This Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). The forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements are frequently identified by words such as “anticipates”, “believes”, “expects”, “intends”, “may”, “can”, “will”, “places”, “estimates”, and other similar expressions. However, these words are not the only way we identify forward-looking statements. Examples of forward-looking statements include among other things, any expectations, projections, or other characterizations of future events, or circumstances, and include statements regarding: our strategy and our ability to execute our business plan; our competition and the market in which we operate; our customers and suppliers; our revenue and trends related thereto, and the recognition and components thereof; our costs and expenses, including capital expenditures; our investment of surplus funds and sales of marketable securities seasonality and demand; our investment in research and technology development; changes to general and administrative expenses; our foreign operations and the reinvestment of our earnings related thereto; our investment in and protection of our intellectual property (“ IP”); our employees; capital expenditures and the sufficiency of our capital resources; unrecognized tax benefit and tax liabilities; the impact of changes in interest rates and foreign exchange rates, as well as our plans with respect to foreign currency hedging in general; changes in laws and regulations, including with respect to taxes; our plans and estimates related to and the impact of current and future litigation and arbitration and our dividend, stock repurchase and equity distribution programs.
Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of our control. Actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, therefore we caution you not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause our actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements include, among others, the risk factors contained under Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission the (“SEC”) on March 11, 2024, Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” in Barnes & Noble Education’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended April 27, 2024 filed with the SEC on July 1, 2024 and in Part II, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.
Any forward-looking statements made by us in this report speak only as of the date of this report, and we do not intend to update these forward-looking statements after the filing of this report, unless required to do so by applicable law or regulation. You are urged to review carefully and consider our various disclosures in this report and in our other reports publicly disclosed or filed with the SEC that attempt to advise you of the risks and factors that may affect our business.
COMPANY OVERVIEW
Immersion Corporation (“Immersion”) was incorporated in 1993 in California and reincorporated in Delaware in 1999. In this Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations the terms the “Company,” “us,” “we,” or “our” refer to Immersion and its consolidated subsidiaries. Immersion generates license and royalty revenues from a wide range of IP that more fully engage users’ sense of touch when operating digital devices. We focus on the following target application areas: mobile devices, wearables, consumer, mobile entertainment and other content; console gaming; automotive; medical; and commercial.
On June 10, 2024, we acquired a controlling interest in Barnes & Noble Education, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Barnes & Noble Education” or “BNED”), refer to Note 2. Business Combination for more information. The financial results of Barnes & Noble Education have been included in our condensed consolidated financial statements from the acquisition date of June 10, 2024.
Following the closing of the Transactions (as defined in Note 2. Business Combination) with Barnes & Noble Education we operate our business in two operating segments: Immersion and Barnes & Noble Education.
In order to more closely align with Barnes &Noble Education’s fiscal year end, on September 27, 2024, our Board of Directors (the “Board”) approved a change of our fiscal year from the period beginning on January 1 and ending on December 31 to the period beginning on May 1 and ending on April 30. As a result of the change in fiscal year end, we filed a Transition Report on Form 10-QT for the transition period from January 1, 2024, through April 30, 2024, on November 8, 2024. The change in quarterly reporting from the old to the new fiscal year resulted in the one month period ended July 31, 2024 not being covered by a separate report on Form 10-Q. As this period is not covered in the transition report, it is included in this first initial report on Form 10-Q for the newly adopted fiscal year. The financial results for the month ended July 31, 2024, did not have a significant impact on our financial position and results of operation.
Our fiscal year begins on May 1 and ends on April 30. Our new fiscal quarters end on July 31, October 31, January 31 and April 30. Therefore, the financial results of certain fiscal quarters may not be comparable to the financial results of prior fiscal quarters. References throughout this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q to fiscal 2025 with respect to Immersion refer to the fiscal year ending April 30, 2025.
The financial information presented in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q includes the financial information of Barnes & Noble Education for the 13 weeks and 26 weeks ended October 26, 2024.
We did not recast the condensed consolidated financial statements for the three and six months ended October 31, 2023, because the financial reporting processes in place at that time included certain procedures that were completed only on a quarterly basis. Consequently, to recast this period would have been impractical and would not have been cost-justified. As a result, the condensed consolidated financial statements for the three and six months ended June 30, 2023, are presented as the most nearly comparable quarter of the earlier year.
RESULTS OF OPERATION
| One Month Ended
|
| Three Months Ended
|
| Six Months Ended |
|
| July 31, 2024 |
|
|
| October 31, 2024 | | | | June 30, 2023
| | | | October 31, 2024 | | | | June 30, 2023
|
|
Revenues: |
|
|
|
|
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Immersion: |
|
|
|
|
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Royalty and license | $ | 1,900 |
|
| $ | 14,127 | | | $ | 6,983 | | | $ | 62,552 | | | $ | 14,057 | |
Barnes & Noble Education: |
|
|
|
|
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Product and other |
| 85,045 |
|
|
| 559,674 | | | | — | | | | 689,792 | | | | — | |
Rental income |
| 2,998
|
|
|
| 42,448 | | | | — | | | | 47,394 | | | | — | |
|
| 88,043
|
|
|
| 602,122 | | | | — | | | | 737,186 | | | | — | |
Total revenues |
| 89,943
|
|
|
| 616,249 | | | | 6,983 | | | | 799,738 | | | | 14,057 | |
Cost of sales (excludes depreciation and amortization expense): |
|
|
|
|
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Barnes & Noble Education: |
|
|
|
|
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Product and other cost of sales |
| 71,206 |
|
|
| 443,123 | | | | — | | | | 554,004 | | | | — | |
Rental cost of sales |
| 1,665 |
|
|
| 22,387 | | | | — | | | | 25,183 | | | | — | |
|
| 72,871
|
|
|
| 465,510 | | | | — | | | | 579,187 | | | | — | |
Operating expenses: |
|
|
|
|
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Immersion: |
|
|
|
|
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Selling and administrative expenses |
| 1,752 |
|
|
| 4,165 | | | | 3,870 | | | | 17,576 | | | | 7,685 | |
Barnes & Noble Education: |
|
|
|
|
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Selling and administrative expenses |
| 20,088 |
|
|
| 72,717 | | | | — | | | | 107,324 | | | | — | |
Depreciation and amortization expense |
| 3,120 |
|
|
| 9,391 | | | | — | | | | 14,651 | | | | — | |
Restructuring and other charges |
| 2,627 |
|
|
| 59 | | | | — | | | | 5,064 | | | | — | |
|
| 25,835
|
|
|
| 82,167 | | | | — | | | | 127,039 | | | | — | |
Total operating expenses |
| 27,587
|
|
|
| 86,332 | | | | 3,870 | | | | 144,615 | | | | 7,685 | |
Operating income (loss) |
| (10,515
| ) |
|
| 64,407 | | | | 3,113 | | | | 75,936 | | | | 6,372 | |
Interest and other income, net |
| 6,524 |
|
|
| 3,540 | | | | 6,759 | | | | 14,236 | | | | 13,285 | |
Interest expense |
| (1,466 | ) |
|
| (4,547 | ) | | | — | | | | (6,914 | ) | | | — | |
Income (loss) before provision for income taxes |
| (5,457
| ) |
|
| 63,400 | | | | 9,872 | | | | 83,258 | | | | 19,657 | |
Provision for income taxes |
| (976
| ) |
|
| (7,641 | ) | | | (2,844 | ) | | | (15,104 | ) | | | (4,351 | ) |
Net income (loss) | $ | (6,433
| ) |
| $ | 55,759 | | | $ | 7,028 | | | $ | 68,154 | | | $ | 15,306 | |
Immersion
Immersion generates license and royalty revenues from a wide range of IP that more fully engage users’ sense of touch when operating digital devices. We focus on the following target application areas: mobile devices, wearables, consumer, mobile entertainment and other content; console gaming; automotive; medical; and commercial.
