TE Connectivity announces fourth quarter and full year results for fiscal year 2021

SCHAFFHAUSEN, Switzerland, Oct. 27, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- TE Connectivity Ltd. (NYSE: TEL) today reported results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended Sept. 24, 2021.

Fourth Quarter Highlights

• Net sales were $3.8 billion, up approximately 17% versus prior year on a reported basis.
• Operating margin expansion year over year with strong performance across all segments.
• GAAP diluted earnings per share (EPS) from continuing operations were $2.40, and adjusted EPS were $1.69, an increase of 46% versus the prior year.
• Cash flow from continuing operating activities was $774 million and free cash flow was $536 million.
• Completed acquisition of ERNI Group AG (ERNI), a European connector manufacturer focused on factory automation markets.

Full Year Highlights

• Net sales were $14.9 billion, up 23% from fiscal year 2020.
• Operating margin expansion year over year, with increases across all segments.
• GAAP EPS from continuing operations were $6.77 versus a loss of $0.78 in fiscal year 2020, and adjusted EPS were $6.51, versus $4.26 in fiscal year 2020.
• Cash flow from continuing operating activities was $2.7 billion and free cash flow was $2.1 billion, with approximately $1.5 billion returned to shareholders and over $400 million deployed for acquisitions.
• Company set new ESG commitment to decrease greenhouse gas emissions by over 40% on an absolute basis by 2030.

"We had a strong finish to fiscal 2021 with sales and adjusted earnings in the fourth quarter exceeding expectations despite broader global supply challenges," said TE Connectivity CEO Terrence Curtin. "I am very pleased with our teams' ongoing execution in a very dynamic backdrop. Our performance demonstrates the strength and diversity of our portfolio, which is reflected in sales and earnings above pre-COVID levels. We will continue to benefit from our leadership positions in long-term technology trends of electric vehicles, data and cloud, factory automation and renewable investments, which are enabling us to grow above the markets we serve. We expect to deliver continued growth in both sales and earnings in the first quarter of fiscal 2022."

First Quarter FY22 Outlook

For the first quarter of fiscal 2022, the company expects net sales of approximately $3.7 billion, reflecting an increase of 5% on a reported basis and 4% on an organic basis year over year. GAAP EPS from continuing operations is expected to be approximately $1.50 year over year, with adjusted EPS of approximately $1.60, up 9% year over year.

Information about TE Connectivity's use of non-GAAP financial measures is provided below. For reconciliations of these non-GAAP financial measures, see the attached tables.

Conference Call and Webcast

The company will hold a conference call today beginning at 8:30 a.m. ET. The dial-in information is provided here:

• At TE Connectivity's website: investors.te.com
• By telephone: For both "listen-only" participants and those participants who wish to take part in the question-and-answer portion of the call, the dial-in number in the United States is (888) 330-3417 and for international callers, the dial-in number is (646) 960-0804.
• A replay of the conference call will be available on TE Connectivity's investor website at investors.te.com at 11:30 a.m. ET on Oct. 27, 2021.

About TE Connectivity

TE Connectivity Ltd. (NYSE: TEL) is a global industrial technology leader creating a safer, sustainable, productive, and connected future. Our broad range of connectivity and sensor solutions, proven in the harshest environments, enable advancements in transportation, industrial applications, medical technology, energy, data communications, and the home. With more than 85,000 employees, including over 8,000 engineers, working alongside customers in approximately 140 countries, TE ensures that EVERY CONNECTION COUNTS. Learn more at www.te.com and on LinkedIn, Facebook, WeChat and Twitter.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

We present non-GAAP performance and liquidity measures as we believe it is appropriate for investors to consider adjusted financial measures in addition to results in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. ("GAAP"). These non-GAAP financial measures provide supplemental information and should not be considered replacements for results in accordance with GAAP. Management uses non-GAAP financial measures internally for planning and forecasting purposes and in its decision-making processes related to the operations of our company. We believe these measures provide meaningful information to us and investors because they enhance the understanding of our operating performance, ability to generate cash, and the trends of our business. Additionally, we believe that investors benefit from having access to the same financial measures that management uses in evaluating our operations. The primary limitation of these measures is that they exclude the financial impact of items that would otherwise either increase or decrease our reported results. This limitation is best addressed by using these non-GAAP financial measures in combination with the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures in order to better understand the amounts, character, and impact of any increase or decrease in reported amounts. These non-GAAP financial measures may not be comparable to similarly-titled measures reported by other companies.

