Flex 10-Q 2023-12-31

Filed 2024-02-02. 8 sections, 199K characters. Original on sec.gov · Markdown · JSON

Cover and table of contents

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

Form 10-Q

(Mark One)

☒ QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the quarterly period ended December 31, 2023

Or

☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from to

Commission file number 0-23354

FLEX LTD.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

SingaporeNot Applicable
(State or other jurisdiction of(I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization)Identification No.)
2 Changi South Lane,
Singapore486123
(Address of registrant’s principal executive offices)(Zip Code)

(65) 6876-9899

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each classTrading Symbol(s)Name of each exchange on which registered
Ordinary Shares, No Par ValueFLEXThe Nasdaq Stock Market LLC

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and "emerging growth company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Large accelerated filer☒Accelerated filer☐Non-accelerated filer☐Smaller reporting company☐
Emerging growth company☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No ☒

The number of shares of the registrant’s ordinary shares outstanding as of January 26, 2024 was 421,163,217.

FLEX LTD.

INDEX

Page
PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Item 1.Financial Statements3
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm3
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (unaudited) — December 31, 2023 and March 31, 20234
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (unaudited) — Three-Month and Nine-Month Periods Ended December 31, 2023 and December 31, 20225
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (unaudited) — Three-Month and Nine-Month Periods Ended December 31, 2023 and December 31, 20226
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest and Shareholders' Equity (unaudited) — Three-Month and Nine-Month Periods Ended December 31, 2023 and December 31, 20227
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (unaudited) — Nine-Month Periods Ended December 31, 2023 and December 31, 20229
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (unaudited)10
Item 2.Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations27
Item 3.Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk36
Item 4.Controls and Procedures36
PART II. OTHER INFORMATION
Item 1.Legal Proceedings37
Item 1A.Risk Factors37
Item 2.Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities, Use of Proceeds, and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities39
Item 3.Defaults Upon Senior Securities40
Item 4.Mine Safety Disclosures40
Item 5.Other Information40
Item 6.Exhibits41
Signatures42

PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

To the Board of Directors and Shareholders of Flex Ltd., Singapore

Results of Review of Interim Financial Information

We have reviewed the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheet of Flex Ltd. and its subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2023, the related condensed consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income, redeemable noncontrolling interest and shareholders’ equity for the three-month and nine-month periods ended December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, and of cash flows for the nine-month periods ended December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “interim financial information”). Based on our reviews, we are not aware of any material modifications that should be made to the accompanying interim financial information for it to be in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

We have previously audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the consolidated balance sheet of the Company as of March 31, 2023 and the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income, redeemable noncontrolling interest and shareholders’ equity, and cash flows for the year then ended (not presented herein); and in our report dated May 19, 2023, we expressed an unqualified opinion on those consolidated financial statements. In our opinion, the information set forth in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheet as of March 31, 2023 is fairly stated, in all material respects, in relation to the consolidated balance sheet from which it has been derived.

Basis for Review Results

This interim financial information is the responsibility of the Company’s management. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our reviews in accordance with standards of the PCAOB. A review of interim financial information consists principally of applying analytical procedures and making inquiries of persons responsible for financial and accounting matters. It is substantially less in scope than an audit conducted in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB, the objective of which is the expression of an opinion regarding the financial statements taken as a whole. Accordingly, we do not express such an opinion.

/s/ DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP
San Jose, California
February 2, 2024

FLEX LTD.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

As of December 31, 2023As of March 31, 2023
(In millions, except share amounts) (Unaudited)
ASSETS
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents$2,764$3,294
Accounts receivable, net of allowance of $11 and $8, respectively3,6053,739
Contract assets604541
Inventories6,8157,530
Other current assets1,089917
Total current assets14,87716,021
Property and equipment, net2,3282,349
Operating lease right-of-use assets, net612608
Goodwill1,3481,343
Other intangible assets, net266316
Other assets935758
Total assets$20,366$21,395
LIABILITIES, NONCONTROLLING INTEREST AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY
Current liabilities:
Bank borrowings and current portion of long-term debt$3$150
Accounts payable5,2925,930
Accrued payroll and benefits513522
Deferred revenue and customer working capital advances2,5673,143
Other current liabilities1,0111,110
Total current liabilities9,38610,855
Long-term debt, net of current portion3,4313,691
Operating lease liabilities, non-current502506
Other liabilities602637
Total liabilities13,92115,689
Shareholders’ equity
Ordinary shares, no par value; 1,500,000,000 authorized, 427,319,202 and 500,362,046 issued, and 427,319,202 and 450,122,691 outstanding, respectively6,0566,493
Treasury stock, at cost; zero and 50,239,355 shares as of December 31, 2023 and March 31, 2023, respectively—(388)
Accumulated earnings (deficit)51(560)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss(142)(194)
Total Flex Ltd. shareholders’ equity5,9655,351
Noncontrolling interest480355
Total shareholders’ equity6,4455,706
Total liabilities, noncontrolling interest, and shareholders' equity$20,366$21,395

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.

FLEX LTD.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

Three-Month Periods EndedNine-Month Periods Ended
December 31, 2023December 31, 2022December 31, 2023December 31, 2022
(In millions, except per share amounts) (Unaudited)
Net sales$7,103$7,756$21,910$22,869
Cost of sales6,4007,16819,93521,155
Restructuring charges615815
Gross profit6425831,8941,709
Selling, general and administrative expenses264243806729
Restructuring charges13—19—
Intangible amortization17195462
Operating income3483211,015918
Interest, net3654112150
Other charges, net5

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Item 2. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Unless otherwise specifically stated, references in this report to “Flex,” “the Company,” “we,” “us,” “our” and similar terms mean Flex Ltd. and its subsidiaries.

This report on Form 10-Q contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The words “expects,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “intends,” “plans” and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. In addition, any statements which refer to expectations, projections or other characterizations of future events or circumstances are forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to publicly disclose any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring subsequent to filing this Form 10-Q with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, those risks and uncertainties discussed in this section, as well as any risks and uncertainties discussed in Part II, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” of this report on Form 10-Q, and in Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” and in Part II, Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023. In addition, new risks emerge from time to time and it is not possible for management to predict all such risk factors or to assess the impact of such risk factors on our business. Accordingly, our future results may differ materially from historical results or from those discussed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Given these risks and uncertainties, the reader should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.

