Summary of Operations and Significant Accounting Policies

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2021

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Summary of Operations and Significant Accounting Policies

Note 1 – Summary of Operations and Significant Accounting Policies

Nature of operations

Diodes Incorporated, together with its subsidiaries (collectively the “Company,” “we” or “our”(Nasdaq: DIOD)), a Standard and Poor's Smallcap 600 and Russell 3000 Index company, is a leading global manufacturer and supplier of high-quality application-specific standard products within the broad discrete, logic, analog, and mixed-signal semiconductor markets. Diodes serves the consumer electronics, computing, communications, industrial, and automotive markets.

The Company's products include diodes; rectifiers; transistors; MOSFETs; GPP bridges; GPP rectifiers; protection devices; function-specific arrays; single gate logic; amplifiers and comparators; Hall-effect and temperature sensors; power management devices, including LED drivers, AC-DC converters and controllers, DC-DC switching and linear voltage regulators, voltage references along with special-function devices, such as USB power switches, load switches, voltage supervisors, and motor controllers. The Company also has timing, connectivity, switching, and signal integrity solutions for high-speed signals.

The Company's corporate headquarters and Americas’ sales offices are located in Plano, Texas, and Milpitas, California, respectively. Design, marketing, and engineering centers are located in Plano; Milpitas; Taipei, Taoyuan City, Zhubei City, Taiwan; Shanghai, Yangzhou, China; Oldham, England; and Neuhaus, Germany. The Company's wafer fabrication facilities are located in Oldham, England; Greenock, Scotland; and Shanghai and Wuxi, China; and Keelung and Hsinchu, Taiwan. The Company has assembly and test facilities located in Shanghai, Jinan, Chengdu, and Wuxi, China; Neuhaus, Germany; and Jhongli and Keelung, Taiwan. Additional engineering, sales, warehouse, and logistics offices are located in Taipei, Taiwan; Hong Kong; Oldham, England; Shanghai, Shenzhen, Wuhan, and Yangzhou, China; Seongnam-si, South Korea; and Munich, Frankfurt, Germany; with support offices throughout the world.

•The company’s manufacturing facilities have achieved certifications in the internationally recognized standards of ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015, and, for automotive products, IATF 16949:2016;

•Diodes Incorporated is also C-TPAT certified; and

•These Quality Awards reflect the superior quality-control techniques established at Diodes Incorporated and further enhance our credibility as a vendor-of-choice to OEMs increasingly concerned with quality and consistency.

Our market focus is on high-growth, end-user applications in the following areas:

•Automotive: connected driving, comfort/style/safety, and electrification/powertrain;

•Industrial: embedded systems, precision controls, and Industrial IoT;

•Consumer: IoT, wearables, home automation, and smart infrastructure;

•Communications: smart phones, 5G networks, advanced protocols, and charging solutions; and

•Computing: cloud computing including server, storage, and data center applications.

Significant Accounting Policies

Principles of consolidation – The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Diodes Incorporated, its wholly-owned subsidiaries and its controlled majority-owned subsidiaries. We account for equity investments in companies over which we have the ability to exercise significant influence, but do not hold a controlling interest, under the equity method, and we record our proportionate share of income or losses in Interest and other, net in the consolidated statements of income. All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated.

Use of estimates – The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”) requires that management make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. The level of uncertainty in estimates and assumptions increases with the length of time until the underlying transactions are completed. Actual results may differ from these estimates in amounts that may be material to the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes.

Revenue recognition – We apply the provisions of Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") 606 in our revenue recognition practices. ASC 606 defines a performance obligation as a promise in a contract to transfer a distinct good or service to the customer, and under ASC 606 is the unit of account. A contract’s transaction price is allocated to each distinct performance obligation and recognized as revenue when, or as, the performance obligation is satisfied. Generally speaking, our performance obligations represent a promise to transfer various semiconductor products, and have the same pattern of revenue recognition. Our performance obligations are satisfied at either a point in time, or over time as work progresses. The vast majority of our revenue from products and services is accounted for at a point in time. Substantially all of our revenue in direct and Distributor sales is recognized at a point in time. Further, the payment terms on our sales are based on negotiations with our customers.

