Information set forth in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q contains various
"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). All information contained
in this report relative to future markets for our products and trends in and
anticipated levels of revenue, gross margins and expenses, as well as other
statements containing words such as "believe," "project," "may," "will,"
"anticipate," "target," "plan," "estimate," "expect" and "intend" and other
similar expressions constitute forward-looking statements. These forward-looking
statements are subject to business, economic and other risks and uncertainties,
both known and unknown, and actual results may differ materially from those
contained in the forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statements we
make are as of the date made, and except as required under the U.S. federal
securities laws and the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange
Commission (the SEC), we have no duty to update them if our views later change.
These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing our
views as of any date subsequent to the date of this Quarterly Report. Examples
of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially
from historical performance and any forward-looking statements include, but are
not limited to, those described in "Risk Factors" in Part II, Item 1A of this
Quarterly Report.
Executive Summary
The following discussion is designed to provide a better understanding of our
unaudited consolidated financial statements, including a brief discussion of our
business and products, key factors that impacted our performance and a summary
of our operating results. The following discussion should be read in conjunction
with the unaudited consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto
included in Part I, Item 1 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, and the
consolidated financial statements and notes thereto and Management's Discussion
and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations contained in our
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 28, 2020. Historical
results and percentage relationships among any amounts in the financial
statements are not necessarily indicative of trends in operating results for any
future periods.

