Ribbon Communications Inc. Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2023 Financial Results

Ribbon announces strong 2023 earnings growth

IP Optical Networks achieves profitability for the second half of the year with strong demand from Service Providers and Critical Infrastructure

PLANO, Texas, Feb. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Ribbon Communications Inc. (Nasdaq: RBBN), a global provider of real time communications technology and IP optical networking solutions to many of the world's largest service providers, enterprises, and critical infrastructure operators to modernize and protect their networks, today announced its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year 2023.

Revenue for the fourth quarter of 2023 was $226 million, compared to $234 million for the fourth quarter of 2022 and $203 million for the third quarter of 2023. Revenue for full year 2023 was $826 million, compared to $820 million for full year 2022. Full Year GAAP Loss from Operations improved $24 million to ($24) million. Adjusted non-GAAP EBITDA also improved $27 million to $91 million.

"I am very pleased with the significant improvement we have made in profitability in 2023 with higher margins in both of our segments and reduced operating expenses. Earnings on an adjusted EBITDA basis for the year increased 41% compared to 2022," stated Bruce McClelland, President and Chief Executive Officer of Ribbon Communications.

"We achieved our key goal of attaining profitability in the IP Optical Networks business segment for the second half of the year. Sales exceeded $100 million for the first time in the fourth quarter and, combined with strong margins, achieved an adjusted EBITDA margin of 8% for the segment. Demand for broadband capacity will continue to grow exponentially, and we expect to continue our momentum in 2024 with increasing sales and improved profitability," Mr. McClelland added. "In our Cloud & Edge business, we expect continued growth from Enterprise customers and U.S. Federal agencies. We also anticipate an improving U.S. Tier One Service spending environment in the second half of the year."



     
              Financial Highlights(1)




                                                                          Three months ended               Year ended


                                                                          December 31,               December 31,



     
              
                In millions, except per share amounts  2023       2022            2023      2022



     GAAP Revenue                                                   $226       $234            $826      $820



     GAAP Net income (loss)                                           $7        $20           $(66)    $(98)



     Non-GAAP Net income (loss)                                      $22        $15             $36       $17



     Non-GAAP Adjusted EBITDA                                        $43        $29             $91       $64



     GAAP diluted earnings (loss) per share                        $0.04      $0.12         $(0.39)  $(0.63)



     Non-GAAP diluted earnings (loss) per share                    $0.12      $0.09           $0.21     $0.11



     Weighted average shares outstanding basic                       172        168             170       157



     Weighted average shares outstanding diluted                     173        172             173       161




     
     (1) Please see the reconciliations of non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP measures and additional information about non-GAAP measures in the section entitled "Discussion of Non-GAAP Financial Measures" in the attached schedules.

"Despite a challenging operating environment, we grew both sales and profitability in 2023. New customer wins in key markets helped offset lower U.S. Tier One Service Provider investment in capital expenditures that is affecting all suppliers. We also benefited from the controlled spending actions that we implemented early in the year with operating expenses down 6% despite the inflationary environment. As a result, adjusted EBITDA in the fourth quarter of 2023 was strong at $43 million, or 19% of revenue. We improved our capital structure in 2023 by issuing $55 million of preferred equity and reducing our term loan by $95 million," said Mick Lopez, Chief Financial Officer of Ribbon Communications.

Business Outlook(1 )
For 2024, the Company expects to build on the momentum from the second half of 2023, with a stronger portfolio and market presence and to follow a normal seasonal pattern with the business accelerating as the year progresses.

For the first quarter of 2024, the Company projects revenue of $180 million to $190 million. Non-GAAP gross margin is projected in a range of 51% to 52%. Adjusted EBITDA is projected in a range of $5 million to $10 million.

For the full year 2024, the Company projects revenue of $840 million to $870 million. Non-GAAP gross margin is projected in a range of 53% to 54%. Adjusted EBITDA is projected in a range of $110 million to $120 million.

The Company's outlook is based on current indications for its business, which are subject to change.



     
     (1) Please see the reconciliations of non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP measures and additional information about the non-GAAP measures in the section entitled "Discussion of Non-GAAP Financial Measures" in the attached schedules.