OVERVIEW

We are the diversified manufacturing partner of choice that helps market-leading brands design, build and deliver innovative products that improve the world. Through the collective strength of a global workforce across approximately 30 countries with responsible, sustainable operations, we support the entire product lifecycle with advanced manufacturing solutions and operate one of the most trusted global supply chains. We also provide additional value to customers through a broad array of services, including design and engineering, component services, rapid prototyping, fulfillment, and circular economy solutions. We support a diverse set of industries including cloud, communications, enterprise, automotive, industrial, consumer devices, lifestyle, healthcare, and energy. As of December 31, 2023, our three operating and reportable segments were as follows:

  • Flex Agility Solutions ("FAS"), which is comprised of the following end markets:

◦Communications, Enterprise and Cloud, including data infrastructure, edge infrastructure and communications infrastructure

*◦*Lifestyle, including appliances, consumer packaging, floorcare, micro mobility and audio

*◦*Consumer Devices, including mobile and high velocity consumer devices.

  • Flex Reliability Solutions ("FRS"), which is comprised of the following end markets:

◦Automotive, including next generation mobility, autonomous, connectivity, electrification, and smart technologies

◦Health Solutions, including medical devices, medical equipment and drug delivery

◦Industrial, including capital equipment, industrial devices, and renewables and grid edge.

  • Nextracker, the leading provider of intelligent, integrated solar tracker and software solutions that are used in utility-scale and ground-mounted distributed generation solar projects around the world. Nextracker's products enable solar panels to follow the sun’s movement across the sky and optimize plant performance.

Our strategy is to provide customers with a full range of cost competitive, vertically-integrated global supply chain solutions through which we can design, build, ship and service a complete packaged product for our customers. This enables our customers to leverage our supply chain solutions to meet their product requirements throughout the entire product lifecycle.

Over the past few years, we have seen an increased level of diversification by many companies, primarily in the technology sector. Some companies that have historically identified themselves as software providers, Internet service providers or e-commerce retailers have entered the highly competitive and rapidly evolving technology hardware markets, such as mobile devices, home entertainment and wearable devices. This trend has resulted in a significant change in the manufacturing and supply chain solution requirements of such companies. While the products have become more complex, the supply chain solutions required by such companies have become more customized and demanding, and it has changed the manufacturing and supply chain landscape significantly.

We use a portfolio approach to manage our extensive service offerings. As our customers change the way they go to market, we have the capability to reorganize and rebalance our business portfolio in order to align with our customers' needs and requirements in an effort to optimize operating results. The objective of our business model is to allow us to be flexible and redeploy and reposition our assets and resources as necessary to meet specific customers' supply chain solution needs across all the markets we serve and earn a return on our invested capital above the weighted average cost of that capital.

We believe that our continued business transformation is strategically positioning us to take advantage of the long-term, future growth prospects for outsourcing of advanced manufacturing capabilities, design and engineering services and after-market services.

We are continuously evaluating our capital structure in response to the current environment and expect that our current financial condition, including our liquidity sources are adequate to fund future commitments. See additional discussion in the Liquidity and Capital Resources section below.

Update on Component Shortages and Logistical Constraints on our Business

Component shortages and logistical constraints improved as the year progressed. We continue to monitor potential supply chain disruptions, including disruptions in international commerce as a result of attacks on shipping vessels in the Red Sea. Refer to “Risk Factors - “Supply chain disruptions, manufacturing interruptions or delays, or the failure to accurately forecast customer demand, have in the past affected, and may in the future, affect our ability to meet customer demand, lead to higher costs, or result in excess or obsolete inventory. We have been and continue to be adversely affected by supply chain issues, including shortages of required electronic components.” as disclosed in Part I, “Item 1A. Risk Factors” of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023.

Russian Invasion of Ukraine and Israel-Hamas War

We continue to monitor and respond to the conflict in Ukraine and the associated sanctions and other restrictions. We also are monitoring and responding to the Israel-Hamas war. As of the date of this report, there is no material impact to our business operations and financial performance in Ukraine and Israel. The full impact of the conflicts on our business operations and financial performance remains uncertain and will depend on future developments, including the severity and duration of the conflicts and their impact on regional and global economic conditions. We will continue to monitor the conflicts and assess the related restrictions and other effects and pursue prudent decisions for our team members, customers, and business.

Other Developments

On July 3, 2023, our subsidiary Nextracker Inc. ("Nextracker") completed a follow-on offering to its initial public offering, which was completed on February 13, 2023, and issued 15,631,562 shares of Class A common stock and received net proceeds of $551 million. The entire net proceeds were used by Nextracker to acquire 14,025,000 Nextracker LLC common units from Yuma, Inc., our indirect wholly-owned subsidiary, and 1,606,562 Nextracker LLC common units from TPG Rise Flash, L.P., an affiliate of the global alternative asset management firm TPG. As a result of the repurchase of Nextracker LLC common units by Nextracker, 15,631,562 shares of Nextracker Class B common stock were cancelled. Subsequent to the follow-on offering, we owned 74,432,619 shares of Class B common stock, representing 51.5% of the total outstanding shares of Nextracker common stock and, accordingly, continued to control Nextracker. We received approximately $495 million from the follow-on offering, after distribution of net proceeds to TPG and expenses.

On October 25, 2023, we announced our plan to effect a Spin-off of all of our remaining interests in Nextracker to our shareholders on a pro rata basis pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of February 7, 2023 (the “Merger Agreement”).

On January 2, 2024, we completed the Spin-off of our remaining interests in Nextracker to Flex shareholders on a pro rata basis based on the number ordinary shares of Flex held by each shareholder of Flex (the “Distribution”) as of December 29, 2023, which was the record date of the Distribution. Under the previously disclosed terms of the Spin-off, Flex shareholders received approximately 0.17 shares of Nextracker Class A common stock for every Flex ordinary share held as of the record date of the Distribution. Flex shareholders received cash in lieu of any fractional shares.

As a result of the completion of the Spin-off, Nextracker became a fully independent public company, we no longer directly or indirectly hold any shares of Nextracker common stock or any securities convertible into or exchangeable for shares of Nextracker common stock and we will no longer consolidate Nextracker into our future financial results. Flex ordinary shares continue to trade on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol “FLEX” and shares of Nextracker Class A common stock continue to trade on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol “NXT”.

The historical results of Nextracker will be reported in our consolidated financial statements as discontinued operations beginning in our fourth quarter ending March 31, 2024.

Also, prior to or in connection with the Spin-off, we entered into various agreements to effect the Spin-off and provide a framework for the relationship between us and Nextracker following the Spin-off, including a Separation Agreement, a Tax Matters Agreement, a Transition Services Agreement, as well as agreements governing future trading relationships.

