UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

_______________

 

FORM 10‑Q

_______________

 

X   QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the quarterly period ended March 31, 2015. 

 

__  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: 1‑10560

 

BENCHMARK ELECTRONICS, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

(979) 849‑6550

(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 [Ö] No [ ]

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§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 [Ö] No [ ]

 

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 Act.

 

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b–2 of the Act). Yes [ ] No [Ö] 

 

As of May 7, 2015,  there were 52,398,514 Common Shares of Benchmark Electronics, Inc., par value $0.10 per share, outstanding.

  

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

PART I

 

 

  

PART I - FINANCIAL INFORMATION

 

Item 1.            Financial Statements.   

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

BENCHMARK ELECTRONICS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements

(amounts in thousands, except per share data, unless otherwise noted)

(unaudited)

 

Note 1 – Basis of Presentation

Benchmark Electronics, Inc. (the Company) is a Texas corporation that provides worldwide integrated manufacturing services. The Company provides services to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) of industrial control equipment (including equipment for the aerospace and defense industries), telecommunication equipment, computers and related products for business enterprises, medical devices, and testing and instrumentation products. The Company has manufacturing operations located in the Americas, Asia and Europe.

 

The condensed consolidated financial statements included herein have been prepared by the Company without an audit pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC). The financial statements reflect all normal and recurring adjustments necessary in the opinion of management for a fair presentation of the financial position, results of operations and cash flows for the interim periods presented. The results of operations for the periods presented are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year. The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and notes included in the Company’s annual report on Form 10‑K for the year ended December 31, 2014 (the 2014 10-K).

 

Management has made a number of estimates and assumptions relating to the reporting of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities to prepare these financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

 

Certain reclassifications of prior period amounts have been made to conform to the current presentation.

 

Note 2 – Stock-Based Compensation

The Benchmark Electronics, Inc. 2000 Stock Awards Plan (the 2000 Plan) authorized, and the Company’s 2010 Omnibus Incentive Compensation Plan (the 2010 Plan) authorizes, the Company, upon approval of the compensation committee of the Board of Directors, to grant a variety of awards, including stock options, restricted shares, restricted stock units, stock appreciation rights, performance compensation awards, phantom stock awards and deferred share units, or any combination thereof, to any director, officer, employee or consultant (including any prospective director, officer, employee or consultant) of the Company. Stock options are granted to employees with an exercise price equal to the market price of the Company’s common shares on the date of grant, generally vest over a four-year period from the date of grant and have a term of ten years. Restricted shares and restricted stock units granted to employees generally vest over a four-year period from the date of grant, subject to the continued employment of the employee by the Company. The 2000 Plan expired in 2010, and no additional grants can be made under that plan. The 2010 Plan was approved by the Company’s shareholders in 2010 and amended in 2014. Members of the Board of Directors who are not employees of the Company hold awards under the Benchmark Electronics, Inc. 2002 Stock Option Plan for Non-Employee Directors (the 2002 Plan) or the 2010 Plan. Stock options were granted pursuant to the 2002 Plan upon the occurrence of the non-employee director’s election or re-election to the Board of Directors. All awards under the 2002 Plan were fully vested upon the date of grant and have a term of ten years. The 2002 Plan was approved by the Company’s shareholders in 2002 and expired in 2012. No additional grants may be made under the 2002 Plan. Non-employee directors currently receive equity awards under the 2010 Plan. Since 2011, awards under the 2010 Plan to non-employee directors have been in the form of restricted stock units, which vest in equal quarterly installments over a one-year period, starting on the grant date. As of March 31, 2015, 3.8 million additional common shares were available for issuance under the Company’s existing plans.

 

All share-based payments to employees, including grants of employee stock options, are recognized in the financial statements based on their grant date fair values. The total compensation cost recognized for stock-based awards was $1.9 million and $1.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. The total income tax benefit recognized in the condensed consolidated income statement for stock-based awards was $0.6 million and $0.6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. The compensation expense for stock-based awards includes an estimate for forfeitures and is recognized over the vesting period of the awards using the straight-line method. Cash flows from the tax benefits resulting from tax deductions in excess of the compensation cost recognized for stock-based awards (excess tax benefits) are classified as cash flows from financing activities. Awards of restricted shares, restricted stock units, and performance-based restricted stock units are valued at the closing market price of the Company’s common shares on the date of grant. For performance-based restricted stock units, compensation expense is based on the probability that the performance goals will be achieved, which is monitored by management throughout the requisite service period. When it becomes probable, based on the Company’s expectation of performance during the measurement period, that more or less than the previous estimate of the awarded shares will vest, an adjustment to stock-based compensation expense is recognized as a change in accounting estimate.

