Rambus Reports Third Quarter 2024 Financial Results

  • Delivered $66.4 million in product revenue, up 17% sequentially and 27% year over year
  • Achieved strong sequential earnings growth and generated excellent cash from operations of $62.1 million
  • Unveiled industry-first complete chipsets for next-generation, industry-standard DDR5 MRDIMMs and RDIMMs for the data center and AI

SAN JOSE, Calif.--()--Rambus Inc. (NASDAQ:RMBS), a provider of industry-leading chips and IP making data faster and safer, today reported financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2024. GAAP revenue for the third quarter was $145.5 million, licensing billings were $65.4 million, product revenue was $66.4 million, and contract and other revenue was $15.0 million. The Company also generated $62.1 million in cash provided by operating activities in the third quarter.

“We delivered strong sequential growth in Q3, fueled by a double-digit increase in product revenue, and generated excellent cash from operations,” said Luc Seraphin, chief executive officer of Rambus. “Building on our strong execution and strategic investment in new leadership products, we introduced the industry’s first complete chipsets for industry-standard DDR5 MRDIMM 12800 and RDIMM 8000 to address the rising performance needs of the data center and AI. These new chips represent a significant expansion of our addressable market and support the company’s long-term growth.”

Quarterly Financial Review - GAAP

Three Months Ended

September 30,

(In millions, except for percentages and per share amounts)

 

2024

 

 

 

2023

 

Revenue

 

 

 

Product revenue

$

66.4

 

 

$

52.2

 

Royalties

 

64.1

 

 

 

28.9

 

Contract and other revenue

 

15.0

 

 

 

24.2

 

Total revenue

 

145.5

 

 

 

105.3

 

Cost of product revenue

 

24.6

 

 

 

19.4

 

Cost of contract and other revenue

 

0.8

 

 

 

1.3

 

Amortization of acquired intangible assets (included in total cost of revenue)

 

2.8

 

 

 

3.3

 

Total operating expenses (benefits) (1)

 

62.7

 

 

 

(23.6

)

Operating income

$

54.6

 

 

$

104.9

 

Operating margin

 

38

%

 

 

100

%

Net income

$

48.7

 

 

$

103.2

 

Diluted net income per share

$

0.45

 

 

$

0.93

 

Net cash provided by operating activities

$

62.1

 

 

$

51.6

 

_________________________________________

(1)

Includes amortization of acquired intangible assets of approximately $0.1 million and $0.3 million for the three months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively.

Quarterly Financial Review - Supplemental Information(1)

Three Months Ended

September 30,

(In millions)

 

2024

 

 

2023

Licensing billings (operational metric) (2)

$

65.4

 

$

57.9

Product revenue (GAAP)

$

66.4

 

$

52.2

Contract and other revenue (GAAP)

$

15.0

 

$

24.2

Non-GAAP cost of product revenue

$

24.4

 

$

19.2

Cost of contract and other revenue (GAAP)

$

0.8

 

$

1.3

Non-GAAP total operating expenses

$

55.3

 

$

52.4

Non-GAAP interest and other income (expense), net

$

4.2

 

$

1.9

Diluted share count (GAAP)

 

108

 

 

111

_________________________________________

(1)

See “Supplemental Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Results” table included below.

 

 

(2)

Licensing billings is an operational metric that reflects amounts invoiced to our licensing customers during the period, as adjusted for certain differences relating to advanced payments for variable licensing agreements.

GAAP revenue for the quarter was $145.5 million. The Company also had licensing billings of $65.4 million, product revenue of $66.4 million, and contract and other revenue of $15.0 million. The Company had total GAAP cost of revenue of $28.1 million and operating expenses of $62.7 million. The Company also had total non-GAAP operating expenses of $80.5 million (including non-GAAP cost of revenue of $25.2 million). The Company had GAAP diluted net income per share of $0.45. The Company’s basic share count was 107 million shares and its diluted share count was 108 million shares.

Cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities as of September 30, 2024 were $432.7 million, which remained flat from June 30, 2024, mainly due to $62.1 million in cash provided by operating activities, offset by $50 million paid in connection with a share repurchase program and $9.9 million paid to acquire property, plant and equipment.

2024 Fourth Quarter Outlook

The Company will discuss its full revenue guidance for the fourth quarter of 2024 during its upcoming conference call. The following table sets forth the fourth quarter outlook for other measures.

(In millions)

GAAP

 

Non-GAAP (1)

Licensing billings (operational metric) (2)

$57 - $63

 

$57 - $63

Product revenue (GAAP)

$72 - $78

 

$72 - $78

Contract and other revenue (GAAP)

$22 - $28

 

$22 - $28

Total operating costs and expenses

$101 - $97

 

$86 - $82

Interest and other income (expense), net

$4

 

$4

Diluted share count

108

 

108

_________________________________________

(1)

See “Reconciliation of GAAP Forward-Looking Estimates to Non-GAAP Forward-Looking Estimates” table included below.

 

 

(2)

Licensing billings is an operational metric that reflects amounts invoiced to our licensing customers during the period, as adjusted for certain differences relating to advanced payments for variable licensing agreements.

For the fourth quarter of 2024, the Company expects licensing billings to be between $57 million and $63 million. The Company also expects royalty revenue to be between $54 million and $60 million, product revenue to be between $72 million and $78 million, and contract and other revenue to be between $22 million and $28 million. Revenue is not without risk and achieving revenue in this range will require that the Company sign customer agreements for various product sales and solutions licensing, among other matters.

The Company also expects operating costs and expenses to be between $101 million and $97 million. Additionally, the Company expects non-GAAP operating costs and expenses to be between $86 million and $82 million. These expectations also assume a tax rate of 22% and a diluted share count of 108 million, and exclude stock-based compensation expense of $13 million and amortization of acquired intangible assets of $2 million.

Conference Call

The Company’s management will discuss the results of the quarter during a conference call scheduled for 2:00 p.m. PT today. The call, audio and slides will be available online at investor.rambus.com and a replay will be available for the next week at the following numbers: (866) 813-9403 (domestic) or (+1) 929-458-6194 (international) with ID# 719712.

Non-GAAP Financial Information

In the commentary set forth above and in the financial statements included in this earnings release, the Company presents the following non-GAAP financial measures: cost of product revenue, operating expenses and interest and other income (expense), net. In computing each of these non-GAAP financial measures, the following items were considered as discussed below: stock-based compensation expense, acquisition-related/divestiture costs and retention bonus expense, amortization of acquired intangible assets, restructuring and other charges (benefits), expense on abandoned operating leases, facility restoration costs, gain on divestiture, change in fair value of earn-out liability, impairment of assets, and certain other one-time adjustments. The non-GAAP financial measures disclosed by the Company should not be considered a substitute for, or superior to, financial measures calculated in accordance with GAAP, and the financial results calculated in accordance with GAAP and reconciliations from these results should be carefully evaluated. Management believes the non-GAAP financial measures are appropriate for both its own assessment of, and to show investors, how the Company’s performance compares to other periods. The non-GAAP financial measures used by the Company may be calculated differently from, and therefore may not be comparable to, similarly titled measures used by other companies. A reconciliation from GAAP to non-GAAP results is included in the financial statements contained in this release.

The Company’s non-GAAP financial measures reflect adjustments based on the following items:

Stock-based compensation expense. These expenses primarily relate to employee stock options, employee stock purchase plans, and employee non-vested equity stock and non-vested stock units. The Company excludes stock-based compensation expense from its non-GAAP measures primarily because such expenses are non-cash expenses that the Company does not believe are reflective of ongoing operating results. Additionally, given the fact that other companies may grant different amounts and types of equity awards and may use different option valuation assumptions, excluding stock-based compensation expense permits more accurate comparisons of the Company’s results with peer companies.

