LTC Year-to-Year Quarterly Revenue and Income Up, but Sequential Declines
Linear Technology Corporation (LTC) reported that financial results for the second quarter of fiscal 2014, ended December 29, 2013, included revenues of $334.6 million, a decrease of $5.8 million or 1.7% from the previous quarter's revenue of $340.4 million and an increase of $29.3 million or 9.6% over $305.3 million reported in the second quarter of fiscal year 2013. Net income of $104.8 million decreased $3.1 million or 2.9% from the first quarter of fiscal year 2014 and increased $15.9 million or 17.9% over the second quarter of fiscal year 2013. Diluted earnings per share of $0.44 per share in the second quarter of fiscal year 2014 decreased $0.01 per share or 2.2% from the first quarter of fiscal year 2014 and increased $0.06 per share or 15.8% over the second quarter of fiscal year 2013.
During the second quarter the Company's cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities increased by $128.1 million over the first quarter of fiscal year 2014 to $1,718 million net of spending $6.5 million to purchase 163,000 shares of its common stock in the open market. The Company's Board of Directors approved an increase in the Company's quarterly dividend from $0.26 per share to $0.27 per share. This marked the 22nd consecutive year the Company has increased its dividend. A cash dividend of $0.27 per share will be paid on February 26, 2014 to stockholders of record on February 14, 2014.
According to Lothar Maier, CEO, “As we noted last quarter, our December quarter is generally a slower quarter for us as the automotive and industrial markets tend to be weaker. Though automotive continued to grow modestly, the industrial market was down for us and we ended the quarter with total revenues down sequentially 1.7%, in line with the midpoint of our guidance as the quarter generally went as expected.
“We are encouraged that this decline was modest compared to recent years and that we grew revenues year-over-year by 9.6% over the second quarter of fiscal 2013. In addition, we were able to hold gross margin flat at 75.3% and we managed expenses accordingly to minimize the impact on earnings, which were down 2.9% or one cent per share. Looking ahead, our book-to-bill ratio was slightly positive in the December quarter and we typically see improved bookings momentum in the automotive and industrial markets in the March quarter. Accordingly, we are currently forecasting revenues to grow sequentially by 3% to 6% in our fiscal third quarter,†Maier concluded.
