United-Guardian, Inc. (the "Company") is a Delaware corporation that, through its Guardian Laboratories Division, conducts research, product development, manufacturing and marketing of cosmetic ingredients and other personal care products, pharmaceuticals, medical and health care products, and proprietary specialty industrial products. Two major product lines, LUBRAJEL® and RENACIDIN®, together accounted for approximately 94% and 95% of revenue for the years ended December 31, 2011 and December 31, 2010, respectively. LUBRAJEL accounted for 82% and 78% of revenue for the years ended December 31, 2011 and December 31, 2010, and RENACIDIN accounted for 13% and 17% of revenue for the years ended December 31, 2011 and December 31, 2010, respectively.

The carrying amount of accounts receivable is reduced by a valuation allowance that reflects our best estimate of the amounts that will not be collected. The reserve for accounts receivable comprises allowance for doubtful accounts and sales returns. In addition to reviewing delinquent accounts receivable, we consider many factors in estimating our reserve, including historical data, experience, customer types, credit worthiness and economic trends. From time to time, we adjust our assumptions for anticipated changes in any of these or other factors expected to affect collectability.

The Company recognizes revenue when products are shipped, title and risk of loss pass to customers, persuasive evidence of a sales arrangement exists, and collections are reasonably assured. All products are shipped Free On Board (“FOB”) Hauppauge, New York, the location of the Company’s plant. Both title and risk of loss are deemed by both the Company and its customers to have passed to the customers at the time the goods leave the Company’s plant. Shipments are only made after confirmation that a valid purchase order has been received and that the future collection of the sale amount is reasonably assured. All sales of the Company’s products are deemed final, and there is no obligation on the part of the Company to repurchase or allow the return of the goods unless they are defective. The Company does not make sales on consignment, and the collection of the proceeds of the sale is not contingent upon the customer being able to sell the goods to a third party.

Any allowance for returns is taken as a reduction of sales within the same period the revenue is recognized. Such allowances are based on historical experience. The Company has not experienced significant fluctuations between estimated allowances and actual activity.

For financial statement purposes, the Company considers as cash equivalents all highly liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less at inception. The Company deposits cash and cash equivalents with high credit quality financial institutions and believes that any amounts in excess of insurance limitations to be at minimal risk. Cash and cash equivalents held in these accounts are currently insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation up to a maximum of $250,000.

On May 11, 2011, the Company’s Board of Directors declared a semi-annual cash dividend of $0.36 per share, which was paid on June 13, 2011 to all stockholders of record as of May 30, 2011. On December 7, 2011, the Company’s Board of Directors declared a semi-annual cash dividend of $0.44 per share, which was paid on December 23, 2011 to all stockholders of record as of December 16, 2011.

On May 12, 2010, the Company’s Board of Directors declared a semi-annual cash dividend of $0.30 per share, which was paid on June 11, 2010 to all stockholders of record as of May 27, 2010. On December 1, 2010, the Company’s Board of Directors declared a semi-annual cash dividend of $0.33 per share, which was paid on December 27, 2010 to all stockholders of record as of December 15, 2010.

Cash payments for income taxes were $2,010,000 and $2,082,395 for the years ended December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively. On May 29, 2010 the Company retired 350,000 shares of stock that it purchased from Kenneth H. Globus, the Company's President and largest stockholder (see Note I). On June 9, 2010 the Company retired the 62,200 shares of its stock which it previously held as treasury stock.

Marketable securities include investments in equity and fixed income mutual funds, government securities and corporate bonds, all of which have a high degree of liquidity, are classified as "Available for Sale" securities, and are reported at their fair values. Unrealized gains and losses on "Available for Sale" securities are reported as accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) in stockholders' equity, net of the related tax effects. Investment income is recognized when earned. Realized gains and losses on sales of investments and declines in value judged to be other than temporary, if any, are reported in other income with cost being determined on a specific identification basis. Fair values are based on quoted market prices. The Company evaluates its investments periodically for possible impairment and reviews factors such as the length of time and extent to which fair value has been below cost basis and the Company’s ability and intent to hold the investment for a period of time which may be sufficient for anticipated recovery in market value.

Certificates of deposit are carried at fair value, which approximates cost. Certificates that mature in one year or less are classified as current, and those that mature in more than one year are classified as non-current. At December 31, 2011 and 2010 the Company did not hold any certificate of deposits.

Inventories are valued at the lower of cost or current market value. Cost is determined using the average cost method, which approximates cost determined by the first-in, first-out (“FIFO”) method. Inventory costs include material, labor and factory overhead.

