Note B - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2023

Notes to Financial Statements

Significant Accounting Policies [Text Block]

NOTE B—SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

1. Basis of Presentation

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and all of its wholly-owned subsidiaries and are prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP). All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

2. Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported. Actual results could differ from those estimates in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Significant estimates and assumptions that impact these financial statements relate to, among other things, allowance for doubtful accounts, inventory reserve, product warranty costs, share-based compensation expense, estimated useful lives of property and equipment, and taxes.

3. Foreign Currency Translation

The functional currency for the Company’s foreign operations is the local currency. The assets and liabilities of these operations are translated at the rate of exchange in effect on the balance sheet date and sales and expenses are translated at monthly average rates. The resulting gains or losses from translation are included in a separate component of other comprehensive income. There is no tax effect on the foreign currency translation because it is management’s intent to reinvest the undistributed earnings of its foreign subsidiaries indefinitely. Transaction gains and losses resulting from re-measuring monetary asset and liability accounts that are denominated in a currency other than a subsidiary’s functional currency are included in net foreign exchange gain and loss and are included in net income except for those intercompany balances that are long-term investments in nature. The translation gain or losses from the long-term investment nature of intercompany balances are treated as translation adjustments and included in comprehensive income.

4. Fair Value

The carrying value of cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments, accounts receivable, accounts payable, and note receivable approximate their historical fair values due to their short-term maturities. The carrying value of the debt approximates its fair value due to the short-term nature of the debt since it renews frequently at current interest rates. Management believes that the interest rates in effect at each year end represent the current market rates for similar borrowings.

The fair value measurement standard defines fair value as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The standard characterizes inputs used in determining fair value according to a hierarchy that prioritized inputs based on the degree to which they are observable. The three levels of the fair value hierarchy are as follows:

Level 1—Inputs represent quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.

Level 2—Inputs other than quoted prices included within Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly. These include quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets and quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active.

Level 3—Inputs that are not observable from objective sources, such as management’s internally developed assumptions used in pricing an asset or liability.

Assets and liabilities that are required to be fair valued on a recurring basis include money market funds, marketable securities, equity instruments and contingent consideration.

Money market funds are valued with Level 1 inputs, using quoted market prices, and are included in cash and cash equivalents on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets.

5. Cash and Cash Equivalents

The Company considers all highly liquid securities with an original maturity of ninety days or less from the date of purchase to be cash equivalents. Cash in foreign accounts was approximately $17.7 million and $17.5 million at December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.

The Company maintains cash and cash equivalents at U.S. financial institutions for which the combined account balances in individual institutions may exceed Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) insurance coverage and, as a result, there is a concentration of credit risk related to amounts on deposit in excess of FDIC insurance coverage. As of December 31, 2023, approximately $36.8 million of U.S. deposits were not covered by FDIC insurance. The Company has not experienced any losses and believes it is not exposed to any significant risk with such accounts.

6. Restricted Cash/Compensating Balances

Restricted cash includes guarantee deposits for customs duties and compensating balances associated with credit facilities.

7. Accounts Receivable/Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

The Company carries its accounts receivable at the net amount that it estimates to be collectible. An allowance for uncollectable accounts is maintained through a charge against operations. The allowance is determined by management review of outstanding amounts per customer, historical payments and the aging of accounts.

8. Concentration of Credit Risk and Significant Customers

Financial instruments which potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk include cash, cash equivalents and accounts receivable. The Company places all cash and cash equivalents with high-credit quality financial institutions.

The Company performs ongoing credit valuations of its customers’ financial condition whenever deemed necessary and generally does not require deposits or collateral to support customer receivables. The historical amount of losses on uncollectible accounts has been within the Company’s estimates. The Company generates much of its revenue from a limited number of customers. In 2023, 2022 and 2021, its top five customers represented 85.6%, 78.2%, and 67% of its revenue, respectively. In 2023, Microsoft, ATX and Digicomm represented 46.6%, 15.6% and 11.3% of its revenue, respectively. In 2022, ATX and Microsoft represented 47.3% and 18.4% of its revenue.

The five largest receivable balances for customers represented an aggregate of 75.4% and 86.9% of total accounts receivable at December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. As of December 31, 2023, Digicomm represented 35.2% of total accounts receivable and ATX represented 21.4% of total accounts receivable. As of December 31, 2022, ATX represented 64.9% of total accounts receivable, respectively. No other customer represented greater than ten percent of revenue in 2023 or 2022 had greater than ten percent of total accounts receivable at December 31, 2023 or 2022. 

