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Lattice Semiconductor Corp.: Q3 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q3 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 4 November 2025: press release. Guidance figures: 1 raised, 6 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Revenue rose to $133.3 million: Revenue was $133.3 million, up 7.6% from the prior quarter and 4.9% from a year earlier. GAAP gross margin was 67.9% and GAAP net income was $0.02 per diluted share. Source
  • Non-GAAP EPS rose to $0.28: Non-GAAP net income per diluted share was $0.28, against $0.24 in the prior quarter and the year-earlier quarter. Non-GAAP net income rose 17.1% sequentially. Source
  • Communications and Computing led revenue: Communications and Computing was 55% of revenue. The company described its Communications and Computing revenue as record for the quarter. Source
  • PQC-ready FPGA family launched: Lattice launched the MachXO5-NX TDQ family, which the company describes as an industry-first secure control FPGA family with CNSA 2.0-compliant post-quantum cryptography support. Source
  • AI interest at OCP summit: Management said recent AI announcements raised interest in its low-power solutions at the OCP Global Summit and added to datacenter momentum with hyperscalers, neo-Cloud, enterprise, server and communications OEMs, and ODM partners. Source
  • GAAP operating expenses rose 15%: GAAP operating expenses were $92.1 million, up 15.0% from the prior quarter. R&D was 37.2% of revenue and SG&A was 31.0%, against 35.1% and 28.1% in the prior quarter. Source
  • Inventory days fell to 193: Inventory days were 193, against 218 in the prior quarter and 242 a year earlier. Inventories were $90.7 million, against $103.4 million at December 28, 2024. Source
  • Free cash flow $34.0 million: Operating cash flow was $47.0 million, a 35.3% margin. Free cash flow was $34.0 million, a 25.5% margin, after capital expenditures of $13.1 million. Source

“We continue to drive operating leverage and expand profitability”

Ford Tamer, Chief Executive Officer

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Revenue Sourcefourth quarter 2025$138 million to $148 millionKept
Revenue growth year over year Sourcefourth quarter 202522%Kept
Gross margin (non-GAAP) Sourcefourth quarter 202569.5% plus or minus 1%Kept
Total operating expenses (non-GAAP) Sourcefourth quarter 2025$54.5 million to $56.5 millionRaised from $54 million to $55 million
Income tax rate (non-GAAP) Sourcefourth quarter 20253% to 5%Kept
Net income per share (non-GAAP) Sourcefourth quarter 2025$0.30 to $0.34 per shareKept
Revenue and non-GAAP EPS growth, second half vs first half Sourcesecond half of 202513% revenue growth; 29% non-GAAP EPS growthKept

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance raised: The Q4 2025 non-GAAP operating expense range moved from $54 million to $55 million in the earlier release to $54.5 million to $56.5 million in this release. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Revenue rose to $133.3 million: Revenue was $133.3 million, up 7.6% from the prior quarter and 4.9% from a year earlier. GAAP gross margin was 67.9% and GAAP net income was $0.02 per diluted share. Source
  • Non-GAAP EPS rose to $0.28: Non-GAAP net income per diluted share was $0.28, against $0.24 in the prior quarter and the year-earlier quarter. Non-GAAP net income rose 17.1% sequentially. Source
  • GAAP operating loss in the quarter: GAAP loss from operations was $1.5 million, against income of $4.7 million in the prior quarter. Stock-based compensation was $36.0 million, against $24.1 million. Source
  • Nine-month revenue below last year: Nine-month revenue was $377.5 million, against $392.0 million a year earlier. Nine-month GAAP net income was $10.7 million, against $44.6 million. Source

Segments and regions

  • Communications and Computing led revenue: Communications and Computing was 55% of revenue. The company described its Communications and Computing revenue as record for the quarter. Source
  • Industrial and Automotive revenue up: Industrial and Automotive revenue was $50.3 million, 38% of revenue, against $47.3 million in the prior quarter and $54.2 million a year earlier. Source
  • Consumer revenue up sequentially: Consumer revenue was $9.0 million, 7% of revenue, against $8.0 million in the prior quarter and $11.9 million a year earlier. Source
  • Asia share fell, Europe rose: Asia was 65% of revenue, against 67% in the prior quarter. Americas was 19%, against 22%. Europe, including Africa, was 16%, against 11%. Source
  • Distribution share fell, direct rose: Distribution was 83% of revenue, against 84% in the prior quarter and 95% a year earlier. Direct was 17%, against 16% and 5%. Source

“Our Communications and Computing business achieved record revenue, and we are expecting continued growth into the fourth quarter and beyond.”