We have adopted a business model under which we offer licenses to our patented technology to our customers and offer our customers enabling software, related tools and technical assistance related to integrate our patented technology into our customers’ products or enhance the functionality of our patented technology. Our licenses enable our customers to deploy haptically-enabled devices, content and other offerings, which they typically sell under their own brand names. We and our wholly-owned subsidiaries hold more than 800 issued or pending patents worldwide as of October 31, 2024. Our patents cover a wide range of digital technologies and ways in which touch-related technology can be incorporated into and between hardware products and components, systems software, application software, and digital content. We believe that our IP is relevant to many of the most important and cutting-edge ways in which haptic technology is and can be deployed, including in connection with mobile interfaces and user interactions, in association with pressure and other sensing technologies, as part of video and interactive content offerings, as related to virtual and augmented reality experiences, and in connection with advanced actuation technologies and techniques. Our portfolio includes numerous patents and patent applications that we believe may become essential to emerging standards in development by Standards Development Organizations (“SDOs”) including media standards in development by ISO/IEC Moving Picture Expert Group (MPEG) and software and system standards in development at IEEE-SA.
A summary of our results of operation for the month ended July 31, 2024, and the three and six months ended October 31, 2024, and June 30, 2023 is as follows (in thousands, except for percentages):
| One Month Ended
|
| Three Months Ended | | Six Months Ended |
|
| July 31, 2024 |
|
|
| October 31, 2024 | | | | June 30, 2023 |
|
|
| $ Change |
|
| % Change |
|
|
| October 31, 2024 | | | | June 30, 2023 |
|
|
| $ Change |
|
| % Change |
|
Revenues: |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
| | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| | |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fix license revenue | $ | 483 |
|
| $ | 10,676 |
|
| $ | 1,254 |
|
| $ | 9,422 |
|
| 751% |
|
| $ | 56,003 |
|
| $ | 2,404 |
|
| $ | 53,599 |
|
| 2230% |
|
Per unit royalty revenue |
| 1,417 |
|
|
| 3,451 |
|
|
| 5,729 |
|
|
| (2,278 | ) |
| -40% |
|
|
| 6,549 |
|
|
| 11,653 |
|
|
| (5,104 | ) |
| -44% |
|
|
| 1,900 |
|
|
| 14,127 |
|
|
| 6,983 |
|
|
| 7,144 |
|
| 102% |
|
|
| 62,552 |
|
|
| 14,057 |
|
|
| 48,495 |
|
| 345% |
|
Selling and administrative expenses |
| 1,752 |
|
|
| 4,165 |
|
| | 3,870 |
|
|
| 295 |
|
| 8% |
|
| | 17,576 |
|
| | 7,685 |
|
|
| 9,891 |
|
| 129% |
|
Operating income | $ | 148 |
|
| $ | 9,962 | |
| $ | 3,113 |
|
| $ | 6,849 |
|
| 220% |
|
| $ | 44,976 | |
| $ | 6,372 |
|
| $ | 38,604 |
|
| 606% |
|
Revenues
Immersion revenue is primarily derived from fixed fee license agreements and per-unit royalty agreements. Royalty and license revenue is composed of per unit royalties earned based on usage or net sales by licensees and fixed payment license fees charged for our IP and software.
Fixed fee license revenue increased by $9.4 million in the three months ended October 31, 2024, compared to the three months ended June 30, 2023, primarily due to $9.7 million increase in mobility license revenue following the new license agreements we entered into in the first half of fiscal 2025.
Per-unit royalty revenue decreased by $2.3 million, or 40%, in the three months ended October 31, 2024 compared to the three months ended June 30, 2023, primarily due to a $2.4 million decrease in royalties from mobility licensees.
Geographically, revenues generated in Asia, North America and Europe for the three months ended October 31, 2024 represented 90%, 5%, and 5%, respectively, of our total revenue as compared to 14%, 83%, and 3%, respectively, for the three months ended June 30, 2023.
Fixed fee license revenue increased by $53.6 million in the first six months of fiscal 2025 compared to the six months ended June 30, 2023, primarily due to a $53.8 million increase in mobility license revenue following the new license agreements we entered into in the first half of fiscal 2025.
Per-unit royalty revenue decreased by $5.1 million, or 44%, in the six months ended October 31, 2024 compared to the six months ended June 30, 2023, primarily due to a $2.9 million decrease in royalties from mobility licensees, a $1.4 million decrease in royalties from gaming licensees and a $0.9 million decrease in royalties from other licensees.
Geographically, revenues generated in Asia, North America and Europe for the six months ended October 31, 2024 represented 96%, 3%, and 1%, respectively, of our total revenue as compared to 96%, 1%, and 3%, respectively, for the six months ended June 30, 2023.
Operating Expenses
A summary of operating expenses for the month ended July 31, 2024, and the three and six months ended October 31, 2024, and June 30, 2023, is as follows (in thousands, except for percentages):
| One Month Ended
|
| Three Months Ended |
| Six Months Ended |
|
| July 31, 2024 |
|
|
| October 31, 2024 |
|
|
| June 30, 2023 |
|
|
| $ Change |
|
| % Change | |
|
| October 31, 2024 |
|
|
| June 30, 2023 |
|
|
| $ Change |
|
| % Change |
|
Selling and administrative expense | $ | 1,752 |
|
| $ | 4,165 |
|
| $ | 3,870 |
|
| $ | 295 |
|
| 8% | |
| $ | 17,576 |
|
| $ | 7,685 |
|
| $ | 9,891 |
|
| 129% |
|
Selling and administrative expenses - Our selling and administrative expenses primarily consisted of employee compensation and benefits including stock-based compensation; legal and other professional fees; external legal costs for patents; office expense; travel; and facilities costs.
Selling and administrative expenses increased $0.3 million in the three months ended October 31, 2024 as compared to the three months ended June 30, 2023 primarily due to a $0.8 million increase in compensation, benefits and other personnel related costs partially offset by a $0.5 million decrease in legal costs. The increase in compensation, benefits and other personnel related costs is largely attributable to higher stock-based compensation expense resulting from new equity grants partially offset by a decrease in variable compensation.
Selling and administrative expenses increased $9.9 million in the six months ended October 31, 2024 as compared to the six months ended June 30, 2023 primarily due to a $5.1 million increase in legal costs and a $4.9 million increase in compensation, benefits and other personnel related costs. The increase in legal costs was due to an increase from legal costs related to the new license agreements and Barnes & Noble Education Transactions. The increase in compensation, benefits and other personnel related costs were largely driven by increases in variable compensation and higher stock-based compensation.
Barnes & Noble Education
Barnes & Noble Education is one of the largest contract operators of physical and virtual bookstores for college and university campuses and K-12 institutions across the United States. Barnes & Noble Education is also a textbook wholesaler, and inventory bookstore management hardware and software provider. Barnes & Noble Education operates 1,162 physical and virtual bookstores and serves more than 5.7 million students, delivering essential educational content and general merchandise within a dynamic omnichannel retail environment.