Business Overview

We are one of the world's largest providers of global supply chain solutions, with revenues of $21.9 billion for the nine-month period ended December 31, 2023 and $30.3 billion in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023. We have established an extensive network of manufacturing facilities in the world's major consumer and enterprise markets (Asia, the Americas, and Europe) to serve the growing outsourcing needs of both multinational and regional customers. We design, build, ship, and service consumer and enterprise products for our customers through a network of over 100 facilities in approximately 30 countries across four continents. Prior to the Spin-off, we also provided intelligent, integrated solar tracker and software solutions used in utility-scale and ground-mounted distributed generation solar projects around the world. The following tables set forth the relative percentages and dollar amounts of net sales by region and by country, and net property and equipment by country, based on the location of our manufacturing sites:

Three-Month Periods EndedNine-Month Periods Ended
December 31, 2023December 31, 2022December 31, 2023December 31, 2022
(In millions)
Net sales by region:
Americas$3,77153%$3,45545%$10,93750%$10,18245%
Asia1,99728%2,74835%6,68631%8,01635%
Europe1,33519%1,55320%4,28719%4,67120%
$7,103$7,756$21,910$22,869
Net sales by country:
Mexico$1,71124%$1,70322%$5,24124%$4,85921%
U.S.1,63223%1,18815%4,41620%3,65116%
China1,17217%1,75923%3,95618%5,11322%
Malaysia5007%6508%1,6017%1,8538%
Brazil4056%5487%1,2236%1,6227%
Hungary3174%3274%1,0315%9444%
Other1,36619%1,58121%4,44220%4,82722%
$7,103$7,756$21,910$22,869
As ofAs of
Property and equipment, net:December 31, 2023March 31, 2023
(In millions)
Mexico$79934%$76332%
U.S.34915%36516%
China32114%33814%
Malaysia1466%1526%
Hungary1316%1406%
Brazil894%894%
Other49321%50222%
$2,328$2,349

We believe that the combination of our extensive open innovation platform solutions, design and engineering services, advanced supply chain management solutions and services, significant scale and global presence, and manufacturing campuses in low-cost geographic areas provide us with a competitive advantage and strong differentiation in the market for designing, manufacturing and servicing consumer and enterprise products for leading multinational and regional customers. Specifically, we offer our customers the ability to simplify their global product development, manufacturing process, and after sales services, and enable them to meaningfully accelerate their time to market and cost savings.

Our operating results are affected by a number of factors, including the following:

  • global economic conditions, including inflationary pressures, currency volatility, slower growth or recession, higher interest rates, and geopolitical uncertainty (including as a result of the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas war);

  • the mix of the manufacturing services we are providing, the number, size, and complexity of new manufacturing programs, the degree to which we utilize our manufacturing capacity, seasonal demand, and other factors;

  • the effects on our business when our customers are not successful in marketing their products, or when their products do not gain widespread commercial acceptance;

  • our ability to achieve commercially viable production yields and to manufacture components in commercial quantities to the performance specifications demanded by our customers;

  • the effects that current credit and market conditions (including as a result of the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas war) could have on the liquidity and financial condition of our customers and suppliers, including any impact on their ability to meet their contractual obligations;

  • the impacts on our business due to component shortages, disruptions in transportation or other supply chain related constraints including disruptions in international commerce as a result of attacks on shipping vessels in the Red Sea;

  • exposure to infectious disease, epidemics and pandemics on our business operations in geographic locations impacted by an outbreak and on the business operations of our customers and suppliers;

  • the effects on our business due to certain customers' products having short product lifecycles;

  • our customers' ability to cancel or delay orders or change production quantities;

  • our customers' decisions to choose internal manufacturing instead of outsourcing for their product requirements;

  • integration of acquired businesses and facilities;

  • increased labor costs due to adverse labor conditions in the markets we operate;

  • changes in tax legislation; and

  • changes in trade regulations and treaties.

We are also subject to other risks as outlined in Part I, Item 1A of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023 and in Part II, Item 1A of this report on Form 10-Q.

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP” or “GAAP”) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Due to geopolitical conflicts (including the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas war), there has been and we expect there will continue to be uncertainty and disruption in the global economy and financial markets. We have made estimates and assumptions taking into consideration certain possible impacts due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Israel-Hamas war, and other geopolitical conflicts. These estimates may change, as new events occur, and additional information is obtained. Actual results may differ from previously estimated amounts, and such differences may be material to the condensed consolidated financial statements. Estimates and assumptions are reviewed periodically, and the effects of revisions are reflected in the period they occur.

Refer to the accounting policies under Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023, where we discuss our more significant judgments and estimates used in the preparation of the condensed consolidated financial statements.

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The following table sets forth, for the periods indicated, certain statements of operations data expressed as a percentage of net sales (amounts may not sum due to rounding). The financial information and the discussion below should be read together with the condensed consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in this document. In addition, reference should be made to our audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto and related Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023.

Three-Month Periods EndedNine-Month Periods Ended
December 31, 2023December 31, 2022December 31, 2023December 31, 2022
Net sales100.0%100.0%100.0%100.0%
Cost of sales90.192.491.092.5
Restructuring charges0.90.10.4—
Gross profit9.07.58.67.5
Selling, general and administrative expenses3.73.13.73.2
Restructuring charges0.2—0.1—
Intangible amortization0.20.30.20.3
Operating income4.94.14.64.0
Interest, net0.50.70.50.7
Other charges, net0.1—0.1—
Income before income taxes4.33.44.03.3
Provision for income taxes1.00.30.10.4
Net income3.33.13.92.9
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest and redeemable noncontrolling interest0.50.11.10.1
Net income attributable to Flex Ltd.2.8%3.0%2.8%2.8%

Net sales

The following table sets forth our net sales by segment, and their relative percentages (the sum of the individual percentages may not equal 100% due to rounding):

Three-Month Periods EndedNine-Month Periods Ended
December 31, 2023December 31, 2022December 31, 2023December 31, 2022
(In millions)
Net sales:
Flex Agility Solutions$3,46649%$4,02952%$10,68549%$12,02453%
Flex Reliability Solutions2,95642%3,22542%9,56144%9,49342%
Nextracker71010%5167%1,7638%1,3846%
Intersegment eliminations(29)—%(14)—%(99)—%(32)—%
$7,103$7,756$21,910$22,869

