, we recognize the fair value of stock-based compensation in financial statements over the requisite service period of the individual grants, which generally equals a four-year vesting period. We use estimates of volatility, expected term, risk-free interest rate, dividend yield and forfeitures in determining the fair value of these awards and the amount of compensation cost to recognize. Changes in these estimates could result in changes to our compensation charges.

Estimating write-downs for excess and obsolete inventory

When evaluating the adequacy of our valuation adjustments for excess and obsolete inventory, we identify excess and obsolete products and also analyze historical usage, forecasted production based on demand forecasts, current economic trends and historical write-offs. This write-down is reflected as a reduction to inventory in the consolidated balance sheets and an increase in cost of revenues. If actual market conditions are less favorable than our assumptions, we may be required to take additional write-downs, which could adversely impact our cost of revenues and operating results.

Income taxes

Income tax expense is an estimate of current income taxes payable or refundable in the current fiscal year based on reported income before income taxes. Deferred income taxes reflect the effect of temporary differences and carry-forwards that are recognized for financial reporting and income tax purposes.

We account for income taxes under the provisions of ASC 740. Under the provisions of ASC 740, deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized based on the differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases, utilizing the tax rates that are expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. We recognize valuation allowances to reduce any deferred tax assets to the amount that we estimate will more likely than not be realized based on available evidence and management's judgment. We limit the deferred tax assets recognized related to some of our officers' compensation to amounts that we estimate will be deductible in future periods based upon Internal Revenue Code Section 162(m). In the event that we determine, based on available evidence and management judgment, that all or part of the net deferred tax assets will not be realized in the future,

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we would record a valuation allowance in the period the determination is made. In addition, the calculation of tax liabilities involves significant judgment in estimating the impact of uncertainties in the application of complex tax laws. Resolution of these uncertainties in a manner inconsistent with our expectations could have a material impact on our results of operations and financial position.

As of March 31, 2014, we continue to maintain a valuation allowance on our California deferred tax assets as we believe that it is not more likely than not that the deferred tax assets will be fully realized. We also maintain a valuation allowance with respect to some of our deferred tax assets relating primarily to tax credits in Canada and Federal capital losses.

Although we file U.S. federal, U.S. state, and foreign tax returns, our major tax jurisdiction is the U.S. In the quarter ended March 31, 2011, the IRS began an audit of fiscal years 2007 through 2009, and the audit is currently in process. Audit outcomes and the timing of audit settlements are subject to significant uncertainty. It is reasonably possible that within the next 12 months we will resolve the matters presently under consideration for the 2007-2009 tax years with the IRS.

Business combinations

The purchase price of an acquisition is allocated to the underlying assets acquired and liabilities assumed based upon their estimated fair values at the date of acquisition. To the extent the purchase price exceeds the fair value of the net identifiable tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed, such excess is allocated to goodwill. We determine the estimated fair values after review and consideration of relevant information, including discounted cash flows, quoted market prices and estimates made by management. We adjust the preliminary purchase price allocation, as necessary, during the measurement period of up to one year after the acquisition closing date as we obtain more information as to facts and circumstances existing at the acquisition date impacting asset valuations and liabilities assumed. Acquisition-related costs are recognized separately from the acquisition and are expensed as incurred.

Goodwill and intangible assets
In accordance with ASC 350-10, Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets, we evaluate goodwill for impairment on an annual basis, or as other indicators of impairment emerge. The provisions of ASC 350-10 require that we perform a two-step impairment test. In the first step, we compare the implied fair value of our single reporting unit to its carrying value, including goodwill. If the fair value of our reporting unit exceeds the carrying amount no impairment adjustment is required. If the carrying amount of our reporting unit exceeds the fair value, step two will be completed to measure the amount of goodwill impairment loss, if any exists. If the carrying value of our single reporting unit's goodwill exceeds its implied fair value, then we record an impairment loss equal to the difference, but not in excess of the carrying amount of the goodwill. Under the amendments of ASC 350-10, ASU No. 2011-08, Testing Goodwill for Impairment, beginning in 2012 we have the option to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether the existence of events or circumstances leads to a determination that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. If we elect this option, and after assessing the totality of events or circumstances we determine it is not more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, then performing the two-step impairment test is unnecessary. We have not elected this option to date. We evaluated goodwill for impairment in the fourth quarter 2013, and concluded that no impairment existed as of December 31, 2013. Additionally, no impairment indicators have been identified during the three months ended March 31, 2014.

ASC 350-10 also requires that intangible assets with estimable useful lives be amortized over their respective estimated useful lives, and reviewed for impairment in accordance with ASC 360-10, Accounting for the Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets. We review long-lived assets, such as acquired intangibles, in-process research and development and property and equipment, for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. We measure recoverability of assets to be held and used by a comparison of the carrying amount of an asset to estimated undiscounted future cash flows expected to be generated by the asset. If the carrying amount of an asset exceeds its estimated future cash flows, we recognize an impairment charge by the amount by which the carrying amount of the asset exceeds the fair value of the asset.



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Results of Operations

The following table sets forth certain operating data as a percentage of net revenues for the periods indicated.

 
Three Months Ended
March 31,
 
2014
 
2013
 
 
 
 
Net revenues
100.0
%
 
100.0
 %
Cost of revenues
44.7

 
48.3

Gross profit
55.3

 
51.7

Operating expenses:
 
 
 
Research and development
16.2

 
15.9

Sales and marketing
14.6

 
14.0

General and administrative
9.2

 
10.0

Total operating expenses
40.0

 
39.9

Income from operations
15.3

 
11.8

Other income, net
0.3

 
0.3

Income before provision for (benefit from) income taxes
15.6

 
12.1

Provision for (benefit from) income taxes
0.8

 
(2.1
)
Net income
14.8
%
 
14.2
 %

Comparison of the Three Months Ended March 31, 2014 and 2013

Net revenues. Net revenues consist of revenues from product sales, which are calculated net of returns and allowances. Net revenues for the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013, were $83.1 million and $77.0 million, respectively. We experienced year-over-year growth in revenues from three of our primary end-market categories (industrial, consumer and computer), driven by higher unit sales for a wide range of applications including industrial motor drives, renewable-energy systems, appliances, LED lighting and desktop computers. The increase was partially offset by lower sales into the communications end market due primarily to lower unit sales related to mobile-phone chargers.

Our net revenue mix by end market for the three months ended March 31, 2014, compared to the three months ended March 31, 2013, were as follows:
 
Three Months Ended
March 31,
End Market
2014
 
2013
Communications
18
%
 
22
%
Computer
10
%
 
10
%
Consumer
37
%
 
36
%
Industrial
35
%
 
32
%

International sales, consisting of sales outside of the United States of America based on “ship to” customer locations, were $79.1 million and $73.0 million in the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively. Although power converters using our products are distributed to end markets worldwide, most are manufactured in Asia. As a result, sales to this region represented 79% of our net revenues for the three months ended March 31, 2014, and 80% for the three months ended March 31, 2013. We expect international sales, and sales to the Asia region in particular, to continue to account for a large portion of our net revenues in the future.

