The Company’s fiscal year is a 52 or 53-week period ending on the last Sunday in the month of June. The Company’s 2023, 2022 and 2021 fiscal years were 52-week fiscal years. The Company's 2024 fiscal year will be a 53-week fiscal year. The next 53-week fiscal year will be for the Company's 2030 fiscal year.

Certain prior period amounts in the accompanying consolidated financial statements have been reclassified to conform to the current year presentation. These reclassifications had no effect on previously reported net loss or shareholders’ equity.

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (U.S. GAAP) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenue and expenses, and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. The Company evaluates its estimates on an ongoing basis, including those related to revenue recognition, valuation of inventories, tax related contingencies, valuation of stock-based compensation, valuation of long-lived and intangible assets, other contingencies and litigation, among others. The Company generally bases its estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results could differ materially from those estimates.

Cash and cash equivalents consist of unrestricted cash accounts and highly liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less when purchased. Cash and cash equivalents are stated at cost, which approximates fair value. The Company holds cash and cash equivalents at several major financial institutions, which often exceed insurance limits set by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). The Company has not historically experienced any losses due to such concentration of credit risk.

For product revenue, the Company typically invoices its customers at the time of shipment for the sales order value of products shipped. Accounts receivable are recognized at the invoiced amount and are not subject to any interest or finance charges. The Company does not have any off-balance sheet credit exposure related to any of its customers.

Expected credit losses for the Company's receivables are evaluated on a collective (pool) basis and aggregated on the basis of similar risk characteristics. These aggregated risk pools are reassessed at each measurement date. A combination of factors is considered in determining the appropriate estimate of expected credit losses, including broad-based economic indicators as well as customers' financial strength, credit standing, payment history and any historical defaults.

•Available-for-Sale – Debt securities not classified as either held-to-maturity or trading securities, which are reported at fair value with unrealized gains or losses excluded from earnings and reported as a separate component of shareholders’ equity. However, as explained further below, the Company evaluates each individual security in an unrealized loss position for expected credit losses and if it is evaluated as having an expected credit loss, unrealized losses of that security are included in earnings.

Available-for-sale debt securities in an unrealized loss position at each measurement date are individually evaluated for expected credit losses. The Company evaluates whether the unrealized loss is due to market factors or changes in the investment holdings' credit rating. An expected credit loss will be recorded when an investment in an unrealized loss position is determined to have lost value from a decreased credit rating. The Company does not record an allowance for credit losses on receivables related to accrued interest. For the fiscal years ended June 25, 2023, June 26, 2022 and June 27, 2021, no allowance for credit losses was recorded.

The Company utilizes specific identification in computing realized gains and losses on the sale of investments. Realized gains and losses on the sale of investments are reported in non-operating (income) expense, net in the consolidated statements of operations. Unrealized gains and losses are included as a separate component of equity, net of tax, unless the Company determines there is an expected credit loss.

Investments in marketable securities with maturities beyond one year may be classified as short-term based on their highly liquid nature and because such marketable securities represent the investment of cash that is available for current operations.

The Company performs recurring fair value measurements for its cash equivalents and short-term investments, as discussed further in Note 8, "Fair Value of Financial Instruments." In addition, cash, accounts and interest receivable, accounts payable and other liabilities approximate their fair values at June 25, 2023 and June 26, 2022 due to the short-term nature of these instruments.

Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value, with cost determined on a first-in, first-out (FIFO) method or an average cost method. The Company writes down its inventory balances for estimates of excess and obsolete amounts. These write-downs are recognized as a component of cost of revenue.

Property and equipment are stated at cost and depreciated on a straight-line basis over the assets’ estimated useful lives. Leasehold improvements are amortized over the lesser of the asset life or the term of the related lease. In general, the Company’s policy for useful lives is as follows:


Furniture and fixtures			5 years
Buildings and building improvements			5 to 40 years
Machinery and equipment			3 to 15 years
Vehicles			5 years
Computer hardware/software			3 to 5 years
Leasehold improvements			Shorter of estimated useful life or lease term

Expenditures for repairs and maintenance are charged to expense as incurred. The costs for major renewals and improvements are capitalized and depreciated over their estimated useful lives. The cost and related accumulated depreciation of the assets are removed from the accounts upon disposition and any resulting gain or loss is reflected in operating income.

