despite this assessment , from time to time , our customers are unable to meet their payment obligations . we continuously monitor our customers ' credit worthiness and use our judgment in establishing a provision for estimated credit losses based upon our historical experience and any specific customer collection issues that we have identified . while such credit losses have historically been within our expectations and the provisions established , a significant change in the liquidity or financial position of our customers could have a material adverse impact on the collectability of accounts receivable and our future operating results . additionally , if our credit loss rates prove to be greater than we currently estimate , we record additional reserves for doubtful accounts . inventory we value our inventory at the lower of cost ( first-in , first-out method ) or market . we regularly review inventory quantities on hand and record a provision to write-down excess and obsolete inventory to its estimated net realizable value , if less than cost , based primarily on our estimated forecast of product demand . demand for our products can fluctuate significantly . our industry is subject to technological change , new product development , and product technological obsolescence that could result in an increase in the amount of obsolete inventory quantities on hand . therefore , any significant unanticipated changes in demand or technological developments in excess of our current estimates could have a significant impact on the value of our inventory and our reported operating results . warranty costs we provide for the estimated costs to fulfill customer warranty obligations upon the recognition of the related revenue . we offer warranty coverage for a majority of our precision power products for periods typically ranging from 12 to 24 months after shipment . we warranted our inverter products for five to ten years and provided the option to purchase additional warranty coverage up to 20 years . the product warranty expense accrued related to our standard inverter product warranties is now considered part of our discontinued operations and is recorded as such on our consolidated balance sheets . see note 3. discontinued operations in item 8 `` financial statements and supplementary data `` for more information on our discontinued operations and note 12. warranties in item 8 `` financial statements and supplementary data `` for more information on our warranties from continuing operations . we estimate the anticipated costs of repairing our products under such warranties based on the historical costs of the repairs . the assumptions we use to estimate warranty accruals are reevaluated periodically , in light of actual experience , and when appropriate , the accruals are adjusted . should product failure rates differ from our estimates , actual costs could vary significantly from our expectations . 26 goodwill , intangible and other long-lived assets as a result of our acquisitions , we recorded goodwill and intangible assets . goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets are subject to annual impairment testing , as well as testing upon the occurrence of any event that indicates a potential impairment . the annual impairment test can be performed using an assessment of qualitative factors in determining if it is more likely than not that goodwill is impaired . if this assessment indicates that it is more likely than not that goodwill is impaired , then the next step of impairment testing compares the fair value of a reporting unit to its carrying value . goodwill would be impaired if the resulting implied fair value of goodwill was less than the recorded carrying value of the goodwill . finite-lived intangible assets and other long-lived assets are subject to an impairment test if there is an indicator of impairment . when we determine that the carrying value of intangibles or other long-lived assets may not be recoverable based upon the existence of one or more indicators of impairment , we use the projected undiscounted cash flow method to determine whether an impairment exists , and then measure the impairment using discounted cash flows and other fair value measurements . the carrying value and ultimate realization of these assets is dependent upon our estimates of future earnings and benefits that we expect to generate from their use . if our expectations of future results and cash flows are significantly diminished , intangible assets , long-lived assets , and goodwill may be impaired and the resulting charge to operations may be material . additionally , the estimation of useful lives and expected cash flows require us to make significant judgments regarding future periods that are subject to some factors outside of our control . changes in these estimates could result in significant revisions to our carrying value of these