Keysight Technologies 10-K 2019-10-31

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

Form 10-K

(Mark One)

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

For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2019

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: 001-36334

Keysight Technologies, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Address of principal executive offices: 1400 Fountaingrove Parkway**,** Santa Rosa**,** CA 95403

Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (800) 829-4444

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

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐ No ☒

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 (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting 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.

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. o

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

The aggregate market value of common equity held by non-affiliates as of April 30, 2019 was approximately $11 billion, based upon the closing price of the Registrant's common stock as quoted on New York Stock Exchange on such date. Shares of stock held by officers, directors and 5 percent or more stockholders have been excluded in that such persons may be deemed to be affiliates. This determination of affiliate status is not necessarily a conclusive determination for other purposes.

As of December 16, 2019, there were 188,447,566 shares of our common stock outstanding.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Forward-Looking Statements

This report contains forward-looking statements including, without limitation, statements regarding trends, seasonality, cyclicality and growth in, and drivers of, the markets we sell into, our strategic direction, our future effective tax rate and tax valuation allowance, earnings from our foreign subsidiaries, remediation activities, new solution and service introductions, the ability of our solutions to meet market needs, changes to our manufacturing processes, the use of contract manufacturers, the impact of local government regulations on our ability to pay vendors or conduct operations, our liquidity position, our ability to generate cash from operations, growth in our businesses, our investments, the potential impact of adopting new accounting pronouncements, our financial results, our purchase commitments, our contributions to our pension plans, the selection of discount rates and recognition of any gains or losses for our benefit plans, our cost-control activities, savings and headcount reduction recognized from our restructuring programs and other cost saving initiatives, and other regulatory approvals, the integration of our completed acquisitions and other transactions, our transition to lower-cost regions, the existence of political or economic instability, and our and the combined group's estimated or anticipated future results of operations, that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results could differ materially from the results contemplated by these forward-looking statements due to various factors, including but not limited to those risks and uncertainties discussed in Item 1A and elsewhere in this Form 10-K.

PART I

Overview

Keysight Technologies, Inc. ("we," "us," "Keysight" or the "company"), incorporated in Delaware on December 6, 2013, is a technology company that helps enterprises, service providers and governments accelerate innovation to connect and secure the world by providing electronic design and test solutions that are used in the simulation, design, validation, manufacture, installation, optimization and secure operation of electronics systems in the communications, networking and electronics industries. We also offer customization, consulting and optimization services throughout the customer's product lifecycle, including start-up assistance, asset management, up-time services, application services and instrument calibration and repair.

We generated $4.3 billion, $3.9 billion and $3.2 billion of net revenue in 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively. Net revenue, income from operations and assets by business segment as of and for the fiscal years ended October 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017 are provided in Note 20, "Segment Information," to our consolidated financial statements. As of October 31, 2019, we had approximately 13,600 employees worldwide. We had more than 17,500 direct customers for our solutions and services in fiscal year 2019 and greater than 32,000 customers including indirect channels. No single customer represented 10 percent or more of our net revenue.

Strategies

With a focus on electronic design, test and optimization, we deliver market-leading solutions across a wide range of industries, including commercial communications, networking, aerospace, defense and government, automotive, energy, semiconductor, general electronics and education. Our software and hardware solutions support our customers' design and test challenges across the entire product lifecycle. We provide simulation, prototype development and validation solutions for R&D, high-volume manufacturing test solutions, as well as handheld and other solutions for operational optimization post-deployment in the field. Our objective is to increase the productivity of our customers and reduce their time to market. Keysight's solutions utilize a common portfolio of market-leading software and hardware technologies along with a suite of valued-added services. This broad portfolio of solutions enables our customers to efficiently develop and deploy their products to address the most rapidly evolving new technologies and market opportunities. The following strategies are significant:

beyond a strong foundation of calibration and repair to include customization, consulting, and optimization services. Support offerings such as KeysightCare, asset optimization, technology refresh and other value-added services enable us to provide complete customer solutions across a broad set of communications and electronics markets, technologies and industries.

Strengths

Our electronic measurement business originated in 1939. Our legacy encompasses 80 years of innovation, measurement science expertise and deep customer relationships. We conduct business annually with over 32,000 customers around the world, including most Fortune 1000 companies who are developing new electronic technologies, networks, systems, devices and components. The following strengths are significant:

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Risks, Uncertainties and Other Factors That May Affect Future Results

Risks Related to Our Business

Failure to introduce successful new solutions and services in a timely manner to address increased competition, rapid technological changes, and changing industry standards could result in our solutions and services becoming obsolete.

