Skyworks Solutions 10-K 2015-10-02

Filed 2015-11-24. 21 sections, 295K characters. Original on sec.gov · Markdown · JSON

What changed since the 2014-10-03 10-KNew, removed and reworded risk factor headings, then every item sentence by sentence.

Cover and table of contents

10-K 1 fy1510k1022015.htm 10-K

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

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

For the fiscal year ended October 2, 2015

OR

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

For the transition period from to

Commission file number 001-05560

SKYWORKS SOLUTIONS, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware04-2302115
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
20 Sylvan Road, Woburn, Massachusetts01801
(Address of principal executive offices)(Zip Code)
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (781) 376-3000

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

Title of Each ClassName of Each Exchange on Which Registered
Common Stock, par value $0.25 per shareNASDAQ Global Select Market

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.

þ Yes o No

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Act.

o Yes þ 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.

þ Yes o No

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted 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 and post such files). þ Yes o No

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. þ

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

Large Accelerated filer þAccelerated filer oNon-accelerated filer oSmaller reporting company o
(Do not check if a smaller reporting company)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).

o Yes þ No

The aggregate market value of the registrant’s common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant (based on the closing price of the registrant’s common stock as reported on the NASDAQ Global Select Market on the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter (April 3, 2015) was approximately $18,378,125,308. The number of outstanding shares of the registrant’s common stock, par value $0.25 per share, as of November 13, 2015 was 191,151,089.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Part of Form 10-KDocuments from which portions are incorporated by reference
Part IIIPortions of the Registrant’s Proxy Statement relating to the Registrant’s 2016 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (to be filed) are incorporated by reference into Items 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

SKYWORKS SOLUTIONS, INC.

ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K

FOR THE YEAR ENDED OCTOBER 2, 2015

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PAGE NO.
PART I
ITEM 1: BUSINESS.5
ITEM 1A: RISK FACTORS.10
ITEM 1B: UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS.22
ITEM 2: PROPERTIES.22
ITEM 3: LEGAL PROCEEDINGS.22
ITEM 4: MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES.22
PART II
ITEM 5: MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES.23
ITEM 6: SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA.24
ITEM 7: MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS.25
ITEM 7A: QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK.32
ITEM 8: FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA.34
ITEM 9: CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE.62
ITEM 9A: CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES.63
ITEM 9B: OTHER INFORMATION.63
PART III
ITEM 10: DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE.64
ITEM 11: EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION.64
ITEM 12: SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS.64
ITEM 13: CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE.64
ITEM 14: PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES.64
PART IV
ITEM 15: EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES.65
SIGNATURES66

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT

This Annual Report contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and is subject to the “safe harbor” created by those sections. Any statements that are not statements of historical fact should be considered to be forward-looking statements. Words such as “believes”, “expects”, “may”, “will”, “would”, “should”, “could”, “seek”, “intends”, “plans”, “projects”, “potential”, “continue”, “estimates”, “targets”, “anticipates”, “predicts” and similar expressions or variations or negatives of such words are intended to identify forward-looking statements, but are not the exclusive means of identifying forward-looking statements in this Annual Report. Additionally, forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to:

•our plans to develop and market new products, enhancements or technologies and the timing of these development and marketing plans;
•our estimates regarding our capital requirements and our needs for additional financing;
•our estimates of our expenses, future revenues and profitability;
•our estimates of the size of the markets for our products and services;
•our expectations related to the rate and degree of market acceptance of our products; and
•our estimates of the success of other competing technologies that may become available.

Although forward-looking statements in this Annual Report reflect the good faith judgment of our management, such statements can only be based on facts and factors currently known by us. Consequently, forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties and actual financial results and outcomes may differ materially and adversely from the results and outcomes discussed in or anticipated by the forward-looking statements. A number of important factors could cause actual financial results to differ materially and adversely from those in the forward-looking statements. We urge you to consider the risks and uncertainties discussed elsewhere in this report and in the other documents filed by us with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) in evaluating our forward-looking statements. We have no plans, and undertake no obligation, to revise or update our forward-looking statements to reflect any event or circumstance that may arise after the date of this report. We caution readers not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made.

This Annual Report also contains estimates made by independent parties and by us relating to market size and growth and other industry data. These estimates involve a number of assumptions and limitations and you are cautioned not to give undue weight to such estimates. In addition, projections, assumptions and estimates of our future performance and the future performance of the industries in which we operate are necessarily subject to a high degree of uncertainty and risk due to a variety of important factors, including those described in “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations”. These and other factors could cause results to differ materially and adversely from those expressed in the estimates made by the independent parties and by us.

In this document, the words “we”, “our”, “ours”, “us”, and “the Company” refer only to Skyworks Solutions, Inc., and its consolidated subsidiaries and not any other person or entity. In addition, the following is a list of industry standards that may be referenced throughout the document:

•BiFET (Bipolar Field Effect Transistor): integrates indium gallium phosphide based heterojunction bipolar transistors with field effect transistors on the same gallium arsenide substrate
•CATV (Cable Television): a system of providing television to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through fixed optical fibers or coaxial cables as opposed to the over-the-air method used in traditional television broadcasting
•CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access): a method for transmitting multiple digital signals over the same carrier frequency
•Cloud (Cloud Computing): A model for delivering information technology services in which resources are retrieved from the internet through web-based tools and applications, rather than a direct connection to a server
•CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor): a technology of constructing integrated circuits
•EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution): an enhancement to the GSM and TDMA wireless communications systems that increases data throughput to 474Kbps
•GaAs (Gallium Arsenide): a compound of the elements gallium and arsenic that is used in the production of semiconductors
•GPRS (General Packet Radio Service): an enhancement to the GSM mobile communications system that supports transmission of data packets
•GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications): a digital cellular phone technology based on TDMA that is the predominant system in Europe, and is also used around the world
•HBT (Heterojunction Bipolar Transistor): a type of bipolar junction transistor which uses differing semiconductor materials for the emitter and base regions, creating a heterojunction
•Internet of Things (IoT): is the interconnection of uniquely identifiable embedded computing devices within the existing internet infrastructure
•LED (Light Emitting Diode): a two-lead semiconductor light source
•LTE (Long Term Evolution): 4th generation (“4G”) radio technologies designed to increase the capacity and speed of mobile telephone networks
•pHEMT (Pseudomorphic High Electron Mobility Transistor): a type of field effect transistor incorporating a junction between two materials with different band gaps
•RFID (Radio Frequency Identification): refers to the use of an electronic tag (typically referred to as an RFID tag) for the purpose of identification and tracking objects using radio waves
•Satcom (Satellite Communications): where a satellite stationed in space is used for the purpose of telecommunications
•SOI (Silicon On Insulator): technology refers to the use of layered silicon-insulator-silicon substrate in place of conventional silicon substrates in semiconductor manufacturing
•TDMA (Time Divisional Multiple Access): technology for delivering wireless digital service using time division multiplexing
•TD-SCDMA (Time Division Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access): a third generation wireless services (“3G”) mobile communications standard, being pursued in the People’s Republic of China
•WCDMA (Wideband CDMA): a 3G technology that increases data transmission rates
•WEDGE: an acronym for technologies that support both WCDMA and EDGE wireless communication systems
•WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access): a standards-based technology enabling the delivery of last mile wireless broadband access as an alternative to cable and DSL
•WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network): a type of local-area network that uses high-frequency radio waves rather than wires to communicate between nodes
•Yield: The number of working chips out of the total number of chips manufactured

Skyworks, Breakthrough Simplicity, the star design logo, Trans-Tech and SkyOne are trademarks or registered trademarks of Skyworks Solutions, Inc. or its subsidiaries in the United States and in other countries. All other brands and names listed are trademarks of their respective companies.

PART l

Item 1. BUSINESS.

Skyworks Solutions, Inc., together with its consolidated subsidiaries, (“Skyworks” or the “Company”) is empowering the wireless networking revolution. Our highly innovative analog semiconductors are connecting people, places, and things, spanning a number of new and previously unimagined applications within the automotive, broadband, cellular infrastructure, connected home, industrial, medical, military, smartphone, tablet and wearable markets.

Our key customers include Arris, Bose, Cisco, Dell, Ericsson, Foxconn, Fujitsu, General Electric, Google, Honeywell, HTC, Huawei, Landis & Gyr, Lenovo, LG Electronics, Microsoft, Nest, Netgear, Northrop Grumman, Rockwell Collins, Samsung, Sonos, and ZTE. Our competitors include Analog Devices, Avago Technologies, Linear Technology, Maxim Integrated Products, Murata Manufacturing, NXP, QUALCOMM and Qorvo.

Headquartered in Woburn, Massachusetts, we are a Delaware corporation that was formed in 1962. We changed our corporate name from Alpha Industries, Inc. to Skyworks Solutions, Inc. on June 25, 2002, following a business combination. We operate worldwide with engineering, manufacturing, sales and service facilities throughout Asia, Europe and North America. Our Internet address is www.skyworksinc.com. We make available free of charge on our website our Annual Report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, Section 16 filings on Forms 3, 4 and 5, and amendments to those reports as soon as practicable after we electronically submit such material to the SEC. The information contained on our website is not incorporated by reference in this Annual Report. You may read and copy materials that we have filed with the SEC at the SEC public reference room located at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. Please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for further information on the public reference room. Our SEC filings are also available to the public at www.sec.gov.

In August 2014, we entered into a joint venture with Panasonic Corporation, through its Automotive & Industrial Systems Company (“Panasonic”) for the design, manufacture and sale of Panasonic’s surface acoustic wave (“SAW”) and temperature-compensated (“TC”) SAW filter products. We own a controlling 66% interest in the joint venture and have the option to acquire the remaining 34% interest in August 2016, which we plan to exercise. With the overall demand for SAW and TC SAW filters increasing as the technology and product architectures become more complex and the number of required bands grows, this investment assists us in securing a firm supply of SAW and TC SAW filters, in addition to allowing us to integrate filters into the design and production of our own products.

In January 2012, we acquired Advanced Analogic Technologies Inc. (“AATI”) and accelerated our entry into vertical markets with highly complementary analog semiconductor product lines, including battery chargers, DC/DC converters, voltage regulators and LED drivers. Power management semiconductors represent a strategic growth market for us in applications like voltage regulation, energy efficiency and panel backlighting within the consumer electronics, computing and communications markets.