The Company considers a long-lived asset to be abandoned after the Company has ceased use of such asset and there is no longer intent to use or repurpose the asset in the future. Abandoned long-lived assets are recorded at their salvage value, if any.

The Company receives, or expects to receive in the future, various types of government assistance, primarily in the form of grants, refundable tax credits, property tax reimbursements and sales tax exemptions. Government assistance is recognized when there is reasonable assurance that: (1) the Company will comply with the relevant conditions and (2) the assistance will be received. Government assistance related to reimbursing fixed asset purchases, such as reimbursement grants and refundable federal investment tax credits, are recorded as a reduction to the related asset(s), which then reduces depreciation expense over the expected useful life of the asset on a straight-line basis.

The Company receives government grants from the State of New York Urban Development Corporation to partially or fully reimburse the Company for certain property, plant and equipment purchases in connection with its construction of a new silicon carbide device fabrication facility in Marcy, New York. To receive these grants, the Company must comply with a number of objectives outlined in the related grant disbursement agreement, as outlined in Note 15, "Commitments and Contingencies". Grant amounts already received are subject to clawback provisions if the Company does not satisfy the agreement's outlined objectives.

As of June 25, 2023, the Company has reduced property and equipment, net by $399.1 million as a result of expected and received reimbursements from the State of New York Urban Development Corporation, of which $305.2 million has been received in cash and an additional $93.9 million in receivables are recorded in other current assets and in other assets in the consolidated balance sheet. The Company started receiving cash reimbursements in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021.

In connection with the construction of a planned materials manufacturing facility in Siler City, North Carolina, the Company expects to receive a long-term incentive package from state, county and local governments, primarily in the form of property tax reimbursements and sales tax exemptions on purchased machinery and equipment. In order to receive property tax reimbursements, the Company is required to comply with investment and job targets. The facility is under construction and the Company anticipates beginning to recognize incentives starting in fiscal 2024.

The Company expects to receive refundable federal investment tax credits and capital grants through the CHIPS Act in connection with ongoing expansion projects. As of June 25, 2023, the Company has reduced property and equipment, net by $167.4 million as a result of expected refundable tax credits in connection with the CHIPS Act.

The Company recognizes the assets acquired and liabilities assumed in business combinations at their respective fair values at the date of acquisition, with any excess purchase price recognized as goodwill. Valuation of intangible assets entails significant estimates and assumptions including, but not limited to, estimating future cash flows from product revenue, developing appropriate discount rates, continuation of customer relationships and renewal of customer contracts, and approximating the useful lives of the intangible assets acquired.

The Company recognizes goodwill as an asset representing the future economic benefits arising from other assets acquired in a business combination that are not individually identified and separately recognized. The Company tests goodwill for impairment at least annually as of the first day of its fiscal fourth quarter, or when indications of potential impairment exist. The Company monitors for the existence of potential impairment indicators throughout the fiscal year.

The Company conducts impairment testing for goodwill at the reporting unit level. Reporting units may be operating segments as a whole, or an operation one level below an operating segment, referred to as a component. The Company has determined that it has one reporting unit, Wolfspeed.

The Company may initiate goodwill impairment testing by considering qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that a reporting unit’s carrying value is greater than its fair value. Such factors may include the following, among others: a significant decline in the reporting unit’s expected future cash flows; a sustained, significant decline in the Company’s stock price and market capitalization; a significant adverse change in legal factors or in the business climate; unanticipated competition; and slower growth rates; as well as changes in management, key personnel, strategy and customers. If the Company's qualitative assessment indicates it is more likely than not that the estimated fair value of a reporting unit exceeds its carrying value, no further analysis is required and goodwill is not impaired. Otherwise, the Company performs a quantitative goodwill impairment test to determine if goodwill is impaired. The quantitative test compares the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount, including goodwill.