Acquisition-related/divestiture costs and retention bonus expense. These expenses include all direct costs of certain acquisitions, divestitures and the current periods’ portion of any retention bonus expense associated with the acquisitions. The Company excludes these expenses in order to provide better comparability between periods as they are related to acquisitions and divestitures and have no direct correlation to the Company’s operations.

Amortization of acquired intangible assets. The Company incurs expenses for the amortization of intangible assets acquired in acquisitions. The Company excludes these items because these expenses are not reflective of ongoing operating results in the period incurred. These amounts arise from the Company’s prior acquisitions and have no direct correlation to the operation of the Company’s core business.

Restructuring and other charges (recoveries). These charges (recoveries) may consist of severance, contractual retention payments, exit costs and other charges and are excluded because such charges (recoveries) are not directly related to ongoing business results and do not reflect expected future operating expenses.

Expense on abandoned operating leases. Reflects the expense on building leases that were abandoned. The Company excludes these charges because such charges are not directly related to ongoing business results and do not reflect expected future operating expenses.

Facility restoration costs. These charges consist of exit costs associated with our leased office space and are excluded because such charges are not directly related to ongoing business results and do not reflect expected future operating expenses.

Gain on divestiture. Reflects the gain on the sale of the Company's PHY IP business. The Company excludes these charges (benefits) because such charges (benefits) are not directly related to ongoing business results and do not reflect expected future operating expenses (benefits).

Impairment of assets. These charges primarily consist of non-cash charges to property, plant and equipment assets, which are excluded because such charges are non-recurring and do not reduce the Company’s liquidity.

Change in fair value of earn-out liability. This change is due to adjustments to acquisition purchase consideration. The Company excludes these adjustments because such adjustments are not directly related to ongoing business results and do not reflect expected future operating expenses.

Income tax adjustments. For purposes of internal forecasting, planning and analyzing future periods that assume net income from operations, the Company estimates a fixed, long-term projected tax rate of approximately 22 percent and 24 percent for 2024 and 2023, respectively, which consists of estimated U.S. federal and state tax rates, and excludes tax rates associated with certain items such as withholding tax, tax credits, deferred tax asset valuation allowance and the release of any deferred tax asset valuation allowance. Accordingly, the Company has applied these tax rates to its non-GAAP financial results for all periods in the relevant years to assist the Company’s planning.

On occasion in the future, there may be other items, such as significant gains or losses from contingencies, that the Company may exclude in deriving its non-GAAP financial measures if it believes that doing so is consistent with the goal of providing useful information to investors and management.

About Rambus Inc.

Rambus is a provider of industry-leading chips and silicon IP making data faster and safer. With over 30 years of advanced semiconductor experience, we are a pioneer in high-performance memory solutions that solve the bottleneck between memory and processing for data-intensive systems. Whether in the cloud, at the edge or in your hand, real-time and immersive applications depend on data throughput and integrity. Rambus products and innovations deliver the increased bandwidth, capacity and security required to meet the world’s data needs and drive ever-greater end-user experiences. For more information, visit rambus.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking statements under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including those relating to Rambus’ expectations regarding business opportunities, the Company’s ability to deliver long-term, profitable growth, product and investment strategies, and the Company’s outlook and financial guidance for the fourth quarter of 2024 and related drivers, and the Company’s ability to effectively manage market challenges. Such forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, estimates and projections, management’s beliefs and certain assumptions made by the Company’s management. Actual results may differ materially. The Company’s business generally is subject to a number of risks which are described more fully in Rambus’ periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof.

Rambus Inc.

