Plexus Announces Fiscal Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2020 Financial Results


  • Record fiscal fourth quarter revenue of $913 million and record fiscal 2020 revenue of $3.4 billion
  • Fiscal fourth quarter GAAP diluted EPS of $1.26, including $0.23 of stock-based compensation expense
  • Initiates fiscal first quarter 2021 revenue guidance of $810 to $850 million with GAAP diluted EPS of $1.02 to $1.17

NEENAH, Wisc., Oct. 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Plexus (NASDAQ: PLXS) today announced financial results for our fiscal fourth quarter ended October 3, 2020, and guidance for our fiscal first quarter ending January 2, 2021.

  Three Months Ended
  Oct 3, 2020 Oct 3, 2020 Jan 2, 2021
  Q4F20 Results Q4F20 Guidance Q1F21 Guidance
Summary GAAP Items        
Revenue (in millions) $913  $850 to $890  $810 to $850 
Operating margin 5.5%  4.8% to 5.2%  4.9% to 5.3% 
Diluted EPS (1) $1.26  $1.05 to $1.20  $1.02 to $1.17 
         
Summary Non-GAAP Items (2)        
Return on invested capital (ROIC) 14.0%      
Economic return 5.2%      
         
(1) Includes stock-based compensation expense of $0.23 for Q4F20 results, $0.21 for Q4F20 guidance, and $0.19 for Q1F21 guidance.
 
(2) Refer to Non-GAAP Supplemental Information in Tables 1 and 2 for non-GAAP financial measures and a reconciliation to GAAP.

Fiscal Fourth Quarter 2020 Information

  • Won 44 manufacturing programs during the quarter representing $286 million in annualized revenue when fully ramped into production
  • Trailing four quarter wins total $952 million in annualized revenue when fully ramped into production
  • Purchased $21.9 million of our shares at an average price of $74.34 per share under our existing share repurchase program

Fiscal Year 2020 Information

  • Revenue of $3.4 billion, up 7% from fiscal 2019
  • GAAP diluted EPS of $3.93
  • Non-GAAP diluted EPS of $4.08, excluding a benefit of $0.03 per share related to special tax items and a charge of $0.18 per share related to restructuring activities
  • ROIC of 14.0%, delivering an economic return of 520 basis points above our weighted average cost of capital of 8.8%
  • Purchased $41.4 million of our shares at an average price of $67.86 per share under our existing share repurchase program

Todd Kelsey, President and CEO, commented, “Our team delivered outstanding results in the fiscal fourth quarter, achieving record revenue of $913 million and GAAP diluted earnings per share of $1.26, both exceeding the top end of our guidance ranges.  Strong demand in our Healthcare/Life Sciences and Industrial/Commercial sectors fueled this growth.  Our teams continued to drive improvements in our already exceptional operating performance as we navigated through the COVID-19 pandemic.  As a result, we achieved 5.5% GAAP operating margin in the fiscal fourth quarter.  This result represented the second consecutive quarter of operating margin above 5% and contributed to GAAP operating margin of 5.4% for the second half of fiscal 2020."

Patrick Jermain, Executive Vice President and CFO, commented, “We generated $109 million in free cash flow during the fiscal fourth quarter, a result well above our projections.  The fiscal fourth quarter cash cycle of 69 days was favorable to our expectations and sequentially lower by 10 days as we benefited from increased revenue and continued progress on our working capital initiatives.  This level of cash cycle was the best result we have delivered in the past 10 quarters.  We exited the fiscal year with record free cash flow of $160 million, an outcome significantly above our fiscal 2020 net income.”

Mr. Jermain continued, “We ended the year with a solid balance sheet.  Cash of approximately $388 million was sequentially higher by $88 million due in part to our strong cash flows from operations.  At the end of the fiscal fourth quarter, we had no outstanding borrowings under our revolving credit facility and we maintained a net positive cash position.”

Mr. Kelsey continued, “I am proud of our dedicated team members globally who continued to rise to the challenges presented during fiscal 2020.  Through our commitment to operational excellence and customer service excellence, our team delivered record revenue of $3.4 billion for the fiscal year, representing 7% year-over-year growth.  This strong growth, coupled with robust operating margin, led to record non-GAAP diluted earnings per share of $4.08 for fiscal year 2020, an increase of 19% from the previous fiscal year.” 