Overview

Cree, Inc. (Cree, we, our, or us) is an innovator of wide bandgap
semiconductors, focused on silicon carbide and gallium nitride (GaN) materials,
and devices for power and radio-frequency (RF) applications. Our silicon carbide
and gallium nitride materials and devices are targeted for applications such as
transportation, power supplies, inverters and wireless systems.
In addition, we are an innovator of specialty lighting-class light emitting
diode (LED) products. Our LEDs are targeted for use in indoor and outdoor
lighting, electronic signs and signals and video displays.
As discussed more fully in "Business Outlook", on October 18, 2020, we entered
into a definitive agreement to sell certain assets and subsidiaries comprising
our former LED Products segment (the LED Business) to SMART Global Holdings,
Inc. (SGH) and its wholly owned newly-created acquisition subsidiary
(collectively with SGH, SMART) for up to $300 million, including fixed upfront
and deferred payments and contingent consideration (the LED Business
Divestiture). We will retain certain assets used in and pre-closing liabilities
associated with the LED Products segment. Following the LED Business
Divestiture, we will operate solely through our Wolfspeed business.
The LED Business Divestiture represents a strategic shift that will have a major
effect on our operations and financial results. As a result, we have classified
the results and cash flows of the LED Products segment as discontinued
operations in our consolidated statements of operations and consolidated
statements of cash flows for all periods presented. Additionally, the related
assets and liabilities associated with the discontinued operations are
classified as held for sale in the consolidated balance sheets. Unless otherwise
noted, discussion within this Quarterly Report to the consolidated financial
statements relates to our continuing operations.
Our continuing operations consist of the Wolfspeed business, which includes
silicon carbide and GaN materials, power devices and RF devices based on wide
bandgap semiconductor materials and silicon. Our materials products and power
devices are used in electric vehicles, motor drives, power supplies, solar and
transportation applications. Our materials products and RF devices are used in
military communications, radar, satellite and telecommunication applications.
The majority of our products are manufactured at our production facilities
located in North Carolina, California, Arkansas and China. We also use contract
manufacturers for certain products and aspects of product fabrication, assembly
and packaging. Additionally, we are in the process of building a silicon carbide
fabrication facility in New York. We operate research and development facilities
in North Carolina, Arizona, Arkansas, New York, California and China (including
Hong Kong).
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Cree, Inc. is a North Carolina corporation established in 1987, and our
headquarters are in Durham, North Carolina. For further information about our
consolidated revenue and earnings, please see our consolidated financial
statements included in Item 1 of this Quarterly Report.
Industry Dynamics and Trends
There are a number of industry factors that affect our business which include,
among others:
•COVID-19 Outbreak. COVID-19 has continued to spread globally, including
locations where we do business. While the financial impact of COVID-19 on our
results is difficult to measure, we believe it has had an unfavorable impact on
our operating income. The full extent of the outbreak, related business and
travel restrictions and changes to behavior intended to reduce its spread are
uncertain as of the date of this Quarterly Report as the pandemic continues to
evolve globally. The potential effects of COVID-19 could affect us in a number
of ways including, but not limited to, the impact on employees becoming ill,
quarantined, or otherwise unable to work or travel due to illness or
governmental restriction, the impact on customers and their related demand
and/or purchases, the impact on our suppliers' ability to fulfill our orders,
and the overall impact of the aforementioned items that could cause output
challenges and increased costs. Additionally, COVID-19 could have a number of
additional adverse effects, including additional laws and regulations affecting
our business, fluctuations in foreign currency markets and the credit risks of
our customers.
•Overall Demand for Products and Applications using silicon carbide power
devices, GaN and silicon RF devices, and LEDs. Our potential for growth depends
significantly on the adoption of silicon carbide and GaN materials and device
products in the power and RF markets, the continued use of silicon devices in
the RF telecommunications market, the continued adoption of LEDs and LED
lighting, and our ability to win new designs for these applications. Demand also
fluctuates based on various market cycles, continuously evolving industry supply
chains, trade and tariff terms, as well as evolving competitive dynamics in each
of the respective markets. These uncertainties make demand difficult to forecast
for us and our customers.
•Governmental Trade and Regulatory Conditions. Our potential for growth, as with
most multi-national companies, depends on a balanced and stable trade,
political, economic and regulatory environment among the countries where we do
business. Changes in trade policy such as the imposition or extension of tariffs
or export bans to specific customers or countries could reduce or limit demand
for our products in certain markets.
•Intense and Constantly Evolving Competitive Environment. Competition in the
industries we serve is intense. Many companies have made significant investments
in product development, production equipment and production facilities. Product
pricing pressures exist as market participants often undertake pricing
strategies to gain or protect market share, increase the utilization of their
production capacity and open new applications in the power, RF and LED markets
we serve. To remain competitive, market participants must continuously increase
product performance, reduce costs and develop improved ways to serve their
customers. To address these competitive pressures, we have invested in research
and development activities to support new product development, lower product
costs and deliver higher levels of performance to differentiate our products in
the market. In addition, we invest in systems, people and new processes to
improve our ability to deliver a better overall experience for our customers.
•Technological Innovation and Advancement. Innovations and advancements in
materials, power, RF, and LED technologies continue to expand the potential
commercial application for our products. However, new technologies or standards
could emerge or improvements could be made in existing technologies that could
reduce or limit the demand for our products in certain markets.
•Intellectual Property Issues. Market participants rely on patented and
non-patented proprietary information relating to product development,
manufacturing capabilities and other core competencies of their business.
Protection of intellectual property is critical. Therefore, steps such as
additional patent applications, confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements,
as well as other security measures are generally taken. To enforce or protect
intellectual property rights, litigation or threatened litigation is common.
Overview of the six months ended December 27, 2020
The following is a summary of our financial results for the six months ended
December 27, 2020:
•Revenue decreased to $242.5 million for the six months ended December 27, 2020
from $248.4 million for the six months ended December 29, 2019.
•Gross profit decreased to $76.8 million for the six months ended December 27,
2020 from $88.1 million for the six months ended December 29, 2019. Gross margin
was 31.7% for the six months ended December 27, 2020 and 35.5% for the six
months ended December 29, 2019.
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•Operating loss was $119.8 million for the six months ended December 27, 2020
compared to $105.6 million for the six months ended December 29, 2019.
•Diluted loss per share from continuing operations was $1.18 for the six months
ended December 27, 2020 compared to $0.90 for the six months ended December 29,
2019.
•Combined cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments was $968.7 million
at December 27, 2020 and $1,239.7 million at June 28, 2020.
•Cash used in operating activities from continuing operations was $32.1 million
for the six months ended December 27, 2020 compared to $39.6 million for the six
months ended December 29, 2019.
•Purchases of property and equipment were $257.5 million for the six months
ended December 27, 2020 compared to $100.3 million for the six months ended
December 29, 2019.
Business Outlook
We believe we are uniquely positioned as an innovator in the global
semiconductor industry. The strength of our balance sheet provides us the
ability to invest in our business, as indicated by our planned construction of a
state-of-the-art, automated 200mm silicon carbide fabrication facility and a
large materials factory to expand our silicon carbide capacity, each of which
was announced in May 2019. In September 2019, we announced our intention to
build the new fabrication facility in Marcy, New York to complement the factory
expansion already underway at our U.S. campus headquarters in Durham, North
Carolina. Construction on the new fabrication facility commenced in the fourth
quarter of fiscal 2020.
When completed, the LED Business Divestiture will represent a key milestone in
our transformation to be a global semiconductor powerhouse focused on disruptive
technology solutions for high-growth applications. This transaction positions us
with a sharpened strategic focus to lead the semiconductor industry transition
from silicon to silicon carbide and further strengthens our financial position,
which we target to support continued investments to capitalize on multi-decade
growth opportunities across electrical vehicles (EVs), 5G and industrial
applications.
We are focused on investing in our Wolfspeed business to expand the scale,
further develop the technologies, and accelerate the growth opportunities of
silicon carbide materials, silicon carbide power devices and modules, and GaN
and silicon RF devices. We believe these efforts will support our goals of
delivering higher revenue and shareholder returns over time.
In addition, we are focused on improving the number of usable items in a
production cycle (yield) as our manufacturing technologies become more complex.
Despite increased complexities in our manufacturing process, we believe we are
in a position to improve yield levels to support our future growth, particularly
as we transition to our new fabrication facility in Marcy, New York.
In regards to COVID-19, our manufacturing facilities in the United States are
currently operating as essential businesses. We have instituted strict measures
designed to balance employee safety with meeting the needs of business
operations. These measures include increased employee sick days, robust health
screening, social distancing policies and cleaning protocols to ensure the
safety of our employees and the protection of our customers, suppliers, and
partners. Our manufacturing facilities in China briefly closed mid-third quarter
of fiscal 2020 and have remained open since that time. Our manufacturing
facilities in China mostly support the LED Products segment and will transfer to
SMART in connection with the LED Business Divestiture through the sale of our
ownership interest in Cree Huizhou Solid State Lighting Company Limited.
We believe the strength of our balance sheet and our ability to continue
operations allow us to navigate the current environment while maintaining our
capital expenditure plans to support future growth, including the construction
of new facilities in New York and additional production capacity in North
Carolina. Even so, our short-term impacts from COVID-19 to our financial
position, results of operations and cash flows are uncertain.
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Results of Operations
Selected consolidated statements of operations data for the three and six months
ended December 27, 2020 and December 29, 2019 is as follows:

                                                                Three months ended                                                                            Six months ended
                                          December 27, 2020                             December 29, 2019                             December 27, 2020                              December 29, 2019
(in millions of U.S. Dollars,
except share data)                 Amount              % of Revenue              Amount              % of Revenue              Amount               % of Revenue              Amount              % of Revenue
Revenue, net                        $127.0                    100.0  %            $120.7                    100.0  %             $242.5                    100.0  %            $248.4                    100.0  %
Cost of revenue, net                  85.7                     67.5                 85.1                     70.5                 165.7                     68.3                160.3                     64.5
Gross profit                          41.3                     32.5                 35.6                     29.5                  76.8                     31.7                 88.1                     35.5
Research and development              45.5                     35.8                 38.7                     32.1                  86.7                     35.8                 73.9                     29.8
Sales, general and
administrative                        46.8                     36.9                 45.0                     37.3                  90.8                     37.4                 94.0                     37.8
Amortization or impairment of
acquisition-related
intangibles                            3.6                      2.8                  3.6                      3.0                   7.2                      3.0                  7.2                      2.9
Loss on disposal or impairment
of other assets                        0.4                      0.3                  0.8                      0.7                   0.7                      0.3                  1.6                      0.6

Other operating expense                2.6                      2.0                 10.9                      9.0                  11.2                      4.6                 17.0                      6.8
Operating loss                       (57.6)                   (45.4)               (63.4)                   (52.5)               (119.8)                   (49.4)              (105.6)                   (42.5)
Non-operating (income)
expense, net                          (3.1)                    (2.4)                (5.0)                    (4.1)                 10.8                      4.5                 (6.6)                    (2.7)
Loss before income taxes             (54.5)                   (42.9)               (58.4)                   (48.4)               (130.6)                   (53.9)               (99.0)                   (39.9)
Income tax benefit                    (0.2)                    (0.2)                (0.5)                    (0.4)                 (1.0)                    (0.4)                (1.8)                    (0.7)
Net loss from continuing
operations                          ($54.3)                   (42.8)              ($57.9)                   (48.0)              ($129.6)                   (53.4)              ($97.2)                   (39.1)
Net (loss) income from
discontinued operations              (28.4)                   (22.4)                 3.9                      3.2                (137.2)                   (56.6)                 5.4                      2.2
Net loss                             (82.7)                   (65.1)               (54.0)                   (44.7)               (266.8)                  (110.0)               (91.8)                   (37.0)
Net income from discontinued
operations attributable to
noncontrolling interest                0.3                      0.2                  0.3                      0.2                   0.6                      0.2                  0.3                      0.1
Net loss attributable to
controlling interest                ($83.0)                   (65.4)              ($54.3)                   (45.0)              ($267.4)                  (110.3)              ($92.1)                   (37.1)

Basic and diluted loss per
share
Continuing operations               ($0.49)                                       ($0.54)                                        ($1.18)                                       ($0.90)

Net loss attributable to
controlling interest                ($0.75)                                       ($0.50)                                        ($2.42)                                       ($0.86)



Revenue

Revenue was comprised of the following:



                                        Three months ended                                                                         Six months ended
(in millions of U.S.
Dollars)                 December 27, 2020             December 29, 2019                  Change                  December 27, 2020               December 29, 2019                    Change

Revenue                       $127.0                        $120.7                   $6.3             5  %             $242.5                              $248.4                ($5.9)            (2) %


