Table of Contents

 

 

 

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

 


 

FORM 6-K

 


 

Report of Foreign Issuer

 

Pursuant to Rule 13a-16 or 15d-16 of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934

 

Commission File No. 000-51196

 

July 29, 2014

 


 

AIXTRON SE
(Translation of registrant’s name into English)

 

Dornkaulstr. 2
52134 Herzogenrath

Germany
(Address of principal executive offices)

 


 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F.

 

Form 20-F  x        Form 40-F  o

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant by furnishing the information contained in this Form is also thereby furnishing the information to the Commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

 

Yes  o        No   x

 

If “Yes” is marked, indicate below the file number assigned to the registrant in connection with Rule 12g3-2(b): N/A

 

 

 



Table of Contents

 

Table of Contents  

 

Interim Management Report

3

 

 

1. Business Activity

3

2. Macroeconomic and Industry Developments

4

3. Business Performance and Key Developments

5

4. Results of Operations

6

4.1. Development of Revenues

6

4.2. Development of Results

7

4.3. Development of Orders

8

5. Financial Position and Net Assets

9

6. Opportunities and Risks

10

7. Outlook

11

 

 

Interim Financial Statements

12

 

 

1. Consolidated Income Statement

12

2. Consolidated Statement of other Comprehensive Income

13

3. Consolidated Statement of Financial Position

14

4. Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows

15

5. Consolidated Statement of Changes in Equity

16

 

 

Additional Disclosures

18

 

 

1. Accounting Policies

18

2. Segment Reporting

18

3. Stock Option Plans

18

4. Employees

19

5. Management

19

6. Related Party Transactions

19

7. Post-Balance Sheet Date Events

19

 

 

Responsibility Statement

20

 

Forward-Looking Statements

 

This document may contain forward-looking statements regarding the business, results of operations, financial condition and earnings outlook of AIXTRON within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the US Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements may be identified by words such as “may”, “will”, “expect”, “anticipate”, “contemplate”, “intend”, “plan”, “believe”, “continue” and “estimate” and variations of such words or similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are based on our current views and assumptions and are subject to risks and uncertainties. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Actual results and trends may differ materially from those reflected in our forward-looking statements. This could result from a variety of factors, such as actual customer orders received by AIXTRON, the level of demand for deposition technology in the market, the timing of final acceptance of products by customers, the condition of financial markets and access to financing for AIXTRON, general conditions in the market for deposition plants and macroeconomic conditions, cancellations, rescheduling or delays in product shipments, production capacity constraints, extended sales and qualification cycles, difficulties in the production process, the general development in the semi-conductor industry, increased competition, fluctuations in exchange rates, availability of public funding, fluctuations and/or changes in interest rates, delays in developing and marketing new products, a deterioration of the general economic situation and any other factors discussed in any reports or other announcements filed by AIXTRON with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Any forward-looking statements contained in this document are based on current expectations and projections of the Executive Board and on information currently available to it and are made as at the date hereof. AIXTRON undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless expressly required to do so by law.

 

This financial report should be read in conjunction with the interim financial statements and the additional disclosures included elsewhere in this report.

 

Due to rounding, numbers presented throughout this report may not add up precisely to the totals indicated and percentages may not precisely reflect the absolute figures for the same reason.

 

AIXTRON SE © 2014, HALF-YEAR GROUP FINANCIAL REPORT

 

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Interim Management Report

 

1. Business Activity

 

AIXTRON (“the AIXTRON Group” or “the Company”) is a leading provider of deposition equipment to the semiconductor industry. The Company’s technology solutions are used by a diverse range of customers worldwide to build advanced components for electronic and optoelectronic applications based on compound, silicon, or organic semiconductor materials. Such components are used in displays, signaling, lighting, fiber optic communication systems, wireless and mobile telephony applications, optical and electronic storage devices, computing, and a range of other high technology applications.

 

The Company markets and sells its products worldwide, principally through its own direct sales organization, but also through appointed dealers and sales representatives.

 

AIXTRON’s business activities include developing, producing and installing equipment for the deposition of semiconductor materials, process engineering, consulting and training, including ongoing customer support.

 

AIXTRON supplies its customers with both production-scale material deposition systems and systems for Research & Development (“R&D”) or small scale production.

 

Demand for AIXTRON’s products is driven by increased processing speed, improved efficiency, and reduced cost of ownership demands for current and emerging microelectronic and optoelectronic components. The ability of AIXTRON’s technologies to precisely deposit thin material films and the ability to control critical surface dimensions in these components, enables manufacturers to improve performance, yield and quality in the fabrication process of advanced microelectronic and optoelectronic devices.

 

AIXTRON’s product range includes customer-specific systems capable of depositing material films on a diverse range of different substrate sizes and materials. The deposition process technologies include Metal-Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition (“MOCVD”) for the deposition of compound materials as well as thin film deposition of organic materials on up to Gen. 3.5 substrates. These include Polymer Vapor Phase Deposition (PVPD®), Organic Vapor Phase Deposition („OVPD®”) or large area deposition for Organic Light Emitting Diodes („OLED”) applications. Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Phase Deposition („PECVD”) is being employed for the deposition of complex Carbon Nanostructures (Carbon Nanotubes, Nanowires or Graphene). For Silicon Semiconductor applications, AIXTRON systems are capable of depositing material films on wafers of up to 300mm in diameter, by employing technologies such as: Chemical Vapor Deposition („CVD”) and Atomic Layer Deposition („ALD”).