Property, plant and equipment are carried at cost, less accumulated depreciation. Major replacements and betterments are capitalized, while routine maintenance and repairs are expensed as incurred. Assets are depreciated under both accelerated and straight-line methods. Depreciation charged to income as a result of using accelerated methods was not materially different than that which would result from using the straight-line method for all periods presented. Certain factory equipment and fixtures are constructed by the Company using purchased materials and in-house labor. Such assets are capitalized and depreciated on a basis consistent with the Company's purchased fixed assets.

Long-lived assets and certain identifiable intangibles are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. Recoverability of assets to be held and used is measured by a comparison of the carrying amount of an asset to future net cash flows expected to be generated by the asset. If such assets are considered to be impaired, the impairment to be recognized is measured by the amount by which the carrying amount of the assets exceeds the fair value of the assets. Assets to be disposed of are reported at the lower of the carrying amount or fair value less costs to sell. No impairments were necessary at December 31, 2011 and 2010.

Other asset consists of a $188,360 payment given to a vendor for regulatory and validation work that was needed to qualify one of the vendor's manufacturing locations for the production of the Company's RENACIDIN product. This amount is being amortized over its estimated 5-year benefit period at the rate of $37,672 per year, starting in 2008.

Management of the Company believes that the fair value of financial instruments, consisting of cash and cash equivalents, certificates of deposit, accounts receivable, accounts payable, dividends payable and accrued expenses approximates their carrying value due to their short payment terms.

Accounts receivable potentially exposes the Company to concentrations of credit risk. The Company monitors the amount of credit it allows each of its customers, using the customer’s prior payment history to determine how much credit to allow or whether any credit should be given at all. It is the Company’s policy to discontinue shipments to any customer that is substantially past due on its payments. The Company sometimes requires payment in advance from customers whose payment record is questionable. As a result of its monitoring of the outstanding credit allowed for each customer, as well as the fact that the majority of the Company’s sales are to customers whose satisfactory credit and payment record has been established over a long period of time, the Company believes that its accounts receivable credit risk has been reduced.

For the year ended December 31, 2011, two customers, both of them distributors and marketing partners of the Company, accounted for approximately 58% of the Company’s revenues, and one of those customers accounted for approximately 47% of the Company's outstanding accounts receivable at year end. For the year ended December 31, 2010, these same two customers accounted for a total of 53% of the Company’s revenues and one of those customers accounted for approximately 31% of the Company’s outstanding accounts receivable at year end.

The principal raw materials used by the Company consist of common industrial organic and inorganic chemicals. Most of these materials are available in ample supply from numerous sources. The Company has five major raw material vendors that account for approximately 83% and 89% of the raw material purchases by the Company in 2011 and 2010, respectively.

Income taxes are accounted for under the asset and liability method. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for future tax consequences attributable to the temporary differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases and operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in the period that includes the enactment date. Deferred tax assets are reduced by a valuation allowance when, in the opinion of management, it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized.

Uncertain tax positions are accounted for utilizing a recognition threshold and measurement attribute for financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. As of December 31, 2011 and 2010, the Company did not have any unrecognized income tax benefits. It is the Company’s policy to recognize interest and penalties related to taxes as interest expense. During the years ended December 31, 2011 and 2010 the Company did not record any interest or penalties.

The Company's research and development expenses, included in operating expenses, are recorded in the year incurred. Research and development expenses were approximately $637,000 and $596,000 for the years ended December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively.

Shipping and handling costs are classified in operating expenses in the accompanying statements of income. Shipping and handling costs were approximately $109,000 and $112,000 for the years ended December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively.

In 2004, the Company approved a stock option plan ("2004 Stock Option Plan"). All share-based payments to employees, including grants of employee stock options, are recognized as compensation expense over the requisite service period (generally the vesting period) in the financial statements based on their fair values on grant date. For options with graded vesting, the Company fair values the stock option grants and recognizes compensation expense as if each vesting portion of the award was a separate award. The impact of forfeitures that may occur prior to vesting is also estimated and considered in the amount of expense recognized. In addition, the realization of tax benefits in excess of amounts recognized for financial reporting purposes will be recognized as a financing activity rather than as an operating activity.

Basic earnings per share are computed by dividing net income by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the year. Diluted earnings per share include the dilutive effect of outstanding stock options.

In preparing financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, management is required to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Such estimated items include the allowance for bad debts, possible impairment of marketable securities, reserve for inventory obsolescence, and the allocation of overhead.

In June 2011, the FASB issued an amendment to the disclosure requirements for the presentation of comprehensive income. The amendment requires that all non-owner changes in stockholders' equity be presented either in a single continuous statement of comprehensive income or in two separate but consecutive statements. This guidance is effective retrospectively for the interim periods and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2011. The Company will adopt this amendment in the first quarter of 2012. The adoption of this amendment will not have a material impact on the Company's results of operations, cash flows or financial position.