Revenue
Revenue for the three months ended December 27, 2020 compared to the three
months ended December 29, 2019 increased due to increases in the demand for
power and RF devices.
Revenue for the six months ended December 27, 2020 compared to the six months
ended December 29, 2019 decreased due to supply and demand factors relating to
the COVID-19 pandemic and lower RF demand in China offset by increased demand
and production capacity for our power applications.
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Gross Profit and Gross Margin
Gross profit and gross margin were as follows:
                              Three months ended                                                              Six months ended
(in millions of       December 27,           December 29,                                            December 27,           December 29,
U.S. Dollars)             2020                   2019                       Change                       2020                   2019                        Change

Gross profit                $41.3                  $35.6              $5.7             16  %               $76.8                  $88.1              ($11.3)           (13) %
Gross margin                 32.5  %                29.5  %                                                 31.7  %                35.5  %



Gross Profit and Gross Margin
The increase in gross profit and gross margin for the three months ended
December 27, 2020 compared to the three months ended December 29, 2019 are
primarily due to increased revenues in the current period and the impact of
higher inventory reserves related to product originally manufactured for Huawei
Technologies Co., Ltd. and its affiliates (collectively, "Huawei") in the prior
period that the Company was prevented from selling to Huawei, partially offset
by unfavorable product mix shift.
The decrease in gross profit and gross margin for the six months ended December
27, 2020 compared to the six months ended December 29, 2019 are primarily due
unfavorable product mix shift, partially offset by the impact of higher
inventory reserves related to product originally manufactured for Huawei in the
prior period that the Company was prevented from selling to Huawei.

Research and Development
Research and development expenses include costs associated with the development
of new products, enhancements of existing products and general technology
research. These costs consisted primarily of employee salaries and related
compensation costs, occupancy costs, consulting costs and the cost of
development equipment and supplies. Research and development costs also include
developing supporting technologies for our planned expansion to a new silicon
carbide fabrication facility in Marcy, New York.
Research and development expenses were as follows:
                                     Three months ended                                                              Six months ended
(in millions of U.S.         December 27,           December 29,                                            December 27,           December 29,
Dollars)                         2020                   2019                       Change                       2020                   2019                       Change
Research and development           $45.5                  $38.7              $6.8             18  %               $86.7                  $73.9              $12.8             17  %
Percent of revenue                    36  %                  32  %                                                   36  %                  30  %


The increase in research and development expenses is primarily due to our
continued investment in our silicon carbide and GaN technologies, including the
development of existing silicon carbide materials and fabrication technology for
next generation platforms and expansion of our power and RF product portfolio.
Our research and development expenses vary significantly from year to year based
on a number of factors, including the timing of new product introductions and
the number and nature of our ongoing research and development activities.
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Sales, General and Administrative
Sales, general and administrative expenses are comprised primarily of costs
associated with our sales and marketing personnel and our executive and
administrative personnel (for example, finance, human resources, information
technology and legal) and consists of salaries and related compensation costs;
consulting and other professional services (such as litigation and other outside
legal counsel fees, audit and other compliance costs); marketing and advertising
expenses; facilities and insurance costs; and travel and other costs.
Sales, general and administrative expenses were as follows:
                                        Three months ended                                                             Six months ended
                                December 27,           December 29,                                           December 27,           December 29,
(in millions of U.S. Dollars)       2020                   2019                      Change                       2020                   2019                       Change
Sales, general and
administrative                        $46.8                  $45.0              $1.8             4  %               $90.8                  $94.0              ($3.2)            (3) %
Percent of revenue                       37  %                  37  %                                                  37  %                  38  %


The increase in sales, general and administrative expenses for the three months
ended December 27, 2020 compared to December 29, 2019 was primarily due to
higher professional service fees and increased information technology costs.
The decrease in sales, general and administrative expenses for the six months
ended December 27, 2020 compared to December 29, 2019 was primarily due
decreases in stock-based compensation expense, in part due to the impact of
modifications to existing equity awards in the prior period. Additionally, our
travel costs decreased as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Amortization or Impairment of Acquisition-Related Intangibles
As a result of our acquisitions, we have recognized various amortizable
intangible assets, including customer relationships, developed technology,
non-compete agreements and trade names.
Amortization of intangible assets related to our acquisitions was as follows:
                                             Three months ended                                                                      Six months ended
(in millions of U.S.
Dollars)                      December 27, 2020             December 29, 2019                  Change                  December 27, 2020            December 29, 2019                Change
Customer relationships               $1.6                          $1.6                     $-             -  %               $3.1                          $3.1                  $-             -  %
Developed technology                  1.2                           1.2                      -             -  %                2.6                           2.6                   -             -  %

Non-compete agreements                0.8                           0.8                      -             -  %                1.5                           1.5                   -             -  %

Total amortization                   $3.6                          $3.6                     $-             -  %               $7.2                          $7.2                  $-             -  %


Amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets stayed consistent due to
the absence of acquisition-related intangible activity between the periods, as
well as no impairments.
Loss on Disposal or Impairment of Other Assets
We operate a capital-intensive business. As such, we dispose of a certain level
of our equipment in the normal course of business as our production processes
change due to production improvement initiatives or product mix changes. Due to
the risk of technological obsolescence or changes in our production process, we
regularly review our long-lived assets and capitalized patent costs for possible
impairment.
Loss on disposal or impairment of other assets were as follows:
                                          Three months ended                                                                        Six months ended
(in millions of U.S.
Dollars)                   December 27, 2020             December 29, 2019                   Change                   December 27, 2020            December 29, 2019                 Change
Loss on disposal or
impairment of other
assets                            $0.4                          $0.8                   ($0.4)           (50) %               $0.7                          $1.6                ($0.9)           (56) %


Loss on disposal or impairment of other assets primarily relate to proceeds from asset sales offset by write-offs of fixed asset projects, as well as the write-offs of impaired or abandoned patents.


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Other Operating Expense
Other operating expense was as follows:
                                               Three months ended                                                                           Six months 

ended


(in millions of U.S. Dollars)   December 27, 2020              December 29, 2019                    Change                    December 27, 2020            December 29, 2019                  Change
Factory optimization
restructuring                          $1.3                           $1.2                    $0.1               8  %                $2.9                          $2.4                 $0.5              21  %

Severance and other
restructuring                             -                              -                       -               -  %                 2.8                           0.8                  2.0             250  %
Total restructuring costs               1.3                            1.2                     0.1               8  %                 5.7                           3.2                  2.5              78  %
Project, transformation and
transaction costs                       0.1                            7.9                    (7.8)            (99) %                 1.3                           9.4                 (8.1)            (86) %
Factory optimization start-up
costs                                   1.2                            1.5                    (0.3)            (20) %                 4.2                           2.9                  1.3              45  %

Non-restructuring related
executive severance                       -                            0.3                    (0.3)           (100) %                   -                           1.5                 (1.5)           (100) %

Other operating expense                $2.6                          $10.9                   ($8.3)            (76) %               $11.2                         $17.0                ($5.8)            (34) %


Factory optimization restructuring costs relate to facility consolidations as
well as disposals on certain long-lived assets. Severance and other
restructuring costs relate to corporate restructuring plans. See Note 14,
"Restructuring," to our unaudited consolidated financial statements in Part I,
Item 1 of this Quarterly Report for additional information on our restructuring
costs.
Project, transformation and transaction costs primarily relate to professional
services fees associated with completed and potential acquisitions and
divestitures, as well as internal transformation programs focused on optimizing
our administrative processes and upgrading our enterprise resource planning
(ERP) system to support our expected future growth.
Factory optimization start-up costs are additional start-up costs as part of our
factory optimization efforts, which began in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2019.
These efforts are focused on expanding our production footprint to support
expected growth in the Wolfspeed business.
The decreases in other operating expense was primarily due to decreased project
and transaction costs, driven by higher continuing operations project and
transaction activity in the prior period.

Non-Operating (Income) Expense, net
Non-operating (income) expense, net was comprised of the following:
                                            Three months ended                                                                         Six months ended
(in millions of U.S.
Dollars)                     December 27, 2020             December 29, 2019                    Change                   December 27, 2020            December 29, 2019                  Change
Gain on sale of
investments, net                   ($0.2)                        ($0.1)                  ($0.1)            100  %              ($0.2)                        ($0.1)               ($0.1)            100  %
Gain on equity investment,
net                               ($10.4)                        ($6.4)                  ($4.0)             63  %              ($7.0)                        ($9.9)                $2.9             (29) %

Foreign currency loss, net          (2.2)                         (1.3)                   (0.9)             69  %               (2.4)                         (1.2)                (1.2)            100  %
Interest income                     (2.2)                         (4.7)                    2.5             (53) %               (4.9)                        (10.2)                 5.3             (52) %
Interest expense, net of
capitalized interest                11.9                           7.7                     4.2             (55) %               25.0                          15.1                  9.9             (66) %
Other, net                             -                          (0.2)                    0.2            (100) %                0.3                          (0.3)                 0.6            (200) %
Non-operating (income)
expense, net                       ($3.1)                        ($5.0)                   $1.9             (38) %              $10.8                         ($6.6)               $17.4            (264) %