Net sales during the three-month period ended December 31, 2023 totaled $7.1 billion, representing a decrease of approximately $0.7 billion, or 8% from $7.8 billion during the three-month period ended December 31, 2022. Net sales for our FAS segment decreased approximately $0.6 billion, or 14% from the three-month period ended December 31, 2022, primarily driven by significant decreases in our Lifestyle and Consumer Devices businesses, and a mid single-digit percentage decrease in our Communications, Enterprise and Cloud ("CEC") business due to softer demand in consumer end markets and difficult year-over-year comparisons in CEC. Net sales for our FRS segment decreased approximately 0.3 billion, or 8% from the three-month period ended December 31, 2022, primarily driven by a high-teen percentage decrease in our Industrial business due to difficult year-over year comparisons and lower customer demand, partially offset by a low single-digit increase in our Automotive business due to higher customer demand. Net sales for our Health Solutions business remained relatively flat. Net sales for our Nextracker segment increased approximately $0.2 billion, or 38% from the three-month period ended December 31, 2022, primarily driven by an increase in gigawatts delivered. Net sales decreased $0.8 billion to $2.0 billion in Asia, decreased $0.2 billion to $1.3 billion in Europe, and increased $0.3 billion to $3.8 billion in the Americas.

Net sales during the nine-month period ended December 31, 2023 totaled $21.9 billion, representing a decrease of approximately $1.0 billion, or 4% from $22.9 billion during the nine-month period ended December 31, 2022. Net sales for our FAS segment decreased approximately $1.3 billion, or 11% from the nine-month period ended December 31, 2022, primarily driven by a significant decrease in our Consumer Devices business, a high-teen percentage decrease in our Lifestyle business and a low single-digit percentage decrease in our CEC business due to the same factors as noted in the three-month period discussion above. Net sales for our FRS segment increased approximately $0.1 billion, or 1% from the nine-month period ended December 31, 2022, primarily driven by a high single-digit percentage increase in our Automotive business and a mid single-digit percentage increase in our Health Solutions business which benefited from ramps across various end markets, offset by a mid single-digit percentage decrease in our Industrial business due to lower customer demand. Net sales for our Nextracker segment increased approximately $0.4 billion, or 27% from the nine-month period ended December 31, 2022, primarily driven by the same factors as noted in the three-month period discussion above. Net sales decreased $1.3 billion to $6.7 billion in Asia, decreased $0.4 billion to $4.3 billion in Europe, and increased $0.8 billion to $10.9 billion in the Americas.

Our ten largest customers during the three and nine-month periods ended December 31, 2023 accounted for approximately 35% and 33% of net sales, respectively. Our ten largest customers during the three and nine-month periods ended December 31, 2022 accounted for approximately 35% of net sales. No customer accounted for more than 10% of net sales during the three or nine-month periods ended December 31, 2023 or December 31, 2022.

Cost of sales

Cost of sales is affected by a number of factors, including the number and size of new manufacturing programs, product mix, labor cost fluctuations by region, component costs and availability and capacity utilization.

Cost of sales during the three-month period ended December 31, 2023 totaled $6.4 billion, representing a decrease of approximately $0.8 billion, or 11% from $7.2 billion during the three-month period ended December 31, 2022. The lower cost of sales for the three-month period ended December 31, 2023 was primarily driven by decreased consolidated sales of $0.7 billion or 8%. Cost of sales in FAS for the three-month period ended December 31, 2023 decreased approximately $0.5 billion, or 15% from the three-month period ended December 31, 2022, which is relatively in line with the overall 14% decrease in FAS revenue during the same period primarily as a result of lower revenue in our Lifestyle, Consumer Devices, and CEC businesses. Cost of sales in FRS for the three-month period ended December 31, 2023 decreased approximately $0.3 billion, or 10% from the three-month period ended December 31, 2022, which is in line with the overall decrease in FRS revenue during the same period, primarily as a result of lower revenue in our Industrial business. Cost of sales in our Nextracker segment for the three-month period ended December 31, 2023 increased approximately $66 million, or 15% from the three-month period ended December 31, 2022, primarily due to the 38% increase in Nextracker revenue during the same period, offset by improved profitability resulting from a decline in freight and logistics costs and improved operational execution.

Cost of sales during the nine-month period ended December 31, 2023 totaled $19.9 billion, representing a decrease of approximately $1.2 billion, or 6% from $21.2 billion during the nine-month period ended December 31, 2022. The lower cost of sales for the nine-month period ended December 31, 2023 was primarily driven by decreased consolidated sales of $1.0 billion or 4%. Cost of sales in FAS for the nine-month period ended December 31, 2023 decreased approximately $1.3 billion, or 11% from the nine-month period ended December 31, 2022, which is aligned with the overall 11% decrease in FAS revenue during the same period primarily due to the drivers noted in the discussion above for the three-month period. Cost of sales in FRS for the nine-month period ended December 31, 2023 increased approximately $22 million, or 0.3% from the nine-month period ended December 31, 2022, which is in line with the overall 1% increase in FRS revenue during the same period, primarily due to the drivers noted in the discussion above for net sales for the nine-month period. Cost of sales in our Nextracker segment for the nine-month period ended December 31, 2023 increased approximately $97 million, or 8% from the nine-month period ended December 31, 2022, primarily driven by the same factors noted above in the three-month period discussion.

Gross profit

Gross profit is affected by fluctuations in cost of sales elements as outlined above and further by a number of factors, including product lifecycles, unit volumes, product mix, pricing, competition, new product introductions, and the expansion or consolidation of manufacturing facilities, as well as specific restructuring activities initiated from time to time. The flexible design of our manufacturing processes allows us to manufacture a broad range of products in our facilities and better utilize our manufacturing capacity across our diverse geographic footprint and service customers from all segments. In the case of new programs, profitability normally lags revenue growth due to product start-up costs, lower manufacturing program volumes in the start-up phase, operational inefficiencies, and under-absorbed overhead. Gross margin for these programs often improves over time as manufacturing volumes increase, as our utilization rates and overhead absorption improve, and as we increase the level of manufacturing services content. As a result of these various factors, our gross margin varies from period to period.

Gross profit during the three-month period ended December 31, 2023 increased $59 million to $0.6 billion, or 9.0% of net sales, from $0.6 billion, or 7.5% of net sales, during the three-month period ended December 31, 2022. Gross margin improved 150 basis points during the three-month period ended December 31, 2023 primarily due to favorable mix with growth in our higher-margin Nextracker segment, partially offset by an increase in restructuring costs.