Sales to distributors accounted for 75% and 74% of net revenues in the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively, with direct sales to OEMs and power-supply manufacturers accounting for the remainder.

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Two customers accounted for 10% or more of total revenues:

 
Three Months Ended
March 31,
Customer
2014
 
2013
A
19
%
 
19
%
B
*

 
10
%
____________________
* Total customer revenue was less than 10% of net revenues.
    
Customers A and B are distributors of our products. No other customers accounted for 10% or more of our net revenues in these periods.

Gross profit. Gross profit is net revenues less cost of revenues. Our cost of revenues consists primarily of costs associated with the purchase of wafers from our contracted foundries, the assembly, packaging and testing of our products by sub-contractors, product testing performed in our own facilities, amortization of acquired intangible assets, and overhead associated with the management of our supply chain. Gross margin is gross profit divided by net revenues. The table below compares gross profit and gross margin for the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013 (dollars in millions):
 
Three Months Ended
March 31,
 
2014
 
2013
                  Net revenues
$
83.1

 
$
77.0

                  Gross profit
$
46.0

 
$
39.9

                  Gross margin
55.3
%
 
51.7
%

The increase in gross margin for the three months ended March 31, 2014, compared with the same period in the prior year was due to end-market mix, with a greater percentage of revenue coming from sales into higher-margin end markets, lower manufacturing costs stemming from a combination of internal cost-reduction initiatives, unit-cost benefits from higher production volumes, and the decline in the value of the Japanese yen versus the U.S. dollar, which decreased the cost of silicon wafers purchased from our Japanese wafer-fabrication foundries.

Research and development expenses. Research and development, or R&D, expenses consist primarily of employee-related expenses including stock-based compensation and expensed material and facility costs associated with the development of new processes and new products. We also record R&D expenses for prototype wafers related to new products until such products are released to production. The table below compares R&D expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013 (dollars in millions):
 
Three Months Ended
March 31,
 
2014
 
2013
                  Net revenues
$
83.1

 
$
77.0

                  R&D expenses
$
13.5

 
$
12.3

                  R&D expenses as a % of net revenue
16.2
%
 
15.9
%

R&D expenses increased in the three months ended March 31, 2014, compared to the same period in 2013 reflecting increased payroll and related expenses (stemming from increased headcount) and greater expenses associated with engineering materials and equipment depreciation, all in support of product-development efforts to generate continued growth.

Sales and marketing expenses. Sales and marketing expenses consist primarily of employee-related expenses, including stock-based compensation, commissions to sales representatives, amortization of intangible assets and facilities expenses, including expenses associated with our regional sales and support offices. The table below compares sales and marketing expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013 (dollars in millions):


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Three Months Ended
March 31,
 
2014
 
2013
   Net revenues
$
83.1

 
$
77.0

   Sales and marketing expenses
$
12.1

 
$
10.8

   Sales and marketing expenses as a % of net revenue
14.6
%
 
14.0
%

Sales and marketing expenses increased in the three months ended March 31, 2014, compared to the same period in 2013 due primarily to increased salary and related expenses reflecting the expansion of our sales and application-support staffs, as well as increased commissions and bonus payments to our sales staff.

General and administrative expenses. General and administrative, or G&A, expenses consist primarily of employee-related expenses, including stock-based compensation expenses, for administration, finance, human resources and general management, as well as consulting, professional services, legal and audit expenses. The table below compares G&A expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013 (dollars in millions):
 
Three Months Ended
March 31,
 
2014
 
2013
                  Net revenues
$
83.1

 
$
77.0

                  G&A expenses
$
7.6

 
$
7.7

                  G&A expenses as a % of net revenue
9.2
%
 
10.0
%

G&A expenses decreased in the three months ended March 31, 2014, compared to the same period in 2013 due primarily to lower legal expenses related to our ongoing patent litigation (refer to Note 12, Legal Proceedings and Contingencies, in our Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for details). This decrease was partially offset by increased payroll taxes associated with stock-option exercises and the vesting of stock grants.

Other income, net. Other income, net consists primarily of interest income earned on cash and cash equivalents, marketable securities and other investments, and foreign exchange gains or losses. The table below compares other income, net for the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013 (dollars in millions):
 
Three Months Ended
March 31,
 
2014
 
2013
 
                  Net revenues
$
83.1

 
$
77.0

 
                  Other income
$
0.3

 
$
0.2

 
                  Other income as a % of net revenue
0.3
%
 
0.3
%
 

Other income, net increased in the three months ended March 31, 2014, compared to the same period in 2013. The increase was due primarily to increased interest income as a result of higher cash and investment balances in 2014 compared to the first quarter of 2013.

Provision for (benefit from) income taxes. Provision for (benefit from) income taxes represents federal, state and foreign taxes. The table below compares income tax expenses (benefits) for the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013 (dollars in millions):
 
Three Months Ended
March 31,
 
2014
 
2013
                 Income before provision for (benefit from) income taxes
$
12,988

 
$
9.3

                 Provision for (benefit from) income taxes
$
0.6

 
$
(1.6
)
                  Effective tax rate
4.8
%
 
(17.3
)%


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The difference between the expected statutory rate of 35% and our effective tax rate for the three months ended March 31, 2014, was primarily due to the beneficial impact of the geographic distribution of our world-wide earnings. The difference between the expected statutory rate of 35% and our effective tax rate for the three months ended March 31, 2013, was primarily due to the beneficial impact of the geographic distribution of our world-wide earnings, plus the effects of the American Tax Relief Act of 2012, which resulted in the 2012 federal research-and-development tax credit being recorded in the quarter ended March 31, 2013. The Federal R&D tax credit has not been extended for 2014 as of the end of the first quarter, therefore no Federal R&D tax benefits have been recognized.  If Congress extends the research tax credit there will be a favorable impact on our 2014 effective income tax rate.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

As of March 31, 2014, we had $217.6 million in cash, cash equivalents and short-term marketable securities, an increase of approximately $15.5 million from $202.1 million as of December 31, 2013. As of March 31, 2014, we had working capital, defined as current assets less current liabilities, of $246.8 million, an increase of approximately $19.8 million from $227.0 million as of December 31, 2013.

On July 5, 2012, we entered into a credit agreement (the "Credit Agreement") with two banks. The Credit Agreement provides us with a $100.0 million revolving line of credit to use for general corporate purposes with a $20.0 million sub-limit for the issuance of standby and trade letters of credit. The Credit Agreement was amended on April 1, 2014, to extend the Credit Agreement termination date from July 5, 2015 to April 1, 2017, with all other terms of the Credit Agreement remaining the same. Our ability to borrow under the revolving line of credit is conditioned upon our compliance with specified covenants, primarily a minimum cash requirement and a debt-to-earnings ratio, with which we are currently in compliance. The Credit Agreement terminates on April 1, 2017; and all advances under the revolving line of credit will become due on such date, or earlier in the event of a default. As of March 31, 2014, we had no amounts outstanding under our agreement.

