• Record fiscal fourth quarter revenue of $771 million and record fiscal 2018 revenue of $2.9 billion
• Fiscal fourth quarter GAAP diluted EPS of $2.20
• Fiscal fourth quarter non-GAAP adjusted diluted EPS of $0.96, excluding $1.24 per share related to net non-recurring tax benefits
• Initiates fiscal first quarter 2019 revenue guidance of $750 to $790 million with GAAP diluted EPS of $0.85 to $0.95

NEENAH, Wis., Oct. 24, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Plexus (NASDAQ: PLXS) today announced financial results for its fiscal fourth quarter ended September 29, 2018, and guidance for its fiscal first quarter ending December 29, 2018.

Fiscal Fourth Quarter 2018 Information

• Won 44 manufacturing programs during the quarter representing $233 million in annualized revenue when fully ramped into production
• Trailing four quarter wins total $889 million in annualized revenue when fully ramped into production
• Purchased $39.2 million of our shares at an average price of $61.32 per share under our existing share repurchase programs

Fiscal Year 2018 Information

• Revenue of $2.9 billion, up 14% from fiscal 2017
• GAAP diluted EPS of $0.38
• Non-GAAP adjusted diluted EPS of $3.23, excluding $2.46 per share related to net non-recurring tax expenses and $0.39 per share related to the fiscal second quarter one-time bonus paid to full-time, non-executive employees
• ROIC of 16.1%, delivering an economic return of 660 basis points above our weighted average cost of capital
• Purchased $137 million of our shares at an average price of $60.68 per share under our existing share repurchase programs

Todd Kelsey, President and CEO, commented, “We continue to produce meaningful growth, finishing our fiscal fourth quarter with record revenue of $771 million, near the high end of our guidance range.  In addition, as a result of strong execution, we delivered fiscal fourth quarter 2018 operating margin of 4.8%, comfortably within our target range of 4.7% to 5.0%.  Our solid growth and operating performance led to non-GAAP diluted EPS of $0.96, a result that was above our guidance range.  Further, we delivered fiscal year 2018 revenue of $2.9 billion, representing a 14% increase over fiscal 2017.”

Patrick Jermain, Senior Vice President and CFO, commented, “During the fiscal fourth quarter, we repatriated over $50 million of offshore cash which we deployed by investing in facilities and working capital and repurchasing approximately $39 million of shares under our repurchase programs.  In total, we brought back approximately $430 million in fiscal 2018.” 

Mr. Jermain continued, “Fiscal fourth quarter GAAP diluted EPS included a net benefit of $1.24 per share related to U.S. tax reform. The benefit resulted from adjustments made in applying additional guidance from the U.S. Department of the Treasury, as well as our utilization of accumulated U.S. net operating loss carryforwards, which reduced the repatriation tax.  We also recognized a benefit from the reversal of our valuation allowance previously maintained on our U.S. net deferred tax assets.  With future projected taxable income in the U.S. due to tax reform, the valuation allowance is no longer required.”

Mr. Kelsey continued, “As we look to the fiscal first quarter of 2019, we are guiding revenue of $750 million to $790 million.  We expect continued strong operating performance with operating margin in the range of 4.6% to 5.0% and GAAP diluted EPS in the range of $0.85 to $0.95.  We believe that our operating performance strength in the fiscal first quarter of 2019 will alleviate the impact of increased tax expense, estimated at $0.05 per share above the previous quarter.”

Mr. Kelsey concluded, “We anticipate fiscal 2019 to be another strong growth year as we achieve full production volumes of recently launched programs and expect to capitalize on our robust fiscal 2018 wins performance.  Further, we currently see overall strength in our end markets and believe we can navigate the ongoing supply chain constraints.  This growth, when combined with operating margin within our 4.7% to 5.0% target range and our share repurchase program, should result in meaningful EPS expansion.”

Business Segment and Market Sector Revenue
The Company measures operational performance and allocates resources on a geographic segment basis.  Plexus also reports revenue based on the market sector breakout set forth in the table below, which reflects the Company’s global market sector focused business development strategy.  Top 10 customers comprised 59% of revenue during the fiscal fourth quarter, up two percentage points from the fiscal third quarter of 2018, and 57% of revenue during fiscal year 2018, up one percentage point from the prior fiscal year.

Non-GAAP Supplemental Information
Plexus provides non-GAAP supplemental information, such as ROIC, Economic Return, and free cash flow, because such measures are used for internal management goals and decision making, and because they provide management and investors additional insight into financial performance.  In addition, management uses these and other non-GAAP measures, such as adjusted operating income, adjusted operating margin, adjusted net income and adjusted diluted EPS, to provide a better understanding of core performance for purposes of period-to-period comparisons.  Plexus believes that these measures are also useful to investors because they provide further insight by eliminating the effect of items such as the one-time, non-executive employee bonus paid in the second quarter of fiscal 2018 and the transitional effects of the U.S. Tax Cuts & Jobs Act (“U.S. Tax Reform”) that are not reflective of continuing operations.  For a full reconciliation of non-GAAP measures to comparable GAAP measures, please refer to the attached Non-GAAP Supplemental Information Tables.

ROIC and Economic Return
ROIC for both fiscal 2018 and the fiscal fourth quarter was 16.1%.  The Company defines ROIC as tax-effected annualized adjusted operating income divided by average invested capital over a five-quarter period for the fourth fiscal quarter.  Invested capital is defined as equity plus debt, less cash and cash equivalents.  The Company’s weighted average cost of capital for fiscal 2018 was 9.5%.  ROIC for both fiscal 2018 and the fiscal fourth quarter less the Company’s weighted average cost of capital resulted in an economic return of 6.6%.

Free Cash Flow Calculation
The Company defines free cash flow as cash flows provided by operations less capital expenditures.  For the three months ended September 29, 2018, cash flows provided by operations was $25.4 million, less capital expenditures of $10.7 million, resulting in free cash flow of $14.7 million.  For the twelve months ended September 29, 2018, cash flows provided by operations was $66.8 million, less capital expenditures of $62.8 million, resulting in free cash flow of $4.0 million.

Conference Call and Webcast Information

Investor and Media Contact
Heather Beresford
+1.920.751.3612
heather.beresford@plexus.com

About Plexus – The Product Realization Company
Since 1979, Plexus has been partnering with companies to create the products that build a better world.  We are a team of over 18,000, providing global Design and Development, Supply Chain Solutions, New Product Introduction, Manufacturing, and Aftermarket Services.  Plexus is an industry leader that specializes in serving customers with complex products used in demanding regulatory environments.  With a culture built around innovation and customer service, Plexus’ teams create customized end-to-end solutions to assure the realization of the most intricate products.  For more information about Plexus, visit our website, plexus.com.

Safe Harbor and Fair Disclosure Statement
The statements contained in this press release that are guidance or which are not historical facts (such as statements in the future tense and statements including believe, expect, intend, plan, anticipate, goal, target and similar terms and concepts), including all discussions of periods which are not yet completed, are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the risk of customer delays, changes, cancellations or forecast inaccuracies in both ongoing and new programs; the lack of visibility of future orders, particularly in view of changing economic conditions; the economic performance of the industries, sectors and customers we serve; the effects of shortages and delays in obtaining components as a result of economic cycles, natural disasters or otherwise; the effects of tariffs and other trade protection measures; the effects of the volume of revenue from certain sectors or programs on our margins in particular periods; our ability to secure new customers, maintain our current customer base and deliver product on a timely basis; the particular risks relative to new or recent customers, programs or services, which risks include customer and other delays, start-up costs, potential inability to execute, the establishment of appropriate terms of agreements, and the lack of a track record of order volume and timing; the risks of concentration of work for certain customers; the effect of start-up costs of new programs and facilities; possible unexpected costs and operating disruption in transitioning programs, including transitions between Company facilities; the risk that new program wins and/or customer demand may not result in the expected revenue or profitability; the fact that customer orders may not lead to long-term relationships; our ability to manage successfully and execute a complex business model characterized by high product mix, low volumes and demanding quality, regulatory, and other requirements; the ability to realize anticipated savings from restructuring or similar actions, as well as the adequacy of related charges as compared to actual expenses; increasing regulatory and compliance requirements; risks related to information technology systems and data security; the effects of U.S. Tax Reform and of related foreign jurisdiction tax developments; current or potential future barriers to the repatriation of funds that are currently held outside of the United States as a result of actions taken by other countries or otherwise; the potential effects of jurisdictional results on our taxes, tax rates, and our ability to use deferred tax assets and net operating losses; the risks associated with excess and obsolete inventory, including the risk that inventory purchased on behalf of our customers may not be consumed or otherwise paid for by the customer, resulting in an inventory write-off; the weakness of areas of the global economy; the effect of changes in the pricing and margins of products; raw materials and component cost fluctuations; the potential effect of fluctuations in the value of the currencies in which we transact business; the effects of changes in economic conditions, political conditions, and tax matters in the United States and in the other countries in which we do business (including as a result of the United Kingdom’s pending exit from the European Union); the potential effect of other world or local events or other events outside our control (such as changes in energy prices, terrorism and weather events); the impact of increased competition; changes in financial accounting standards; and other risks detailed herein and in our other Securities and Exchange Commission filings (particularly in "Risk Factors" in our fiscal 2017 Form 10-K).