If the fair value of the reporting unit exceeds the carrying value of the net assets associated with the reporting unit, goodwill is not considered impaired. If the carrying value of the net assets associated with the reporting unit exceeds the fair value of the reporting unit, the Company recognizes an impairment loss in an amount equal to the excess, not to exceed the carrying value of the reporting unit's goodwill. Once an impairment loss is recognized, the adjusted carrying value of the goodwill becomes the new accounting basis of the goodwill for the reporting unit. The Company derives a reporting unit’s fair value through a combination of the market approach (guideline transaction method and guideline public company method) and the income approach (a discounted cash flow analysis). The income approach utilizes a discount rate from a capital asset pricing model. The fair value is reconciled back to the Company’s consolidated market capitalization.

U.S. GAAP requires that intangible assets, other than goodwill and indefinite-lived intangibles, must be amortized over their useful lives. The Company is currently amortizing its acquired intangible assets with finite lives over periods ranging from 10 to 15 years.

Patent rights reflect costs incurred by the Company in applying for and maintaining patents owned by the Company and costs incurred in purchasing patents and related rights from third parties. Licensing rights reflect costs incurred by the Company in acquiring licenses under patents owned by others. The Company amortizes both on a straight-line basis over the expected useful life of the associated patent rights, which is generally the lesser of 20 years from the date of the patent application or the license period. Royalties payable under licenses for patents owned by others are generally expensed as incurred. The Company reviews its capitalized patent portfolio and recognizes impairment charges when circumstances warrant, such as when patents have been abandoned or are no longer being pursued.

The Company reviews long-lived assets such as property and equipment for impairment based on changes in circumstances that indicate their carrying amounts may not be recoverable. In making these determinations, the Company uses certain assumptions, including but not limited to: (1) estimations of the fair market value of the assets and (2) estimations of future cash flows expected to be generated by these assets, which are based on additional assumptions such as asset utilization, length of service the asset will be used in the Company’s operations and estimated salvage values.

The Company recognizes contingent liabilities when it is probable that an asset has been impaired or a liability has been incurred at the date of the financial statements and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. Disclosure in the notes to the financial statements is required for loss contingencies that do not meet both these conditions if there is a reasonable possibility that a loss may have been incurred. See Note 15, “Commitments and Contingencies,” for a discussion of loss contingencies in connection with pending and threatened litigation. The costs of defending legal claims against the Company are expensed as incurred.

Revenue is recognized when control of a good or service promised in a contract (i.e., performance obligation) is transferred to a customer. Control is obtained when a customer has the ability to direct the use of and obtain substantially all of the remaining benefits from that good or service. Substantially all of the Company's revenue is derived from product sales. Revenue is recognized at a point in time based on the Company’s evaluation of when the customer obtains control of the products, and all performance obligations under the terms of the contract are satisfied. If customer acceptance clauses are present and it cannot be objectively determined that control has been transferred based on the contract and shipping terms, revenue is only recorded when customer acceptance is received and all performance obligations have been satisfied. Sales of products typically do not include more than one performance obligation.

A portion of the Company’s products are sold through distributors. Distributors stock inventory and sell the Company’s products to their own customer base, which may include: value added resellers; manufacturers who incorporate the Company’s products into their own manufactured goods; or ultimate end users of the Company’s products. The Company recognizes revenue upon shipment of its products to its distributors. This arrangement is often referred to as a “sell-in” or “point-of-purchase” model as opposed to a “sell-through” or “point-of-sale” model, where revenue is deferred and not recognized until the distributor sells the product through to their customer.

Master supply or distributor agreements are in place with some of the Company's customers and contain terms and conditions including, but not limited to, payment, delivery, incentives and warranty. These agreements sometimes require minimum purchase commitments and/or involve potential penalties to the Company if a defined supply schedule is not met. If a master supply, distributor or other similar agreement is not in place with a customer, the Company considers a purchase order, which is governed by the Company’s standard terms and conditions, to be the contract governing the relationship with that customer.