The strengths of Barnes & Noble Education's business include its ability to compete by developing new products and solutions to meet market needs, its large operating footprint with direct access to students and faculty, its well-established, deep relationships with academic partners and stable, long-term contracts and its well-recognized brands. Barnes & Noble Education provides product and service offerings designed to address the most pressing issues in higher education, including equitable access, enhanced convenience and improved affordability through innovative course material delivery models designed to drive improved student experiences and outcomes. Barnes & Noble Education offers its BNC First Day® affordable textbook programs, consisting of First Day Complete and First Day, which provide faculty required course materials to students on or before the first day of class at below market rates, as compared to the total retail price for the same course materials if purchased separately (a la carte), and students are billed the below market rate directly by the institution as a course charge or included in tuition. Barnes & Noble Education is moving quickly to accelerate its First Day Complete strategy. Many institutions adopted First Day Complete in Fiscal 2024, and Barnes & Noble Education plans to continue to scale the number of schools adopting First Day Complete in Fiscal 2025 and beyond. See BNC First Day® Affordable Textbook Access Programs below.
Barnes & Noble Education expects to continue to introduce scalable and advanced solutions focused largely on the student and customer experience, expand its e-commerce capabilities and accelerate such capabilities with its service providers, Fanatics Retail Group Fulfillment, LLC (“Fanatics”) and Fanatics Lids College, Inc. D/B/A “Lids” (“Lids”) (collectively referred to herein as the “F/L Relationship”), win new accounts, and expand its revenue opportunities through strategic relationships. Barnes & Noble Education expect gross comparable store general merchandise sales to increase over the long term, as its product assortments continue to emphasize and reflect changing consumer trends, and Barnes & Noble Education evolves its presentation concepts and merchandising of products in stores and online, which Barnes & Noble Education expects to be further enhanced and accelerated through the F/L Relationship. Fanatics and Lids, acting on Barnes & Noble Education's behalf as its service providers, provide unparalleled product assortment, e-commerce capabilities and powerful digital marketing tools to drive increased value for customers and accelerate growth of its logo general merchandise business.
The Barnes & Noble brand (licensed from Barnes & Noble Education’s former parent) along with its subsidiary brands, BNC and MBS, are synonymous with innovation in bookselling and campus retailing, and are widely recognized and respected brands in the United States. Barnes & Noble Education's large college footprint, reputation, and credibility in the marketplace not only support its marketing efforts to universities, students, and faculty, but are also important to its relationship with leading publishers who rely on Barnes & Noble Education as one of their primary distribution channels.
BNC First Day Affordable Textbook Programs
Barnes & Noble Education provides product and service offerings designed to address the most pressing issues in higher education, including equitable access, enhanced convenience and improved affordability through innovative course material delivery models designed to drive improved student experiences and outcomes. Barnes & Noble Education offers its BNC First Day® affordable textbook access programs, consisting of First Day Complete and First Day, which provide faculty required course materials to students on or before the first day of class at below market rates, as compared to the total retail price for the same course materials if purchased separately (a la carte), and students are billed the below market rate directly by the institution as a course charge or included in tuition.
• First Day Complete is adopted by an institution and includes all or the majority of undergraduate classes (and on occasion graduate classes), providing students with both physical and digital materials. In addition to providing numerous benefits to students, faculty and administrators, the First Day Complete model drives substantially greater unit sales and sell-through for the bookstore.
• First Day is adopted by a faculty member for a single course, and students receive primarily digital course materials through their school's learning management system ("LMS").
Offering course materials through the BNC First Day® affordable textbook access programs, First Day Complete and First Day, is an important strategic initiative to meet the market demands of reduced pricing for students, as well as the opportunity to improve student outcomes, while, at the same time, increasing Barnes & Noble Education's market share, revenue and relative gross profits of course material sales given the higher volumes of units sold in such models as compared to historical sales models that rely on individual student marketing and sales. These affordable textbook access programs have allowed Barnes & Noble Education to reverse historical long-term trends in course materials revenue declines, which has been observed at those schools where such programs have been adopted. Barnes & Noble Education is moving quickly to accelerate its First Day Complete strategy. Many institutions have already adopted First Day Complete, and Barnes & Noble Education plans to continue to scale the number of schools adopting First Day Complete in fiscal 2025 and beyond.
Seasonality
Barnes & Noble Education's business is highly seasonal, particularly with respect to textbook sales and rentals, with the major portion of sales and operating profit realized during the second and third fiscal quarters when college students generally purchase and rent textbooks for the upcoming semesters and lowest in the first and fourth fiscal quarters. Barnes & Noble Education's quarterly results also may fluctuate depending on the timing of the start of the various schools’ semesters, as well as shifts in our fiscal calendar dates. These shifts in timing may affect the comparability of our results across periods.
Given the growth of BNC First Day® affordable textbook access programs, the timing of cash collection from the school partners may shift to periods subsequent to when the revenue is recognized. When a school adopts Barnes & Noble Education's BNC First Day® affordable textbook access offerings, cash collection from the school generally occurs after the institution's drop/add dates, which is later in the working capital cycle, particularly in the third quarter given the timing of the Spring Term and Barnes & Noble Education's quarterly reporting period, as compared to direct-to-student point-of-sale transactions where cash is generally collected during the point-of-sale transaction or within a few days from the credit card processor. As a higher percentage of Barnes & Noble Education's sales shift to BNC First Day® affordable textbook access offerings, Barnes & Noble Education is focused on efforts to better align the timing of its cash outflows to course material vendors and cash inflows from collections from schools. As the concentration of digital product sales increases, revenue will be recognized earlier during the academic term as digital textbook revenue is recognized when the customer accesses the digital content compared to: (i) the rental of physical textbooks where revenue is recognized over the rental period, and (ii) a la carte courseware sales where revenue is recognized when the customer takes physical possession of our products, which occurs either at the point of sale for products purchased at physical locations or upon receipt of products by Barnes & Noble Education customers for products ordered through its websites and virtual bookstores.
A summary of Barnes & Noble 's Education’s s results of operation for the reporting period for the month ended July 31, 2024, the three months ended October 31, 2024 and for the period from June 10, 2024, to October 31, 2024, is as follows (in thousands):
|
| One Month Ended July 31, 2024 |
|
| Three Months Ended October 31, 2024
|
| From June 10, 2024 to October 31, 2024
|
Revenues: |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Product and other | $ | 85,045 |
|
| $ | 559,674 |
|
| $ | 689,792 |
|
Rental income |
| 2,998 |
|
|
| 42,448 |
|
|
| 47,394 |
|
Total revenue |
| 88,043 |
|
|
| 602,122 |
|
|
| 737,186 |
|
Cost of sales (excluding depreciation and amortization expense): |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Product and other cost of sales |
| 71,206 |
|
|
| 443,123 |
|
|
| 554,004 |
|
Rental cost of sales |
| 1,665 |
|
|
| 22,387 |
|
|
| 25,183 |
|
Total cost of sale |
| 72,871 |
|
|
| 465,510 |
|
|
| 579,187 |
|
Operating expenses |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Selling and administrative expenses |
| 20,088 |
|
|
| 72,717 |
|
|
| 107,324 |
|
Depreciation and amortization expense |
| 3,120 |
|
|
| 9,391 |
|
|
| 14,651 |
|
Restructuring and other charges |
| 2,627 |
|
|
| 59 |
|
|
| 5,064 |
|
Total operating expenses |
| 25,835 |
|
|
| 82,167 |
|
|
| 127,039 |
|
Operating income (loss) | $ | (10,663 | ) |
| $ | 54,445 |
|
| $ | 30,960 |
|
Revenues
Barnes & Noble Education primarily derives its revenues from sale of course materials, which include new, used, rental and digital textbooks. Additionally, at college and university bookstores which Barnes & Noble Education operates, it sells general merchandise, including emblematic apparel and gifts, trade books, computer products, school and dorm supplies, convenience and café items and graduation products. Barnes & Noble Education's rental income is primarily derived from the rental of physical textbooks. Barnes & Noble Education also derives revenue from other sources, such as sales of bookstore management, hardware and point-of-sale software, and other services.
