A Dark Vector Cognition product

Item 1A. RISK FACTORS

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Item 1A. RISK FACTORS

In addition to the other information set forth in this report, you should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties discussed in Part I, “Item 1A. Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2021, which could materially affect our business, financial condition or future results. The risks described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K are not the only risks facing our Company. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently deem to be not material also may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and/or operating results. We are including the following revised risk factors, which update and supersede the corresponding risk factors disclosed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended March 31, 2021, and which should be read in conjunction with our description of risk factors in Part I, Item 1A, "Risk Factors" of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended March 31, 2021:

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has materially and adversely affected our business and results of operations. The duration and extent to which it will continue to adversely impact our business and results of operations remains uncertain and could be material.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a widespread public health crisis and numerous disease control measures being taken to limit its spread, including travel bans and restrictions, quarantines, shelter-in-place orders, and shutdowns. These measures have materially impacted and are continuing to impact our workforce and operations, the operations of our customers, and those of our respective vendors and suppliers. We have significant operations worldwide, including in China, Mexico, the United States, Brazil, India, Malaysia and Europe, and each of these geographies has been affected by the outbreak and has taken measures to try to contain it. This has resulted in disruptions at many of our manufacturing operations and facilities, and further disruptions could occur in the future. Any such disruptions could materially adversely affect our business. There have been renewed disease control measures being taken to limit the spread including movement bans and shelter-in-place orders. We continue to closely monitor the situation in all the locations where we operate. The impact of the pandemic on our business has included and could in the future include:

  • disruptions to or restrictions on our ability to ensure the continuous provision of our manufacturing services and solutions;

  • temporary closures or reductions in operational capacity of our manufacturing facilities;

  • temporary closures of our direct and indirect suppliers, resulting in adverse effects to our supply chain, and other supply chain disruptions, which adversely affect our ability to procure sufficient inventory to support customer orders;

  • temporary shortages of skilled employees available to staff manufacturing facilities due to shelter-in-place orders and travel restrictions within as well as into and out of countries;

  • restrictions or disruptions of transportation, such as reduced availability of air transport, port closures, and increased border controls or closures;

  • increases in operational expenses and other costs related to requirements implemented to mitigate the impact of the pandemic;

  • delays or limitations on the ability of our customers to perform or make timely payments;

  • reductions in short- and long-term demand for our manufacturing services and solutions, or other disruptions in technology buying patterns;

  • workforce disruptions due to illness, quarantines, governmental actions, other restrictions, and/or the social distancing measures we have taken to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 at our locations around the world in an effort to protect

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the health and well-being of our employees, customers, suppliers and of the communities in which we operate (including working from home, restricting the number of employees attending events or meetings in person, limiting the number of people in our buildings and factories at any one time, further restricting access to our facilities and suspending employee travel); and

  • our management team continuing to commit significant time, attention and resources to monitoring the COVID-19 pandemic and seeking to mitigate its effects on our business and workforce.

The global spread of COVID-19 also has created significant macroeconomic uncertainty, volatility and disruption, which may continue to adversely affect our and our customers’ and suppliers’ liquidity, cost of capital and ability to access the capital markets. As a result, the continued spread of COVID-19 could cause further disruptions in our supply chain and customer demand, and could adversely affect the ability of our customers to perform, including in making timely payments to us, which could further adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations. The COVID-19 pandemic has, in the short-term, adversely impacted, and may, in the long-term, adversely impact the global economy, potentially leading to an economic downturn. Even after the COVID-19 pandemic has subsided, we may continue to experience adverse impacts to our business as a result of the pandemic’s global economic impact, including any recession, economic downturn, government spending cuts, tightening of credit markets or increased unemployment that has occurred or may occur in the future, which could cause our customers and potential customers to postpone or reduce spending on our manufacturing services and solutions.

The extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic will continue to impact our business and financial results going forward will be dependent on future developments such as the length and severity of the crisis, the potential resurgence of COVID-19 in the future including variants of the virus, the availability and distribution of effective treatments and vaccines, and public health measures and actions taken throughout the world to contain COVID-19, and the overall impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global economy and capital markets, among many other factors, all of which remain highly uncertain and unpredictable. We cannot at this time quantify or forecast the business impact of COVID-19, and there can be no assurance that the COVID-19 pandemic will not have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial results and financial condition. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic increases the likelihood and potential severity of other risks described in this “Risk Factors” section and in Part I, “Item 1A. Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2021.

We have been and continue to be adversely affected by supply chain issues, including shortages of required electronic components.

From time to time, we have experienced shortages of some of the electronic components that we use. These shortages can result from strong demand for those components or from problems experienced by suppliers, such as shortages of raw materials. We have also experienced, and continue to experience, such shortages due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Most recently, we have experienced shortages of semiconductor components which has impacted our end markets. These unanticipated component shortages have resulted and will continue to result in curtailed production or delays in production, which prevent us from making scheduled shipments to customers. Our inability to make scheduled shipments has caused and will continue to cause us to experience a reduction in sales, increase in inventory levels and costs, and could adversely affect relationships with existing and prospective customers. Component shortages may also increase our cost of goods sold because we may be required to pay higher prices for components in short supply and redesign or reconfigure products to accommodate substitute components. As a result, component shortages have adversely affected and, will continue to adversely affect, our operating results. Our customers also may experience component shortages which may adversely affect customer demand for our products and services. Our end markets have been and continue to be impacted by logistical constraints, with COVID-19 related restrictions contributing to a declining workforce, including at ports and warehouses, as well as driver shortages around the world.