9. Inventories

Inventories are stated at the lower of cost (average-cost method) or net realizable value. Work in process and finished goods includes materials, labor and allocated overhead. The Company assesses the valuation of its inventory on a periodic basis and provides write-offs for the value of estimated excess and obsolete inventory based on estimates of future demand. Inventory reserves are recorded to account for the excess and obsolete inventory combined with the lower of cost or net realizable value assessments. To develop the reserve, the Company developed certain percentages that determine the extent of inventory reserve adjustments based on the age of the inventory. Such percentages were determined through analysis of the inventory to determine each product's lifespan, a review historical write-offs or scrapped inventory, and an assessment by product engineers of the possibility of obsolescence for each product.

10. Property, Plant and Equipment

Property, plant and equipment are stated at cost, net of accumulated depreciation and amortization. The Company calculates depreciation using the straight-line method over the following estimated useful lives:

	Useful lives (in years)
Buildings		20 - 42
Land improvements		10
Machinery and equipment		2 - 20
Furniture and fixtures		3 - 7
Computer equipment and software		3 - 10
Leasehold improvements		The shorter of the life of the applicable lease or the useful life of the improvement
Transportation equipment		5

Major improvements are capitalized and expenditures for maintenance and repairs are expensed as incurred. Construction in progress represents property, plant and equipment under construction or being installed. Costs include original cost, installation, construction and other direct costs which include interest on borrowings used to finance the asset. Construction in progress is transferred to the appropriate fixed asset account and depreciation commences when the asset has been substantially completed and placed in service.

Land use rights allow the Company rights for 50 years to certain land in Ningbo, China on which the Company built a facility that included office space, manufacturing operations and employee dormitories. The land use rights are recorded at cost and are amortized on the straight-line basis over the useful life of the related contract. The land use rights expire on October 7, 2054 and December 28, 2067.

11. Intangible Assets

Intangible assets consist of intellectual property that is stated at cost less accumulated amortization. As of December 31, 2023, the Company had 326 total patents issued. The costs incurred to obtain such patents have been capitalized and are being amortized over an estimated life between 10 and 20 years. The Company periodically evaluates its intangible assets to determine whether events or changes in circumstances indicate that a patent or trademark may not be applicable to the Company’s current products or is no longer in use. If such a determination is made, the intangible asset is impaired and the remaining value of the patent or trademark will be expensed at that time.

12. Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

The Company accounts for impairment of long-lived assets in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 360, Property, Plant and Equipment, (“ASC 360”). Long-lived assets consist primarily of property, plant and equipment, right-of-use assets and intangible assets. In accordance with ASC 360, the Company evaluates the carrying value of long-lived assets when it determines a triggering event has occurred, or whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. When indicators exist, recoverability of assets is measured by a comparison of the carrying value of the asset group to the estimated undiscounted future net cash flows expected to be generated by the asset group. Examples of such triggering events include a significant disposal of a portion of such assets, an adverse change in the market involving the business employing the related asset, a significant decrease in the benefits realized from an acquired business, difficulties or delays in integrating the business, and a significant change in the operations of an acquired business. If such assets are determined not to be recoverable, the Company performs an analysis of the fair value of the asset group and will recognize an impairment loss when the fair value is less than the carrying amounts of such assets. The fair value, based on reasonable and supportable assumptions and projections, require subjective judgments. Depending on the assumptions and estimates used, the appraised fair value projected in the evaluation of long-lived assets can vary within a range of outcomes. The Company considers the likelihood of possible outcomes in determining the best estimate for the fair value of the assets. The Company did not record any asset impairment charges in 2023, 2022 or 2021.

13. Comprehensive Income (Loss)

ASC 220, Comprehensive Income, (“ASC 220”) establishes rules for reporting and display of comprehensive income (loss) and its components. ASC 220 requires that unrealized gains and losses on the Company’s foreign currency translation adjustments be included in comprehensive income (loss).

14. Share-based Compensation

The Company accounts for share-based compensation in accordance with the provisions of ASC 718, Compensation—Stock Compensation. Share-based compensation expense is recognized based on the grant date fair value in order to recognize compensation cost for those shares expected to vest. Compensation cost is recognized on a straight-line basis over the vesting period of the restricted stock units and adjusted as forfeitures occur.