Mr. Kelsey concluded, “In alignment with our prior comments, we expect demand to moderate in the fiscal first quarter of 2021 and are guiding revenue in the range of $810 to $850 million.  We project continued operating strength and are guiding GAAP operating margin for the quarter in the range of 4.9% to 5.3%.  With this strong operating performance, we anticipate delivering GAAP diluted earnings per share of $1.02 to $1.17 for the fiscal first quarter.  Our guidance assumes that COVID-19 will not materially impact end markets or our operations beyond what has already occurred.  We expect a return to quarterly sequential revenue growth by the second half of fiscal 2021.  We also anticipate robust operating performance for the fiscal year.  We believe that the combination of these two factors should lead to solid EPS expansion for fiscal 2021.”

Quarterly & Annual ComparisonThree Months Ended Twelve Months Ended
(in thousands, except EPS)Oct 3, 2020 Jul 4, 2020 Sept 28, 2019 Oct 3, 2020 Sept 28, 2019
Revenue$913,227  $857,394  $810,195  $3,390,394  $3,164,434 
Gross profit89,190  82,881  77,789  312,706  291,838 
Operating income50,376  45,853  37,527  153,372  142,055 
Net income37,705  35,842  36,831  117,479  108,616 
Diluted EPS 1.26   1.20   1.23   3.93   3.50 
Adjusted net income (1)37,705  35,842  27,788  122,038  106,608 
Adjusted diluted EPS (1) 1.26   1.20   0.93   4.08   3.43 
          
Gross margin9.8% 9.7% 9.6% 9.2% 9.2%
Operating margin5.5% 5.3% 4.6% 4.5% 4.5%
Adjusted operating margin (1)5.5% 5.3% 4.8% 4.7% 4.5%
          
ROIC (1)14.0% 12.9% 13.1% 14.0% 13.1%
Economic return (1)5.2% 4.1% 4.1% 5.2% 4.1%
          
(1) Refer to Non-GAAP Supplemental Information in Tables 1 and 2 for non-GAAP financial measures discussed and/or disclosed in this release, such as adjusted operating margin, adjusted net income, adjusted diluted EPS, ROIC and economic return, and a reconciliation of these measures to GAAP.


Business Segment and Market Sector Revenue
Plexus measures operational performance and allocates resources on a geographic segment basis.  Plexus also reports revenue based on the market sector breakout set forth in the table below, which reflects Plexus’ market sector focused strategy.  Top 10 customers comprised 56% of revenue during both the fiscal fourth quarter and fiscal third quarter of 2020.  This is up five percentage points from the fiscal fourth quarter of 2019.  For both fiscal years 2020 and 2019, top 10 customers comprised 55% of revenue.

Business Segments ($ in millions)Three Months Ended Twelve Months Ended
 Oct 3, 2020 Jul 4, 2020 Sept 28, 2019 Oct 3, 2020 Sept 28, 2019
Americas$334   $306   $344   $1,328   $1,429  
Asia-Pacific503   482   416   1,824   1,557  
Europe, Middle East, and Africa99   92   81   349   310  
Elimination of inter-segment sales(23)  (23)  (31)  (111)  (132) 
Total Revenue$913   $857   $810   $3,390   $3,164  


Market Sectors ($ in millions)Three Months Ended Twelve Months Ended
 Oct 3, 2020 Jul 4, 2020 Sept 28, 2019 Oct 3, 2020 Sept 28, 2019
Healthcare/Life Sciences$345 38% $330 39% $311 38% $1,258 37% $1,220 38%
Industrial/Commercial341 37% 317 37% 264 33% 1,255 37% 981 31%
Aerospace/Defense141 16% 141 16% 174 21% 611 18% 588 19%
Communications86 9% 69 8% 61 8% 266 8% 375 12%
Total Revenue$913   $857   $810   $3,390   $3,164  
               


Non-GAAP Supplemental Information
Plexus provides non-GAAP supplemental information, such as ROIC, economic return, and free cash flow, because such measures are used for internal management goals and decision making, and because they provide management and investors with additional insight into financial performance.  In addition, management uses these and other non-GAAP measures, such as adjusted operating income, adjusted operating margin, adjusted net income and adjusted diluted EPS, to provide a better understanding of core performance for purposes of period-to-period comparisons.  Plexus believes that these measures are also useful to investors because they provide further insight by eliminating the effect of non-recurring items that are not reflective of continuing operations.  For a full reconciliation of non-GAAP measures to comparable GAAP measures, please refer to the attached Non-GAAP Supplemental Information Tables.

ROIC and Economic Return
ROIC for fiscal year 2020 was 14.0%.  Plexus defines ROIC as tax-effected annualized adjusted operating income divided by average invested capital over a five-quarter period for the fiscal year.  Invested capital is defined as equity plus debt and operating lease obligations, less cash and cash equivalents.  Plexus' weighted average cost of capital for fiscal 2020 was 8.8%.  ROIC for fiscal year 2020 less Plexus’ weighted average cost of capital resulted in an economic return of 5.2%.