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets

(Unaudited)

 

(In thousands)

September 30,
2024

 

December 31,
2023

ASSETS

 

 

 

Current assets:

 

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents

$

113,980

 

$

94,767

Marketable securities

 

318,717

 

 

331,077

Accounts receivable

 

87,198

 

 

82,925

Unbilled receivables

 

30,778

 

 

50,872

Inventories

 

48,905

 

 

36,154

Prepaids and other current assets

 

12,435

 

 

34,850

Total current assets

 

612,013

 

 

630,645

Intangible assets, net

 

19,389

 

 

28,769

Goodwill

 

286,812

 

 

286,812

Property, plant and equipment, net

 

73,374

 

 

67,808

Operating lease right-of-use assets

 

21,039

 

 

21,497

Deferred tax assets

 

129,348

 

 

127,892

Income taxes receivable

 

104,270

 

 

88,768

Other assets

 

5,325

 

 

6,036

Total assets

$

1,251,570

 

$

1,258,227

 

 

 

 

LIABILITIES & STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

 

 

 

Current liabilities:

 

 

 

Accounts payable

$

20,365

 

$

18,074

Accrued salaries and benefits

 

13,966

 

 

17,504

Deferred revenue

 

18,404

 

 

17,393

Income taxes payable

 

1,114

 

 

5,099

Operating lease liabilities

 

5,397

 

 

4,453

Other current liabilities

 

14,881

 

 

26,598

Total current liabilities

 

74,127

 

 

89,121

Long-term liabilities:

 

 

 

Long-term operating lease liabilities

 

24,794

 

 

26,255

Long-term income taxes payable

 

101,350

 

 

78,947

Other long-term liabilities

 

12,314

 

 

25,803

Total long-term liabilities

 

138,458

 

 

131,005

Total stockholders’ equity

 

1,038,985

 

 

1,038,101

Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity

$

1,251,570

 

$

1,258,227

Rambus Inc.

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations

(Unaudited)

 

 

Three Months Ended

September 30,

 

Nine Months Ended

September 30,

(In thousands, except per share amounts)

 

2024

 

 

 

2023

 

 

 

2024

 

 

 

2023

 

Revenue:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Product revenue

$

66,394

 

 

$

52,181

 

 

$

173,446

 

 

$

170,934

 

Royalties

 

64,105

 

 

 

28,857

 

 

 

167,961

 

 

 

97,698

 

Contract and other revenue

 

15,014

 

 

 

24,260

 

 

 

54,115

 

 

 

70,260

 

Total revenue

 

145,513

 

 

 

105,298

 

 

 

395,522

 

 

 

338,892

 

Cost of revenue:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cost of product revenue

 

24,554

 

 

 

19,388

 

 

 

67,381

 

 

 

64,554

 

Cost of contract and other revenue

 

752

 

 

 

1,295

 

 

 

2,307

 

 

 

4,280

 

Amortization of acquired intangible assets

 

2,796

 

 

 

3,349

 

 

 

8,904

 

 

 

10,472

 

Total cost of revenue

 

28,102

 

 

 

24,032

 

 

 

78,592

 

 

 

79,306

 

Gross profit

 

117,411

 

 

 

81,266

 

 

 

316,930

 

 

 

259,586

 

Operating expenses (benefits):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Research and development

 

41,299

 

 

 

37,368

 

 

 

119,183

 

 

 

120,842

 

Sales, general and administrative

 

25,867

 

 

 

25,333

 

 

 

76,096

 

 

 

82,484

 

Amortization of acquired intangible assets

 

94

 

 

 

258

 

 

 

476

 

 

 

1,022

 

Restructuring and other charges (recoveries)

 

 

 

 

(100

)

 

 

 

 

 

9,394

 

Gain on divestiture

 

 

 

 

(90,843

)

 

 

 

 

 

(90,843

)

Impairment of assets

 

 

 

 

10,045

 

 

 

1,071

 

 

 

10,045

 

Change in fair value of earn-out liability

 

(4,544

)

 

 

(5,666

)

 

 

(5,044

)

 

 

8,134

 

Total operating expenses (benefits)

 

62,716

 

 

 

(23,605

)

 

 

191,782

 

 

 

