Amtech Reports Fourth Quarter and Fiscal 2022 Results

Amtech Systems, Inc. ("Amtech") (NASDAQ: ASYS), a manufacturer of capital equipment, including thermal processing and wafer polishing, and related consumables used in fabricating semiconductor devices, such as silicon carbide (SiC) and silicon power devices, analog and discrete devices, electronic assemblies and light-emitting diodes (LEDs), today reported results for its fourth quarter and fiscal year ended September 30, 2022.

Fourth Quarter Fiscal 2022 Financial and Operational Highlights:

• Net revenue of $32.3 million
• Operating income of $3.9 million
• Net income of $4.2 million
• Net income per diluted share of $0.30
• Customer orders of $20.4 million
• Book to bill ratio of 0.6:1
• Unrestricted cash of $46.9 million

Fiscal 2022 Financial and Operational Highlights:

• Net revenue of $106.3 million
• Operating income of $17.3 million
• Net income of $17.4 million
• Net income per diluted share of $1.22
• Customer orders of $114.0 million
• Book to bill ratio of 1.1:1
• September 30, 2022 backlog of $50.8 million
• Repurchased 434,813 shares for $4.1 million

“Fiscal 2022 was yet another strong year for Amtech, with over $106 million in revenue, representing a year-over-year growth rate of 25%. While near-term expectations are tempered by both easing demand and supply chain limitations, in the mid-term we are well positioned with increasing alignment to high growth, megatrend end markets such as electric vehicles. Approximately half of our current backlog is related to EV capacity expansion,” commented Mr. Michael Whang, Chief Executive Officer of Amtech. “We are securing production-scale projects across multiple Amtech product lines and divisions in diverse applications including Silicon Carbide wafer polishing and thermal processing for EV sensors, power module substrates, and battery cooling assemblies, among others,” added Whang.

GAAP Financial Results

Net revenues increased 62% sequentially and 33% from the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021, with the sequential increase primarily attributable to increased shipments of our advanced packaging equipment and increases in polishing equipment and consumables. During the third fiscal quarter of 2022, our Shanghai facility was closed for approximately two months due to the government-mandated closure relating to its COVID policies. The increase in net revenues from the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021 was due primarily to increased shipments across all of our product lines.

Gross margin increased sequentially and from the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021 due primarily to increased utilization at all our locations, partial offset by increasing material costs, primarily in our semiconductor segment.

Selling, General & Administrative (“SG&A”) expenses increased $0.1 million on a sequential basis and $0.7 million compared to the prior year period. The increase from the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021 primarily relates to the timing of external and internal audit fees.

Research, Development and Engineering decreased $0.3 million sequentially and was relatively consistent as compared to the same prior year period.

Operating income was $3.9 million, compared to operating income of $9.6 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2022 and operating income of $1.3 million in the same prior year period. Operating income in the third quarter of fiscal 2022 benefitted from the pre-tax gain resulting from the sale-leaseback of our building in Massachusetts.

Income tax provision was $0.6 million for the three months ended September 30, 2022, compared to a provision of $20,000 in the preceding quarter and $0.7 million in the same prior year period.

Net income for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2022 was $4.2 million, or 30 cents per share. This compares to net income of $10.2 million, or 73 cents per share, for the preceding quarter and net income of $0.7 million, or 5 cents per share, for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021.

Outlook

The Company’s outlook reflects the ongoing logistical impacts and the related delays for goods shipped to and from China, as well as supply chain delays we are experiencing in our US business. Actual results may differ materially in the weeks and months ahead. Additionally, the semiconductor equipment industries can be cyclical and inherently impacted by changes in market demand. Operating results can be significantly impacted, positively or negatively, by the timing of orders, system shipments, and the financial results of semiconductor manufacturers.

For the first fiscal quarter ending December 31, 2022, revenues are expected to be in the range of $21 to $23 million with operating margin negative.

A portion of Amtech's results is denominated in Renminbis, a Chinese currency. The outlook provided in this press release is based on an assumed exchange rate between the United States Dollar and the Renminbi. Changes in the value of the Renminbi in relation to the United States Dollar could cause actual results to differ from expectations.

Conference Call

Amtech Systems will host a conference call today at 5:00 p.m. ET to discuss our fiscal fourth quarter financial results. The call will be available to interested parties by dialing 1-877-407-0784. For international callers, please dial +1-201-689-8560. The confirmation code is 13734277. A live webcast of the conference call will be available in the Investor Relations section of Amtech’s website at: https://www.amtechsystems.com/investors/events.

A replay of the webcast will be available in the Investor Relations section of the company’s web site at http://www.amtechsystems.com/conference.htm shortly after the conclusion of the call and will remain available for approximately 30 calendar days.

About Amtech Systems, Inc.

Amtech Systems, Inc. is a leading, global manufacturer of capital equipment, including thermal processing and wafer polishing, and related consumables used in fabricating semiconductor devices, such as silicon carbide (SiC) and silicon power devices, analog and discrete devices, electronic assemblies and light-emitting diodes (LEDs). We sell these products to semiconductor device and module manufacturers worldwide, particularly in Asia, North America and Europe. Our strategic focus is on semiconductor growth opportunities in power electronics, sensors and analog devices leveraging our strength in our core competencies in thermal and substrate processing. We are a market leader in the high-end power chip market (SiC substrates, 300mm horizontal thermal reactor, and electronic assemblies used in power, RF, and other advanced applications), developing and supplying essential equipment and consumables used in the semiconductor industry. Amtech's products are recognized under the leading brand names BTU International, Bruce Technologies^™, PR Hoffman^™ and Intersurface Dynamics, Inc.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain information contained in this press release is forward-looking in nature. All statements in this press release, or made by management of Amtech Systems, Inc. and its subsidiaries ("Amtech"), other than statements of historical fact, are hereby identified as "forward-looking statements" (as such term is defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995). The forward-looking statements in this press release relate only to events or information as of the date on which the statements are made in this press release. Examples of forward-looking statements include statements regarding Amtech's future financial results, operating results, business strategies, projected costs, products under development, competitive positions, plans and objectives of Amtech and its management for future operations, efforts to improve operational efficiencies and effectiveness and profitably grow our revenue, and enhancements to our technologies and expansion of our product portfolio. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "may," "plan," "anticipate," "seek," "will," "expect," "intend," "estimate," "believe," "continue," "predict," "potential," "project," "should," "would," "could", "likely," "future," "target," "forecast," "goal," "observe," and "strategy" or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology used in this press release or by our management, which are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. The Form 10-K that Amtech filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") for the year-ended September 30, 2021, listed various important factors that could affect the Company's future operating results and financial condition and could cause actual results to differ materially from historical results and expectations based on forward-looking statements made in this document or elsewhere by Amtech or on its behalf. These factors can be found under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Form 10-K and in our subsequently filed Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Qs, and investors should refer to them. Because it is not possible to predict or identify all such factors, any such list cannot be considered a complete set of all potential risks or uncertainties. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to publicly update forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

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