 

AIXTRON is committed to investing in research and development projects to not only further strengthen the Company’s leading technology position in MOCVD equipment but also to penetrate growth markets for power management, organic semiconductors and next generation memory applications.

 

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2. Macroeconomic and Industry Developments

 

Macroeconomic developments

 

In spite of a rather subdued economic development in the first months of 2014 due to temporary factors, such as an unusually hard winter in the US and the geopolitical conflict in Ukraine, global growth is expected to accelerate in the course of the year and to come in just slightly above the previous year’s figure.

 

Consequently, the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW) has slightly reduced its growth projections compared to the spring report published in March 2014. The IfW now forecasts global growth to increase from 3.1% in 2013 to 3.5% in 2014 (March 2014: 3.6%) and 3.9% in 2015 (March 2014: 4.0%). Taking into account the currently dampened growth dynamics in many emerging economies, the most important factor for global growth is the expected positive development of the advanced economies, e. g. the US, the UK and the Euro area.

 

AIXTRON does currently not expect the global economic environment to negatively affect its business development in 2014.

 

In the first half year of 2014, the US Dollar exchange rate moved in a range between 1.35 USD/EUR and 1.40 USD/EUR. The most important factors for the exchange rate development were a number of positive economic data points from the Euro zone in combination with low inflation rates, resulting in a depreciation of the US Dollar from the beginning of February until early May. Towards the end of the first six months 2014, the continued quantitative easing of the European Central Bank’s monetary policy led to a stronger US Dollar. The US Dollar exchange rate at the end of the second quarter 2014 has slightly improved to 1.369 USD/EUR from 1.377 USD/EUR at the end of 2013. Compared to June 30, 2013 (closing price: 1.301 USD/EUR), the US Dollar was down by approximately 5%. The average exchange rate used by AIXTRON to translate income and expenses denominated in US Dollars in the first six months of 2014 was 1.37 USD/EUR (Q1/2014: 1.37 USD/EUR; Q2/2014: 1.37 USD/EUR) which was down 5% compared to the previous year (H1/2013: 1.31 USD/EUR).This caused corresponding negative effects on AIXTRON’s US Dollar denominated revenue and earnings situation in the first half-year 2014.

 

Industry developments

 

According to recent reports from industry experts and organizations, the fast growing LED penetration of the general lighting market is now also expected to drive a noticeable recovery of LED equipment spending over the coming years. Moreover, the LED backlighting markets are still showing good performance that is driven by the demand for larger screen size in both mobile and stationary devices. According to the market research firm IHS, MOCVD equipment spending for LED applications is expected to stabilize at approximately USD 385m in 2014 (forecast as of June 2014) and to improve in 2015. The market research firm Gartner (as of April 2014) estimated that the global MOCVD equipment market will be growing at a compound annual rate of 17% from 2013 to 2018. In the same report, Gartner forecasts total aggregated MOCVD equipment volume to amount to USD 3.6 billion. It is estimated that more than 70% of this volume is attributable to the production of LEDs, the majority of which will be shipped to China and Taiwan. Regarding competition, IHS predicts that the market will continue to be dominated by the two major players AIXTRON and Veeco together with the Japanese equipment vendor Taiyo Nippon Sanso.

 

The consolidation of the LED manufacturing industry is making further progress as evidenced by Epistar’s acquisition of Formosa Epitaxy (Forepi) announced at the end of June 2014. This suggests that some LED manufacturers are intending to solve their short term capacity shortages by leveraging existing capacity.

 

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3. Business Performance and Key Developments

 

Utilization rates of most tier one LED chip manufacturers remain high. The increasingly positive market sentiment has not yet translated into increased investments into AIXTRON’s LED manufacturing equipment. Thus, at EUR 38.2m AIXTRON’s order intake in the second quarter 2014 improved by 25% year-on-year and remained stable sequentially (Q2/2013: EUR 30.5m; H1/2014: EUR 75.9m; H1/2013: EUR 60.3m; Q1/2014: EUR 37.7m).

 

AIXTRON continues working on the Company’s efficiency improvements as part of Phase 2 of the 5-Point-Program, focusing on cost reductions as well as Supply Chain, Service and Production processes. Some examples of current activities include the Supply-Chain-Project, which, amongst others, targets to reduce risks in the procurement and storage of material by reducing delivery lead times. Additionally, Design-to-Cost-Programs have been initiated in order to reduce material cost on a continuous basis.

 

Revenues amounting to EUR 46.2m in Q2/2014 showed an improvement against the previous year and increased by 5% sequentially (Q2/2013: EUR 45.3m; Q1/2014: EUR 43.9m). On a half-yearly basis, H1/2014 revenues were up by 5% from the previous year (H1/2014: EUR 90.1m; H1/2013: EUR 85.6m).

 

Second quarter cost of sales at EUR 33.6m (Q2/2013: EUR 33.1m; Q1/2014: EUR 33.1m) were stable both year-on-year and sequentially. On a half-yearly basis, cost of sales were down significantly by EUR 54.2m to EUR 66.7m in H1/2014 (H1/2013: EUR 120.9m), which is mainly due to the previous year’s inventory write-downs of EUR 43.0m.