Our supply chain has been and will continue to be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and may be impacted by other events outside our control, including macro-economic events, trade restrictions, political crises, other public health emergencies, or natural or environmental occurrences.

We are subject to risks relating to litigation and regulatory investigations and proceedings, which may have a material adverse effect on our business.

From time to time, we are involved in various claims, suits, investigations and legal proceedings. Additional legal claims or regulatory matters may arise in the future and could involve matters relating to commercial disputes, government regulatory and compliance, intellectual property, antitrust, tax, employment or shareholder issues, product liability claims and other issues on a global basis. If we receive an adverse judgment in any such matter, we could be required to pay substantial damages and cease certain practices or activities. Regardless of the merits of the claims, litigation and other proceedings may be both time-consuming and disruptive to our business. The defense and ultimate outcome of any lawsuits or other legal proceedings may

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result in higher operating expenses and a decrease in operating margin, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations.

On May 8, 2018, a putative class action was filed in the Northern District of California against the Company and certain officers alleging violations of Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and Rule 10b-5, promulgated thereunder, alleging misstatements and/or omissions in certain of the Company’s financial results, press releases and SEC filings made during the putative class period of January 26, 2017 through April 26, 2018. On October 1, 2018, the Court appointed lead plaintiff and lead plaintiff’s counsel in the case. On November 28, 2018, lead plaintiff filed an amended complaint alleging misstatements and/or omissions in certain of the Company’s SEC filings, press releases, earnings calls, and analyst and investor conferences and expanding the putative class period through October 25, 2018. On April 3, 2019, the Court vacated its prior order appointing lead plaintiff and lead plaintiff’s counsel and reopened the lead plaintiff appointment process. On September 26, 2019, the Court appointed a new lead plaintiff, National Elevator Industry Pension Fund, and lead plaintiff’s counsel in the case. On November 8, 2019, lead plaintiff filed a further amended complaint. On December 4, 2019, defendants filed a motion to dismiss the amended complaint. On May 29, 2020, the Court granted defendants’ motion to dismiss without prejudice and gave lead plaintiff 30 days to amend. On June 29, 2020, lead plaintiff filed a further amended complaint. On July 27, 2020, defendants filed a motion to dismiss the amended complaint. On December 10, 2020, the Court granted defendants’ motion to dismiss with prejudice and entered judgment in favor of defendants. On January 7, 2021, lead plaintiff filed a notice of appeal to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. On May 19, 2021, lead plaintiff filed its opening appeal brief, on July 19, 2021, defendants filed their answering brief, and on September 8, 2021, lead plaintiff filed its reply brief. The Court of Appeals heard oral argument on December 8, 2021. On December 21, 2021, the Court of Appeals affirmed the dismissal with prejudice of the case. The Court of Appeals’ decision took effect on January 12, 2022. Any existing or future lawsuits could be time-consuming, result in significant expense and divert the attention and resources of our management and other key employees, as well as harm our reputation, business, financial condition or results of operations.

On February 14, 2019, we submitted an initial notification of voluntary disclosure to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control ("OFAC") regarding possible noncompliance with U.S. economic sanctions requirements among certain non-U.S. Flex-affiliated operations. On September 28, 2020, we made a submission to OFAC that completed the Company’s voluntary disclosure based on the results of an internal investigation regarding the matter. On June 11, 2021, we notified OFAC that we had identified possible additional relevant transactions at one non-U.S. Flex-affiliated operation. We submitted an update to OFAC on November 16, 2021 reporting on the results of our review of those transactions. We intend to continue to cooperate fully with OFAC in this matter going forward. Nonetheless, it is reasonably possible that we could be subject to penalties that could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

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ITEM 2. UNREGISTERED SALES OF EQUITY SECURITIES AND USE OF PROCEEDS

Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

The following table provides information regarding purchases of our ordinary shares made by us for the period from October 2, 2021 through December 31, 2021:

PeriodTotal Number of Shares Purchased (1)Average Price Paid per ShareTotal Number of Shares Purchased as Part of Publicly Announced Plans or ProgramsApproximate Dollar Value of Shares that May Yet Be Purchased Under the Plans or Programs
October 2, 2021 - November 5, 20212,197,334$18.202,197,334$650,906,817
November 6, 2021 - December 3, 20212,757,659$18.132,757,659$600,906,785
December 4, 2021 - December 31, 2021—$——$600,906,785
Total4,954,9934,954,993

(1)During the period from October 2, 2021 through December 31, 2021, all purchases were made pursuant to the programs discussed below in open market transactions. All purchases were made in accordance with Rule 10b-18 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

(2)On August 4, 2021, our Board of Directors authorized repurchases of our outstanding ordinary shares for up to $1.0 billion. This is in accordance with the share purchase mandate whereby our shareholders approved a repurchase limit of 20% of our issued ordinary shares outstanding at the Annual General Meeting held on the same date as the Board authorization. As of December 31, 2021, shares in the aggregate amount of $601 million were available to be repurchased under the current plan.

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ITEM 3. DEFAULTS UPON SENIOR SECURITIES

None

ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

Not applicable

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