| • | | Revenue in this seasonally soft quarter to be in the range of $150 million to $155 million, down sequentially about 15.0% at themid-point of the projected range. The guidance for the first quarter of 2019 compares with revenue of $179.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2018, and $165.8 million in the first quarter of 2018. |
| • | | Gross profit margin to be in the range of 14% to 16%. This compares to 24.5% in the fourth quarter of 2018, and 26.9% in the first quarter of 2018. |
Both revenue and gross profit margin guidance reflect a downturn in the Foundry business due in part to a continuing inventory correction and the Company’s decision to be more selective about business as it undergoes a strategic evaluation process.
Fourth Quarter Financial Review
Total Revenue
Total revenue in the fourth quarter of 2018 was $179.4 million, up 2.8% as compared to reported revenue of $174.6 million from the fourth quarter of 2017, and down 12.9% from $206.0 million in the third quarter of 2018.
Segment Revenue and Segment Adjustments
In January 2018, as part of our ongoing portfolio optimization effort to realign business processes and streamline our organizational structure, we transferred a portion of ournon-OLED display solutions business (“Transferred Business”), which represented $13.4 million of net sales for Q4 2018 and $33.0 million of net sales for the 2018 year, from our Standards Products Group to our Foundry Services Group. The correspondingnon-OLED display business represented $30.3 million of net sales for the year ended December 31, 2017. As a result, the historical financial results in the tables below are discussed both on an “as reported” basis, which presents the Transferred Business in the Standards Products Group results, and “as adjusted” basis, which presents the Transferred Business in the Foundry Services Group results, for comparative purposes.
Foundry Services Group revenue in the fourth quarter was $83.1 million, up 3.1%, on an “as reported” basis from the fourth quarter of 2017, and down 0.9% from $83.9 million in the third quarter of 2018; and on an “as adjusted” basis, down 8.0% from $90.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2017.
Following the strategic realignment and portfolio optimization discussed above, Standard Products Group revenue in the fourth quarter was $96.3 million, up 2.5% year-over-year on an “as reported” basis, and down 21.1% sequentially; and on an “as adjusted” basis, up 14.3% year-over-year.
The improved results in the Standard Products Group year-over-year were primarily attributable to a sharp increase in revenue from mobile OLED display driver ICs in connection with the introduction of new OLED smartphones from China manufacturers, which was offset in part by a strategic reduction oflow-margin LCD business. In addition, the increase was also attributable to a higher demand for premium Power products such ashigh-end MOSFETs and IGBTs, primarily for TV and industrial applications.
Total Gross Profit and Gross Profit Margin
Total gross profit in the fourth quarter of 2018 was $43.9 million or 24.5% as a percentage of sales as compared with gross profit of $49.4 million or 28.3% in the fourth quarter of 2017, and $55.7 million or 27.1% in the third quarter of 2018.
Segment Gross Profit Margin
Foundry Services Group gross profit margin was 23.2% in the fourth quarter of 2018 as compared with, on an “as reported” basis, 31.7% in the fourth quarter of 2017 and 24.4% in the third quarter of 2018. The Foundry Services Group gross profit margin was, on an “as adjusted” basis, 30.4% in the fourth quarter of 2017. The Standard Products Group gross profit margin was 25.6% in the fourth quarter of 2018 as compared with, on an “as reported” basis, 25.3% in the fourth quarter of 2017, and 28.8% in the third quarter of 2018. The Standard Products Group gross profit margin was, on an “as adjusted” basis, 25.9% in the fourth quarter of 2017.
Operating Income, Net Income, Adjusted Net Income, Adjusted EBITDA
Operating income, on a GAAP basis, for the fourth quarter was $7.9 million as compared with $7.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2017 and $18.3 million in the third quarter of 2018.
Net loss, on a GAAP basis, for the fourth quarter was $2.4 million or $0.07 cents per basic and diluted share as compared with net income of $43.7 million or $1.28 per basic share and $0.99 per diluted share in the fourth quarter of 2017, and net income of $17.2 million or $0.50 per basic share and $0.41 per diluted share in the third quarter of 2018.