Deswell Announces First Half 2020 Results

Deswell Industries, Inc. (Nasdaq:DSWL) today announced its unaudited financial results for the first six months of fiscal 2020, ended September 30, 2019.

Net sales for the six months ended September 30, 2019 were $37.7 million, an increase of 8.4% compared to net sales of $34.8 million for the six months ended September 30, 2018. Net sales increased by 7.7% to $14.7 million in the plastic segment and increased by 8.8% to $23.0 million in the Company’s electronic segment.

Total gross margin increased to 17.4% of net sales during the six months ended September 30, 2019, as compared to 13.8% of net sales in the same period last year. Gross profit margin in the plastic segment increased to 21.0% of net sales for the first half of fiscal 2020, compared to 16.4% of net sales for the corresponding period of last fiscal year. The increase in gross profit and margin in the plastic segment was mainly due to decreases in raw materials cost, labor costs and subcontracting charges, offsetting an increase in factory overheads, as a percentage of sales. Gross profit margin in the electronic segment increased to 15.0% of net sales for the first half of fiscal 2020, compared to 12.1% of net sales for the corresponding period of last fiscal year. The increase in gross margin in the electronic segment was mainly attributable to decreases in raw materials and labor costs, as a percentage of net sales. Operating income in the first half of fiscal 2020 was $1.2 million, compared to operating income of $0.2 million for the same period of fiscal 2019.

The Company reported net income of $1.2 million for the six months ended September 30, 2019, compared to net income of $2.8 million for the six months ended September 30, 2018. This was primarily due to decrease in non-operating income, as a percentage of sales, for the six months ended September 30, 2019. Deswell reported basic and diluted income per share of $0.08 for the first half of fiscal 2020 (based on 15,912,000 and 15,973,000 weighted average shares outstanding, respectively), compared to basic and diluted income per share of $0.17 (based on 15,885,000 and 15,975,000 weighted average shares outstanding), for the six months ended September 30, 2018.

The Company's financial position remained strong, with $13.1 million in cash and cash equivalents and working capital totaled $53.9 million as of September 30, 2019. Furthermore, the Company has no long-term or short-term borrowings as of September 30, 2019.

Mr. Edward So, Chief Executive Officer, commented, “We are pleased with the continued solid organic growth driven by expanding relationships with both existing and new customers. This revenue increase continues to be primarily attributable to increased orders for professional audio equipment and home entertainment products. Operationally, we have strengthened our ability to meet customer needs by enhancing our product engineering resources and capabilities with the expansion of our product development team and the addition of engineers from a variety of disciplines. Furthermore, we have implemented certain automated systems into our manufacturing process, resulting in decreased costs in both overhead and for quality control. Operating income for the first half of 2020 increased significantly given the higher gross margins in both the plastics and electronics sides of our business. Additionally, our balance sheet remains very strong and is a key competitive advantage as we grow the business. Finally, as we mentioned in our 2H2019 press release, we have been evaluating our options to mitigate uncertainties caused by the ongoing trade controversy between the U.S. and China, including the reallocation of a portion of our production to Southeast Asia. To that end, we have submitted an application to incorporate as a foreign invested enterprise (“FIE”) in Vietnam, while we plan the relocation of certain products there.”

First Half Dividend

The Company also announces that its board of directors today declared a cash dividend of $0.08 per share for the first half of the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019. The dividend will be payable on December 13, 2019 to shareholders of record as of November 27, 2019.

About Deswell

Deswell manufactures injection-molded plastic parts and components, electronic products and subassemblies, and metallic molds and accessory parts for original equipment manufacturers (“OEMs”) and contract manufacturers at its factories in the People’s Republic of China. The Company produces a wide variety of plastic parts and components used in the manufacture of consumer and industrial products; printed circuit board assemblies using surface mount (“SMT”) and finished products such as telephones, telephone answering machines, sophisticated studio-quality audio equipment and computer peripherals.

To learn more about Deswell Industries, Inc., please visit the Company’s website at www.deswell.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this press release that are "forward-looking statements" are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties. For example, our statements regarding our expected growth in sales from the electronic division in the coming year and our efforts to reduce overhead costs in our plastic division are forward-looking statements. Actual results could differ materially because of the following factors, among others, which may cause revenues and income to fall short of anticipated levels or our overhead expenses to increase: our dependence on a few major customers; vigorous competition forcing product price reductions or discounts; the timing and amount of significant orders from our relatively few significant customers; continuing increases in resin prices that cannot be passed on to customers; unexpected production delays; obsolete inventory or product returns; losses resulting from fraudulent activity of our customers or employees; labor shortages that increase labor and costs; changes in the mix of product products we manufacture and sell; adverse currency fluctuations in the renminbi and Hong Kong dollar when translated to US dollars; potential new accounting pronouncements; and the effects of travel restrictions and quarantines associated with major health problems, such as the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, on general economic activity.

For further information regarding risks and uncertainties associated with the Company’s business, please refer to the “Risk Factors” section of Company’s Annual Report on Form 20-F, copies of which may be obtained from the Website maintained by the Securities and Exchange Commission at http://www.sec.gov.

All information in this release is made as of the date of this press release. Deswell undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statement to conform the statement to actual results or changes in Deswell’s expectations.

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