UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

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FORM 10-Q

(MARK ONE)

Commission File No. 0-11676

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BEL FUSE INC.
206 Van Vorst Street
Jersey City, NJ  07302
(201) 432-0463

(Address of principal executive offices and zip code)

(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)

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Certain information and footnote disclosures required under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("U.S. GAAP") have been condensed or omitted from the following condensed consolidated financial statements pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission.  The following condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the year-end consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013.

The results of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014 are not necessarily indicative of the results for the entire fiscal year or for any other period.

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BEL FUSE INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(dollars in thousands, except share and per share data)
(Unaudited)
		September 30,				December 31,
		2014				2013
ASSETS
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents		$	83,140			$	62,123
Accounts receivable - less allowance for doubtful accounts of $1,836
and $941 at September 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013, respectively			103,701				63,849
Inventories			113,506				70,019
Prepaid expenses and other current assets			7,548				3,519
Refundable income taxes			6,303				1,650
Deferred income taxes			3,679				2,995
Total Current Assets			317,877				204,155
Property, plant and equipment - net			74,104				40,896
Deferred income taxes			4,688				1,680
Intangible assets - net			84,151				29,472
Goodwill			130,224				18,490
Other assets			32,443				13,448
TOTAL ASSETS		$	643,487			$	308,141
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable		$	63,929			$	29,518
Accrued expenses			44,551				22,442
Short-term borrowings under revolving credit line			-				12,000
Current maturities of long-term debt			12,094				-
Notes payable			163				739
Income taxes payable			2,861				1,496
Dividends payable			894				786
Total Current Liabilities			124,492				66,981
Long-term Liabilities:
Long-term debt, noncurrent			223,219				-
Liability for uncertain tax positions			38,412				1,218
Minimum pension obligation and unfunded pension liability			11,649				10,830
Deferred income taxes			15,887				-
Other long-term liabilities			535				410
Total Long-term Liabilities			289,702				12,458
Total Liabilities			414,194				79,439
Commitments and Contingencies
Stockholders' Equity:
Preferred stock, no par value, 1,000,000 shares authorized; none issued			-				-
Class A common stock, par value $.10 per share, 10,000,000 shares
authorized; 2,174,912 shares outstanding at each date (net of
1,072,769 treasury shares)			217				217
Class B common stock, par value $.10 per share, 30,000,000 shares
authorized; 9,704,877 and 9,335,677 shares outstanding, respectively
(net of 3,218,307 treasury shares)			971				933
Additional paid-in capital			20,833				18,914
Retained earnings			212,691				207,993
Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income			(5,419	)			645
Total Stockholders' Equity			229,293				228,702
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY		$	643,487			$	308,141
See notes to unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

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BEL FUSE INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

1.	BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The condensed consolidated balance sheet as of September 30, 2014, and the condensed consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income and cash flows for the periods presented herein have been prepared by Bel Fuse Inc. (the "Company" or "Bel") and are unaudited. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting solely of normal recurring adjustments) necessary to present fairly the financial position, results of operations and cash flows for all periods presented have been made.  The results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014 should not be viewed as indicative of the Company's annual results or the Company's results for any other period.  The information for the condensed consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2013 was derived from audited financial statements.  These financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and footnotes thereto included in the Bel Fuse Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013.

On March 9, 2012, the Company completed its acquisition of 100% of the issued and outstanding capital stock of GigaCom Interconnect AB ("GigaCom").  On July 31, 2012, the Company consummated its acquisition of 100% of the issued and outstanding capital stock of Fibreco Ltd. ("Fibreco").  On September 12, 2012, the Company completed its acquisition of 100% of the issued and outstanding capital stock of Powerbox Italia S.r.L ("Powerbox").  The acquisitions of GigaCom, Fibreco and Powerbox may hereafter be referred to collectively as either the "2012 Acquisitions" or the "2012 Acquired Companies".  Accordingly, as of the respective acquisition dates, all of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed were recorded at their preliminary fair values.  The accompanying condensed consolidated statement of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013 have been restated to reflect immaterial measurement period adjustments related to the applicable 2012 Acquisitions.

