Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Electro Scientific Industries, Inc. and its subsidiaries. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated.

The Company’s fiscal year consists of 52 or 53 weeks ending on the Saturday nearest March 31. Accordingly, the fiscal 2014 reporting period consisted of a 52-week period ending on March 29, 2014, the fiscal 2013 reporting period consisted of a 52-week period ending on March 30, 2013 and the fiscal 2012 reporting period consisted of a 52-week period ending on March 31, 2012. All references to years or quarters relate to fiscal years or fiscal quarters unless otherwise noted.

Estimates

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (GAAP) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of commitments and contingencies at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. Actual results may differ from those estimates.

Management believes that the estimates used are reasonable. Significant estimates made by management include: revenue recognition; inventory valuation; product warranty reserves; allowance for doubtful accounts; accrued restructuring costs; share-based compensation; income taxes including the valuation of deferred tax assets; fair value measurements; valuation of cost method equity investments; valuation of long-lived assets; and valuation of goodwill.

Risks and Uncertainties

The Company uses financial instruments that potentially subject it to concentrations of credit risk. Such instruments include cash equivalents, available-for-sale marketable securities, trade receivables and financial instruments used in hedging activities. The Company invests cash in cash deposits, money market funds, commercial paper, certificates of deposit and readily marketable securities. Investments are placed with high credit quality financial institutions and the credit exposure from any one institution or instrument is minimized. See Note 5 “Fair Value Measurements” for further discussion on these investments.

The Company sells a significant portion of its products to a small number of large semiconductor and microelectronics manufacturers. The top ten customers accounted for approximately 41%, 61% and 56% of total net sales in 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively. One consumer electronics manufacturer accounted for approximately 15%, 31% and 29% of total net sales in 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively. No other customer individually accounted for more than 10% of total net sales in 2014, 2013 or 2012. The Company’s operating results may be adversely affected if orders and revenues from these key customers decline.

The Company uses qualified manufacturers to supply many components and sub-system modules of its products. The systems that the Company manufactures use high-performance computers, peripherals, lasers and other components from various suppliers. The Company obtains some of the components from a single source or a limited group of suppliers. An interruption in the supply of a particular component would have a temporary adverse impact on the Company’s operating results.

The Company’s net investment exposure in foreign subsidiaries translated into U.S. dollars using the period-end exchange rates at March 29, 2014 and March 30, 2013 was approximately $55.4 million and $56.4 million, respectively. The potential loss in fair value resulting from a hypothetical 10% adverse change in foreign exchange rates would be approximately $5.5 million and $5.6 million at March 29, 2014 and March 30, 2013, respectively. Foreign exchange rate gains or losses on foreign investments as of March 29, 2014 were reflected as a cumulative translation adjustment, net of tax, and do not affect the Company’s results of operations.

The Company’s operations involve a number of other risks and uncertainties including but not limited to those relating to the cyclicality of the microelectronics and semiconductor markets, the effect of general economic conditions, rapid changes in technology and international operations.

Cash Equivalents and Investments

All highly liquid investments with a maturity of 90 days or less at the date of purchase are considered to be cash equivalents. Short-term investments reflect marketable securities that have maturities of less than one year or are subject to immediate pre-payment or call provisions. These securities consist primarily of marketable debt securities and are classified as “available-for-sale securities” and recorded at fair market value. Unrealized gains and losses on short-term investments are recorded as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss). To determine whether any existing impairment is other-than-temporary and requires recognition of an impairment loss in the results of operations, the Company evaluates its marketable securities based on the nature of the investments and the Company’s intent and ability to hold the securities until the securities are no longer in an unrealized loss position.

Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

Trade accounts receivable are stated at the amount the Company expects to collect and do not bear interest. Credit limits are established by reviewing the financial history and stability of each customer. Where appropriate, the Company obtains credit rating reports and financial statements of the customer to establish or modify credit limits. On certain foreign sales, letters of credit are obtained. The collectability of trade receivable balances is regularly evaluated based on a combination of factors such as customer reputation and credit-worthiness, past transaction history with the customer, current economic industry trends, and changes in customer payment terms. If it is determined or estimated that a customer will be unable to fully meet its financial obligation, such as in the case of a bankruptcy filing or other material events impacting its business, a specific reserve for bad debt is recorded to reduce the related receivable to the amount expected to be recovered.

Accrued Restructuring Costs

The Company has engaged, and may continue to engage, in restructuring actions, which require it to make estimates in certain areas including expenses for severance and other employee separation costs. Because the Company has a history of paying severance benefits, expenses associated with exit or disposal activities are recognized when probable and estimable. Should the actual amounts differ from our estimates, the amount of the restructuring charges could be materially impacted. See Note 24 “Restructuring and Cost Management Plans” for further discussion.

Inventories

Inventories are principally valued at standard costs, which approximate the lower of cost (first-in, first-out) or market. Costs utilized for inventory valuation purposes include material, labor and manufacturing overhead.