Operating activities generated cash of $16.2 million in the three months ended March 31, 2014. Net income for this period was $12.4 million; we also incurred non-cash depreciation, amortization and stock-based compensation expenses of $4.0 million, $1.9 million and $3.9 million, respectively. Significant changes in assets and liabilities included: (1) a $3.9 million decrease in deferred income taxes due primarily to the adoption of a new accounting standard, ASU 2013-11, (see Note 13, Recent Accounting Pronouncements, for details); and (2) a $2.1 million increase in deferred income on sales to distributors, due to increased inventory levels at our distributors reflecting lower-than-expected sales in the first quarter. These sources of cash and non-cash items were partially offset by: (1) a $5.7 million increase in inventory, reflecting both lower-than-expected sales in the first quarter as well as anticipated growth in future quarters; (2) a $5.6 million decrease in taxes payable and accrued liabilities related primarily to the above-mentioned adoption of ASU 2013-11, and a decrease in employee-related liabilities; and (3) a $4.0 million increase in accounts receivable due to the timing of cash receipts in March 2014 compared to December 2013.

Operating activities generated cash of $21.6 million in the three months ended March 31, 2013. Net income for this period was $10.9 million; we also incurred non-cash depreciation, amortization and stock-based compensation expenses of $4.0 million, $1.8 million and $3.6 million, respectively. Additional sources of cash included: (1) a $3.9 million decrease in prepaid expenses resulting primarily from a decrease in prepaid taxes related to a tax refund; (2) a $2.8 million increase in accounts payable due to the timing of payments for inventory, partially offset by a payment to one of our foundries in the first quarter of 2013 of approximately $1.0 million, for product development, which was accrued as of December 31, 2012; and (3) a $2.9 million increase in deferred income on sales to distributors due to increased inventory levels at our distributors as of March 31, 2013, compared to December 31, 2012. These additional sources of cash and non-cash items were partially offset by: (1) a $7.4 million increase in accounts receivable due to higher customer shipments in March 2013 versus December 2012; and (2) a $3.2 million increase in deferred taxes due to the retroactive application of the American Tax Relief Act of 2012, which was signed into law on January 2, 2013, (refer to Note 9, Provision for Income Taxes, in our Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements, for details) and a net change in other deferred taxes.

Our investing activities in the three months ended March 31, 2014, resulted in a $29.2 million net use of cash, consisting primarily of: $4.5 million for purchases of property and equipment, primarily machinery and equipment for production and research and development; and $24.8 million for the purchase of marketable securities. Our investing activities in the three months ended March 31, 2013, resulted in a $21.9 million net use of cash, consisting of: $4.0 million for purchases of property and equipment; and $17.9 million, net, for purchases of marketable securities.


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Our financing activities in the three months ended March 31, 2014, resulted in net cash proceeds of $4.0 million. Financing activities consisted primarily of proceeds of $7.0 million from the issuance of common stock, including the exercise of employee stock options and the issuance of shares through our employee stock purchase plan, partially offset by $3.0 million for the payment of dividends to stockholders. Our financing activities in the three months ended March 31, 2013, resulted in net cash proceeds of $6.4 million consisting primarily of proceeds of $8.7 million from the issuance of common stock, including the exercise of employee stock options and the issuance of shares through our employee stock purchase plan, partially offset by $2.3 million for the payment of dividends to stockholders.

In January 2013, our board of directors declared four quarterly cash dividends in the amount of $0.08 per share to be paid to stockholders of record at the end of each quarter in 2013. The quarterly dividends, of approximately $2.3 million each, were paid on March 29, 2013 and June 28, 2013, and approximately $2.4 million was paid on each of September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2013.

In October 2013, our board of directors declared four quarterly cash dividends in the amount of $0.10 per share to be paid to stockholders of record at the end of each quarter in 2014. In April 2014, our board of directors declared that the payouts for the third and fourth quarters of 2014 shall be increased to $0.12 per share. The first quarterly dividend payout of approximately $3.0 million occurred on March 31, 2014, the next payout of $0.10 per share is scheduled to take place on June 30, 2014. The declaration of any future cash dividend is at the discretion of the board of directors and will depend on our financial condition, results of operations, capital requirements, business conditions and other factors, as well as a determination that cash dividends are in the best interests of our stockholders.

In October 2012, our board of directors authorized the use of $50.0 million for the repurchase of our common stock, with repurchases to be executed according to pre-defined price/volume guidelines set by the board. As of March 31, 2014, we had $29.5 million available for future stock repurchases. We did not purchase shares during the three months ended March 31, 2014, as the price of the Company’s common stock remained above the maximum level set forth in the guidelines mentioned above. Authorization of future stock repurchase programs is at the discretion of the board of directors and will depend on our financial condition, results of operations, capital requirements, business conditions and other factors.

As of March 31, 2014, we had a contractual obligation related to income tax, which consisted primarily of unrecognized tax benefits of approximately $12.8 million. A portion of the tax obligation was classified as long-term income taxes payable and a portion is recorded in deferred tax assets in our condensed consolidated balance sheet. The settlement period for our income tax liabilities cannot be determined; however, they are not expected to be due within the next year.

There were no other material changes, other than stated in the liquidity section above, outside of the ordinary course of business in our contractual commitments reported in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013.

Our cash, cash equivalents and investment balances may change in future periods due to changes in our planned cash outlays, including changes in incremental costs such as direct and integration costs related to future acquisitions, and the results of our 2007 - 2009 IRS audit. We expect continued sales growth in our foreign business and plan to use the earnings generated by our foreign subsidiaries to continue to fund both the working capital and growth needs of our foreign entities, along with providing funding for any future foreign acquisitions. We do not provide for U.S. taxes on our undistributed earnings of foreign subsidiaries that we intend to invest indefinitely outside the U.S., unless such taxes are otherwise required under U.S. tax law. In 2013, we determined that a portion of our current year earnings of foreign subsidiaries may be remitted in the future to the U.S. for domestic cash flow purposes and, accordingly, provided for the related U.S. taxes in our consolidated financial statements. Currently the majority of our cash and marketable securities are held in the U.S. If we change our intent to invest our undistributed earnings outside the U.S. indefinitely or if a greater amount of undistributed earnings are needed for U.S. operations than previously anticipated and for which U.S. taxes have not been recorded, we would be required to accrue or pay U.S. taxes (subject to an adjustment for foreign tax credits, where applicable) and withholding taxes payable to various foreign countries on some or all of these undistributed earnings. As of December 31, 2013, we had undistributed earnings of foreign subsidiaries that are indefinitely invested outside of the U.S. of approximately $105.0 million.
    