Gain on equity investment, net. The gain on equity investment for the three and
six months ended December 27, 2020 was due to changes in fair value of our
Lextar Electronics Corporation (Lextar) investment. During the six months ended
December 27, 2020, Lextar's stock was publicly traded on the Taiwan Stock
Exchange and its share price decreased from 19.90 New Taiwanese Dollars (TWD)
per share at June 28, 2020 to 18.70 TWD at September 27, 2020 before increasing
to 22.25 TWD at December 27, 2020.
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The gain on equity investment for the three and six months ended December 29,
2019 was due to Lextar's share price increasing from 14.75 TWD per share at June
30, 2019 to 16.05 TWD at September 29, 2019 and to 18.40 TWD at December 29,
2019.
This volatile stock price trend may continue in the future given the risks
inherent in Lextar's business and trends affecting the Taiwan and global equity
markets. As of December, 27, 2020, we had a 16% common stock ownership interest
in Lextar and utilize the fair value option in accounting for the ownership
interest. In June 2020, Lextar announced a plan to restructure under a holding
company with EPISTAR Corporation (EPISTAR) via a share swap. Effective January
6, 2021, we received 0.275 shares of common stock of the holding company named
ENNOSTAR Inc. (ENNOSTAR) for each of our shares of Lextar common stock,
representing in the aggregate an approximately 3.3% common stock ownership
interest in ENNOSTAR. The shares of ENNOSTAR are listed on the Taiwan Stock
Exchange. Any future stock price changes will be recorded as further gains or
losses on equity investment based on the increase or decrease, respectively, in
the fair value of the investment during the applicable fiscal period. Further
losses could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.
Foreign currency loss, net. Foreign currency loss, net, primarily consists of
remeasurement adjustments resulting from our Lextar investment and from our
international subsidiaries.
Interest income. The decrease in interest income was due to significant
reductions in investment returns on our short-term investment securities.
Interest expense, net of capitalized interest. The increase in interest expense
was primarily due to the addition of our 1.75% convertible senior notes due May
1, 2026 (2026 Notes), which were sold on April 21, 2020, partially offset by the
partial repurchase of our 0.875% convertible senior notes due September 1, 2023
(2023 Notes) soon after the sale of the 2026 Notes.

Income tax benefit
Income tax benefit and our effective tax rate was as follows:
                                   Three months ended                                                              Six months ended
(in millions of U.S.       December 27,           December 29,                                            December 27,           December 29,
Dollars)                       2020                   2019                       Change                       2020                   2019                       Change
Income tax benefit               ($0.2)                 ($0.5)             $0.3            (60) %               ($1.0)                 ($1.8)             $0.8            (44) %
Effective tax rate                   -  %                   1  %                                                    1  %                   2  %