In June 2011, we acquired SiGe Semiconductor, Inc. (“SiGe”) and expanded our RF front-end solutions to facilitate wireless multimedia across a wide range of new applications. The acquisition of SiGe complemented our strong position in wide area front-end solutions by adding SiGe’s innovative short range, silicon-based products. As a result, today we offer customers a comprehensive wireless networking portfolio, supporting all key operating frequencies with greater architectural flexibility to address a variety of high growth applications.

INDUSTRY BACKGROUND

By all measures, wireless connectivity is exploding, fueled by a powerful underlying demand to connect everyone and everything all the time. With semiconductor devices becoming ever smaller, more powerful, affordable and virtually attachable to anything, telecommunication networks creating pipelines which these devices can connect to at little or no cost, and various devices now being able to collect, process and analyze data—we are seeing a convergence of elements driving connectivity across the Internet of Things. The billions of connected devices that comprise the Internet of Things will be enabled by a combination of sensors and microcontrollers, as well as connectivity and power management solutions. This is helping to fuel Skyworks’ growth and expand its served markets. In fact, today there are a number of groundbreaking devices leveraging Skyworks’ technology—from the newest smartphones to the factory floor to the connected car, automated home, wearables, hospitals and medical providers.

Within smartphones and other mobile platforms, Skyworks is benefiting from the complexity associated with the increasing number of frequency bands as well as from the multitude of RF design challenges brought about as consumers use their devices to stream video, make purchases, network on social media platforms, pay bills and much more. These design challenges require a broad set

of core competencies to ensure seamless handoffs between multiple air interface standards and to effectively address signal transmission and conditioning, power management, voltage regulation, filtering and tuning complexities. As a result, our customers’ needs have dramatically moved away from discrete components toward customized integrated solutions that sweep in adjacent functionality and analog content.

At the same time, in emerging markets around the world, the demand for mobile connectivity continues to grow as the industry drives toward connecting the billions of people who remain unconnected. According to the Global Semiconductor Market Association, more than 65 percent of the global population will use smartphones by 2020, with emerging markets forecasted to lead this growth.

Beyond mobile, our solutions are enabling a broad set of end markets and applications some of which are embracing connectivity for the very first time—including action video cameras, smart watches, streaming music platforms, and avionics systems. With some analysts expecting the number of connected devices to reach a staggering 70 billion by 2020, Skyworks has no shortage of growth opportunities across new and emerging markets and applications.

Solving Connectivity Challenges

This transition to ubiquitous connectivity, however, does not come without its challenges. RF solutions in ultra-thin, high performance consumer products must preserve battery life, increase data rates and solve signal interference problems while occupying minimal board space. Meeting these design challenges requires broad competencies including signal transmission and conditioning, the ability to ensure seamless hand-offs between multiple standards, power management, voltage regulation, battery charging, filtering and tuning, among others. This complexity plays directly to Skyworks’ strengths. We have a strong heritage in analog systems design and have spent the last decade investing in key technologies and resources. We are at the forefront of advanced multi-chip module integration and offer unmatched technology breadth, providing deep expertise in CMOS, SOI, GaAs and filters and maintaining strategic partnerships with outside foundries.

SKYWORKS’ STRATEGY

Skyworks’ overall strategy is to enable all forms of connectivity through semiconductor innovation. Key elements in our strategy include:

Industry-Leading Technology

As the industry migrates to more complex LTE architectures across a multitude of wireless broadband applications, we are uniquely positioned to help mobile device manufacturers handle growing levels of system complexity in the transmit and receive chain. The trend towards increasing front-end and analog design challenges in smartphones and other mobile devices plays directly into Skyworks’ core strengths and positions us to address these challenges. We believe that we offer the broadest portfolio of radio and analog solutions from the transceiver to the antenna as well as all required manufacturing process technologies. Our expertise includes BiFET, CMOS, HBT, pHEMT, SOI and silicon germanium processes. We also hold strong technology leadership positions in passive devices, advanced integration including proprietary shielding and 3-D die stacking, as well as SAW and TC SAW filters. Our product portfolio is reinforced by a library of over 2,200 worldwide patents and other intellectual property that we own and control. Together, our industry-leading technology enables us to deliver the highest levels of product performance and integration.

Customer Relationships

Given our scale and technology leadership, we are engaged with key original equipment manufacturers, smartphone providers and baseband reference design partners. Our customers value our supply chain strength, our innovative technology and our system engineering expertise resulting in deep customer loyalty. We partner with our customers to support their long-term product road maps and are valued as a system solutions provider rather than just a point product vendor.

Diversification

We are diversifying our business in three areas: our addressed markets, our customer base and our product offerings to enable stronger and more consistent financial returns. By leveraging core analog and mixed signal technologies, we are expanding our family of solutions to a set of increasingly diverse end markets and customers. We are steadily growing our business beyond just mobile devices (where we support all top-tier manufacturers, including the leading smartphone suppliers and key baseband vendors) into additional high-performance analog markets, including infrastructure, smart energy, wireless networking, automotive and medical. In these markets we leverage our scale, intellectual property and worldwide distribution network, which span over 2,000 customers and over 2,500 analog components.

Delivering Operational Excellence

We either vertically integrate our supply chain where we can create a competitive advantage, or enter into alliances and strategic relationships for leading-edge capabilities. This hybrid manufacturing approach allows us to better balance our manufacturing capacity with the demands of the marketplace. Internally, our capacity utilization remains high and we have therefore been able to maintain margins and achieve our desired return on invested capital on a broader range of revenue.

Additionally, we continue to strive to achieve the industry’s shortest product design and manufacturing cycle times and highest yields. The combination of agile, flexible capacity and world-class module manufacturing and scale advantage allows us to achieve a low product cost structure while integrating multiple technologies into highly sophisticated multi-chip modules.

Maintaining a Performance Driven Culture

We consider our people and corporate culture to be a major competitive advantage and a key element of our overall strategy. We create key performance indicators that align employee performance with corporate strategy and link responsibilities with performance measurement. Accountability is paramount and we compensate our employees through a pay-for-performance methodology. We strive to be an employer-of-choice among peer companies and have created a work environment in which turnover is well below semiconductor industry averages.

Generating Superior Operating Results and Shareholder Returns

We seek to generate financial returns that are comparable to a highly diversified analog semiconductor company while delivering high growth rates representative of a mobile internet company. Given our product volume and overall utilization we strive to achieve a best-in-class return on investment and operating income to reward shareholders with increasing returns.

SKYWORKS’ PRODUCT PORTFOLIO

Our product portfolio consists of various solutions, including:

•Amplifiers: the modules that strengthen the signal so that it has sufficient energy to reach a base station
•Attenuators: circuits that allow a known source of power to be reduced by a predetermined factor (usually expressed as decibels)
•Circulators/Isolators: ferrite-based components commonly found on the output of high-power amplifiers used to protect receivers in wireless transmission systems
•DC/DC Converters: an electronic circuit which converts a source of direct current from one voltage level to another
•Demodulators: a device or an RF block used in receivers to extract the information that has been modulated onto a carrier or from the carrier itself
•Detectors: devices used to measure and control RF power in wireless systems
•Diodes: semiconductor devices that pass current in one direction only
•Directional Couplers: transmission coupling devices for separately sampling the forward or backward wave in a transmission line
•Diversity Receive Modules: devices used to improve receiver sensitivity in high data rate LTE applications
•Filters: devices for recovering and separating mixed and modulated data in RF stages
•Front-End Modules: power amplifiers that are integrated with switches, duplexers, filters and other components to create a single package front-end solution
•Hybrid: a type of directional coupler used in radio and telecommunications
•LED Drivers: devices which regulate the current through a light emitting diode or string of diodes for the purpose of creating light
•Low Noise Amplifiers: devices used to reduce system noise figure in the receive chain
•Mixers: devices that enable signals to be converted to a higher or lower frequency signal and thereby allowing the signals to be processed more effectively
•Modulators: devices that take a baseband input signal and output a radio frequency modulated signal
•Optocouplers/Optoisolators: semiconductor devices that allow signals to be transferred between circuits or systems while ensuring that the circuits or systems are electrically isolated from each other
•Phase Locked Loops: closed-loop feedback control system that maintains a generated signal in a fixed phase relationship to a reference signal
•Phase Shifters: designed for use in power amplifier distortion compensation circuits in base station applications
•Power Dividers/Combiners: utilized to equally split signals into in-phase signals as often found in balanced signal chains and local oscillator distribution networks
•Receivers: electronic devices that change a radio signal from a transmitter into useful information
•Switches: components that perform the change between the transmit and receive function, as well as the band function for cellular handsets
•Synthesizers: devices that provide ultra-fine frequency resolution, fast switching speed, and low phase-noise performance
•Technical Ceramics: polycrystalline oxide materials used for a wide variety of electrical, mechanical, thermal and magnetic applications
•Voltage Regulators: generate a fixed level which ideally remains constant over varying input voltage or load conditions
•VCOs/Synthesizers: fully integrated, high performance signal source for high dynamic range transceivers

We believe we possess broad technology capabilities and one of the most complete wireless communications product portfolios in the industry.

MARKETING AND DISTRIBUTION

Our products are primarily sold through a direct global Skyworks sales force deployed across all of our major market regions. In some markets we supplement our direct sales effort with independent manufacturers’ representatives and distribution partners, some of which are franchised globally with others focused in specific regional markets.

Our sales engagement begins at the earliest stages of the design of an existing or potential customer’s product. We strive to provide close technical collaboration with our customers and reference design partners at the inception of new programs. These relationships allow our team to facilitate customer-driven solutions, which leverage the unique strength of our intellectual property and product portfolio while providing high value and greatly reducing time-to-market.

We believe the technical and complex nature of our products and markets demand an extraordinary commitment to maintain close ongoing relationships with our customers. As such, we strive to expand the scope of our customer relationship to include design, engineering, manufacturing, procurement, logistics and project management. We also employ a collaborative approach in developing these relationships by combining the support of our design teams, applications engineers, manufacturing personnel, sales and marketing staff and senior management. Lastly, we leverage our customer relationships with cross-selling opportunities across product lines in order to maximize revenue.