If our operating results deteriorate during the remainder of 2014, either as a result of a decrease in customer demand, or severe pricing pressures from our customers or our competitors, or for other reasons, our ability to generate positive cash flow from operations may be jeopardized. In that case, we may be forced to use our cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments, use our credit agreement or seek additional financing from third parties to fund our operations. We believe that

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cash generated from operations, together with existing sources of liquidity, will satisfy our projected working capital and other cash requirements for at least the next 12 months.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

As of March 31, 2014, we did not have any off-balance sheet arrangements or relationships with unconsolidated entities or financial partnerships, such as entities often referred to as structured finance or special purpose entities, which are typically established for the purpose of facilitating off-balance sheet arrangements or other contractually narrow or limited purposes.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In July 2013, the FASB issued a new accounting standard that requires the presentation of certain unrecognized tax benefits as reductions to deferred tax assets rather than as liabilities in our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets when a net operating loss carryforward, a similar tax loss, or a tax credit carryforward exists. We adopted this standard in the first quarter of 2014; the impact of the adoption was a reduction to long-term deferred tax assets and non current income tax payable of approximately $4.3 million.


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ITEM 3. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK

There has not been a material change in our exposure to foreign currency exchange and interest rate risks from that described in our 2013 Annual Report on Form 10-K.
    
Interest Rate Risk. Our exposure to market risk for changes in interest rates relates primarily to our investment portfolio. We consider cash invested in highly liquid financial instruments with a remaining maturity of three months or less at the date of purchase to be cash equivalents. Investments in highly liquid financial instruments with maturities greater than three months at the date of purchase are classified as short-term investments. We generally hold securities until maturity; however, they may be sold under certain circumstances, including, but not limited to, when necessary for the funding of acquisitions and other strategic investments, and therefore we classify our investment portfolio as available-for-sale. We invest in high-credit quality issuers and, by policy, limit the amount of credit exposure to any one issuer. As stated in our policy, we seek to ensure the safety and preservation of our invested principal funds by limiting default risk, market risk and reinvestment risk. We mitigate default risk by investing in safe and high-credit quality securities and by constantly positioning our portfolio to respond appropriately to a significant reduction in a credit rating of any investment issuer, guarantor or depository. Our portfolio includes only marketable securities with active secondary or resale markets to facilitate portfolio liquidity. At March 31, 2014, and December 31, 2013, we held primarily cash equivalents and short-term investments with fixed interest rates.

Our investment securities are subject to market interest rate risk and will vary in value as market interest rates fluctuate. We monitor our investments per our above-mentioned investment policy; therefore, if market interest rates were to increase or decrease by 10% from interest rates as of March 31, 2014, or December 31, 2013, the increase or decrease in the fair market value of our portfolio on these dates would not have been material. We monitor our investments for impairment on a periodic basis. Refer to Note 2, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, for a tabular presentation of our available-for-sale investments and the expected maturity dates.

Foreign Currency Exchange Risk. As of March 31, 2014, our primary transactional currency was U.S. dollars; in addition, we hold cash in Swiss francs and Euro. We maintain cash denominated in Swiss francs and Euro to fund the operations of our Swiss subsidiary. Cash balances held in foreign countries are subject to local banking laws and may bear higher or lower risk than cash deposited in the United States. The foreign exchange rate fluctuation between the U.S. dollar versus the Swiss franc and Euro is recorded in other income in our condensed consolidated statements of income.
    
We have sales offices in various other foreign countries in which our expenses are denominated in the local currency, primary Asia and Western Europe. From time to time we may enter into foreign currency hedging contracts to hedge certain foreign currency transactions. As of March 31, 2014, and December 31, 2013, we did not have an open foreign currency hedge program utilizing foreign currency forward exchange contracts.

Two of our major suppliers, Seiko Epson Corporation, or Epson, and ROHM Lapis Semiconductor Co., Ltd., or Lapis, have wafer supply agreements based in U.S. dollars; however, our agreements with Epson and Lapis also allow for mutual sharing of the impact of the exchange rate fluctuation between Japanese yen and the U.S. dollar on future purchases. Each year, our management and these two suppliers review and negotiate future pricing; the negotiated pricing is denominated in U.S. dollars but is subject to contractual exchange rate provisions. The fluctuation in the exchange rate is shared equally between us and each of these suppliers on future purchases.

Nevertheless, as a result of our above-mentioned supplier agreements, our gross margin is influenced by fluctuations in the exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and the Japanese yen. All else being equal, a 10% change in the value of the U.S. dollar compared to the Japanese yen would result in a corresponding change in our gross margin of approximately 0.8% to 1.0%; this sensitivity may increase or decrease depending on the percentage of our wafer supply that we purchase from some of our Japanese suppliers and could subject our gross profit and operating results to the potential for material fluctuations.

ITEM 4. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
Limitation on Effectiveness of Controls
Any control system, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance as to the tested objectives. The design of any control system is based in part upon certain assumptions about the likelihood of future events, and there can be no assurance that any design will succeed in achieving its stated goals under all potential future conditions,

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regardless of how remote. The inherent limitations in any control system include the realities that judgments related to decision-making can be faulty, and that reduced effectiveness in controls can occur because of simple errors or mistakes. Due to the inherent limitations in a cost-effective control system, misstatements due to error may occur and may not be detected.
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Management is required to evaluate our disclosure controls and procedures, as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”). Disclosure controls and procedures are controls and other procedures designed to provide reasonable assurance that information required to be disclosed in our reports filed under the Exchange Act, such as this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the Securities and Exchange Commission's rules and forms. Disclosure controls and procedures include controls and procedures designed to provide reasonable assurance that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. Based on our management's evaluation (with the participation of our principal executive officer and principal financial officer), our principal executive officer and principal financial officer have concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act) were effective as of the end of the period covered by this report.
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting during the quarter ended March 31, 2014, which were identified in connection with management's evaluation required by paragraph (d) of Rules 13a-15 and 15d-15 under the Exchange Act, that have materially affected or are reasonably likely to materially affect our internal control over financial reporting.

PART II. OTHER INFORMATION

ITEM 1. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

Information with respect to this item may be found in Note 12, Legal Proceedings and Contingencies, in our Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part I, Item 1, of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, which information is incorporated herein by reference.

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS

In addition to the other information in this report, the following factors should be considered carefully in evaluating our business before purchasing shares of our stock. The risks facing our business have not changed substantively from those discussed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013.
Our quarterly operating results are volatile and difficult to predict. If we fail to meet the expectations of public market analysts or investors, the market price of our common stock may decrease significantly. Our net revenues and operating results have varied significantly in the past, are difficult to forecast, are subject to numerous factors both within and outside of our control, and may fluctuate significantly in the future. As a result, our quarterly operating results could fall below the expectations of public market analysts or investors. If that occurs, the price of our stock may decline.
Some of the factors that could affect our operating results include the following:

the demand for our products declining in the major end markets we serve, which may occur due to competitive factors, supply-chain fluctuations or changes in macroeconomic conditions;

our products are sold through distributors, which limits our direct interaction with our end customers, which reduces our ability to forecast sales and increases the complexity of our business;

competitive pressures on selling prices;

the inability to adequately protect or enforce our intellectual property rights;

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expenses we are required to incur (or choose to incur) in connection with our intellectual property litigations;

reliance on international sales activities for a substantial portion of our net revenues;

fluctuations in exchange rates, particularly the exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and the Japanese yen, the Euro and the Swiss franc;

the volume and timing of delivery of orders placed by us with our wafer foundries and assembly subcontractors, and their ability to procure materials;

our ability to develop and bring to market new products and technologies on a timely basis;

earthquakes, terrorists acts or other disasters;

continued impact of changes in securities laws and regulations, including potential risks resulting from our evaluation of internal controls under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002;

the lengthy timing of our sales cycle;

undetected defects and failures in meeting the exact specifications required by our products;

the ability of our products to penetrate additional markets;

the volume and timing of orders received from customers;

an audit by the Internal Revenue Service, for fiscal years 2007 - 2009;

our ability to attract and retain qualified personnel;

risks associated with acquisitions and strategic investments;

our ability to successfully integrate, or realize the expected benefits from, our acquisitions;

changes in environmental laws and regulations, including with respect to energy consumption and climate change; and

interruptions in our information technology systems.