 

This resulted in a slightly improved Q2/2014 gross profit of EUR 12.6m year-on-year. Sequentially, gross profit was up 17%, which was due to higher revenues and a more favorable product mix (Q2/2013: EUR 12.3m; H1/2014: EUR 23.4m; H1/2013: EUR -35.4m; Q1/2014: EUR 10.8m).

 

The operating expenses at EUR 23.2m showed a slight increase both sequentially and year-on-year, reflecting an increase in research and development expenses (Q2/2013: EUR 22.0m; Q1/2014: EUR 21.7m). In a half-yearly comparison, operating costs were down from EUR 50.7m in H1/2013 to EUR 44.9m in H1/2014, which was partially due to restructuring charges of EUR 3.0m included in the previous years’ figure.

 

As a result of the above mentioned business development the Q2/2014 EBIT at EUR -10.6m was broadly stable compared to Q2/2013 and Q1/2014, reflecting the still subdued business environment (Q2/2013: EUR -9.8m; H1/2014: EUR -21.5m; H1/2013: EUR -86.1m; Q1/2014: EUR -10.9m).

 

The net result for Q2/2014 amounted to EUR -11.6m (Q2/2013: -11.8m; H1/2014: EUR -23.4m; H1/2013: EUR -87.8m; Q1/2014: EUR -11.8m).

 

The operating cash flow was down in Q2/2014 sequentially as well as year-on-year and amounted to EUR -15.3m (Q2/2013: EUR -1.5m; H1/2014: EUR -25.1m; H1/2013: EUR 8.6m; Q1/2014: EUR -9.8m). The free cash flow in Q2/2014 was EUR -17.5m (Q2/2013: EUR -3.7m; H1/2014: EUR -31.3m; H1/2013: EUR 5.6m; Q1/2014: EUR -13.8m). Apart from the loss incurred, this development was mainly due to a scheduled increase of inventory for new MOCVD tools and spares.

 

AIXTRON reported cash and cash equivalents (including bank deposits with a maturity of more than three months) of EUR 275.6m as of June 30, 2014 (Dec. 31, 2013: EUR 306.3m), and continues to record no bank borrowings.

 

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4. Results of Operations

 

4.1. Development of Revenues

 

During the first six months of 2014, AIXTRON recorded total revenues of EUR 90.1m, an increase of EUR 4.5m or 5% compared to the same period last year (H1/2013: EUR 85.6m) with MOCVD equipment demand remaining to be the largest revenue contributor. Compared to the previous quarter, revenues increased also by 5% from EUR 43.9m in Q1/2014 to EUR 46.2m in Q2/2014.

 

Equipment revenues, excluding spares and service, were EUR 66.8m in H1/2014 (H1/2013: EUR 63.9m), representing 74% of the total H1/2014 revenues (H1/2013: 75%). In the second quarter 2014, equipment revenues amounted to EUR 34.7m (Q2/2013: EUR 34.4m). In a quarterly sequential comparison this represents an increase of 8% (Q1/2014: EUR 32.1m).

 

The deposition equipment and upgrades bought by AIXTRON’s customers in the first half-year 2014 are predominantly used for the production of LEDs, which in turn are primarily employed as backlighting devices for LCD displays and increasingly for general lighting applications.

 

The remaining revenues were generated by the sale of spares and service and were 26% of total revenues in H1/2014 (H1/2013: 25%; Q2/2014: 25%; Q1/2014: 27%).

 

 

 

2014

 

2013

 

 

 

Revenues by Equipment, Spares &

 

H1

 

H1

 

+/-

 

Service

 

m EUR

 

%

 

m EUR

 

%

 

m EUR

 

%

 

Equipment revenues

 

66.8

 

74

 

63.9

 

75

 

2.9

 

5

 

Other revenues (service, spare parts, etc.)

 

23.3

 

26

 

21.7

 

25

 

1.6

 

7

 

Total

 

90.1

 

100

 

85.6

 

100

 

4.5

 

5

 

 

79% of total revenues in H1/2014 were generated by sales to customers in Asia. This is one percentage point more than in the previous year (H1/2013: 78%; Q1/2014: 79%). Meanwhile, 16% of revenues in H1/2014 were generated in Europe (H1/2013: 12%; Q1/2014: 17%) and the remaining 5% in the USA (H1/2013: 10%; Q1/2014: 4%).

 

 

 

2014

 

2013

 

 

 

 

 

H1

 

H1

 

+/-

 

Revenues by Region

 

m EUR

 

%

 

m EUR

 

%

 

m EUR

 

%

 

Asia

 

71.4

 

79

 

66.9

 

78

 

4.5

 

7

 

Europe

 

14.5

 

16

 

10.2

 

12

 

4.3

 

43

 

USA

 

4.2

 

5

 

8.5

 

10

 

-4.3

 

-51

 

Total

 

90.1

 

100

 

85.6

 

100

 

4.5

 

5

 

 

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4.2. Development of Results

 

 

 

2014

 

2013

 

 

 

 

 

H1

 

H1

 

+/-

 

Cost Structure

 

m EUR

 

%

 

m EUR

 

%

 

m EUR

 

%

 

Cost of sales

 

66.7

 

74

 

120.9

 

141

 

-54.2

 

-45

 

Gross profit

 

23.4

 

26

 

-35.4

 

-41

 

58.8

 

166

 

Operating costs

 

44.9

 

50

 

50.7

 

59

 

-5.8

 

-11

 

Selling expenses

 

7.3

 

8

 

14.3

 

17

 

-7.0

 

-49

 

General and administration expenses

 

9.6

 

11

 

9.4

 

11

 

0.2

 

2

 

Research and development costs

 

29.2

 

32

 

29.4

 

34

 

-0.2

 

-1

 

Net other operating (income) and expenses

 

-1.2

 

-1

 

-2.4

 

-3

 

1.2

 

50

 

 

Cost of sales in H1/2014 decreased by 45% year-on-year from EUR 120.9m to EUR 66.7m. This reduction is mainly attributable to inventory write-downs of EUR 43.0m and restructuring costs (EUR 3.0m) recorded in Q1/2013. Cost of sales relative to revenues decreased to 74% in H1/2014 (H1/2013: 141%).