The change in our effective tax rate for the three and six months ended December
27, 2020 remained steady due to relatively consistent year-to-date income in
jurisdictions where we do not recognize a full valuation allowance.
In general, the variation between our effective income tax rate and the U.S.
statutory rate of 21% is primarily due to: (i) changes in our valuation
allowances against deferred tax assets in the U.S. and Luxembourg, (ii)
projected income for the full year derived from international locations with
differing tax rates than the U.S., and (iii) projected tax credits generated.
Net (loss) income from discontinued operations
As discussed above, we have classified the results of our former LED Products
segment as discontinued operations in our consolidated statements of operations
for all periods presented. We ceased recording depreciation and amortization of
long-lived assets of the LED Products business upon classification as
discontinued operations in October 2020.
Net loss from discontinued operations was $28.4 million and $137.2 million for
the three and six months ended December 27, 2020, respectively. Net income from
discontinued operations was $3.9 million and $5.4 million for the three and six
months ended December 29, 2019.
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Liquidity and Capital Resources
Overview
We require cash to fund our operating expenses and working capital requirements,
including outlays for research and development, capital expenditures, strategic
acquisitions and investments. Our principal sources of liquidity are cash on
hand, marketable securities, cash generated from operations and availability
under our line of credit. We have a $125 million line of credit as discussed in
Note 9, "Long-term Debt," in our consolidated financial statements included in
Part I, Item 1 of this Quarterly Report. The purpose of this facility is to
provide short term flexibility to optimize returns on our cash and investment
portfolio while funding capital expenditures and other general business needs.
Additionally, on April 21, 2020, we issued and sold a total of $575.0 million
aggregate principal amount of 2026 Notes, as discussed in Note 9, "Long-term
Debt," in our consolidated financial statements included in Part I, Item 1 of
this Quarterly Report. The total net proceeds of the 2026 Notes was $561.4
million, of which we used $144.3 million to repurchase $150.2 million aggregate
principal amount of our 2023 Notes. We expect to use the remainder of the net
proceeds for general corporate purposes.
Based on past performance and current expectations, we believe our current
working capital, availability under our line of credit and anticipated cash
flows from operations will be adequate to meet our cash needs for our daily
operations and capital expenditures for at least the next 12 months. With the
strength of our working capital position, we believe that we have the ability to
continue to invest in further development of our products and, when necessary or
appropriate, make selective acquisitions or other strategic investments to
strengthen our product portfolio, secure key intellectual properties and/or
expand our production capacity.
From time to time, we evaluate strategic opportunities, including potential
acquisitions, joint ventures, divestitures, spin-offs or investments in
complementary businesses, and we have continued to make such evaluations. For
example, we recently entered into a definitive agreement with SMART regarding
the LED Business Divestiture, which, when completed, will provide us with $50
million in upfront payments, a $125 million unsecured promissory note due in
August 2023 and the potential of up to $125 million in contingent consideration.
We may also access capital markets through the issuance of debt or additional
shares of common stock, which we may use in connection with the acquisition of
complementary businesses or other significant assets or for other strategic
opportunities or general corporate purposes.
We are currently building a new silicon carbide fabrication facility in Marcy,
New York, to expand capacity for our silicon carbide device business. We expect
to invest approximately $1.0 billion in construction, equipment and other
related costs for the new facility through fiscal 2024, of which approximately
$500 million is expected to be reimbursed in future fiscal years by the State of
New York through a grant program administered by the State of New York Urban
Development Corporation (doing business as Empire State Development). Given our
current cash position, we believe we are positioned to adequately fund the
construction of the facility.
The full extent to which COVID-19 may impact our results of operations or
liquidity is uncertain. Currently, the local governments in the locations in
which we operate have designated our Company as an essential business, but our
operations have, and likely will continue, to experience supply, labor, demand
and output challenges. We continue to monitor the impact that the COVID-19
pandemic is having on our business, the semiconductor and LED industries, and
the economies in which we operate. We anticipate our future results of
operations, including the results for fiscal 2021, will be materially impacted
by COVID-19, but at this time we do not expect the impact from the COVID-19
outbreak will have a material effect on our liquidity or financial position.
However, given the speed and frequency of continuously evolving developments
with respect to this pandemic, we cannot reasonably estimate the magnitude of
the impact to our results of operations, and, if the outbreak continues on its
current trajectory, such impacts could grow and become material to our liquidity
or financial position. To the extent our suppliers continue to be materially and
adversely impacted by COVID-19, this could reduce the availability, or result in
delays, of materials or supplies to or from us, which in turn could materially
interrupt our business operations.
Liquidity
Our liquidity and capital resources primarily depend on our cash flows from
continuing operations and our working capital. The significant components of our
working capital are liquid assets such as cash and cash equivalents, short-term
investments, accounts receivable and inventories reduced by trade accounts
payable.
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The following table presents the components of our cash conversion cycle:
                                                Three months ended
                                   December 27, 2020              June 28, 2020       Change
Days of sales outstanding (a)               49                          53             (4)
Days of supply in inventory (b)            134                         117             17
Days in accounts payable (c)              (115)                       (115)             -
Cash conversion cycle                       68                          55             13


a)Days of sales outstanding (DSO) measures the average collection period of our
receivables. DSO is based on the ending net trade receivables less receivable
related accrued contract liabilities and the revenue, net for the quarter then
ended. DSO is calculated by dividing ending accounts receivable, less receivable
related accrued contract liabilities, by the average net revenue per day for the
respective 90-day period.
b)Days of supply in inventory (DSI) measures the average number of days from
procurement to sale of our product. DSI is based on ending inventory and cost of
revenue, net for the quarter then ended. DSI is calculated by dividing ending
inventory (excluding inventory related to a future Wafer Supply and Fabrication
Services Agreement to be entered into in connection with the LED Business
Divestiture (the "Wafer Supply Agreement")) by average cost of revenue, net per
day for the respective 90-day period.
c)Days in accounts payable (DPO) measures the average number of days our
payables remain outstanding before payment. DPO is based on ending accounts
payable and cost of revenue, net for the quarter then ended. Due to the
significant amount of capital expenditures associated with our future silicon
carbide fabrication facility in New York, we exclude accounts payable related to
capital expenditures in connection with the facility. DPO is calculated by
dividing ending accounts payable and accrued expenses (less accrued salaries and
wages and accounts payable balances related to our future silicon carbide
fabrication facility in New York) by the average cost of revenue, net per day
for the respective 90-day period.
The increase in our cash conversion cycle was primarily driven by increased
inventory balances as we expand production.
As of December 27, 2020, we had unrealized losses on our short-term investments
of less than $0.1 million. All of our short-term investments had investment
grade ratings, and any such investments that were in an unrealized loss position
at December 27, 2020 were in such position due to interest rate changes, sector
credit rating changes, company-specific rating changes or negative market
conditions surrounding the COVID-19 outbreak. We evaluate our short-term
investments for expected credit losses. We believe we are able to and we intend
to hold each of the investments held with an unrealized loss as of December 27,
2020 until the investments fully recover in market value. No allowance for
credit losses was recorded as of December 27, 2020.