If demand for our products declines in our major end markets, our net revenues will decrease. A limited number of applications of our products, such as cellphone chargers, LED lights, desktop PCs and home appliances make up a significant percentage of our net revenues. We expect that a significant level of our net revenues and operating results will continue to be dependent upon these applications in the near term. The demand for these products has been highly cyclical and has been impacted by economic downturns in the past. Any economic slowdown in the end markets that we serve could cause a slowdown in demand for our ICs. When our customers are not successful in maintaining high levels of demand for their products, their demand for our ICs decreases, which adversely affects our operating results. Any significant downturn in demand in these markets would cause our net revenues to decline and could cause the price of our stock to fall.

Our products are sold through distributors, which limits our direct interaction with our end customers, therefore reducing our ability to forecast sales and increasing the complexity of our business. Sales to distributors accounted for 75% of net revenues in the three months ended March 31, 2014, and in the twelve months ended December 31, 2013. Selling through distributors reduces our ability to forecast sales and increases the complexity of our business, requiring us to:

manage a more complex supply chain;
monitor the level of inventory of our products at each distributor and
monitor the financial condition and credit-worthiness of our distributors, many of which are located outside of the United States and not publicly traded.

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Since we have limited ability to forecast inventory levels at our end customers, it is possible that there may be significant build-up of inventories in the distributor channel, with the OEM or the OEM’s contract manufacturer. Such a buildup could result in a slowdown in orders, requests for returns from customers, or requests to move out planned shipments. This could adversely impact our revenues and profits. Any failure to manage these complexities could disrupt or reduce sales of our products and unfavorably impact our financial results.

Intense competition in the high-voltage power supply industry may lead to a decrease in our average selling price and reduced sales volume of our products. The high-voltage power supply industry is intensely competitive and characterized by significant price sensitivity. Our products face competition from alternative technologies, such as linear transformers, discrete switcher power supplies, and other integrated and hybrid solutions. If the price of competing solutions decreases significantly, the cost effectiveness of our products will be adversely affected. If power requirements for applications in which our products are currently utilized go outside the cost-effective range of our products, some of these alternative technologies can be used more cost effectively. In addition, as our patents expire, our competitors could legally begin using the technology covered by the expired patents in their products, potentially increasing the performance of their products and/or decreasing the cost of their products, which may enable our competitors to compete more effectively. Our current patents may or may not inhibit our competitors from getting any benefit from an expired patent. Our U.S. patents have expiration dates ranging from 2014 to 2031. We cannot assure that our products will continue to compete favorably or that we will be successful in the face of increasing competition from new products and enhancements introduced by existing competitors or new companies entering this market. We believe our failure to compete successfully in the high-voltage power supply business, including our ability to introduce new products with higher average selling prices, would materially harm our operating results.
        
If we are unable to adequately protect or enforce our intellectual property rights, we could lose market share, incur costly litigation expenses, suffer incremental price erosion or lose valuable assets, any of which could harm our operations and negatively impact our profitability. Our success depends upon our ability to continue our technological innovation and protect our intellectual property, including patents, trade secrets, copyrights and know-how. We are currently engaged in litigation to enforce our intellectual property rights, and associated expenses have been, and are expected to remain, material and have adversely affected our operating results. We cannot assure that the steps we have taken to protect our intellectual property will be adequate to prevent misappropriation, or that others will not develop competitive technologies or products. From time to time, we have received, and we may receive in the future, communications alleging possible infringement of patents or other intellectual property rights of others. Costly litigation may be necessary to enforce our intellectual property rights or to defend us against claimed infringement. The failure to obtain necessary licenses and other rights, and/or litigation arising out of infringement claims could cause us to lose market share and harm our business.
As our patents expire, we will lose intellectual property protection previously afforded by those patents. Additionally, the laws of some foreign countries in which our technology is or may in the future be licensed may not protect our intellectual property rights to the same extent as the laws of the United States, thus limiting the protections applicable to our technology.
If we do not prevail in our litigation, we will have expended significant financial resources, potentially without any benefit, and may also suffer the loss of rights to use some technologies.  We are currently involved in a number of patent litigation matters and the outcome of the litigation is uncertain. See Note 12, Legal Proceedings and Contingencies, in our Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.  For example, in one of our patent suits the infringing company has been found to infringe four of our patents. Despite the favorable court finding, the infringing party filed an appeal to the damages awarded. In another matter, we are being sued for patent infringement in China, even though we have received an initial judgment in our favor, this case is still under the appeals process, and in China the outcome of litigation can be more uncertain than in the United States.  Should we ultimately be determined to be infringing another party's patents, or if an injunction is issued against us while litigation is pending on those claims, such result could have an adverse impact on our ability to sell products found to be infringing, either directly or indirectly. In the event of an adverse outcome, we may be required to pay substantial damages, stop our manufacture, use, sale, or importation of infringing products, or obtain licenses to the intellectual property we are found to have infringed.  We have also incurred, and expect to continue to incur, significant legal costs in conducting these lawsuits, including the appeal of the case we won, and our involvement in this litigation and any future intellectual property litigation could adversely affect sales and divert the efforts and attention of our technical and management personnel, whether or not such litigation is resolved in our favor.  Thus, even if we are successful in these lawsuits, the benefits of this success may fail to outweigh the significant legal costs we will have incurred.


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Our international sales activities account for a substantial portion of our net revenues, which subjects us to substantial risks. Sales to customers outside of the United States of America account for, and have accounted for a large portion of our net revenues, including approximately 95% of our net revenues for the three months ended March 31,2014, and for the year ended December 31, 2013. If our international sales declined and we were unable to increase domestic sales, our revenues would decline and our operating results would be harmed. International sales involve a number of risks to us, including: 

potential insolvency of international distributors and representatives;

reduced protection for intellectual property rights in some countries;

the impact of recessionary environments in economies outside the United States;

tariffs and other trade barriers and restrictions;

the burdens of complying with a variety of foreign and applicable U.S. Federal and state laws; and

foreign-currency exchange risk.

Our failure to adequately address these risks could reduce our international sales and materially and adversely affect our operating results. Furthermore, because substantially all of our foreign sales are denominated in U.S. dollars, increases in the value of the dollar cause the price of our products in foreign markets to rise, making our products more expensive relative to competing products priced in local currencies.

