CEVA(US:CEVA)2025-05-07 13:32Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Total revenue for the quarter was $24.2 million, up 10% year over year from $22.2 million [13] - Licensing revenue increased 32% to $15 million, representing 62% of total revenues compared to $11.4 million in the same quarter last year [14] - Royalty revenue decreased 14% to $9.2 million, reflecting 38% of total revenue, down from $10.7 million for the same quarter last year [15] - GAAP net loss for the first quarter was $3.3 million, with a diluted loss per share of $0.14, compared to a net loss of $5.4 million and diluted loss per share of $0.23 for the same quarter last year [17] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Royalty revenue was impacted by lower shipments of low-cost smartphone chips and a slower product ramp-up from an industrial customer [4][10] - WiFi royalty revenue grew 183% year over year, driven by a 12% increase in unit shipments, particularly in the consumer and industrial IoT markets [11][19] - Shipments of CEVA licensees during the first quarter were 420 million units, up 13% from the previous year, with notable increases in consumer IoT (up 19%) and industrial IoT (up 26%) [18] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company noted strong demand in the Edge AI portfolio and continued expansion in wireless communication IP, despite a cautious outlook due to macroeconomic factors [20][21] - The overall performance and safety of ADAS systems are advancing rapidly, with significant advancements in AI technologies such as vision transformers [9] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims to continue innovating for customers, deepen technology leadership, and build a strong future royalty stream while managing expenses [12] - The strategy focuses on accumulated and sustained value creation over time, with a long-term view on IP licensing success [11][12] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in navigating short-term volatility while focusing on being the IP partner of choice for smart edge devices [12] - A cautious outlook for the rest of the year was adopted, lowering 2025 revenue guidance from a high single-digit range to a low single-digit range for growth over 2024 annual revenues [21][65] Other Important Information - The company is engaged in multiple discussions related to AI influencing using its Newport NPU family, including several automotive players for next-generation platforms [9] - The company expects sequential growth in royalties due to seasonality and expansion of CEVA-powered 5G smartphone modems in the second quarter and beyond [23] Q&A Session Summary Question: Can you say whether the ADAS win was with a tier one supplier or if it has secured a program at an automotive OEM? - Management confirmed it was a design win with a tier one supplier that has secured OEM customers, and it will be part of their next-generation platform [26][27] Question: Is there a similar increase in ASPs with WiFi 7 as there was with WiFi 6? - Management indicated that the transition from WiFi 4 to WiFi 6 saw a significant uplift in ASP, and they expect a similar trend with WiFi 7 as customers migrate to volume production [28][31] Question: What competitive environment surrounded the ADAS win? - Management noted that the market is migrating to more advanced models using vision transformers, requiring power-efficient solutions with low latency, which their technology excels at [36] Question: Was the softness in the low-end smartphone market related to tariffs or customer product transitions? - Management clarified that the slower start was due to supply chain activities and does not expect direct impacts from tariffs, anticipating a ramp-up in customer shipments [42][44] Question: Are there any impacts on the licensing environment due to macro and tariff uncertainty? - Management stated that while there is cautious sentiment among customers, they have not seen a decrease in their licensing pipeline and continue to close strategic deals [76][77] Question: Are WiFi royalty units ramping and tracking to follow the success of Bluetooth? - Management expressed optimism about the ramp-up of WiFi technology, with many customers integrating and ramping production, indicating a strong alignment with Bluetooth success [78]