We generally sell our solutions in industries that are characterized by increased competition through frequent new solution and service introductions, rapid technological changes and changing industry standards. In addition, many of the markets in which we operate are seasonal and cyclical. Without the timely introduction of new solutions, services and enhancements, our solutions and services will become technologically obsolete over time, in which case our revenue and operating results would suffer. Our ability to offer new solutions and services and to deploy them in a timely manner depend on several factors, including but not limited to our ability to:

Our future operating results may fluctuate significantly if our investments in innovative technologies are not as profitable as we anticipate.

On a regular basis, we review the existing technologies available in the market and identify strategic new technologies to develop and invest in. We are currently devoting significant resources to the 5G technology and other new technologies in the automotive, battery, Internet of Things, and mobile industries. We are investing in R&D, developing relationships with customers and suppliers, and re-directing our corporate and operational resources to grow within these innovative technologies. Our income could be harmed if we fail to gain sufficient market share, if demand for our solutions is lower than we expect, or if our income related to the innovative technologies is lower than we anticipate. For example, when the 5G standards are published, we may not be able to produce a satisfactory return on investment if our strategic vision and the resources that we are spending on developing our presence in the 5G technology industry turn out to be misaligned with such standards. We provide solutions for the design, development, and manufacturing stages of our customers’ workflow. Our customers who currently use our solutions in one stage of their workflow may not use our solutions in other aspects of their manufacturing process.

Uncertainty in general economic conditions may adversely affect our operating results and financial condition.

Our business is sensitive to negative changes in general economic conditions, both inside and outside the United States. Global and regional economic uncertainty or depression may impact our business, resulting in:

In addition, global and regional macroeconomic developments, such as increased unemployment, decreased income, reduced access to credit, volatility in capital markets, decreased liquidity, uncertain or destabilizing national election results in the U.S., Europe, and Asia, and negative changes or volatility in general economic conditions in the U.S., Europe, and Asia could negatively affect our ability to conduct business in those territories. Financial difficulties experienced by our suppliers and customers, including distributors, due to economic volatility or negative changes could result in product delays and inventory issues. Economic risks related to accounts receivable could result in delays in collection and greater bad debt expense.

Our operating results and financial condition could be harmed if the markets into which we sell our solutions decline or do not grow as anticipated.

Visibility into our markets is limited. Our quarterly sales and operating results are highly dependent on the volume and timing of technology-related spending and orders received during the fiscal quarter, which are difficult to forecast and may be cancelled by our customers. In addition, our revenues and earnings forecasts for future fiscal quarters are often based on the expected seasonality or cyclicality of our markets. However, the markets we serve do not always experience the seasonality or cyclicality that we expect. Any decline in our customers' markets would likely result in a reduction in demand for our solutions and services. The broader semiconductor market is one of the drivers for our business, and therefore, a decrease in the semiconductor market could harm our business. Also, if our customers' markets decline, we may not be able to collect on outstanding amounts due to us. Such declines could harm our financial position, results of operations, cash flows and stock price, and could limit our profitability. Also, in such an environment, pricing pressures could intensify. Since a significant portion of our operating expenses is relatively fixed in nature due to sales, R&D and manufacturing costs, if we were unable to respond quickly enough, these pricing pressures could further reduce our operating margins.

Failure to adjust our purchases due to changing market conditions or failure to estimate our customers' demand could adversely affect our income.

Our income could be harmed if we are unable to adjust our purchases to market fluctuations, including those caused by the seasonal or cyclical nature of the markets in which we operate. The sale of our solutions and services are dependent, to a large degree, on customers whose industries are subject to seasonal or cyclical trends in the demand for their products. For example, the consumer electronics market is particularly volatile, making demand difficult to anticipate. During a market upturn, we may not be able to purchase sufficient supplies or components to meet increasing product demand, which could materially affect our results. In the past, we have seen a shortage of parts for some of our products. In addition, some of the parts that require custom design are not readily available from alternate suppliers due to their unique design or the length of time necessary for design work. Should a supplier cease manufacturing such a component, we would be forced to re-engineer our solution. In addition to discontinuing parts, suppliers may also extend lead times, limit supplies or increase prices due to capacity constraints or other factors. In order to secure components for the production of products, we may continue to enter into non-cancellable purchase commitments with vendors, or at times make advance payments to suppliers, which could impact our ability to adjust our inventory to declining market demands. Prior commitments of this type have resulted in an excess of parts when demand for electronic products has decreased. If demand for our solutions is less than we expect, we may experience additional excess and obsolete inventories and be for

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None.

