On February 11, 2021 Illumina, Inc. (NASDAQ: ILMN) reported its financial results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year 2020 (Press release, Illumina, FEB 11, 2021, View Source [SID1234574924]).

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Record fourth quarter revenue reflects a strong close to 2020:

Revenue of $953 million, an increase of 20% compared to the third quarter of 2020 and $0.5 million higher compared to the prior year period
GAAP net income attributable to Illumina stockholders for the quarter of $257 million, or $1.75 per diluted share, compared to $239 million, or $1.61 per diluted share, for the prior year period
Non-GAAP net income attributable to Illumina stockholders for the quarter of $179 million, or $1.22 per diluted share, compared to $252 million, or $1.70 per diluted share, for the prior year period. Non-GAAP net income excludes net gains from mark-to-market adjustments on our strategic investments, primarily from our marketable equity securities (see the "Reconciliation Between GAAP and Non-GAAP Net Income Attributable to Illumina Stockholders" table for a reconciliation of these GAAP and non-GAAP financial measures)
Cash flow from operations of $406 million compared to $443 million in the prior year period
Free cash flow (cash flow from operations less capital expenditures) of $344 million for the quarter compared to $386 million in the prior year period
"Illumina delivered a strong finish to 2020 with record fourth quarter revenue exceeding our expectations," said Francis deSouza, Chief Executive Officer. "We also had record orders in the quarter, including record sequencing instrument orders and the second highest quarter for NovaSeq instrument orders. Our business delivered strong sequential growth in the second half of 2020 and we expect continued recovery from the pandemic in 2021."

Gross margin in the fourth quarter of 2020 was 66.1% compared to 69.5% in the prior year period. Excluding amortization of acquired intangible assets and expenses related to COVID-19, non-GAAP gross margin was 66.9% for the fourth quarter of 2020 compared to 70.2% in the prior year period.

Research and development (R&D) expenses for the fourth quarter of 2020 were $200 million compared to $161 million in the prior year period. Non-GAAP R&D expenses as a percentage of revenue were 20.9% compared to 16.8% in the prior year period.

Selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses for the fourth quarter of 2020 were $298 million compared to $233 million in the prior year period. Excluding acquisition-related expenses, expenses related to COVID-19, and gain on litigation, non-GAAP SG&A expenses as a percentage of revenue were 25.1% compared to 22.2% in the prior year period.

Depreciation and amortization expenses were $50 million and capital expenditures for free cash flow purposes were $62 million during the fourth quarter of 2020. At the close of the quarter, the company held $3.5 billion in cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments, compared to $3.4 billion as of December 29, 2019.

Fiscal year 2020 results:

Revenue of $3,239 million, a 9% decrease compared to $3,543 million in fiscal 2019
GAAP net income attributable to Illumina stockholders of $656 million, or $4.45 per diluted share, compared to $1,002 million, or $6.74 per diluted share, in fiscal 2019
Non-GAAP net income attributable to Illumina stockholders of $664 million, or $4.50 per diluted share, compared to $976 million, or $6.57 per diluted share, in fiscal 2019 (see the "Itemized Reconciliation Between GAAP and Non-GAAP Net Income Attributable to Illumina Stockholders" table for a reconciliation of these GAAP and non-GAAP financial measures)
Cash flow from operations of $1,080 million compared to $1,051 million in fiscal 2019
Free cash flow (cash flow from operations less capital expenditures) of $891 million, compared to $842 million in fiscal 2019
Gross margin for fiscal 2020 was 68.0% compared to 69.6% in the prior year. Excluding amortization of acquired intangible assets, expenses and income related to COVID-19, and restructuring, non-GAAP gross margin was 69.0% for fiscal 2020 compared to 70.6% in the prior year period.

R&D expenses for fiscal 2020 were $682 million compared to $647 million in the prior year. Excluding expenses and income related to COVID-19, non-GAAP R&D expenses as a percentage of revenue were 21.0% compared to 18.2% in the prior year period.

SG&A expenses for fiscal 2020 were $941 million compared to $835 million in the prior year period. Excluding amortization of acquired intangible assets, acquisition-related expenses, expenses and income related to COVID-19, gain on litigation, and restructuring, non-GAAP SG&A expenses as a percentage of revenue were 24.6% compared to 22.0% in the prior year period.

Updates since our last earnings release:

Expanded NextSeq 2000 flow cell offering with launch of the P3 Reagent Kit and started shipping the NextSeq 1000
Announced TSO 500 partnerships with Bristol Myers Squibb, Kura Oncology, Myriad Genetics, and Merck to advance comprehensive genomic profiling
Launched Illumina Connected Analytics enabling customers to manage, analyze, and explore large volumes of multi-omic data in a secure, scalable, and flexible environment
Partnered with Harvard Pilgrim Health Care to expand access to whole-genome sequencing for genetic disease testing
Won patent infringement suit against BGI in the United Kingdom
Repurchased approximately $280 million of common stock in the fourth quarter with $15 million remaining for repurchase under our current plan
Announced a collaboration with Sequoia Capital China to catalyze the genomic startup ecosystem in China
Financial outlook and guidance

The non-GAAP financial guidance discussed below reflects certain pro forma adjustments to assist in analyzing and assessing our core operational performance. Please see our Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Guidance included in this release for a reconciliation of the GAAP and non-GAAP financial measures.

For fiscal 2021, the company expects year-over-year revenue growth in the range of 17% to 20%, and expects GAAP earnings per diluted share of $4.76 to $5.01 and non-GAAP earnings per diluted share of $5.10 to $5.35. This guidance excludes the potential impact from the pending acquisition of GRAIL, which we expect to close in the second half of 2021.

Quarterly conference call information

The conference call will begin at 2:00 pm Pacific Time (5:00 pm Eastern Time) on Thursday, February 11, 2021. Interested parties may access the live teleconference through the Investor Info section of Illumina’s website under the "Company" tab at www.illumina.com. Alternatively, individuals can access the call by dialing 1 (866) 211-4597 or 1 (647) 689-6853 outside North America, both with conference ID 3809129.

A replay of the conference call will be posted on Illumina’s website after the event and will be available for at least 30 days following.