Our customers can order different types of semiconductors in a single contract (purchase order), and each line on a purchase order represents a separate performance obligation. Depending on the terms of an arrangement, we may also be responsible for shipping and handling activities. We have elected to account for shipping and handling as activities to fulfill our promise to transfer the good(s). As such, shipping and handling activities do not represent a separate performance obligation, and are accrued as a fulfillment cost. Further, although we offer warranties on our products, our warranties are considered to be assurance-type in nature and do not cover anything beyond ensuring that the product is functioning as intended. Based on the guidance in ASC 606, assurance-type warranties do not represent separate performance obligations; therefore, the primary performance obligation in the majority of our contracts is the delivery of a specific good through the purchase order submitted by our customer.

We record allowances/reserves for a number of items. The following items are the largest dollar items for which we record allowances/reserves, with ship and debit making up the vast majority: (i) ship and debit, which arise when we issue credit to certain distributors upon their shipments to their end customers; (ii) stock rotation, which are contractual obligations that permit certain distributors, up to four times a year, to return a portion of their inventory based on historical shipments to them in exchange for an equal and offsetting order; and (iii) price protection, which arise when market conditions cause average selling prices to decrease and we issue credit to certain distributors on their inventory. Ship and debit reserves are recorded as a reduction to net sales with a corresponding reduction to accounts receivable. Stock rotation reserves and price protection reserves are recorded as a reduction to net sales with a corresponding increase in accrued liabilities.

We also assess our customer’s ability and intention to pay, which is based on a variety of factors including our customer’s historical payment experience, their financial condition and the condition of the global economy and financial markets. Payment terms and conditions typically vary depending on negotiations with the customer.

Net sales are reduced in the period of sale for estimates of product returns and other allowances including distributor adjustments, which were approximately $220.3 million, $194.7 million and $163.9 million in 2021, 2020 and 2019, respectively.

Product warranty – We generally warrant our products for a period of one year from the date of sale. Historically, warranty expense has not been material.

Cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments – We consider all highly liquid investments with maturity of three months or less at the date of purchase to be cash equivalents. We currently maintain substantially all of our day-to-day operating cash balances with major financial institutions. We hold short-term investments consisting of time deposits, which are highly liquid with maturity dates greater than three months at the date of purchase. Generally, we can access these investments in a relatively short amount of time but in doing so we generally forfeit a portion of interest income. See Note 3 below for additional information regarding fair value of financial instruments.

Allowance for doubtful accounts – We evaluate the collectability of our accounts receivable based upon a combination of factors, including the current business environment and historical experience. If we are aware of a customer’s inability to meet its financial obligations, we record an allowance to reduce the receivable to the amount we reasonably believe will be collected from the customer. For all other customers, we record an allowance based upon the amount of time the receivables are past due. If actual accounts receivable collections differ from these estimates, an adjustment to the allowance may be necessary with a resulting effect on operating expense. Accounts receivable are presented net of valuation allowance, which were approximately $4.3 million at December 31, 2021 and $3.8 million at December 31, 2020.

Inventories – Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value. Cost is determined principally by the first-in, first-out method. Cost includes materials, labor, and manufacturing overhead related to the purchase and production of inventories. Any write-down of inventory to the lower of cost or net realizable value at the close of a fiscal period creates a new cost basis that subsequently would not be marked up based on changes in underlying facts and circumstances. On an on-going basis, we evaluate inventory for obsolescence and slow-moving items. This evaluation includes analysis of sales levels, sales projections, and purchases by item, as well as raw material usage related to our manufacturing facilities. If our review indicates a reduction in utility below carrying value, we reduce inventory to a new cost basis. If future demand or market conditions are different than our current estimates, an

inventory adjustment to write down inventory may be required, and would be reflected in cost of goods sold in the period the revision is made.