 

In Q2/2014, cost of sales compared to the previous quarter were virtually stable at EUR 33.6m (Q1/2014: EUR 33.1m). Relative to revenues this results in a decrease from 75% in Q1/2014 to 73% in Q2/2014.

 

Against this background, the Company’s gross profit in H1/2014 increased year-on-year to EUR 23.4m (H1/2013: EUR -35.4m), resulting in a gross margin of 26% (H1/2013: -41%). In a quarterly comparison, the gross profit in Q2/2014 improved to EUR 12.6m sequentially (Q1/2014: EUR 10.8m; Q2/2013: EUR 12.3m), due to higher revenues as well as a more favorable product mix and remained stable year-on-year. The Q2/2014 gross margin was 27% (Q1/2014: 25%; Q2/2013: 27%).

 

Operating costs in H1/2014 reflected efficiency gains from the Company’s 5-Point-Program and showed a decrease of 11% to EUR 44.9m compared to EUR 50.7m in H1/2013. In a quarterly sequential comparison, operating costs in Q2/2014 were affected by higher R&D expenses and amounted to EUR 23.2m (Q1/2014: EUR 21.7m).

 

The operating cost development was influenced by the following single factors:

 

Due to lower volume related costs, selling expenses in H1/2014 decreased year-on-year by 49% to EUR 7.3m (H1/2013: EUR 14.3m). Sequentially, selling expenses in Q2/2014 were down 13% and amounted to EUR 3.4m (Q1/2014: EUR 3.9m).

 

In H1/2014, general and administration expenses were broadly stable at EUR 9.6m (H1/2013: EUR 9.4m). In Q2/2014, general and administration expenses were down sequentially by 12% to EUR 4.5m (Q1/2014: EUR 5.1m).

 

Research and development costs in H1/2014 were broadly unchanged year-on-year at EUR 29.2m (H1/2013: EUR 29.4m), reflecting the continued strategic importance of AIXTRON’s internal R&D capabilities. In Q2/2014, R&D costs amounted to EUR 15.5m and thus came in 13% above the previous quarter (Q1/2014: EUR 13.7m), which was mainly due to costs related to the impending launch of a new MOCVD tool generation.

 

 

 

2014

 

2013

 

 

 

Key R&D Information

 

H1

 

H1

 

+/-

 

R&D expenses (in EUR million)

 

29.2

 

29.4

 

-1

%

R&D expenses, % of sales

 

32

 

34

 

 

 

R&D employees (period average)

 

279

 

324

 

-14

%

R&D employees, % of total headcount (period average)

 

36

 

36

 

 

 

 

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Net other operating income and expenses in the first six months of 2014 resulted in an income of EUR 1.2m (H1/2013: EUR 2.4m income; Q2/2014: EUR 0.1m income; Q1/2014: EUR 1.1m income).

 

In H1/2014, AIXTRON recorded a net currency expense of EUR 0.5m (H1/2013: income of EUR 0.5m) from currency transaction and translation differences of balance sheet positions.

 

EUR 0.6m of R&D grants received in H1/2014 (H1/2013: EUR 1.8m; Q2/2014: EUR 0.2m; Q1/2014: EUR 0.4m), were recorded as other operating income.

 

The absolute operating result (EBIT) increased in a year-on-year comparison by EUR 64.6m from EUR -86.1m in H1/2013 to EUR -21.5m. Besides the reduced operating cost base this is mainly due to unusual items, totaling EUR 53.9m, which were included in the previous year’s figures.

 

Compared to the previous quarter, the operating result in Q2/2014 remained stable at EUR -10.6m (Q1/2014: EUR -10.9m).

 

Result before taxes improved year-on-year by EUR 64.8m from EUR -85.6m in H1/2013 to EUR -20.8m in H1/2014, including a net finance income of EUR 0.7m in H1/2014 (H1/2013: EUR 0.5m; Q2/2014: EUR 0.4m; Q1/2014: EUR 0.2m). In Q2/2014, the result before taxes was up sequentially to EUR -10.1m (Q1/2014: EUR -10.7m).

 

In H1/2014, AIXTRON recorded a country specific tax expense of EUR 2.6m (H1/2013: EUR 2.2m tax expense; Q2/2014: EUR 1.5m tax expense; Q1/2014: EUR 1.1m tax expense).

 

The net result was up by EUR 64.4m year-on-year from EUR -87.8m in H1/2013 to EUR -23.4m in H1/2014. In Q2/2014, the net result amounted to EUR -11.6m (Q1/2014: EUR -11.8m).