assets and may result in material charges to our results of operations . in 2017 , we performed an assessment of qualitative factors for our annual impairment test of the goodwill . the factors reviewed included macroeconomic conditions , industry and market conditions , cost factors , and overall financial performance . this assessment resulted in the conclusion that there was no impairment of goodwill in 2017 . income taxes we are subject to income taxes in the united states and numerous foreign jurisdictions . significant judgment is required in determining our provision for income taxes and income tax assets and liabilities , including evaluating uncertainties in the application of accounting principles and complex tax laws . we record a provision for income taxes for the anticipated tax consequences of the reported results of operations using the asset and liability method . under this method , we recognize deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of temporary differences between the financial reporting and tax bases of assets and liabilities , as well as for operating loss and tax credit carryforwards . story_separator_special_tag the industrial markets we serve include solar panels , flat panel display , architectural glass , analytical instrumentation and other industrial manufacturing markets . our customers in these markets are primarily global and regional original equipment manufacturers . sales to the industrial capital equipment markets as a percentage of total sales decreased to 17.4 % in 2016 from 20.3 % in 2015 , due primarily to the strong growth in sales in our semiconductor market . global support revenue increased by 14.0 % to $ 73.1 million , and 15.1 % of sales from $ 64.1 million , and 15.5 % of sales in 2015 . increased global service sales was due to share gains as well as growth in the installed base . despite this growth , global support revenue as a percentage of total sales decreased due to the strong growth in sales in our semiconductor market . sales to applied materials inc. and lam research , our two largest customers , increased $ 62.8 million to $ 270.5 million , and 55.9 % of sales , in 2016 from $ 207.7 million , and 50.1 % of sales in 2015 . our sales to applied materials inc. and lam research included sales for the semiconductor capital equipment market , as well as the solar and flat panel display markets . gross profit 31 gross profit increased $ 36.3 million to $ 253.1 million , and 52.3 % of revenue in 2016 from $ 216.9 million , and 52.3 % of revenue in 2015 , due to increased sales volume , higher procurement volumes , better absorption of fixed overhead and general weakening of the chinese yuan against the u.s. dollar . a substantial part of our direct labor and variable overhead costs are denominated in chinese yuan . operating expense research and development we perform research and development of products for new or emerging applications , technological changes to provide higher performance , lower cost , or other attributes that we expect to advance our customers ' products . we believe that continued development of technological applications , as well as enhancements to existing products to support customer requirements , are critical for us to compete in the markets we serve . accordingly , we devote significant personnel and financial resources to the development of new products and the enhancement of existing products , and we expect these investments to continue . research and development expenses in 2016 increased $ 4.9 million to $ 44.4 million from $ 39.6 million in 2015 primarily due to our continued investment in product development to maintain and increase our technological leadership . research and development expenses as a percentage of total revenue decreased to 9.2 % in 2016 from 9.5 % in 2015 as successful adoption of our products has driven increased sales . selling , general and administrative our selling expenses support domestic and international sales and marketing activities that include personnel , trade shows , advertising , internal and third-party sales representative commissions , and other selling and marketing activities . our general and administrative expenses support our worldwide corporate , legal , tax , financial , governance , administrative , information systems , and human resource functions in addition to our general management . sg & a expenses increased $ 11.6 million to $ 77.7 million in 2016 as compared to $ 66.1 million in 2015 . the increases were primarily due to higher sales expense as we expanded our sales management and marketing team to support our growth diversification and geographical expansion plans , as well as , higher stock-based compensation expense , professional fees and costs associated with acquisition opportunities . amortization expense amortization expense decreased $ 0.2 million to $ 4.2 million in 2016 