Upcoming Conference Schedule

    --  February 26-29, 2024: Mobile World Congress
    --  March 4, 2024: JMP Securities Technology Conference
    --  March 24-28, 2024: Optical Fiber Communication Conference and Exhibition
    --  March 25-28, 2024: Enterprise Connect

About Ribbon
Ribbon Communications (Nasdaq: RBBN) delivers communications software, IP and optical networking solutions to service providers, enterprises and critical infrastructure sectors globally. We engage deeply with our customers, helping them modernize their networks for improved competitive positioning and business outcomes in today's smart, always-on and data-hungry world. Our innovative, end-to-end solutions portfolio delivers unparalleled scale, performance, and agility, including core to edge software-centric solutions, cloud-native offers, leading-edge security and analytics tools, along with IP and optical networking solutions for 5G. We maintain a keen focus on our commitments to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) matters, offering an annual Sustainability Report to our stakeholders. To learn more about Ribbon visit rbbn.com.

Important Information Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
The information in this release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this release, including without limitation statements regarding the Company's projected financial results for the first quarter of 2024 and beyond; the impact of the wars in Israel and Ukraine; customer engagement and momentum; plans and objectives for future operations, including cost reductions; capital structure changes and plans for future product development and manufacturing and the expected benefits therefrom, are forward-looking statements. Without limiting the foregoing, the words "believes", "estimates", "expects", "expectations", "intends", "may", "plans", "projects" and other similar language, are intended to identify forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements are based on the Company's current expectations and assumptions regarding its business, the economy and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. Actual results may differ materially from those contemplated in these forward-looking statements due to various risks, uncertainties and other important factors, including, among others, the effects of geopolitical instabilities and wars, including in Israel and Ukraine (and the impact of sanctions and trade restrictions imposed as a result thereof); operational disruptions at facilities located in Israel including as a result of military call-ups of the Company's employees in Israel, closure of the offices there or the temporary or long-term closure of contract manufacturing in the region; the potential impact of litigation; risks related to supply chain disruptions, including as a result of component availability; risks that the Company will not realize the estimated cost savings and/or anticipated benefits from its strategic restructuring efforts; the impact of restructuring and cost-containment activities; unpredictable fluctuations in quarterly revenue and operating results; risks related to the terms of the Company's credit agreement including compliance with the financial covenants; risks resulting from rising interests rates and inflationary pressures; risks related to cybersecurity and data intrusion; failure to compete successfully against telecommunications equipment and networking companies; failure to grow the Company's customer base or generate recurring business from existing customers; credit risks; the timing of customer purchasing decisions and the Company's recognition of revenues; macroeconomic conditions, including inflation; market acceptance of the Company's products and services; rapid technological and market change; the ability to protect Company intellectual property rights and obtain necessary licenses; the ability to maintain partner, reseller, distribution and vendor support and supply relationships; the potential for defects in the Company's products; increases in tariffs, trade restrictions or taxes on the Company's products; and currency fluctuations.

These factors are not intended to be an all-encompassing list of risks and uncertainties that may affect the Company's business and results from operations. Additional information regarding these and other factors can be found in the Company's reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, without limitation, its Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 and its Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2023. In providing forward-looking statements, the Company expressly disclaims any obligation to update these statements publicly or otherwise, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Discussion of Non-GAAP Financial Measures
The Company's management uses several different financial measures, both GAAP and non-GAAP, in analyzing and assessing the overall performance of its business, making operating decisions, planning and forecasting future periods, and determining payments under compensation programs. The Company considers the use of non-GAAP financial measures helpful in assessing the core performance of its continuing operations and when planning and forecasting future periods. The Company's annual financial plan is prepared on a non-GAAP basis and is approved by its board of directors. In addition, budgeting and forecasting for revenue and expenses are conducted on a non-GAAP basis, and actual results on a non-GAAP basis are assessed against the annual financial plan. The Company defines continuing operations as the ongoing results of its business adjusted for certain expenses and credits, as described below. The Company believes that providing non-GAAP information to investors will allow investors to view the financial results in the way its management views them and helps investors to better understand the Company's core financial and operating performance and evaluate the efficacy of the methodology and information used by its management to evaluate and measure such performance.