Total revenue was $602.1 million during the three months ended October 31, 2024, primarily consisting of $559.7 million product and other sales and $42.4 million of rental sales. Total revenue was $737.2 million during the period from June 10, 2024, to October 31, 2024, primarily consisting of $689.8 million product and other sales and $47.4 million of rental sales.
Cost of sales
Barnes & Noble Education cost of sales primarily includes costs such as merchandise costs, textbook rental amortization, warehouse costs related to inventory management and order fulfillment, insurance, certain payroll costs, and management service agreement costs, including rent expense, related to our college and university contracts and other facility related expenses.
Selling and administrative
Barnes & Noble Education selling, and administrative expenses consist primarily of store payroll and store operating expenses. Selling and administrative expenses also include long-term incentive plan compensation expense and general office expenses, such as merchandising, procurement, field support, and finance and accounting.
Depreciation and amortization
Barnes & Noble Education depreciation and amortization expense consisted primarily of depreciation and amortization expense for property and equipment and intangible assets.
Restructuring and other charges
During the period from June 10, 2024, to October 31, 2024, Barnes & Noble Education recognized restructuring and other charges (credits) totaling $5.1 million, comprised primarily of $2.1 million related to severance and other employee termination and benefit costs associated with elimination of various positions as part of cost reduction initiatives, $2.0 million of severance costs related to the departure of Barnes & Noble Education's Chief Executive Officer on June 11, 2024, a $1.9 million loss related to fixed assets disposal and $0.8 million costs associated with legal and advisory professional services restructuring and process improvements and other charges. These costs and expenses were partially offset by a $1.4 million expense reversal related to the termination of liabilities related to a frozen retirement benefit plan.
Interest and Other Income, Interest Expenses and Income Taxes
A summary of consolidated interest and other Income (loss), interest expense and income taxes for the month ended July 31, 2024 and the three and six months ended October 31, 2024 and June 30, 2023 are as follows (in thousands, except for percentages):
| One Month Ended
|
| Three Months Ended
|
|
| Six Months Ended |
|
|
| July 31, 2024 |
|
|
| October 31, 2024 | | | | June 30, 2023 |
|
|
| $ Change |
|
| % Change |
|
|
| October 31, 2024 | | | | June 30, 2023 |
|
|
| $ Change |
|
| % Change |
|
Operating income (loss) | $ | (10,515 | ) |
| $ | 64,407 | | | $ | 3,113 | | | $ | 61,294 |
|
| 1969% |
| | $ | 75,936 | | | $ | 6,372 | | | $ | 69,564 |
|
| 1092% |
|
Interest and other income, net |
| 6,524 |
|
|
| 3,540 |
|
| | 6,759 |
|
|
| (3,219 | ) |
| -48% |
|
| | 14,236 |
|
| | 13,285 |
|
|
| 951 |
|
| 7% |
|
Interest expense |
| (1,466 | ) |
|
| (4,547 | ) |
|
| — |
|
|
| (4,547 | ) |
| NM |
|
|
| (6,914 | ) |
|
| — |
|
|
| (6,914 | ) |
| NM |
|
Income (loss) before provision for income taxes |
| (5,457 | ) |
|
| 63,400 |
|
| | 9,872 |
|
|
| 53,528 |
|
| 542% |
|
| | 83,258 |
|
| | 19,657 |
|
|
| 63,601 |
|
| 324% |
|
Provision for income taxes |
| (976 | ) |
|
| (7,641 | ) |
| | (2,844 | ) |
|
| (4,797 | ) |
| 169% |
|
| | (15,104 | ) |
| | (4,351 | ) |
|
| (10,753 | ) |
| 247% |
|
Net income (loss) | $ | (6,433 | ) |
| $ | 55,759 |
|
| $ | 7,028 |
|
| $ | 48,731 |
|
| 693% |
|
| $ | 68,154 |
|
| $ | 15,306 |
|
| $ | 52,848 |
|
| 345% |
|
Interest and Other Income (loss) - Interest and other income consists primarily of interest and dividend income from cash and cash equivalents and marketable debt and equity securities, realized and unrealized gains (losses) on our marketable equity securities and derivative instruments and realized gains (losses) on our marketable debt securities.
Interest and other income, net decreased $3.2 million during the three months ended October 31, 2024 compared to the three months ended June 30, 2023, primarily due to a $4.2 million decrease in net gains from investments in marketable equity securities and derivative instruments and a $0.5 million increase in interest income.
Interest and other income, net increased $0.4 million during the six months ended October 31, 2024, compared to the six months ended June 30, 2023, primarily driven by a $0.9 million increase in interest income partially offset by a $0.6 million decrease in net gains from investments in marketable equity securities and derivative instruments.
Interest expense - Interest expenses primarily consisted of the interest charges related to Barnes & Noble Education's credit facility.
Provision for income taxes - The changes in the provision for income taxes are described below.
Immersion
Provision for income taxes for the three and six months ended October 31, 2024 resulted primarily from estimated domestic and foreign taxes included in the calculation of the effective tax rate. We maintain no valuation allowance against our U.S. federal deferred tax assets and maintain a valuation allowance against certain our U.S. state and Canadian federal deferred tax assets. The change in the estimated effective tax rate was mainly driven by higher U.S. taxable income which was a result of higher U.S. passive income.
The year-over-year change in provision for income taxes resulted primarily from the change in income from continuing operations across various tax jurisdictions.
In the event that we determine the deferred tax assets are realizable based on an assessment of relevant factors, an adjustment to the valuation allowance may increase income in the period such determination is made. The valuation allowance does not impact our ability to utilize the underlying net operating loss carryforwards.
We also maintain liabilities for uncertain tax positions. As of October 31, 2024, we had unrecognized tax benefits under ASC 740 Income Taxes of approximately $7.6 million, all of the $7.6 million could be payable in cash. In addition, interest and penalty of $0.2 million could also be payable in cash in relation to unrecognized tax benefits. The total amount of unrecognized tax benefits that would affect our effective tax rate, if recognized, is $7.6 million. We account for interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions as a component of income tax provision. We do not expect to have any significant changes to unrecognized tax benefits during the next twelve months.
Barnes & Noble Education
Barnes & Noble Education recorded an income tax provision of $1.3 million on pre-tax loss of $48.5 million during the period of May 1st, 2024 to October 31, 2024, which represented an effective income tax rate of (2.6)%.
In assessing the realizability of the deferred tax assets, management considered whether it is more likely than not that some or all of the deferred tax assets would be realized. As of October 31, 2024, Barnes & Noble Education determined that it was more likely than not that it would not realize all deferred tax assets and its tax rate for the current fiscal year reflects this determination. Barnes & Noble Education will continue to evaluate this position.
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
Our cash equivalents, investments - current and investments - noncurrent consist primarily of money-market funds, investments in marketable equity and debt securities and investments in U.S. treasury securities. All marketable securities are stated at fair value. Realized gains and losses on marketable equity securities and marketable debt securities are recorded in Other income (expense), net on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss). Unrealized gains and losses on marketable equity securities are reported as Other income (expense), net on our Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss). Unrealized gains and losses on marketable debt securities reported as a component of Accumulated other comprehensive income on our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.
Cash, cash equivalents and investments-current - As of October 31, 2024, our cash, cash equivalents, and investments- current totaled $159.3 million, a $19.0 million decrease from $178.4 million on April 30, 2024. In addition, as of October 31, 2024, we had restricted cash of $17.3 million.
