Nova Announces Record 2014 First Quarter

REHOVOT, Israel, April 30, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Nova Measuring Instruments Ltd. NVMI, a leading innovator and a key provider of optical metrology solutions for advanced process control used in semiconductor manufacturing, today reported record revenues for 2014 first quarter.

Business Highlights:

• Continued systems delivery to leading customers for 20nm ramp up and 16/14nm pilot lines
• T600 Standalone tool accepted for high volume manufacturing for Etch process for 20nm & 16nm at major foundry customer
• Ongoing evaluations for 10nm technology
• Ongoing evaluations at memory customers for VNAND and TSV applications
• SW products gaining traction with a first order for Hybrid Metrology software solution

Financial Highlights:

• Quarterly revenues of $34.7 million, up 26% from $27.4 million a year ago
• Quarterly gross margin of 51%, compared with 54% a year ago
• Net Income of $6.4 million, up 167% from $2.4 million a year ago
• Research & Development expense of $6.9 million, down from $7.5 million a year ago
• Total cash reserves of $113.2 million as of March 31, 2014, and no debt

A reconciliation between GAAP operating results and non-GAAP operating results is provided following the financial statements that are part of this release. Non-GAAP results exclude adjustments of deferred tax assets and stock based compensation expenses.

Management Comments

"We posted record sales revenue for the first quarter, meeting the high end of our quarterly revenue guidance, due to market share gains and strong demand for our Optical Metrology solutions. Moreover, our net income significantly increased and exceeded our quarterly guidance," commented Eitan Oppenhaim, President and CEO of Nova. "Our recent R&D investments, which were aimed at enhancing and diversifying our products offering, are clearly paying off and have established us as a leader in Optical Metrology for advanced process control."

"The use of Optical Metrology is expanding rapidly as the semiconductor industry continues its challenging technical transition to advanced 3D structures, thus broadening the opportunity available to us, as we continue to increase our market share and expand our presence. Following our recent efforts and extensive customer evaluations we started to receive orders for our newly introduced software products. We view these orders as clear evidence that our strategic decision to add software products to our offering is paying off, and is supporting the profitability leverage built into our business model."

First Quarter 2014 Results

Total revenues for the first quarter of 2014 were $34.7 million, an increase of 26% relative to the first quarter of 2013, and an increase of 15% relative to the fourth quarter of 2013.

Gross margin for the first quarter of 2014 was 51%, compared with 54% in the first quarter of 2013 and 53% in the fourth quarter of 2013.

Operating expenses in the first quarter of 2014 were $11.4 million, compared with $11.8 million in the first quarter of 2013 and $12.0 million in the fourth quarter of 2013.

On a GAAP basis, the company reported net income of $6.4 million, or $0.23 per diluted share, in the first quarter of 2014. This compares to a net income of $2.4 million, or $0.09 per diluted share, in the first quarter of 2013, and a net income of $3.1 million, or $0.11 per diluted share, in the fourth quarter of 2013.

On a Non-GAAP basis, which excludes deferred income tax expenses and stock based compensation expenses, the company reported net income of $6.9 million, or $0.25 per diluted share, in the first quarter of 2014. This compares to a net income of $3.6 million, or $0.13 per diluted share, in the first quarter of 2013, and a net income of $4.1 million, or $0.15 per diluted share, in the fourth quarter of 2013.

Conference Call Information

Nova will host a conference call on Wednesday, April 30, 2014 at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time, to discuss the first quarter results and future outlook, along with its guidance for the second quarter of 2014.

To attend the conference call, please dial one of the following teleconferencing numbers. Please begin by placing your calls 5 minutes before the conference call commences. If you are unable to connect using the toll-free numbers, please try the international dial-in number.

U.S. Dial-in Number:  1-877-941-1427
ISRAEL Dial-in Number:  1809-21-4368
INTERNATIONAL Dial-in Number:  1-480-629-9664

At:

8:30 a.m. Eastern Time
5:30 a.m. Pacific Time
3:30 p.m. Israeli Time

The conference call will also be webcast live from a link on Nova's website at http://ir.novameasuring.com. For those unable to participate in the conference call, there will be a replay available from a link on Nova's website at http://ir.novameasuring.com.

About Nova: Nova Measuring Instruments Ltd. develops, produces and markets advanced Optical CD metrology solutions for the semiconductor manufacturing industry. Nova is traded on the NASDAQ & TASE under the symbol NVMI. The Company's website is www.novameasuring.com.

This press release provides financial measures that exclude non-cash charges for stock-based compensation and deferred income tax expenses adjustments and are therefore not calculated in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). Management believes that these non-GAAP financial measures provide meaningful supplemental information regarding Nova's performance because they reflect our operational results and enhances management's and investors' ability to evaluate Nova's performance before charges or benefits considered by management to be outside Nova's ongoing operating results.

The presentation of this non-GAAP financial information is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP. Management believes that it is in the best interest of its investors to provide financial information that will facilitate comparison of both historical and future results and allows greater transparency to supplemental information used by management in its financial and operational decision making. A reconciliation of each GAAP to non-GAAP financial measure discussed in this press release is contained in the accompanying financial tables.

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 relating to future events or our future performance, such as statements regarding trends, demand for our products, expected deliveries, transaction, expected revenues, operating results, earnings and profitability. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied in those forward looking statements. These risks and other factors include but are not limited to:  our dependency on two product lines; our dependency on a small number of large customers and small number of suppliers; the highly cyclical nature of the markets we target; our inability to reduce spending during a slowdown in the semiconductor industry; our ability to respond effectively on a timely basis to rapid technological changes; our dependency on PEM; risks related to exclusivity obligations and non-limited liability that may be included in our commercial agreements and arrangements; our ability to retain our competitive position despite the ongoing consolidation in our industry; risks related to our dependence on a single manufacturing facility; risks related to the extremely competitive market we are operation in;  risks related to changes in our order backlog; risks related to the financial, political and environmental instabilities in Asia; risks related to our intellectual property; new product offerings from our competitors; unanticipated manufacturing or supply problems; changes in tax requirements; changes in customer demand for our products; risks related to currency fluctuations and risks related to our operations in Israel. We cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. The matters discussed in this press release also involve risks and uncertainties summarized under the heading "Risk Factors" in Nova's Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2013 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 28, 2014. These factors are updated from time to time through the filing of reports and registration statements with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Nova Measuring Instruments Ltd. does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking information contained in this press release.

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SOURCE Nova Measuring Instruments Ltd.