Shipped Systems Pending Acceptance

Shipped systems pending acceptance relate to systems that have been ordered and shipped to the customer, but have been deferred in accordance with the Company’s revenue recognition policy. Shipped systems pending acceptance are recognized as cost of sales once all criteria for revenue recognition have been met and revenue is recorded. Shipped systems pending acceptance are valued at standard costs, which approximate the lower of cost (first-in, first-out) or market. Costs utilized in the valuation of shipped systems pending acceptance include material, labor and manufacturing overhead and exclude costs of installation.

Property, Plant and Equipment

Property, plant and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation and amortization. Depreciation and amortization are provided using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets. Expenditures for maintenance, repairs and minor improvements are expensed as incurred. Major improvements and additions are capitalized. When assets are sold or retired, the cost and related accumulated depreciation and amortization are removed from the accounts and the resulting gain or loss is included as a component of operating expenses.

Long-Lived Asset Impairment

Long-lived assets, principally property, plant and equipment and identifiable definite-lived intangibles, are reviewed for impairment whenever events or circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the assets may not be recoverable. The Company evaluates recoverability of assets to be held and used by comparing the carrying amount of an asset to estimated future net undiscounted cash flows generated by the asset. If such assets are considered to be impaired, the impairment recognized is measured as the amount by which the carrying amount of the assets exceeds the fair value of the assets.

The Company’s purchased patents are amortized over their estimated useful lives, generally 9 to 17 years.

Other purchased intangible assets with definite useful lives are carried at cost less accumulated amortization. Amortization expense is recognized on a straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the intangible assets, which range from 1 to 9 years.

Goodwill Impairment

The Company accounts for goodwill pursuant to Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) Topic 350 as amended in September 2011 by Accounting Standard Update (ASU) 2011-08, “Intangibles-Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Testing Goodwill for Impairment” (ASC ASU 2011-08). ASC Topic 350 requires that goodwill be tested for impairment at least annually. ASC ASU 2011-08 permits an entity to make a qualitative assessment of whether it is more likely than not that a reporting unit’s fair value is less than its carrying amount before applying the two-step goodwill impairment test. The Company tests goodwill for impairment using a quantitative approach at least annually or between annual tests if an event occurs or circumstances change that would more likely than not reduce the fair value below the carrying value. Goodwill was tested for impairment in the fourth quarter of 2014 and it was determined that there was no impairment as of March 29, 2014.

Other Assets

Other assets include consignment, demonstration (demo) equipment, minority equity investments and long-term deposits.

Consignment, demo and training equipment are recorded at the lower of standard costs or estimated market values, until the assets are sold.

The Company has minority equity investments in the preferred stock of OmniGuide, Inc. (OmniGuide), a private company. These investments are accounted for as cost method investments and the Company does not have the ability to significantly influence OmniGuide. At the end of each reporting period, the Company determines whether events or circumstances have occurred that are likely to have a significant adverse effect on the fair value of these investments. If there are no identified events or circumstances that may have a significant adverse effect on the fair value of these investments, the fair value of the investments are not calculated as it is not practicable to do so. The total carrying value of $4.3 million and $9.0 million at March 29, 2014 and March 30, 2013, respectively, is included in Other assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

The carrying amounts of financial instruments, including cash equivalents and accrued liabilities approximate fair value because of the nature of the underlying transactions and short-term maturities involved. Current and non-current marketable securities are recorded at fair value which is defined under Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) ASC Topic 820 “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures” (ASC Topic 820). ASC Topic 820 establishes a three-tier fair value hierarchy, which prioritizes the inputs used in measuring fair value. These tiers include the following:


•	Level 1, defined as observable inputs such as quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities;


•	Level 2, defined as inputs that are observable either directly or indirectly such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active and other inputs that can be corroborated by observable market data; and


•	Level 3, defined as unobservable inputs in which little or no market data exists, therefore requiring an entity to develop its own assumptions.

See Note 5 “Fair Value Measurements” for further discussion and disclosure of fair value on our financial assets and investments.

Derivative Financial Instruments

The Company’s primary objective for holding derivative financial instruments is to manage currency risk. The Company’s accounting policies for these instruments are based on whether they meet the Company’s criteria for designation as hedging transactions, either as cash flow or fair value hedges. A hedge of the exposure to variability in the cash flows of an asset or a liability, or of a forecasted transaction, is referred to as a cash flow hedge. A hedge of the exposure to changes in fair value of an asset or a liability, or of an unrecognized firm commitment, is referred to as a fair value hedge. The criteria for designating a derivative as a hedge include the instrument’s effectiveness in risk reduction and, in most cases, a one-to-one matching of the derivative instrument to its underlying transaction. The Company enters into foreign currency exchange contracts to offset the earnings impact relating to the variability in exchange rates on certain short-term monetary assets and liabilities denominated in non-functional currencies. The Company does not designate these foreign currency contracts as hedges. The change in fair value of these derivative instruments not designated as hedging instruments is reported each period in other income (expense), net, in our Consolidated Statement of Operations.