 

4.3. Development of Orders

 

 

 

2014

 

2013

 

+/-

 

 

 

Equipment Orders (in EUR million)

 

H1

 

H1

 

EUR

 

%

 

Equipment order intake

 

75.9

 

60.3

 

15.6

 

26

 

Equipment order backlog (end of period)

 

66.4

 

71.7

 

-5.3

 

-7

 

 

As a matter of internal policy, the 2014 US Dollar based order intake and backlog are recorded at the current 2014 budget exchange rate of 1.35 USD/EUR (2013: 1.30 USD/EUR).

 

In H1/2014, equipment order intake was up year-on-year by EUR 15.6m and came in at a total of EUR 75.9m (H1/2013: EUR 60.3m). Sequentially, the equipment order intake of EUR 38.2m was also up compared to the previous quarter (Q1/2014: EUR 37.7m).

 

The total equipment order backlog of EUR 66.4m as at June 30, 2014, was 7% lower than the EUR 71.7m at the same point in time in 2013, but 14% higher than the 2014 opening backlog of EUR 58.1m.

 

As a matter of strict internal policy, AIXTRON follows clear internal requirements before recording and reporting received equipment orders as order intake and order backlog. These requirements comprise all of the following minimum criteria:

 

1. the receipt of a firm written purchase order,

 

2. the receipt of the agreed deposit,

 

3. accessibility to the required shipping documentation,

 

4. a customer confirmed agreement on a system specific delivery date.

 

In addition and reflecting current market conditions, the Company’s Management reserves the right to assess whether the actual realization of each system order is sufficiently likely to occur in a timely manner according to Management’s opinion. When Management concludes, that there is no sufficient likelihood of realizing revenue on any specific system or that there is an unacceptable degree of risk of not realizing revenue on any specific system, Management will include or exclude the order, or a portion of the order, into or from the recorded order intake and order backlog figures, regardless of compliance with requirements of the points 1-4 above.

 

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5. Financial Position and Net Assets

 

The Company recorded no bank borrowings as of June 30, 2014, and December 31, 2013.

 

The equity ratio remained stable at 82% as of June 30, 2014, compared to 83% as of December 31, 2013.

 

The AIXTRON Group’s capital expenditures for the first six months of 2014 amounted to EUR 6.2m (H1/2013: EUR 3.8m), of which EUR 5.9m (H1/2013: EUR 3.7m) related to property, plant and equipment (including testing and laboratory equipment).

 

Cash and cash equivalents (including cash deposits with a maturity of more than three months) decreased to EUR 275.6m (EUR 122.8m + EUR 152.8m cash deposits) as of June 30, 2014, compared to EUR 306.3m (EUR 167.5m + EUR 138.9m cash deposits) as of December 31, 2013. This development reflects the losses occurred as well as the scheduled increase of inventories for new MOCVD tools and spares.

 

The value of property, plant and equipment was virtually stable at EUR 78.3m as of June 30, 2014 (EUR 79.9m as of December 31, 2013).

 

The value of goodwill at EUR 64.5m as per June 30, 2014, also remained stable compared to EUR 64.1m as per December 31, 2013. There were no additions or impairments in the first six months of 2014. The minimal differences were solely due to exchange rate fluctuations.

 

The value of other intangible assets decreased from EUR 3.1m as per December 31, 2013, to EUR 2.7m as per June 30, 2014. Differences arose mainly from amortization.

 

Inventories, including raw materials, unfinished and finished goods, were up to EUR 72.7m as per June 30, 2014, compared to EUR 66.2m as of December 31, 2013, reflecting the above mentioned requirements for new MOCVD tools and spares.

 

Advance payments from customers showed an increase of EUR 4.9m to EUR 51.1m as of June 30, 2014, compared to EUR 46.2m as of December 31, 2013.

 

Trade receivables increased from EUR 27.7m as of December 31, 2013, to EUR 30.3m as of June 30, 2014, which was mainly due to an increased delivery volume towards the end of the period.

 

Other current provisions were down by EUR 7.4m from EUR 32.1m as of December 31, 2013, to EUR 24.7m as of June 30, 2014, mainly due to the continued progression of the restructuring process.

 

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6. Opportunities and Risks

 

AIXTRON expects the following market trends and opportunities in the relevant end user markets to possibly have a positive effect on future business:

 

Short Term

 

· Further increasing adoption of LEDs for exterior, public infrastructure and commercial lighting

 

· Increasing adoption of LEDs for consumer and residential general lighting applications

 

· Introduction of a new MOCVD tool generation for LED manufacturing

 

· Increased usage of GaN based devices for energy efficient power electronics

 

· Development of next generation NAND, DRAM and PCRAM memory devices

 

· Increased emergence of high volume Silicon Carbide (SiC) production applications and emerging hybrid and electrical automotive and photovoltaic transistor applications

 

Mid- to Long term

 

· Increasing use of LEDs for industrial lighting

 

· Progress in the development of technologies for large area OLED displays as well as organic material large area deposition and OLED lighting

 

· Further progress in the development of GaN-on-Silicon LEDs

 

· Increased emergence and further development of plastic electronics / flexible organic TFT backplanes

 

· Increased development activity for specialized compound solar cell applications

 

· Increasing requirements for High-k and interconnect components, implying a new approach to production technologies

 

· Progress in the convergence of compound semiconductor material applications for further miniaturization, e. g. substituting materials in the silicon semiconductor industry

 

· Development of applications using Carbon Nanostructures (Carbon Nanotubes, Carbon Nanowires, Graphene)

 

· Development of alternative LED applications such as Visual Light Communication technology

 

AIXTRON is exposed to a series of risks, which are described in detail in the “Risk Report” of the Annual Report 2013 and in the section “Risk Factors” in AIXTRON’s 2013 20-F Report, which was filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on February 25, 2014. Copies of the Company’s most recent Annual Report and the 20-F Report are both available on the Company’s website at www.aixtron.com (sections “Investors/Financial Reports” and “Investors/US-Listings”), the 20-F Report being additionally available on the SEC website at www.sec.gov.