On March 29, 2013, the Company completed its acquisition of 100% of the issued and outstanding capital stock of Transpower Technologies (HK) Limited ("Transpower") and certain other tangible and intangible assets related to the Transpower magnetics business of TE Connectivity ("TRP").  On August 20, 2013, the Company completed its acquisition of 100% of the issued and outstanding capital stock of Array Connector Corporation ("Array"). The acquisitions of TRP and Array may hereafter be referred to collectively as either the "2013 Acquisitions" or the "2013 Acquired Companies".  Accordingly, as of the respective acquisition dates, all of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed were recorded at their preliminary fair values. The Company's condensed consolidated results of operations include the operating results of the 2013 Acquisitions since their respective acquisition dates.  The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements as of December 31, 2013 and for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013 have been restated to reflect measurement period adjustments, as further described in Note 3, related to the  TRP acquisition.

On June 19, 2014, the Company completed its acquisition of 100% of the issued and outstanding capital stock of the Power-One Power Solutions business ("Power Solutions") of ABB Ltd.  On July 25, 2014, the Company completed its acquisition of 100% of the issued and outstanding capital stock of the U.S. and U.K. Connectivity Solutions businesses from Emerson Electric Co. ("Emerson").  On August 29, 2014, the Company completed its acquisition of the Connectivity Solutions business in China from Emerson (collectively with the U.S. and U.K. portion of the transaction, "Connectivity Solutions").  The acquisitions of Power Solutions and Connectivity Solutions may hereafter be referred to collectively as either the "2014 Acquisitions" or the "2014 Acquired Companies". Accordingly, as of the respective acquisition dates, all of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed were recorded at their preliminary fair values. The Company's condensed consolidated results of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014 include the operating results of the 2014 Acquisitions from their respective acquisition dates through September 30, 2014.

The Company's significant accounting policies are summarized in Note 1 of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013.  There were no significant changes to these accounting policies during the nine months ended September 30, 2014.

Recently Adopted Standards

In July 2013, the FASB issued revised guidance to address the diversity in practice related to the financial statement presentation of unrecognized tax benefits when a net operating loss carryforward, a similar tax loss, or a tax credit carryforward exists. The Company adopted this guidance as of January 1, 2014, on a prospective basis. The adoption did not have a material impact on the Company's financial statements.

Standards Issued Not Yet Adopted

In April 2014, the FASB issued guidance for the reporting of discontinued operations, which also contains new disclosure requirements for both discontinued operations and other disposals that do not meet the definition of a discontinued operation. This guidance is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2014. Management believes that the adoption of this guidance will not have a material impact on the Company's financial statements.

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In May 2014, the FASB issued guidance on the accounting for revenue from contracts with customers that will supersede most existing revenue recognition guidance, including industry-specific guidance. The core principle requires an entity to recognize revenue to depict the transfer of goods and services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. In addition, the guidance requires enhanced disclosures regarding the nature, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from an entity's contracts with customers. This guidance is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2016. Entities can choose to apply the guidance using either the full retrospective approach or a modified retrospective approach. Management is currently evaluating the impact that this guidance will have on the Company's financial statements, if any, including which transition method it will adopt.

In June 2014, the FASB issued guidance on stock compensation.  The amendment requires that a performance target that affects vesting and that could be achieved after the requisite service period be treated as a performance condition.  A reporting entity should apply existing guidance in Topic 718 as it relates to awards with performance conditions that affect vesting to account for such awards.  Compensation cost should be recognized in the period in which it becomes probable that the performance target will be achieved and should represent the compensation cost attributable to the period(s) for which the requisite service has already been rendered.  The amendment is effective for annual reporting periods (including interim reporting periods within those periods) beginning after December 15, 2015.  Earlier adoption is permitted.  Management does not believe that the adoption of this guidance will have any material impact on the Company's financial position or results of operations.

In August 2014, the FASB issued guidance on the presentation of financial statements when there is substantial doubt about an entity's ability to continue as a going concern. The amendment requires that an entity's management evaluate whether there are conditions or events, considered in the aggregate, that raise substantial doubt about the entity's ability to continue as a going concern within one year after the date that the financial statements are issued. If conditions or events raise substantial doubt about an entity's ability to continue as a going concern, additional disclosure is required to enable users of the financial statements to understand the conditions or events, management's evaluation of the significance of those conditions and management's plans that are intended to alleviate or management's plans that have alleviated substantial doubt. The amendment is effective for annual periods ending after December 15, 2016, and for annual periods and interim periods thereafter. Early application is permitted. Management does not believe that the adoption of this guidance will have any material impact on the Company's financial position or results of operations.