A summary of select cash flow information for the six months ended October 31, 2024 and June 30, 2023 are as follows (in thousands):
|
| Six Months Ended |
|
|
| October 31, 2024 |
| |
| June 30, 2023 |
|
Net cash (used in) provided by in operating activities | $ | (63,975 | ) | | $ | 8,754 |
|
Net cash used in investing activities | $ | (4,319 | ) | | $ | (22,706 | ) |
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities | $ | 80,636 | | | $ | (9,048 | ) |
Cash provided by (used in) operating activities - Our operating activities primarily consists of net income adjusted for certain non-cash items including depreciation and amortization; stock-based compensation expense, deferred income taxes and the effect of changes in operating assets and liabilities.
Net cash used in operating activities was $64.0 million in the six months ended October 31, 2024, a $72.7 million decrease compared to the six months ended June 30, 2023. This cash decrease was primarily attributable to a $145.1 million decrease from changes in operating assets and liabilities partially offset by $52.8 million increase from changes in net income and a $19.6 million increase from non-cash items.
Net cash provided by operating activities was $8.8 million in the six months ended June 30, 2023, a $9.9 million decrease compared to the same period in 2022. This cash decrease was primarily attributable to a $15.7 million decrease from changes in non-cash items and $6.3 million decrease from changes in net operating assets partially offset by a $12.0 million increase in net income.
Cash used in investing activities - Our investing activities primarily consist of purchases of marketable securities and other investments and proceeds from disposal of marketable securities and other investments; proceeds from issuance of derivative instruments; payments made to settle derivative instruments, payment for business acquisitions, net of cash acquired and purchases of property and equipment.
Net cash used in investing activities during the six months ended October 31, 2024 was $4.3 million primarily consisting of $49.4 million in cash used to purchase marketable securities and in the settlement of derivative instruments, $29.6 million cash used in business acquisition, net of cash acquired and $5.6 million in purchase of property and equipment partially offset by $79.6 million in proceeds from selling marketable securities.
Net cash used in investing activities during the six months ended June 30, 2023 was $22.7 million primarily consisting of $104.6 million in cash used to purchase marketable securities and in the settlement of derivative instrument partially offset by $81.9 million in proceeds from selling marketable securities and derivatives.
Cash provided by (used in) financing activities — Our financing activities primarily consist of cash proceeds from issuance of common stock, payments of dividend, proceeds from and repayments of credit facility, cash received from sale issuance of common stock and cash paid for repurchases of our common stock.
Net cash used in financing activities during the six months October 31, 2024 was $80.6 million primarily consisting of $404.1 million proceeds from borrowing under Barnes & Noble Education's credit facility, $9.4 million in proceeds from sale of Barnes & Noble Education Common Stock, net of commissions, partially offset by $327.8 million debt repayment and $3.0 million in dividend payments and $2.0 million in shares withheld for payroll taxes.
Net cash used in financing activities during the six months ended June 30, 2023 was $9.0 million primarily consisting of $5.4 million in dividend payments, $2.9 million stock repurchases and $0.9 million in shares withheld to cover payroll taxes.
Total cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments were $159.3 million as of October 31, 2024 of which approximately 20%, or $31.1 million, was held by our foreign subsidiaries and subject to repatriation tax effects.
On November 13, 2023, our Board declared a quarterly dividend in the amount of $0.045 per share, which was paid on January 25, 2024 to stockholders of record on January 14, 2024.
On February 28, 2024, our Board declared a quarterly dividend in the amount of $0.045 per share, which was paid on April 19, 2024, to stockholders of record on April 12, 2024.
On May 8, 2024, our Board declared a quarterly dividend in the amount of $0.045 per share, which was paid on July 26, 2024, to stockholders of record on July 8, 2024.
On August 12, 2024, our Board declared a quarterly dividend in the amount of $0.045 per share, which was paid on October 18, 2024 to stockholders of record on October 4, 2024.
On November 8, 2024, our Board declared a special cash dividend of $0.245 per share on the Company’s outstanding common stock payable, subject to any prior revocation, on January 24, 2025 to stockholders of record on January 10, 2025.
We may continue to invest in, protect, and defend our extensive IP portfolio, which can result in the use of cash in the event of litigation.
On December 29, 2022, our Board approved a stock repurchase program of up to $50.0 million of our common stock for a period of up to twelve months (the “December 2022 Stock Repurchase Program”), which terminated and superseded the stock repurchase program that had been approved by the Board on February 23, 2022. Any stock repurchases may be made through open market and privately negotiated transactions, at such times and in such amounts as management deems appropriate, including pursuant to one or more Rule 10b5-1 trading plans adopted in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Additionally, the Board authorized the use of any derivative or similar instrument to effect stock repurchase transactions, including without limitation, accelerated share repurchase contracts, equity forward transactions, equity option transactions, equity swap transactions, cap transactions, collar transactions, naked put options, floor transactions or other similar transactions or any combination of the foregoing transactions. The December 2022 Stock Repurchase Program was implemented as a method to return value to our stockholders. The timing, pricing and sizes of any repurchases will depend on a number of factors, including the market price of our common stock and general market and economic conditions. The December 2022 Stock Repurchase Program does not obligate us to repurchase any dollar amount or number of shares, and the program may be suspended or discontinued at any time. On August 8, 2023, the Board approved an amendment to extend the expiration date of the December 2022 Stock Repurchase Program that was set to expire on December 29, 2023, to December 29, 2024. On August 27, 2024, the Board approved an amendment to extend the expiration date of the December 2022 Stock Repurchase Program that was set to expire on December 29, 2024, to December 29, 2025.
As of October 31, 2024, we had $41.7 million available for repurchase under the December 2022 Stock Repurchase Program.
As of the date of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, we believe we have sufficient capital resources to meet our working capital needs for the next twelve months and beyond.
CRITICAL ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES
Our discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations are based upon our condensed consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”). The preparation of these condensed consolidated financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues, expenses, and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. On an ongoing basis, we evaluate our estimates and assumptions, including those related to revenue recognition, marketable securities and derivative instruments, income taxes and contingencies. We base our estimates and assumptions on historical experience and on various other factors that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these estimates and assumptions.
Business Combination
The results of a business acquired in a business combination are included in our consolidated financial statements from the date of the acquisition. Purchase accounting results in assets and liabilities of an acquired business being recorded at their estimated fair values on the acquisition date, which may be considered preliminary and subject to adjustment during the measurement period, which is up to one year from the acquisition date. Any excess consideration over the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed is recognized as goodwill
We perform valuations of assets acquired and liabilities assumed and allocate the purchase price to the respective assets and liabilities. Determining the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed requires significant judgment and estimates, including the selection of valuation methodologies, estimates of future revenue, costs and cash flows, discount rates, royalty rates and selection of comparable companies. We engage the assistance of third-party valuation specialists in concluding fair value measurements in connection with determining fair values of assets acquired and liabilities assumed in a business combination. The resulting fair values and useful lives assigned to acquisition-related intangible assets impact the amount and timing of future amortization expense.
These estimates are inherently uncertain and unpredictable, and if different estimates were used the purchase price for the acquisition could be allocated to the acquired assets and liabilities differently from the allocation that we have made. In addition, unanticipated events and circumstances may occur, which may affect the accuracy or validity of such estimates, and if such events occur, we may be required to record a charge against the value ascribed to an acquired asset, an increase in the amounts recorded for assumed liabilities, or an impairment of some or all of the goodwill.
Goodwill recognized in connection with our acquisition of Barnes & Nobel Education was $14.2 million. Barnes & Noble Education is a separate reporting unit, and all goodwill was allocated to this reporting unit. Goodwill is not amortized but reviewed for impairment at least annually at year-end, and when triggering events occur between annual impairment tests.