Cash Flows
In summary, our cash flows were as follows:
                                                                  Six 

months ended


                                                December 27, 2020                  December 29, 2019                         Change
Cash used in operating activities                      ($25.9)                               ($11.8)                  ($14.1)              119  %
Cash used in investing activities                       (49.8)                               (120.5)                    70.7                59  %
Cash provided by financing activities                    14.5                                  14.5                        -                 -  %
Effect of foreign exchange changes                        0.5                                  (0.1)                     0.6              (600) %
Net change in cash and cash equivalents                ($60.7)                              ($117.9)                   $57.2               (49) %


Cash Flows from Operating Activities
Net cash used in operating activities increased primarily due to decreased
working capital in the current period.
Total cash provided by operating activities includes $6.2 million and $27.8
million of cash provided by operating activities from discontinued operations
for the six months ended December 27, 2020 and December 29, 2019.
Cash Flows from Investing Activities
Our investing activities primarily relate to short-term investment transactions,
purchases of property and equipment and payments for patents and licensing
rights.
Cash used in investing activities decreased primarily due to increased net
proceeds from short-term investments of $227.7 million partially offset by an
increase in property and equipment purchases of $157.2 million.
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For fiscal 2021, we target approximately $550.0 million of net capital
investment, which is primarily related to capacity and infrastructure projects
to support our Wolfspeed business longer-term growth and strategic priorities.
This target is highly dependent on the timing and overall progress on the
construction of our new silicon carbide fabrication facility in New York and is
net of expected reimbursements from Empire State Development under a Grant
Disbursement Agreement (GDA). For more details on the GDA, see Note 13,
"Commitments and Contingencies," to our unaudited consolidated financial
statements in Part I, Item 1 of this Quarterly Report.
Total cash used in investing activities includes $2.7 million and $0.4 million
of cash provided by investing activities from discontinued operations for the
six months ended December 27, 2020 and December 29, 2019.
Cash Flows from Financing Activities
For the six months ended December 27, 2020, our financing activities primarily
consisted of net proceeds of $15.2 million from issuances of common stock
pursuant to the exercise of employee stock options.
For the six months ended December 29, 2019, our financing activities consisted
of net proceeds of $14.6 million from issuances of common stock pursuant to the
exercise of employee stock options.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
We do not use off-balance sheet arrangements with unconsolidated entities or
related parties, nor do we use any other forms of off-balance sheet
arrangements. Accordingly, our liquidity and capital resources are not subject
to off-balance sheet risks from unconsolidated entities. As of December 27,
2020, we did not have any off-balance sheet arrangements, as defined in
Item 303(a)(4)(ii) of SEC Regulation S-K.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
Allowance for Available-for-sale Debt Securities (new for fiscal 2021 due to ASC
326 Adoption)
Available-for-sale debt securities in an unrealized loss position at each
measurement date are individually evaluated for expected credit losses. First,
we determine our intent and ability to hold the security in an unrealized loss
position until it recovers its fair value. If we do not have the intent or
ability to hold the security until recovery, we recognize an expected credit
loss equal to the decrease in fair value. If we have the intent and ability to
hold the security until recovery, we evaluate if the unrealized loss is the
result of credit related factors, primarily using qualitative data. If we
determine the security has an unrealized loss as a result of credit related
factors, we use a discounted cash flow model to determine the present value of
expected cash flows. If the security has a present value of expected cash flows
less than its amortized cost, we record an allowance and an expense equal to the
amount of the unrealized loss. If the investment recovers its fair value, the
allowance is reversed and a recovery is recognized in earnings.
We record any unrealized loss related to market interest rate changes or other
non-credit related factors as an adjustment to other comprehensive income.
We do not include accrued interest in our assessment of credit losses for
available-for-sale debt securities. We record losses related to noncollectable
interest receivable as an adjustment to interest income in the period the losses
are realized.
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts (updated for fiscal 2021 due to ASC 326
Adoption)
Receivables are evaluated for expected credit losses on a collective (pool)
basis and aggregated on the basis of similar risk characteristics, including
customers' financial strength, credit standing, payment history and historical
defaults, as well as geographical and industry conditions. Pooling criteria is
evaluated each period to ensure the risk profile for each pool is consistent
with the prior period. If a receivable does not fit into a defined risk pool, it
is evaluated for expected credit losses on an individual basis.
Each risk pool is assigned an expected credit loss rate (if any), which is
calculated by considering historical write offs, current market conditions,
forecast data and other qualitative data. Expected credit losses are recorded
each period by applying the expected credit loss rates to the total balance of
each defined risk pool.
For information on our other critical accounting policies and estimates, see the
"Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates" section of "Item 7. Management's
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in our
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 28, 2020.
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Recent Accounting Pronouncements
For a description of recent accounting pronouncements, including the expected
dates of adoption and the estimated effects, if any, on our consolidated
financial statements, see Note 1, "Basis of Presentation and New Accounting
Standards," to our unaudited consolidated financial statements in Part I, Item 1
of this Quarterly Report.
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