2. EARNINGS PER SHARE

The Company utilizes the two-class method to report its earnings per share.  The two-class method is an earnings allocation formula that determines earnings per share for each class of common stock according to dividends declared and participation rights in undistributed earnings.  The Company's Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, states that Class B common shares are entitled to dividends at least 5% greater than dividends paid to Class A common shares, resulting in the two-class method of computing earnings per share.  In computing earnings per share, the Company has allocated dividends declared to Class A and Class B based on amounts actually declared for each class of stock and 5% more of the undistributed earnings have been allocated to Class B shares than to the Class A shares on a per share basis.  Basic earnings per common share are computed by dividing net earnings by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during the period.  Diluted earnings per common share, for each class of common stock, are computed by dividing net earnings by the weighted-average number of common shares and potential common shares outstanding during the period. There were no potential common shares outstanding during the three or nine months ended September 30, 2014 or September 30, 2013 which would have had a dilutive effect on earnings per share.

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The earnings and weighted-average shares outstanding used in the computation of basic and diluted earnings per share are as follows (dollars in thousands, except share and per share data):

2014 Acquisitions:

On June 19, 2014, the Company completed its acquisition of Power Solutions for $110.0 million, net of cash acquired.  Power Solutions is a leading provider of high-efficiency and high-density power conversion products for server, storage and networking equipment, industrial applications and power systems.  Power Solutions offers a premier line of standard, modified-standard and custom designed AC/DC, DC/DC and other specific power conversion products for a variety of technologies in data centers, telecommunications and industrial applications.  The acquisition of Power Solutions brings a complementary, industry-leading power product portfolio to Bel's existing line of power products, expands our current customer base in the areas of server, storage and networking equipment and adds industrial and additional transportation applications to the Company's product offering.

On July 25, 2014, the Company completed its acquisition of the U.S. and U.K. entities of the Emerson Network Power Connectivity Solutions business ("CS") from Emerson Electric Co. with a payment, net of cash acquired and including a working capital adjustment, of $90.7 million.  On August 29, 2014, an additional payment of $9 million was made in connection with the closing of the China portion of the transaction.  CS is a leading provider of high‑performance RF/Microwave and Harsh Environment Optical Connectors and Assemblies for military, aerospace, wireless communications, data communications, broadcast and industrial applications. CS is headquartered in Bannockburn, Illinois, and has manufacturing facilities in North America, the U.K. and China.  CS will become part of Bel's Connectivity Solutions product group under the Cinch Connector business.  Management believes the acquisition of CS will enable the Company to further expand into the aerospace and military markets where long-term product reliability resulting from highly engineered solutions is critical. The addition of the CS Stratos brand with our Fibreco/Gigacom Interconnect products will also give the Company a solid position in the expanded beam fiber optic market place.  The CS group will also significantly expand the Company's existing copper‑based product offerings with the addition of RF/Microwave components and assemblies.

During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014, the Company incurred $3.8 million and $5.3 million, respectively, of acquisition-related costs associated with the 2014 Acquisitions.  These costs are included in selling, general and administrative expense in the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014.

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While the initial accounting related to the acquisitions of Power Solutions and Connectivity Solutions is not complete as of the filing date of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, the following table depicts the Company's current estimate of the respective acquisition date fair values of the consideration paid and identifiable net assets acquired (in thousands):

 

* The Company acquired the U.S. and U.K. entities of Connectivity Solutions on July 25, 2014 and the China entity of Connectivity Solutions on August 29, 2014.  These values represent the estimated fair values as of the respective acquisition date.

(a)	The inventory amounts noted above for both Power Solutions and Connectivity Solutions include preliminary adjustments to acquisition-date fair value.

(b)

The appraisals related to machinery and equipment acquired were still in progress as of this filing date; however, the amount noted above for Connectivity Solutions includes preliminary adjustments to acquisition-date fair value.  The amounts noted above for Power Solutions property, plant and equipment only include the carrying value of those assets on Power Solutions' balance sheet as of the acquisition date.

(c)

The Company has identified certain intangible assets related to the Power Solutions acquisition, including trademarks and trade names, developed technology and potential in-process research and development, license agreements, non-compete agreements, an investment in a 49%-owned joint venture and customer relationships, which are being valued by a third-party appraiser.  These appraisals were not complete as of the date of this filing.  The Company has also identified certain intangible assets related to the Connectivity Solutions acquisition, including trademarks, developed technology and customer relationships, which are being valued by a third-party appraiser.  While these appraisals were still in progress as of the date of this filing, preliminary estimated adjustments to fair value have been reflected in the table above.