The identified intangible assets arising from the Barnes & Noble acquisition were trade names and customer relationships $95.0 million in aggregate fair value. We determined the fair values of the acquired intangible assets using an income approach with estimated indefinite useful life for the trade name and 13 years for customer relationships. The noncontrolling interest in Barnes & Noble Education was valued based on the closing price of Barnes & Noble Education’s common stock as of June 10, 2024. We evaluate our intangible assets for indications of impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable. Factors that could trigger an impairment analysis include significant under-performance relative to historical or projected future results of operations, significant changes in the manner of our use of the acquired assets, or the strategy for our overall business or significant negative industry or economic trends. If this evaluation indicates that the value of the intangible asset may be impaired, we assess the likelihood of recoverability of the net carrying value of the asset over its remaining useful life. If this assessment indicates that the intangible asset is not recoverable based on the estimated undiscounted future cash flows of the intangible asset over its remaining useful life, we reduce the net carrying value of the related intangible asset to an estimated fair value.
Barnes & Noble Education
Revenue Recognition and Deferred Revenue
Product sales and rentals
The majority of Barnes & Noble Education's revenue is derived from the sale of products through its bookstore locations, including virtual bookstores, and its bookstore affiliated e-commerce websites, and contains a single performance obligation. Revenue from sales of products is recognized at the point in time when control of the products is transferred to its customers in an amount that reflects the consideration it expects to be entitled to in exchange for the products.
Product revenue is recognized when the customer takes physical possession of its products, which occurs either at the point of sale for products purchased at physical locations or upon receipt of our products by customers for products ordered through websites and virtual bookstores. Product revenue shipped from wholesale operations are recognized upon shipment of physical textbooks at which point title passes and risk of loss is transferred to the customer. Additional revenue is recognized for shipping charges billed to customers and shipping costs are accounted for as fulfillment costs within cost of sale.
Revenue from the sale of digital textbooks, which contains a single performance obligation, is recognized when the customer accesses the digital content as product revenue in Barnes & Noble Education's condensed consolidated financial statements. A software feature is embedded within the content of digital textbooks, such that upon expiration of the term the customer is no longer able to access the content. While the sale of the digital textbook allows the customer to access digital content for a fixed period of time, once the digital content is delivered to the customer, our performance obligation is complete.
Revenue from the rental of physical textbooks is deferred and recognized over the rental period based on the passage of time commencing at the point of sale, when control of the product transfers to the customer and is recognized as rental income in our condensed consolidated financial statements. Rental periods are typically for a single semester and are always less than one year in duration. Barnes & Noble Education offers a buyout option to allow the purchase of a rented physical textbook at the end of the rental period if the customer desires to do so. It records the buyout purchase when the customer exercises and pays the buyout option price which is determined at the time of the buyout. In these instances, Barnes & Noble Education accelerates any remaining deferred rental revenue at the point of sale.
Revenue recognized for our BNC First Day offerings is consistent with Barnes & Noble Education's policies outlined above for product, digital and rental sales, net of an anticipated opt-out or return provision. Given the growth of BNC First Day programs, the timing of cash collection from our school partners may shift to periods subsequent to when the revenue is recognized. When a school adopts our BNC First Day equitable and inclusive access offerings, cash collection from the school generally occurs after the institution's drop/add dates, which is later in the working capital cycle, particularly in Barnes & Noble Education's third quarter given the timing of the Spring Term and our quarterly reporting period, as compared to direct-to-student point-of-sale transactions where cash is generally collected during the point-of-sale transaction or within a few days from the credit card processor.
Barnes & Noble Education estimates returns based on an analysis of historical experience. A provision for anticipated merchandise returns is provided through a reduction of sales and cost of goods sold in the period that the related sales are recorded.
For sales and rentals involving third-party products, we evaluate whether we are acting as a principal or an agent. Our determination is based on our evaluation of whether we control the specified goods or services prior to transferring them to the customer. There are significant judgments involved in determining whether we control the specified goods or services prior to transferring them to the customer including whether we have the ability to direct the use of the good or service and obtain substantially all of the remaining benefits from the good or service. For those transactions where we are the principal, we record revenue on a gross basis, and for those transactions where we are an agent to a third-party, we record revenue on a net basis.
Effective in April 2021, as contemplated by the F/L Relationship related merchandising agreement and e-commerce agreement, we began to transition the fulfillment of our logo general merchandise sales to Lids and Fanatics. As the logo general merchandise sales are fulfilled by Lids and Fanatics, we recognize commission revenue earned for these sales on a net basis in our consolidated financial statements, as compared to the recognition of logo general merchandise sales on a gross basis in the periods prior to the transition.
Barnes & Noble Education does not have gift cards or customer loyalty programs. Barnes & Noble Education do not treat any promotional offers as expenses. Sales tax collected from its customers is excluded from reported revenues. Barnes & Noble Education's payment terms are generally 30 days and do not extend beyond one year.
Service and other revenue
Service and other revenue is primarily derived from brand marketing services which includes promotional activities and advertisements within Barnes & Noble Education's physical bookstores and web properties performed on behalf of third-party customers, shipping and handling, non-return rental penalty fees, and revenue from other programs.
Merchandise Inventories
Merchandise inventories, which consist of finished goods, are stated at the lower of cost or market. Market value of the inventory, which is all purchased finished goods, is determined based on its estimated net realizable value, which is generally the selling price less normally predictable costs of disposal and transportation.
Cost is determined primarily by the retail inventory method. Barnes & Noble Education's textbook and trade book inventories are valued using the LIFO method and the related reserve was not material to the recorded amount of our inventories.
Reserves for non-returnable inventory are based on our history of liquidating non-returnable inventory. Reserve calculations are sensitive to certain significant assumptions, including markdowns, sales below cost, inventory aging and expected demand. Barnes & Noble Education does not believe there is a reasonable likelihood that there will be a material change in the future estimates or assumptions used to calculate the non-returnable inventory reserve. However, if assumptions based on its history of liquidating non-returnable inventory are incorrect, Barnes & Noble Education may be exposed to losses or gains that could be material.
For our physical bookstores, we also estimate and accrue shortage for the period between the last physical count of inventory and the balance sheet date. Shortage rates are estimated and accrued based on historical rates and can be affected by changes in merchandise mix and changes in actual shortage trends. Barnes & Noble Education does not believe there is a reasonable likelihood that there will be a material change in the future estimates or assumptions used to calculate shortage rates. However, if our estimates regarding shortage rates are incorrect, we may be exposed to losses or gains that could be material.
Textbook Rental Inventories
Physical textbooks out on rent are categorized as textbook rental inventories. At the time a rental transaction is consummated, the book is removed from merchandise inventories and moved to textbook rental inventories at cost. The cost of the book is amortized down to its estimated residual value over the rental period. The related amortization expense is included in cost of goods sold. At the end of the rental period, upon return, the book is removed from textbook rental inventories and recorded in merchandise inventories at its amortized cost. Barnes & Noble Education does not believe there is a reasonable likelihood that there will be a material change in the future estimates or assumptions used to calculate rental cost of goods sold. However, if our estimates regarding residual value are incorrect, we may be exposed to losses or gains that could be material.