We believe that maintaining frequent and interactive contact with our customers is paramount to our continuous efforts to provide world-class sales and service support. By listening and responding to feedback, we are able to mobilize resources to raise our level of customer satisfaction, improve our ability to anticipate future product needs, and enhance our understanding of key market dynamics. We are confident that diligently following this path will position Skyworks to participate in numerous opportunities for growth in the future.

CUSTOMER CONCENTRATION

A small number of customers historically has accounted for a significant portion of our net revenue. In the fiscal year ended October 2, 2015 (“fiscal 2015”), Foxconn Technology Group (together with its affiliates and other suppliers to a large OEM for use in multiple applications including smartphones, tablets, routers, desktop and notebook computers) constituted more than ten percent of our net revenue. In the fiscal years ended October 3, 2014 (“fiscal 2014”) and September 27, 2013 (“fiscal 2013”), two customers—Foxconn Technology Group (together with its affiliates and other suppliers to a large OEM for use in multiple applications including smartphones, tablets, routers, desktop and notebook computers) and Samsung Electronics—each constituted more than ten percent of our net revenue. For further information regarding customer concentrations see Note 16 to Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND PROPRIETARY RIGHTS

We own or have a license to use numerous United States and foreign patents and patent applications related to our products and our manufacturing operations and processes. In addition, we own a number of trademarks and service marks applicable to certain of our products and services. We believe that our intellectual property, including patents, patent applications, trade secrets and trademarks, is of material importance to our business. We rely on patent, copyright, trademark, trade secret and other intellectual property laws, as well as non-disclosure and confidentiality agreements and other methods, to protect our confidential and proprietary technologies, designs, devices, algorithms, processes and other intellectual property. Our efforts may not meaningfully protect our intellectual property, or others may independently develop substantially equivalent or superior proprietary technologies, designs, devices, algorithms, processes or other intellectual property. In addition, the laws of some foreign countries do not protect proprietary rights to the same extent as the laws of the United States, and effective copyright, patent, trademark and trade secret protection may not be available in those jurisdictions. In addition to protecting our intellectual property, we strive to strengthen our intellectual property portfolio to enhance our ability to obtain cross-licenses of intellectual property from others, to obtain access to intellectual property we do not possess and to more favorably resolve potential intellectual property claims against us. Furthermore, we seek to generate

high gross margin revenue through the sale and license of non-core intellectual property and occasionally we purchase intellectual property. Due to rapid technological changes in the industry, we believe establishing and maintaining a technological leadership position depends primarily on our ability to develop new innovative products through the technical competence of our engineering personnel.

COMPETITIVE CONDITIONS

The competitive environment in the semiconductor industry is in a constant state of flux, with new products continually emerging and existing products approaching technological obsolescence. We compete on the basis of time-to-market, new product innovation, quality, performance, price, compliance with industry standards, strategic relationships with customers and baseband vendors, personnel and protection of our intellectual property. We participate in highly competitive markets against numerous competitors that may be able to adapt more quickly than we can to new or emerging technologies and changes in customer requirements, or may be able to devote greater resources to the development, promotion and sale of their products than we can.

Erosion of average selling prices of established products is typical of the semiconductor industry. Consistent with trends in the industry, we anticipate that average selling prices for our established products will continue to decline at a normalized rate of five to ten percent per year. As part of our normal course of business, we mitigate the gross margin impact of declining average selling prices with efforts to increase unit volumes, reduce material costs and lower manufacturing costs of existing products and by introducing new and higher value-added products.

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

Our products and markets demand rapid technological advancements requiring a continuous effort to enhance existing products and develop new products and technologies. Accordingly, we maintain a high level of research and development activity. We invested $303.2 million, $252.2 million and $226.3 million in research and development activities during fiscal 2015, fiscal 2014 and fiscal 2013, respectively. The increase in research and development expenses in fiscal 2015 and fiscal 2014 as compared to fiscal 2013 were the result of increases in our internal product designs and product development activity for our target markets in each of these fiscal years. Our research and development activities include new product development and innovations in integrated circuit design, investment in advanced semiconductor manufacturing processes, development of new packaging and test capabilities and research on next generation technologies and product opportunities. We maintain close collaborative relationships with many of our customers to help identify market demands and target our development efforts to meet those demands.

RAW MATERIALS

Raw materials for our products and manufacturing processes are generally available from several sources. It is our policy not to depend on a sole source of supply unless market or other conditions dictate otherwise. However, there are limited situations where we procure certain components and services for our products from single or limited sources, and we are currently dependent on a limited number of sole source suppliers. We purchase materials and services primarily pursuant to individual purchase orders. However, we have entered into certain supply agreements for the purchase of raw materials or other manufacturing related services that specify minimum prices and purchase quantity based on our anticipated future requirements. Such amounts are reviewed and included in our contractual obligations and commitments as required. Certain of our suppliers consign raw materials to us at our manufacturing facilities to which we take title to as needed in our manufacturing process. We believe we have adequate sources for the supply of raw materials and components for our manufacturing needs with suppliers located around the world.

BACKLOG AND INVENTORY

Our sales are made pursuant to standard purchase orders and/or specified customer contracts for delivery of products, with such purchase orders officially acknowledged by us according to our own terms and conditions. We also maintain Skyworks-owned finished goods inventory at certain customer “hub” locations. We do not recognize revenue until these customers consume the Skyworks-owned inventory from these hub locations. Due to industry practice, which allows customers to cancel orders with limited advance notice to us prior to shipment, and with little or no penalty, we believe that backlog as of any particular date may not be a reliable indicator of our future revenue levels. The cancellation or deferral of product orders, the return of previously sold products, or overproduction due to a change in anticipated order volume could result in a reduction in revenue and us holding excess or obsolete inventory, which could result in inventory write-downs and, in turn, could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition.

ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS

Federal, state and local requirements relating to the discharge of substances into the environment, the disposal of hazardous wastes, and other activities affecting the environment have had, and will continue to have, an impact on our manufacturing operations. Most of our customers have mandated that our products comply with various local, regional and national “green” initiatives initiated by our customers or the locations in which they operate. We believe that our current expenditures for environmental capital investment

and remediation necessary to comply with present regulations governing environmental protection, and other expenditures for the resolution of environmental claims, will not have a material adverse effect on our liquidity and capital resources, competitive position or financial condition. Environmental regulations are subject to change in the future, and accordingly we are unable to assess the possible effect of compliance with future requirements.

SEASONALITY

Sales of our products are subject to seasonal fluctuation and periods of increased demand in end-user consumer applications, such as smartphones and tablet computing devices. The highest demand for our products generally occurs in our first fiscal quarter ending in December and the lowest demand for our handset products generally occurs in our second fiscal quarter ending in March.

GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION

For information regarding net revenue by geographic region for each of the last three fiscal years, see Note 16 of Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

EMPLOYEES

As of October 2, 2015, we employed approximately 6,700 employees world-wide. Approximately 770 of our employees in Mexico and 150 employees in Japan are covered by collective bargaining agreements and other union agreements.

Item 1A. RISK FACTORS.

You should carefully consider the risks described below in addition to the other information contained in this report before making an investment decision with respect to any of our securities. Our business, financial condition or results of operations could be materially impacted by any of these risks. The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones we face. Additional risks not currently known to us or other factors not perceived by us present significant risks to our business at this time and may impair our business operations, financial condition or results of operations.

We operate in the highly cyclical semiconductor industry, which is subject to significant downturns.

We operate in the semiconductor industry, which is cyclical and subject to rapid declines in demand for end-user products in both the consumer and enterprise markets. Uncertain worldwide economic conditions, together with other factors such as the volatility of the financial markets, continue to make it difficult for our customers and for us to accurately forecast and plan future business activities. Although we believe that the market for our semiconductor products has stabilized to some extent, continued uncertainty and economic weakness could result in a market contraction and, as a result, our business, financial condition and results of operations would likely be materially and adversely affected. Such periods of industry downturn are characterized by diminished product demand and revenue, manufacturing overcapacity, excess inventory levels, accelerated erosion of average selling prices, bad debt, inventory and restructuring and/or asset impairment charges. Furthermore, downturns in the semiconductor industry may be prolonged, and any extended delay or failure of the market to recover from an economic downturn would materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations beyond our current fiscal year.

Our operating results may be adversely affected by quarterly and annual fluctuations and market downturns.

Our revenues, earnings and other operating results may fluctuate significantly on a quarterly and annual basis. These fluctuations are typically the result of a number of factors, many of which are beyond our control.

These factors include, among others:

•changes in end-user demand for the products (principally smartphones) manufactured and sold by our customers,
•the effects of competitive pricing pressures, including decreases in average selling prices of our products,
•production capacity levels and fluctuations in manufacturing yields,
•availability and cost of materials and services from our suppliers,
•the gain or loss of significant customers,
•our ability to develop, introduce and market new products and technologies on a timely basis,
•new product and technology introductions by competitors,
•changes in the mix of products produced and sold,
•market acceptance of our products and our customers,
•our ability to continue to generate revenues by licensing and/or selling non-core intellectual property, and
•intellectual property disputes, including those concerning payments associated with the licensing and/or sale of intellectual property.

The foregoing factors are difficult to forecast, and these, as well as other factors, could materially and adversely affect our quarterly or annual operating results. If our operating results fail to meet the expectations of analysts or investors, it could materially and adversely affect the price of our common stock.

Our reliance on a small number of customers for a large portion of our sales could have a material adverse effect on the results of our operations.

Significant portions of our sales are concentrated among a limited number of customers. If we lost one or more of these major customers, or if one or more major customers significantly decreased its orders for our products, our business could be materially and adversely affected. In fiscal 2015, one customer accounted for greater than ten percent of our net revenue. In fiscal 2014, two customers each accounted for greater than ten percent of our net revenue. For further discussion see Note 16 to Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Our stock price has been volatile and may fluctuate in the future.

The trading price of our common stock has and may continue to fluctuate significantly. Such fluctuations may be influenced by many factors, including:

•the volatility of the financial markets,
•uncertainty regarding the prospects of the domestic and foreign economies,
•our performance and prospects,
•the performance and prospects of our major customers and competitors,
•our revenue concentrations with relatively few customers,
•the depth and liquidity of the market for our common stock,
•investor perception of us and the industry in which we operate,
•changes in earnings estimates, price targets or buy/sell recommendations by analysts,
•domestic and international political conditions,
•domestic and international tax and fiscal policy decisions, and
•the ability to successfully identify, acquire and integrate acquisition candidates.