Ford Tamer, Chief Executive Officer

Products, customers and strategy

  • PQC-ready FPGA family launched: Lattice launched the MachXO5-NX TDQ family, which the company describes as an industry-first secure control FPGA family with CNSA 2.0-compliant post-quantum cryptography support. Source
  • AI interest at OCP summit: Management said recent AI announcements raised interest in its low-power solutions at the OCP Global Summit and added to datacenter momentum with hyperscalers, neo-Cloud, enterprise, server and communications OEMs, and ODM partners. Source
  • Mid-range FPGA investment continues: The CFO said the company is focused on executing its strategy, including investments to strengthen its leadership in small and mid-range FPGAs. Source

Costs, margins and pricing

  • GAAP gross margin eased 50 bps: GAAP gross margin was 67.9%, down 50 basis points from 68.4% in the prior quarter and 110 basis points from a year earlier. Non-GAAP gross margin was 69.5%, up 20 basis points. Source
  • GAAP operating expenses rose 15%: GAAP operating expenses were $92.1 million, up 15.0% from the prior quarter. R&D was 37.2% of revenue and SG&A was 31.0%, against 35.1% and 28.1% in the prior quarter. Source
  • Non-GAAP operating expenses rose 4%: Non-GAAP operating expenses were $53.9 million, up 4.0% from the prior quarter and flat from the year-earlier quarter. Source
  • Stock-based compensation more than doubled: Stock-based compensation expense was $80.2 million for the nine months, against $38.3 million a year earlier. Depreciation and amortization was $26.6 million, against $28.4 million. Source
  • Transformation and restructuring charges: Transformation charges were $1.3 million and restructuring and other charges were $1.0 million in the quarter. Both are excluded from non-GAAP results. Source

“We grew revenue, non-GAAP gross margin, and non-GAAP profitability both sequentially and on a year-on-year basis.”

Lorenzo Flores, Chief Financial Officer

Demand and inventory

  • Inventory days fell to 193: Inventory days were 193, against 218 in the prior quarter and 242 a year earlier. Inventories were $90.7 million, against $103.4 million at December 28, 2024. Source
  • Receivable days edged up: Receivable days were 65, against 63 in the prior quarter and 66 a year earlier. Accounts receivable were $95.5 million, against $81.1 million at December 28, 2024. Source
  • Industrial and Automotive markets continue to recover: The CFO said the Industrial and Automotive markets continue to recover and that inventory levels are expected to be normalized by the end of the year. Source

Capital, cash and returns

  • Free cash flow $34.0 million: Operating cash flow was $47.0 million, a 35.3% margin. Free cash flow was $34.0 million, a 25.5% margin, after capital expenditures of $13.1 million. Source
  • Buybacks of $85 million year to date: The company repurchased common stock valued at $85 million through the first nine months of 2025, against $47.0 million in the same period a year earlier. Source
  • Cash balance lower than December: Cash and cash equivalents were $117.9 million at September 27, 2025, against $136.3 million at December 28, 2024. Source
  • Nine-month operating cash flow higher: Nine-month operating cash flow was $117.5 million, against $95.5 million a year earlier. Nine-month capital expenditures were $28.9 million, against $15.2 million. Source
  • Property and equipment rose: Property and equipment, net was $72.1 million at September 27, 2025, against $53.0 million at December 28, 2024. Source

Tax and legal items

  • GAAP tax line showed a benefit: GAAP income tax was a benefit of $3.7 million, against expense of $2.2 million in the prior quarter. GAAP net income was $2.8 million, a 2.1% net income margin. Source
  • Tax law change in non-GAAP items: The non-GAAP reconciliation includes a $1.7 million change-in-tax-law item in the quarter, tied to R&D cost capitalization that the 2025 Tax Act made permanent. Source
  • Legal expenses for defending claims: Legal expenses outside the ordinary course were $6 thousand in the quarter, against $568 thousand in the prior quarter, for defending claims brought against the company by three named individuals. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Inventory days (DIO) Source193
Gross margin (GAAP) Source67.9%
Gross margin (non-GAAP) Source69.5%
Communications and Computing revenue Source$74.0 million (55%)
Industrial and Automotive revenue Source$50.3 million (38%)
Consumer revenue Source$9.0 million (7%)

Risks management discussed

  • Financial: Non-cash deferred tax changes in the quarter included $4.9 million for certain tax matters related to prior fiscal periods. Source
  • Regulatory: The company is defending claims brought by three named individuals; legal expense outside the ordinary course was $6 thousand this quarter. Source
  • Regulatory: The provision for U.S. tax on foreign operations increased under the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, with R&D capitalization made permanent in 2025. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: Management referred back to the start-of-2025 discussion of inventory normalization; the release gives no status against it. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.