(d)

The Company recorded measurement period adjustments related to estimated uncertain tax provisions and other tax liabilities, including an indemnification asset related to certain liabilities.  While these estimates were still in progress as of the date of this filing, preliminary estimated adjustments to these liabilities have been reflected in the table above.

(e)

The amount of goodwill is provisional as of the filing date, as the fair value determination of inventory acquired, and appraisals related to property, plant and equipment, various intangible assets and certain liabilities such as lease liabilities are still underway.  As the final amount of goodwill has not yet been determined or allocated by segment, the Company is unable to determine at this time the portion of goodwill, if any, that will be deductible for tax purposes.

 

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The preliminary fair value of identifiable intangible assets related to the 2014 Acquired Companies is shown in the table below (dollars in thousands).  For those intangible assets with finite lives, the acquisition-date fair values will be amortized over their respective estimated future lives utilizing the straight-line method.

The results of operations of the 2014 Acquired Companies have been included in the Company's consolidated financial statements for the period subsequent to their respective acquisition dates.  During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014, the 2014 Acquired Companies contributed revenue of $63.1 million and $70.3 million, respectively, and net loss of approximately $0.8 million and $1.6 million, respectively, to the Company's consolidated financial results.

The following unaudited pro forma information presents a summary of the combined results of operations of the Company and the aggregate results of TRP, Array, Power Solutions and Connectivity Solutions for the periods presented as if the 2013 Acquisitions had occurred on January 1, 2012 and the 2014 Acquisitions had occurred on January 1, 2013, along with certain pro forma adjustments.  These pro forma adjustments give effect to the amortization of certain definite-lived intangible assets, adjusted depreciation based upon estimated fair value of assets acquired, interest expense and amortization of deferred financing costs related to the financing of the business combinations, and related tax effects.  The 2014 unaudited pro forma net earnings for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014 were adjusted to exclude $3.9 million and $5.4 million ($2.4 million and $3.3 million after tax), respectively, of non-recurring expenses which were incurred in connection with the 2013 and 2014 Acquisitions.  The 2013 unaudited pro forma net earnings were adjusted to include these charges in addition to an estimated non-recurring expense related to a fair value adjustment to acquisition-date inventory of $4.6 million ($4.4 million after tax) during each of the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013, respectively.  The 2013 results reflected below include merger-related charges incurred by Power Solutions in connection with its acquisition by ABB in July 2013. The pro forma results do not reflect the realization of any potential cost savings, or any related integration costs. Certain cost savings may result from these acquisitions; however, there can be no assurance that these cost savings will be achieved. The unaudited pro forma results are presented for illustrative purposes only and are not necessarily indicative of the results that would have actually been obtained if the acquisitions had occurred on the assumed dates, nor is the pro forma data intended to be a projection of results that may be obtained in the future (in thousands):

 

		Three Months Ended								Nine Months Ended
		September 30,								September 30,
		2014				2013				2014				2013
Revenue		$	163,040			$	185,091			$	480,482			$	533,605
Net earnings			8,417				(28,213	)			6,388				(39,714	)
Earnings per Class A common share - basic and diluted			0.68				(2.38	)			0.51				(3.36	)
Earnings per Class B common share - basic and diluted			0.72				(2.50	)			0.56				(3.51	)

2013 Acquisitions:

On March 29, 2013, the Company completed its acquisition of TRP for $21.0 million, net of cash acquired. The Company's purchase of TRP consisted of the integrated connector module ("ICM") family of products, including RJ45, 10/100 Gigabit, 10G, PoE/PoE+, MRJ21 and RJ.5, a line of modules for smart-grid applications, and discrete magnetics.

On August 20, 2013, the Company completed its acquisition of Array, a manufacturer of aerospace and mil-spec connector products based in Miami, Florida, for $10.0 million in cash.  The acquisition of Array expands the Company's portfolio of connector products that can be offered to the combined customer base, and provides an opportunity to sell other products that Bel manufactures to Array's customers.  Array has become part of Bel's Cinch Connector business.

During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014, the Company incurred less than $0.1 million and $0.1 million, respectively, of acquisition-related costs associated with the 2012 and 2013 Acquisitions.  During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013, the Company incurred acquisition costs of $0.1 million and $0.8 million, respectively, related to the 2012 and 2013 Acquisitions.  These costs are included in selling, general and administrative expense in the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013.