Gross profit during the nine-month period ended December 31, 2023 increased $0.2 billion to $1.9 billion, or 8.6% of net sales, from $1.7 billion, or 7.5% of net sales, during the nine-month period ended December 31, 2022. Gross margin improved 110 basis points during the same period due to the same factors noted above in the three-month period discussion.

Segment income

An operating segment's performance is evaluated based on its pre-tax operating contribution, or segment income. Segment income is defined as net sales less cost of sales, and segment selling, general and administrative expenses, and does not include intangible amortization, stock-based compensation, restructuring charges, legal and other, and interest, net and other charges, net. A portion of depreciation is allocated to the respective segments, together with other general corporate research and development and administrative expenses.

The following table sets forth segment income and margins. Segment margins in the table below may not recalculate exactly due to rounding.

Three-Month Periods EndedNine-Month Periods Ended
December 31, 2023December 31, 2022December 31, 2023December 31, 2022
(In millions)
Segment income:
Flex Agility Solutions$1745.0%$1814.5%$4884.6%$5234.4%
Flex Reliability Solutions1595.4%1434.4%4955.2%4654.9%
Nextracker16222.8%6011.7%35620.2%1339.6%

FAS segment margin increased approximately 50 basis points, to 5.0%, for the three-month period ended December 31, 2023, from 4.5% for the three-month period ended December 31, 2022. The margin increase was primarily due to strong execution against new project ramps and product mix. The FAS segment margin increased approximately 20 basis points, to 4.6% for the nine-month period ended December 31, 2023, from 4.4% for the nine-month period ended December 31, 2022. This was primarily due to strong execution and product mix.

FRS segment margin increased approximately 100 basis points, to 5.4% for the three-month period ended December 31, 2023, from 4.4% for the three-month period ended December 31, 2022. The margin increase was primarily driven by improving margins in our Automotive and Health Solutions businesses due to increased productivity partially offset by lower sales in our Industrial business. FRS segment margin increased approximately 30 basis points, to 5.2% for the nine-month period ended December 31, 2023 from 4.9% for the nine-month period ended December 31, 2022. This was driven by improving margins in our Health Solutions business due to increased productivity and the effect of reduction in inflation recoveries, partially offset by lower sales in our Industrial business.

Nextracker segment margin increased approximately 1,110 basis points, to 22.8% for the three-month period ended December 31, 2023, from 11.7% for the three-month period ended December 31, 2022. The margin increase was driven by disciplined pricing, freight savings, and favorable cost absorption with increased revenue. Nextracker segment margin increased approximately 1,060 basis points, to 20.2% for the nine-month period ended December 31, 2023, from 9.6% for the nine-month period ended December 31, 2022. The increase in Nextracker segment margin during the nine-month period is due to the same factors noted in the discussion above for the three-month period.

Restructuring charges

In October, 2023, we committed to targeted restructuring activities to improve operational efficiencies by reducing excess workforce capacity. During the three and nine-month periods ended December 31, 2023, we recognized approximately $74 million and $100 million of restructuring charges, respectively, primarily related to employee severance.

Selling, general and administrative expenses

Selling, general and administrative expenses (“SG&A”) was approximately $0.3 billion, or 3.7% of net sales, during the three-month period ended December 31, 2023, increasing $21 million from approximately $0.2 billion or 3.1% of net sales, during the three-month period ended December 31, 2022. SG&A was $0.8 billion, or 3.7% of net sales, during the nine-month period ended December 31, 2023, increasing $77 million from $0.7 billion or 3.2% of net sales, during the nine-month period

ended December 31, 2022. The increase was primarily due to elevated SG&A costs to support higher revenue growth in our Nextracker business and higher labor costs.

Intangible amortization

Amortization of intangible assets decreased to $17 million during the three-month period ended December 31, 2023, from $19 million for the three-month period ended December 31, 2022, and decreased to $54 million during the nine-month period ended December 31, 2023, from $62 million for the nine-month period ended December 31, 2022, primarily due to certain intangibles now being fully amortized.

Interest, net

Interest, net was an expense of $36 million during the three-month period ended December 31, 2023 compared to an expense of $54 million during the three-month period ended December 31, 2022, primarily due to higher interest income, and lower bank borrowings compared to the prior year period.

Interest, net was an expense of $112 million during the nine-month period ended December 31, 2023 compared to an expense of $150 million during the nine-month period ended December 31, 2022, primarily due to the same drivers noted in the discussion above for the three-month period.

Other charges, net

Other charges, net remained flat at an expense of $5 million during both the three-month periods ended December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, primarily due to foreign exchange transaction loss.

Other charges, net was an expense of $32 million during the nine-month period ended December 31, 2023 compared to an expense of $2 million during the nine-month period ended December 31, 2022, primarily due to higher foreign exchange transaction losses compared to the prior year period.

Income taxes

Certain of our subsidiaries, at various times, have been granted tax relief in their respective countries, resulting in lower income taxes than would otherwise be the case under ordinary tax rates. Refer to note 15, “Income Taxes” of the notes to the consolidated financial statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023 for further discussion.

The consolidated effective tax rate was 24% and 2% for the three and nine-month periods ended December 31, 2023, and 10% and 13% for the three and nine-month periods ended December 31, 2022, respectively. The effective rate varies from the Singapore statutory rate of 17% as a result of recognition of earnings in different jurisdictions (we generate most of our revenues and profits from operations outside of Singapore), operating loss carryforwards, income tax credits, release of previously established valuation allowances for deferred tax assets, liabilities for uncertain tax positions, as well as the effect of certain tax holidays and incentives granted to our subsidiaries primarily in China, Malaysia, the Netherlands and Israel. The effective tax rate for the three-month period ended December 31, 2023 was significantly higher than the effective tax rate for the three-month period ended December 31, 2022 primarily due to a $21 million reduction of previously recorded deferred tax assets of Nextracker with the charge being fully attributable to noncontrolling interests. The effective tax rate for the nine-month period ended December 31, 2023 was significantly lower than the effective tax rate for the nine-month period ended December 31, 2022 primarily due to the recording of a $140 million deferred tax asset, with an offsetting entry to income tax benefit fully attributable to noncontrolling interest in connection with Nextracker's follow-on public offering whereby Nextracker purchased additional Nextracker LLC units from a related Flex U.S. subsidiary.

On August 16, 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (“IRA”) was enacted into law, which includes a new corporate minimum tax, a stock repurchase excise tax, numerous green energy credits, other tax provisions, and significantly increased enforcement resources. While detailed regulations on some aspects of the act are still outstanding, we do not anticipate a material impact to our consolidated financial statements from these provisions.

LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES

In response to the challenging economic environment following the COVID-19 pandemic, we continuously evaluate our ability to meet our obligations over the next 12 months and have proactively reset our capital structure during these times to improve maturities and liquidity. As a result, we expect that our current financial condition, including our liquidity sources are adequate to fund current and future commitments. As of December 31, 2023, we had cash and cash equivalents of approximately $2.8 billion and bank and other borrowings of approximately $3.4 billion. As of December 31, 2023, we had a $2.5 billion revolving credit facility that is due to mature in July 2027, and a $0.5 billion Nextracker revolving credit facility

that is due to mature in February 2028, under which we had no borrowings outstanding. As of December 31, 2023, we were in compliance with the covenants under all of our credit facilities and indentures; we also expect to remain in compliance with the covenants in the upcoming 12 months for our credit facilities and indentures.

In fiscal year 2024, we implemented a 10b5-1 bond buyback program, aiming to repurchase certain outstanding bonds issued by us. During the nine-month period ended December 31, 2023, we repurchased approximately $8 million of the 4.750% Notes due 2025, resulting in an immaterial gain on our condensed consolidated statement of operations.

Cash provided by operating activities was $0.6 billion during the nine-month period ended December 31, 2023, primarily driven by $0.9 billion of net income for the period plus $0.5 billion of non-cash charges such as depreciation, amortization, and stock-based compensation offset by certain changes in net working capital as discussed below.

We believe net working capital ("NWC") is a key metric that measures our liquidity. Net working capital is calculated as current assets less current liabilities. Net working capital increased approximately $0.3 billion to $5.5 billion as of December 31, 2023, from $5.2 billion as of March 31, 2023. The increase was primarily the result of the effect of a decrease in accounts payable of $0.6 billion and working capital advances of $0.4 billion partially offset by a reduction in inventory of $0.7 billion.

Cash used in investing activities was $0.4 billion during the nine-month period ended December 31, 2023. This was primarily driven by $0.4 billion of net capital expenditures for property and equipment to continue expanding capabilities and capacity in support of primarily our expanding CEC, Automotive, and Industrial businesses.

We believe adjusted free cash flow is an important liquidity metric because it measures, during a given period, the amount of cash generated that is available to repay debt obligations, make investments, fund acquisitions, repurchase company shares and for certain other activities. Our adjusted free cash flow is defined as cash from operations, less net purchases of property and equipment allowing us to present adjusted cash flows on a consistent basis for investors. Our adjusted free cash flow for the nine-month periods ended December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022 was an inflow of $0.2 billion and an inflow of $0.1 billion, respectively. Adjusted free cash flow is not a measure of liquidity under U.S. GAAP, and may not be defined and calculated by other companies in the same manner. Adjusted free cash flow should not be considered in isolation or as an alternative to net cash provided by operating activities. Adjusted free cash flows reconcile to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure of cash flows from operations as follows:

Nine-Month Periods Ended
December 31, 2023December 31, 2022
(In millions)
Net cash provided by operating activities$647$500
Purchases of property and equipment(449)(455)
Proceeds from the disposition of property and equipment2120
Adjusted free cash flow$219$65

Cash used by financing activities was $0.8 billion during the nine-month period ended December 31, 2023, which was primarily driven by $0.8 billion of cash paid for the repurchase of our ordinary shares and $0.4 billion in repayments of bank borrowings and long-term debt, offset by $0.5 billion of net proceeds from the issuance of Nextracker shares, after the distribution to TPG and expenses.

Our cash balances are generated and held in numerous locations throughout the world. Liquidity is affected by many factors, some of which are based on normal ongoing operations of the business and some of which arise from fluctuations related to global economics and markets. Local government regulations may restrict our ability to move cash balances to meet cash needs under certain circumstances; however, any current restrictions are not material. We do not currently expect such regulations and restrictions to impact our ability to pay vendors and conduct operations throughout the global organization. We believe that our existing cash balances, together with anticipated cash flows from operations and borrowings available under our credit facilities, will be sufficient to fund our operations through at least the next twelve months. As of December 31, 2023 and March 31, 2023, approximately 49% and 27%, respectively, of our cash and cash equivalents were held by foreign subsidiaries outside of Singapore. Although substantially all of the amounts held outside of Singapore could be repatriated under current laws, a significant amount could be subject to income tax withholdings. We provide for tax liabilities on these amounts for financial statement purposes, except for certain of our foreign earnings that are considered indefinitely reinvested outside of Singapore (approximately $1.9 billion as of March 31, 2023). Repatriation could result in an additional income tax payment; however, for the majority of our foreign entities, our intent is to permanently reinvest these funds outside of Singapore and our current plans do not demonstrate a need to repatriate them to fund our operations in jurisdictions outside of where they are held.

Where local restrictions prevent an efficient intercompany transfer of funds, our intent is that cash balances would remain outside of Singapore and we would meet our liquidity needs through ongoing cash flows, external borrowings, or both.

Future liquidity needs will depend on fluctuations in levels of inventory, accounts receivable and accounts payable, the timing of capital expenditures for new equipment, the extent to which we utilize operating leases for new facilities and equipment, and the levels of shipments and changes in the volumes of customer orders.

We maintain a commercial paper program which provides short-term financing under which there were no borrowings outstanding as of December 31, 2023.

Historically, we have funded operations from cash and cash equivalents generated from operations, proceeds from public offerings of equity and debt securities, bank debt and lease financings. We also have the ability to sell a designated pool of trade receivables under ABS programs and sell certain trade receivables, which are in addition to the trade receivables sold in connection with these securitization agreements. We may enter into debt and equity financings, sales of accounts receivable and lease transactions to fund acquisitions and anticipated growth as needed.

The sale or issuance of equity or convertible debt securities could result in dilution to current shareholders. Further, we may issue debt securities that have rights and privileges senior to those of holders of ordinary shares, and the terms of this debt could impose restrictions on operations and could increase debt service obligations. This increased indebtedness could limit our flexibility as a result of debt service requirements and restrictive covenants, potentially affect our credit ratings, and may limit our ability to access additional capital or execute our business strategy. Any downgrades in credit ratings could adversely affect our ability to borrow as a result of more restrictive borrowing terms. We continue to assess our capital structure and evaluate the merits of redeploying available cash to reduce existing debt or repurchase ordinary shares.

