Qualcomm reports record quarterly revenues, boasts 100th Snapdragon device

Qualcomm's back again with yet another set of impressive numbers. For the second quarter of this fiscal year, the chip giant saw record earnings of $3.88 billion, up 46 percent from the same quarter in the previous year, and collected $999 million of sweet profit which is a 29 percent jump from last year. This is no doubt to do with the 70 percent increase in the MSM7000- and MSM8000-series Snapdragon shipments in this half of the fiscal year (compared to 2H 2010), and it should be noted that this quarter also saw the 100th Snapdragon-powered device announced by a Qualcomm client. Additionally, EVP Steve Mollenkopf reassured us that the recent events in Japan won't have any significant impact on upcoming shipments, so the 30 Snapdragon tablets in the pipeline should arrive as scheduled. Excerpts from the financial report can be found after the break.

Show full PR text

Qualcomm Announces Second Quarter Fiscal 2011 Results
Record Revenues $3.9 Billion
GAAP EPS $0.59, Non-GAAP EPS $0.86

- Raises Fiscal 2011 Revenue and Earnings Guidance -

SAN DIEGO - April 20, 2011 - Qualcomm Incorporated (Nasdaq: QCOM), a leading developer and innovator of advanced wireless technologies, products and services, today announced results for the second quarter of fiscal 2011 ended March 27, 2011.

"We are pleased to report record quarterly revenues, and we are raising our revenue and earnings guidance for the year as the demand for smartphones across an array of geographies and tiers continues to grow," said Dr. Paul E. Jacobs, chairman and CEO of Qualcomm. "In addition, we have resolved the second of the two previously disclosed licensee disputes. We continue to execute on our strategic priorities as our partners deploy our technologies and solutions to offer leading wireless products and services to consumers worldwide."

Second Quarter Results (GAAP)

• Revenues: $3.88 billion, up 46 percent year-over-year (y-o-y) and 16 percent sequentially.
• Operating income: $1.07 billion, up 38 percent y-o-y and down 3 percent sequentially.
• Net income:1 $999 million, up 29 percent y-o-y and down 15 percent sequentially.
• Diluted earnings per share:1 $0.59, up 28 percent y-o-y and down 17 percent sequentially.
• Effective tax rate: 21 percent for the quarter.
• Operating cash flow: $1.77 billion, up 123 percent y-o-y; 46 percent of revenues.
• Return of capital to stockholders: $316 million, or $0.19 per share, of cash dividends paid.

Non-GAAP Second Quarter Results

Non-GAAP results exclude the Qualcomm Strategic Initiatives (QSI) segment, certain share- based compensation, certain tax items that are not related to the current year and acquired in- process research and development (R&D) expense.

• Revenues: $3.87 billion, up 45 percent y-o-y and 16 percent sequentially.
• Operating income: $1.65 billion, up 55 percent y-o-y and 17 percent sequentially.
• Net income: $1.45 billion, up 47 percent y-o-y and 8 percent sequentially.
• Diluted earnings per share: $0.86, up 46 percent y-o-y and 5 percent sequentially. The current quarter excludes $0.18 loss per share attributable to the QSI segment and $0.09 loss per share attributable to certain share-based compensation.
• Effective tax rate: 22 percent for the quarter.
• Free cash flow: $1.85 billion, up 125 percent y-o-y; 48 percent of revenues (defined as net cash from operating activities less capital expenditures).

Detailed reconciliations between results reported in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and Non-GAAP results are included at the end of this news release.

In the comparisons summarized above, the following should be noted with respect to results for the second quarter of fiscal 2011: GAAP and Non-GAAP results included $401 million in revenues related to prior quarters as a result of agreements entered into with two licensees to settle ongoing disputes, including an arbitration proceeding with Panasonic Mobile Communications Co. Ltd.; GAAP results included $310 million in expenses in the QSI segment related to the FLO TVTM restructuring plan; and GAAP and Non-GAAP results included $120 million in impairment charges related to our Firethorn division, including $114 million in goodwill impairment.

Second Quarter Key Business Metrics

• CDMA-based Mobile Station ModemTM (MSMTM) shipments: approximately 118 million units, up 27 percent y-o-y and flat sequentially.
• December quarter total reported device sales: approximately $40.0 billion, up 44 percent y-o-y and 18 percent sequentially.
• December quarter estimated CDMA-based device shipments: approximately 195 to 200 million units, at an estimated average selling price of approximately $200 to $206 per unit.

Cash and Marketable Securities

Our cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities totaled approximately $22.1 billion at the end of the second quarter of fiscal 2011, compared to $19.1 billion at the end of the first quarter of fiscal 2011 and $18.2 billion a year ago. On April 7, 2011, we announced a cash dividend of $0.215 per share payable on June 24, 2011 to stockholders of record as of May 27, 2011.

On January 5, 2011, we announced that we had entered into a definitive agreement under which we intend to acquire Atheros Communications, Inc. for $45 per share in cash, which represented an enterprise value of approximately $3.1 billion on that date. The transaction has received the approval of Atheros' stockholders and certain foreign regulators, and the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended, has expired. The completion of the merger remains subject to the satisfaction of certain closing conditions, including the receipt of an additional foreign regulatory approval. We continue to expect the merger to close in the third quarter of fiscal 2011.

Qualcomm Strategic Initiatives

The QSI segment manages our strategic investment activities, including FLO TV, and makes strategic investments in early-stage and other companies and in wireless spectrum, such as the Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) spectrum won in the India auction. GAAP results for the second quarter of fiscal 2011 included an $0.18 loss per share for the QSI segment. The second quarter of fiscal 2011 QSI results included $376 million in operating expenses and restructuring charges primarily related to FLO TV.

We have agreed to sell substantially all of our 700 MHz spectrum for $1.9 billion, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including approval by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission. The agreement follows our previously announced plan to restructure and evaluate strategic options related to the FLO TV business and network. Under the restructuring plan, the FLO TV business and network were shut down on March 27, 2011, and we are no longer pursuing the MediaFLO Technologies business. Restructuring activities under this plan were initiated in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2010 and are expected to be substantially complete by the end of fiscal 2012. The spectrum was classified as held for sale at March 27, 2011.

In the second quarter of fiscal 2011, restructuring and restructuring-related charges related to this plan included in QSI results were $310 million. We estimate that we will incur future restructuring and restructuring-related charges associated with this plan of up to $65 million, which are primarily related to lease exit and other costs.

Business Outlook

The following statements are forward looking and actual results may differ materially. The "Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" at the end of this news release provides a description of certain risks that we face, and our annual and quarterly reports on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) provide a more complete description of risks.

Our outlook does not include provisions for future asset impairments or the consequences of injunctions, damages or fines related to any pending legal matters unless awarded or imposed by a court, governmental entity or other regulatory body. Further, due to their nature, certain income and expense items, such as realized investment gains or losses, or gains and losses on certain derivative instruments, cannot be accurately forecast. Accordingly, we only include such items in our business outlook to the extent they are reasonably certain; however, actual results may vary materially from the business outlook.

In addition to our ongoing operating costs, our business outlook for fiscal 2011 includes restructuring and restructuring-related charges attributable to FLO TV that are currently expected to be incurred.

We have not included any estimates related to the Atheros business in our third fiscal quarter or fiscal 2011 outlook. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of fiscal 2011.