While the Company's management uses non-GAAP financial measures as tools to enhance its understanding of certain aspects of the Company's financial performance, its management does not consider these measures to be a substitute for, or superior to, GAAP measures. In addition, the Company's presentations of these measures may not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies. These non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered alternatives for, or in isolation from, the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP. Investors are cautioned that there are material limitations associated with the use of non-GAAP financial measures. In particular, many of the adjustments to the Company's financial measures reflect the exclusion of items that are recurring and will be reflected in its financial results for the foreseeable future.

Stock-Based Compensation
The expense related to stock-based awards is generally not controllable in the short-term and can vary significantly based on the timing, size and nature of awards granted. The Company believes that presenting non-GAAP operating results that exclude stock-based compensation provides investors with visibility and insight into its management's method of analysis and its core operating performance.

Amortization of Acquired Technology (including software licenses); Amortization of Acquired Intangible Assets
Amortization amounts are inconsistent in frequency and amount and are significantly impacted by the timing and size of acquisitions. Amortization of acquired technology is reported separately within Cost of revenue and Amortization of acquired intangible assets is reported separately within Operating expenses. These items are reported collectively as Amortization of acquired intangible assets in the accompanying reconciliations of non-GAAP and GAAP financial measures. The Company believes that excluding non-cash amortization of these intangible assets facilitates the comparison of its financial results to its historical operating results and to other companies in its industry as if the acquired intangible assets had been developed internally rather than acquired.

Litigation Costs
In connection with a certain ongoing contract litigation where Ribbon is defendant (as described in Note 25 to the Company's Consolidated Financial Statements included in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022), the Company has incurred litigation costs beginning in the first quarter of 2023. These costs are included as a component of general and administrative expense. The Company believes that such costs are not part of its core business or ongoing operations, are unplanned and generally not within its control. Accordingly, the Company believes that excluding the litigation costs related to this specific legal matter facilitates the comparison of the Company's financial results to its historical operating results and to other companies in its industry.

Acquisition-, Disposal- and Integration-Related
The Company considers certain acquisition-, disposal- and integration-related costs to be unrelated to the organic continuing operations of the Company and its acquired businesses. Such costs are generally not relevant to assessing or estimating the long-term performance of the acquired assets. The Company excludes such acquisition-, disposal- and integration-related costs to allow more accurate comparisons of its financial results to its historical operations and the financial results of less acquisitive peer companies and allows management and investors to consider the ongoing operations of the business both with and without such expenses.

Restructuring and Related
The Company has recorded restructuring and related expense to streamline operations and reduce operating costs by closing and consolidating certain facilities and reducing its worldwide workforce. The Company believes that excluding restructuring and related expense facilitates the comparison of its financial results to its historical operating results and to other companies in its industry, as there are no future revenue streams or other benefits associated with these costs.

Decrease in Fair Value of Investments
Each reporting period, the Company calculated the fair values of the debentures (the "Debentures") and the warrants to purchase shares of AVCT common stock (the "AVCT Warrants") that it received as consideration in connection with the Kandy Sale on December 1, 2020. Effective September 8, 2021, the Company received 13,700,421 shares of AVCT common stock upon the conversion of the Debentures and AVCT Warrants. The AVCT common stock was also marked to market each reporting period by the Company until their disposal on August 29, 2022, when they were used as partial consideration in connection with the Company's acquisition of perpetual software licenses from AVCT. The Company recorded adjustments to the fair value of these investments in Other (expense) income, net. The Company excluded the gains and losses from the change in the fair value of these investments because it believes that such gains or losses were not part of its core business or ongoing operations.

Preferred Stock and Warrant Liability Mark-to-Market Adjustment
The Company recorded adjustments to the fair value of its Series A Preferred Stock and warrants to purchase shares of the Company's common stock in Other (expense) income, net. Both instruments issued in March 2023 in connection with the Company's private placement and are classified as liabilities and marked to market each reporting period. The Company excluded these gains and losses from the change in the fair value of these liabilities because it believes that such gains or losses were not part of its core business or ongoing operations.

Preferred Stock and Warrant Liability Issuance Costs
The Company incurred $3.5 million of investment banking, advisory and legal fees in its March 2023 private placement of the Series A Preferred Stock and warrants to purchase shares of the Company's common stock, both of which are classified by the Company as liabilities that are marked to market each reporting period. The Company excludes these issuance costs to allow more accurate comparisons of its financial results to its historical operations and the financial results of other companies in its industry, and it allows management and investors to consider the ongoing operations of the business both with and without such expenses.

Tax Effect of Non-GAAP Adjustments
The Non-GAAP income tax provision is presented based on an estimated tax rate applied against forecasted annual non-GAAP income. The Non-GAAP income tax provision assumes no available net operating losses or valuation allowances for the U.S. because of reporting significant cumulative non-GAAP income over the past several years. The Company is reporting its non-GAAP quarterly income taxes by computing an annual rate for the Company and applying that single rate (rather than multiple rates by jurisdiction) to its consolidated quarterly results. The Company expects that this methodology will provide a consistent rate throughout the year and allow investors to better understand the impact of income taxes on its results. Due to the methodology applied to its estimated annual tax rate, the Company's estimated tax rate on non-GAAP income will differ from its GAAP tax rate and from its actual tax liabilities.

Adjusted EBITDA
The Company uses Adjusted EBITDA as a supplemental measure to review and assess its performance. The Company calculates Adjusted EBITDA by excluding from income (loss) from operations: depreciation; stock-based compensation; amortization of acquired intangible assets; acquisition-, disposal- and integration-related expense; certain litigation costs; and restructuring and related expense. In general, the Company excludes the expenses that it considers to be non-cash and/or not part of its ongoing operations. The Company may exclude other items in the future that have those characteristics. Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure that is used by the investing community for comparative and valuation purposes. The Company discloses this metric to support and facilitate dialogue with research analysts and investors. Other companies may calculate Adjusted EBITDA differently than the Company does, limiting its usefulness as a comparative measure.

Conference Call Details:
Conference call to discuss the Company's financial results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2023.

Date: Wednesday, February 14, 2024
Time: 4:30 p.m. (ET)

Dial-In Information:
US/Canada: 877-407-2991
International: 201-389-0925
Instant Telephone Access: Call me(TM)

A telephone playback of the call will be available following the conference call until February 28, 2024 and can be accessed by calling 877-660-6853 or 201-612-7415 for international callers. The reservation number for the replay is 13743849.

Live (Listen-Only) Webcast:
Available via the Investor Relations website, where a replay will also be available shortly following the conference call.

For more details on financial results, please visit investors.ribboncommunications.com.

Investor Relations
+1 (978) 614-8050
ir@rbbn.com

Media Contact
Catherine Berthier
+1 (646) 741-1974
cberthier@rbbn.com



     RIBBON COMMUNICATIONS INC.



     Consolidated Statements of Operations



     (in thousands, except percentages and per share amounts)



     (unaudited)






                                                                                                  
              Three months ended


                                                                                                            December 31,             September 30,             December 31,


                                                                                                                    2023                       2023                      2022



     Revenue:


                                                               
     Product                                      $125,984                   $108,501                  $136,871


                                                               
     Service                                       100,417                     94,660                    96,768


                                                               
     Total revenue                                 226,401                    203,161                   233,639





     Cost of revenue:


                                                               
     Product                                        61,183                     59,436                    75,919


                                                               
     Service                                        37,205                     33,065                    36,088


                                                                 Amortization of acquired technology                    6,305                      7,157                     7,619


                                                               
     Total cost of revenue                         104,693                     99,658                   119,626





     Gross profit                                                 121,708                                        103,503                    114,013





     Gross margin                                                  53.8 %                                        50.9 %                    48.8 %





     Operating expenses:


                                                               
     Research and development                       45,351                     46,229                    50,517


                                                               
     Sales and marketing                            35,361                     32,795                    37,939


                                                               
     General and administrative                     13,686                     12,885                    13,172


                                                                 Amortization of acquired intangible assets                    6,861                     7,216                     7,350