Fluctuations in exchange rates, particularly the exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and the Japanese yen, Swiss franc and Euro, may impact our gross margin and net income. Our exchange rate risk related to the Japanese yen includes two of our major suppliers, Epson and Lapis, with which we have wafer supply agreements based in U.S. dollars; however, these agreements also allow for mutual sharing of the impact of the exchange rate fluctuation between Japanese yen and the U.S. dollar. Each year, our management and these suppliers review and negotiate pricing; the negotiated pricing is denominated in U.S. dollars but is subject to contractual exchange rate provisions. The fluctuation in the exchange rate is shared equally between Power Integrations and each of these suppliers. We completed the acquisition of Concept (located in Biel, Switzerland) in the second quarter of 2012. Included in the assets acquired was cash denominated in Swiss francs and euros, which will be used to fund the operations of our Swiss subsidiary. The functional currency of our Swiss subsidiary is the U.S. dollar; gains and losses arising from the re-measurement of non-functional currency balances are recorded in other income in our consolidated statements of income, and material unfavorable exchange-rate fluctuations with the Swiss franc could negatively impact our net income.    

We depend on third-party suppliers to provide us with wafers for our products and if they fail to provide us sufficient quantities of wafers, our business may suffer. We have supply arrangements for the production of wafers with Lapis, Renesas, X-FAB and Epson. Our contracts with these suppliers expire in April 2018, December 2014, December 2020 and December 2020, respectively. Although some aspects of our relationships with Lapis, Renesas, X-FAB and Epson are contractual, many important aspects of these relationships depend on their continued cooperation. We cannot assure that we will continue to work successfully with Lapis, Renesas, X-FAB and Epson in the future, and that the wafer foundries' capacity will meet our needs. Additionally, one or more of these wafer foundries could seek an early termination of our wafer supply agreements. Any serious disruption in the supply of wafers from Lapis, Renesas, X-FAB or Epson could harm our business. We estimate that it would take 12 to 24 months from the time we identified an alternate manufacturing source to produce wafers with acceptable manufacturing yields in sufficient quantities to meet our needs.

Although we provide our foundries with rolling forecasts of our production requirements, their ability to provide wafers to us is ultimately limited by the available capacity of the wafer foundry. Any reduction in wafer foundry capacity available to us could require us to pay amounts in excess of contracted or anticipated amounts for wafer deliveries or require us to make other concessions to meet our customers' requirements, or may limit our ability to meet demand for our products. Further, to the extent demand for our products exceeds wafer foundry capacity, this could inhibit us from expanding our business and harm relationships with our customers. Any of these concessions or limitations could harm our business.

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If our third-party suppliers and independent subcontractors do not produce our wafers and assemble our finished products at acceptable yields, our net revenues may decline. We depend on independent foundries to produce wafers, and independent subcontractors to assemble and test finished products, at acceptable yields and to deliver them to us in a timely manner. The failure of the foundries to supply us wafers at acceptable yields could prevent us from selling our products to our customers and would likely cause a decline in our net revenues and gross margin. In addition, our IC assembly process requires our manufacturers to use a high-voltage molding compound that has been available from only a few suppliers. These compounds and their specified processing conditions require a more exacting level of process control than normally required for standard IC packages. Unavailability of assembly materials or problems with the assembly process can materially and adversely affect yields, timely delivery and cost to manufacture. We may not be able to maintain acceptable yields in the future.
In addition, if prices for commodities used in our products increase significantly, raw material costs would increase for our suppliers which could result in an increase in the prices our suppliers charge us. To the extent we are not able to pass these costs on to our customers; this would have an adverse effect on our gross margins.

If our efforts to enhance existing products and introduce new products are not successful, we may not be able to generate demand for our products. Our success depends in significant part upon our ability to develop new ICs for high-voltage power conversion for existing and new markets, to introduce these products in a timely manner and to have these products selected for design into products of leading manufacturers. New product introduction schedules are subject to the risks and uncertainties that typically accompany development and delivery of complex technologies to the market place, including product development delays and defects. If we fail to develop and sell new products in a timely manner then our net revenues could decline.

In addition, we cannot be sure that we will be able to adjust to changing market demands as quickly and cost-effectively as necessary to compete successfully. Furthermore, we cannot assure that we will be able to introduce new products in a timely and cost-effective manner or in sufficient quantities to meet customer demand or that these products will achieve market acceptance. Our failure, or our customers' failure, to develop and introduce new products successfully and in a timely manner would harm our business. In addition, customers may defer or return orders for existing products in response to the introduction of new products. When a potential liability exists we will maintain reserves for customer returns, however we cannot assure that these reserves will be adequate.
In the event of an earthquake, terrorist act or other disaster, our operations may be interrupted and our business would be harmed. Our principal executive offices and operating facilities are situated near San Francisco, California, and most of our major suppliers, which are wafer foundries and assembly houses, are located in areas that have been subject to severe earthquakes, such as Japan. Many of our suppliers are also susceptible to other disasters such as tropical storms, typhoons or tsunamis. In the event of a disaster, such as the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, we or one or more of our major suppliers may be temporarily unable to continue operations and may suffer significant property damage. Any interruption in our ability or that of our major suppliers to continue operations could delay the development and shipment of our products and have a substantial negative impact on our financial results.

Securities laws and regulations, including potential risk resulting from our evaluation of internal controls under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, will continue to impact our results. Complying with the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and NASDAQ's conditions for continued listing have imposed significant legal and financial compliance costs, and are expected to continue to impose significant costs and management burden on us. These rules and regulations also may make it more expensive for us to obtain director and officer liability insurance, and we may be required to accept reduced coverage or incur substantially higher costs to obtain coverage. These rules and regulations could also make it more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified executive officers and members of our board of directors, particularly qualified members to serve on our audit committee. Further, the rules and regulations under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, which became effective in 2011, may impose significant costs and management burden on us.
Additionally, because these laws, regulations and standards promulgated by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the Dodd-Frank Act are expected to be subject to varying interpretations, their application in practice may evolve over time as new guidance becomes available. This evolution may result in continuing uncertainty regarding compliance matters and additional costs necessitated by ongoing revisions to our disclosure and governance practices.

Because the sales cycle for our products can be lengthy, we may incur substantial expenses before we generate significant revenues, if any. Our products are generally incorporated into a customer's products at the design stage. However,

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customer decisions to use our products, commonly referred to as design wins, can often require us to expend significant research and development and sales and marketing resources without any assurance of success. These significant research and development and sales and marketing resources often precede volume sales, if any, by a year or more. The value of any design win will largely depend upon the commercial success of the customer's product. We cannot assure that we will continue to achieve design wins or that any design win will result in future revenues. If a customer decides at the design stage not to incorporate our products into its product, we may not have another opportunity for a design win with respect to that product for many months or years.
Our products must meet exacting specifications, and undetected defects and failures may occur which may cause customers to return or stop buying our products. Our customers generally establish demanding specifications for quality, performance and reliability, and our products must meet these specifications. ICs as complex as those we sell often encounter development delays and may contain undetected defects or failures when first introduced or after commencement of commercial shipments. We have from time to time in the past experienced product quality, performance or reliability problems. If defects and failures occur in our products, we could experience lost revenue, increased costs, including warranty expense and costs associated with customer support and customer expenses, delays in or cancellations or rescheduling of orders or shipments and product returns or discounts, any of which would harm our operating results.