compared to $ 4.4 million in 2015 . the decrease of $ 0.2 million in 2016 is primarily due to the decrease in foreign exchange rates in europe restructuring charges in june 2015 , we committed to a restructuring plan in relation to the wind down of our inverter business which concluded december 31 , 2015 and accordingly our inverter business has been reflected as a discontinued operation in our consolidate financial statements as of december 31 , 2015. see note 3. discontinued operations in item 8 `` financial statements and supplementary data . `` as a result of discontinued operations , amounts of general corporate overhead which had previously been reflected in our inverter segment have been included in the total operating expense in the table above in all periods presented . other income ( expense ) other income ( expense ) , net consists primarily of interest income and expense , foreign exchange gains and losses , and other miscellaneous items . other income ( expense ) , net increased $ 2.4 million to $ 1.2 million in 2016 from $ ( 1.2 ) million in 2015 . these gains are principally related to gains recognized due to fluctuation in foreign exchange rates and our assets in different countries . other income ( expense ) , net includes interest expense , net of $ ( 0.1 ) million and $ ( 0.9 ) million in 2016 and 2015 , respectively . provision for income taxes from continuing operations we recorded income tax expense of $ 11.1 million , or an effective tax rate of 8.7 % in 2016 , compared to 2015 income tax expense of $ 22.0 million , or an effective tax rate of 20.8 % . the decrease in tax rate for 2016 is attributable to a tax benefit related to the early adoption of asu 2016-09 , `` improvements to employee share-based payment accounting `` and the favorable settlement of tax audits during 2016. the effective rate differs from the federal statutory rate of 35 % primarily due to the benefit of earnings in foreign jurisdictions which are subject to lower tax rates , a benefit related to foreign tax credits , favorable settlements

net cash provided by operating activities net cash provided by operating activities in 2017 was $ 182.7 million , an increase of $ 63.4 million , or 53.2 % compared to $ 119.3 million for the same period in 2016 . the increase in net cash flows from operating activities was primarily due to improved earnings from continuing operations and timing of taxes , partially offset by increased cash required for accounts receivable and inventory to support current business volume . net cash ( used in ) provided by investing activities net cash ( used in ) provided by investing activities in 2017 was $ ( 28.1 ) million , compared to $ 0.3 million in 2016 . included in cash used in investing activities for 2017 was $ 17.3 million for the acquisition of excelsys and $ 3.5 million for the purchase of a foreign currency exchange hedge for an anticipated transaction which was not completed . capital expenditures in 2017 increased $ 2.2 million from $ 6.8 million in 2016 to $ 9.0 million in 2017 to support new facilities and manufacturing operations . net cash ( used in ) provided by financing activities net cash ( used in ) provided by financing activities in 2017 was $ ( 31.3 ) million , a $( 33.4 ) million change from $ 2.1 million cash provided by financing activities in 2016 .


 Write a concise suspicious activity report of the following text delimited by triple backquotes. Return your response as a formal report which covers the key points highlighting the location,dates,entity names and account holder information in chronological order of the text.
     ```net cash provided by operating activities net cash provided by operating activities in 2017 was $ 182.7 million , an increase of $ 63.4 million , or 53.2 % compared to $ 119.3 million for the same period in 2016 . the increase in net cash flows from operating activities was primarily due to improved earnings from continuing operations and timing of taxes , partially offset by increased cash required for accounts receivable and inventory to support current business volume . net cash ( used in ) provided by investing activities net cash ( used in ) provided by investing activities in 2017 was $ ( 28.1 ) million , compared to $ 0.3 million in 2016 . included in cash used in investing activities for 2017 was $ 17.3 million for the acquisition of excelsys and $ 3.5 million for the purchase of a foreign currency exchange hedge for an anticipated transaction which was not completed . capital expenditures in 2017 increased $ 2.2 million from $ 6.8 million in 2016 to $ 9.0 million in 2017 to support new facilities and manufacturing operations . net cash ( used in ) provided by financing activities net cash ( used in ) provided by financing activities in 2017 was $ ( 31.3 ) million , a $( 33.4 ) million change from $ 2.1 million cash provided by financing activities in 2016 .