Public stock markets have experienced price and trading volume volatility. This volatility has and continues to significantly and negatively affect the market prices of securities of many technology companies, particularly the market price of our common stock. Such volatility could materially and adversely affect the market price of our common stock in future periods.

In addition, fluctuations in our stock price, volume of shares traded, and changes in our trading multiples may make our stock attractive to momentum, hedge or day-trading investors who often shift funds into and out of stocks rapidly, exacerbating price fluctuations in either direction. Our company has been, and in the future may be, the subject of commentary by financial news media. Such commentary may contribute to volatility in our stock price. If our operating results do not meet the expectations of securities analysts, the financial news media or investors, our stock price may decline, possibly substantially over a short period of time.

There can be no assurance that we will continue to declare cash dividends.

We intend to pay quarterly dividends subject to capital availability and periodic determinations by our Board of Directors that cash dividends are in the best interest of our stockholders.

Future dividends may be affected by, among other factors:

•our views on potential future capital requirements, including those related to acquisitions as well as research and development;
•use of cash to consummate various acquisition transactions;
•capital requirements related to stock repurchase programs;
•changes in federal and state income tax laws or corporate laws; and
•changes to our business model.

Our dividend payments may change from time to time, and we cannot provide assurance that we will increase our dividend payment or declare dividends in any particular amounts or at all. A reduction in our dividend payments could have a negative effect on our stock price.

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Item 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS.

None.

Item 2. PROPERTIES.

We are headquartered in Woburn, Massachusetts and have executive offices in Irvine, California. For information regarding property, plant and equipment by geographic region for each of the last three fiscal years, see Note 16 of Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. The following table sets forth our principal facilities:

LocationOwned/LeasedSquare FootagePrimary Function
Woburn, MassachusettsOwned158,000Corporate headquarters and manufacturing
Adamstown, MarylandOwned121,200Manufacturing and office space
Newbury Park, CaliforniaOwned111,600Manufacturing and office space
Irvine, CaliforniaLeased126,900Design center
Newbury Park, CaliforniaLeased114,100Design center
San Jose, CaliforniaLeased49,800Design center
Cedar Rapids, IowaLeased42,900Design center
Santa Clara, CaliforniaLeased42,200Design center
Osaka, JapanLeased405,400Filter manufacturing
Mexicali, MexicoOwned380,000Manufacturing and office space
Singapore, SingaporeLeased134,000Filter manufacturing
Kadoma, JapanLeased103,000Filter manufacturing and office space
Ottawa, OntarioLeased30,900Design center
Seoul, KoreaLeased22,900Design center

Item 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS.

The information set forth under Note 12 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES.

Not Applicable.

PART II

Item 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES.

MARKET INFORMATION AND DIVIDENDS

Our common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “SWKS”. The following table sets forth the range of high and low closing prices for our common stock, as reported by NASDAQ, and the cash dividends announced per share of common stock for the periods indicated.

Fiscal Years Ended
October 2, 2015October 3, 2014
HighLowDividendsHighLowDividends
First quarter$74.49$45.32$0.13$28.43$23.71$—
Second quarter$102.05$69.83$0.13$39.27$27.40$—
Third quarter$110.92$92.25$0.13$48.34$34.90$0.11
Fourth quarter$103.97$79.07$0.26$58.84$46.34$0.11

The number of stockholders of record of Skyworks’ common stock as of November 13, 2015 was 21,441. On November 5, 2015, the Board of Directors declared a cash dividend of $0.26 per share of common stock, payable on December 10, 2015 to stockholders of record as of November 19, 2015. We intend to continue to pay quarterly dividends subject to capital availability and our view that cash dividends are in the best interests of our stockholders. Future dividends may be affected by, among other items, our views on potential future capital requirements, including those relating to research and development, creation and expansion of sales distribution channels and investments and acquisitions, legal risks, stock repurchase programs, debt issuance, changes in federal and state income tax law and changes to our business model.

ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

The following table provides information regarding repurchases of common stock made during the fiscal quarter ended October 2, 2015:

PeriodTotal Number of Shares PurchasedAverage Price Paid per ShareTotal Number of Shares Purchased as Part of Publicly Announced Plans or Programs (1)Maximum Number (or Approximately Dollar Value) of Shares that May Yet Be Purchased Under the Plans or Programs (1)
7/04/15-7/31/15402,945(2) (3)$93.76400,000$136.2 million
8/01/15-8/28/15850,286(2) (4)$86.59850,000$62.6 million
8/29/15-10/2/155,564(2)$86.33—$62.6 million
Total1,258,795$88.891,250,000

(1)The stock repurchase program was approved by the Board of Directors on November 11, 2014, authorizes the repurchase of up to $300.0 million of our common stock from time to time on the open market or in privately negotiated transactions as permitted by securities laws and other legal requirements. The share repurchase program was scheduled to expire on November 11, 2016.

(2) Represents shares repurchased by us at the fair market value of the common stock as of the applicable purchase date, in connection with the satisfaction of tax withholding obligations under restricted stock agreements.

(3) 400,000 shares were repurchased at an average price of $93.76 per share as part of our stock repurchase program and 2,945 shares were withheld for tax obligations under restricted stock agreements with an average price of $93.57.

(4) 850,000 shares were repurchased at an average price of $86.59 per share as part of our stock repurchase program and 286 shares were withheld for tax obligations under restricted stock agreements with an average price of $91.25.

On November 10, 2015, the Board of Directors approved a new share repurchase program, pursuant to which the Company is authorized to repurchase up to $400.0 million of its common stock from time to time on the open market or in privately negotiated transactions as permitted by securities laws and other legal requirements. The repurchase program is set to expire on November 10, 2017; however, it may be suspended, discontinued or extended by the Board of Directors at any time prior to its expiration on

November 10, 2017. This authorized stock repurchase program replaced in its entirety the November 11, 2014 stock repurchase program. These repurchases have been and will be funded with the Company’s working capital.

Item 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA.

The information set forth below for the five years ended October 2, 2015, is not necessarily indicative of results of future operations, and should be read in conjunction with Part II, Item 7, Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, and our consolidated financial statements and related notes included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K to fully understand factors that may affect the comparability of the information presented below. Our fiscal year ends on the Friday closest to September 30. Fiscal 2015, 2013, 2012, and 2011 each consisted of 52 weeks and ended on October 2, 2015, September 27, 2013, September 28, 2012 and September 30, 2011, respectively. Fiscal 2014 consisted of 53 weeks and ended on October 3, 2014.

The following table represents the selected financial data (in millions, except per share data):

Fiscal Years Ended
Statement of Operations Data:October 2, 2015October 3, 2014September 27, 2013September 28, 2012September 30, 2011
Net revenue$3,258.4$2,291.5$1,792.0$1,568.6$1,418.9
Operating income$1,023.1$565.2$345.1$255.6$295.3
Operating margin31.4%24.7%19.3%16.3%20.8%
Net income$798.3$457.7$278.1$202.0$226.6
Earnings per share:
Basic$4.21$2.44$1.48$1.09$1.24
Diluted$4.10$2.38$1.45$1.05$1.19
Cash dividends declared per share$0.65$0.22$—$—$—
As of
Balance Sheet Data:October 2, 2015October 3, 2014September 27, 2013September 28, 2012September 30, 2011
Working capital$1,450.8$1,131.6$893.6$700.6$569.2
Property, plant and equipment, net$826.4$555.9$328.6$279.4$251.4
Total assets$3,719.4$2,973.8$2,333.1$2,136.6$1,890.4
Stockholders’ equity$3,159.2$2,532.4$2,101.1$1,905.5$1,609.1

Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS.

The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and related notes that appear elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. In addition to historical information, the following discussion contains forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ substantially and adversely from those referred to herein due to a number of factors, including but not limited to those described below and in Item 1A “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

OVERVIEW

We, together with our consolidated subsidiaries, are empowering the wireless networking revolution. Our highly innovative analog semiconductors are connecting people, places, and things spanning a number of new and previously unimagined applications within the automotive, broadband, cellular infrastructure, connected home, industrial, medical, military, smartphone, tablet and wearable markets. Our key customers include Arris, Bose, Cisco, Dell, Ericsson, Foxconn, Fujitsu, General Electric, Google, Honeywell, HTC, Huawei, Landis & Gyr, Lenovo, LG Electronics, Microsoft, Nest, Netgear, Northrop Grumman, Rockwell Collins, Samsung, Sonos, and ZTE. Our competitors include Analog Devices, Avago Technologies, Linear Technology, Maxim Integrated Products, Murata Manufacturing, NXP, QUALCOMM, and Qorvo.

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

FISCAL YEARS ENDED OCTOBER 2, 2015, OCTOBER 3, 2014, AND SEPTEMBER 27, 2013.

The following table sets forth the results of our operations expressed as a percentage of net revenue:

October 2, 2015October 3, 2014September 27, 2013
Net revenue100.0%100.0%100.0%
Cost of goods sold52.355.457.2
Gross profit47.744.642.8
Operating expenses:
Research and development9.311.012.6
Selling, general and administrative5.97.88.9
Amortization of intangibles1.01.11.6
Restructuring and other charges0.1—0.4
Total operating expenses16.319.923.5
Operating income31.424.719.3
Other income (expense), net———
Income before income taxes31.424.719.3
Provision for income taxes6.94.73.7
Net income24.5%20.0%15.6%

GENERAL

During the fiscal year ended October 2, 2015, the following key factors contributed to our overall results of operations, financial position and cash flows:

•Net revenue increased to approximately $3.3 billion, an increase of 42% as compared to the prior fiscal year. This increase in revenue was primarily related to our continued growth as smartphones displace traditional cellular phones, increased strength in emerging markets due to the adoption of 3G and 4G technologies, increases in tablet computing and the expansion of our analog product portfolio to address additional content within the handset and tablet markets as well as new vertical markets including medical, automotive, military and industrial.
•Operating margin increased by 670 basis points to 31.4% for fiscal 2015 from 24.7% in fiscal 2014. The increase in operating margin was primarily related to higher revenue and the leveraging impact on our gross margin and operating expenses partially offset by higher employee compensation expenses.
•As a result of the aforementioned factors, overall profitability increased significantly from fiscal 2014 with year-over-year increases in net income and diluted earnings per share of 74% and 72%, respectively.
•Our ending cash and cash equivalents balance increased 30% to $1,044 million in fiscal 2015 from $806 million in fiscal 2014. This was the result of a 29% increase in cash from operations to $993 million in fiscal 2015 from $772 million in fiscal 2014 due to higher net income partially offset by changes in working capital. In addition, we invested $430 million on capital expenditures associated with plant expansions in Mexico and Japan, $237 million to repurchase over 2.9 million shares of our common stock, and $123 million in cash dividend payments.