The following provides additional information regarding our non-GAAP financial measures:

• Organic Net Sales Growth (Decline) – represents net sales growth (decline) (the most comparable GAAP financial measure) excluding the impact of foreign currency exchange rates, and acquisitions and divestitures that occurred in the preceding twelve months, if any. Organic Net Sales Growth (Decline) is a useful measure of our performance because it excludes items that are not completely under management's control, such as the impact of changes in foreign currency exchange rates, and items that do not reflect the underlying growth of the company, such as acquisition and divestiture activity. This measure is a significant component in our incentive compensation plans.
• Adjusted Operating Income (Loss) and Adjusted Operating Margin – represent operating income (loss) and operating margin, respectively, (the most comparable GAAP financial measures) before special items including restructuring and other charges, acquisition-related charges, impairment of goodwill, and other income or charges, if any. We utilize these adjusted measures in combination with operating income (loss) and operating margin to assess segment level operating performance and to provide insight to management in evaluating segment operating plan execution and market conditions. Adjusted Operating Income (Loss) is a significant component in our incentive compensation plans.
• Adjusted Other Income (Expense), Net – represents net other income (expense) (the most comparable GAAP financial measure) before special items including tax sharing income related to adjustments to prior period tax returns and other items, if any.
• Adjusted Income Tax (Expense) Benefit and Adjusted Effective Tax Rate – represent income tax (expense) benefit and effective tax rate, respectively, (the most comparable GAAP financial measures) after adjusting for the tax effect of special items including restructuring and other charges, acquisition-related charges, impairment of goodwill, other income or charges, and certain significant tax items, if any.
• Adjusted Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations – represents income (loss) from continuing operations (the most comparable GAAP financial measure) before special items including restructuring and other charges, acquisition-related charges, impairment of goodwill, tax sharing income related to adjustments to prior period tax returns and other tax items, other income or charges, and certain significant tax items, if any, and, if applicable, the related tax effects.
• Adjusted Earnings (Loss) Per Share – represents diluted earnings (loss) per share from continuing operations (the most comparable GAAP financial measure) before special items including restructuring and other charges, acquisition-related charges, impairment of goodwill, tax sharing income related to adjustments to prior period tax returns and other tax items, other income or charges, and certain significant tax items, if any, and, if applicable, the related tax effects. This measure is a significant component in our incentive compensation plans.
• Free Cash Flow (FCF) – is a useful measure of our ability to generate cash. The difference between net cash provided by continuing operating activities (the most comparable GAAP financial measure) and Free Cash Flow consists mainly of significant cash outflows and inflows that we believe are useful to identify. We believe Free Cash Flow provides useful information to investors as it provides insight into the primary cash flow metric used by management to monitor and evaluate cash flows generated from our operations. Free Cash Flow is defined as net cash provided by continuing operating activities excluding voluntary pension contributions and the cash impact of special items, if any, minus net capital expenditures. Voluntary pension contributions are excluded from the GAAP financial measure because this activity is driven by economic financing decisions rather than operating activity. Certain special items, including net payments related to pre-separation tax matters and cash paid (collected) pursuant to collateral requirements related to cross-currency swap contracts, are also excluded by management in evaluating Free Cash Flow. Net capital expenditures consist of capital expenditures less proceeds from the sale of property, plant, and equipment. These items are subtracted because they represent long-term commitments. In the calculation of Free Cash Flow, we subtract certain cash items that are ultimately within management's and the Board of Directors' discretion to direct and may imply that there is less or more cash available for our programs than the most comparable GAAP financial measure indicates. It should not be inferred that the entire Free Cash Flow amount is available for future discretionary expenditures, as our definition of Free Cash Flow does not consider certain non-discretionary expenditures, such as debt payments. In addition, we may have other discretionary expenditures, such as discretionary dividends, share repurchases, and business acquisitions, that are not considered in the calculation of Free Cash Flow.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on management's current expectations and are subject to risks, uncertainty and changes in circumstances, which may cause actual results, performance, financial condition or achievements to differ materially from anticipated results, performance, financial condition or achievements. All statements contained herein that are not clearly historical in nature are forward-looking and the words "anticipate," "believe," "expect," "estimate," "plan," and similar expressions are generally intended to identify forward-looking statements. We have no intention and are under no obligation to update or alter (and expressly disclaim any such intention or obligation to do so) our forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except to the extent required by law. The forward-looking statements in this release include statements addressing our future financial condition and operating results, and the impact on our operations resulting from the coronavirus disease 2019 ("COVID-19"). Examples of factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements include, among others, the extent, severity and duration of COVID-19 negatively affecting our business operations; business, economic, competitive and regulatory risks, such as conditions affecting demand for products in the automotive and other industries we serve; competition and pricing pressure; fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates and commodity prices; natural disasters and political, economic and military instability in countries in which we operate; developments in the credit markets; future goodwill impairment; compliance with current and future environmental and other laws and regulations; and the possible effects on us of changes in tax laws, tax treaties and other legislation, including the effects of Swiss tax reform. In addition, the extent to which COVID-19 will impact our business and our financial results will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted. Such developments may include the geographic spread of the virus, the severity of the virus, the duration of the outbreak, the impact on our suppliers' and customers' supply chains, the actions that may be taken by various governmental authorities in response to the outbreak in jurisdictions in which we operate, and the possible impact on the global economy and local economies in which we operate.  More detailed information about these and other factors is set forth in TE Connectivity Ltd.'s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended Sept. 25, 2020 as well as in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and other reports filed by us with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.