Property, plant and equipment – Purchased property, plant and equipment is recorded at historical cost, and property, plant and equipment acquired in a business combination is recorded at fair value on the date of acquisition. Property, plant and equipment is depreciated using straight-line methods over the estimated useful lives, which range from 20 to 55 years for buildings and 3 to 10 years for machinery and equipment. The estimated lives of leasehold improvements range from 3 to 5 years, and are amortized over the shorter of the remaining lease term or their estimated useful lives.

Goodwill and other indefinite lived intangible assets – Goodwill and indefinite lived assets are tested for impairment on an annual basis or when an event or changes in circumstances indicate that its carrying value may not be recoverable. Goodwill impairment is tested at the reporting unit level, which is defined as an operating segment or one level below the operating segment. Diodes has one operating segment. No goodwill impairment occurred in 2021, 2020, or 2019. Goodwill is reviewed for impairment using either a qualitative assessment or a quantitative goodwill impairment test. If we choose to perform a qualitative assessment and determine the fair value more likely than not exceeds the carrying value, no further evaluation is necessary. When we perform the quantitative goodwill impairment test, we compare fair value to carrying value, which includes goodwill. If fair value exceeds carrying value, the goodwill is not considered impaired. If the carrying value is higher than the fair value, the difference would be recognized as an impairment loss.

Impairment of long-lived assets – Our long-lived assets are reviewed whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable. We consider assets to be impaired if the carrying value exceeds the undiscounted projected cash flows from operations. If impairment exists, the assets are written down to fair value or to the projected discounted cash flows from related operations. As of December 31, 2021, we expect the remaining carrying value of assets to be recoverable.

Business combinations – We account for acquired businesses using the acquisition method of accounting, which requires that once control of a business is obtained, 100% of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed, including amounts attributed to noncontrolling interests, be recorded at the date of acquisition at their respective fair values. Any excess of the purchase price over the estimated fair values of the net assets acquired is recorded as goodwill.

For significant acquisitions we may use independent third-party valuation specialists to assist us in determining the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed.

Significant judgment is often required in estimating the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed. The Company makes estimates and assumptions about conditions of the assets, other costs not captured in the base costs, and consideration for entrepreneurial profit, depreciation, functional obsolescence, and economic obsolescence allocated to the various property, plant and equipment categories considering the perspective of marketplace participants.

While management believes those expectations and assumptions are reasonable, they are inherently uncertain. Unanticipated market or macroeconomic events and circumstances may occur, which could affect the accuracy or validity of the estimates and assumptions, which could result in subsequent impairments.

During the normal course of business the Company pursues acquisitions. See Note 19 for additional information regarding business acquisitions.

Equity investments – We regularly invest in equity securities of public and private companies to promote business and strategic objectives. Equity investments are measured and recorded as follows:

Marketable equity securities are equity securities with readily determinable fair value ("RDFV") that are measured and recorded at fair value on a recurring basis with changes in fair value, whether realized or unrealized, recorded through the income statement.

Non-marketable equity securities are equity securities without RDFV that are measured and recorded using a measurement alternative that measures the security at cost minus impairment, if any, plus or minus changes resulting from qualifying observable price changes.

Equity-method investments are equity securities in investees we do not control but over which we have the ability to exercise significant influence. Equity method investments are measured at cost minus impairment, if any, plus or minus our share of equity method investee income or loss. Our proportionate share of the income or loss from equity method investments is typically recognized on a one-quarter lag.

Income taxes – Income taxes are accounted for using an asset and liability approach whereby deferred tax assets and liabilities are recorded for differences in the financial reporting bases and tax bases of our assets and liabilities. If it is more likely than not that some portion of deferred tax assets will not be realized, a valuation allowance is recorded.

GAAP prescribes a comprehensive model for how companies should recognize, measure, present, and disclose in their financial statements uncertain tax positions taken or expected to be taken on a tax return. Tax positions shall initially be recognized in the financial statements when it is more likely than not the position will be sustained upon examination by the tax authorities. Such tax positions shall initially and subsequently be measured as the largest amount of tax benefit that is greater than 50% likely of being realized upon ultimate settlement with the tax authority assuming full knowledge of the position and all relevant facts. All deferred income taxes are classified as noncurrent assets or noncurrent liabilities on the consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.

Research and development costs – Internally-developed research and development costs are expensed as incurred. Acquired in-process research and development (“IPR&D”) is capitalized as an indefinite-lived intangible asset and evaluated periodically for impairment. When the project is completed, an expected life is determined and the IPR&D is amortized as an expense over the expected life.

Shipping and handling costs – Shipping and handling costs for products shipped to customers, which are included in selling, general and administrative expenses, were approximately $24.1 million, $16.6 million and $13.9 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, respectively.

Concentration of credit risk – Financial instruments, which potentially subject us to concentrations of credit risk, include trade accounts receivable. Credit risk is limited by the dispersion of our customers over various geographic areas, operating primarily in electronics manufacturing and distribution. We perform a credit evaluation of new customers and monitor the accounts receivable aging of our existing customers. Generally we require no collateral from our customers and historically credit losses have been insignificant.

We currently maintain substantially all of our day-to-day cash balances and short-term investments with major financial institutions. Cash balances are usually in excess of Federal and/or foreign deposit insurance limits.

Valuation of financial instruments – The carrying value of our financial instruments, including cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments, accounts receivable, accounts payable, credit line, and long-term debt approximate fair value due to their current market conditions, maturity dates and other factors.

Share-based compensation – We use the Black-Scholes-Merton model to determine the fair value of stock options on the date of grant and recognize compensation expense for stock options on a straight-line basis. Restricted stock grants are measured based on the fair market value of the underlying stock on the date of grant and compensation expense is recognized on a straight-line basis over the requisite four-year service period. Performance stock units are measured based on the fair market value of the underlying stock on the date of grant and compensation expense is recognized over the three-year performance period, with adjustments made to the expense to recognize the probable payout percentage.

The amount of compensation expense recognized using the Black-Scholes-Merton model requires us to exercise judgment and make assumptions relating to the factors that determine the fair value of our stock option grants. The fair value calculated by this model is a function of several factors, including the grant price, the expected future volatility, the expected term of the option and the risk-free interest rate of the option. The expected term and expected future volatility of the options require judgment. In addition, we estimate the expected forfeiture rate and only recognize expense for those stock options expected to vest. We estimate the forfeiture rate based on historical experience, and to the extent our actual forfeiture rate is different from our estimate, share-based compensation expense is adjusted accordingly.

Treasury stock – We currently have no program authorized by our board of directors to purchase shares of our common stock. Shares than have been previously acquired recorded as treasury stock, at cost, the measurement date of cost being date of purchase, as a reduction to stockholder’ equity.

During the fourth quarter of 2020, as part of the Lite-On Semiconductor acquisition, the Company reacquired 7,765,778 shares of its Common Stock.

Functional currencies and foreign currency translation – We translate the assets and liabilities of our non-U.S. dollar functional currency subsidiaries into U.S. dollars using exchange rates on the balance sheet date. Net sales and expense for these subsidiaries are translated at the weighted-average exchange rate during the period presented. Resulting translation adjustments are recorded as a separate component of accumulated other comprehensive income or loss within stockholders’ equity in the consolidated balance sheets. Included in other income are foreign exchange losses of approximately $2.1 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2021, approximately $9.8 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2020, and approximately $3.7 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2019.