```    
 Suspicious Activity Report : despite this assessment , from time to time , our customers are unable to meet their payment obligations . we continuously monitor our customers ' credit worthiness and use our judgment in establishing a provision for estimated credit losses based upon our historical experience and any specific customer collection issues that we have identified . while such credit losses have historically been within our expectations and the provisions established , a significant change in the liquidity or financial position of our customers could have a material adverse impact on the collectability of accounts receivable and our future operating results . additionally , if our credit loss rates prove to be greater than we currently estimate , we record additional reserves for doubtful accounts . inventory we value our inventory at the lower of cost ( first-in , first-out method ) or market . we regularly review inventory quantities on hand and record a provision to write-down excess and obsolete inventory to its estimated net realizable value , if less than cost , based primarily on our estimated forecast of product demand . demand for our products can fluctuate significantly . our industry is subject to technological change , new product development , and product technological obsolescence that could result in an increase in the amount of obsolete inventory quantities on hand . therefore , any significant unanticipated changes in demand or technological developments in excess of our current estimates could have a significant impact on the value of our inventory and our reported operating results . warranty costs we provide for the estimated costs to fulfill customer warranty obligations upon the recognition of the related revenue . we offer warranty coverage for a majority of our precision power products for periods typically ranging from 12 to 24 months after shipment . we warranted our inverter products for five to ten years and provided the option to purchase additional warranty coverage up to 20 years . the product warranty expense accrued related to our standard inverter product warranties is now considered part of our discontinued operations and is recorded as such on our consolidated balance sheets . see note 3. discontinued operations in item 8 `` financial statements and supplementary data `` for more information on our discontinued operations and note 12. warranties in item 8 `` financial statements and supplementary data `` for more information on our warranties from continuing operations . we estimate the anticipated costs of repairing our products under such warranties based on the historical costs of the repairs . the assumptions we use to estimate warranty accruals are reevaluated periodically , in light of actual experience , and when appropriate , the accruals are adjusted . should product failure rates differ from our estimates , actual costs could vary significantly from our expectations . 26 goodwill , intangible and other long-lived assets as a result of our acquisitions , we recorded goodwill and intangible assets . goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets are subject to annual impairment testing , as well as testing upon the occurrence of any event that indicates a potential impairment . the annual impairment test can be performed using an assessment of qualitative factors in determining if it is more likely than not that goodwill is impaired . if this assessment indicates that it is more likely than not that goodwill is impaired , then the next step of impairment testing compares the fair value of a reporting unit to its carrying value . goodwill would be impaired if the resulting implied fair value of goodwill was less than the recorded carrying value of the goodwill . finite-lived intangible assets and other long-lived assets are subject to an impairment test if there is an indicator of impairment . when we determine that the carrying value of intangibles or other long-lived assets may not be recoverable based upon the existence of one or more indicators of impairment , we use the projected undiscounted cash flow method to determine whether an impairment exists , and then measure the impairment using discounted cash flows and other fair value measurements . the carrying value and ultimate realization of these assets is dependent upon our estimates of future earnings and benefits that we expect to generate from their use . if our expectations of future results and cash flows are significantly diminished , intangible assets , long-lived assets , and goodwill may be impaired and the resulting charge to operations may be material . additionally , the estimation of useful lives and expected cash flows require us to make significant judgments regarding future periods that are subject to some factors outside of our control . changes in these estimates could result in significant revisions to our carrying value of these assets and may result in material charges to our results of operations . in 2017 , we performed an assessment of qualitative factors for our annual impairment test of the goodwill . the factors reviewed included macroeconomic conditions , industry and market conditions , cost factors , and overall financial performance . this assessment resulted in the conclusion that there was no impairment of goodwill in 2017 . income taxes we are subject to income taxes in the united states and numerous foreign jurisdictions . significant judgment is required in determining our provision for income taxes and income tax assets and liabilities , including evaluating uncertainties in the application of accounting principles and complex tax laws . we record a provision for income taxes for the anticipated tax consequences of the reported results of operations using the asset and liability method . under this method , we recognize deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of temporary differences between