 

During the first six months of 2014, AIXTRON Management was not aware of any significant additions or changes in the risks as described in the 2013 Annual Report/20-F Report referred to above.

 

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7. Outlook

 

Global demand for LEDs continues to increase, driven by the growing adoption of LEDs in the general lighting market. Although there is increasingly positive sentiment in LED end markets, AIXTRON customers remained hesitant to expand LED production capacity on a larger scale, which is partially due to consolidation and customers currently evaluating next generation MOCVD tools. Nevertheless, Management continues to expect the demand for MOCVD production capacity to pick up driven by further increasing LED demand. However, the exact timing and extent of such a pickup remains difficult to predict.

 

Management reiterates its guidance made at the end of February for 2014 for revenues to be in line with those of last year. Concurrently, the Company is not expected to be profitable on an EBIT basis over the course of this year. However, Management continues to expect a year-on-year improvement in earnings due to progress made in cost savings and restructuring.

 

AIXTRON remains committed to the realization of its technology and product roadmap, which is seen as an integral part of the Company’s future. AIXTRON will remain particularly focused on the release of a new generation of MOCVD equipment. At the same time, AIXTRON will continue projects within the 5-Point-Program to increase efficiencies across the business, with a particular emphasis on processes and Design-to-Cost initiatives.

 

AIXTRON continues to expect that no external bank debt financing will be required in 2014. Furthermore, AIXTRON expects to retain its strong equity base in the foreseeable future.

 

As of June 30, 2014, AIXTRON was not party to any legally binding agreements concerning financial participations, company acquisitions or disposals of business units.

 

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Interim Financial Statements

 

1. Consolidated Income Statement*

 


*unaudited

 

in EUR thousands

 

H1/2014

 

H1/2013

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Revenues

 

90,149

 

85,562

 

Cost of sales

 

66,700

 

120,945

 

Gross profit

 

23,449

 

-35,383

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Selling expenses

 

7,317

 

14,293

 

General administration expenses

 

9,642

 

9,406

 

Research and development costs

 

29,234

 

29,365

 

Other operating income

 

1,345

 

3,091

 

Other operating expenses

 

93

 

696

 

Operating result

 

-21,492

 

-86,052

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finance income

 

664

 

477

 

Finance expense

 

0

 

3

 

Net finance income

 

664

 

474

 

Result before taxes

 

-20,828

 

-85,578

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Taxes on income

 

2,610

 

2,191

 

Profit/loss attributable to the equity holders of AIXTRON SE (after taxes)

 

-23,438

 

-87,769

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic earnings per share (in EUR)

 

-0.21

 

-0.87

 

Diluted earnings per share (in EUR)

 

-0.21

 

-0.87

 

 

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2. Consolidated Statement of other Comprehensive Income*

 


*unaudited

 

in EUR thousands

 

H1/2014

 

H1/2013

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Profit or Loss

 

-23,438

 

-87,769

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Currency translation adjustment

 

1,553

 

-2,569

 

Other comprehensive income

 

1,553

 

-2,569

 

Total comprehensive income attributable to equity holders of AIXTRON SE

 

-21,885

 

-90,338

 

 

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3. Consolidated Statement of Financial Position*

 


*unaudited

 

in EUR thousands

 

30.06.14

 

31.12.13

 

Assets

 

 

 

 

 

Property, plant and equipment

 

78,307

 

79,866

 

Goodwill

 

64,528

 

64,115

 

Other intangible assets

 

2,671

 

3,058

 

Other non-current assets

 

876

 

907

 

Deferred tax assets

 

4,791

 

4,613

 

Tax assets

 

176

 

177

 

Total non-current assets

 

151,349

 

152,736

 

Inventories

 

72,678

 

66,183

 

Trade receivables less allowance kEUR 1,789 (2013: kEUR 1,821)

 

30,335

 

27,654

 

Current tax assets

 

958

 

5,388

 

Other current assets

 

8,299

 

4,925

 

Other financial assets

 

152,751

 

138,853

 

Cash and cash equivalents

 

122,828

 

167,454

 

Total current assets

 

387,849

 

410,457

 

Total assets

 

539,198

 

563,193

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Liabilities and shareholders’ equity

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Subscribed capital

 

 

 

 

 

Number of shares: 111,523,448 (2013: 111,534,520)

 

111,523

 

111,535

 

Additional paid-in capital

 

370,909

 

370,842

 

Retained earnings

 

-31,729

 

-8,291

 

Income and expenses recognized in equity

 

-7,130

 

-8,683

 

Total shareholders’ equity

 

443,573

 

465,403

 

Other non-current liabilities

 

65

 

92

 

Other non-current accruals and provisions

 

1,860

 

1,977

 

Deferred tax liabilities

 

35

 

300

 

Total non-current liabilities

 

1,960

 

2,369

 