Please refer to Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations contained in Part II, Item 7 of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, filed with the SEC on March 11, 2024, and Barnes & Noble Education's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended April 27, 2024 for a complete discussion of our critical accounting policies and estimates. The preparation of financial statements and related disclosures in conformity with U.S. GAAP and our discussion and analysis of our financial condition and operating results require the management to make judgments, assumptions and estimates that affect the amounts reported. See Note 1. Significant Accounting Policies of the Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements in Part I, Item 1 herein, which describes the significant accounting policies and methods used in the preparation of our condensed consolidated financial statements. Management bases its estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions it believes to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
See Note 1. Significant Accounting Policies of the Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for information regarding the effect of new accounting pronouncements on our financial statements.
Not applicable.
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Based on their evaluation as of October 31, 2024, our management, with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, has concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act) were effective to ensure that the information required to be disclosed by us in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q was (i) recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and regulations and (ii) accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
Changes in internal control over financial reporting
On June 10, 2024, we completed the Transactions with Barnes & Noble Education which were accounted for as a business combination. We are currently in the process of assessing Barnes & Noble Education’s internal controls over financial reporting and integrating Barnes & Noble Education with our existing controls over financial reporting. Under guidelines established by the SEC, companies are permitted to exclude acquisitions from their assessment of internal control over financial reporting during the first year of an acquisition while integrating the acquired company. Other than incorporating Barnes & Noble Education’s controls, there were no changes in internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the quarter ended October 31, 2024 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal controls over financial reporting.
Inherent Limitations of Internal Controls
Our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, does not expect that our disclosure controls and procedures or our internal controls over financial reporting will prevent all error and all fraud. A control system, no matter how well conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute assurance that the objectives of the control system are met. Further, the design of a control system must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints, and the benefits of controls must be considered relative to their costs. Because of the inherent limitations in all control systems, no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that all control issues and instances of fraud, if any, within Immersion, have been detected.
Immersion Corporation vs. Xiaomi Group
On or about March 3, 2023, the Company initiated patent infringement lawsuits against several companies of the Xiaomi-Group in Germany, France and India (the “Xiaomi Litigation”). Immersion filed complaints against Xiaomi-Group companies and their agents in the Düsseldorf Regional Court in Germany, the Tribunal judiciaire de Paris (Paris First Instance Civil Court) in France, and the High Court of Delhi, at New Delhi, in India. The complaints alleged that the Xiaomi-Group’s devices, including the Xiaomi 12, infringed Immersion's patents that cover various uses of haptic effects in connection with such devices.
On June 12, 2024, the Company entered into a Patent License Agreement (the “Xiaomi License Agreement”) with the Xiaomi Group, pursuant to which the parties have agreed to terms for resolving the Xiaomi Litigation and the Xiaomi Group will license, on a non-exclusive basis, the Company’s patent portfolio for use in its products. The Xiaomi Litigation was dismissed in October 2024.
LGE Korean Withholding Tax Matter
On October 16, 2017, we received a letter from LG Electronics Inc. (“LGE”) requesting that we reimburse LGE with respect to withholding tax imposed on LGE by the Korean tax authorities following an investigation where the tax authority determined that LGE failed to withhold on LGE’s royalty payments to Immersion Software Ireland Limited from 2012 to 2014. Pursuant to an agreement reached with LGE, on April 8, 2020, the Company provided a provisional deposit to LGE in the amount of KRW 5,916,845,454 (approximately $5.0 million) representing the amount of such withholding tax that was imposed on LGE, which provisional deposit would be returned to us to the extent we ultimately prevail in the appeal in the Korea courts.
On November 3, 2017, on behalf of LGE, we filed an appeal with the Korea Tax Tribunal regarding their findings with respect to the withholding taxes related to the 2012 to 2017 period. The Korea Tax Tribunal hearing took place on March 5, 2019. On March 19, 2019, the Korea Tax Tribunal issued its ruling in which it decided not to accept our arguments with respect to the Korean tax authorities’ assessment of withholding tax and penalties imposed on LGE. On behalf of LGE, the Company filed an appeal with the Korea Administrative Court on June 10, 2019. The Company has had numerous hearings before the Korea Administrative Court in the years 2019 through 2022. The Company had a hearing on April 27, 2023, and the Korea Administrative Court rendered a decision on this matter on June 8, 2023, in which it ruled that the withholding taxes and penalties which were imposed by the Korean tax authorities on LGE should be cancelled with litigation costs to be borne by the Korean tax authorities. In connection with the Korea Administrative Court’s decision, the Korean tax authorities filed an appeal on June 28, 2023, with the Seoul High Court to seek the cancellation of the lower court’s decision. The appellate case is in progress at the Seoul High Court and the first hearing and the hearing took place on November 30, 2023 and February 1, 2024, respectively. However, the next hearing will be set at a later date
On April 25, 2023, the Company received notice from LGE requesting the Company to reimburse LGE with respect to withholding tax imposed on LGE by the Korean tax authorities following a recent tax audit of LGE for the years 2018 through 2022. Pursuant to an agreement reached with LGE, on June 2, 2023, the Company provided a provisional deposit to LGE in the amount of KRW 3,024,877,044 (approximately $2.3 million) representing the amount of such withholding tax that was imposed on LGE, which provisional deposit would be returned to the Company to the extent the Company ultimately prevails in the appeal in the Korean courts. On June 29, 2023, on behalf of LGE, the Company filed an appeal with the Korea Tax Tribunal regarding their findings with respect to the withholding taxes related to the 2018 to 2022 period. On August 7, 2023, the Korean tax authority submitted its answer against the tax appeal. On September 8, 2023, on behalf of LGE, the Company submitted its rebuttal brief in response thereto. On September 23, 2023, the Korean tax authority, on behalf of LGE, the Company submitted an additional response brief, and on November 23, 2023, the Korea Tax Tribunal rendered a decision against LGE, dismissing the claims of the Company on the grounds that its claims are without merit. In response thereto, on behalf of LGE, the Company filed an appeal with the Korea Administrative Court on December 29, 2023. On July 25, 2024, the Korea Tax Tribunal rendered a decision against LGE, and the deadline for the court appeal of the local income claim is October 21, 2024. In addition, the Korea Administrative Court scheduled a hearing date of August 29, 2024, which was cancelled and will be rescheduled at a later date. On October 18, 2024, the Company filed a complaint and a brief with the Korea Administrative Court for the local income tax appeal. This case has been reassigned due to its significance and the Korean tax authority filed its answer on November 27, 2024.
Immersion Corporation vs. Valve Corporation (“Valve”)
On May 15, 2023, we filed a complaint against Valve in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington. The complaint alleges that Valve’s AR/VR systems, including the Valve Index, and handheld Steam Deck, infringe seven of our patents that cover various uses of haptic effects in connection with such AR/VR systems and other video game systems. We are seeking to enjoin Valve from further infringement and to recover a reasonable royalty for such infringement.
The complaint against Valve asserts infringement of the following patents:
| • | U.S. Patent No. 7,336,260: “Method and Apparatus for Providing Tactile Sensations” |
| • | U.S. Patent No. 8,749,507: “Systems and Methods for Adaptive Interpretation of Input from a Touch-Sensitive Input Device” |
| •
| U.S. Patent No. 9,430,042: “Virtual Detents Through Vibrotactile Feedback” |
| • | U.S. Patent No. 9,116,546: “System for Haptically Representing Sensor Input” |
| •
| U.S. Patent No. 10,627,907: “Position Control of a User Input Element Associated with a Haptic Output Device” |
| • | U.S. Patent No. 10,665,067: “Systems and Methods for Integrating Haptics Overlay in Augmented Reality” |
| • | U.S. Patent No. 11,175,738: “Systems and Methods for Proximity-Based Haptic Feedback” |
Valve responded to the complaint on July 24, 2023, with a motion to dismiss. Valve re-noted its motion, which changed Immersion’s response deadline from August 14, 2023, to August 21, 2023. Immersion timely filed its response, and Valve filed its reply on August 25, 2023. The Court heard arguments on Valve’s motion on February 8, 2024. The Court entered a case scheduled on November 21, 2023. The case schedule did not include a trial date but set the pretrial conference for May 30, 2025.