the financial reporting and tax bases of assets and liabilities , as well as for operating loss and tax credit carryforwards . story_separator_special_tag the industrial markets we serve include solar panels , flat panel display , architectural glass , analytical instrumentation and other industrial manufacturing markets . our customers in these markets are primarily global and regional original equipment manufacturers . sales to the industrial capital equipment markets as a percentage of total sales decreased to 17.4 % in 2016 from 20.3 % in 2015 , due primarily to the strong growth in sales in our semiconductor market . global support revenue increased by 14.0 % to $ 73.1 million , and 15.1 % of sales from $ 64.1 million , and 15.5 % of sales in 2015 . increased global service sales was due to share gains as well as growth in the installed base . despite this growth , global support revenue as a percentage of total sales decreased due to the strong growth in sales in our semiconductor market . sales to applied materials inc. and lam research , our two largest customers , increased $ 62.8 million to $ 270.5 million , and 55.9 % of sales , in 2016 from $ 207.7 million , and 50.1 % of sales in 2015 . our sales to applied materials inc. and lam research included sales for the semiconductor capital equipment market , as well as the solar and flat panel display markets . gross profit 31 gross profit increased $ 36.3 million to $ 253.1 million , and 52.3 % of revenue in 2016 from $ 216.9 million , and 52.3 % of revenue in 2015 , due to increased sales volume , higher procurement volumes , better absorption of fixed overhead and general weakening of the chinese yuan against the u.s. dollar . a substantial part of our direct labor and variable overhead costs are denominated in chinese yuan . operating expense research and development we perform research and development of products for new or emerging applications , technological changes to provide higher performance , lower cost , or other attributes that we expect to advance our customers ' products . we believe that continued development of technological applications , as well as enhancements to existing products to support customer requirements , are critical for us to compete in the markets we serve . accordingly , we devote significant personnel and financial resources to the development of new products and the enhancement of existing products , and we expect these investments to continue . research and development expenses in 2016 increased $ 4.9 million to $ 44.4 million from $ 39.6 million in 2015 primarily due to our continued investment in product development to maintain and increase our technological leadership . research and development expenses as a percentage of total revenue decreased to 9.2 % in 2016 from 9.5 % in 2015 as successful adoption of our products has driven increased sales . selling , general and administrative our selling expenses support domestic and international sales and marketing activities that include personnel , trade shows , advertising , internal and third-party sales representative commissions , and other selling and marketing activities . our general and administrative expenses support our worldwide corporate , legal , tax , financial , governance , administrative , information systems , and human resource functions in addition to our general management . sg & a expenses increased $ 11.6 million to $ 77.7 million in 2016 as compared to $ 66.1 million in 2015 . the increases were primarily due to higher sales expense as we expanded our sales management and marketing team to support our growth diversification and geographical expansion plans , as well as , higher stock-based compensation expense , professional fees and costs associated with acquisition opportunities . amortization expense amortization expense decreased $ 0.2 million to $ 4.2 million in 2016 compared to $ 4.4 million in 2015 . the decrease of $ 0.2 million in 2016 is primarily due to the decrease in foreign exchange rates in europe restructuring charges in june 2015 , we committed to a restructuring plan in relation to the wind down of our inverter business which concluded december 31 , 2015 and accordingly our inverter business has been reflected as a discontinued operation in our consolidate financial statements as of december 31 , 2015. see note 3. discontinued operations in item 8 `` financial statements and supplementary data . `` as a result of discontinued operations , amounts of general corporate overhead which had previously been reflected in our inverter segment have been included in the total operating expense in the table above in all periods presented . other income ( expense ) other income ( expense ) , net consists primarily of interest income and expense , foreign exchange gains and losses , and other miscellaneous items . other income ( expense ) , net increased $ 2.4 million to $ 1.2 million in 2016 from $ ( 1.2 ) million in 2015 . these gains are principally related to gains recognized due to fluctuation in foreign exchange rates and our assets in different countries . other income ( expense ) , net includes interest expense , net of $ ( 0.1 ) million and $ ( 0.9 ) million in 2016 and 2015 , respectively . provision for income taxes from continuing operations we recorded income tax expense of $ 11.1 million , or an effective tax rate of 8.7 % in 2016 , compared to 2015 income tax expense of $ 22.0 million , or an effective tax rate of 20.8 % . the decrease in tax rate for 2016 is attributable to a tax benefit related to the early adoption of asu 2016-09 , `` improvements to employee share-based payment accounting `` and the favorable settlement of tax audits during 2016. the effective rate differs from the federal statutory rate of 35 % primarily due to the benefit of earnings in foreign jurisdictions which are subject to lower tax rates , a benefit related to foreign tax credits , favorable settlements