Under our current share repurchase program, our Board of Directors authorized repurchases of our outstanding ordinary shares for up to $2.0 billion in accordance with the share purchase mandate approved by our shareholders at the date of the most recent Annual General Meeting which was held on August 2, 2023. During the nine-month period ended December 31, 2023, we paid $781 million to repurchase shares under the current and prior repurchase plans at an average price of $25.32 per share. As of December 31, 2023, shares in the aggregate amount of $1.5 billion were available to be repurchased under the current plan.

CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS AND COMMITMENTS

Information regarding our long-term debt payments, operating lease payments, capital lease payments and other commitments is provided in Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” of our Annual Report on our Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023.

There were no material changes in our contractual obligations and commitments as of December 31, 2023.

Item 3. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK

There were no material changes in our exposure to market risks for changes in interest and foreign currency exchange rates for the nine-month period ended December 31, 2023 as compared to the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023.

Item 4. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

(a) Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

The Company's management, with the participation of the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer has evaluated the effectiveness of the Company's disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act")) as of December 31, 2023. Based on that evaluation, the Company's Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that, as of December 31, 2023, the Company's disclosure controls and procedures were effective in ensuring that information required to be disclosed by the Company in reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act, is (i) recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC's rules and forms and (ii) accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

(b) Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during our quarter ended December 31, 2023 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

PART II. OTHER INFORMATION

ITEM 1. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

For a description of our material legal proceedings, see note 12 “Commitments and Contingencies” in the notes to the condensed consolidated financial statements, which is incorporated herein by reference.

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, 2023 and in subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, which could materially affect our business, financial condition or future results. The risks described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K and the additional risk factors set forth below 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 additional risk factors, which supplement the risk factors disclosed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended March 31, 2023, 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, 2023:

If the Distribution, or any distribution in the series of internal distributions of the shares of Yuma Common Stock from Flextronics International USA, Inc. (“FIUI”) to us through a chain of our wholly-owned subsidiaries (together with the Distribution, the “Distributions”), fail to qualify as tax-free under Sections 355 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) or otherwise or the Mergers fail to qualify as a tax-free reorganization under Section 368(a) of the Code, we, our subsidiaries and shareholders could incur significant tax liabilities.

Pursuant to that certain Merger Agreement by and among us, Nextracker, Yuma, Inc. (“Yuma”) and Yuma Acquisition Corp. (“Merger Sub”) dated as of February 7, 2023 (the “Merger Agreement”), on January 2, 2024, we effectuated a distribution of the remaining interests that we owned in Nextracker to all our shareholders through the following transactions (together, the “Transactions”): (i) a court-approved capital reduction carried out pursuant to Section 78G of the Singapore Companies Act (the “Capital Reduction”), (ii) a distribution of all the shares of the common stock, par value $0.001, of Yuma (the “Yuma Common Stock”) by way of a distribution in specie to our shareholders (the “Distribution”), (iii) the merger of Yuma Merger Sub with and into Yuma, with Yuma surviving the merger as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nextracker (the “Merger”) and pursuant to which each share of Yuma Common Stock outstanding immediately prior to the Merger were automatically converted into the right to receive a number of shares of Class A common stock of Nextracker (the “Class A common stock”) based on the Exchange Ratio (as defined in the Merger Agreement) (with cash payments to holders of shares of Yuma Common Stock in lieu of any fractional shares of Class A common stock in accordance with the terms of the Merger Agreement), and (iv) the merger of Yuma with and into a wholly-owned limited liability company subsidiary of Nextracker, with such limited liability company surviving the merger as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nextracker, which was undertaken on January 2, 2024 shortly following the completion of the Merger (together with the Merger, the “Mergers”).

We have received a private letter ruling from the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) regarding certain matters germane to the Distributions qualifying as tax-free under Section 355 of the Code. In addition to the private letter ruling, we have received an opinion from Deloitte Tax LLP to the effect that the Distributions will qualify as tax-free under Section 355 of the Code and the Mergers will qualify as a tax-free reorganization under Section 368(a) of the Code. The receipt by us of the opinion from Deloitte Tax LLP was a condition to effecting the Transactions.

Although the private letter ruling generally is binding on the IRS, it is based on certain facts and assumptions, and certain representations and undertakings, from us and Nextracker establishing that certain conditions that are necessary to obtain tax-free treatment under the Code have been satisfied. Furthermore, the IRS will not rule on whether a distribution satisfies every requirement for tax-free treatment, which requirements are instead addressed by the Deloitte Tax LLP opinion. The opinion that we have received from Deloitte Tax LLP concludes that all of the requirements necessary for the Distributions to qualify under Section 355 the Code have been satisfied and was based on, among other things, the private letter ruling as to the matters addressed by the private letter ruling, certain facts and assumptions, and certain representations and undertakings, from us and Nextracker. If any of the facts, representations, assumptions or undertakings with respect to the private letter ruling or the opinion is not correct or has been violated, the private letter ruling could be revoked retroactively or modified by the IRS, and our ability to rely on the opinion could be jeopardized. The opinion represents Deloitte Tax LLP’s judgment and is not binding on the IRS or the courts, and the IRS or the courts may not agree with the conclusions reached in the opinion, so there can be no certainty that the IRS will not challenge the conclusions reflected in the opinion or that a court will not sustain such a challenge. In addition, the opinion was based on then-current law, and cannot be relied on if such law changes with retroactive effect.

If one or more of the Distributions ultimately fails to qualify as tax-free under Section 355 of the Code, we or one or more of our subsidiaries would recognize gain in an amount equal to the excess of the fair market value of the Yuma Common Stock distributed on the date of the applicable taxable distribution over the tax basis in such shares of the party making the applicable distribution, which could result in significant tax liabilities for us and our subsidiaries. Additionally, we and our subsidiaries may be responsible for withholding taxes on the taxable distribution of Yuma Comma Stock, which could result in significant tax liabilities for us and our subsidiaries apart from taxable gain described immediately above. In addition, if one or more of the Distributions fails to qualify for tax-free treatment under U.S. state or local or non-U.S. law, we and our subsidiaries could incur other significant tax liabilities (including withholding taxes) under U.S. state or local or non-U.S. law. Finally, if the Distribution does not qualify as tax-free under Section 355 of the Code, each U.S. holder of Ordinary Shares would generally be treated as receiving a taxable distribution equal to the fair market value of the Yuma Common Stock received by such U.S. holder in the Distribution.

If the Mergers ultimately fail to qualify as a tax-free reorganization under Section 368(a) of the Code, each U.S. holder of Ordinary Shares that receives Yuma Common Stock in the Distributions would generally be treated as having made a taxable disposition of their Yuma Common Stock to Nextracker and would recognize taxable gain or loss on their receipt of Class A common stock in the Mergers.