Trade payables

 

14,387

 

13,517

 

Advance payments from customers

 

51,140

 

46,188

 

Other current accruals and provisions

 

24,688

 

32,080

 

Other current liabilities

 

2,661

 

2,948

 

Current tax liabilities

 

789

 

688

 

Total current liabilities

 

93,665

 

95,421

 

Total liabilities

 

95,625

 

97,790

 

Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity

 

539,198

 

563,193

 

 

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4. Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows*

 


*unaudited

 

in EUR thousands

 

H1/2014

 

H1/2013

 

Cash inflow from operating activities

 

 

 

 

 

Net income for the period (after taxes)

 

-23,438

 

-87,769

 

Reconciliation between profit and cash inflow/outflow from operating activities

 

 

 

 

 

Expense from share-based payments

 

218

 

947

 

Depreciation and amortization expense

 

8,082

 

7,276

 

Net result from disposal of property, plant and equipment

 

28

 

-41

 

Deferred income taxes

 

-385

 

1.299

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Change in

 

 

 

 

 

Inventories

 

-6,091

 

65,246

 

Trade receivables

 

-2,343

 

10,196

 

Other assets

 

1,296

 

-13,790

 

Trade payables

 

706

 

2,533

 

Provisions and other liabilities

 

-7,779

 

14,179

 

Deferred revenues

 

0

 

12

 

Non-current liabilities

 

-147

 

1,502

 

Advance payments from customers

 

4,714

 

7,029

 

Cash inflow from operating activities

 

-25,139

 

8,619

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash inflow/outflow from investing activities

 

 

 

 

 

Capital expenditures in property, plant and equipment

 

-5,888

 

-3,698

 

Capital expenditures in intangible assets

 

-338

 

-145

 

Proceeds from disposal of fixed assets

 

105

 

813

 

Bank deposits with a maturity of more than 90 days

 

-13,793

 

9,851

 

Cash inflow/outflow from investing activities

 

-19,914

 

6,821

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash inflow/outflow from financing activities

 

 

 

 

 

Issue and buy back of equity shares

 

-166

 

1,080

 

Cash inflow/outflow from financing activities

 

-166

 

1,080

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Effect of changes in exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents

 

593

 

-557

 

Net change in cash and cash equivalents

 

-44,626

 

15,963

 

Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the period

 

167,454

 

99,734

 

Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the period

 

122,828

 

115,697

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interest paid

 

-17

 

0

 

Interest received

 

400

 

954

 

Income taxes paid

 

-4,859

 

-916

 

Income taxes received

 

6,438

 

62

 

 

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5. Consolidated Statement of Changes in Equity*

 


*unaudited

 

 

 

Income and expense recognized directly in equity (H1/2014)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shareholders’

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

equity

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Retained

 

attributable to

 

 

 

Subscribed

 

 

 

 

 

Earnings/

 

the owners of

 

 

 

capital under

 

Additional

 

Currency

 

Accumulated

 

AIXTRON SE

 

 

 

IFRS

 

paid-in capital

 

translation

 

deficit

 

Total

 

Balance at January 1, 2014

 

111,535

 

370,842

 

-8,683

 

-8,291

 

465,403

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Share based payments

 

 

 

221

 

 

 

 

 

221

 

Purchase of treasury shares

 

-26

 

-224

 

 

 

 

 

-250

 

Issue of shares for options

 

14

 

70

 

 

 

 

 

84

 

Net income for the period

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-23,438

 

-23,438

 

Other comprehensive income

 

 

 

 

 

1,553

 

 

 

1,553

 

Total comprehensive income

 

 

 

 

 

1,553

 

-23,438

 

-21,885

 

Balance at June 30, 2014

 

111,523

 

370,909

 

-7,130

 

-31,729

 

443,573

 

 

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Income and expense recognized directly in equity (H1/2013)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shareholders’

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

equity

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Retained

 

attributable to

 

 

 

Subscribed

 

 

 

 

 

Earnings/

 

the owners of

 

 

 

capital under

 

Additional

 

Currency

 

Accumulated

 

AIXTRON SE

 

 

 

IFRS

 

paid-in-capital

 

translation

 

deficit

 

Total

 

Balance at January 1, 2013

 

100,896

 

278,952

 

-2,553

 

92,725

 

470,020

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Share based payments

 

 

 

947

 

 

 

 

 

947

 

Issue of shares for options

 

240

 

846

 

 

 

 

 

1,086

 

Net income for the period

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-87,769

 

-87,769

 

Other comprehensive income

 

 

 

 

 

-2,569

 

 

 

-2,569

 

Total comprehensive income

 

 

 

 

 

-2,569

 

-87,769

 

-90,338

 

Balance at June 30, 2013

 

101,136

 

280,745

 

-5,122

 

4,956

 

381,715

 

 

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Additional Disclosures

 

1. Accounting Policies

 

This consolidated interim financial report of AIXTRON SE has been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) applicable for Interim Financial Reporting, IAS 34.

 

As in previous years, it was not audited according to §317 HGB or reviewed by a certified auditor.

 

The accounting policies adopted in this interim financial report are consistent with those followed in the preparation of the Group’s annual financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2013.

