Plexus Announces Fiscal Second Quarter Financial Results


  • Fiscal second quarter 2021 revenue of $881 million
  • GAAP diluted EPS of $1.42, including $0.07 of restructuring charges and $0.22 of stock-based compensation expense
  • Initiates fiscal third quarter 2021 revenue guidance of $875 to $915 million with GAAP diluted EPS guidance of $1.23 to $1.38, excluding any unforeseen COVID-19 impacts

NEENAH, WI, April 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Plexus (NASDAQ: PLXS) today announced financial results for our fiscal second quarter ended April 3, 2021, and guidance for our fiscal third quarter ending July 3, 2021.

  Three Months Ended
  April 3, 2021 April 3, 2021 July 3, 2021
  Q2F21 Results Q2F21 Guidance Q3F21 Guidance
Summary GAAP Items     
Revenue (in millions)$881  $860 to $900 $875 to $915
Operating margin 5.8% 5.0% to 5.5% 5.1% to 5.6%
Diluted EPS (1)$1.42  $1.17 to $1.32 $1.23 to $1.38
       
Summary Non-GAAP Items (2)     
Return on invested capital (ROIC) 17.3%    
Economic return 9.2%    
       
(1Includes stock-based compensation expense of $0.22 for Q2F21 results, $0.22 for Q2F21 guidance and $0.22 for Q3F21 guidance.
(2Refer to Non-GAAP Supplemental Information in Tables 1 and 2 for non-GAAP financial measures and a reconciliation to GAAP.

Fiscal Second Quarter 2021 Information

  • Won 42 manufacturing programs during the quarter representing $284 million in annualized revenue when fully ramped into production
  • Trailing four quarter wins total a record $1.044 billion in annualized revenue when fully ramped into production
  • Purchased $29.2 million of our shares at an average price of $83.39 per share under our existing share repurchase programs. A balance of $53.4 million remains outstanding under the $100 million fiscal 2021 program.

Todd Kelsey, President and CEO, commented, “Our robust fiscal second quarter results highlight the advantages of our unique value proposition and consistent focus on operational excellence. Our GAAP operating margin of 5.75% expanded 11 basis points from the prior quarter, representing the best performance in more than a decade and the fourth consecutive quarter in excess of 5.0%. Productivity gains, expense management and another solid performance from our Engineering Solutions team contributed to better than anticipated profitability. Revenue of $881 million was in line with our expectation and at the midpoint of our guidance. Through this combination, we delivered GAAP EPS of $1.42, which exceeded the top end of our guidance range.”

Mr. Kelsey continued, “Leveraging the record $3.3 billion funnel of qualified manufacturing opportunities from our fiscal first quarter, we won 42 new manufacturing programs. For the second consecutive quarter, these program wins include a number of meaningful new customer engagements, positioning us for further growth. These wins, which include a notable Aftermarket Services engagement, represent $284 million in annualized revenue when fully ramped into production and contribute to our trailing four quarter wins, once again, exceeding $1.0 billion.”

Patrick Jermain, Executive Vice President and CFO, commented, “With our exceptional operating performance and working capital management, we delivered return on invested capital of 17.3%, sequentially improved by 100 basis points and the highest return delivered in four years. This result generated economic return of 920 basis points above our weighted average cost of capital, creating considerable shareholder value. Further, given the strength of our balance sheet and free cash flow generation, we elected to repay our 364-day term loan of $138 million three months early. We ended the quarter with ample liquidity given our cash balance of approximately $295 million and only $38 million borrowed under our $350 million revolving credit facility.   In addition, we reconfirm our fiscal 2021 expectation for free cash flow of approximately $100 million.”

Mr. Kelsey further commented, “We anticipate our robust performance will continue for the fiscal third quarter based upon incrementally stronger demand, particularly in our Healthcare/Life Sciences sector, and confidence in our ability to consistently execute. We are guiding revenue of $875 to $915 million, GAAP operating margin of 5.1% to 5.6% and GAAP EPS of $1.23 to $1.38. Our guidance assumes that neither supply chain constraints, which are a near term limiter in our ability to meet customer demand upside, nor COVID-19 will materially impact end markets or our operations beyond what is already anticipated.”

Mr. Kelsey concluded, “We believe we have a platform to sustain strong revenue growth moving forward through the strengthening in the overall demand environment, including equipment used in elective medical procedures, an eventual commercial aerospace market recovery, our ability to support secular growth markets and the acceleration in new program wins. Looking beyond fiscal 2021, we are confident these factors support our goal to achieve 9% to 12% annual revenue growth while continuing to deliver industry leading operating performance.”