Even if the Distributions qualify as tax-free under Section 355 of the Code, the Distributions would nonetheless be taxable to us and our subsidiaries (but not to U.S. holders of Ordinary Shares) under Section 355(e) of the Code if one or more persons acquire a 50% or greater interest (measured by vote or value) in our stock or that of Yuma’s (or a successor of either, including Nextracker after the Mergers), directly or indirectly, occurring as part of a plan or series of related transactions that includes the Distributions. For purposes of Section 355(e) of the Code, any acquisitions or issuances of our stock or the stock of Yuma (including Nextracker stock after the Mergers), directly or indirectly, within the period beginning two years before the first of the Distributions and ending two years after the last of the Distributions are generally presumed to be part of such a plan, although we or Nextracker may, depending on the facts and circumstances, be able to rebut that presumption. For purposes of this test, the Mergers will be treated as part of a plan that includes the Distributions, but it is expected that the Mergers, standing alone, will not cause the Distributions to be taxable to us under Section 355(e) of the Code because holders of Yuma Common Stock immediately after the Distributions will own at least 50.1% of the stock of Nextracker following the Mergers. However, if the IRS were to determine that another acquisition or issuance of our stock or the stock of Yuma (including Nextracker stock after the Mergers) were part of a plan or series of related transactions that included the Distributions and that triggers the application of Section 355(e) of the Code, we and our subsidiaries would recognize gain as described above. Under the Tax Matters Agreement, which was entered into by us, Yuma and Nextracker on January 2, 2024 immediately prior to the Distributions and which governs the rights, responsibilities and obligations of such parties with respect to taxes (including taxes arising in the ordinary course of business and taxes incurred as a result of the Distributions and the Mergers), tax attributes, tax returns, tax contests and certain other matters (the “Tax Matters Agreement”), us, Yuma and Nextracker (and their successors) are barred from taking certain actions (or failing to take certain actions) that could adversely affect the tax-free treatment of the Distributions or the Mergers, subject to certain exceptions. Yuma and Nextracker (and their successors), on the one hand, and us, on the other hand, may also be obligated under the Tax Matters Agreement, in certain cases, to indemnify the other (but not our shareholders) for taxes and certain tax-related losses that arise from the failure of the Distributions or the Mergers to qualify for tax-free treatment under Section 355 or 368(a) of the Code, respectively. Any such indemnification obligation likely would be substantial and likely would have a material adverse effect on the party obligated to make such payments.

Geopolitical uncertainty, including arising from the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas war, may adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial performance.

We have facilities across the globe including in Israel and Ukraine. If these facilities were to be damaged, destroyed or otherwise unable to operate, whether due to war, acts of hostility, or terrorist acts, such an event could jeopardize our ability to develop, manufacture and deliver certain products and adversely affect our operations and results of operations. Our operations have been, and could continue to be, disrupted by the absence of employees called to active duty to perform military service. The Russia-Ukraine conflict, the Israel-Hamas war, the attacks on shipping vessels in the Red Sea, and other hostilities or armed conflicts, or the interruption or curtailment of trade or transport between the countries where our facilities are located and their respective trading partners, could adversely affect our operations and results of operations. Further, political, economic and military instability around the world may lead to disruptions and instability in global markets, supply chains and industries that could negatively impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.

ITEM 2. UNREGISTERED SALES OF EQUITY SECURITIES, USE OF PROCEEDS, AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

The following table provides information regarding purchases of our ordinary shares made by us for the period from September 30, 2023 through December 31, 2023:

Period (2)Total 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
September 30, 2023 - November 3, 20235,690,804$25.485,690,804$1,660,000,998
November 4, 2023 - December 1, 20233,626,951$26.193,626,951$1,565,004,252
December 2, 2023 - December 31, 20231,370,357$25.541,370,357$1,530,004,320
Total10,688,11210,688,112

(1)During the period from September 30, 2023 through December 31, 2023, 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 2, 2023, our Board of Directors authorized repurchases of our outstanding ordinary shares for up to $2.0 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, 2023, shares in the aggregate amount of $1.5 billion were available to be repurchased under the current plan.

ITEM 3. DEFAULTS UPON SENIOR SECURITIES

None

ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

Not applicable

Item 5. OTHER INFORMATION

Insider Trading Arrangements

During the fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2023, the officers listed below adopted trading plans intended to satisfy the affirmative defense conditions of Rule 10b5-1(c) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

On November 22, 2023, Scott Offer, Executive Vice President and General Counsel, adopted a trading plan that provides for the sale of up to 150,000 ordinary shares of the Company. The plan will terminate on March 14, 2024, subject to early termination for certain specified events set forth in the plan.

On December 5, 2023, Michael P. Hartung, President, Agility Solutions, adopted a trading plan that provides for the sale of up to 43,381 ordinary shares of the Company. The plan will terminate on December 5, 2024, subject to early termination for certain specified events set forth in the plan.

On December 14, 2023, Hooi Tan, President, Global Operations and Components, adopted a trading plan that provides for the sale of up to 32,110 ordinary shares of the Company. The plan will terminate on December 12, 2024, subject to early termination for certain specified events set forth in the plan.

No other officers or directors adopted or terminated a "Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement" or "non-Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement", as those terms are defined in Regulation S-K, Item 408, during the fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2023.

Item 6. EXHIBITS

EXHIBIT INDEX

Incorporated by Reference
Exhibit No.ExhibitFormFile No.Filing DateExhibit No.Filed Herewith
15.01Letter in lieu of consent of Deloitte & Touche LLPX
31.01Certification of Principal Executive Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002X
31.02Certification of Principal Financial Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002X
32.01Certification of Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002*X
101.INSXBRL Instance DocumentX
101.SCHXBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema DocumentX
101.CALXBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase DocumentX
101.DEFXBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase DocumentX
101.LABXBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase DocumentX
101.PREXBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase DocumentX
104Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as inline XBRL with applicable taxonomy extension information contained in Exhibit 101)
  • This exhibit is furnished with this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, is not deemed filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and is not incorporated by reference into any filing of Flex Ltd. under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, whether made before or after the date hereof and irrespective of any general incorporation language contained in such filing.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

FLEX LTD.
(Registrant)
/s/ REVATHI ADVAITHI
Revathi Advaithi
Chief Executive Officer
(Principal Executive Officer)
Date:February 2, 2024
/s/ PAUL R. LUNDSTROM
Paul R. Lundstrom
Chief Financial Officer
(Principal Financial Officer)
Date:February 2, 2024