                                                                 Acquisition-, disposal- and integration-
                                                                  related                                        1,494                        842                     1,914


                                                               
     Restructuring and related                       2,285                      2,680                     1,856


                                                               
     Total operating expenses                      105,038                    102,647                   112,748





     Income from operations                                        16,670                                            856                      1,265



     Interest expense, net                                        (6,989)                                       (7,143)                   (5,911)



     Other expense, net                                           (3,232)                                       (2,620)                   (1,735)





     Income (loss) before income taxes                              6,449                                        (8,907)                   (6,381)



     Income tax benefit (provision)                                   630                                        (4,594)                    26,869





     Net income (loss)                                             $7,079                                      $(13,501)                   $20,488





     Income (loss) per share:


                                                               
     Basic                                             $0.04                    $(0.08)                    $0.12


                                                               
     Diluted                                         $0.04                    $(0.08)                    $0.12





     Weighted average shares used to compute loss per share:


                                                               
     Basic                                           171,755                    171,190                   168,163


                                                               
     Diluted                                       172,990                    171,190                   172,213



     RIBBON COMMUNICATIONS INC.



     Consolidated Statements of Operations



     (in thousands, except percentages and per share amounts)



     (unaudited)






                                                                                                  
             Year ended


                                                                                                            December 31,             December 31,


                                                                                                                    2023                      2022



     Revenue:


                                                               
     Product                                      $445,150                  $442,680


                                                               
     Service                                       381,189                   377,080


                                                               
     Total revenue                                 826,339                   819,760





     Cost of revenue:


                                                               
     Product                                       250,609                   245,145


                                                               
     Service                                       139,357                   142,137


                                                                 Amortization of acquired technology                   28,290                    31,542


                                                               
     Total cost of revenue                         418,256                   418,824





     Gross profit                                                 408,083                                        400,936





     Gross margin                                                  49.4 %                                        48.9 %





     Operating expenses:


                                                               
     Research and development                      190,660                   203,676


                                                               
     Sales and marketing                           137,460                   147,766


                                                               
     General and administrative                     54,962                    51,053


                                                                 Amortization of acquired intangible assets                   28,601                    29,646


                                                                 Acquisition-, disposal- and integration-
                                                                  related                                        4,476                     6,286


                                                               
     Restructuring and related                      16,209                    10,833


                                                               
     Total operating expenses                      432,368                   449,260





     Loss from operations                                        (24,285)                                      (48,324)



     Interest expense, net                                       (27,320)                                      (19,780)



     Other expense, net                                           (3,768)                                      (44,495)





     Loss before income taxes                                    (55,373)                                     (112,599)



     Income tax (provision) benefit                              (10,833)                                        14,516





     Net loss                                                   $(66,206)                                     $(98,083)





     Loss per share


                                                               
     Basic                                           $(0.39)                  $(0.63)


                                                               
     Diluted                                       $(0.39)                  $(0.63)





     Weighted average shares used to compute loss per share:


                                                               
     Basic                                           170,408                   156,668


                                                               
     Diluted                                       170,408                   156,668



     RIBBON COMMUNICATIONS INC.



     Consolidated Balance Sheets



     (in thousands)



     (unaudited)






                                                                                                      December 31,   December 31,


                                                                                                              2023            2022



     
                Assets



     Current assets:


                                                                Cash and cash equivalents                $26,630         $67,262


                                                                Accounts receivable, net                 268,421         267,244


                                                        
           Inventory                                 77,521          75,423


                                                        
           Other current assets                      46,146          68,057


                                                        
           Total current assets                     418,718         477,986





     Property and equipment, net                        41,820                                              44,832



     Intangible assets, net                            238,087                                             294,728



     Goodwill                                                                                          300,892         300,892



     Deferred income taxes                              69,761                                              53,649



     Operating lease right-of-use assets                39,783                                              44,888



     Other assets                                       35,092                                              38,589


                                                                                                        $1,144,153      $1,255,564





     
                Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity



     Current liabilities:


                                                                Current portion of term debt             $35,102         $20,058


                                                        
           Accounts payable                          85,164          95,810


                                                                Accrued expenses and other                91,687          85,270


                                                                Operating lease liabilities               15,739          15,416


                                                        
           Deferred revenue                         113,381         113,939


                                                                Total current liabilities                341,073         330,493





     Long-term debt, net of current                    197,482                                             306,270



     Warrant liability                                   5,295                                                   -



     Preferred stock liability                          53,337                                                   -



     Operating lease liabilities, net of current        38,711                                              46,183



     Deferred revenue, net of current                   19,218                                              19,254



     Deferred income taxes                               5,616                                               3,750



     Other long-term liabilities                        30,658                                              31,187


                                                                          Total liabilities                691,390         737,137





     Commitments and contingencies





     Stockholders' equity:


                                                        
           Common stock                                  17              17


                                                                Additional paid-in capital             1,958,909       1,941,569


                                                        
           Accumulated deficit                  (1,519,950)    (1,453,744)


                                                                Accumulated other comprehensive
                                                                 income                                   13,787          30,585


                                                                          Total stockholders' equity       452,763         518,427


                                                                                                        $1,144,153      $1,255,564



             RIBBON COMMUNICATIONS INC.



             Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows



             (in thousands)



             (unaudited)






                                                                                                   
             Year ended


                                                                                                December 31,            December 31,


                                                                                                        2023                     2022



             Cash flows from operating activities:


      
             Net loss                                                                           $(66,206)               $(98,083)


                Adjustments to reconcile net loss to cash flows provided by (used in) operating
                 activities:


                  Depreciation and amortization of property and equipment                             14,105                   15,295


        
             Amortization of intangible assets                                                   56,891                   61,188


        
             Amortization of debt issuance costs                                                  3,241                    2,308


                  Amortization of accumulated other comprehensive gain related to
                   interest rate swap                                                                (5,575)


        
             Stock-based compensation                                                            21,806                   18,707


        
             Deferred income taxes                                                              (9,196)                (18,251)


        
             Gain on sale of business                                                                 -                    (62)


        
             Realized gain on swap sale                                                         (7,301)


        
             Decrease in fair value of investments                                                    -                  41,291


        
             Change in fair value of warrant liability                                            (201)


        
             Change in fair value of preferred stock liability                                    1,548


        
             Dividends accrued on preferred stock liability                                       3,935


        
             Foreign currency exchange (gains) losses                                              (44)                   1,576


        
             Changes in operating assets and liabilities:


          
             Accounts receivable                                                                5,726                   14,285


          
             Inventory                                                                       (10,701)                (32,099)


          
             Other operating assets                                                            34,834                    2,109


          
             Accounts payable                                                                (10,498)                   (448)


          
             Accrued expenses and other long-term liabilities                                (14,684)                (37,635)


          
             Deferred revenue                                                                   (593)                   3,455


                      Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities                             17,087                 (26,364)





             Cash flows from investing activities:


      
             Purchases of property and equipment                                                  (9,381)                (10,254)


      
             Proceeds from sale of business                                                             -                   1,418


      
             Purchases of software licenses                                                         (100)                 (3,300)


            
             Net cash used in investing activities                                          (9,481)                (12,136)





             Cash flows from financing activities:


      
             Borrowings under revolving line of credit                                             97,000                   73,625


      
             Principal payments on revolving line of credit                                      (97,000)                (73,625)


      
             Principal payments of term debt                                                     (95,058)                (45,058)


      
             Principal payments of finance leases                                                       -                   (595)


      
             Payment of debt issuance costs                                                       (1,685)                 (1,046)


      
             Proceeds from equity offering                                                              -                  52,067


      
             Payment of equity offering issuance costs                                                  -                 (1,654)


                Proceeds from issuance of preferred stock and warrant liabilities                     53,350


      
             Proceeds from the exercise of stock options                                               15                        1


                Payment of tax withholding obligations related to net share
                 settlements of restricted stock awards                                              (4,481)                 (2,784)


                      Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities                           (47,859)                     931





             Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents                             (379)                 (1,654)





             Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents                                             (40,632)                (39,223)



             Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of year                                            67,262                  106,485



             Cash and cash equivalents, end of year                                                 $26,630                  $67,262



              RIBBON COMMUNICATIONS INC.



              Supplemental Information



              (in thousands)



              (unaudited)







              The following tables provide the details of stock-based compensation included as components of other line items in the Company's
    Consolidated Statements of Operations and the line items in which these amounts are reported.






                                                        
               Three months ended                                                     
        Year ended


                                                                   December 31,                  September 30,                  December 31,           December 31,    December 31,


                                                                           2023                            2023                           2022                    2023             2022



              
                Stock-based compensation



              Cost of revenue - product                                   $125                            $121                           $132                    $510             $471



              Cost of revenue - service                                    550                             536                            590                   2,147            2,157


                 Cost of revenue                                            675                             657                            722                   2,657            2,628





              Research and development                                   1,112                           1,259                          1,373                   4,933            5,108



              Sales and marketing                                        1,438                           1,402                          1,656                   7,111            6,074



              General and administrative                                 1,667                           1,632                          1,461                   7,105            4,897


                 Operating expense                                        4,217                           4,293                          4,490                  19,149           16,079




                   Total stock-based
                    compensation                                         $4,892                          $4,950                         $5,212                 $21,806          $18,707



     RIBBON COMMUNICATIONS INC.



     Reconciliation of Non-GAAP and GAAP Financial Measures



     (in thousands, except per share amounts)



     (unaudited)






                                                                                      
       Three months ended


                                                                                         December 31,        September 30,  December 31,


                                                                                                 2023                  2023           2022





     
                GAAP Gross margin                                                           53.8 %               50.9 %        48.8 %



     Stock-based compensation                                                                  0.3 %                0.3 %         0.3 %



     Amortization of acquired technology                                                       2.7 %                3.6 %         3.3 %



     
                Non-GAAP Gross margin                                                       56.8 %               54.8 %        52.4 %





     
                GAAP Net income (loss)                                                      $7,079             $(13,501)       $20,488



     Stock-based compensation                                                                  4,892                 4,950          5,212



     Amortization of acquired intangible assets                                               13,166                14,373         14,969



     Litigation costs                                                                            538                   478



     Acquisition-, disposal- and integration-related                                           1,494                   842          1,914



     Restructuring and related                                                                 2,285                 2,680          1,856



     Preferred stock and warrant liability mark-to-market adjustment                           3,724                   148



     Tax effect of non-GAAP adjustments                                                     (11,606)                (615)      (28,950)



     
                Non-GAAP Net income                                                        $21,572                $9,355        $15,489





     
                GAAP Diluted earnings (loss) per share                                       $0.04               $(0.08)         $0.12



     Stock-based compensation                                                                   0.03                  0.03           0.03



     Amortization of acquired intangible assets                                                 0.08                  0.08           0.09



     Litigation costs                                                                  
               *        
               *



     Acquisition-, disposal- and integration-related                                            0.01         
               *          0.01



     Restructuring and related                                                                  0.01                  0.02           0.01



     Preferred stock and warrant liability mark-to-market adjustment                            0.02         
               *



     Tax effect of non-GAAP adjustments                                                       (0.07)        
               *        (0.17)



     
                Non-GAAP Diluted earnings per share                                          $0.12                 $0.05          $0.09





     
                Weighted average shares used to compute diluted earnings per share



      Shares used to compute GAAP diluted loss per share                                     171,755               171,190        168,163



      Shares used to compute Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share                             172,990               176,298        172,213





     
                GAAP Income from operations                                                $16,670                  $856         $1,265



     Depreciation                                                                              3,502                 3,544          3,607



     Stock-based compensation                                                                  4,892                 4,950          5,212



     Amortization of acquired intangible assets                                               13,166                14,373         14,969



     Litigation costs                                                                            538                   478



     Acquisition-, disposal- and integration-related                                           1,494                   842          1,914



     Restructuring and related                                                                 2,285                 2,680          1,856



     
                Non-GAAP Adjusted EBITDA                                                   $42,547               $27,723        $28,823





     * Less than $0.01 impact on earnings (loss) per share.



     RIBBON COMMUNICATIONS INC.