Quarterly ComparisonThree Months Ended
(in thousands, except EPS)Apr 3, 2021 Jan 2, 2021 Apr 4, 2020
Revenue$880,885  $830,355  $767,364 
Gross profit91,002  79,277  61,445 
Operating income50,687  46,866  17,209 
Net income41,763  36,199  12,926 
Diluted EPS1.42  1.23  0.43 
      
Gross margin10.3% 9.5% 8.0%
Operating margin5.8% 5.6% 2.2%
      
ROIC (1)17.3% 16.3% 11.4%
Economic return (1)9.2% 8.2% 2.6%
      
(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 income, 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 55% of revenue for both the fiscal first and second quarters of 2021.

Business Segments ($ in millions)Three Months Ended
 Apr 3, 2021 Jan 2, 2021 Apr 4, 2020
Americas$365   $327   $334  
Asia-Pacific459   451   388  
Europe, Middle East, and Africa83   79   74  
Elimination of inter-segment sales(26)  (27)  (29) 
Total Revenue$881   $830   $767  


Market Sectors ($ in millions)Three Months Ended
 Apr 3, 2021 Jan 2, 2021 Apr 4, 2020
Industrial (1)$407 46% $378 46% $339 44%
Healthcare/Life Sciences350 40% 319 38% 271 35%
Aerospace/Defense124 14% 133 16% 157 21%
Total Revenue$881   $830   $767  
         
(1) At the beginning of fiscal 2021, Plexus consolidated the previously reported Industrial/Commercial and Communications market sectors to form the Industrial market sector. Prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation.

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 the fiscal second quarter was 17.3%. Plexus defines ROIC as tax-effected annualized adjusted operating income divided by average invested capital over a three-quarter period for the fiscal second quarter. 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 2021 is 8.1%. ROIC for the fiscal second quarter less Plexus’ weighted average cost of capital resulted in an economic return of 9.2%.

Free Cash Flow

Plexus defines free cash flow as cash flows provided by operations less capital expenditures. For the three months ended April 3, 2021, cash flows provided by operations was $82.1 million, less capital expenditures of $7.3 million, resulting in free cash flow of $74.8 million.

Cash Cycle DaysThree Months Ended 
 Apr 3, 2021 Jan 2, 2021 Apr 4, 2020 
Days in Accounts Receivable52 53 55 
Days in Contract Assets12 12 13 
Days in Inventory89 93 99 
Days in Accounts Payable(61) (59) (62) 
Days in Cash Deposits(20) (19) (18) 
Annualized Cash Cycle *72 80 87 
  
* 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 2021 Q2 Earnings Conference Call and Webcast
When:   Thursday, April 22, 2021 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 second quarter 2021 results will also be made available ahead of the conference call.
Conference Call: +1.866.922.5180 with passcode: 3860807

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: 3860807

Investor and Media Contact
Shawn Harrison
+1.920.751.3612
shawn.harrison@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 approximately 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, any tax law changes as a result of change in U.S. presidential administration, 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, global health epidemics 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 in our fiscal 2020 Form 10-K and any subsequently filed Form 10-Q.

PLEXUS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(in thousands, except per share data)
(unaudited)
      
 Three Months Ended Six Months Ended
 Apr 3, Apr 4, Apr 3, Apr 4,
 2021 2020 2021 2020
Net sales$880,885  $767,364  $1,711,240  $1,619,773 
Cost of sales789,883  705,919  1,540,961  1,479,138 
Gross profit91,002  61,445  170,279  140,635 
Operating expenses       
Selling and administrative expenses38,286  38,233  70,697  77,489 
Restructuring and impairment charges2,029  6,003  2,029  6,003 
Operating income50,687  17,209  97,553  57,143 
Other income (expense):       
Interest expense(3,818) (3,814) (7,904) (7,946)
Interest income390  533  764  1,178 
Miscellaneous, net(825) 154  (2,343) (2,019)
Income before income taxes46,434  14,082  88,070  48,356 
Income tax expense4,671  1,156  10,108  4,424 
Net income$41,763  $12,926  $77,962  $43,932 
Earnings per share:       
Basic$1.45  $0.44  $2.71  $1.50 
Diluted$1.42  $0.43  $2.65  $1.46 
Weighted average shares outstanding:       
Basic28,736  29,291  28,799  29,216 
Diluted29,310  29,925  29,409  29,999 


PLEXUS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(in thousands, except per share data)
(unaudited)
    
 Apr 3, Oct 3,
 2021 2020
ASSETS   
Current assets:   
Cash and cash equivalents$294,370  $385,807 
Restricted cash142  2,087 
Accounts receivable508,576  482,086 
Contract assets116,440  113,946 
Inventories771,605  763,461 
Prepaid expenses and other37,787  31,772 
Total current assets1,728,920  1,779,159 
Property, plant and equipment, net379,014  383,661 
Operating lease right-of-use assets68,877  69,879 
Deferred income taxes22,351  21,422 
Other39,226  35,727 
Total non-current assets509,468  510,689 
Total assets$2,238,388  $2,289,848 
    
