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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549


FORM 11-K

(Mark One)

     
[X]
  ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 15 (d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
     
 
  FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2003

OR

     
[  ]
  TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 15 (d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from                                       to                                      

Commission file number: 000-19720

A. Full title of plan and the address of the plan, if different from that of the issuer named below:

ABAXIS TAX DEFERRAL SAVINGS PLAN

B. Name of issuer of the securities held pursuant to the plan and the address of its principal executive office:

Abaxis, Inc.

3240 Whipple Road
Union City, California 94587

 


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Abaxis Tax Deferral
Savings Plan

Financial Statements
December 31, 2003 and 2002

 


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ABAXIS TAX DEFERRAL
SAVINGS PLAN

Financial Statements and Supplemental Schedules
December 31, 2003 and 2002

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Financial Statements:
       
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 EXHIBIT 23.1

 


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INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS’ REPORT

To the Participants and
Plan Administrator of the
Abaxis Tax Deferral
Savings Plan

We have audited the financial statements of the Abaxis Tax Deferral Savings Plan (the Plan) as of December 31, 2003 and 2002, and for the years then ended, as listed in the accompanying table of contents. These financial statements are the responsibility of the Plan’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audits.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by the Plan’s management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the net assets available for benefits of the Plan as of December 31, 2003 and 2002, and the changes in net assets available for benefits for the years then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

Our audits were performed for the purpose of forming an opinion on the basic financial statements taken as a whole. The supplemental schedules, as listed in the accompanying table of contents, are presented for the purpose of additional analysis and are not a required part of the basic financial statements but are supplementary information required by the Department of Labor’s Rules and Regulations for Reporting and Disclosure under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974. The supplemental schedules are the responsibility of the Plan’s management. The supplemental schedules have been subjected to the auditing procedures applied in the audits of the basic financial statements and, in our opinion, are fairly stated in all material respects in relation to the basic financial statements taken as a whole.

MOHLER, NIXON & WILLIAMS
Accountancy Corporation

Campbell, California
May 28, 2004

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ABAXIS TAX DEFERRAL
SAVINGS PLAN

STATEMENTS OF NET ASSETS AVAILABLE FOR BENEFITS

                 
    December 31,
    2003
  2002
Assets:
               
Investments, at fair value
  $ 3,717,416     $ 1,814,011  
Participant loans
    4,045       5,450  
 
   
 
     
 
 
Assets held for investment purposes
    3,721,461       1,819,461  
Employer’s contribution receivable
          25,713  
 
   
 
     
 
 
Net assets available for benefits
  $ 3,721,461     $ 1,845,174  
 
   
 
     
 
 

See notes to financial statements.

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ABAXIS TAX DEFERRAL
SAVINGS PLAN

STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS AVAILABLE FOR BENEFITS

                 
    Years ended
    December 31,
    2003
  2002
Additions to net assets attributed to:
               
Investment income:
               
Dividends and interest
  $ 290     $ 2,687  
Net realized and unrealized appreciation (depreciation) in fair value of investments
    1,497,049       (389,154 )
 
   
 
     
 
 
 
    1,497,339       (386,467 )
 
   
 
     
 
 
Contributions:
               
Participants’
    506,932       445,329  
Employer’s
    157,225       123,431  
 
   
 
     
 
 
 
    664,157       568,760  
 
   
 
     
 
 
Total additions
    2,161,496       182,293  
 
   
 
     
 
 
Deductions from net assets attributed to:
               
Withdrawals and distributions
    265,334       166,212  
Administrative expenses
    19,875       13,445  
 
   
 
     
 
 
Total deductions
    285,209       179,657  
 
   
 
     
 
 
Net increase in net assets
    1,876,287       2,636  
Net assets available for benefits:
               
Beginning of year
    1,845,174       1,842,538  
 
   
 
     
 
 
End of year
  $ 3,721,461     $ 1,845,174  
 
   
 
     
 
 

See notes to financial statements.

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ABAXIS TAX DEFERRAL
SAVINGS PLAN

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
DECEMBER 31, 2003 AND 2002

NOTE 1 - THE PLAN AND ITS SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

General - The following description of the Abaxis Tax Deferral Savings Plan (the Plan) provides only general information. Participants should refer to the Plan document for a more complete description of the Plan’s provisions.

The Plan is a defined contribution plan containing a cash or deferred arrangement described in Section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code. The Plan was established on December 1, 1990 by Abaxis, Inc. (the Company) to provide benefits to eligible employees, as defined in the Plan document. The Plan is currently designed to be qualified the applicable requirements of the Internal Revenue Code, as amended, and the provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), as amended.