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The purchase price allocations for TRP and Array were finalized during the first quarter of 2014.  The following table depicts the finalized respective acquisition date fair values of the consideration paid and identifiable net assets acquired (in thousands):

The measurement period adjustments noted above primarily relate to adjustments to fair value based on the appraisals on inventory, property, plant and equipment, and intangible assets.  In addition, various other asset and liability accounts had measurement period adjustments related to deferred taxes.

The results of operations of the 2013 Acquired Companies have been included in the Company's consolidated financial statements for the period subsequent to their respective acquisition dates.  During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014, the 2013 Acquired Companies contributed revenue of $20.7 million and $58.3 million, respectively, and net earnings of $4.0 million and $8.9 million, respectively, to the Company's consolidated financial results.  During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013, the 2013 Acquired Companies contributed revenue of $26.4 million and $48.6 million, respectively, and net earnings of $4.2 million and $7.4 million, respectively, to the Company's consolidated financial results.

4.   FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

Fair value is defined as an exit price, representing the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants based upon the best use of the asset or liability at the measurement date.  Entities are required to use a fair value hierarchy which maximizes the use of observable inputs and minimizes the use of unobservable inputs when measuring fair value.  There are three levels of inputs that may be used to measure fair value:

Level 1 – Observable inputs such as quoted market prices in active markets

Level 2 – Inputs other than quoted prices in active markets that are either directly or indirectly observable

Level 3 – Unobservable inputs about which little or no market data exists, therefore requiring an entity to develop its own assumptions

As of September 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013, the Company held certain financial assets that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis.  These consisted of securities that are among the Company's investments in a Rabbi Trust which are intended to fund the Company's Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan ("SERP") obligations, and other marketable securities described below.  The securities that are held in the Rabbi Trust are categorized as available-for-sale securities and are included as other assets in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets at September 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013.  The gross unrealized gains associated with the investment securities held in the Rabbi Trust were $0.6 million and $0.4 million at September 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013, respectively.  Such unrealized gains are included, net of tax, in accumulated other comprehensive income.

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As of September 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013, the Company had other marketable securities with a combined fair value of less than $0.1 million at each date, and gross unrealized gains of less than $0.1 million at each date.  Such unrealized gains are included, net of tax, in accumulated other comprehensive income.  The fair value of the equity securities is determined based on quoted market prices in public markets and is categorized as Level 1.  The Company does not have any financial assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis categorized as Level 3, and there were no transfers in or out of Level 1, Level 2 or Level 3 during the nine months ended September 30, 2014.  There were no changes to the Company's valuation techniques used to measure asset fair values on a recurring or nonrecurring basis during the nine months ended September 30, 2014.

The following table sets forth by level, within the fair value hierarchy, the Company's financial assets accounted for at fair value on a recurring basis as of September 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013 (dollars in thousands).

The Company has other financial instruments, such as cash equivalents, cash equivalents held within the Rabbi Trust, accounts receivable, notes receivable, accounts payable, notes payable and accrued expenses, which are not measured at fair value on a recurring basis but are recorded at amounts that approximate fair value due to their liquid or short-term nature.  The fair value of the Company's long-term debt is estimated using a discounted cash flow method based on interest rates that are currently available for debt issuances with similar terms and maturities.  At September 30, 2014, the estimated fair value of long-term debt was $234.3 million compared to a carrying amount of $235.3 million.  The Company did not have any other financial liabilities within the scope of the fair value disclosure requirements as of September 30, 2014 or December 31, 2013.

Nonfinancial assets and liabilities, such as goodwill, indefinite-lived intangible assets and long-lived assets, are accounted for at fair value on a nonrecurring basis.   These items are tested for impairment on the occurrence of a triggering event or, in the case of goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets, on at least an annual basis.  There were no triggering events that occurred during the nine months ended September 30, 2014 or 2013 that would warrant interim impairment testing.

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The components of inventories are as follows (dollars in thousands):

At September 30, 2014, $46.2 million of inventory related to the 2014 Acquired Companies.

6.	PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT

Property, plant and equipment consist of the following (dollars in thousands):

At September 30, 2014, $36.5 million of property, plant and equipment related to the 2014 Acquired Companies.

The Company operates in one industry with three reportable operating segments, which are geographic in nature.  The segments consist of North America, Asia and Europe.  The primary criteria by which financial performance is evaluated and resources are allocated are sales and income from operations.  The following is a summary of key financial data (dollars in thousands):