Pricing terms are negotiated independently on a stand-alone basis. Revenue is measured based on the amount of net consideration to which the Company expects to be entitled to receive in exchange for products or services. Variable consideration is recognized as a reduction of net revenue with a corresponding reserve at the time of revenue recognition, and consists primarily of sales incentives, volume discounts, price concessions and return allowances. Variable consideration is estimated based on contractual terms, historical analysis of customer purchase volumes, or historical analysis using specific data for the type of consideration being assessed.

Some of the Company’s distributors are provided limited rights that allow them to return a portion of inventory (product exchange rights or stock rotation rights) and receive credits for changes in selling prices (price protection rights) or customer pricing arrangements under the Company’s “ship and debit” program or other targeted sales incentives. These estimates are calculated based upon historical experience, product shipment analysis, current economic conditions, on-hand inventory at the distributor, and customer contractual arrangements. The Company believes that it can reasonably and reliably estimate the allowance for distributor credits at the time of sale. Accordingly, estimates for these rights are recognized at the time of sale as a contract liability and a reduction of product revenue.

Under the ship and debit program, products are sold to distributors at negotiated prices and the distributors are required to pay for the products purchased within the Company’s standard commercial terms. Subsequent to the initial product purchase, a distributor may request a price allowance for a particular part number(s) for certain target customers, prior to the distributor reselling the particular part to that customer. If the Company approves an allowance and the distributor resells the product to the target customer, the Company credits the distributor according to the allowance the Company approved. These credits are applied against the reserve that the Company establishes upon initial shipment of product to the distributor.

The Company also has inventory consignment agreements in which revenue is recognized at a point in time, when the customer or distributor pulls product from consignment inventory that the Company stores at designated locations. Delivery and transfer of control occur at that point, when title and risk of loss transfers and the customer or distributor becomes obligated to pay for the products pulled from inventory. Until the products are pulled for use or sale by the customer or distributor, the Company retains control over the products’ disposition, including the right to pull back or relocate the products.

From time to time, the Company may enter into licensing arrangements related to its intellectual property. Revenue from licensing arrangements is recognized when earned and estimable. The timing of revenue recognition is dependent on the terms of each license agreement. Generally, the Company will recognize non-refundable upfront licensing fees related to patent licenses immediately upon receipt of the funds if the Company has no significant future obligations to perform under the arrangement. However, the Company will defer recognition for licensing fees when the Company has significant future performance requirements, the fee is not fixed (such as royalties earned as a percentage of future revenue), or the fees are otherwise contingent.

At lease inception, the Company determines an arrangement is a lease if the contract involves the use of a distinct identified asset, the lessor does not have substantive substitution rights and the lessee obtains control of the asset throughout the period by obtaining substantially all of the economic benefit of the asset and the right to direct the use of the asset. Depending on the terms, leases are classified as either operating or finance leases, if the Company is the lessee, or as operating, sales-type or direct financing leases, if the Company is the lessor. The Company does not have any sales-type or direct financing leases. Lease agreements frequently include other services such as maintenance, electricity, security, janitorial and reception services. The Company accounts for the lease and non-lease components in its arrangements as a single lease component.

Right-of-use assets represent the Company's right to use an underlying asset during the lease term and lease liabilities represent the Company's obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. Assets and liabilities are recognized based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term. Most leases include one or more options to renew, with renewal terms that can extend the lease term from one to five years or more. The exercise of the renewal option is at the Company's sole discretion and the Company considers these options in determining the lease term used to establish its right-of-use assets and lease liabilities. The Company will remeasure its lease liability and adjust the related right-of-use asset upon the occurrence of the following: lease modifications not accounted for as a separate contract; a triggering event that changes the certainty of the lessee exercising an option to renew or terminate the lease, or purchase the underlying asset; a change to the amount probable of being owed by the Company under a residual value guarantee; or the resolution of a contingency upon which the variable lease payments are based such that those payments become fixed.