If our products do not penetrate additional markets, our business will not grow as we expect. We believe that our future success depends in part upon our ability to penetrate additional markets for our products. We cannot assure that we will be able to overcome the marketing or technological challenges necessary to penetrate additional markets. To the extent that a competitor penetrates additional markets before we do, or takes market share from us in our existing markets, our net revenues and financial condition could be materially adversely affected.

We do not have long-term contracts with any of our customers and if they fail to place, or if they cancel or reschedule orders for our products, our operating results and our business may suffer. Our business is characterized by short-term customer orders and shipment schedules, and the ordering patterns of some of our large customers have been unpredictable in the past and will likely remain unpredictable in the future. Not only does the volume of units ordered by particular customers vary substantially from period to period, but also purchase orders received from particular customers often vary substantially from early oral estimates provided by those customers for planning purposes. In addition, customer orders can be canceled or rescheduled without significant penalty to the customer. In the past, we have experienced customer cancellations of substantial orders for reasons beyond our control, and significant cancellations could occur again at any time. Also, a relatively small number of distributors, OEMs and merchant power supply manufacturers account for a significant portion of our revenues. Specifically, our top ten customers, including distributors, accounted for 59% of our net revenues in the three months ended March 31, 2014, and in the year ended December 31, 2013. However, a significant portion of these revenues are attributable to sales of our products through distributors of electronic components. These distributors sell our products to a broad, diverse range of end users, including OEMs and merchant power supply manufacturers, which mitigates the risk of customer concentration to a large degree.

Audits of our tax returns and potential future changes in tax laws may increase the amount of taxes we are required to pay. The IRS is auditing our tax returns for fiscal years 2007 through 2009. If the IRS challenges any of the tax positions we have taken and we are not successful in defending our positions, we may be obligated to pay additional taxes, as well as penalties and interest, and may also have a higher effective income tax rate in the future. Our operations are subject to income and transaction taxes in the United States and in multiple foreign jurisdictions and to review or audit by the IRS and state, local and foreign tax authorities. In addition, the United States, countries in Asia and other countries where we do business have been considering changes in relevant tax, accounting and other laws, regulations and interpretations, including changes to tax laws applicable to multinational companies. These potential changes could adversely affect our effective tax rates or result in other costs to us.    

We must attract and retain qualified personnel to be successful and competition for qualified personnel is intense in our market. Our success depends to a significant extent upon the continued service of our executive officers and other key management and technical personnel, and on our ability to continue to attract, retain and motivate qualified personnel, such as experienced analog design engineers and systems applications engineers. The competition for these employees is intense, particularly in Silicon Valley. The loss of the services of one or more of our engineers, executive officers or other key personnel could harm our business. In addition, if one or more of these individuals leaves our employ, and we are unable to quickly and efficiently replace those individuals with qualified personnel who can smoothly transition into their new roles, our business

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may suffer. We do not have long-term employment contracts with, and we do not have in place key person life insurance policies on, any of our employees.     

We are exposed to risks associated with acquisitions and strategic investments. We have made, and in the future intend to make, acquisitions of, and investments in, companies, technologies or products in existing, related or new markets such as Concept. Acquisitions involve numerous risks, including but not limited to:

inability to realize anticipated benefits, which may occur due to any of the reasons described below, or for other unanticipated reasons;

the risk of litigation or disputes with customers, suppliers, partners or stockholders of an acquisition target arising from a proposed or completed transaction;

impairment of acquired intangible assets and goodwill as a result of changing business conditions, technological advancements or worse-than-expected performance, which would adversely affect our financial results; and

unknown, underestimated and/or undisclosed commitments, liabilities or issues not discovered in our due diligence of such transactions.

We also in the future may have strategic relationships with other companies, which may decline in value and/or not meet desired objectives. The success of these strategic relationships depends on various factors over which we may have limited or no control and requires ongoing and effective cooperation with strategic partners. Moreover, these relationships are often illiquid, such that it may be difficult or impossible for us to monetize such relationships.
Our inability to successfully integrate, or realize the expected benefits from, our acquisitions could adversely affect our results. We have made, and in the future intend to make, acquisitions of other businesses, such as Concept, and with these acquisitions there is a risk that integration difficulties may cause us not to realize expected benefits. The success of the acquisitions could depend, in part, on our ability to realize the anticipated benefits and cost savings (if any) from combining the businesses of the acquired companies and our business, which may take longer to realize than expected.

Changes in environmental laws and regulations may increase our costs related to obsolete products in our existing inventory. Changing environmental regulations and the timetable to implement them continue to impact our customers' demand for our products. As a result there could be an increase in our inventory obsolescence costs for products manufactured prior to our customers' adoption of new regulations. Currently we have limited visibility into our customers' strategies to implement these changing environmental regulations into their business. The inability to accurately determine our customers' strategies could increase our inventory costs related to obsolescence.

Interruptions in our information technology systems could adversely affect our business. We rely on the efficient and uninterrupted operation of complex information technology systems and networks to operate our business. Any significant system or network disruption, including but not limited to new system implementations, computer viruses, security breaches, or energy blackouts could have a material adverse impact on our operations, sales and operating results. We have implemented measures to manage our risks related to such disruptions, but such disruptions could still occur and negatively impact our operations and financial results. In addition, we may incur additional costs to remedy any damages caused by these disruptions or security breaches.
    
Uncertainties arising out of economic consequences of current and potential military actions or terrorist activities and associated political instability could adversely affect our business. Like other U.S. companies, our business and operating results are subject to uncertainties arising out of economic consequences of current and potential military actions or terrorist activities and associated political instability, and the impact of heightened security concerns on domestic and international travel and commerce. These uncertainties could also lead to delays or cancellations of customer orders, a general decrease in corporate spending or our inability to effectively market and sell our products. Any of these results could substantially harm our business and results of operations, causing a decrease in our revenues.

ITEM 2. UNREGISTERED SALES OF EQUITY SECURITIES AND USE OF PROCEEDS


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In October 2012, our board of directors authorized the use of $50.0 million for the repurchase of our common stock. Repurchases are executed according to pre-defined price/volume guidelines set by the board of directors. In the first quarter of 2014, we did not purchase any common stock under the program due to the then current stock price levels, which exceeded the pre-defined price guidelines mentioned above. As of March 31, 2014, we had $29.5 million available for future stock repurchases. Authorization of future stock repurchase programs is at the discretion of the board of directors and will depend on our financial condition, results of operations, capital requirements, business conditions as well as other factors.
    