 

As of March 31, 2015, the unrecognized compensation cost and remaining weighted-average amortization period related to stock-based awards were as follows:

 

The fair value of each option grant is estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. The weighted-average assumptions used to value the options granted during the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, were as follows:

 

The expected term of the options represents the estimated period of time until exercise and is based on historical experience, giving consideration to the contractual terms, vesting schedules and expectations of future plan participant behavior. Separate groups of plan participants that have similar historical exercise behavior are considered separately for valuation purposes. Expected stock price volatility is based on the historical volatility of the Company’s common shares. The risk-free interest rate is based on the U.S. Treasury zero-coupon rates in effect at the time of grant with an equivalent remaining term. The dividend yield reflects that the Company has not paid any cash dividends since inception and does not anticipate paying cash dividends in the foreseeable future.

 

The weighted-average fair value per option granted during the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 was $8.76 and $9.74, respectively. The total cash received by the Company as a result of stock option exercises for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 was approximately $0.8 million and $5.8 million, respectively. The actual tax benefit realized as a result of stock option exercises and the vesting of other share-based awards during the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 was $1.6 million and $1.8 million, respectively. For the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, the total intrinsic value of stock options exercised was $0.3 million and $1.5 million, respectively.

 

The Company awarded performance-based restricted stock units to employees during the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014. The number of performance-based restricted stock units that will ultimately be earned will not be determined until the end of the corresponding performance periods, and may vary from as low as zero to as high as three times the target number depending on the level of achievement of certain performance goals. The level of achievement of these goals is based upon the audited financial results of the Company for the last full calendar year within the performance period. The performance goals consist of certain levels of achievement using the following financial metrics: revenue growth, operating income margin expansion, and return on invested capital. If the performance goals are not met based on the Company’s financial results, the applicable performance-based restricted stock units will not vest and will be forfeited. Shares subject to forfeited performance-based restricted stock units will be available for issuance under the 2010 Plan.

 

The following table summarizes activities relating to the Company’s stock options:

 

 

The aggregate intrinsic value in the table above is before income taxes and is calculated as the difference between the exercise price of the underlying options and the Company’s closing stock price as of the last business day of the period ended March 31, 2015 for options that had exercise prices that were below the closing price.

 

The following table summarizes activities related to the Company’s restricted shares:

 

The following table summarizes the activities related to the Company’s time-based restricted stock units:

 

 

The following table summarizes the activities related to the Company’s performance-based restricted stock units:

⁽¹⁾  Represents target number of units that can vest based on the achievement of the performance goals.

 

Note 3 – Earnings Per Share

Basic earnings per share is computed using the weighted-average number of shares outstanding. Diluted earnings per share is computed using the weighted-average number of shares outstanding adjusted for the incremental shares attributed to outstanding stock equivalents. Stock equivalents include common shares issuable upon the exercise of stock options and other equity instruments, and are computed using the treasury stock method. Under the treasury stock method, the exercise price of a share, the amount of compensation cost, if any, for future service that the Company has not yet recognized, and the amount of estimated excess tax benefits that would be recorded in paid-in-capital, if any, when the share is exercised are assumed to be used to repurchase shares in the current period.

 

The following table sets forth the calculation of basic and diluted earnings per share:

 

 

Options to purchase 1.0  million common shares for each of the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 were not included in the computation of diluted earnings per share because their effect would have been anti-dilutive.

 

Note 4 – Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets

Goodwill allocated to the Company’s reportable segments was as follows:

 

 

Other assets consist primarily of acquired identifiable intangible assets and capitalized purchased software costs. Other intangible assets as of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014 were as follows:

 

Customer relationships are amortized on a straight-line basis over a period of ten years. Technology licenses are amortized over their estimated useful lives in proportion to the economic benefits consumed. Amortization of other intangible assets for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 was $0.8 million and $0.9 million, respectively.

 

The estimated future amortization expense of other intangible assets for each of the next five years is as follows (in thousands):

 

Note 5 – Borrowing Facilities

Under the terms of a credit agreement (the Credit Agreement), the Company has a $200 million five-year revolving credit facility for general corporate purposes with a maturity date of July 30, 2017. The Credit Agreement includes an accordion feature under which total commitments under the facility may be increased by an additional $100 million, subject to satisfaction of certain conditions and lender approval.