Because most of the Company's leases do not provide an implicit rate, the Company uses its incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at the lease commencement date in determining the present value of lease payments. The Company would use the implicit rate when readily determinable. Operating lease expense is generally recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term. Finance lease assets are generally amortized over the term of the lease. If the finance lease transfers ownership of the underlying asset to the Company or the Company is reasonably certain it will exercise an option to purchase the underlying asset, the finance lease assets are amortized on a straight-line basis over the useful life of the asset. Interest expense on the finance lease liability is recognized using the effective interest rate method and is presented within interest expense on the Company’s consolidated statements of operations.

Operating leases with a lease term of 12 months or less are not recorded on the balance sheet. The Company recognizes lease expense for these leases on a straight-line basis over the lease term. Variable lease payment amounts that cannot be determined at the commencement of the lease, such as increases in lease payments based on changes in index rates, are not included in the right-of-use assets or liabilities. These variable lease payments are expensed as incurred.

Lease income is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term. Variable lease payments, if any, are recognized as income in the period received. The underlying asset in an operating lease is carried at depreciated cost and is included in property and equipment.

The Company expenses the costs of producing advertisements at the time production occurs and expenses the cost of communicating the advertising in the period in which the advertising is used. Advertising costs are included in sales, general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statements of operations and amounted to approximately $11.5 million, $7.5 million, and $5.1 million for the years ended June 25, 2023, June 26, 2022 and June 27, 2021, respectively.

The Company sponsors one employee benefit plan (the 401(k) Plan) pursuant to Section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code. All U.S. employees are eligible to participate under the 401(k) Plan on the first day of a new fiscal month after the date of hire. Under the 401(k) Plan, there is no fixed dollar amount of retirement benefits; rather, the Company matches a defined percentage of employee deferrals, and employees vest in these matching funds over time. Employees choose their investment elections from a list of available investment options. During the fiscal years ended June 25, 2023, June 26, 2022 and June 27, 2021, the Company contributed approximately $12.3 million, $10.3 million and $8.0 million to the 401(k) Plan, respectively. The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation does not insure the 401(k) Plan.

Research and development expenses consist primarily of employee salaries and related compensation costs, occupancy costs, consulting costs and the cost of development equipment and supplies. Research and development activities are expensed when incurred.

Basic earnings/loss per share is computed by dividing net income/loss by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding for the applicable period. Diluted earnings per share is determined in the same manner as basic earnings/loss per share except that the impacts from interest expense and dividends on net income/loss are removed and the number of shares is increased to assume exercise of potentially dilutive stock options, nonvested restricted stock, contingently issuable shares using the treasury stock method and the potential issuance of shares in connection with the Company's convertible notes, unless the effect of such increases would be anti-dilutive. Under the treasury stock method, the amount the employee must pay for exercising stock options, the amount of compensation cost for future service that the Company has not yet recognized, and the amount of tax benefits that would be recognized in additional paid-in capital when the award becomes deductible are assumed to be used to repurchase shares.

The Company accounts for its employee stock-based compensation plans using the fair value method. The fair value method requires the Company to estimate the grant-date fair value of its stock-based awards and amortize this fair value to compensation expense over the requisite service period or vesting term.

The Company’s stock-based awards can be either service-based or performance-based. Performance-based conditions may be tied to future financial and/or operating performance of the Company, external based market metrics or internal performance metrics.

For service-based restricted stock units (RSUs) and performance-based RSUs (commonly referred to as PSUs) with internal metrics, the grant-date fair value is based upon the market price of the Company’s common stock on the date of the grant. For performance-based RSUs, the Company reassesses the probability of the achievement of the performance condition at each reporting period and adjusts the compensation expense for subsequent changes in the estimate or actual outcome. This fair value is then amortized to compensation expense over the requisite service period or vesting term.

For performance-based awards with market conditions, the Company estimates the grant date fair value using the Monte Carlo valuation model and expenses the awards over the vesting period regardless of whether the market condition is ultimately satisfied.