141,078

 

Operating income

 

54,695

 

 

 

104,871

 

 

 

125,148

 

 

 

118,508

 

Interest income and other income (expense), net

 

4,667

 

 

 

2,715

 

 

 

13,654

 

 

 

7,112

 

Loss on fair value adjustment of derivatives, net

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(240

)

Interest expense

 

(327

)

 

 

(356

)

 

 

(1,064

)

 

 

(1,113

)

Interest and other income (expense), net

 

4,340

 

 

 

2,359

 

 

 

12,590

 

 

 

5,759

 

Income before income taxes

 

59,035

 

 

 

107,230

 

 

 

137,738

 

 

 

124,267

 

Provision for (benefit from) income taxes

 

10,370

 

 

 

4,032

 

 

 

20,119

 

 

 

(151,092

)

Net income

$

48,665

 

 

$

103,198

 

 

$

117,619

 

 

$

275,359

 

Net income per share:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic

$

0.45

 

 

$

0.95

 

 

$

1.09

 

 

$

2.54

 

Diluted

$

0.45

 

 

$

0.93

 

 

$

1.08

 

 

$

2.48

 

Weighted average shares used in per share calculation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic

 

107,235

 

 

 

108,317

 

 

 

107,681

 

 

 

108,412

 

Diluted

 

108,474

 

 

 

110,775

 

 

 

109,318

 

 

 

111,179

 

Rambus Inc.

Supplemental Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Results

(Unaudited)

 

 

Three Months Ended

September 30,

(In thousands)

 

2024

 

 

 

2023

 

Cost of product revenue

$

24,554

 

 

$

19,388

 

Adjustment:

 

 

 

Stock-based compensation expense

 

(117

)

 

 

(149

)

Non-GAAP cost of product revenue

$

24,437

 

 

$

19,239

 

 

 

 

 

Total operating expenses (benefits)

$

62,716

 

 

$

(23,605

)

Adjustments:

 

 

 

Stock-based compensation expense

 

(11,881

)

 

 

(9,889

)

Acquisition-related costs and retention bonus expense

 

(17

)

 

 

(37

)

Amortization of acquired intangible assets

 

(94

)

 

 

(258

)

Restructuring and other recoveries

 

 

 

 

100

 

Expense on abandoned operating leases

 

 

 

 

(40

)

Facility restoration costs

 

 

 

 

3

 

Severance costs

 

 

 

 

(373

)

Gain on divestiture

 

 

 

 

90,843

 

Impairment of assets

 

 

 

 

(10,045

)

Change in fair value of earn-out liability

 

4,544

 

 

 

5,666

 

Non-GAAP total operating expenses

$

55,268

 

 

$

52,365

 

 

 

 

 

Interest and other income (expense), net

$

4,340

 

 

$

2,359

 

Adjustment:

 

 

 

Interest income related to significant financing component from fixed-fee patent and technology licensing arrangements

 

(163

)

 

 

(426

)

Non-GAAP interest and other income (expense), net

$

4,177

 

 

$

1,933

 

Rambus Inc.

Reconciliation of GAAP Forward-Looking Estimates to Non-GAAP Forward-Looking Estimates

(Unaudited)

 

2024 Fourth Quarter Outlook

 

Three Months Ended

December 31, 2024

(In millions)

 

Low

 

High

Forward-looking operating costs and expenses

 

$

101.0

 

 

$

97.0

 

Adjustments:

 

 

 

 

Stock-based compensation expense

 

 

(13.0

)

 

 

(13.0

)

Amortization of acquired intangible assets

 

 

(2.0

)

 

 

(2.0

)

Forward-looking Non-GAAP operating costs and expenses

 

$

86.0

 

 

$

82.0

 

 

Contacts

Desmond Lynch
Senior Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer
(408) 462-8000
dlynch@rambus.com

Contacts

Desmond Lynch
Senior Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer
(408) 462-8000
dlynch@rambus.com