     Reconciliation of Non-GAAP and GAAP Financial Measures



     (in thousands, except per share amounts)



     (unaudited)






                                                                                      
     Year ended


                                                                                        December 31, December 31,


                                                                                                2023          2022





     
                GAAP Gross Margin                                                          49.4 %       48.9 %



     Stock-based compensation                                                                 0.3 %        0.3 %



     Amortization of acquired technology                                                      3.4 %        3.9 %



     
                Non-GAAP Gross Margin                                                      53.1 %       53.1 %





     
                GAAP Net loss                                                           $(66,206)    $(98,083)



     Stock-based compensation                                                                21,806        18,707



     Amortization of acquired intangible assets                                              56,891        61,188



     Litigation costs                                                                         1,307



     Acquisition-, disposal- and integration-related                                          4,476         6,286



     Restructuring and related                                                               16,209        10,833



     Decrease in fair value of investments                                                        -       41,292



     Preferred stock and warrant liability mark-to-market adjustment                          5,282



     Preferred stock and warrant liability issuance costs                                     3,545



     Tax effect of non-GAAP adjustments                                                     (7,462)     (22,875)



     
                Non-GAAP Net income                                                       $35,848       $17,348





     
                GAAP Diluted loss per share                                               $(0.39)      $(0.63)



     Stock-based compensation                                                                  0.13          0.12



     Amortization of acquired intangible assets                                                0.33          0.39



     Litigation costs                                                                          0.01



     Acquisition-, disposal- and integration-related                                           0.03          0.04



     Restructuring and related                                                                 0.09          0.07



     Decrease in fair value of investments                                                        -         0.26



     Preferred stock and warrant liability mark-to-market adjustment                           0.03



     Preferred stock and warrant liability issuance costs                                      0.02



     Tax effect of non-GAAP adjustments                                                      (0.04)       (0.14)



     
                Non-GAAP Diluted earnings per share                                         $0.21         $0.11





     
                Weighted average shares used to compute diluted earnings per share



      Shares used to compute GAAP diluted loss per share                                    170,408       156,668



      Shares used to compute Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share                            172,947       161,325





     
                GAAP Loss from operations                                               $(24,285)    $(48,324)



     Depreciation                                                                            14,105        15,295



     Stock-based compensation                                                                21,806        18,707



     Amortization of acquired intangible assets                                              56,891        61,188



     Litigation costs                                                                         1,307



     Acquisition-, disposal- and integration-related                                          4,476         6,286



     Restructuring and related                                                               16,209        10,833



     
                Non-GAAP Adjusted EBITDA                                                  $90,509       $63,985



     RIBBON COMMUNICATIONS INC.



     Reconciliation of Non-GAAP and GAAP Financial Measures - Outlook



     (unaudited)




                                                                                                                                                    Three months ending                    
       Year ending


                                                                                                                                                 
     March 31, 2024                             December 31, 2024


                                                                                                                                                    Midpoint(1)                  Range             Midpoint(1)              Range





     
                Revenue ($ millions)                                                                                                     $185                        +/-$5M           $855                   +/-$15M





     
                Gross margin:


                                                                                               
     
                GAAP outlook                               47.7 %                                         50.3 %


                                                                                               
     Stock-based compensation                                 0.3 %                                          0.3 %


                                                                                                 Amortization of acquired technology                      3.5 %                                          2.9 %


                                                                                                              Non-GAAP outlook                           51.5 %                +/- 0.5%                53.5 %           +/- 0.5%





     
                Adjusted EBITDA ($ millions):


                                                                                                              GAAP income (loss) from operations        $(16.7)                                          $13.4


                                                                                               
     Depreciation                                               3.7                                            14.8


                                                                                               
     Stock-based compensation                                   4.8                                            18.6


                                                                                                 Amortization of acquired intangible assets                13.3                                            50.8


                                                                                               
     Litigation costs                                           0.9                                             2.7


                                                                                               
     Restructuring and related                                  1.5                                            14.7


                                                                                                              Non-GAAP outlook                             $7.5                 +/-$2.5M                 $115.0              +/-$5M





     1. 
              Q1 2024 and FY 2024 outlook represents the midpoint of the expected ranges

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SOURCE Ribbon Communications Inc.