The Company uses the Black-Scholes option-pricing model to estimate the fair value of the Company’s Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) awards. The determination of the fair value of stock-based payment awards on the date of grant using an option-pricing model is affected by the Company’s stock price as well as assumptions regarding a number of complex and subjective variables. These variables include the expected stock price volatility over the term of the awards, the risk-free interest rate and expected dividends. Due to the inherent limitations of option-valuation models, future events that are unpredictable and the estimation process utilized in determining the valuation of the stock-based awards, the ultimate value realized by award holders may vary significantly from the amounts expensed in the Company’s financial statements.

Stock-based compensation expense is recognized net of estimated forfeitures such that expense is recognized only for those stock-based awards that are expected to vest. A forfeiture rate is estimated at the time of grant and revised, if necessary, in subsequent periods if actual forfeitures differ from initial estimates.

Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the estimated future tax consequences attributable to differences between the carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets are recognized for deductible temporary differences, along with net operating loss carryforwards and credit carryforwards, if it is more likely than not that the tax benefits will be realized. To the extent a deferred tax asset cannot be recognized under the preceding criteria, valuation allowances are established. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled.

Taxes payable which are not based on income are accrued ratably over the period to which they apply. For example, payroll taxes are accrued each period end based upon the amount of payroll taxes that are owed as of that date; whereas taxes such as property taxes and franchise taxes are accrued over the fiscal year to which they apply if paid at the end of a period, or they are amortized ratably over the fiscal year if they are paid in advance.

All of the Company's operations have a U.S. Dollar functional currency and therefore no foreign currency translation adjustments are recognized in other comprehensive loss in the consolidated statements of comprehensive loss. The Company and its subsidiaries transact business in currencies other than the U.S. Dollar and as such, the Company experiences varying amounts of foreign currency exchange gains and losses.

Effective July 17, 2017, the Company entered into a Shareholders Agreement with San’an Optoelectronics Co., Ltd. (San’an) and Cree Venture LED Company Limited (Cree Venture LED) pursuant to which the Company and San’an funded their contributions to Cree Venture LED and agreed upon the management and operation of Cree Venture LED. The Company contributed $5.1 million of cash for a 51% ownership interest and San’an contributed $4.9 million of cash for a 49% ownership interest.

In August 2020, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2020-06, Debt – Debt with Conversion and Other Options (Subtopic 470-20) and Derivatives and Hedging – Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity

(Subtopic 815-40). This standard simplifies the accounting for convertible instruments by eliminating the cash conversion and the beneficial conversion accounting models. This update also amends the guidance for the derivatives scope exception for contracts in an entity’s own equity. The update requires an entity to use the if-converted method for all convertible instruments in the diluted earnings per share calculation.

The Company adopted this standard on June 27, 2022, the first day of its 2023 fiscal year, under the modified retrospective approach. The adoption resulted in (i) a reduction of additional paid in capital by $333.0 million for the recombination of the equity conversion component of the convertible notes outstanding, which was initially separated and recorded in equity, (ii) an increase in the cumulative convertible note carrying value of $277.9 million as a result of removing previously recorded debt discounts, (iii) a decrease in property, plant and equipment for previously capitalized non-cash interest of $25.4 million and (iv) a decrease to beginning accumulated deficit as of June 27, 2022 of $29.7 million to recognize the cumulative gain on adoption. The Company did not recognize a discrete tax impact related to the opening deferred tax balances as of June 27, 2022 due to a full U.S. valuation allowance.

In November 2021, the FASB issued ASU 2021-10, Government Assistance (Topic 832) - Disclosures by Business Entities about Government Assistance. This standard requires entities to provide annual disclosures regarding government assistance. More specifically, the amendments in the standard improve financial reporting by requiring disclosures that increase the transparency of transactions with a government accounted for by applying a grant or contribution accounting model by analogy, including (1) the types of transactions; (2) the accounting for those transactions; and (3) the effect of those transactions on an entity's financial statements. The Company adopted this standard on June 27, 2022 under the prospective approach.