Defined benefit plan – We maintain plans covering certain of our employees in the U.K. The overfunded or underfunded status of pension and postretirement benefit plans are recognized on the balance sheet. Actuarial gains and losses, and prior service costs or credits, are recognized in other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax effects, until they are amortized as a component of net periodic benefit cost. For financial reporting purposes, the net pension and supplemental retirement benefit obligations and the related periodic pension costs are calculated based upon, among other things, assumptions of the discount rate for plan obligations, estimated return on pension plan assets and mortality rates. These obligations and related periodic costs are measured using actuarial techniques and assumptions. The projected unit credit method is the actuarial cost method used to compute the pension liabilities and related expenses. The expected long-term return on plan assets was determined based on historical and expected future returns of the various asset classes. The plan’s investment policy includes a mandate to diversify assets and invest in a variety of asset classes to achieve its expected long-term return and is currently invested in a variety of funds representing most standard equity and debt security classes. Trustees of the plan may make changes at any time. As part of the LSC acquisition we have assumed the liability associated with a defined benefit plan for certain LSC employees. The net liability assumed was approximately $4.7 million, as of December 31, 2020.

Noncontrolling interest - Noncontrolling interest primarily relates to the minority investors’ share of the earnings of certain China and Taiwan subsidiaries. Noncontrolling interests are a separate component of equity and not a liability. Increases or decreases in noncontrolling interest, due to changes in our ownership interest of the subsidiaries that leave control intact, are recorded as equity transactions. The noncontrolling interest in our subsidiaries and their equity balances are reported separately in the consolidated financial statements, and activities of these subsidiaries are included therein.

Contingencies – From time to time, we may be involved in a variety of legal matters that arise in the normal course of business. Based on information available, we evaluate the likelihood of potential outcomes. We record and disclose the appropriate liability when the amount is deemed probable and reasonably estimable. In addition, we do not accrue for estimated legal fees and other directly related costs as they are expensed as incurred.

Comprehensive income (loss) – GAAP generally requires that recognized revenue, expenses, gains and losses be included in net income. Although certain changes in assets and liabilities are reported as separate components of the equity section of the consolidated balance sheet, such items, along with net income, are components of comprehensive income or loss. The components of accumulated other comprehensive income or loss include foreign currency translation adjustments and unrealized gain or loss on defined benefit plan. Accumulated other comprehensive loss was approximately $50.5 million, $73.6 million and $108.1 million at December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, respectively.

As of December 31, the accumulated balance for each component of comprehensive income is as follows:

	2021			2020
Unrealized foreign currency losses	$	(7,760	)	$	(21,614	)
Unrealized gain on cross currency and interest rate swaps, net of tax	$	(2,157	)	$	(3,574	)
Unrealized loss on defined benefit plan	$	(40,600	)	$	(48,418	)

Reclassifications – Certain immaterial amounts from prior periods have been reclassified to conform to the current years’ presentation.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

The Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued the following Accounting Standards Updates (“ASU”) which could have potential impact to the Company’s financial statements:

In November 2021, the FASB issued ASU No. 2021-10 Government Assistance (Topic 832), Disclosures by Business Entities About Government Assistance, which requires entities to provide disclosures on material government assistance transactions for annual reporting periods. The disclosures include information around the nature of the assistance, the related accounting policies used to account for government assistance, the effect of government assistance on the entity’s financial statements, and any significant terms and conditions of the agreements, including commitments and contingencies. The new standard is effective for the Company on January 1,

2022 and only impacts annual financial statement footnote disclosures. The adoption will not have a material effect on our consolidated financial statements.

In March 2020, the FASB issued ASU No. 2020-04 Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848). ASU No. 2020-04 contains practical expedients for reference rate reform related activities that impact debt, leases, derivatives and other contracts. The guidance in ASU No. 2020-04 is optional and may be elected over time as reference rate reform activities occur. During the second quarter of 2020, the Company elected to apply the hedge accounting expedients related to probability and the assessments of effectiveness for future LIBOR-indexed cash flows to assume that the index upon which future hedged transactions will be based matches the index on the corresponding derivatives. Application of these expedients preserves the presentation of derivatives consistent with past presentation. The Company continues to evaluate the impact of the guidance and may apply other elections as applicable as additional changes in the market occur.