 

Interest on outstanding borrowings under the Credit Agreement is payable quarterly, at the Company’s option, at either LIBOR plus 1.75% to 2.75% or a prime rate plus 0.75% to 1.75%, based upon the Company’s leverage ratio as specified in the Credit Agreement. A commitment fee of 0.30% to 0.40% per annum (based upon the Company’s liquidity ratio as specified in the Credit Agreement) on the unused portion of the revolving credit line is payable quarterly in arrears. As of both March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, the Company had no borrowings outstanding under the Credit Agreement, $1.2 million in outstanding letters of credit and $198.8 million was available for future borrowings.

 

The Credit Agreement is secured by the Company’s domestic inventory and accounts receivable, 100% of the stock of the Company’s domestic subsidiaries, 65% of the voting capital stock of each direct foreign subsidiary and substantially all of the other tangible and intangible assets of the Company and its domestic subsidiaries. The Credit Agreement contains customary financial covenants as to debt leverage and fixed charges, and restricts the Company’s ability to incur additional debt, pay dividends, repurchase shares, sell assets and merge or consolidate with other persons. As of both March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, the Company was in compliance with all of these covenants and restrictions.

 

The Company’s Thailand subsidiary has a multi-purpose credit facility with Kasikornbank Public Company Limited (the Thai Credit Facility) that provides for 350 million Thai baht working capital availability. The Thai Credit Facility is secured by land and buildings in Thailand owned by the Company’s Thailand subsidiary. Availability of funds under the Thai Credit Facility is reviewed annually and is currently accessible through October 2015. As of both March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, there were no working capital borrowings outstanding under the facility.

 

 

 

Income tax expense differs from the amount computed by applying the U.S. federal statutory income tax rate to income before income tax primarily due to the mix of taxable income by taxing jurisdiction, the impact of tax incentives and tax holidays in foreign locations, and state income taxes (net of federal

benefit).

 

The Company considers earnings from foreign subsidiaries to be indefinitely reinvested and, accordingly, no provision for U.S. federal and state income taxes has been made for these earnings. Upon distribution of foreign subsidiary earnings in the form of dividends or otherwise, such distributed earnings would be reportable for U.S. income tax purposes (subject to adjustment for foreign tax credits). Determination of the amount of any unrecognized deferred tax liability on these undistributed earnings is not practicable.

 

The Company has been granted certain tax incentives, including tax holidays, for its subsidiaries in China, Malaysia and Thailand that will expire at various dates, unless extended or otherwise renegotiated, through 2015 in China, 2016 in Malaysia and 2026 in Thailand, and are subject to certain conditions with which the Company expects to comply. The net impact of these tax incentives was to lower income tax expense for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 by approximately $1.7 million (approximately $0.03 per diluted share) and $3.2 million (approximately $0.06 per diluted share), respectively, as follows:

 

 

As of March 31, 2015, the total amount of the reserve for uncertain tax benefits including interest and penalties was $18.0 million. The reserve is classified as a current or long-term liability in the condensed consolidated balance sheets based on the Company’s expectation of when the items will be settled. The amount of accrued potential interest and penalties, respectively, on unrecognized tax benefits included in the reserve as of March 31, 2015, was $1.7 million and $1.6 million. No material changes affected the reserve during the three months ended March 31, 2015.

 

The Company and its subsidiaries in Brazil, China, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, Romania, Singapore, Thailand and the United States remain open to examination by the various local taxing authorities, in total or in part, for fiscal years 2004 to 2014. During the course of such examinations, disputes may occur as to matters of fact or law. Also, in most tax jurisdictions, the passage of time without examination will result in the expiration of applicable statutes of limitations thereby precluding examination of the tax period(s) for which such statute of limitation has expired. The Company believes that it has adequately provided for its tax liabilities.

Note 8 – Segment and Geographic Information

The Company currently has manufacturing facilities in the United States, Mexico, Asia and Europe. The Company is operated and managed geographically, and management evaluates performance and allocates the Company’s resources on a geographic basis. Intersegment sales are generally recorded at prices that approximate arm’s length transactions. Operating segments’ measure of profitability is based on income from operations. The accounting policies for the reportable operating segments are the same as for the Company taken as a whole. The Company has three reportable operating segments: the Americas, Asia and Europe. Information about operating segments was as follows: