Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - First quarter revenue was $11 million, a decrease of $2.1 million from $13.1 million in the same period last year, primarily driven by demand for FoxXP and FoxCP products [24][25] - Non-GAAP gross margin for the first quarter was 37.5%, down from 54.7% year-over-year, mainly due to lower sales volume and a less favorable product mix [25] - Non-GAAP net income for the first quarter was $0.3 million or $0.01 per share, compared to $2.2 million or $0.07 per share for the first quarter of fiscal 2025 [27] - Backlog at the end of Q1 was $15.5 million, with $2 million net bookings received in the first five weeks of the second quarter [28] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Contactor revenues, which include wafer packs for wafer-level burn-in business, totaled $2.6 million, significantly lower than $12.1 million or 92% of the previous year's first quarter revenue [25] - The company shipped multiple FoxCP single-wafer production test and burn-in systems during Q1, indicating ongoing demand in the hard disk drive industry [24] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company is experiencing ongoing growth in the silicon photonics market, driven by the adoption of optical chip-to-chip communication and optical network switching [14] - Demand for gallium nitride devices is increasing, particularly in data center power efficiency, solar energy, and automotive systems [16] - The market for NAND flash is in a state of flux, with a transition to hybrid bonding technologies driving new requirements for higher parallelism and power [19] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focusing on semiconductor test and burn-in markets, particularly related to the expansion of data center infrastructure and AI [4][21] - Aehr Test Systems is positioned to assist customers with both wafer-level and packaged part burn-in systems, enhancing its market position [10] - The company is developing strategic partnerships to provide advanced wafer-level test and burn-in solutions for high-performance computing and AI processors [11] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management remains cautious due to ongoing tariff-related uncertainty and has not reinstated formal guidance, but is confident in broad-based growth opportunities across AI and other markets [23][31] - The company anticipates order growth in nearly all served markets for the fiscal year, with silicon carbide growth expected to strengthen further into fiscal 2027 [23] Other Important Information - The company successfully closed the InCal facility and consolidated operations into its Fremont, California facility, incurring a one-time restructuring charge of $219,000 [26] - The facility renovation has significantly upgraded manufacturing capabilities, increasing overall manufacturing capacity by at least five times [30] Q&A Session Summary Question: When will there be a material improvement in bookings to drive revenue? - Management anticipates additional capacity needs from their first AI wafer-level burn-in production customer, which could lead to increased bookings and revenue this year, but timing is uncertain [34] Question: Do you have a target number of customers for shipping by the end of the fiscal year? - Management has discrete quantity targets for additional packaged part and wafer-level customers, but is cautious about setting expectations regarding timelines [44] Question: What is the gating factor for customers transitioning from Sonoma to wafer-level burn-in? - The transition does not require a new product, but customers need to validate that the company can meet their specific requirements for power delivery and design for testability [66] Question: How does the company view the cost-effectiveness of wafer-level burn-in compared to system-level burn-in? - Wafer-level burn-in is preferred as it is more cost-effective and efficient, allowing for accelerated testing without the inefficiencies of system-level testing [74][76] Question: What is the outlook for high-bandwidth flash and memory? - There is significant interest in high-bandwidth flash and memory, with ongoing discussions about the need for burn-in processes to ensure reliability before shipping [81]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported a net sales decline of 5.1% in Q2 and 4.6% year-to-date, with comparable sales down 4.2% in Q2 and 4% year-to-date [31][32] - Adjusted earnings per diluted share were $0.56 for the quarter, with adjusted net income of $64 million [37][30] - Gross margin increased by 28 basis points to 39.9% in Q2, driven by category mix benefits and strong inventory management [35][31] - SG&A expenses decreased by 4.1% to $1.2 billion in Q2, benefiting from lower spending [35][31] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The women's category showed improvement, particularly in proprietary brands, with a flat comp performance in July [11][12] - The accessories business outperformed the company average, driven by jewelry and the Sephora partnership, with jewelry sales up 12% [13][16] - Men's and kids' categories were the weakest performers, with declines in spring assortments, although proprietary brands like Tech Gear showed strength [18] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Digital sales outpaced store sales, driven by strong conversion rates and improved coupon offerings [32][33] - The Kohl's card customer segment underperformed, with sales down in the low teens, while new and non-Kohl's card customers showed positive