NET REVENUE

Fiscal Years Ended
October 2, 2015ChangeOctober 3, 2014ChangeSeptember 27, 2013
(dollars in millions)
Net revenue$3,258.442.2%$2,291.527.9%$1,792.0

We market and sell our products directly to original equipment manufacturers of communications and electronics products, third-party original design manufacturers and contract manufacturers, and indirectly through electronic components distributors. We generally experience seasonal peaks during the second half of the calendar year, primarily as a result of increased worldwide production of consumer electronics in anticipation of increased holiday sales, whereas our second fiscal quarter is typically lower and in line with seasonal industry trends.

The $966.9 million increase in revenue in fiscal 2015 as compared to fiscal 2014 was primarily driven by our ability to capture a higher share of the increasing RF and analog content per device due to more complex smartphones continuing to displace traditional cellular phones, increased strength in emerging markets due to the adoption of 3G and 4G technologies, the increasing popularity of tablet computing and wearables, and our expanding analog product portfolio supporting new vertical markets including medical, automotive, military and industrial.

The $499.5 million increase in revenue in fiscal 2014 as compared to fiscal 2013 was primarily driven by our ability to capture a higher share of the increasing RF and analog content per device due to more complex smartphones continuing to displace traditional cellular phones, increased strength in emerging markets due to the adoption of 3G and 4G technologies, the increasing popularity of tablet computing, and our expanding analog product portfolio supporting new vertical markets including medical, automotive, military and industrial.

For information regarding net revenue by geographic region and customer concentration, see Note 16 of Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

GROSS PROFIT

Fiscal Years Ended
October 2, 2015ChangeOctober 3, 2014ChangeSeptember 27, 2013
(dollars in millions)
Gross profit$1,554.552.0%$1,022.733.4%$766.6
% of net revenue47.7%44.6%42.8%

Gross profit represents net revenue less cost of goods sold. Our cost of goods sold consists primarily of purchased materials, labor and overhead (including depreciation and share-based compensation expense) associated with product manufacturing. Erosion of average selling prices of established products is typical of the semiconductor industry. Consistent with trends in the industry, we anticipate that average selling prices for our established products will continue to decline at a normalized rate of five to ten percent per year. As part of our normal course of business, we mitigate the gross margin impact of declining average selling prices with efforts to increase unit volumes, reduce material costs, improve manufacturing efficiencies, lower manufacturing costs of existing products and by introducing new and higher value-added products.

Gross profit was $531.8 million greater in fiscal 2015 as compared to fiscal 2014. The increase in gross profit was primarily the result of higher unit volumes, lower overall per unit material and manufacturing costs with an aggregate gross profit benefit of $687.8 million. These benefits were partially offset by the erosion of average selling price, unfavorable changes in product mix and other costs that combined to negatively impact gross profit by $156.0 million. As a result of these impacts, gross profit margin increased to 47.7% of net revenue for fiscal 2015.

Gross profit was $256.1 million greater in fiscal 2014 as compared to fiscal 2013. The increase in gross profit was primarily the result of higher unit volumes, lower overall per unit material and manufacturing costs with an aggregate gross profit benefit of $273.5 million. These benefits were partially offset by the erosion of average selling price, unfavorable changes in product mix and other costs which combined to negatively impact gross profit by $17.4 million. As a result of these impacts, gross profit margin increased to 44.6% of net revenue for fiscal 2014.

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

Fiscal Years Ended
October 2, 2015ChangeOctober 3, 2014ChangeSeptember 27, 2013
(dollars in millions)
Research and development$303.220.2%$252.211.4%$226.3
% of net revenue9.3%11.0%12.6%

Research and development expenses consist primarily of direct personnel costs including share-based compensation expense, costs for pre-production evaluation and testing of new devices, masks, engineering prototypes and design tool costs.

The increase in research and development expense in fiscal 2015 as compared to fiscal 2014 is primarily related to increased employee compensation expense, including share-based compensation, of approximately $26.7 million and increased product development and other related expenses of approximately $24.3 million. Research and development expense decreased as a percentage of net revenue due to the aforementioned increase in net revenue.

The increase in research and development expense in fiscal 2014 as compared to fiscal 2013 is primarily related to increased compensation expense, including share-based compensation of $19.1 million, enhanced development activity, related services and other costs of $6.8 million. Research and development expense decreased as a percentage of net revenue due to the aforementioned increase in net revenue.

SELLING, GENERAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE

Fiscal Years Ended
October 2, 2015ChangeOctober 3, 2014ChangeSeptember 27, 2013
(dollars in millions)
Selling, general and administrative$191.36.8%$179.112.1%$159.7
% of net revenue5.9%7.8%8.9%

Selling, general and administrative expenses include legal and related costs, accounting, treasury, human resources, information systems, customer service, bad debt expense, sales commissions, share-based compensation expense, advertising, marketing, costs associated with business combinations completed or contemplated during the period or prior periods and other costs.

The increase in selling, general and administrative expenses in fiscal 2015 as compared to fiscal 2014 was primarily related to increased compensation expense including share-based compensation, and legal expenses related to acquisitions completed and contemplated during the period. Selling, general and administrative expenses decreased as a percentage of net revenue due to the aforementioned increase in net revenue.

The increase in selling, general and administrative expenses in fiscal 2014 as compared to fiscal 2013 was primarily related to increased compensation expense including share-based compensation of $8.1 million, legal expenses related to ongoing litigation of $3.9 million and acquisition related expenses of $3.4 million. Selling, general and administrative expenses decreased as a percentage of net revenue due to the aforementioned increase in net revenue.

AMORTIZATION OF INTANGIBLES

Fiscal Years Ended
October 2, 2015ChangeOctober 3, 2014ChangeSeptember 27, 2013
(dollars in millions)
Amortization of intangibles$33.529.3%$25.9(11.0)%$29.1
% of net revenue1.0%1.1%1.6%

The increase in amortization expense for fiscal 2015 as compared to fiscal 2014 was primarily due to the intangible assets that were acquired in fiscal 2015 and fiscal 2014, partially offset by the end of the estimated useful lives of certain fully amortized intangible assets that were acquired in prior fiscal years.

Amortization expense decreased in fiscal 2014 when compared to the prior fiscal year due to the end of the estimated useful lives of certain fully amortized intangible assets acquired in prior fiscal years. This decrease was partially offset by the amortization of intangibles acquired in the Panasonic transaction.

PROVISION FOR INCOME TAXES

Fiscal Years Ended
October 2, 2015ChangeOctober 3, 2014ChangeSeptember 27, 2013
(dollars in millions)
Provision for income taxes$225.3109.6%$107.561.9%$66.4
% of net revenue6.9%4.7%3.7%

The annual effective tax rate for fiscal 2015 of 22.0% was less than the United States federal statutory rate of 35% primarily due to benefits of 11.8% related to foreign earnings taxed at a rate less than the United States federal rate, benefits of 1.9% related to a domestic production activities deduction, and benefits of 1.5% related to the recognition of federal research and development tax credits, partially offset by income tax rate expense impact of 2.5% related to a change in our tax reserves.

As a result of the enactment of the Tax Increase Prevention Act of 2014, which retroactively reinstated and extended the research and development tax credit, $11.0 million of tax credits that were earned in fiscal 2014, our tax rate was reduced during fiscal 2015.

We operate under a tax holiday in Singapore, which is effective through September 30, 2020. This tax holiday is conditioned upon our compliance with certain employment and investment thresholds in Singapore. The impact of the tax holiday decreased the taxes we owe in Singapore by $26.6 million and $12.6 million for fiscal 2015 and fiscal 2014, respectively. This resulted in tax benefits of $0.14 and $0.07 of diluted earnings per share for fiscal 2015 and fiscal 2014, respectively.

As of October 2, 2015, the Company’s federal income tax returns for the fiscal year ended September 28, 2012 (“fiscal 2012”) and fiscal 2013 were under examination by the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”). The Company expects the IRS examination to close in the first quarter of the fiscal year ending September 30, 2016 (“fiscal 2016”) and does not expect the results of this audit to have an adverse impact on its tax expense. In addition, various state and international returns are under examination by their respective taxing authorities. The Company does not expect the results of these audits to have a material impact on its financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.

The annual effective tax rate for fiscal 2014 of 19.0% was less than the United States federal statutory rate of 35% primarily due to benefits of 13.7% related to foreign earnings taxed at a rate less than the United States federal rate, benefits of 1.9% related to a domestic production activities deduction, and benefits of 3.5% from the settlement of the IRS audit of our fiscal 2011 income tax return, partially offset by income tax rate expense impact of 2.0% related to a change in our tax reserves.

LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES

Fiscal Years Ended
(dollars in millions)October 2, 2015October 3, 2014September 27, 2013
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period$805.8$511.1$307.1
Net cash provided by operating activities992.8772.4499.7
Net cash used in investing activities(454.7)(357.1)(123.0)
Net cash used in financing activities(300.3)(120.6)(172.7)
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period$1,043.6$805.8$511.1

Cash Flow from Operating Activities:

Cash provided by operating activities is net income adjusted for certain non-cash items and changes in certain operating assets and liabilities. For fiscal 2015, we generated $992.8 million in cash flow from operations, an increase of $220.4 million when compared to $772.4 million generated in fiscal 2014. The increase in cash flow from operating activities during the fiscal year ended October 2, 2015 was related to higher net income combined with a net cash inflow from changes in operating assets and liabilities and the effects of non-cash depreciation and share-based compensation. Specifically, the changes in operating assets and liabilities that were sources of cash were: $106.0 million related to tax liabilities, payroll related accruals and other accrued expenses, $90.5 million in accounts payable related to the timing of vendor payments, and $3.6 million in changes in inventory. These sources of cash were offset by uses of cash of $222.2 million in accounts receivable due to the timing of customer collections and $39.2 million primarily related to pre-paid manufacturing costs.