Our executive offices are located in the United States in an owned facility in Santa Rosa, California. We own or lease a total of approximately 134 operating facilities located throughout the world that handle manufacturing production, research and development, administration, assembly, sales, quality, assurance testing, distribution and packaging of our products. These facilities are primarily located in the following countries: United States, Malaysia, Japan, China, Germany, India, United Kingdom, Taiwan, Romania, Spain and Singapore. As of October 31, 2019, we own or lease approximately 6.2 million square feet of space worldwide, of which we own approximately 4.1 million square feet and lease 2.1 million square feet. Our sales facilities occupy a total of approximately 0.3 million square feet. Our manufacturing plants, R&D facilities and warehouse and administrative facilities occupy approximately 5.9 million square feet. All of these facilities are well maintained and suitable for the operations conducted in them.

We are involved in lawsuits, claims, investigations and proceedings, including, but not limited to, patent, commercial and environmental matters, which arise in the ordinary course of business. There are no matters pending that we currently believe are reasonably possible of having a material impact to our business, consolidated financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

Not applicable.

PART II

Our common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE") with the ticker symbol "KEYS.’’

There were 19,924 shareholders of record of Keysight common stock as of December 16, 2019.

We have not paid any dividends, and we do not anticipate paying any cash dividends in the foreseeable future. All decisions regarding the declaration and payment of dividends and stock repurchases are at the discretion of our Board of Directors and will be evaluated regularly in light of our financial condition, earnings, growth prospects, funding requirements, applicable law, and any other factors that our Board deems relevant.

The information required by this item with respect to equity compensation plans will be included under the caption Equity Compensation Plans in our proxy statement for the 2020 annual meeting of stockholders, to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Regulation 14A, and is incorporated herein by reference.

ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

The table below summarizes information about the company’s purchases, based on trade date; of its equity securities registered pursuant to Section 12 of the Exchange Act during the quarterly period ended October 31, 2019. The total number of shares of common stock purchased by the company during the fiscal year ended October 31, 2019 is 2,093,570 shares.

The following table presents the selected consolidated financial data, which should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and related notes and Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations included elsewhere in this Form 10-K. We derived the selected financial data as of October 31, 2019 and for each of the fiscal years in the three-year period ended October 31, 2019 from our audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Form 10-K. We derived the selected financial data as of October 31, 2016 and October 31, 2015 from audited consolidated financial statements that are not included in this Form 10-K.

(a) Fiscal years 2019, 2018 and 2017 financial data includes our acquisition of Ixia on April 18, 2017.

(a) Fiscal years 2019, 2018 and 2017 financial data reflect the impact of our acquisition of Ixia on April 18, 2017.

The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. This report contains forward-looking statements including, without limitation, statements regarding trends, seasonality, cyclicality and growth in, and drivers of, the markets we sell into, our strategic direction, our future effective tax rate and tax valuation allowance, earnings from our foreign subsidiaries, remediation activities, new solution and service introductions, the ability of our solutions to meet market needs, changes to our manufacturing processes, the use of contract manufacturers, the impact of local government regulations on our ability to pay vendors or conduct operations, our liquidity position, our ability to generate cash from operations, growth in our businesses, our investments, the potential impact of adopting new accounting pronouncements, our financial results, our purchase commitments, our contributions to our pension plans, the selection of discount rates and recognition of any gains or losses for our benefit plans, our cost-control activities, savings and headcount reduction recognized from our restructuring programs and other cost saving initiatives, and other regulatory approvals, the integration of our completed acquisitions and other transactions, our transition to lower-cost regions, the existence of political or economic instability, and our and the combined group's estimated or anticipated future results of operations, that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results could differ materially from the results contemplated by these forward-looking statements due to various factors, including but not limited to those risks and uncertainties discussed in Part II Item 1A and elsewhere in this Form 10-K.

Overview and Executive Summary

Keysight Technologies, Inc. ("we," "us," "Keysight" or the "company"), incorporated in Delaware on December 6, 2013, is a technology company that helps enterprises, service providers and governments accelerate innovation to connect and secure the world by providing electronic design and test solutions that are used in the simulation, design, validation, manufacture, installation, optimization and secure operation of electronics systems in the communications, networking and electronics industries. We also offer customization, consulting and optimization services throughout the customer's product lifecycle, including start-up assistance, asset management, up-time services, application services and instrument calibration and repair.

In 2019 we completed an organizational change to align our services business with our customer-solutions-oriented, go-to-market strategy as reflected by our Keysight Leadership Model ("KLM"). This change enables us to provide our customers with complete solutions that incorporate both leading product capabilities and the appropriate services and support. Our services delivery is now fully reflected within the markets served, which is a further catalyst of the growth of our services solutions portfolio. Prior period segment results were revised to conform to the presentation. As a result, Keysight has three segments: Communications Solutions Group, Electronic Industrial Solutions Group and Ixia Solutions Group. The organizational structure continues to include centralized enterprise functions that provide support across the groups.

To more effectively and efficiently address customer solution needs across the communications ecosystem as the network transforms, in the first quarter of fiscal 2020, we completed an organizational change to manage our Ixia Solutions Group within our Communications Solutions Group. We believe this realignment will create improved go-to-market and product development alignment, as well as accelerate solution synergies in 5G as this new technology is deployed globally. As a result, beginning with our first quarter of fiscal 2020, we will have two reportable operating segments, Communications Solutions Group (“CSG”) and Electronic Industrial Solutions Group (“EISG”).

Years ended October 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017

Total orders for the year ended October 31, 2019 were $4,441 million, an increase of 9 percent when compared to 2018. Foreign currency movements had an unfavorable impact of 1 percentage point on the year-over-year comparison. Orders associated with acquisitions and divestitures had a net neutral impact on the order growth for the year ended October 31, 2019 when compared to 2018. Order growth in Asia Pacific and the Americas was partially offset by a decline in Europe. Total orders for the year ended October 31, 2018 were $4,082 million, an increase of 20 percent when compared to 2017. Foreign currency movements had a favorable impact of 1 percentage point on the year-over-year comparison. Orders associated with acquisitions accounted for 7 percentage points of order growth for the year ended October 31, 2018 when compared to 2017. Orders grew across all regions.

Net revenue of $4,303 million for the year ended October 31, 2019 increased 11 percent when compared to 2018. Foreign currency movements had an unfavorable impact of 1 percentage point on the year-over-year comparison. Revenue associated with acquisitions and divestitures had a net neutral impact on the revenue growth for the year ended October 31, 2019 when compared to 2018. The Communications Solutions Group led overall revenue growth with strong growth in the commercial communications market, complemented by growth in the Ixia Solutions Group and the Electronic Industrial Solutions Group. Revenue from the Communications Solutions Group, Electronic Industrial Solutions Group and Ixia Solutions Group represented approximately 63 percent, 26 percent and 11 percent respectively, of the total revenue for the year ended October 31, 2019. Net revenue of $3,878 million for the year ended October 31, 2018 increased 22 percent when compared to 2017. Foreign currency movements

had a favorable impact of 2 percentage points on the year-over-year comparison. Revenue associated with acquisitions accounted for 6 percentage points of revenue growth for the year ended October 31, 2018 when compared to 2017. For the same period, revenue excluding acquisitions and foreign currency movements grew 14% year over year, with growth in all our operating segments and across all our markets. Revenue from the Communications Solutions Group, Electronic Industrial Solutions Group and Ixia Solutions Group represented approximately 62 percent, 27 percent and 11 percent, respectively, of the total revenue for the year ended October 31, 2018 and approximately 65 percent, 29 percent and 6 percent, respectively, of the total revenue for the year ended October 31, 2017. Ixia Solutions Group revenue for 2017 included activity from the date of acquisition, April 18, 2017, through October 31, 2017.

Net income was $621 million in 2019 compared to net income of $165 million and $102 million in 2018 and 2017, respectively. The increase in net income for the year ended October 31, 2019 when compared to 2018 was driven by a significant non-recurring goodwill impairment charge in 2018, higher revenue volume, highly differentiated solutions, favorable mix, and lower acquisition and integration costs, partially offset by a favorable income tax benefit in the prior period from new U.S. tax legislation and higher research and development investments in leading-edge technologies and key growth opportunities in our end markets. The increase in net income for the year ended October 31, 2018 when compared to 2017 was driven by higher revenue volume and a favorable tax impact from the new U.S. tax legislation and Singapore tax incentives, partially offset by an unfavorable impact from a goodwill impairment charge and increases in variable people-related costs. In 2019, 2018 and 2017, we generated operating cash flows of $998 million,

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At various times, we use derivative financial instruments to limit exposure to changes in foreign currency exchange rates and interest rates. Because derivative instruments are used solely as hedges and not for speculative trading purposes, fluctuations in the market values of such derivative instruments are generally offset by reciprocal changes in the underlying economic exposures that the instruments are intended to hedge. For further discussion of derivative financial instruments, refer to Note 14, "Derivatives."