growth [33][34] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on three strategic priorities: offering a curated assortment, reestablishing value and quality, and delivering a frictionless shopping experience [9][19] - There is an emphasis on proprietary brands to enhance customer trust and loyalty, with plans to introduce new proprietary brands [20][21] - The company is adjusting its promotional strategies to include more brands in coupon eligibility, which has shown immediate positive impacts on digital sales [22][23] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management acknowledged the challenging macroeconomic environment and consumer pressure, particularly among lower to middle-income customers [8][40] - The outlook for the remainder of the year includes a projected net sales decline of 5% to 6%, with a focus on maintaining gross margin expansion [40][41] - Management expressed confidence in the company's ability to build on momentum from the first half of the year, despite ongoing uncertainties [30][40] Other Important Information - The company ended the quarter with $174 million in cash and cash equivalents, and inventory levels declined by 5% [38][39] - Capital expenditures for the year are expected to be around $400 million, primarily for Sephora and Impulse line rollouts [39] Q&A Session Summary Question: What initiatives are having the greatest impact on the top line? - Management highlighted the focus on proprietary brands and their alignment with consumer value preferences as key drivers for improvement [45][46] Question: How do you see the cadence of comps for Q3 and Q4? - Management expects a similar cadence to the first half, with some potential upsides in both quarters [51][52] Question: Can you provide updates on adding brands back to coupon eligibility? - Management confirmed the addition of about 50 brands, with immediate positive impacts seen in digital sales [58][59] Question: What are the key drivers of comp metrics? - The primary driver of improvement was traffic, with efforts focused on regaining trips from core customers [68][70] Question: How is the company addressing tariff impacts? - Management is actively negotiating with suppliers and adjusting buying strategies to mitigate tariff impacts while maintaining competitive pricing [71][73]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Comparable sales decreased by 4.2% in Q2 2025, with adjusted earnings per diluted share at $0.56, both exceeding expectations [6][32] - Net sales declined by 5.1% in Q2 and 4.6% year-to-date, primarily due to fewer transactions in stores [32] - Gross margin increased by 28 basis points to 39.9% in Q2, driven by category mix benefits and strong inventory management [35][36] - SG&A expenses decreased by 4.1% to $1.2 billion in Q2, benefiting from lower spending in stores and marketing [36] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Women's business showed improvement, particularly in proprietary brands, with a flat comp performance in July [12][21] - Jewelry business outperformed with a 12% increase compared to last year, driven by investments in fashion jewelry [14][15] - Men's and kids' categories were the weakest performers, with declines in spring seasonal assortments [19] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Digital sales outpaced store sales, driven by strong conversion rates and improved coupon offerings [33] - Kohl's card customer segment underperformed, with sales down in the low teens for the quarter [33] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on three strategic priorities: offering a curated assortment, reestablishing Kohl's as a leader in value and quality, and delivering a frictionless omnichannel experience [10][20][25] - There is an emphasis on proprietary brands to enhance value and customer loyalty, with plans to introduce new proprietary brands [21][22] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management acknowledges ongoing macroeconomic challenges and consumer pressure, particularly among lower to middle-income customers [8][41] - The outlook for the remainder of the year anticipates a net sales decline of 5% to 6%, with comparable sales expected to decline by 4% to 5% [41][42] Other Important Information - The company ended the quarter with $174 million in cash and cash equivalents, and inventory levels declined by 5% [38][39] - Capital expenditures for the year are expected to be around $400 million, focusing on Sephora rollout and other initiatives [40] Q&A Session Summary Question: What initiatives are having the greatest impact on the top line? - Management highlighted the focus on proprietary brands and their alignment with consumer value preferences as key drivers for improvement [44][45] Question: How do you see the cadence of comps for Q3 and Q4? - Management expects a similar cadence to Q2, with some potential upsides in both quarters due to improved traffic and digital performance [50][51] Question: Can you provide an update on adding brands back to coupon eligibility? - Management confirmed that they have added about 50 brands back to coupon eligibility, which has positively impacted digital sales [57][58] Question: What are the key drivers of comp metrics? - The primary driver of improvement has been traffic, with efforts focused on regaining customer trips and engagement [67][70] Question: How is the company addressing tariff impacts? - Management is actively negotiating with suppliers and adjusting buying strategies to mitigate tariff impacts while maintaining competitive pricing [72][74]