ITEM 5. OTHER INFORMATION
Executive Officer Benefit Agreements
In May 2014, Power Integrations entered into Amended and Restated Executive Officer Benefits Agreements with its executive officers and chief executive officer, Balu Balakrishnan. The Executive Officer Benefit Agreements provide for benefits to Power Integrations’ executive officers under substantially the same conditions as described in Power Integrations annual proxy statement as filed with the SEC on March 28, 2014. The Executive Officer Benefit Agreements were revised and amended to provide for the additional benefits as described below. These additional benefits include:
Upon a change of control, 100% of Mr. Balakrishnan's then-unvested shares subject to options, restricted stock units, the maximum number of performance stock units and the maximum number of long term performance stock units (referred to as “PRSUs”) will vest in full prior to the consummation of the change of control.

For each executive officer, the maximum number of any then-unvested shares subject to performance stock units and PRSUs will vest in full upon the consummation of the change of control.

Mr. Balakrishnan is entitled to severance benefits in the event that he is terminated without cause or he resigns for good reason within 18 months after a change of control, including if Mr. Balakrishnan serves in any capacity other than CEO of any acquiring entity. These severance benefits include a payment equal to the sum of two years of his highest annual salary (earned within three years of the date of his termination) plus 200% of the maximum cash value of Mr. Balakrishnan’s annual performance bonus for the year in which such termination occurs, plus the maximum cash value of Mr. Balakrishnan’s current annual performance bonus prorated through the date of termination based on the number of days completed in the applicable performance period prior to termination. In addition, acceleration of 100% of all his then-outstanding stock options, restricted stock units and PRSUs and continued medical and dental coverage under the Power Integrations' health plans for twenty-four months at Power Integrations' expense.

The Executive Officer Benefit Agreements were further amended to provide that in the event of an executive officer’s termination without cause or resignation for good reason, or of any retirement, death or disability of an executive officer, in addition to the benefits described in Power Integrations annual proxy statement as filed with the SEC on March 28, 2014, the prorated portion of any outstanding PRSUs based on the number of days served by the officer in the applicable performance period shall vest as determined by the Power Integrations’ Board or Compensation Committee on the date of determination of any applicable performance criteria, provided, however, that in the event of any change of control after the executive officer’s termination of employment the prorated portion of the maximum number of shares subject to any outstanding PRSUs will vest in full.

This description of the amendments to the Power Integrations’ Executive Officer Benefit Agreements is qualified in its entirety by the forms of Executive Officer Benefit Agreements filed as exhibits to this Form 10-Q.
Chief Executive Officer Compensation
On January 29, 2014, the Power Integrations’ Compensation Committee approved the 2014 compensation for Mr. Balakrishnan as reported in the Form 8-K as filed with the SEC on January 31, 2014. On May 1, 2014, in connection with the Company's annual focal review process, the Power Integrations’ Compensation Committee approved the following increases to Mr. Balakrishnan’s compensation:
An increase to Mr. Balakrishnan’s annual base salary to $520,000;

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Issuance of an additional 1,700 target performance stock units subject to the same terms as the Company’s 2014 Performance Based Incentive Plan;
Issuance of an additional 13,900 restricted stock units granted under the Company’s 2007 Equity Incentive Plan; and
Issuance of an additional 4,600 target PRSUs subject to the same terms as the Company’s 2014 Long Term Performance Based Incentive Plan.


ITEM 6. EXHIBITS

See the Exhibit Index immediately following the signature page to this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, which is incorporated by reference here.

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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.
 
 
 
POWER INTEGRATIONS, INC.
 
 
 
 
Dated:
May 2, 2014
By:
/s/ SANDEEP NAYYAR
 
 
 
Sandeep Nayyar
Chief Financial Officer (Duly Authorized Officer, Principal Financial Officer and Chief Accounting Officer)

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INDEX TO EXHIBITS
EXHIBIT
NUMBER
DESCRIPTION
 
 
 
3.1

 
Restated Certificate of Incorporation. (Filed with the SEC as Exhibit 3.1 to our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on February 29, 2012, SEC File No. 000-23441.)
 
 
 
3.2

 
Amended and Restated Bylaws. (Filed with the SEC as Exhibit 3.1 to our Current Report on Form 8-K filed on April 26, 2013, SEC File No. 000-23441.)
 
 
 
4.1

 
Reference is made to Exhibits 3.1 to 3.2.
 
 
 
10.1

 
Second Amendment to Credit Agreement, dated April 1, 2014, by and between Power Integrations, Inc., Union Bank N.A. and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association.
 
 
 
10.2

 
Amendment Number One to Wafer Supply Agreement, effective as of January 1, 2014, between Power Integrations International, Ltd., and X-FAB Semiconductor Foundries AG.*
 
 
 
10.3

 
Amended and Restated Chief Executive Officer Benefits Agreement, dated as of May 1, 2014, between Power Integrations, Inc. and Balu Balakrishnan.

 
 
 
10.4

 
Amended and Restated Executive Officer Benefits Agreement, dated as of May 1, 2014, between Power Integrations, Inc. and John Tomlin.

 
 
 
10.5

 
Amended and Restated Executive Officer Benefits Agreement, dated as of May 1, 2014, between Power Integrations, Inc. and Cliff Walker.

 
 
 
10.6

 
Amended and Restated Executive Officer Benefits Agreement, dated as of May 1, 2014, between Power Integrations, Inc. and Doug Bailey.

 
 
 
10.7

 
Amended and Restated Executive Officer Benefits Agreement, dated as of May 1, 2014, between Power Integrations, Inc. and Ben Sutherland.

 
 
 
10.8

 
Amended and Restated Executive Officer Benefits Agreement, dated as of May 1, 2014, between Power Integrations, Inc. and Sandeep Nayyar.

 
 
 
10.9

 
Amended and Restated Executive Officer Benefits Agreement, dated as of May 1, 2014, between Power Integrations, Inc. and Wolfgang Ademmer.

 
 
 
10.10

 
Amended and Restated Executive Officer Benefits Agreement, dated as of May 1, 2014, between Power Integrations, Inc. and Mike Matthews.

.

 
 
10.11

 
Amended and Restated Executive Officer Benefits Agreement, dated as of May 1, 2014, between Power Integrations, Inc. and Radu Barsan.

 
 
 
10.12

 
Compensation of Named Executive Officers (Described in Item 5.02 of our Current Report on Form 8-K filed on January 31, 2014, SEC File No. 000-23441.)
 
 
 
31.1

 
Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
 
 
 
31.2

 
Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
 
 
 
32.1

 
Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.**
 
 
 
32.2

 
Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.**
 
 
 
101.INS
XBRL Instance Document
 
 
 
101.SCH
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document
 
 
 
101.CAL
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document
 
 
 
101.DEF
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document
 
 
 
101.LAB
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document
 
 
 
101.PRE
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document

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All references in the table above to previously filed documents or descriptions are incorporating those documents and descriptions by reference thereto.
_____________

*
Portions of this exhibit have been omitted pursuant to a request for confidential treatment, which portions were omitted and filed separately with the Securities and Exchange Commission.


**
The certifications attached as Exhibits 32.1 and 32.2 accompanying this Form 10-Q, are not deemed filed with the SEC, and are not to be incorporated by reference into any filing of Power Integrations, Inc. under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, whether made before or after the date of this Form 10-Q, irrespective of any general incorporation language contained in such filing.




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