15. Revenue Recognition

The Company derives revenue from the manufacture and sale of fiber optic networking products. Revenue recognition follows the criteria of ASC 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. Specifically, the Company recognizes revenue when obligations under the terms of a contract with its customer are satisfied; generally this occurs with the transfer of control of products or services at point of time or over times. When the Company receives payments and its obligations to customers are not satisfied, the Company will recognize the payment as Unearned Revenue from customers.

16. Product Warranty

The Company generally offers a one-year limited warranty for its products but it can extend for longer periods of three to five years for certain products sold to certain customers. The Company estimates the costs that may be incurred under its basic limited warranty and records a liability for the amount of such costs at the time when product defects occur. Factors that affect the Company’s warranty liability include the historical and anticipated rates of warranty claims and cost to repair. While the Company believes that its warranty accrual is adequate, the actual warranty costs may exceed the accrual, in which case the cost of sales will increase in the future. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the amount of accrued warranty was $0.25 million and $0.1 million, respectively. Changes in products warranty were as follows (in thousands):

	Year ended December 31,
	2023			2022
Beginning Balance, January 1	$	140		$	263
Warranty costs incurred		(44	)		(85	)
Provision for warranty		159			(38	)
Ending Balance, December 31	$	255		$	140

17. Advertising Costs

Advertising costs are charged to operations as incurred and amounted to approximately $0.8 million, $0.8 million, and $0.1 million for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

18. Research and Development

Research and development costs are charged to operations as incurred. The Company receives reimbursement for certain development costs, which offset with expense up to the reimbursable amount.

19. Shipping and Handling Costs

Shipping and handling costs are included in operating expenses as fulfillment costs unless we bill our customers for shipping and handling charges, which are included in net sales for the applicable period, and the corresponding shipping and handling expense is reported in cost of sales.

20. Income Taxes

The Company accounts for income taxes in accordance with the provisions of ASC 740, Income Taxes. The liability method is used to account for deferred income taxes. Under the liability method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using the enacted tax rates and laws that will be in effect when the differences are expected to reverse. The ability to realize deferred tax assets is evaluated annually and a valuation allowance is provided if it is unlikely that the deferred tax assets will not give rise to future benefits in the Company’s tax returns.

The Company records uncertain tax positions in accordance with ASC 740 on the basis of a two-step process in which (1) it determines whether it is more likely than not that the tax positions will be sustained on the basis of the technical merits of the position and (2) for those tax positions that meet the more-likely-than-not recognition threshold, it recognizes the largest amount of tax benefit that is more than 50% likely to be realized upon ultimate settlement with the related tax authority.

The Company recognizes interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits on the income tax expense line in the accompanying consolidated statement of operations. Accrued interest and penalties are included on the related tax liability line in the consolidated balance sheet.

21. Global Intangible Low-taxed Income Provisions ("GILTI")

One of the base broadening provisions of the U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (“the 2017 Act”) is the global intangible low-taxed income provisions ("GILTI"). In accordance with guidance issued by the FASB staff, the Company has adopted an accounting policy to treat any GILTI inclusions as a period cost if and when incurred. Thus, for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2023, December 31, 2022, and December 31, 2021, deferred taxes were computed without consideration of the possible future impact of the GILTI provisions, and any current year impact was recorded as a part of the current portion of income tax expense.

22. Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Recent Accounting Pronouncements Adopted in 2023

There was no accounting pronouncement adopted in 2023. 

Recent Accounting Pronouncements Yet to be Adopted 

In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-09 Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures", which requires the Company to disclose disaggregated jurisdictional and categorical information for the tax rate reconciliation, income taxes paid and other income tax related amounts. This guidance is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2024, with early adoption permitted. The adoption is expected to enhance the Company's Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements. The Company is currently evaluating the impact the new standard will have on its financial statements and related disclosure.

In November 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-07 "Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures", which requires the Company to expand the breadth and frequency of segment disclosures to include additional information about significant segment expenses, the chief operating decision maker (CODM) and other items, and also require the annual disclosures on an interim basis. This guidance is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2023, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact the new standard will have on its financial statements and related disclosure.

In October 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-06 "Codification Amendments in Response to the SEC’s Disclosure Update and Simplification Initiative", which amends U.S. GAAP to include 14 disclosure requirements that are currently required under SEC Regulation S-X or Regulation S-K. Each amendment will be effective on the date on which the SEC removes the related disclosure requirement from SEC Regulation S-X or Regulation S-K.  The Company has evaluated the new standard and determined that it will have no material impact on its financial statements or disclosures since the Company is already subject to the relevant SEC disclosure requirements.