 

The consolidated interim financial statements of AIXTRON SE include the following operating subsidiaries (collectively referred to as “AIXTRON”, “the AIXTRON Group”, or “the Company”): AIXTRON, Inc., Sunnyvale, California (USA); AIXTRON Ltd., Cambridge (United Kingdom); Nanoinstruments Ltd., Cambridge (United Kingdom); AIXTRON AB, Lund (Sweden); AIXTRON Korea Co. Ltd., Seoul (South Korea); AIXTRON China Ltd., Shanghai (China); AIXTRON KK, Tokyo (Japan); AIXTRON Taiwan Co. Ltd., Hsinchu (Taiwan) and Genus Trust, Sunnyvale, California (USA). In comparison with December 31, 2013, there have been no changes to the consolidated group of companies.

 

2. Segment Reporting

 

The following segment information has been prepared in accordance with IFRS 8 „Operating Segments”. As AIXTRON has only one operating segment, the information provided relates only to geographical data.

 

The Company markets and sells its products in Asia, Europe, and the United States, mainly through its direct sales organization and cooperation partners.

 

In presenting information on the basis of geographical segments, segment revenue is based on the geographical location of customers. Segment assets are based on the geographical location of the assets.

 

Geographical Segments (in EUR thousands)

 

 

 

Asia

 

Europe

 

USA

 

Group

 

Revenues realized with third parties

 

H1/2014

 

71,388

 

14,556

 

4,205

 

90,149

 

 

H1/2013

 

66,850

 

10,241

 

8,471

 

85,562

 

Segment assets (property, plant and equipment)

 

30/06/14

 

3,285

 

73,307

 

1,715

 

78,307

 

 

30/06/13

 

4,390

 

88,124

 

1,520

 

94,034

 

 

3. Stock Option Plans

 

In the first six months of 2014, AIXTRON’s employees and Executive Board members held stock options, representing the right to receive AIXTRON common shares or AIXTRON American Depositary Shares (ADS). The status of these options developed as follows:

 

AIXTRON ordinary shares

 

30/06/14

 

Exercised

 

Expired/Forfeited

 

Allocation

 

31/12/13

 

Stock options

 

2,508,921

 

13,522

 

202,258

 

65,000

 

2,659,701

 

Underlying shares

 

2,742,375

 

13,522

 

592,538

 

65,000

 

3,283,435

 

 

AIXTRON ADS

 

30/06/14

 

Exercised

 

Expired/Forfeited

 

Allocation

 

31/12/13

 

Stock options

 

5,590

 

0

 

0

 

0

 

5,590

 

Underlying shares

 

5,590

 

0

 

0

 

0

 

5,590

 

 

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4. Employees

 

The total number of employees decreased from 873 on June 30, 2013 to 782 persons on June 30, 2014.

 

 

 

2014

 

2013

 

+/-

 

Employees by Region

 

Jun-30

 

%

 

Jun-30

 

%

 

abs.

 

%

 

Asia

 

156

 

20

 

173

 

20

 

-17

 

-10

 

Europe

 

503

 

64

 

591

 

68

 

-88

 

-15

 

USA

 

123

 

16

 

109

 

12

 

14

 

13

 

Total

 

782

 

100

 

873

 

100

 

-91

 

-10

 

 

 

 

2014

 

2013

 

+/-

 

Employees by Function

 

Jun-30

 

%

 

Jun-30

 

%

 

abs.

 

%

 

Sales

 

66

 

8

 

72

 

8

 

-6

 

-10

 

Research and Development

 

287

 

37

 

315

 

36

 

-28

 

-9

 

Manufacturing and Service

 

327

 

42

 

379

 

43

 

-52

 

-14

 

Administration

 

102

 

13

 

107

 

12

 

-5

 

-4

 

Total

 

782

 

100

 

873

 

100

 

-91

 

-10

 

 

5. Management

 

As compared to December 31, 2013, there were the following changes to the composition of the Company’s Executive and Supervisory Boards as of June 30, 2014:

 

Wolfgang Breme, Chief Financial Officer of the Company, has resigned from his office by mutual agreement to pursue new career opportunities outside the Company. The Supervisory Board approved the termination of his service agreement with effect as of May 31, 2014.

 

A new CFO will not be appointed. The Chairman of the Executive Board, Dipl.-Kfm. Martin Goetzeler, will take over the tasks previously performed by Mr. Breme.

 

The service agreement of the current Chief Operating Officer, Dr. Bernd Schulte was renewed until March 31, 2018.

 

6. Related Party Transactions

 

Except for the above mentioned contractual changes, AIXTRON did not conclude or carry out any material transactions with related parties.

 

7. Post-Balance Sheet Date Events

 

There are no known events with a significant effect on AIXTRON’s financial statements as of June 30, 2014, which have occurred after that date and before approval of these statements.

 

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Responsibility Statement

 

To the best of our knowledge, and in accordance with the applicable reporting principles for interim financial reporting, the interim consolidated financial statements for the six months ended June 30, 2014 give a true and fair view of the assets, liabilities, financial position and profit or loss of the Group, and the interim management report of the Group includes a fair review of the development and performance of the business and the position of the Group, together with a description of the principal opportunities and risks associated with the expected development of the Group for the remaining months of the financial year.

 

 

Herzogenrath, July 29, 2014

 

AIXTRON SE

Executive Board

 

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SIGNATURE

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.

 

AIXTRON SE

 

 

 

 

 

By

/s/ Martin Goetzeler

 

Name:

Martin Goetzeler

 

Title:

President & CEO

Date: July 29, 2014

 

 

 

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