Valve filed IPRs, IPR2024-00477 and IPR2024-00478 on January 19, 2024. These petitions are directed to U.S. Patent Nos. 7,336,260 and 9,430,042 respectively. The Company filed its patent owner preliminary responses to these petitions on April 26, 2024, and April 29, 2024, respectively. The Patent Trial and Appeal Board issued a decision, granting institution of these petitions on July 24, 2024, and July 25, 2024, respectively. The Company’s patent owner responses to these petitions were filed on October 15, 2024, and October 17, 2024, respectively. Valve filed IPR2024-00508 on January 30, 2024, which is directed to U.S. Patent No. 9,116,546. The Company elected not to file a patent owner preliminary response to this petition. The Patent Trial and Appeal Board issued a decision, granting institution of this petition on August 6, 2024. The Company elected not to file patent owner's response to the petition. Valve filed IPR2024-00556 on February 7, 2024, which is directed to U.S. Patent No. 8,749,507. The Company filed its patent owner preliminary response to this petition on May 15, 2024. The Patent Trial and Appeal Board issued a decision, granting institution on August 6, 2024. The Company elected not to file a patent owner response to the petition. Valve filed IPR2024-00557 on February 7, 2024, which is directed to U.S. Patent No. 10,665,067. The Company filed its patent owner preliminary response to this petition on May 15, 2024. The Patent Trial and Appeal Board issued a decision, granting institution on August 13, 2024. The Company’s patent owner response to the petition was filed November 5, 2024. Valve filed IPR2024-00582 on February 16, 2024, which is directed to U.S. Patent No. 11,175,738. The Company filed its patent owner preliminary response to this petition on June 27, 2024. The Patent Trial and Appeal Board issued a decision on granting institution on September 25, 2024. The Company’s patent owner response to the petition is due December 16, 2024. Valve filed IPR2024-00714 on March 22, 2024, which is directed to U.S. Patent No. 10,627,907. The Company filed its preliminary patent owner preliminary response to this petition on July 30, 2024. The Patent Trial and Appeal Board issued a decision, granting institution on August 28, 2024. The Company’s patent owner response to the petition is due January 21, 2025.
The parties submitted their joint claim construction statement and respective positions on March 29, 2024.
On March 14, 2024, Valve filed a motion to stay the district court case pending the PTAB’s decisions on the IPRs. Immersion opposed the motion on March 25, 2024, and Valve filed its reply brief on March 29, 2024. The Court granted Valve’s motion to stay on April 4, 2024. In connection with that order, the Court struck Valve’s motion to dismiss with leave to refile at a later date.
Item 1A. Risk FactorsThere have been no material changes to the risk factors disclosed in Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, filed with the SEC on March 11, 2024, except as set forth below. You should carefully consider the risk factors described in Barnes & Noble Education, Inc.’s Annual Reports on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q which are filed with the SEC and are available at www.sec.gov.
Our consolidated subsidiary, Barnes & Noble Education, is a public company which may expose us to additional costs, and our management may be required to devote substantial time to compliance initiatives.
On June 10, 2024, we acquired ownership of approximately 42.0% of the common stock of Barnes & Noble Education and as a public company, with a consolidated subsidiary that is also a public company, we incur significant legal, accounting and other expenses to comply with the requirements applicable to public companies. Many of our personnel and other resources are devoted to ensuring we, and Barnes & Noble Education, comply with requirements applicable to public companies. These further exhausts management and other personnel resources that could be used for other revenue-generating activities.
Changes in Barnes & Noble Education’s relationships with significant clients and suppliers, including the loss or reduction in business from one or more of them, could have a material adverse impact on its business.
The products that Barnes & Noble Education sells originate from a wide variety of domestic and international vendors. During fiscal 2024, Barnes & Noble Education’s four largest retail suppliers, excluding its wholesale business which fulfills orders for all its physical and virtual bookstores, accounted for approximately 28% of its merchandise purchased, with the largest supplier accounting for approximately 7% of its merchandise purchased. Barnes & Noble Education’s wholesale business sources over 95% of its inventory from two primary channels, approximately 55% from third-party suppliers and approximately 40% from retail bookstores (including its retail bookstores). Suppliers may modify the terms of these relationships due to general economic conditions or otherwise or, especially with respect to wholesale inventory, publishers could terminate distribution to wholesalers, including Barnes & Noble Education’s wholesale business.
Barnes & Noble Education does not have long-term arrangements with most of its suppliers to guarantee availability of merchandise, content or services, particular payment terms or the extension of credit limits. If Barnes & Noble Education’s current suppliers were to stop selling merchandise, content or services to it on acceptable terms, including as a result of one or more supplier bankruptcies due to poor economic conditions or refusal by such suppliers to ship products to us due to delayed or extended payment windows as a result of Barnes & Noble Education’s own liquidity constraints, Barnes & Noble Education may be unable to procure the same merchandise, content or services from other suppliers in a timely and efficient manner and on acceptable terms, or at all. Additionally, delayed or incomplete publisher shipments of physical textbook orders, or delays in receiving digital courseware access codes, could have an adverse impact on sales, including Barnes & Noble Education’s BNC First Day Complete equitable access program, which relies upon timely receipt of inventory in advance of class start dates each academic term.
Furthermore, certain of Barnes & Noble Education’s merchandise is sourced indirectly from outside the United States. Political or financial instability, merchandise quality issues, product safety concerns, trade restrictions, work stoppages, tariffs, foreign currency exchange rates, transportation capacity and costs, inflation, civil unrest, natural disasters, public health crises, epidemics, and pandemics, and other factors relating to foreign trade are beyond its control and could disrupt its supply of foreign-sourced merchandise.
Stock Repurchase Program
On December 29, 2022, our Board approved a stock repurchase program of up to $50.0 million of our common stock for a period of up to twelve months (the “December 2022 Stock Repurchase Program”), which terminated and superseded the stock repurchase program that had been approved by the Board on February 23, 2022. Any stock repurchases may be made through open market and privately negotiated transactions, at such times and in such amounts as management deems appropriate, including pursuant to one or more Rule 10b5-1 trading plans adopted in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Additionally, the Board authorized the use of any derivative or similar instrument to effect stock repurchase transactions, including without limitation, accelerated share repurchase contracts, equity forward transactions, equity option transactions, equity swap transactions, cap transactions, collar transactions, naked put options, floor transactions or other similar transactions or any combination of the foregoing transactions. The December 2022 Stock Repurchase Program was implemented as a method to return value to our stockholders. The timing, pricing and sizes of any repurchases will depend on a number of factors, including the market price of our common stock and general market and economic conditions. The December 2022 Stock Repurchase Program does not obligate us to repurchase any dollar amount or number of shares, and the program may be suspended or discontinued at any time. On August 8, 2023, the Board approved an amendment to extend the expiration date of the December 2022 Stock Repurchase Program that was set to expire on December 29, 2023, to December 29, 2024. On August 27, 2024, the Board approved an amendment to extend the expiration date of the December 2022 Stock Repurchase Program that was set to expire on December 29, 2024, to December 29, 2025.
During 2023, we repurchased 1,217,774 shares of our common stock for $8.3 million at an average purchase price of $6.77 per share. We did not repurchase any stock during the six months ended October 31, 2024. As of October 31, 2024, we had $41.7 million available for repurchase under the December 2022 Stock Repurchase Program.