Free Cash Flow
Plexus defines free cash flow as cash flows provided by operations less capital expenditures.  For the three months ended October 3, 2020, cash flows provided by operations was $117.8 million, less capital expenditures of $8.9 million, resulting in free cash flow of $108.9 million.  For the fiscal year ended October 3, 2020, cash flows provided by operations was $210.4 million, less capital expenditures of $50.1 million, resulting in free cash flow of $160.3 million.

Cash Cycle DaysThree Months Ended
 Oct 3, 2020 Jul 4, 2020 Sept 28, 2019
Days in Accounts Receivable48  55  55 
Days in Contract Assets11  12  10 
Days in Inventory85  97  87 
Days in Accounts Payable(57) (65) (55)
Days in Cash Deposits(18) (20) (17)
Annualized Cash Cycle *69  79  80 
* We calculate cash cycle as the sum of days in accounts receivable, days in contract assets and days in inventory, less days in accounts payable and days in cash deposits.


Conference Call and Webcast Information

What:  Plexus Fiscal 2020 Q4 Earnings Conference Call and Webcast
When:  Thursday, October 29, 2020 at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time
Where:    Participants are encouraged to join the live webcast at the investor relations section of the Plexus website, https://plexus.gcs-web.com/events-and-presentations/upcoming-events, where a slide presentation reviewing fiscal fourth quarter 2020 results will also be made available ahead of the conference call.

Conference Call:  +1.866.922.5180 with passcode: 3398624
Replay:  The webcast will be archived on the Plexus website and available via telephone replay at +1.855.859.2056 or +1.404.537.3406 with passcode: 3398624

Investor and Media Contact
Heather Beresford
+1.920.751.3612
heather.beresford@plexus.com

About Plexus
Since 1979, Plexus has been partnering with companies to create the products that build a better world.  We are a team of over 19,000 individuals who are dedicated to providing global Design and Development, Supply Chain Solutions, New Product Introduction, Manufacturing, and Aftermarket Services.  Plexus is a global leader that specializes in serving customers in industries with highly complex products and demanding regulatory environments.  Plexus delivers customer service excellence to leading global companies by providing innovative, comprehensive solutions throughout the product’s lifecycle.  For more information about Plexus, visit our website at www.plexus.com.

Safe Harbor and Fair Disclosure Statement
The statements contained in this press release that are guidance or which are not historical facts (such as statements in the future tense and statements including believe, expect, intend, plan, anticipate, goal, target and similar terms and concepts), including all discussions of periods which are not yet completed, are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include the evolving effect, which may intensify, of COVID-19 on our employees, customers, suppliers, and logistics providers, including the impact of governmental actions being taken to curtail the spread of the virus. Other risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the risk of customer delays, changes, cancellations or forecast inaccuracies in both ongoing and new programs; the lack of visibility of future orders, particularly in view of changing economic conditions; the economic performance of the industries, sectors and customers we serve; the effects of shortages and delays in obtaining components as a result of economic cycles, natural disasters or otherwise; the effects of tariffs, trade disputes, trade agreements and other trade protection measures; the effects of the volume of revenue from certain sectors or programs on our margins in particular periods; our ability to secure new customers, maintain our current customer base and deliver product on a timely basis; the risks of concentration of work for certain customers; the particular risks relative to new or recent customers, programs or services, which risks include customer and other delays, start-up costs, potential inability to execute, the establishment of appropriate terms of agreements, and the lack of a track record of order volume and timing; the effects of start-up costs of new programs and facilities or the costs associated with the closure or consolidation of facilities; possible unexpected costs and operating disruption in transitioning programs, including transitions between Company facilities; the risk that new program wins and/or customer demand may not result in the expected revenue or profitability; the fact that customer orders may not lead to long-term relationships; our ability to manage successfully and execute a complex business model characterized by high product mix and demanding quality, regulatory, and other requirements; the risks associated with excess and obsolete inventory, including the risk that inventory purchased on behalf of our customers may not be consumed or otherwise paid for by the customer, resulting in an inventory write-off; risks related to information technology systems and data security; the ability to realize anticipated savings from restructuring or similar actions, as well as the adequacy of related charges as compared to actual expenses; increasing regulatory and compliance requirements; the effects of U.S. Tax Reform and of related foreign jurisdiction tax developments; current or potential future barriers to the repatriation of funds that are currently held outside of the United States as a result of actions taken by other countries or otherwise; the potential effects of jurisdictional results on our taxes, tax rates, and our ability to use deferred tax assets and net operating losses; the weakness of areas of the global economy; the effect of changes in the pricing and margins of products; raw materials and component cost fluctuations; the potential effect of fluctuations in the value of the currencies in which we transact business; the effects of changes in economic conditions, political conditions and tax matters in the United States and in the other countries in which we do business (including as a result of the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union); the potential effect of other world or local events or other events outside our control (such as changes in energy prices, terrorism and weather events); the impact of increased competition; an inability to successfully manage human capital; changes in financial accounting standards; and other risks detailed herein and in our other Securities and Exchange Commission filings, particularly in Risk Factors contained in our fiscal 2019 Form 10-K and subsequently filed quarterly reports on Form 10-Q.