Cash Flow from Investing Activities:

Cash flow from investing activities consists of capital expenditures, cash paid for acquisitions, net of cash acquired and the sale and maturity of investments. Cash flow used in investing activities was $454.7 million during fiscal 2015, compared to $357.1 million during fiscal 2014. The increase in capital expenditures was primarily due to the expansion of our assembly and test facility in Mexicali, Mexico, the construction of a new filter fabrication facility in Osaka, Japan, the purchase of manufacturing equipment to support increased production for the operations in Japan and Singapore of the joint venture with Panasonic, referred to as FilterCo, and to a lesser extent, our wafer fabrication facilities in the United States. Cash flows from investing activities for the twelve months ended October 2, 2015 also include the final working capital payment associated with the FilterCo acquisition as well as cash paid for an immaterial business combination net of cash, during the period.

Cash Flow from Financing Activities:

Cash flows from financing activities consist primarily of cash transactions related to debt and equity. During fiscal 2015, we had net cash outflows of $300.3 million, compared to $120.6 million in fiscal 2014. During fiscal 2015 we had the following significant uses of cash:

•$237.3 million related to our repurchase of approximately 2.9 million shares of our common stock pursuant to the share repurchase program approved by our Board of Directors on November 11, 2014;
•$123.1 million related to the payment of cash dividends on our common stock; and
•$54.2 million related to the minimum statutory payroll tax withholdings upon vesting of employee performance and restricted stock awards.

These uses of cash were partially offset by the excess tax benefit from stock option exercises of $57.3 million and net proceeds from employee stock option exercises of $57.0 million during fiscal 2015.

Liquidity:

Cash and cash equivalent balances were $1,043.6 million at October 2, 2015, representing an increase of $237.8 million from October 3, 2014. The increase resulted from $992.8 million in cash generated from operations which was partially offset by $430.1 million in capital expenditures primarily for increased production capacity in Mexico and Japan, $237.3 million used to repurchase 2.9 million shares of stock, and $123.1 million in cash dividend payments during fiscal 2015. Based on our historical results of operations, we expect that our cash and cash equivalents on hand and the cash we expect to generate from operations will be sufficient to fund our research and development, capital expenditures, potential acquisitions, working capital, quarterly cash dividend payments (if such dividends are declared by the Board of Directors), outstanding commitments and other liquidity requirements associated with existing operations for at least the next 12 months. However, we cannot be certain that our cash on hand and cash generated from operations will be available in the future to fund all of our capital and operating requirements. In addition, any future strategic

investments and acquisitions may require additional cash and capital resources. If we are unable to obtain sufficient cash or capital to meet our needs on a timely basis and on favorable terms, our business and operations could be materially and adversely affected.

Our invested cash balances primarily consist of highly liquid term deposits with original maturities of 90 days or less and money market funds where the underlying securities primarily consist of United States treasury obligations, United States agency obligations and repurchase agreements collateralized by United States government and agency obligations.

Our cash and cash equivalent balance of $1,043.6 million at October 2, 2015 consisted of $657.2 million held domestically and $386.4 million held by foreign subsidiaries. Of the cash and cash equivalents held by our foreign subsidiaries at October 2, 2015, $340.8 million is considered by us to be indefinitely reinvested and would be subject to material tax effects if repatriated. The remaining $45.6 million of foreign cash and cash equivalents can be repatriated without any tax consequences.

OFF-BALANCE SHEET ARRANGEMENTS

All significant contractual obligations are recorded on our consolidated balance sheet or fully disclosed in the notes to our consolidated financial statements. We have no material off-balance sheet arrangements as defined in SEC Regulation S-K-303(a)(4)(ii).

CONTRACTUAL CASH FLOWS

Set forth below is a summary of our contractual payment obligations related to our operating leases, other commitments and long-term liabilities at October 2, 2015 (in millions):

Payments Due By Period
ObligationTotalLess Than 1 Year1-3 Years3-5 YearsThereafter
Other long-term liabilities (1)$78.7$5.4$2.6$—$70.7
Operating lease obligations66.215.122.914.014.2
Other commitments (2)94.494.20.2——
Total$239.3$114.7$25.7$14.0$84.9

(1)Other long-term liabilities include our gross unrecognized tax benefits, as well as executive deferred compensation, which are both classified as beyond five years due to the uncertain nature of the liabilities.
(2)Other commitments consist of liabilities related to business combinations, contractual license and royalty payments, and other purchase obligations. See Note 11 of Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES

The discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations are based upon our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, or GAAP. The preparation of these financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses, and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. The Securities and Exchange Commission has defined critical accounting policies as those that are both most important to the portrayal of our financial condition and results and which require our most difficult, complex or subjective judgments or estimates. Based on this definition, we believe our critical accounting policies include revenue recognition, inventory valuation, impairment of long-lived assets, goodwill and intangibles, business combinations, share-based compensation, loss contingencies and income taxes. Note 2 of Item 8 on this Annual Report on Form 10-K describes the significant accounting policies and methods used in the preparation of our consolidated financial statements.

On an ongoing basis, we evaluate the judgments and estimates underlying all of our accounting policies. These estimates and the underlying assumptions affect the amounts of assets and liabilities reported, disclosures, and reported amounts of revenues and expenses. These estimates and assumptions are based on our best judgments using historical experience and other factors, including the current economic environment, which we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. We adjust such estimates and assumptions when facts and circumstances dictate. As future events and their effects cannot be determined with precision, factors may arise over time that lead us to change our methods, estimates and judgments that could materially and adversely affect our results of operations.

Revenue Recognition. We recognize revenue in accordance with the Financial Accounting Standards Board’s (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 605 Revenue Recognition net of estimated reserves. Our revenue reserves contain uncertainties because they require management to make assumptions and to apply judgment to estimate the value of future credits to customers for price protection and product returns (stock rotation) for products sold to certain electronic component distributors. Our estimates

of the amount and timing of the reserves is based primarily on historical experience and specific contractual arrangements. Historically, we have not experienced material differences between our estimated sales reserves and actual results.

Inventory Valuation. We value our inventory at the lower of cost or fair market value. Reserves for excess and obsolete inventory are established on a quarterly basis and are based on a detailed analysis of forecasted demand in relation to on-hand inventory, saleability of our inventory, general market conditions, and product life cycles. Once reserves are established, write-downs of inventory are considered permanent adjustments to the cost basis of inventory. Our reserves contain uncertainties because the calculation requires management to make assumptions and to apply judgment regarding historical experience, forecasted demand and technological obsolescence. Changes in actual demand or market conditions could adversely impact our reserve calculations. Historically, we have not experienced material differences between our estimated inventory reserves and actual results.

Goodwill and Purchased Intangible Assets. We evaluate goodwill and other purchased intangible assets for impairment annually on the first day of the fourth fiscal quarter and whenever events or circumstances arise that may indicate that the carrying value of the goodwill or other intangibles may not be recoverable.

The impairment evaluation of goodwill involves comparing the fair value to the carrying value of the reporting unit. We use the market price of the Company’s stock adjusted for a market premium to calculate the fair value of the reporting unit. If the fair value exceeds the carrying value, then it is concluded that no goodwill impairment has occurred. If the carrying value of the reporting unit exceeds its fair value, a second step is required to measure the possible goodwill impairment loss.

In the second step, if required, we would use a discounted cash flow methodology to determine the implied fair value of our goodwill. The implied fair value of the reporting unit’s goodwill would then be compared to the carrying value of the goodwill. If the carrying value of the goodwill exceeds the implied fair value of the goodwill, we would recognize a loss equal to the excess.

Our impairment analysis contains uncertainties because it requires management to make assumptions and to apply judgment to items such as: estimated control premiums, discount rate, future cash flows, the profitability of future business strategies and useful lives. Historically, we have not experienced material differences between our impairment calculations and actual results.

Business Combinations. We apply significant estimates and judgments in order to determine the fair value of the identified tangible and intangible assets acquired, liabilities assumed and goodwill recognized in business combinations. The value of all assets and liabilities are recognized at fair value as of the acquisition date using a market participant approach.

In measuring the fair value, we utilize a number of valuation techniques consistent with the market approach, income approach and/ or cost approach. The valuation of the identifiable assets and liabilities includes assumptions such as projected revenue, royalty rates, weighted average cost of capital, discount rates and estimated useful lives. These assessments can be significantly affected by our judgments. Historically, we have not experienced material differences in our assigned values and actual results.

Share-Based Compensation. We have a share-based compensation plan which includes non-qualified stock options, restricted and performance share awards and units, employee stock purchase plan and other special share-based awards. Note 9 of Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K details our current share-based compensation programs.

We determine the fair value of our non-qualified stock options at the date of grant using the Black-Scholes options-pricing model. For restricted and performance based awards and units, we determine the fair value based on the grant date fair value of the Company’s stock based on the most probable outcome of the underlying performance metric, as applicable. For more complex performance awards with market-based conditions we employ a Monte Carlo simulation and determine the fair value based on the most probable outcome of the performance metric. Our determination of fair value of share-based items on the date of grant contains assumptions regarding a number of highly complex and subjective variables including, but not limited to: our expected stock price volatility over the term of the award, correlation coefficients, risk-free rate, the expected life of the award, forfeiture rates, and a dividend yield with compensation expense recognized over the requisite service period of the underlying award. Management periodically evaluates these assumptions and updates share-based compensation expense accordingly. Historically, we have not experienced material differences in our estimates and actual results.

Loss Contingencies. We record an estimate for loss contingencies such as a legal proceeding or claims if it is probable that an asset has been impaired or a liability has been incurred and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. We disclose material loss contingencies if there is at least a reasonable possibility that a loss has been incurred.

Our loss contingency analysis contains uncertainties because it requires management to assess the degree of probability of an unfavorable outcome and to make a reasonable estimate of the amount of potential loss. Historically, we have not experienced material differences between our estimates and actual results.