Administration - The Company has appointed an Administrative Committee (the Committee) to manage the operation and administration of the Plan. The Company has contracted with a third-party administrator to process and maintain the records of participant data and, effective April 2002, with Security Trust Company (STC) to act as the trustee and custodian of Plan assets (Note 6). Prior to April 2002, the Company had contracted with Charles Schwab to act as the trustee and custodian. Substantially all expenses incurred for administering the Plan are paid by the Plan.

Estimates - The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, and changes therein, and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Basis of accounting - The financial statements of the Plan are prepared on the accrual method of accounting in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

Forfeited accounts - Forfeited nonvested accounts will be used to reduce future employer contributions.

Investments - Investments of the Plan are held by STC and invested based solely upon instructions received from participants.

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The Plan’s investments in mutual funds and the Company’s common stock are valued at fair value as of the last day of the Plan year, as measured by quoted market prices. Participant loans are valued at cost, which approximates fair value.

Income taxes - The Plan has been amended since receiving a favorable determination letter dated October 22, 2002. The Company believes that the Plan is operated in accordance with, and qualifies under, the applicable requirements of the Internal Revenue Code and related state statutes, and that the trust, which forms a part of the Plan, is exempt from federal income and state franchise taxes.

Risks and uncertainties - The Plan provides for various investment options in any combination of investment securities offered by the Plan. In addition, Company common stock is included in the Plan. Investment securities are exposed to various risks, such as interest rate, market fluctuations and credit risks. Due to the risk associated with certain investment securities, it is at least reasonably possible that changes in market values, interest rate or other factors in the near term would materially affect participants’ account balances and the amounts reported in the statements of net assets available for benefits and the statements of changes in net assets available for benefits.

NOTE 2 - RELATED PARTY AND PARTY-IN-INTEREST TRANSACTIONS

The employer’s discretionary matching contribution is invested in the Company’s common stock. Participants may contribute to the Company common stock fund and may transfer funds from the Company common stock fund to other Plan investment options.

Aggregate investment in Company common stock at December 31, 2003 and 2002 was as follows:

                 
Date
  Number of shares
  Fair value
2003
    77,985     $ 1,410,749  
2002
    66,293     $ 262,520  

NOTE 3 - PARTICIPATION AND BENEFITS

Participant contributions - Participants may elect to have the Company contribute a percentage of their eligible pre-tax compensation, not to exceed the amount allowable under current income tax regulations. Participants who elect to have the Company contribute a portion of their compensation to the Plan agree to accept an equivalent reduction in taxable compensation. Contributions withheld are invested in accordance with the participant’s direction.

Participants are also allowed to make rollover contributions of amounts received from other tax-qualified employer-sponsored retirement plans. Such contributions are deposited in the appropriate investment funds in accordance with the participant’s direction and the Plan’s provisions.

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Employer contributions - The Company may make discretionary matching contributions and a discretionary profit sharing contribution as defined in the Plan and as approved by the Board of Directors. In 2003 and 2002, the Company matched 50% of each eligible participant’s contribution up to a maximum of 2.5% of the participant’s compensation on a quarterly basis. No discretionary profit sharing contribution has been made in 2003 and 2002.

Vesting - Participants are immediately vested in their contributions. Participants are fully vested in the employer’s matching contributions and discretionary profit sharing contribution allocated to their account after four years and six years of credited service, respectively.

Participant accounts - Each participant’s account is credited with the participant’s contribution, Plan earnings or losses and an allocation of the Company’s contribution, if any. Allocation of the Company’s contribution is based on participant contributions and compensation, as defined in the Plan.

Payment of benefits - Upon termination, the participants or beneficiaries may receive their total benefits in a lump sum amount equal to the value of the participant’s vested interest in their account. The Plan allows for the automatic lump sum distribution of participant vested account balances that do not exceed $5,000.

Loans to participants - The Plan allows participants to borrow not less than $1,000 and up to the lesser of $50,000 or 50% of their vested account balance. The loans are secured by the participant’s vested balance. Such loans bear interest at 2% above the prime rate and must be repaid to the Plan within a five-year period, unless the loan is used for the purchase of a principal residence, in which case it must be repaid within 15 years. The specific terms and conditions of such loans are established by the Committee. Outstanding loans at December 31, 2003 carry an interest rate of 6.75%.

NOTE 4 - NONEXEMPT TRANSACTIONS

Certain contributions of approximately $744 and $83 made by participants in 2003 and 2002, respectively, were not deposited with the Plan custodian on a timely basis. As a consequence of the delay in the deposit of the participants’ contributions, these contributions are considered, by the United States Department of Labor, as prohibited transactions under ERISA. The Company deposited the contributions with the Plan trustee by January 2004.

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NOTE 5 - INVESTMENTS

The following table presents the fair values of investments and investment funds that include 5% or more of the Plan’s net assets at December 31:

                 
    2003
  2002
Abaxis, Inc. Common Stock Fund
  $ 1,410,749     $ 262,520  
Munder Index 500 Fund
    323,892       117,418  
Metlife Stable Value Fund
    310,267       321,346  
Strong Government Securities Fund
    288,116       250,369  
American Funds Growth Fund R4
    275,636          
Davis New York Venture Fund
    267,333       97,509  
Artisan Mid Cap Fund
    243,703          
Weitz Partners Value Fund
    198,459       156,003  
Janus Mercury Fund
          212,218  
RS Emerging Growth Fund
          191,776  
Janus Worldwide Fund
          103,748  
Other funds individually less than 5% of net assets
    403,306       106,554  
 
   
 
     
 
 
Assets held for investment purposes
  $ 3,721,461     $ 1,819,461  
 
   
 
     
 
 

The Plan’s investments (including gains and losses on investments bought and sold, as well as held during the year) appreciated (depreciated) in value as follows for the years ended December 31:

                 
    2003
  2002
Common stock
  $ 1,097,160     ($ 88,644 )
Mutual funds
    399,889       (300,510 )
 
   
 
     
 
 
 
  $ 1,497,049     ($ 389,154 )
 
   
 
     
 
 

NOTE 6 - PLAN TERMINATION OR MODIFICATION

The Company intends to continue the Plan indefinitely for the benefit of its participants; however, it reserves the right to terminate or modify the Plan at any time by resolution of its Board of Directors and subject to the provisions of ERISA. In the event the Plan is terminated in the future, participants would become fully vested in their accounts.

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NOTE 7 - SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

In January 2004, American Stock Transfer and Trust Company acquired the assets and operations of STC and replaced STC as the custodian of the Plan. Effective February 2004, the Company contracted with Charles Schwab Trust Company to act as Plan custodian and trustee.

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SUPPLEMENTAL SCHEDULES

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ABAXIS TAX DEFERRAL
  EIN: 77-0213001
SAVINGS PLAN
  PLAN #001

SCHEDULE H, LINE 4i - SCHEDULE OF ASSETS (HELD AT END OF YEAR)
DECEMBER 31, 2003

                 
    Identity of issue, borrower,   Description of investment including maturity date,   Current
    lessor or similar party
  rate of interest, collateral, par or maturity value
  value
*
  Abaxis, Inc.   Common stock   $ 1,410,749  
 
  Munder Index 500 Fund   Mutual fund     323,892  
 
  Metlife Stable Value Fund   Mutual fund     310,267  
 
  Strong Government Securities Fund   Mutual fund     288,116  
 
  American Funds Growth Fund R4   Mutual fund     275,636  
 
  Davis New York Venture Fund   Mutual fund     267,333  
 
  Artisan Mid Cap Fund   Mutual fund     243,703  
 
  Weitz Partners Value Fund   Mutual fund     198,459  
 
  Drefus Premier Intl Value A Fund   Mutual fund     180,167  
 
  First Eagle So Gen Overseas Fund   Mutual fund     149,604  
 
  Royce Low Priced Stock Fund   Mutual fund     52,308  
 
  Schwab Retirement Money Market Fund   Money Market     1,588  
*
  Cash   Cash     15,594  
*
  Participant loans   Interest rate of 6.75%     4,045  
 
           
 
 
 
      Total               $ 3,721,461  
 
           
 
 

*    Party-in-interest

 


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ABAXIS TAX DEFERRAL
  EIN: 77-0213001
SAVINGS PLAN
  PLAN #001

SCHEDULE H, LINE 4d - SCHEDULE OF NONEXEMPT TRANSACTIONS
YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2003

                         
Identity of party involved
  Relationship
  Description
  Amount
Abaxis, Inc.
  Plan Sponsor   Late deposits   $ 744  
 
                   
 
 

 


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SIGNATURES

THE PLAN. Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Abaxis Tax Deferral Savings Plan Administrative Committee has duly caused this annual report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

         
  ABAXIS TAX DEFERRAL SAVINGS PLAN
 
 
  By:   /s/ Alberto Santa Ines    
Date: June 28, 2004     
    Alberto Santa Ines
Member of Abaxis Tax Deferral Savings
Plan Administrative Committee,
as Plan Administrator 
 
 
         
     
  By:   /s/ Zara Thomas    
    Zara Thomas   
    Member of Abaxis Tax Deferral Savings
Plan Administrative Committee,
as Plan Administrator 
 
 


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EXHIBIT INDEX

     
Exhibit No.
  Description
Exhibit 23.1
  Consent of Independent Accountants