Revenue Recognition

The Company recognizes revenue when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, delivery has occurred or the services have been rendered, the sales price is fixed or determinable and collection of the related receivable is reasonably assured. Title and risk of loss generally pass to the customer at the time of delivery of the product to a common carrier. Revenue is recognized upon such delivery, provided that fulfillment of acceptance criteria can be demonstrated prior to shipment. Where the acceptance criteria cannot be demonstrated prior to shipment, or in the case of substantially new products, revenue is deferred until acceptance has been received. For multiple element arrangements, the relative fair value of any undelivered elements is deferred until the elements are delivered and acceptance criteria are met. Revenues are recorded net of taxes collected which are required to be submitted to government authorities. Installation services are not essential to the functionality of the delivered equipment and installation revenue is deferred until installation is complete. Neither the costs of installation accrued nor the fair value of installation service revenue deferred has been material.

Revenues associated with sales to customers under local contracts in Japan are recognized upon title transfer, which generally occurs upon customer acceptance. Revenues related to spare parts and consumable sales are generally recognized upon shipment. Revenues related to maintenance and service contracts are recognized ratably over the duration of the contracts.

Product Warranty

The Company evaluates obligations related to product warranties quarterly. A standard one-year warranty from the date of acceptance is provided on most products. Warranty charges are comprised of costs to service the warranty, including labor to repair the system and replacement parts for defective items, as well as other costs incidental to the repairs. Warranty charges are recorded net of any cost recoveries resulting from either successful repair of damaged parts or from warranties offered by the Company’s suppliers for defective components. Using historical data, the Company estimates average warranty cost per system or part type and records the provision for such charges as an element of cost of goods sold upon recognition of the related revenue. Additionally, the overall warranty accrual balance is separately analyzed using the remaining warranty periods outstanding on systems and items under warranty, and any resulting changes in estimates are recorded as an adjustment to cost of sales. If circumstances change, or if a significant change in warranty-related incidents occurs, the impact of the change in the warranty accrual could be material. Accrued product warranty is included on the Consolidated Balance Sheets as a component of accrued liabilities.

Research and Development

Research and development costs, which include labor and related employee expenses, patent maintenance fees, project materials costs, development tool placement and installation costs, project subcontractors, depreciation of engineering equipment, building costs and other administration expenses, are generally expensed as incurred. Engineering materials that are expected to provide future value are included in inventories.

Taxes on Unremitted Foreign Income

The Company provides for income taxes on its foreign subsidiaries’ taxable income based on the effective income tax rate in each respective jurisdiction. The Company provides for deferred taxes on the undistributed earnings of a subsidiary, except to the extent that the income is intended to be indefinitely reinvested or remitted in a tax-free liquidation. The only foreign jurisdiction where the Company is permanently reinvested is Singapore. The cumulative amount of earnings upon which U.S. income taxes have not been provided was $28.8 million and $25.8 million as of March 29, 2014 and March 30, 2013, respectively. The unrecognized deferred tax liability related to these earnings was $10.0 million and $9.0 million as of March 29, 2014 and March 30, 2013, respectively.

Comprehensive Income (Loss)

Comprehensive income (loss) includes net income (loss) and “other comprehensive income,” which includes charges or credits to equity that are not the result of transactions with shareholders. Comprehensive income (loss) within these consolidated financial statements includes primarily cumulative foreign currency translation adjustments and unrealized gains and losses on securities available for sale. The cumulative translation adjustment included in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) at March 29, 2014 and March 30, 2013 was $0.4 million and $0.4 million, respectively.

Earnings Per Share

Basic earnings per share (EPS) is computed utilizing the weighted average number of shares outstanding during the period. Diluted EPS also considers common stock equivalents, such as stock options, stock-settled stock appreciation rights (SARs), employee stock purchase plan (ESPP) shares and restricted stock units, to the extent that they are not antidilutive.

Share-Based Compensation

The Company recognizes expense related to the fair value of its share-based compensation awards. The Company uses the Black-Scholes model to estimate the fair value of all share-based compensation awards on the date of grant, except for unvested restricted stock units, which are valued at the fair market value of the Company’s stock on the date of award. The Company recognizes the compensation expense for options, SARs and unvested restricted stock units on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period of the award.

Segment Reporting

The Company complies with ASC Topic 280 “Segment Reporting” (ASC Topic 280). ASC Topic 280, which is based on a management approach to segment reporting, establishes requirements to report selected segment information quarterly and to report annually entity-wide disclosures about products, major customers and the geographies in which the entity holds material assets and reports revenue. An operating segment is defined as a component that engages in business activities whose operating results are reviewed by the chief operating decision maker and for which discrete financial information is available. Based on the provisions of ASC Topic 280, the Company has determined that it operates in one segment. The Company manages its resources and assesses its performance on an enterprise-wide basis.

Employee Benefit Plans

The Company has an employee savings plan under the provisions of Section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code. During 2014 and 2013, contributions to the plan by the Company were $0.2 million and $0.3 million, respectively.

The Company has defined benefit retirement plans at certain of its foreign subsidiaries. The Company accounts for these plans based on the provisions of ASC Topic 715 “Compensation-Retirement Benefits”.