Description of Business

Business Overview

EMCORE Corporation together with its subsidiaries (referred to herein as the “Company”, “we”, “our”, or “EMCORE”), established in 1984 as a New Jersey corporation, designs and manufactures Indium Phosphide (InP) optical chips, components, subsystems and systems for the broadband and specialty fiber optics market. EMCORE is a provider of optical components, as well as complete end-to-end solutions for high-speed communications network infrastructures enabling systems and service providers to meet growing demand for bandwidth and connectivity. EMCORE's advanced optical technologies are designed for Cable Television (CATV), Fiber-To-The-Premises (FTTP) networks, telecommunications and data centers, satellite communications, aerospace and defense, wireless networks, and broadcast and professional audio/video systems. With its InP semiconductor wafer fabrication facility, EMCORE has fully vertically-integrated manufacturing capability and also provides contract design, foundry and component packaging services.

We currently have one reporting segment: Fiber Optics. Until the first quarter of fiscal year 2015, we operated as two segments: Fiber Optics and Photovoltaics. EMCORE's Solar Photovoltaics business, which was sold in December 2014, provided products for space power applications including high-efficiency multi-junction solar cells, Covered Interconnect Cells and complete satellite solar panels. In addition, EMCORE sold certain assets, and transferred certain liabilities, of the Company's telecommunications business, including the ITLA, micro-ITLA, T-TOSA and T-XFP product lines within the Company’s telecommunications business in January 2015. In addition to organic growth and development of our existing Fiber Optics market, we intend to pursue other strategies to enhance shareholder value, which may include acquisitions, investments in joint ventures, partnerships, and other strategic alternatives, such as dispositions, reorganizations, recapitalizations or other similar transactions, the repurchase of shares of our outstanding common stock or payment of dividends to our shareholders, and we may engage financial and other advisors to assist in these efforts. Accordingly, the Strategy and Alternatives Committee of the Board of Directors and our management may from time to time be engaged in evaluating potential strategic opportunities and may enter into definitive agreements with respect to such transactions or other strategic alternatives.

Sale of Photovoltaics and Digital Products Businesses

On September 17, 2014, EMCORE entered into an Asset Purchase Agreement (the “Photovoltaics Agreement”) with SolAero Technologies Corporation ("SolAero") (formerly known as Photon Acquisition Corporation) pursuant to which SolAero acquired substantially all of the assets, and assumed substantially all of the liabilities, primarily related to or used in connection with the Company's photovoltaics business, including EMCORE's subsidiaries EMCORE Solar Power, Inc. and EMCORE IRB Company, LLC (collectively, the "Photovoltaics Business" and, the sale of the Photovoltaics Business, the "Photovoltaics Asset Sale") for $150.0 million in cash, prior to a $0.1 million working capital adjustment pursuant to the Photovoltaics Agreement finalized and paid by EMCORE during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2015. On December 10, 2014, EMCORE completed the Photovoltaics Asset Sale.

On October 22, 2014, EMCORE entered into an Asset Purchase Agreement (the "Digital Products Agreement") with NeoPhotonics Corporation, a Delaware corporation ("NeoPhotonics"), pursuant to which the Company sold certain assets, and transferred certain liabilities, of the Company's telecommunications business (the "Digital Products Business") to NeoPhotonics for an aggregate purchase price of $17.5 million, subject to certain adjustments. On January 2, 2015, EMCORE completed the sale of the Digital Products Business for $1.5 million in cash and an adjusted Promissory Note balance of $15.5 million. On April 17, 2015, NeoPhotonics paid in full the outstanding balance of the Promissory Note of $15.5 million, plus accrued interest of $0.2 million.

No Photovoltaics Business or Digital Products Business assets or liabilities that were sold remain on the consolidated balance sheet as of September 30, 2016 or September 30, 2015. The financial results of the Photovoltaics Business and the Digital Products Business are presented as "discontinued operations" on the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2016, 2015 and 2014. See Note 4 - Discontinued Operations for additional information. The notes to our consolidated financial statements relate to our continuing operations only, unless otherwise indicated.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Historically, we have consumed cash from operations and until recently, in most periods we have incurred operating losses from continuing operations. We have managed our liquidity position through the sale of assets, and cost reduction initiatives, as well as from time to time in prior periods, borrowings from our Credit Facility and capital markets transactions.

On December 10, 2014, we completed the sale of our Photovoltaics Business for $150.0 million in cash prior to working capital adjustments of $0.1 million.

On January 2, 2015, we completed the sale of our Digital Products Business for $1.5 million in cash and an adjusted Promissory Note balance of $15.5 million. On April 17, 2015, NeoPhotonics paid in full the outstanding balance of the Promissory Note of $15.5 million, plus accrued interest of $0.2 million.

On June 15, 2015, we completed the modified "Dutch auction" tender offer (the "Tender Offer") and purchased 6.9 million shares of our common stock at a purchase price of $6.55 per share, for an aggregate cost of $45.0 million excluding fees and expenses. Repurchased common stock was recorded to treasury stock. The Company incurred costs of $0.7 million in connection with the Tender Offer, which were recorded to treasury stock.

As of September 30, 2016, cash and cash equivalents totaled $63.9 million and net working capital totaled approximately $93.0 million. Net working capital, calculated as current assets minus current liabilities, is a financial metric we use which represents available operating liquidity. For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2016, we earned net income of $8.3 million.

With respect to measures related to liquidity:

We believe that our existing balances of cash and cash equivalents, cash flows from operations and amounts expected to be available under our Credit Facility (defined below) will provide us with sufficient financial resources to meet our cash requirements for operations, working capital, and capital expenditures for at least the next twelve months, and thereafter for the foreseeable future. At the discretion of our Board, we may use our existing balances of cash and cash equivalents to provide liquidity to our shareholders through one or more additional special dividends or the repurchase of additional shares of our outstanding common stock, make investments in our other businesses, pursue other strategic opportunities or a combination thereof. In addition, should we require more capital than what is generated by our operations, for example to fund significant discretionary activities, such as business acquisitions, we could elect to raise capital in the U.S. through debt or equity issuances. These alternatives could result in higher effective tax rates, increased interest expense, and/or dilution of our earnings. We have borrowed funds in the past and continue to believe we have the ability to do so at reasonable interest rates.

For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2016, the following changes to our liquidity occurred:


•	Dividend Payment: On July 5, 2016, the Company declared a special cash dividend of $1.50 per share, or a total of $39.2 million. The dividend was paid on July 29, 2016 to shareholders of record as of July 18, 2016. See Note 13 - Equity for additional information.


•	Resolution of Outstanding Litigation: In June 2016 we collected $2.6 million in fees and costs from Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. ("SEI") and $1.9 million held in escrow as the result of the favorable ruling from the SEI arbitration. See Note 12 - Commitments and Contingencies.

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Credit Facility: On November 11, 2010, we entered into a Credit and Security Agreement (the “Credit Facility”) with Wells Fargo Bank, National Association ("Wells Fargo"). The Credit Facility, as it has been amended through its seventh amendment on November 10, 2015, currently provides us with a revolving credit line of up to $15.0 million through November 2018 that can be used for working capital requirements, letters of credit, and other general corporate purposes. The Credit Facility is secured by the Company's assets and is subject to a borrowing base formula based on the Company's eligible accounts receivable, inventory, and machinery and equipment accounts. See Note 10 - Credit Facilities for additional information.