Income Taxes. We account for income taxes using the asset and liability method, under which deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the expected future tax consequences of temporary differences between tax and financial reporting. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using the currently enacted tax rates that apply to taxable income in effect for the years in which those tax assets are expected to be realized or settled. We record a valuation allowance to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount that is believed more likely than not to be realized. Significant management judgment is required in developing our provision for income taxes, including the determination of deferred tax assets and liabilities and any valuation allowances that might be required against the deferred tax assets. ASC 740 Income Taxes (“ASC 740”) clarifies the accounting for uncertainty in income taxes recognized in an enterprise’s financial statements in accordance with GAAP. ASC 740 prescribes a recognition threshold and measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. This statement also provides guidance on derecognition, classification, interest and penalties, accounting in the interim periods and disclosure.

The application of tax laws and regulations to calculate our tax liabilities is subject to legal and factual interpretation, judgment, and uncertainty in a multitude of jurisdictions. Tax laws and regulations themselves are subject to change as a result of changes in fiscal policy, changes in legislation, the evolution of regulations, and court rulings. We recognize potential liabilities for anticipated tax audit issues in the United States and other tax jurisdictions based on our estimate of whether, and the extent to which, additional taxes and interest will be due. We record an amount as an estimate of probable additional income tax liability at the largest amount that we feel is more likely than not, based upon the technical merits of the position, to be sustained upon audit by the relevant tax authority. We record a valuation allowance against deferred tax assets that we feel are more likely than not to not be realized. Historically, we have not experienced material differences between our estimates and actual results.

OTHER MATTERS

Inflation did not have a material impact on our results of operations during the three-year period ended October 2, 2015.

Item 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK.

We are subject to overall financial market risks, such as changes in market liquidity, credit quality investment risk, interest rate risk and exchange rate risk as described below.

Investment and Interest Rate Risk

Our exposure to interest rate and general market risks related principally to our investment portfolio and consisted of the following (in millions):

October 2, 2015
Cash and cash equivalents (time deposits, certificate of deposits and money market funds)$1,043.6
Available for sale securities (auction rate securities) at carrying value2.3
Total$1,045.9

The main objectives of our investment activities are the liquidity and preservation of capital. Our cash equivalent investments have short-term maturity periods that dampen the impact of market or interest rate risk. Credit risk associated with our investments is not material as our money market and deposits are diversified across several financial institutions with high credit ratings that reduces the amount of credit exposure to any one counterparty.

Based on our results of operations for the fiscal year ended October 2, 2015, a hypothetical reduction in the interest rates on our cash and cash equivalents to zero would result in an immaterial reduction of interest income with a de minimis impact to income before taxes.

We own $3.2 million of par value auction rate securities that are currently valued at $2.3 million as of October 2, 2015. In the event that the market conditions change in the future and our auction rate security becomes fully and permanently impaired, the impact to income before income taxes would be the par value of the auction rate security of approximately $3.2 million as of October 2, 2015.

Given the low interest rate environment, the objectives of our investment activities, and the relatively low interest income generated from our cash and cash equivalents and other investments, we do not believe that market, investment or interest rate risks pose material exposures to our current business or results of operations.

Exchange Rate Risk

Substantially all sales to customers and arrangements with third-party manufacturers provide for pricing and payment in United States dollars, thereby reducing the impact of foreign exchange rate fluctuations on our results. A small percentage of our international operational expenses are denominated in foreign currencies. Exchange rate volatility could negatively or positively impact those operating costs. For the fiscal years ended October 2, 2015, October 3, 2014 and September 27, 2013, the Company had foreign exchange gains/(losses) of $1.7 million, $0.1 million and $(1.1) million, respectively. Increases in the value of the United States dollar relative to other currencies could make our products more expensive, which could negatively impact our ability to compete. Conversely, decreases in the value of the United States dollar relative to other currencies could result in our suppliers raising their prices to continue doing business with us. Fluctuations in currency exchange rates could have a greater effect on our business in the future to the extent our expenses increasingly become denominated in foreign currencies.

The Company may enter into foreign currency forward and option contracts with financial institutions to protect against foreign exchange risks associated with certain existing assets and liabilities, certain firmly committed transactions, forecasted future cash flows and net investments in foreign subsidiaries. The Company’s practice is to hedge a portion of its material foreign exchange exposures. However, the Company may choose not to hedge certain foreign exchange exposures for a variety of reasons, including but not limited to accounting considerations and the prohibitive economic cost of hedging particular exposures.

The Company currently holds foreign currency put and call options on the Japanese yen that offset the cash flow impact related to the purchase option of the remaining 34% interest of FilterCo. Changes in the exchange rate between the Japanese yen and United States dollar had a de minimis impact to income before taxes during the fiscal year ended October 2, 2015.

Item 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA.

The following consolidated financial statements of the Company are included herewith:

(1)Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting FirmPage 35
(2)Consolidated Statements of Operations for the Years Ended October 2, 2015, October 3, 2014, and September 27, 2013Page 36
(3)Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income for the Years Ended October 2, 2015, October 3, 2014, and September 27, 2013Page 37
(4)Consolidated Balance Sheets at October 2, 2015 and October 3, 2014Page 38
(5)Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the Years Ended October 2, 2015, October 3, 2014, and September 27, 2013Page 39
(6)Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity for the Years Ended October 2, 2015, October 3, 2014, and September 27, 2013Page 40
(7)Notes to Consolidated Financial StatementsPage 41 through 62

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

The Board of Directors and Stockholders

Skyworks Solutions, Inc.:

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Skyworks Solutions, Inc. and subsidiaries as of October 2, 2015 and October 3, 2014, and the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income, cash flows, and stockholders’ equity for each of the years in the three-year period ended October 2, 2015. In connection with our audits of the consolidated financial statements, we also have audited the financial statement schedule listed in Item 15 of the 2015 Form 10-K. We also have audited Skyworks Solutions, Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting as of October 2, 2015, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). Skyworks Solutions, Inc.’s management is responsible for these consolidated financial statements and financial statement schedule, for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting, and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these consolidated financial statements and financial statement schedule, and an opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audits.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement and whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audits of the consolidated financial statements included examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, and evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. 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.

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 (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) 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 (3) 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.

In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Skyworks Solutions, Inc. and subsidiaries as of October 2, 2015 and October 3, 2014, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended October 2, 2015, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Also in our opinion, the related financial statement schedule, when considered in relation to the basic consolidated financial statements taken as a whole, presents fairly, in all material respects, the information set forth therein. Also in our opinion, Skyworks Solutions, Inc. maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of October 2, 2015, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO).

/s/ KPMG LLP

Boston, Massachusetts

November 24, 2015

SKYWORKS SOLUTIONS, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (In millions, except per share amounts)

Fiscal Years Ended
October 2, 2015October 3, 2014September 27, 2013
Net revenue$3,258.4$2,291.5$1,792.0
Cost of goods sold1,703.91,268.81,025.4
Gross profit1,554.51,022.7766.6
Operating expenses:
Research and development303.2252.2226.3
Selling, general and administrative191.3179.1159.7
Amortization of intangibles33.525.929.1
Restructuring and other charges3.40.36.4
Total operating expenses531.4457.5421.5
Operating income1,023.1565.2345.1
Other income (expense), net0.5—(0.6)
Income before income taxes1,023.6565.2

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Item 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE.

None.

Item 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES.

Evaluation of disclosure controls and procedures.

Our management, with the participation of our chief executive officer and chief financial officer, evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as of October 2, 2015. The term “disclosure controls and procedures,” as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act, means controls and other procedures of a company that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by a company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms. Disclosure controls and procedures include, without limitation, controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by a company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to the company’s management, including its principal executive and principal financial officers, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. Management recognizes that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving their objectives and management necessarily applies its judgment in evaluating the cost-benefit relationship of possible controls and procedures. Based on management’s evaluation of our disclosure controls and procedures as of October 2, 2015, our chief executive officer and chief financial officer concluded that, as of such date, our disclosure controls and procedures were effective at the reasonable assurance level.

Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting

The management of the Company is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting for the Company. Internal control over financial reporting is defined in Rule 13a-15(f) or 15d-15(f) promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 as a process designed by, or under the supervision of, the Company’s principal executive and principal financial officers and effected by the Company’s board of directors, management and other personnel, 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 and includes those policies and procedures that:

•Pertain to the maintenance of records that in reasonable detail accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the Company;
•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
•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. 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.

The Company’s management assessed the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of October 2, 2015. In making this assessment, the Company’s management used the criteria set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) 2013 Internal Control-Integrated Framework.

Based on their assessment, management concluded that, as of October 2, 2015, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting is effective based on those criteria.

The Company’s independent registered public accounting firm has issued an audit report on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as stated within their report which appears herein.

Changes in internal controls over financial reporting.

There are no changes to our internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) of the Exchange Act) that occurred during the period covered by this report that have materially affected or are reasonable likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

Item 9B. OTHER INFORMATION.

None.

PART III

Item 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE.

The information under the captions “Directors and Executive Officers”, “Corporate Governance─Committees of the Board of Directors” and “Other Matters─Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance” in our definitive proxy statement for the 2016 Annual Meeting of Stockholders is incorporated herein by reference.

We have adopted a written code of business conduct and ethics that applies to our directors, officers and employees, including our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, and persons performing similar functions. We make available our code of business conduct and ethics free of charge through our website, which is located at www.skyworksinc.com. We intend to disclose any amendments to, or waivers from, our code of business conduct and ethics that are required to be publicly disclosed pursuant to rules of the SEC and the NASDAQ Global Select Market by posting any such amendment or waivers on our website and disclosing any such waivers in a Form 8-K filed with the SEC.

Item 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION.

The information to be included under the caption “Information about Executive and Director Compensation” in our definitive proxy statement for the 2016 Annual Meeting of Stockholders is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS.

The information to be included under the captions “Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management” and “Equity Compensation Plan Information” in our definitive proxy statement for the 2016 Annual Meeting of Stockholders is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE.

The information to be included under the captions “Certain Relationships and Related Transactions” and “Corporate Governance─Director Independence” in our definitive proxy statement for the 2016 Annual Meeting of Stockholders is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES.

The information to be included under the caption “Ratification of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm—Audit Fees” in our definitive proxy statement for the 2016 Annual Meeting of Stockholders is incorporated herein by reference.

PART IV

Item 15. EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES.