Currency exchange rate risk

We are exposed to foreign currency exchange rate risks inherent in our sales commitments, anticipated sales, and assets and liabilities denominated in currencies other than the functional currency of our subsidiaries. We hedge future cash flows denominated in currencies other than the functional currency using sales and expense forecasts up to twelve months in advance. Our exposure to exchange rate risks is managed on an enterprise-wide basis. This strategy utilizes derivative financial instruments, including option and forward contracts, to hedge certain foreign currency exposures with the intent of offsetting gains and losses that occur on the underlying exposures with gains and losses on the derivative contracts hedging them. We do not currently and do not intend to utilize derivative financial instruments for speculative trading purposes.

Our operations generate non-functional currency cash flows such as revenue, third-party vendor payments and inter-company payments. In anticipation of these foreign currency cash flows and in view of the volatility of the currency market, we enter into such foreign exchange contracts as described above to substantially mitigate our currency risk. In 2019, 2018 and 2017, approximately 74 percent, 76 percent and 71 percent of our revenues were generated in U.S. dollars.

We performed a sensitivity analysis assuming a hypothetical 10 percent adverse movement in foreign exchange rates to the hedging contracts and the underlying exposures described above. As of October 31, 2019 and 2018, the analysis indicated that these hypothetical market movements would not have a material effect on our consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

Interest rate risk

As of October 31, 2019, we had $1.8 billion in principal amount of senior debt outstanding. The carrying amount of the fixed-rate senior notes was $1.8 billion, and the related fair value based on quoted prices was $1.9 billion. A change in interest rates on long-term debt impacts the fair value of the company’s fixed-rate long-term debt but not the company’s earnings or cash flow because the interest on such debt is fixed. Generally, the fair market value of fixed-rate debt will increase as interest rates fall and decrease as interest rates rise.

As of October 31, 2019, a hypothetical 10 percent increase in interest rates would have decreased the fair value of the company’s fixed-rate long-term debt by approximately $33 million. However, since the company currently has no plans to repurchase its outstanding fixed-rate instruments before their maturity nor do the investors in our fixed-rate debt obligations have the right to demand we pay off these obligations prior to maturity, the impact of market interest rate fluctuations on the company’s fixed-rate long-term debt does not affect the company’s results of operations or stockholders’ equity.

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

To the Stockholders and Board of Directors of Keysight Technologies, Inc.:

Opinions on the Financial Statements and Internal Control over Financial Reporting

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Keysight Technologies, Inc. and its subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of October 31, 2019 and 2018, and the related consolidated statements of operations, of comprehensive income, of equity and of cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended October 31, 2019, including the related notes and financial statement schedule of valuation and qualifying accounts for each of the three years in the period ended October 31, 2019 appearing under Item 15(a)(2) (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”). We also have audited the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of October 31, 2019 based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO).

In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of October 31, 2019 and 2018, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended October 31, 2019 in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Also in our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of October 31, 2019, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the COSO.

Changes in Accounting Principles

As discussed in Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company changed the manner in which it accounts for pension costs and the manner in which it accounts for revenues from contracts with customers in 2019.

Basis for Opinions

The Company’s management is responsible for these consolidated financial statements, for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting, and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting appearing under Item 9A. Our responsibility is to express opinions on the Company’s consolidated financial statements and on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (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 audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud, and whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects.

Our audits of the consolidated financial statements included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk. Our audits also included performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinions.

Definition and Limitations of Internal Control over Financial Reporting

A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and

expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

Critical Audit Matters

The critical audit matters communicated below are matters arising from the current period audit of the consolidated financial statements that were communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that (i) relate to accounts or disclosures that are material to the consolidated financial statements and (ii) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of critical audit matters does not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidated financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matters below, providin

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None.

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

Our management has evaluated, under the supervision and with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as of October 31, 2019, pursuant to and as required by Rule 13a-15(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Exchange Act”). Based on that evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have concluded that, as of October 31, 2019, the company's disclosure controls and procedures, as defined by Rule 13a-15(e) under the Exchange Act, were effective and designed to ensure that (i) information required to be disclosed in the company's reports filed under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC's rules and forms, and (ii) information is accumulated and communicated to management, including the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosures.

Management's Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting

Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as such term is defined in Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(f). Under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, we conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting based on the framework in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. Based on the results of this evaluation, our management concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of October 31, 2019.

The effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of October 31, 2019 has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their report which appears in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

Effective November 1, 2018, we adopted Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2014-09, Revenue From Contracts With Customers. Although the new revenue standard is expected to have an immaterial impact on our ongoing net income, we did implement changes to our processes and control activities related to revenue recognition, including changes to our information systems. These included the development of new policies based on the five-step model provided in the new revenue standard, new training, ongoing contract review requirements, and gathering of information provided for disclosures. There were no other changes in our internal control over financial reporting during the year ended October 31, 2019 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

None.

PART III

Information regarding our directors will appear under “Proposal No. 1 - Election of Directors” in our Proxy Statement for the Annual Meeting of Stockholders (“Proxy Statement”). That portion of the Proxy Statement is incorporated by reference into this report. Information regarding our executive officers appears in Item 1 of this report under “Executive Officers of the Registrant.” Information regarding our Audit and Finance Committee and our Audit and Finance Committee's financial expert appears under “Audit and Finance Committee Report” and “Board Structure and Compensation” in our Proxy Statement. That portion of the Proxy Statement is incorporated by reference into this report.

There were no material changes to the procedures by which security holders may recommend nominees to our Board of Directors. Information regarding our code of ethics (the company's Standards of Business Conduct) applicable to our principal executive officer, our principal financial officer, our controller and other senior financial officers appears in Item 1 of this report under “Investor Information.” We will post amendments to or waivers from a provision of the Standards of Business Conduct with respect to those persons on our website at www.investor.keysight.com.

In order for a stockholder proposal to be considered for inclusion in Keysight’s proxy statement for the 2020 annual meeting of stockholders, the written proposal must be received by Keysight no later than December 21, 2019 and should contain such information as is required under Keysight’s Bylaws. Such proposals will need to comply with the SEC’s regulations regarding the inclusion of stockholder proposals in Keysight sponsored proxy materials.

Compliance with Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act

Information about compliance with Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act appears under “Delinquent Section 16(a) Reports” in the Proxy Statement. That portion of the Proxy Statement is incorporated by reference into this report.

Information about compensation of our named executive officers appears under “Executive Compensation,” “Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation” in the Proxy Statement. Information about compensation of our directors appears under “Director Compensation” and “Compensation Committee Report” and “Stock Ownership Guidelines” in the Proxy Statement. Those portions of the Proxy Statement are incorporated by reference into this report.

Information about security ownership of certain beneficial owners and management appears under "Common Stock Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management" in the Proxy Statement. That portion of the Proxy Statement is incorporated by reference into this report.

EQUITY COMPENSATION PLAN INFORMATION

The following table summarizes information about our equity compensation plans as of October 31, 2019. All outstanding awards relate to our common stock.

Information about certain relationships and related transactions appears under "Related Person Transaction Policy and Procedures" in the Proxy Statement. Information about director independence appears under the heading "Board Structure and Compensation — Director Independence" in the Proxy Statement. Each of those portions of the Proxy Statement is incorporated by reference into this report.

Information about principal accountant fees and services as well as related pre-approval policies appears under "Fees Paid to PricewaterhouseCoopers" and "Policy on Audit and Finance Committee Preapproval of Audit and Permissible Non-Audit Services of Independent Registered Auditors" in the Proxy Statement. Those portions of the Proxy Statement are incorporated by reference into this report.

PART IV

See Index to Consolidated Financial Statements under Item 8 of this report.

The following additional financial statement schedule should be considered in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements. All other schedules have been omitted because the required information is either not applicable or not sufficiently material to require submission of the schedule.

SCHEDULE II

VALUATION AND QUALIFYING ACCOUNTS

• Additions include current-year additions charged to expense and current-year build due to increases in net deferred tax assets, return to provision true-ups, other adjustments and Other Comprehensive Income ("OCI") impact to deferred taxes.

** Deductions include current-year releases credited to expense and current-year reductions due to decreases in net deferred tax assets, return to provision true-ups, other adjustments and OCI impact to deferred taxes.

Exhibits are incorporated herein by reference or are filed with this report as indicated below (numbered in accordance with Item 601 of Regulation S-K):

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) 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.

Date: December 18, 2019

POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Jeffrey K. Li and JoAnn Juskie, or any of them, his or her attorneys-in-fact, for such person in any and all capacities, to sign any amendments to this report and to file the same, with exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, hereby ratifying and confirming all that any of said attorneys-in-fact, or substitute or substitutes, may do or cause to be done by virtue hereof. Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.