 
PLEXUS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(in thousands, except per share data)
(unaudited)
      
 Three Months Ended Twelve Months Ended
 Oct 3, Sept 28, Oct 3, Sept 28,
 2020 2019 2020 2019
Net sales$913,227   $810,195   $3,390,394   $3,164,434  
Cost of sales824,037   732,406   3,077,688   2,872,596  
Gross profit$89,190   $77,789   $312,706   $291,838  
Operating expenses:       
Selling and administrative expenses38,814   38,584   153,331   148,105  
Restructuring and impairment charges   1,678   6,003   1,678  
Operating income50,376   37,527   153,372   142,055  
Other income (expense):       
Interest expense(4,228)  (3,748)  (16,162)  (12,853) 
Interest income332   539   1,878   1,949  
Miscellaneous, net(1,072)  (892)  (3,691)  (5,196) 
Income before income taxes45,408   33,426   135,397   125,955  
Income tax expense (benefit)7,703   (3,405)  17,918   17,339  
Net income$37,705   $36,831   $117,479   $108,616  
Earnings per share:       
Basic$1.29   $1.26   $4.02   $3.59  
Diluted$1.26   $1.23   $3.93   $3.50  
Weighted average shares outstanding:       
Basic29,153   29,181   29,195   30,271  
Diluted29,857   30,001   29,916   31,074  



 
PLEXUS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(in thousands, except per share data)
(unaudited)
    
 Oct 3, Sept 28,
 2020 2019
ASSETS   
Current assets:   
Cash and cash equivalents$385,807   $223,761  
Restricted cash2,087   2,493  
Accounts receivable482,086   488,284  
Contract assets113,946   90,841  
Inventories763,461   700,938  
Prepaid expenses and other31,772   31,974  
Total current assets1,779,159   1,538,291  
Property, plant and equipment, net383,661   384,224  
Operating lease right-of-use assets69,879     
Deferred income taxes21,422   13,654  
Other35,727   64,714  
Total non-current assets510,689   462,592  
 Total assets$2,289,848   $2,000,883  
    
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY   
Current liabilities:   
Current portion of long-term debt and finance lease obligations$146,829   $100,702  
Accounts payable516,297   444,944  
Customer deposits159,972   139,841  
Accrued salaries and wages76,927   73,555  
Other accrued liabilities103,492   106,461  
Total current liabilities1,003,517   865,503  
Long-term debt and finance lease obligations, net of current portion187,975   187,278  
Accrued income taxes payable53,899   59,572  
Long-term operating lease liabilities36,779     
Deferred income taxes6,433   5,305  
Other liabilities23,765   17,649  
Total non-current liabilities308,851   269,804  
 Total liabilities1,312,368   1,135,307  
Shareholders’ equity:   
Common stock, $.01 par value, 200,000 shares authorized,   
53,525 and 52,917 shares issued, respectively,   
and 29,002 and 29,004 shares outstanding, respectively535   529  
Additional paid-in-capital621,564   597,401  
Common stock held in treasury, at cost, 24,523 and 23,913, respectively(934,639)  (893,247) 
Retained earnings1,295,079   1,178,677  
Accumulated other comprehensive loss(5,059)  (17,784) 
Total shareholders’ equity977,480   865,576  
 Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity$2,289,848   $2,000,883  
    



 
PLEXUS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NON-GAAP SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION Table 1
(in thousands, except per share data)
(unaudited)
          
 Three Months Ended Twelve Months Ended
 Oct 3, Jul 4, Sept 28, Oct 3, Sept 28,
 2020 2020 2019 2020 2019
Operating income, as reported$50,376   $45,853   $37,527   $153,372   $142,055  
Operating margin, as reported5.5%   5.3%   4.6%   4.5%   4.5%  
          
Non-GAAP adjustments:         
Restructuring and impairment charges (1)      1,678   6,003   1,678  
Adjusted operating income$50,376   $45,853   $39,205   $159,375   $143,733  
Adjusted operating margin5.5%   5.3%   4.8%   4.7%   4.5%  
          
Net income, as reported$37,705   $35,842   $36,831   $117,479   $108,616  
          
Non-GAAP adjustments:         
Restructuring and impairment charges, net of tax (1)      1,502   5,373   1,502  
Special tax impacts (2)         (814)  7,035  
Accumulated foreign earnings assertion (3)      (10,545)     (10,545) 
Adjusted net income$37,705   $35,842   $27,788   $122,038   $106,608  
          
Diluted earnings per share, as reported$1.26   $1.20   $1.23   $3.93   $3.50  
          
Non-GAAP per share adjustments:         
Restructuring and impairment charges, net of tax (1)      0.05   0.18   0.05  
Special tax impacts (2)         (0.03)  0.23  
Accumulated foreign earnings assertion (3)      (0.35)     (0.35) 
Adjusted diluted earnings per share$1.26   $1.20   $0.93   $4.08   $3.43  
          
(1) During the twelve months ended October 3, 2020, restructuring and impairment charges of $6.0 million, or $5.4 million net of taxes, were incurred due to the previously announced closure of our Boulder Design Center.  During the three and twelve months ended September 28, 2019, restructuring costs of $1.7 million, or $1.5 million net of taxes, were incurred.
 
(2) During the twelve months ended October 3, 2020, there was $1.9 million in tax benefits related to U.S. foreign tax credit regulations issued during the fiscal year, partially offset by $1.1 million of tax expense as a result of special tax items.  During the twelve months ended September 28, 2019, special tax expense of $7.0 million was recorded in accordance with new regulations issued in November 2018 under U.S. Tax Reform. These regulations impacted the treatment of foreign taxes paid.
 
(3) During the three and twelve months ended September 28, 2019, Plexus reasserted that certain historical undistributed earnings of two foreign subsidiaries will be permanently reinvested, which resulted in a $10.5 million benefit.



 
PLEXUS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NON-GAAP SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION Table 2
 (in thousands)
(unaudited)
      
ROIC and Economic Return Calculations Twelve Months Ended Nine Months Ended Twelve Months Ended
 Oct 3, Jul 4, Sept 28,
 2020 2020 2019
Operating income, as reported $153,372   $102,996   $142,055 
Restructuring and impairment charges+6,003  +6,003  +1,678 
Adjusted operating income $159,375   $108,999   $143,733 
    ÷3    
     $36,333    
    x4    
Adjusted annualized operating income $159,375   $145,332   $143,733 
Adjusted effective tax ratex14% x13% x16%
Tax impact 22,313   18,893   22,997 
Adjusted operating income (tax effected) $137,062   $126,439   $120,736 
         
Average invested capital÷$978,939  ÷$980,929  ÷$923,107 
         
ROIC 14.0%  12.9%  13.1%
Weighted average cost of capital-8.8% -8.8% -9.0%
Economic return 5.2%  4.1%  4.1%

 

 Three Months Ended
Average Invested CapitalOct 3, Jul 4, Apr 4, Jan 4, Sept 28,
Calculations2020 2020 2020 2020 2019
Equity$977,480   $944,821   $892,558    908,372   $865,576  
Plus:               
Debt and finance lease obligations - current146,829    145,993    107,880    67,847   100,702  
Operating lease obligations - current (1) (2)7,724    8,061    8,546    9,185     
Debt and finance lease obligations - long-term187,975    188,626    186,327    186,827   187,278  
Operating lease obligations - long-term (2)36,779    38,077    39,617    36,473     
Less:                     
Cash and cash equivalents(385,807)   (296,545)   (225,830)   (252,914)  (223,761) 
 $970,980   $1,029,033   $1,009,098    955,790   $929,795  
       
      Three Months Ended
Average Invested Capital     Jun 29, Mar 30, Dec 29,  Sept 29,
Calculations     2019 2019 2018  2018
Equity     $860,791   $875,444   $905,163   $921,143  
Plus:                        
Debt and finance lease obligations - current     138,976   93,197    8,633   5,532  
Operating lease obligations - current (1) (2)                 
Debt and finance lease obligations - long-term     187,581   187,120    187,567   183,085  
Operating lease obligations - long-term (2)                 
Less:                        
Cash and cash equivalents     (198,395)  (184,028)   (188,799  (297,269) 
      $988,953   $971,733   $912,564   $812,491  
  
(1) Included in Other accrued liabilities on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. 
  
(2) In the fiscal first quarter of 2020, Plexus adopted and applied Topic 842 to all leases using the modified retrospective method of adoption. The prior year comparative information has not been restated and continues to be reported under the accounting standards in effect for fiscal 2019 and 2018.