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY   
Current liabilities:   
Current portion of long-term debt and finance lease obligations$50,229  $146,829 
Accounts payable529,948  516,297 
Customer deposits175,099  159,972 
Accrued salaries and wages64,860  76,927 
Other accrued liabilities100,722  103,492 
Total current liabilities920,858  1,003,517 
Long-term debt and finance lease obligations, net of current portion188,730  187,975 
Accrued income taxes payable47,974  53,899 
Long-term operating lease liabilities34,751  36,779 
Deferred income taxes7,042  6,433 
Other liabilities25,081  23,765 
Total non-current liabilities303,578  308,851 
Total liabilities1,224,436  1,312,368 
Shareholders’ equity:   
Common stock, $.01 par value, 200,000 shares authorized,   
53,838 and 53,525 shares issued, respectively,   
and 28,659 and 29,002 shares outstanding, respectively538  535 
Additional paid-in-capital627,176  621,564 
Common stock held in treasury, at cost, 25,179 and 24,523, respectively(986,539) (934,639)
Retained earnings1,373,041  1,295,079 
Accumulated other comprehensive loss(264) (5,059)
Total shareholders’ equity1,013,952  977,480 
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity$2,238,388  $2,289,848 
    


PLEXUS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NON-GAAP SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION Table 1
(in thousands, except per share data)
(unaudited)
           
  Three Months Ended Six Months Ended
  Apr 3, Jan 2, Apr 4, Apr 3, Apr 4,
  2021 2021 2020 2021 2020
Operating income, as reported$50,687  $46,866  $17,209  $97,553  $57,143 
Operating margin, as reported5.8% 5.6% 2.2% 5.7% 3.5%
           
Non-GAAP adjustments:         
Restructuring and impairment charges (1)$2,029  $  $6,003  $2,029  $6,003 
Adjusted operating income$52,716  $46,866  $23,212  $99,582  $63,146 
Adjusted operating margin6.0% 5.6% 3.0% 5.8% 3.9%
           
Net income, as reported$41,763  $36,199  $12,926  $77,962  $43,932 
           
Non-GAAP adjustments:         
Special tax impacts (2)        (814) 
Restructuring and impairment charges, net of tax (1)1,816    5,373  1,816  5,373 
Adjusted net income$43,579  $36,199  $18,299  $79,778  $48,491 
           
Diluted earnings per share, as reported$1.42  $1.23  $0.43  $2.65  $1.46 
           
Non-GAAP per share adjustments:         
Special tax impacts (2)        (0.02) 
Restructuring and impairment charges, net of tax (1)0.07    0.18  0.06  0.18 
Adjusted diluted earnings per share$1.49  $1.23  $0.61  $2.71  $1.62 


(1)During the three months ended April 3, 2021, restructuring charges of $2.0 million, or $1.8 million net of taxes, were incurred. 

During the three months ended April 4, 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.

(2)During the three months ended January 4, 2020, there were $1.9M in tax benefits related to US foreign tax credit regulations issued during the quarter, partially offset by $1.1M of tax expense as a result of special tax items.


PLEXUS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NON-GAAP SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION Table 2
(in thousands)
(unaudited)
      
ROIC and Economic Return Calculations Six Months Ended Three Months Ended Six Months Ended
 Apr 3, Jan 2, Apr 4,
 2021 2021 2020
Operating income, as reported $97,553   $46,866   $57,143 
Restructuring and impairment charges+2,029  +  +6,003 
Adjusted operating income $99,582   $46,866   $63,146 
 x2 x4 x2
         
Adjusted annualized operating income $199,164   $187,464   $126,292 
Adjusted effective tax ratex13% x13% x13%
Tax impact 25,891   24,370   16,418 
Adjusted operating income (tax effected) $173,273   $163,094   $109,874 
         
Average invested capital÷$1,002,260  ÷$1,002,087  ÷$966,630 
         
ROIC 17.3%  16.3%  11.4%
Weighted average cost of capital-8.1% -8.1% -8.8%
Economic return 9.2%  8.2%  2.6%


 Three Months Ended
Average Invested CapitalApr 3, Jan 2, Oct 3, Jul 4, Apr 4, Jan 4, Sept 28,
Calculations2021 2021 2020 2020 2020 2020 2019
Equity$1,013,952  $1,006,959  $977,480  $944,821  $892,558  $908,372  $865,576 
Plus:             
Debt and finance lease obligations - current50,229  148,408  146,829  145,993  107,880  67,847  100,702 
Operating lease obligations - current (1) (2)9,314  9,351  7,724  8,061  8,546  9,102   
Debt and finance lease obligations - long-term188,730  188,148  187,975  188,626  186,327  186,827  187,278 
Operating lease obligations - long-term (2)34,751  37,052  36,779  38,077  39,617  41,764   
Less:             
Cash and cash equivalents(294,370) (356,724) (385,807) (296,545) (225,830) (252,914) (223,761)
 $1,002,606  $1,033,194  $970,980  $1,029,033  $1,009,098  $960,998  $929,795 


(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.