corresp
VIA EDGAR (FILED AS CORRESPONDENCE), EMAIL AND FEDERAL EXPRESS
November 21, 2005
Ms. Kathleen Collins
Accounting Branch Chief
United States Securities & Exchange Commission
Division of Corporation Finance
100 F Street, N.E.
Washington, D.C. 20549
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Re: |
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PDF Solutions, Inc.
Form 10-K for Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2004
Forms 10-Q for Fiscal Quarters Ended March 31, 2005 and June 30, 2005
Form 8-K/A dated July 21, 2005
(File No. 000-31311) |
Dear Ms. Collins:
On behalf of PDF Solutions, Inc. (the Company), this letter responds to your letter
dated November 7, 2005 addressed to John Kibarian regarding the filings of the Company referenced
above. For your convenience, we have restated in bold typeface below the comments contained in
your letter. Set forth below the comments are the Companys corresponding responses to such
comments.
1.
We note your use of a non-GAAP measure (e.g. adjusted net loss) under Item 9.01 of the Form 8-K
noted above which excludes a number of recurring items. Tell us the usefulness and material
limitations of this non-GAAP measure in assessing performance. Also, tell us how you considered
Question 8 of the Frequently Asked Questions Regarding the Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures and
10(e)(1)(i) of Regulation S-K...
The Company notes that neither Regulation S-K nor the Frequently Asked Questions Regarding the
Use of Non-GAAP Measures prohibits the use of Non-GAAP financial measures. The Company believes it
is helpful to investors to provide a Non-GAAP measurement of income which excludes the amortization
of intangibles and stock-based compensation because it reflects the Companys core business
operations. The Company has considered the requirements presented in Question 8 of the Frequently
Asked Questions Regarding the Use of Non-GAAP Measures and supplementally advises the Staff as
follows:
Ms. Kathleen Collins
Securities and Exchange Commission
November 21, 2005
Page 2
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The manner in which management uses the non-GAAP measure to conduct or evaluate its
business: |
The Companys Non-GAAP net income measure is used by the Companys chief operating decision
makers to measure the Companys operating results and to measure profitability and performance. The
Company also uses this measure in evaluating performance for executive compensation purposes and
budgeting purposes. The Non-GAAP net income measure is also an important factor used in the
Companys evaluation of potential acquisitions, and its experience is that acquisition targets that
the Company approaches with proposed transactions involving the Companys stock rely extensively on
this measure. The Company will revise its future filings to better describe the manner in which
management uses the non-GAAP measure to conduct or evaluate its business.
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The economic substance behind managements decision to use such a measure: |
The Company believes the Non-GAAP net income measure, which excludes amortization of acquired
intangible assets and stock based compensation, is another representative measure of financial
performance and reflects the economic substance of the Companys current business operations. Both
amortization of acquired intangible assets and stock based compensation do not impact measurement
of current operating performance as viewed by management and certain of the Companys investors as
neither category of expense has a current effect on the future uses of cash nor do they have use
with regards to the generation of current or future revenues. The Company will revise its future
filings to better describe the economic substance behind managements decision to use such a
measure.
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The material limitations associated with use of a non-GAAP financial measure as
compared to the use of the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure: |
While the Companys Non-GAAP net income measure is often used as a measure of operations, it
is not necessarily comparable to other similarly titled captions of other companies due to
potential inconsistencies in the method of calculation. The Company does, however, reconcile the
use of its Non-GAAP net income measure with its most directly comparable GAAP financial measure
whenever it uses such a measure. The Company will revise its future filings to better point out
the material limitations associated with use of a non-GAAP financial measure as compared to the use
of the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure.
Ms. Kathleen Collins
Securities and Exchange Commission
November 21, 2005
Page 3
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The manner in which management compensates for these limitations when using the
non-GAAP financial measure: |
While the Company uses the Non-GAAP net income measure as a key measure, the Company does not
rely on only one measure. In discussing this Non-GAAP net income measure, the Company is disclosing
a key measure that is not otherwise provided in the financial statements. In future filings, the
Company will caution the reader that its Non-GAAP net income measure should not be viewed by
investors as an alternative to generally accepted accounting principles, or GAAP, measures of
income as a measure of performance, or to cash flows from operating, investing and financing
activities as a measure of liquidity.
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The substantive reasons why management believes the non-GAAP financial measure provides
useful information to investors: |
The Company believes that the Non-GAAP net income measure provides investors with a key
financial performance indicator that management uses to manage and evaluate the business.
Management provides this disclosure to allow investors an opportunity to see the Company as viewed
by management. Additionally, the Company regularly receives requests from investors for this
information. The Company will revise it future filings to better describe the substantive reasons
why management believes the non-GAAP financial measure provides useful information to investors.
2. In addition, you disclose that Non-GAAP information is provided to enable investors to ...perform
meaningful comparisons of PDF Solutions past, present and future operating results. This
disclosure appears to suggest that the comparable GAAP measure does not provide meaningful
information to investors. Tell us what you mean by this disclosure and revise future filings to
clearly explain why Non-GAAP information is useful to investors.
In future filings, the Company will revise its discussion of Non-GAAP information to include
language similar to the following:
The Companys stated results include a non-GAAP measure, non-GAAP net income (loss), which
excludes amortization of intangible assets and stock-based compensation. The Company
considers this to be an important measure because it provides a useful measure of the
operational performance of the company and is used by the Companys management for that
purpose. In addition, investors often use a measure such as this to evaluate the financial
performance of a company.
Ms. Kathleen Collins
Securities and Exchange Commission
November 21, 2005
Page 4
Non-GAAP net income (loss) results are presented for supplemental informational purposes
only for understanding the Companys operating results. These non-GAAP results should not
be considered a substitute for financial information presented in accordance with generally
accepted accounting principles, and may be different from non-GAAP measures used by other
companies.
*****
As a registrant of the United States Securities & Exchange Commission (the
Commission), the Company affirms the following:
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The Company is responsible for the adequacy and accuracy of the disclosure in the
aforementioned filing; |
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Comments by the Staff of the Commission (the Staff) or changes to
disclosures in response to Staff comments in the filings reviewed by the Staff do not
foreclose the Commission from taking any action with respect to the aforementioned
filing; and |
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The Company may not assert Staff comments as a defense in any proceeding initiated
by the Commission or any person under the federal securities laws of the United
States. |
The Company understands the importance of, and is committed to, complying with all applicable
SEC rules and regulations. Therefore, should you require additional information or clarification
respect to the Companys responses, or wish to discuss the responses further, please contact me at
(650) 614-7455.
Sincerely,
/s/ Lowell Ness
Lowell Ness
Enclosures
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cc: |
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Mr. John Kibarian
Mr. P. Steven Melman |