(a)The following are filed as part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K:
1.Index to Financial StatementsPage number in this report
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting FirmPage 35
Consolidated Statements of Operations for the Years Ended October 2, 2015, October 3, 2014, and September 27, 2013Page 36
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income for the Years Ended October 2, 2015, October 3, 2014, and September 27, 2013Page 38
Consolidated Balance Sheets at October 2, 2015 and October 3, 2014Page 38
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the Years Ended October 2, 2015, October 3, 2014, and September 27, 2013Page 39
Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity for the Years Ended October 2, 2015, October 3, 2014, and September 27, 2013Page 40
Notes to Consolidated Financial StatementsPages 41 through 62
2.The schedule listed below is filed as part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K:Page number in this report
Schedule II-Valuation and Qualifying AccountsPage 68
All other required schedule information is included in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements or is omitted because it is either not required or not applicable.
3.The Exhibits listed in the Exhibit Index immediately preceding the Exhibits are filed as a part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
(b)Exhibits

The exhibits required by Item 601 of Regulation S-K are filed herewith and incorporated by reference herein. The response to this portion of Item 15 is submitted under Item 15 (a) (3).

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: November 24, 2015

SKYWORKS SOLUTIONS, INC.
Registrant
By:/s/ David J. Aldrich
David J. Aldrich
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

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 indicated on November 24, 2015.

Signature and TitleSignature and Title
/s/ David J. Aldrich/s/ Kevin L. Beebe
David J. AldrichKevin L. Beebe
Chairman and Chief Executive OfficerDirector
(principal executive officer)
/s/Timothy R. Furey
Timothy R. Furey
/s/ Donald W. PaletteDirector
Donald W. Palette
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer/s/ Balakrishnan S. Iyer
(principal accounting and financial officer)Balakrishnan S. Iyer
Director
/s/ Christine King
Christine King
Director
/s/ David P. McGlade
David P. McGlade
Director
/s/ David J. McLachlan
David J. McLachlan
Director
/s/ Robert A. Schriesheim
Robert A. Schriesheim
Director

SCHEDULE II

VALUATION AND QUALIFYING ACCOUNTS

(In millions)

DescriptionBeginning balanceCharged to assets or expensesDeductionsMisc. (1)Ending balance
Year Ended September 27, 2013
Allowance for doubtful accounts$0.5$0.2$(0.2)$—$0.5
Reserve for sales returns$6.4$3.1$(4.8)$—$4.7
Valuation allowance on deferred tax assets$47.0$4.0$—$—$51.0
Year Ended October 3, 2014
Allowance for doubtful accounts$0.5$0.2$0.1$—$0.8
Reserve for sales returns$4.7$12.7$(3.3)$—$14.1
Valuation allowance on deferred tax assets$51.0$7.1$—$2.7$60.8
Year Ended October 2, 2015
Allowance for doubtful accounts$0.8$(0.4)$—$—$0.4
Reserve for sales returns$14.1$16.0$(17.9)$—$12.2
Valuation allowance on deferred tax assets$60.8$3.6$—$0.8$65.2

(1) Includes acquired balances

EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit NumberExhibit DescriptionFormIncorporated by ReferenceFiled Herewith
File No.ExhibitFiling Date
2.1Agreement and Plan of Merger dated as of May 17, 2011 by and among the Company, Silver Bullet Acquisition Corp, SiGe Semiconductor, Inc. and Shareholder Representative Services LLC, solely in its capacity as the representative and agent of the Company Stockholders10-Q/A001-0556010.E11/17/2011
2.2Agreement and Plan of Merger dated as of May 26, 2011, by and among the Company, PowerCo Acquisition Corp. and Advanced Analogic Technologies Incorporated8-K001-055602.212/5/2011
2.3Amendment No. 1 dated as of November 30, 2011, to Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of May 26, 2011, by and among the Company, PowerCo Acquisition Corp. and Advanced Analogic Technologies Incorporated8-K001-055602.112/5/2011
2.4Memorandum of Understanding dated as of April 28, 2014, by and between the Company and Panasonic Corporation, acting through Automotive & Industrial Systems Company10-Q001-0556010.17/30/2014
2.5Stock Purchase Agreement dated as of July 2, 2014, by and among the Company, Skyworks Luxembourg S.A.R.L., Panasonic Corporation, acting through Automotive & Industrial Systems Company, Panasonic Asia Pacific Pte., Ltd. Skyworks Panasonic Filter Solutions Japan Co., Ltd. and Skyworks Panasonic Filter Solutions Singapore Pte. Ltd.10-K001-055602.511/25/2014
2.6Amended and Restated Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of October 29, 2015, by and among the Company, Amherst Acquisition, Inc., and PMC-Sierra, Inc. (the Company hereby agrees to furnish supplementally a copy of any omitted schedules to the SEC upon request)8-K001-055602.110/30/2015
3.1Restated Certificate of Incorporation, As Amended10-Q001-055603.A8/9/2011
3.2Second Amended and Restated By-laws, As Amended10-Q001-055603.15/2/2014
4.1Specimen Certificate of Common StockS-3333-9239447/15/2002
10.1*Alpha Industries, Inc. Long-Term Compensation Plan dated September 24, 1990; amended March 28, 1991; and as further amended October 27, 199410-K001-0556010.B12/14/2005
10.2*Alpha Industries Executive Compensation Plan dated January 1, 1995, and Trust for the Alpha Industries Executive Compensation Plan dated January 3, 199510-K001-0556010.D12/14/2005
10.3*Skyworks Solutions, Inc. 1999 Employee Long-Term Incentive Plan10-K001-0556010.L12/23/2002
10.4*Skyworks Solutions, Inc. Directors’ 2001 Stock Option Plan8-K001-0556010.25/4/2005
10.5*Form of Notice of Stock Option Grant under the Company’s Directors’ 2001 Stock Option Plan8-K001-0556010.35/4/2005
10.6*Skyworks Solutions, Inc. 2002 Employee Stock Purchase Plan10-Q001-0556010.D1/31/2013
Exhibit NumberExhibit DescriptionFormIncorporated by ReferenceFiled Herewith
File No.ExhibitFiling Date
10.7*Skyworks Solutions, Inc. Non-Qualified Employee Stock Purchase Plan10-Q001-0556010.E1/31/2013
10.8*Skyworks Solutions, Inc. Amended and Restated 2005 Long-Term Incentive Plan8-K001-0556010.15/13/2013
10.9*Form of Nonstatutory Stock Option Agreement under the Company’s 2005 Long-Term Incentive Plan10-Q001-0556010.B1/31/2013
10.10*Form of Performance Share Agreement under the Company’s 2005 Long-Term Incentive Plan10-Q001-0556010.C1/31/2013
10.11*Form of Restricted Stock Unit Agreement under the Company’s 2005 Long-Term Incentive Plan8-K001-0556010.15/9/2014
10.12*Skyworks Solutions, Inc. Amended and Restated 2008 Director Long-Term Incentive Plan, as Amended10-Q001-0556010.15/2/2014
10.13*Form of Restricted Stock Agreement under the Company’s 2008 Director Long-Term Incentive Plan10-Q001-0556010.NN5/7/2008
10.14*Form of Nonstatutory Stock Option Agreement under the Company’s 2008 Director Long-Term Incentive Plan10-Q001-0556010.OO5/7/2008
10.15*Skyworks Solutions, Inc. 2015 Long-Term Incentive Plan10-Q001-0556010.18/5/2015
10.16*Form of Nonstatutory Stock Option Agreement under the Company's 2015 Long-Term Incentive Plan10-Q001-0556010.28/5/2015
10.17*Form of Performance Share Agreement under the Company's 2015 Long-Term Incentive Plan10-Q001-0556010.38/5/2015
10.18*Form of Restricted Stock Unit Agreement under the Company's 2015 Long-Term Incentive Plan10-Q001-0556010.48/5/2015
10.19*Advanced Analogic Technologies Incorporated 1998 Amended Stock Plan10-K001-0556010.CC11/21/2012
10.20*Advanced Analogic Technologies Incorporated 2005 Equity Incentive Plan10-K001-0556010.DD11/21/2012
10.21*Fiscal 2015 Executive Incentive Plan10-Q001-0556010.12/4/2015
10.22*Skyworks Solutions, Inc. Cash Compensation Plan for Directors10-Q001-0556010.17/30/2014
10.23*Amended and Restated Change of Control / Severance Agreement, dated January 22, 2008, between the Company and David Aldrich10-Q001-0556010.W5/7/2008
10.24*Amendment dated November 23, 2010 to Amended and Restated Change of Control / Severance Agreement, dated January 22, 2008, between the Company and David Aldrich10-Q001-0556010.KK2/8/2011
10.25*Letter to the Company from David Aldrich, dated December 16, 201410-Q001-0556010.22/4/2015
10.26*Change in Control / Severance Agreement, dated December 16, 2014, between the Company and Liam Griffin10-Q001-0556010.32/4/2015
10.27*Change in Control / Severance Agreement, dated December 16, 2014, between the Company and Donald Palette10-Q001-0556010.42/4/2015
10.28*Change in Control / Severance Agreement, dated December 16, 2014, between the Company and Bruce Freyman10-Q001-0556010.52/4/2015
Exhibit NumberExhibit DescriptionFormIncorporated by ReferenceFiled Herewith
File No.ExhibitFiling Date
10.29*Change in Control / Severance Agreement, dated December 16, 2014, between the Company and Mark Tremallo10-Q001-0556010.62/4/2015
10.30*Change in Control / Severance Agreement, dated December 16, 2014, between the Company and Victoria Vezina10-Q001-0556010.72/4/2015
10.31*Change in Control / Severance Agreement, dated December 16, 2014, between the Company and Peter GammelX
10.32Second Amended and Restated Commitment Letter, by and among the Company, Barclays Bank PLC, Bank of America, N.A., Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated and Citigroup Global Markets Inc. (on behalf of itself and Citibank, N.A. and Citicorp North America, Inc.), dated as of October 29, 20158-K001-0556010.210/30/2015
21Subsidiaries of the CompanyX
23.1Consent of KPMG LLPX
31.1Certification of the Company’s Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Securities and Exchange Act Rules 13a-14(a) and 15d-14(a), as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002X
31.2Certification of the Company’s Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Securities and Exchange Act Rules 13a-14(a) and 15d-14(a), as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002X
32.1Certification of the Company’s Chief Executive Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002X
32.2Certification of the Company’s Chief Financial Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002X
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
  • Indicates a management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement.