Item 1. Legal Proceedings
The information set forth under “Note 12. Commitments and Contingencies” included in Part I, Item 1 of this Form 10-Q, is incorporated herein by reference. For an additional discussion of certain risks associated with legal proceedings, see “Risk Factors” immediately below.
Item 1A. Risk Factors
Our business, operations and financial results are subject to various risks and uncertainties, including those described below, that could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows, and the trading price of our ordinary shares. We review and, where applicable, update our risk factors each quarter. The description set forth below supersedes the description of the risk factors previously disclosed in Part I, Item 1A of our 2016 Annual Report on Form 10-K. The following important factors, among others, could cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed in forward-looking statements made by us or on our behalf in filings with the SEC, press releases, communications with investors and oral statements.
Risks Related to Our Business
The majority of our sales come from a small number of customers and a reduction in demand or loss of one or more of our significant customers may adversely affect our business.
We are dependent on a small number of direct customers, OEMs, their respective contract manufacturers, and certain distributors for a majority of our business, revenue and results of operations. For the
three fiscal quarters
ended
July 30, 2017
, our top 10 direct customers, which included
five
distributors, collectively accounted for
55%
of our net revenue, of which direct sales to Foxconn accounted for
14%
. We also believe our aggregate sales to Apple, Inc. when our direct sales to it are combined with our sales to the contract manufacturers that it utilizes (which include Foxconn), accounted for nearly
20%
of our net revenue for the fiscal quarter ended July 30, 2017 and more than
15%
of our net revenue for the
three fiscal quarters
ended
July 30, 2017
. This customer concentration increases the risk of quarterly fluctuations in our operating results and our sensitivity to any material, adverse developments experienced by our significant customers.
In addition, our top customers’ purchasing power has, in some cases, given them the ability to make greater demands on us with regard to pricing and contractual terms in general. We expect this trend to continue, which may adversely affect our gross margin on certain products and, should we fail to comply with such terms, might also result in substantial liability that could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Moreover, the terms and conditions under which we do business with most of our customers generally do not include commitments by those customers to purchase any specific quantities of products from us. Even in those instances where we enter into an arrangement under which a customer agrees to source an agreed portion of its product needs from us (provided that we are able to meet specified development, supply and quality commitments), the arrangement often includes pricing schedules or methodologies that apply regardless of volume of products purchased, and those customers may not purchase the amount of product we expect. As a result, we may not generate the amount of revenue or the level of profitability we expect under such arrangements. If we do not perform under these arrangements, we could also be liable for significant monetary damages. In addition, we are selling an increasing amount of our products through an increasingly limited number of distributors, which increases our customer concentration risk and magnifies the related credit risks.
The loss of, or any substantial reduction in sales to, any of our major direct or end-customers could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations and cash flows.
Dependence on contract manufacturing and suppliers of critical components within our supply
chain may adversely affect our ability to bring products to market, damage our
reputation and adversely affect our results of operations.
We operate a primarily outsourced manufacturing business model that principally utilizes third-party wafer foundry and module assembly and test capabilities, referred to as contract manufacturers. Our products require semiconductor wafer manufacturers with state-of-the-art fabrication equipment and techniques, and most of our products are designed to be manufactured in a specific process, typically at one particular fab or foundry, either our own or with a particular contract manufacturer.
We depend on our contract manufacturers to allocate sufficient manufacturing capacity to meet our needs, to produce products of acceptable quality at acceptable yields, and to deliver those products to us on a timely basis. Although we often have long-term contracts with our contract manufacturers, we do not generally have long-term capacity commitments. We obtain substantially all of our manufacturing services on a purchase order basis and our contract manufacturers have no obligation to provide us with any specified minimum quantities of product. Further, from time to time our contract manufacturers will cease to, or will become unable to, manufacture a component for us. As the lead time needed to identify,
qualify and establish reliable production, at acceptable yields, with a new contract manufacturer is typically lengthy, there is often no readily available alternative source for the wafers or other contract manufacturing services we require. In addition, qualifying such manufacturers is often expensive, and they may not produce as cost-effectively as our current suppliers, which would reduce our margins. In such circumstances, we may be unable to meet our customer demand and may fail to meet our contractual obligations. This could result in the payment of significant damages by us to our customers, and our net revenue could decline, adversely affecting our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We utilize Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited, or TSMC, to produce the substantial majority of our semiconductor wafers. TSMC manufactured approximately three-quarters of the wafers manufactured by our contract manufacturers during the
three fiscal quarters
ended
July 30, 2017
. Our wafer requirements represent a significant portion of the total production capacity of TSMC. However, TSMC also fabricates wafers for other companies, including certain of our competitors, and could choose to prioritize capacity for other users or reduce or eliminate deliveries to us on short notice, or raise their prices to us, all of which could harm our business, results of operations and gross margin.
Any substantial disruption in TSMC’s supply of wafers to us, or in the other contract manufacturing services that we utilize, as a result of a natural disaster, political unrest, economic instability, equipment failure or other cause, could materially harm our business, customer relationships and results of operations.
We also depend on our third-party contract manufacturers to timely develop new, advanced manufacturing processes, including, in the case of wafer fabrication, transitions to smaller geometry process technologies. If these new processes are not timely developed or we do not have sufficient access to them, we may be unable to maintain or increase our manufacturing efficiency to the same extent as our competitors or deliver products to our customers, which could result in loss of revenue opportunities and damage our relationships with our customers.
We purchase a significant amount of the materials used in our products from a limited number of suppliers.
Our manufacturing processes rely on many materials, including silicon, gallium arsenide and indium phosphide wafers, copper lead frames, precious and rare earth metals, mold compound, ceramic packages and various chemicals and gases. We purchase a significant portion of our semiconductor materials and finished goods used in our products from a few materials providers, some of which are single source suppliers. During the
three fiscal quarters
ended
July 30, 2017
, we purchased approximately two-thirds of the materials for our manufacturing processes from five materials providers. Substantially all of our purchases are on a purchase order basis, and we do not generally have long-term contracts with our materials providers. Suppliers may extend lead times, limit supplies or increase prices due to commodity price increases, capacity constraints or other factors, which may lead to interruption of supply or increased demand in the industry. In the event that we cannot timely obtain sufficient quantities of materials or at reasonable prices, the quality of the material deteriorates or we are not able to pass on higher materials or energy costs to our customers, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely impacted.
We may pursue acquisitions, investments, joint ventures and dispositions, which could adversely affect our results of operations.
Our growth strategy includes the acquisition of, and investment in, businesses that offer complementary products, services and technologies, augment our market coverage, or enhance our technological capabilities, such as the pending Brocade Acquisition. We may also enter into strategic alliances or joint ventures to achieve these goals. We may not be able to identify suitable acquisition, investment, alliance, or joint venture opportunities, or to consummate any such transactions. In addition, our original estimates and assumptions used in assessing any transaction that we make may be inaccurate and we may not realize the expected financial or strategic benefits of any such transaction, including the pending acquisition of Brocade.
Any acquisitions we may undertake, including the pending Brocade Acquisition, involve risks and uncertainties. For example, regulatory approvals required in connection with an acquisition, such as those from the Federal Trade Commission or the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, may take longer than anticipated to obtain, may not be obtained at all or may contain materially burdensome conditions. If any conditions or changes to the structure of an acquisition are required to obtain these regulatory approvals, they may have the effect of jeopardizing or delaying completion of such acquisition or reducing our anticipated benefits of the transaction. If we agree to any material conditions in order to obtain any such approvals or if we fail to comply with any such conditions, our business and results of operations may be adversely affected. If we fail to complete an acquisition our share price could fall to the extent the price reflects an assumption that such acquisition will be completed, and we may have incurred significant unrecoverable costs. Further, the failure to consummate an acquisition may result in negative publicity and negatively impact our relationships with our customers, vendors and employees. We may become subject to legal proceedings relating to the acquisition and the integration of acquired businesses may not be successful. The integration of an acquired business involves significant challenges, including, among others: minimizing the disruption of our business, diversion of management’s attention from daily operations and integrating the
personnel of acquired businesses; incurring significant restructuring charges and amortization expense, assuming liabilities and ongoing lawsuits, potential impairment of acquired goodwill and other intangible assets, and increasing our expenses and working capital requirements; and implementing our management information systems, operating systems and internal controls over the acquired operations. These difficulties may be complicated by factors such as the size of the business or entity acquired, geographic distances and cultural differences, lack of experience operating in the geographic markets or industry sectors of the acquired business, potential loss of key employees and customers, the potential for deficiencies in internal controls at the acquired or combined business, performance problems with the acquired business’ technology, exposure to unanticipated liabilities of the acquired business, insufficient revenue to offset increased expenses associated with the acquisition, adverse tax consequences and our potential inability to achieve the growth prospects or synergies expected from any such acquisition.
Failure to manage and successfully integrate the acquisitions we make, or to improve margins of the acquired businesses and products, could materially harm our business, operating results and margins.
Any future acquisitions we make may require significant additional debt or equity financing, which, in the case of debt financing, would increase our leverage and potentially affect our credit ratings, and in the case of an equity or equity-linked financing, would be dilutive to our existing shareholders. Any downgrades in our credit ratings associated with an acquisition could adversely affect our ability to borrow by resulting in more restrictive borrowing terms. As a result, we also may be unable to complete acquisitions or other strategic transactions in the future to the same extent as in the past, or at all. These and other factors could harm our ability to achieve anticipated levels of profitability of acquired businesses or realize other anticipated benefits of an acquisition, and could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
From time to time, we may also seek to divest or wind down portions of our business, both acquired or otherwise, that are not strategically important, such as the portions of the Brocade business that we do not intend to retain, or we may exit minority investments, each of which could materially affect our cash flows and results of operations. Under the Brocade Agreement, Brocade has agreed to cooperate with us to facilitate the sale, disposition or other transfer of its IP Networking business, including its acquired Ruckus Wireless business. The disposition of the Brocade IP Networking business or any other future dispositions we make may involve risks and uncertainties, including our ability to sell these businesses on terms acceptable to us, or at all. Although we have entered into agreements with third parties to sell portions of the Brocade IP Networking business, including the Ruckus Wireless and ICX Switching businesses, and the data center portion of Brocade’s IP Networking business following the completion of the Brocade Acquisition, there can be no assurance that these or other dispositions will occur in a timely manner, or at all. In addition, any such dispositions could result in disruption to other parts of our business, potential loss of employees or customers, exposure to unanticipated liabilities or result in ongoing obligations and liabilities to us following any such dispositions. For example, in connection with such dispositions, we often enter into transition services agreements or other strategic relationships, including long-term research and development arrangements, sales arrangements or agree to provide certain indemnities to the purchaser in any such transaction, which may result in additional expense and may adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. In addition, dispositions may include the transfer of technology and/or the licensing of certain IP rights to third-party purchasers, which could limit our ability to assert our IP rights against such third-party purchasers.
Failure to adjust our manufacturing and supply chain to accurately meet customers demand could adversely affect our
results of operations.
We make significant decisions, including determining the levels of business that we will seek and accept, production schedules, levels of reliance on contract manufacturing and outsourcing, internal fab capacity and other resource requirements, based on our estimates of customer requirements. Factors that can impact our ability to accurately estimate future customer requirements include the short-term nature of many customers’ commitments, our customers’ ability to reschedule, cancel and modify orders with little or no notice and without significant penalty, the accuracy of our customers’ forecasts and the possibility of rapid changes in demand for our customers’ products, as well as seasonal or cyclical trends in their industries or the semiconductor industry.
To ensure availability of our products, particularly for our largest customers, we typically start manufacturing our relevant products based on our customers’ forecasts, which are not binding. As a result, we incur inventory and manufacturing costs in advance of anticipated sales that may never materialize or which may be substantially lower than expected. If actual demand for our products is lower than forecast, we may also experience higher inventory carrying and operating costs and product obsolescence. Because certain of our sales, research and development, and internal manufacturing overhead expenses are relatively fixed, a reduction in customer demand may also decrease our gross margin and operating income.
Conversely, customers often require rapid increases in production on short notice. We may be unable to secure sufficient materials or contract manufacturing capacity to meet such increases in demand. This could damage our customer relationships, reduce revenue growth and margins, subject us to additional liabilities, harm our reputation, and prevent us from taking advantage of opportunities.
We are dependent on a limited number of markets, and dynamics in these markets could negatively impact our business or results of operations.
We operate in a limited number of markets. If demand in these markets declines or grows at a significantly slower pace than expected, our results may be adversely affected. The success of our wired infrastructure segment is primarily dependent on information technology, or IT, and data center spending, which can vary dramatically from quarter to quarter, consumer demand for traditional pay-TV services, capital expenditures on the installation of broadband capacity and our ability to transition our products to increasingly smaller line width geometries. Our wireless communications segment is primarily dependent on the mobile handset market, which is characterized by intense competition, rapidly evolving technologies and changing consumer preferences, and our success is dependent on the overall demand for mobile handsets and macroeconomic conditions in general, as well as the relative success of the mobile handsets into which our products are incorporated.
Similar to our wired infrastructure segment, our enterprise storage segment is dependent on data center spending, as well as HDD-related sales. In addition, the shift to cloud-based IT solutions and services, such as hyperscale computing, may adversely affect both our wired infrastructure and enterprise storage segments. We currently sell a substantial portion of our products for use in traditional enterprise data centers. As cloud-based IT solutions become more prevalent, our results of operations will suffer if we are unable to increase sales of our products to cloud-based data center providers.
We are subject to risks associated with our distributors, including product inventory levels and
product sell-through.
We sell many of our products through distributors who maintain their own inventory of our products for sale to dealers and end-customers. Sales to distributors accounted for
29%
of our net revenue in the
three fiscal quarters
ended
July 30, 2017
. If our distributors are unable to sell an adequate amount of their inventory of our products in a given quarter or if they decide to decrease their inventories for any reason, our sales to these distributors and our revenue may decline. We also face the risk that our distributors may increase inventory levels of our products in any particular quarter in excess of future anticipated sales. If such sales do not occur in the time frame anticipated by these distributors for any reason, these distributors may substantially decrease the amount of product they order from us in subsequent periods until their inventory levels realign with end-customer demand, which would harm our business and could adversely affect our revenue in such subsequent periods. We have streamlined the number of distributors we use, making us increasingly dependent on our remaining distributors, which may exacerbate the foregoing risks and increase our related credit risk.
We limit distributor return rights and we allow limited price adjustments on sales to distributors. Price adjustments may be effected by way of credits for future product or by cash payments to the distributor, either in arrears or in advance, using estimates based on historical transactions. These programs may require us to deploy a substantial amount of cash to fund them. As of
July 30, 2017
, we had an aggregate of approximately
$145 million
on deposit with various distributors to fund these programs. The timing and mix of payments and credits associated with such price adjustments could change over time, which could adversely affect our cash flows.
We do not always have a direct relationship with the end-customers of our products sold through distributors. As a result, our products may be used in applications for which they were not necessarily designed or tested, including, for example, medical devices, and they may not perform as anticipated in such applications. In such event, failure of even a small number of parts could result in significant liabilities to us, damage our reputation and harm our business and results of operations.
Our operating results are subject to substantial quarterly and annual fluctuations.
Our revenue and operating results have fluctuated in the past and are likely to fluctuate in the future. These fluctuations may occur on a quarterly and annual basis and are due to a number of factors, many of which are beyond our control. These factors include, among others:
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customer concentration and the gain or loss of significant customers;
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the timing of launches by our customers of new products, such as mobile handsets, in which our products are included and changes in end-user demand for the products manufactured and sold by our customers;
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changes in our product mix or customer mix and their effect on our gross margin;
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the timing of receipt, reduction or cancellation of significant orders by customers;
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fluctuations in the levels of component inventories held by our customers;
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utilization of our internal manufacturing facilities and fluctuations in manufacturing yields;
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our ability to successfully and timely integrate, and realize the benefits of acquisitions we may make and the timing of acquisitions or dispositions of, or making and exiting investments in, other entities, businesses or technologies;
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changes in our tax incentive arrangements or structure, which may adversely affect our net tax expense and our cash flow in any quarter in which such an event occurs;
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our ability to develop, introduce and market new products and technologies on a timely basis;
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the timing and extent of our non-product revenue, such as product development revenue and royalty and other payments from IP sales and licensing arrangements;
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new product announcements and introductions by us or our competitors;
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seasonality or other fluctuations in our markets;
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fluctuations in currency exchange rates;
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timing and amount of research and development and related new product expenditures, and the timing of receipt of any research and development grant monies;
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significant warranty claims, including those not covered by our suppliers or our insurers;
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availability and cost of raw materials and components from our suppliers;
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IP disputes and associated litigation expense;
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loss of key personnel or the shortage of available skilled workers; and
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the effects of competitive pricing pressures, including decreases in average selling prices of our products.
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The foregoing factors are often difficult to predict, and these, as well as other factors, could materially adversely affect our quarterly or annual operating results. In addition, a significant amount of our operating expenses are relatively fixed in nature due to our significant sales, research and development and internal manufacturing overhead costs. Any failure to adjust spending quickly enough to compensate for a revenue shortfall could magnify the adverse impact of such revenue shortfall on our results of operations. As a result, we believe that quarter-to-quarter comparisons of our revenue and operating results may not be meaningful or a reliable indicator of our future performance. If our operating results in one or more future quarters fail to meet the expectations of securities analysts or investors, an immediate and significant decline in the trading price of our ordinary shares may occur.
Our business would be adversely affected by the departure of existing members of our
senior management team.
Our success depends, in large part, on the continued contributions of our senior management team, and in particular, the services of Mr. Hock E. Tan, our President and Chief Executive Officer. Although we sometimes provide certain retention-based incentives to certain executives, none of our senior management is bound by written employment contracts to remain with us for a specified period. In addition, we do not currently maintain key person life insurance covering our senior management. The loss of any of our senior management could harm our ability to implement our business strategy and respond to the rapidly changing market conditions in which we operate.
If we are unable to attract and retain qualified personnel, especially our
design and technical personnel, we may not be able to execute our business strategy
effectively.
Our future success depends on our ability to retain, attract and motivate qualified personnel. We also seek to acquire talented engineering and technical personnel through acquisitions we may make from time to time or otherwise. We have historically encountered some difficulties in hiring and retaining qualified engineers, particularly in Silicon Valley and Southeast Asia where qualified engineers are in high demand. In addition, our employees, including employees whom we have retained as a result of an acquisition, may decide not to continue working for us and may leave with little or no notice. As the source of our technological and product innovations, our design and technical personnel represent a significant asset. Any inability to retain, attract or motivate such personnel could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Winning business is subject to lengthy, competitive selection processes that often require us to incur significant expense, from which we may ultimately generate no revenue.
Our business is dependent on us winning competitive bid selection processes, known as “design wins”. These selection processes are typically lengthy and can require us to dedicate significant development expenditures and scarce engineering resources in pursuit of a single customer opportunity. Failure to obtain a particular design win may prevent us from obtaining
design wins in subsequent generations of a particular product. This can result in lost revenue and could weaken our position in future competitive selection processes.
Winning a product design does not guarantee sales to a customer or that we will realize as much revenue, if any, as anticipated. A delay or cancellation of a customer’s plans could materially and adversely affect our financial results, as we incur significant expense in the design process and may generate little or no revenue from it. In addition, the timing of design wins is unpredictable and implementing production for a major design win, or multiple design wins occurring at the same time, may strain our resources and those of our contract manufacturers. In such event, we may be forced to dedicate significant additional resources and incur additional, unanticipated costs and expenses. Often customers will only purchase limited numbers of evaluation units from us until they qualify the products and/or the manufacturing line for those products. The qualification process can take significant time and resources and we may not always be able to satisfy customers’ qualification requirements. Delays in qualification or failure to qualify our products may cause a customer to discontinue use of our products and result in a significant loss of revenue. Finally, customers could choose at any time to stop using our products or may fail to successfully market and sell their products, which could reduce demand for our products, and cause us to hold excess inventory, materially adversely affecting our business, financial condition and results of operations. These risks are exacerbated by the fact that many of our products, and the end products into which our products are incorporated, often have very short life cycles.
Competition in our industry could prevent us from growing our revenue.
The global semiconductor market is highly competitive. We expect competition in the markets in which we participate to continue to increase as existing competitors improve or expand their product offerings. Competition may further increase as companies not currently in direct competition with us may introduce competing products in the future. In addition, the competitive landscape is changing as a result of a trend toward consolidation within the industry, as some of our direct competitors have merged with or been acquired by other competitors while others have begun collaborating with each other. We expect this consolidation trend to continue.
Some of our competitors may have greater resources for manufacturing, distribution, financial, research and development or marketing resources than us. In addition, some of our competitors may also have a greater presence in key markets, a larger customer base or more comprehensive patent protection than us. We compete with integrated device manufacturers and fabless semiconductor companies as well as the internal resources of large, integrated OEMs. Our competitors range from large, international companies offering a wide range of semiconductor products to smaller companies specializing in niche markets and new technologies. Because our products are often building block semiconductors, providing functions that in some cases can be integrated into more complex integrated circuits, or ICs, we also face competition from manufacturers of ICs, as well as customers that may develop their own IC products.
If we are unable to compete successfully, we may lose market share for our products or incur significant reduction in our project margins, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
A prolonged disruption of our manufacturing facilities, research and development facilities or other significant operations, or those of our suppliers, could have a material adverse
effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Although we operate a primarily outsourced manufacturing business model, we also rely on our own manufacturing facilities, in particular in Fort Collins, Colorado, Singapore, and Breinigsville, Pennsylvania. We use these internal manufacturing facilities for products utilizing our innovative materials and proprietary processes, to protect our IP, to develop the technology for manufacturing and to ensure supply of certain components. Our Fort Collins and Breinigsville facilities are the sole sources for the film bulk acoustic resonator components used in many of our wireless devices and for the indium phosphide-based wafers used in our fibre optics products, respectively. Many of our facilities, and those of our contract manufacturers and suppliers, are located in California and the Pacific Rim region, which has above average seismic activity and severe weather activity. In addition, our research and development personnel are primarily concentrated in China, India, Israel, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Fort Collins, Colorado, San Jose, California, Southern California and Breinigsville and Allentown, Pennsylvania, with the expertise of the personnel at each such location tending to be focused on one or two specific areas.
A prolonged disruption at one or more of our manufacturing or research facilities for any reason, especially our Fort Collins, Singapore and Breinigsville facilities, or those of our contract manufacturers or suppliers, due to natural- or man-made disasters or other events outside of our control, such as equipment malfunction, widespread outbreaks of acute illness or the failure to maintain our labor force at one or more of these facilities, would limit our capacity to meet customer demands and delay new product development until a replacement facility and equipment, if necessary, were found. Any such event would likely disrupt our operations, delay production, shipments and revenue, result in us being unable to timely satisfy customer demand, expose us to claims by our customers resulting in significant expense to repair or replace our affected facilities, and in some instances could significantly curtail our research and development efforts in a particular product area or
target market. As a result, we could forgo revenue opportunities, potentially lose market share, damage our customer relationships and be subject to litigation and additional liabilities, all of which could materially and adversely affect our business. Although we purchase insurance to mitigate certain losses, such insurance often carries a high deductible amount and any such uninsured losses could negatively affect our operating results. In addition, even if we were able to promptly resume production of our affected products, if our customers cannot timely resume their own manufacturing following such an event, they may cancel or scale back their orders from us and this may in turn adversely affect our results of operations. Such events could also result in increased fixed costs relative to the revenue we generate and adversely affect our results of operations.
We may be unable to maintain appropriate manufacturing capacity at our own manufacturing facilities, which could adversely affect our relationships with our customers, our financial results and business condition.
We must maintain appropriate capacity at our own manufacturing facilities to meet anticipated customer demand for our proprietary products. From time to time, this requires us to invest in expansion or improvements of those facilities, which often involves substantial cost and other risks, such as delays in completion. Such expanded manufacturing capacity may still be insufficient, or may not come online soon enough, to meet customer demand and we may have to put customers on product allocation, forego sales or lose customers as a result. Conversely, if we overestimate customer demand, we would experience excess capacity and fixed costs at these facilities, all of which could adversely affect our results of operations.
Adverse global economic conditions could have a negative effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition and liquidity.
Adverse global economic conditions have from time to time caused or exacerbated significant slowdowns in the semiconductor industry generally, as well as in our target markets, which have adversely affected our business and results of operations. In recent periods, investor and customer concerns about the global economic outlook, have adversely affected market and business conditions in general. Macroeconomic weakness and uncertainty also make it more difficult for us to accurately forecast revenue, gross margin and expenses. Sustained uncertainty about, or worsening of, current global economic conditions may cause our customers and consumers to reduce or delay spending, could lead to the insolvency of key suppliers and customers, and could intensify pricing pressures. Any or all of these factors could negatively affect demand for our products and our business, financial condition and result of operations.
Any failure of our IT systems or one or more of our vendors to provide
necessary services could have a material adverse effect on our business.
We depend on various IT systems, including networks, applications, internal IT systems and personnel, and outsourced services for, among other things, financial reporting and product orders and shipments. We rely on third-party vendors to provide critical corporate infrastructure services, including certain services related to accounting, billing, shipping, human resources, benefit plan administration, IT network development and network monitoring. While we may be entitled to damages if our vendors fail to perform under their agreements with us, we may be unable to collect on any award of damages and any award may be insufficient to cover the actual costs we may incur as a result of a vendor’s failure to perform under its agreement with us. Upon expiration or termination of any of our third-party vendor agreements we may not be able to timely replace the vendor on terms and conditions, including service levels and cost, that are favorable to us. In addition, a transition from one vendor to another vendor could subject us to operational delays and inefficiencies until the transition is complete.
Any failure of these internal or third-party systems and services to operate effectively could disrupt our operations and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations by harming our ability to accurately forecast sales demand, manage our supply chain and production facilities, fulfill customer orders, and report financial and management information on a timely and accurate basis.
Our gross margin is dependent on a number of factors, including our product mix, price erosion, acquisitions we may make, level of capacity utilization and commodity prices.
Our gross margin is highly dependent on product mix, which is susceptible to seasonal and other fluctuations in our markets. A shift in sales mix away from our higher margin products, as well as the timing and amount of our non-product and IP-related revenue, could adversely affect our future gross margin percentages. Although our non-product revenue is generally high margin, it fluctuates significantly from quarter to quarter. In addition, increased competition and the existence of product alternatives, more complex engineering requirements, lower demand, reductions in our technological lead, compared to our competitors, and other factors may lead to further price erosion, lower revenue and lower margin for us in the future.
Our gross margin may also be adversely affected by expenses related to the acquisitions of businesses, such as amortization of intangible assets and restructuring and impairment charges. Furthermore, businesses or companies that we acquire may have different gross margin profiles than us and could, therefore, also affect our overall gross margin.
In addition, semiconductor manufacturing requires significant capital investment, leading to high fixed costs, including depreciation expense. If we are unable to utilize our owned internal manufacturing facilities at a high level, the fixed costs associated with these facilities, such as depreciation expense, will not be fully absorbed, resulting in higher average unit costs and a lower gross margin. Furthermore, fluctuations in commodity prices, either directly in the price of the raw materials we buy, or as a result of price increases passed on to us by our suppliers, could negatively impact our margins. We do not hedge our exposure to commodity prices, some of which (including gold and fuel prices) are very volatile, and sudden or prolonged increases in commodities prices may adversely affect our gross margin.
If the tax incentive or tax holiday arrangements we have negotiated in Singapore and
other jurisdictions change or cease to be in effect or applicable, in part or in whole, for any reason, or if our
assumptions and interpretations regarding tax laws and incentive or holiday
arrangements prove to be incorrect, the amount of corporate income taxes we have to
pay could significantly increase.
Our operations are currently structured to benefit from the various tax incentives and tax holidays extended to us in various jurisdictions to encourage investment or employment. For example, we have obtained tax incentives from the Singapore Economic Development Board, an agency of the Government of Singapore, which provide that qualifying income we earn in Singapore is subject to tax holiday or reduced rates of Singapore income tax. In order to retain these tax benefits in Singapore, we must meet certain operating conditions specific to each incentive, including maintenance of a corporate headquarters function and specified IP and related activities in Singapore. Subject to our compliance with these conditions and legislative developments, the Singapore tax incentives are presently scheduled to expire at various dates generally between 2020 and 2021, subject in certain cases to potential extensions, which we may or may not be able to obtain, and any subsequent changes in incentive scope. Singapore has announced that its current IP pioneer incentive, from which we benefit, will now terminate in 2021, earlier than our originally scheduled expiration date in 2025. A new Singapore IP incentive is expected to be made available in its place, but it is not yet clear what its terms will be or whether we would qualify for it. While our objective is to substantially offset the effects of the early termination of the existing IP pioneer incentive in 2021, either through the new Singapore IP incentive or otherwise, we cannot assure you that we will be able to do so. Our current IP pioneer incentive represents the substantial majority of the overall provision for income taxes provided by all such incentives from which we benefit. Absent these tax incentives, the corporate income tax rate that would otherwise apply to our Singapore taxable income would be 17%. We also have tax holidays on our qualifying income in Malaysia, which are scheduled to expire between 2018 and 2028. The tax incentives and tax holidays that we have obtained are also subject to our compliance with various operating and other conditions and may, in some instances, be amended or terminated prior to their scheduled termination date by the relevant governmental authority. If we cannot, or elect not to, comply with the operating conditions included in any particular tax incentive or tax holiday, we could, in some instances, be required to refund previously realized material tax benefits, or if such tax incentive or tax holiday is terminated prior to its expiration absent a new incentive applying, we will lose the related tax benefits earlier than scheduled. Depending on the incentive at issue, we could also be required to modify our operational structure and tax strategy, which may not be as beneficial to us as the benefits provided under the present tax concession arrangements. The effect of all these tax incentives and tax holidays, in the aggregate, was to reduce the overall provision for income taxes by approximately $169 million, $207 million and $99 million, for fiscal years 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively, reduce diluted net loss per share by $0.44 for fiscal year 2016 and increase diluted net income per share by $0.74 and $0.37 for fiscal years 2015 and 2014, respectively.
Our interpretations and conclusions regarding the tax incentives are not binding on any taxing authority, and if our assumptions about tax and other laws are incorrect or if these tax incentives are substantially modified or rescinded we could suffer material adverse tax and other financial consequences, which would increase our expenses, reduce our profitability and adversely affect our cash flows.
Our effective tax rates and cash taxes payable are affected by reorganizations or restructurings of our businesses or assets, changes in our corporate or debt financing structure, jurisdictional revenue mix, changes in tax regulations or policy and the outcome of tax audits and examinations, which could materially, adversely affect financial results.
We are a Singapore-based multinational company subject to tax in various tax jurisdictions. Significant judgment is required in determining our worldwide provision for income taxes. In the ordinary course of our business, there are many transactions where the ultimate tax determination is uncertain. Additionally, our calculations of income taxes are based on our interpretations of applicable tax laws in the jurisdictions in which we are required to file tax returns.
Our provision for income taxes is subject to volatility and could be adversely affected by numerous factors including:
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reorganization or restructuring of our businesses, tangible and intangible assets, outstanding indebtedness and corporate structure;
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jurisdictional mix of our income and assets, and the resulting tax effects of differing tax rates in different countries;
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changes in the allocation of income and expenses, including adjustments related to changes in our corporate structure, acquisitions or tax law;
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changes in transfer pricing rules or methods of applying these rules;
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changes in tax laws, including in Singapore, changes to the taxation of earnings of foreign subsidiaries, the deductibility of expenses attributable to income and foreign tax credit rules;
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tax effects of increases in non-deductible employee compensation;
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changes in tax accounting rules or principles and in the valuation of deferred tax assets and liabilities;
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outcomes of income tax audits; and
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expiration, lapses or termination of tax credits or incentives.
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At the time we completed the Broadcom Merger, in connection with the preliminary allocation of the purchase price, we established a deferred tax liability on our balance sheet. This liability is associated with our potential tax liability arising from our planned integration of BRCM’s IP, which was completed in November 2016. This tax liability will become payable as earnings resulting from this integration of IP is distributed over time. In addition, prior to the closing of the Broadcom Merger, our policy was to indefinitely reinvest a portion of our foreign earnings to fund our operations outside Singapore. Effective as of our fiscal quarter ended May 1, 2016, we no longer intend to indefinitely reinvest any of our accumulated and current foreign earnings in our operations outside Singapore. As a result of these events, the amount of our income taxes payable could increase materially and consume an increasing amount of our cash. In addition, our provision for income taxes in future periods is likely to change as a result of the impact of internal restructuring and reorganization, in particular as a result of the Broadcom Merger, which would also affect our overall effective tax rate.
We have also adopted transfer-pricing policies between our affiliated entities. Our policies call for the provision of services, the sale of products, the advance of financing and grant of licenses from one affiliate to another at prices that we believe are negotiated on an arm’s length basis. Our taxable income in any jurisdiction is dependent upon acceptance of our operational practices and intercompany transfer pricing by local tax authorities as being on an arm’s length basis. Due to inconsistencies in application of the arm’s length standard among taxing authorities, as well as lack of adequate treaty-based protection, transfer pricing challenges by tax authorities could, if successful, result in adjustments for prior or future tax years. As a result of these adjustments, we could become subject to higher taxes and our earnings and results of operations would be adversely affected in any period in which such determination is made.
Although we believe our tax estimates are reasonable, there is no assurance that the final determination of our income tax liability will not be materially different than what is reflected in our income tax provisions and accruals. Significant judgment is required to determine the recognition and measurement of tax liabilities prescribed in the relevant accounting guidance for uncertainty in income taxes. The accounting guidance for uncertainty in income taxes applies to all income tax positions, which, if settled unfavorably, could adversely impact our provision for income taxes.
In addition, we are subject to, and are under, tax audit in various jurisdictions, and such jurisdictions may assess additional income tax against us. Although we believe our tax positions are reasonable, the final determination of tax audits could be materially different from our income tax provisions and accruals. The ultimate result of an audit could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and cash flows in the period or periods for which that determination is made.
The enactment of legislation implementing changes in taxation of international business activities, the adoption of other tax reform policies or changes in tax legislation or policies in Singapore and in jurisdictions outside Singapore could materially impact our financial position and results of operations.
Tax bills are introduced from time to time to reform taxation of international business activities. Corporate tax reform and tax transparency continue to be high priorities in many tax jurisdictions where we have business operations. As a result, policies regarding corporate income and other taxes in numerous jurisdictions are under heightened scrutiny. For example, many countries (including Singapore) are beginning to implement legislation and other guidance to align their international tax rules with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation’s Base Erosion and Profit Shifting recommendations and action plan that aim to standardize and modernize global corporate tax policy, including changes to cross-border tax, transfer-pricing documentation rules, and nexus-based tax incentive practices. In addition, in the United States the current administration has indicated that it proposes to make substantial changes to corporate taxation in that country, which may include changes to taxation of the repatriation of non-U.S. income and border adjustment taxes. As a result of the heightened scrutiny of corporate taxation policies, prior decisions by tax authorities regarding treatments and positions of corporate income taxes could be subject to legislative investigation and inquiry, which could also result in changes in tax policies or prior tax rulings. Any such changes in policies or rulings may also result in the taxes we previously paid being subject to change.
Due to the large scale of our international business activities any substantial changes in international corporate tax policies or legislative initiatives may materially and adversely affect our business, our reputation, the amount of taxes we are required to pay and our financial condition and results of operations generally.
We may be involved in legal proceedings, including IP, anti-trust and securities litigation, and governmental investigations, which could divert efforts of management and result in
significant expense and loss of our IP rights.
We are often involved in legal proceedings, including cases involving our IP rights and those of others, anti-trust and commercial matters, merger related suits, putative securities class action suits and other actions. Some of these actions may seek injunctive relief, including injunctions or exclusion orders against the sale of our products and substantial monetary damages, which if granted or awarded could materially harm our business, financial condition and results of operations. From time to time, we may also be involved or required to participate in governmental investigations. Litigation or settlement of such actions, regardless of their merit, or involvement in governmental investigations can be complex, can extend for a protracted period of time, may divert the efforts and attention of our management and technical personnel, is frequently costly and the related expenditures unpredictable. An unfavorable resolution of a governmental investigation may include, among others, fines or other orders to pay money, and/or the issuance of orders to cease certain conduct and/or modify our business practices.
The semiconductor industry is characterized by companies holding large numbers of patents, copyrights, trademarks and trade secrets and by the vigorous pursuit, protection and enforcement of IP rights, including actions by patent-holding companies that do not make or sell products. From time to time, third parties assert against us and our customers and distributors their patent, copyright, trademark, trade secret and other IP rights to technologies that are important to our business.
Many of our customer agreements, and in some cases our asset sale agreements, require us to indemnify our customers or purchasers for third-party IP infringement claims, including costs to defend those claims, and payment of damages in the case of adverse rulings. Claims of this sort could also harm our relationships with our customers and might deter future customers from doing business with us. We do not know whether we will prevail in such proceedings, given the complex technical issues and inherent uncertainties in IP litigation. If any pending or future proceedings result in an adverse outcome, we could be required to:
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cease the manufacture, use or sale of the infringing products, processes or technology and/or make changes to our processes or products;
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pay substantial damages for past, present and future use of the infringing technology;
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expend significant resources to develop non-infringing technology;
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license technology from the third-party claiming infringement, which license may not be available on commercially reasonable terms, or at all;
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enter into cross-licenses with our competitors, which could weaken our overall IP portfolio and our ability to compete in particular product categories;
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indemnify our customers or distributors and/or recall, or accept the return of, infringing products;
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pay substantial damages to our direct or end-customers to discontinue use or replace infringing technology with non-infringing technology; or
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relinquish IP rights associated with one or more of our patent claims, if such claims are held invalid or otherwise unenforceable.
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Any of the foregoing results could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
In addition, we may be obligated to indemnify our current or former directors or employees, or former directors or employees of companies that we have acquired, in connection with litigation or regulatory investigations. These liabilities could be substantial and may include, among other things, the cost of defending lawsuits against these individuals, as well as stockholder derivative suits; the cost of government, law enforcement or regulatory investigations; civil or criminal fines and penalties; legal and other expenses; and expenses associated with the remedial measure, if any, which may be imposed.
We utilize a significant amount of IP in our business. If we are
unable or fail to protect our IP, our business could be adversely
affected.
Our success depends in part upon protecting our IP. To accomplish this, we rely on a combination of IP rights, including patents, copyrights, trademarks and trade secrets, as well as customary contractual protections with our customers, suppliers,
employees and consultants. We may be required to spend significant resources to monitor and protect our IP rights, and even with significant expenditures we may not be able to protect our IP rights that are valuable to our business. We are unable to predict or assure that:
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IP rights that we presently employ in our business will not lapse or be invalidated, circumvented, challenged, or, in the case of third-party IP rights licensed to us, be licensed to others;
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our IP rights will provide competitive advantages to us;
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rights previously granted by third parties to IP rights licensed or assigned to us, including portfolio cross-licenses, will not hamper our ability to assert our IP rights against potential competitors or hinder the settlement of currently pending or future disputes;
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any of our pending or future patent, trademark or copyright applications will be issued or have the coverage originally sought;
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our IP rights will be enforced in certain jurisdictions where competition may be intense or where legal protection may be weak; or
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we have sufficient IP rights to protect our products or our business.
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In addition, our competitors or others may develop products or technologies that are similar or superior to our products or technologies, duplicate our products or technologies or design around our protected technologies. Effective patent, trademark, copyright and trade secret protection may be unavailable or more limited in other jurisdictions, relative to those protections available in the United States, may not be applied for or may be abandoned in one or more relevant jurisdictions. We may elect to abandon or divest patents or otherwise not pursue prosecution of certain pending patent applications, due to strategic concerns or other factors. In addition, when patents expire, we lose the protection and competitive advantages they provided to us.
We also generate some of our revenue from licensing royalty payments and from technology claim settlements relating to certain of our IP. Licensing of our IP rights, particularly exclusive licenses, may limit our ability to assert those IP rights against third parties, including the licensee of those rights. In addition, we may acquire companies having IP that is subject to licensing obligations to other third parties. These licensing obligations may extend to our own IP following any such acquisition and may limit our ability to assert our IP rights. From time to time we pursue litigation to assert our IP rights, including, in some cases, against third parties with whom we have ongoing relationships, such as customers and suppliers. Claims of this sort could also harm our relationships with our customers and might deter future customers from doing business with us. Conversely, third parties may pursue IP litigation against us, including as a result of our IP licensing business. An adverse decision in such types of legal action could limit our ability to assert our IP rights and limit the value of our technology, including the loss of opportunities to sell or license our technology to others or to collect royalty payments based upon successful protection and assertion of our IP against others. In addition, such legal actions or adverse decisions could otherwise negatively impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.
From time to time we may need to obtain additional IP licenses or renew existing license agreements. We are unable to predict whether these license agreements can be obtained or renewed on acceptable terms or at all.
We are subject to warranty claims, product recalls and product liability.
From time to time, we may be subject to warranty or product liability claims that have led, and may in the future lead, to significant expense. We may also be exposed to such claims as a result of any acquisition we may undertake in the future. Although we maintain reserves for reasonably estimable liabilities and purchase product liability insurance, our reserves may be inadequate to cover the uninsured portion of such claims. Conversely, in some cases, amounts we reserve may ultimately exceed our actual liability for particular claims and may need to be reversed.
Product liability insurance is subject to significant deductibles and there is no guarantee that such insurance will be available or adequate to protect against all such claims, or we may elect to self-insure with respect to certain matters. It is possible for one of our customers to recall a product containing one of our devices. In such an event, we may incur significant costs and expenses, including among others, replacement costs, contract damage claims from our customers and reputational harm. Our customer contracts typically contain warranty and indemnification provisions, and in certain cases may also contain liquidated damages provisions, relating to product quality issues. The potential liabilities associated with such provisions are significant, and in some cases, including in agreements with some of our largest customers, are potentially unlimited. Any such liabilities may greatly exceed any revenue we receive from the relevant products. Costs, payments or damages incurred or paid by us in connection with warranty and product liability claims and product recalls could materially and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.
The complexity of our products could result in unforeseen delays or expense or
undetected defects or bugs, which could adversely affect the market acceptance of new
products, damage our reputation with current or prospective customers, and
materially and adversely affect our operating costs.
Highly complex products, such as those we offer, may contain defects and bugs when they are first introduced or as new versions are released, or their release may be delayed due to unforeseen difficulties during product development. If any of our products, or third-party components used in our products, contain defects or bugs, or have reliability, quality or compatibility problems, we may not be able to successfully design workarounds. Furthermore, if any of these problems are not found until after we have commenced commercial production of a new product, we may be required to incur additional development costs and product recall, repair or replacement costs. Consequently, our reputation may be damaged and customers may be reluctant to buy, our products, which could materially and adversely affect our ability to retain existing customers and attract new customers. To resolve these problems, we may have to invest significant capital and other resources. These problems may also result in claims against us by our customers or others. For example, if a delay in the manufacture and delivery of our products causes the delay of a customer’s end-product delivery, we may be required, under the terms of our agreement with that customer, to compensate the customer for the adverse effects of such delays. In addition, these problems may divert our technical and other resources from other development efforts, and we would likely lose, or experience a delay in, market acceptance of the affected product or products. As a result, our financial results could be materially and adversely affected.
We operate in the highly cyclical semiconductor industry, which is subject to significant downturns.
The semiconductor industry is highly cyclical and is characterized by constant and rapid technological change and price erosion, evolving technical standards, frequent new product introductions, short product life cycles (for semiconductors and for many of the end products in which they are used) and wide fluctuations in product supply and demand. From time to time, these factors, together with changes in general economic conditions, cause significant upturns and downturns in the industry in general, and in our business in particular. Periods of industry downturns have been characterized by diminished demand for end-user products, high inventory levels and periods of inventory adjustment, under-utilization of manufacturing capacity, changes in revenue mix and accelerated erosion of average selling prices, resulting in an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. We expect our business to continue to be subject to cyclical downturns even when overall economic conditions are relatively stable. If we cannot offset industry or market downturns, our net revenue may decline and our financial condition and results of operations may suffer.
We make substantial investments in research and development to enhance existing and develop new technologies to keep pace with technological advances and to remain competitive in our business, and unsuccessful investments could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
The semiconductor industry is characterized by rapid technological change, changes in customer requirements, frequent new product introductions and enhancements, short product cycles and evolving industry standards, and requires substantial investment in our research and development in order to develop and bring to market new and enhanced technologies and products. In addition, semiconductor products transition over time to increasingly smaller line width geometries. This requires us to adapt our products and manufacturing processes to these new technologies, which requires expertise in new procedures. Our failure to successfully transition to smaller geometry process technologies could impair our competitive position. In order to remain competitive, we have made, and expect to continue to make, significant investments in research and development. We expect the dollar amount of research and development expenses to increase for the foreseeable future, due to the increasing complexity and number of products we plan to develop. If we fail to develop new and enhanced products and technologies, if we focus on technologies that do not become widely adopted, or if new competitive technologies that we do not support, become widely accepted, demand for our products may be reduced. Significant investments in unsuccessful research and development efforts could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, increased investments in research and development could cause our cost structure to fall out of alignment with demand for our products, which would have a negative impact on our financial results.
Our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely
affected by the political and economic conditions of the countries in which we
conduct business and other factors related to our international operations.
A majority of our products are produced and sourced in Asia, including China, India, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand, and we sell our products throughout the world. In addition, as of
July 30, 2017
, approximately 39% of our employees are located in Asia. Multiple factors relating to our international operations and to particular countries in which we operate could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. These factors include:
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changes in political, regulatory, legal or economic conditions or geopolitical turmoil, including terrorism, war or political or military coups, or civil disturbances or political instability;
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restrictive governmental actions, such as restrictions on the transfer or repatriation of funds and foreign investments and trade protection measures, including import/export restrictions, import/export duties and quotas, and customs duties and tariffs, all of which could increase under the current administration in the United States;
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disruptions of capital and trading markets and currency fluctuations, which may result in our products becoming too expensive for foreign customers or foreign-sourced materials and services becoming more expensive for us;
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difficulty in obtaining product distribution and support, and transportation delays;
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public health or safety concerns;
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nationalization of businesses and expropriation of assets; and
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A significant legal risk associated with conducting business internationally is compliance with the various and differing laws and regulations, including anti-corruption and anti-bribery laws and regulations, of the countries in which we do business, antitrust and competition laws, data privacy laws and export regulations. In addition, the anti-corruption laws in various countries are constantly evolving and may, in some cases, conflict with each other. Although our Code of Ethics and Business Conduct and other policies prohibit us and our employees from engaging in unethical business practices, there can be no assurance that all of our employees or agents will refrain from acting in violation of our related anti-corruption policies and procedures. Any such violation could have a material adverse effect on our business.
Our business is subject to various governmental regulations, and compliance with
these regulations may cause us to incur significant expense. If we fail to maintain
compliance with applicable regulations, we may be forced to cease
the manufacture and distribution of certain products, and we could be subject to civil or criminal
penalties.
Our business is subject to various international laws and other legal requirements, including packaging, product content, labor and import/export regulations, and many of our products are regulated or sold into regulated industries, such as the U.S. Export Administration Regulations. These laws and regulations are complex, change frequently, have generally become more stringent over time and may intensify under the current U.S. administration. We may be required to incur significant expense to comply with, or to remedy violations of, these regulations. In addition, if our customers fail to comply with these regulations, we may be required to suspend sales to these customers, which could negatively impact our results of operations.
In addition, the manufacture and distribution of our semiconductors must comply with various laws and adapt to changes in regulatory requirements as they occur. For example, if a country in which our products are manufactured or sold sets technical standards that are not widely shared, it may require us to stop distributing our products commercially until they comply with such new standards, lead certain of our customers to suspend imports of their products into that country, require manufacturers in that country to manufacture products with different technical standards and disrupt cross-border manufacturing relationships, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. If we fail to comply with these requirements, we could also be required to pay civil penalties or face criminal prosecution. In addition, it is expected that the current U.S. administration’s trade policy will promote U.S. manufacturing and manufacturers. It is unclear what effect this will have on us as a multinational company that conducts business world-wide, or on our suppliers, customers, contract manufacturers and OEMs.
Our products and operations are also subject to the rules of industrial standards bodies, like the International Standards Organization, as well as regulation by other agencies, such as the U.S. Federal Communications Commission. If we fail to adequately address any of these rules or regulations, our business could be harmed.
We are subject to environmental, health and safety laws, which could increase our
costs, restrict our operations and require expenditures that could have a material
adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.
We are subject to a variety of international laws and regulations relating to the use, disposal, clean-up of and human exposure to, hazardous materials. Compliance with environmental, health and safety requirements could, among other things, require us to modify our manufacturing processes, restrict our ability to expand our facilities, or require us to acquire pollution control equipment, all of which can be very costly. Any failure by us to comply with such requirements could result in the limitation or suspension of the manufacture of our products, and could result in litigation against us and the payment of significant fines and damages by us in the event of a significant adverse judgment. In addition, complying with any cleanup or remediation obligations for which we are or become responsible could be costly and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Changing requirements relating to the materials composition of our products, including the restrictions on lead and certain other substances in electronics that apply to specified electronics products sold in various countries, including the United States, China, Japan, and in the European Union, increase the complexity and costs of our product design and procurement operations and may require us to re-engineer our products. Such re-engineering may result in excess inventory
or other additional costs and could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations. We may also experience claims from employees from time to time with regard to exposure to hazardous materials or other workplace related environmental claims.
Social and environmental responsibility regulations, policies and provisions, as well as customer demand, may make our supply chain more complex and may adversely affect our relationships with customers.
There is an increasing focus on corporate social and environmental responsibility in the semiconductor industry, particularly with OEMs that manufacture consumer electronics. A number of our customers have adopted, or may adopt, procurement policies that include social and environmental responsibility provisions that their suppliers should comply with, or they seek to include such provisions in their procurement terms and conditions. An increasing number of participants in the semiconductor industry are also joining voluntary social responsibility initiatives such as the U.N. Global Compact, a voluntary initiative for businesses to develop, implement and disclose sustainability policies and practices. These social and environmental responsibility provisions and initiatives are subject to change, can be unpredictable, and may be difficult for us to comply with, given the complexity of our supply chain and our significant outsourced manufacturing. If we are unable to comply, or are unable to cause our suppliers or contract manufacturers to comply, with such policies or provisions, a customer may stop purchasing products from us, and may take legal action against us, which could harm our reputation, revenue and results of operations.
In addition, as part of their corporate social and environmental responsibility programs, an increasing number of OEMs are seeking to source products that do not contain minerals sourced from areas where proceeds from the sale of such minerals are likely to be used to fund armed conflicts, such as in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This could adversely affect the sourcing, availability and pricing of minerals used in the manufacture of semiconductor devices, including our products. Since our supply chain is complex, we are not currently able to definitively ascertain the origins of all of these minerals and metals used in our products. As a result, we may face difficulties in satisfying these customers’ demands, which may harm our sales and operating results.
The average selling prices of products in our markets have often decreased
rapidly and may do so in the future, which could harm our revenue and gross
profit.
The products we develop and sell are used for high volume applications. As a result, the prices of those products have often decreased rapidly. Gross profit on our products may be negatively affected by, among other things, pricing pressures from our customers. In the past, we have reduced the average selling prices of our products in anticipation of future competitive pricing pressures, new product introductions by us or our competitors and other factors. In addition, some of our customer agreements provide for volume-based pricing and product pricing roadmaps, which can also reduce the average selling prices of our products over time. Our margins and financial results will suffer if we are unable to offset any reductions in our average selling prices by increasing our sales volumes, reducing manufacturing costs, or developing new and higher value-added products on a timely basis.
A breach of our security systems may have a material adverse effect on our business.
Our security systems are designed to maintain the physical security of our facilities and protect our customers’, suppliers’ and employees’ confidential information, as well as our own proprietary information. However, we are also dependent on a number of third-party cloud-based and other service providers of critical corporate infrastructure services relating to, among other things, human resources, electronic communication services and certain finance functions, and we are, of necessity, dependent on the security systems of these providers. Accidental or willful security breaches or other unauthorized access by third parties or our employees or contractors of our facilities, our information systems or the systems of our cloud-based or other service providers, or the existence of computer viruses or malware in our or their data or software could expose us to a risk of information loss and misappropriation of proprietary and confidential information, including information relating to our customers and the personal information of our employees. In addition, we have, from time to time, also been subject to unauthorized network intrusions and malware on our own IT networks. Any theft or misuse of confidential, personal or proprietary information as a result of such activities could result in, among other things, unfavorable publicity, damage to our reputation, loss of our trade secrets and other competitive information, difficulty in marketing our products, allegations by our customers that we have not performed our contractual obligations, litigation by affected parties and possible financial obligations for liabilities and damages related to the theft or misuse of such information, as well as fines and other sanctions resulting from any related breaches of data privacy regulations, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our reputation, business, profitability and financial condition. Since the techniques used to obtain unauthorized access or to sabotage systems change frequently and are often not recognized until launched against a target, we may be unable to anticipate these techniques or to implement adequate preventative measures.
We are required to assess our internal control over financial reporting on an annual
basis and any adverse findings from such assessment could result in a loss of
investor confidence in our financial reports, significant expense to remediate any
internal control deficiencies and ultimately have an adverse effect on our share
price.
We are required to assess the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting annually, as required by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Our evaluation of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of October 30, 2016 did not include the internal controls of BRCM, which we acquired in February 2016. Even though, as of October 30, 2016, we concluded that our internal control over financial reporting (excluding BRCM) was effective, we need to maintain our processes and systems and adapt them as our business grows and changes, including to reflect our integration of BRCM, as well as any future acquisitions we may undertake, including our pending acquisition of Brocade. This continuous process of maintaining and adapting our internal controls and complying with Section 404 is expensive, time consuming and requires significant management attention. We cannot be certain that our internal control measures will continue to provide adequate control over our financial processes and reporting and ensure compliance with Section 404. Furthermore, as we grow our business or acquire other businesses, our internal controls may become more complex and we may require significantly more resources to ensure they remain effective. Failure to implement required new or improved controls, or difficulties encountered in the implementation of such controls, either in our existing business or in businesses that we have or acquired or may acquire in the future, could harm our operating results or cause us to fail to meet our reporting obligations. If we or our independent registered public accounting firm identify material weaknesses in our internal controls, the disclosure of that fact, even if quickly remedied, may cause investors to lose confidence in our financial statements and the trading price of our ordinary shares may decline.
Remediation of a material weakness could require us to incur significant expenses and if we fail to remedy any material weakness, our financial statements may be inaccurate, our ability to report our financial results on a timely and accurate basis may be adversely affected, our access to the capital markets may be restricted, the trading price of our ordinary shares may decline, and we may be subject to sanctions or investigation by regulatory authorities, including the SEC or The Nasdaq Global Select Market. We may also be required to restate our financial statements from prior periods.
Our financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected by employee-benefit related costs and expense.
We sponsor several defined benefit plans and post-retirement medical benefit plans. We are required to make contributions to these plans to comply with minimum funding requirements imposed by laws governing these employee benefit plans. The difference between the obligations and assets of these plans, or the funded status of these plans, is a significant factor in determining our pension expense and the ongoing funding requirements of these plans. The projected benefit obligations under these pension plans exceeded the value of the assets of those plans by approximately $516 million at the end of fiscal year
2016
. We expect to have additional funding requirements in future years and we may make additional, voluntary contributions to the plans. Depending on our cash position at the time, any such funding or contributions to our pension plans could impact our operating flexibility and financial position, including adversely affecting our cash flow for the quarter in which they are made.
Furthermore, in order to reduce the expenses associated with these programs, where practicable, we are seeking to move defined benefit plans to defined contribution plans, or to cash out future retirees not yet receiving benefits, and to replace existing pension obligations with annuities. Any such changes may adversely affect our results of operations, including our profitability and cash flows. Weak economic conditions and related under-performance of asset markets could also lead to an increase in post-retirement benefit expense.
The Internal Revenue Service may not agree that Broadcom Limited should be treated as a foreign corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
A corporation is generally considered a tax resident in the jurisdiction of its organization or incorporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Because Broadcom is a Singapore entity, it would generally be classified as a foreign corporation (and, therefore, not a U.S. tax resident) under these rules. Even so, the Internal Revenue Service, or IRS, may assert that we should be treated as a U.S. corporation (and, therefore, a U.S. tax resident) for U.S. federal income tax purposes pursuant to Section 7874 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or the Code.
Under Section 7874 of the Code, if the former shareholders of BRCM hold 80% or more of the vote or value of the ordinary shares of Broadcom, by reason of their former holding of BRCM common shares (the percentage (by vote and value) of our ordinary shares considered to be held (for purposes of Section 7874 of the Code) by former BRCM shareholders immediately after the Broadcom Merger by reason of holding BRCM common shares is referred to in this disclosure as the “Section 7874 Percentage”), and our expanded affiliated group after the Broadcom Transaction does not have substantial business activities in Singapore relative to our worldwide business activities, Broadcom would be treated as a U.S. corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes. If the Section 7874 Percentage were determined to be at least 60% (but less than 80%),
Section 7874 of the Code would cause Broadcom to be treated as a “surrogate foreign corporation” if we did not have substantial business activities in Singapore relative to our worldwide business activities.
Under current law, Broadcom should not be treated as a U.S. corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes. However, determining the Section 7874 Percentage is complex and is subject to factual and legal uncertainties, including that such determination takes into account several factors other than the ratio of ownership of our ordinary shares by former BRCM shareholders following the Broadcom Merger. While we believe the Section 7874 Percentage to be significantly less than 60% (and therefore that Section 7874 should not apply to Broadcom or BRCM), there can be no assurance that the IRS will agree with the position that the Section 7874 Percentage is less than 60%.
If the Section 7874 Percentage were determined to be at least 60% (but less than 80%), several limitations could apply to BRCM. For example, BRCM would be prohibited from using its net operating losses, foreign tax credits or other tax attributes to offset the income or gain recognized by reason of the transfer of property to a foreign related person during the 10-year period following the Broadcom Merger or any income received or accrued during such period by reason of a license of any property by BRCM to a foreign related person. In addition, the IRS has announced that it will promulgate new rules, which, in that situation, may limit the ability to restructure the non-U.S. members of the BRCM tax group or access cash earned in its non-U.S. subsidiaries. Moreover, in such case, Section 4985 of the Code and rules related thereto would impose an excise tax on the value of certain stock compensation held directly or indirectly by certain BRCM “disqualified individuals” (including former officers and directors of BRCM) at a rate equal to 15%, but only if a gain is otherwise recognized by BRCM shareholders as a result of the Broadcom Transaction.
Risks Relating to Our Indebtedness
Our substantial indebtedness could adversely affect our financial health and our ability to raise additional capital to fund our operations, limit our ability to react to changes in the economy or our industry and prevent us from fulfilling our obligations under our indebtedness.
As of
July 30, 2017
, our total consolidated indebtedness was
$13,689 million
and we had approximately $500 million of available borrowing capacity under the 2016 Revolving Credit Facility. These amounts do not reflect any debt financing that we expect to incur in order to allow us to consummate the Brocade Acquisition. Subject to restrictions in the 2016 Credit Agreement and in the indenture governing our Senior Notes, or the Indenture, we have the ability to incur a significant amount of additional indebtedness in the future, in addition to any financing needed for the Brocade Acquisition.
Our substantial indebtedness could have important consequences including:
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increasing our vulnerability to adverse general economic and industry conditions;
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requiring us to dedicate a substantial portion of our cash flow from operations to payments on our indebtedness, thereby reducing the availability of our cash flow to fund working capital, capital expenditures, research and development efforts, execution of our business strategy, acquisitions and other general corporate purposes;
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limiting our flexibility in planning for, or reacting to, changes in the economy and the semiconductor industry;
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placing us at a competitive disadvantage compared to our competitors with less indebtedness; and
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making it more difficult to borrow additional funds in the future to fund growth, acquisitions, working capital, capital expenditures and other purposes; and
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exposing us to interest rate risk to the extent we incur any variable rate indebtedness, and we do not typically hedge against changes in interest rates.
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In addition, the 2016 Credit Agreement and the Indenture contain customary events of default upon the occurrence of which, after any applicable grace period, the lenders or the noteholders would have the ability to immediately declare the debt due and payable in whole or in part. In such event, we may not have sufficient available cash to repay such debt at the time it becomes due, or be able to refinance such debt on acceptable terms or at all. Any of the foregoing could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We receive debt ratings from the major credit rating agencies in the United States. Factors that may impact our credit ratings include debt levels, planned asset purchases or sales and near-term and long-term production growth opportunities. Liquidity, asset quality, cost structure, reserve mix and commodity pricing levels could also be considered by the rating agencies. The applicable margins on indebtedness incurred under the 2016 Credit Agreement will vary based on the applicable public ratings assigned to the long-term indebtedness for borrowed money of our subsidiary, Broadcom Cayman Finance Limited, or Cayman Finance, by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc., Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC and any successor to each such rating agency business. A ratings downgrade could adversely impact our ability to access debt markets in the future
and increase the cost of current or future debt. Our failure to continuously have a public corporate credit rating from each of Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s may result in a covenant default under the 2016 Credit Agreement.
The instruments governing our indebtedness impose significant restrictions on our business.
The 2016 Credit Agreement contains a number of covenants imposing significant restrictions on our business. These restrictions may affect our ability to operate our business, to plan for, or react to, changes in market conditions or our capital needs and may limit our ability to take advantage of potential business opportunities as they arise. The restrictions placed on us include limitations on the ability of our subsidiaries to:
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incur additional indebtedness and issue preferred or redeemable shares;
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consolidate, merge or transfer all or substantially all of their assets;
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make investments, acquisitions, loans or advances or guarantee indebtedness;
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transfer or sell certain assets;
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pay dividends or make other distributions on, redeem or repurchase shares or make other restricted payments;
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engage in transactions with affiliates; and
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prepay certain other indebtedness.
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In addition, the 2016 Credit Agreement requires Broadcom, the Partnership and Cayman Finance to maintain a maximum total leverage ratio. Our ability to meet this financial covenant may be affected by events beyond our control, and we do not know whether we will be able to maintain the required maximum total leverage ratio.
We do not know whether we will be granted waivers under, or amendments to, our 2016 Credit Agreement if for any reason we are unable to meet these requirements, or whether we will be able to refinance our indebtedness on terms acceptable to us, or at all.
In addition, the Indenture places limitations on our ability to incur certain secured debt, enter into certain sale and lease-back transactions and consolidate, merge, sell or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of our assets.
Servicing our debt requires a significant amount of cash, and we may not have sufficient cash flow from our business to pay our substantial debt.
Our ability to make scheduled payments of the principal of, to pay interest on, and to refinance our debt, depends on our future performance, which is subject to economic, financial, competitive and other factors beyond our control. Our business may not continue to generate cash flow from operations in the future sufficient to satisfy our obligations under the 2016 Credit Agreement, the Senior Notes and any future indebtedness we may incur and to make necessary capital expenditures. If we are unable to generate such cash flow, we may be required to adopt one or more alternatives, such as reducing or delaying investments or capital expenditures, selling assets, refinancing or obtaining additional equity capital on terms that may be onerous or highly dilutive. Our ability to refinance our outstanding indebtedness or future indebtedness will depend on the capital markets and our financial condition at such time. We may not be able to engage in any of these activities or engage in these activities on desirable terms when needed, which could result in a default on our indebtedness.
The trading prices of the Senior Notes may be volatile and can be directly affected by many factors, including our credit rating.
The trading prices of the Senior Notes could be subject to significant fluctuation in response to, among other factors, changes in our operating results, interest rates, the market for debt securities, general economic conditions and securities analysts’ recommendations, if any, regarding our securities.
Credit rating agencies continually revise their ratings for companies they follow, including us. Any ratings downgrade could adversely affect the trading prices of the Senior Notes, or the trading market for the Senior Notes. The condition of the financial and credit markets and prevailing interest rates have fluctuated in the past and are likely to fluctuate in the future and any fluctuation may impact the trading prices of the Senior Notes.
Risks Relating to Investments in Singapore Companies
It may be difficult to enforce a judgment of U.S. courts for civil liabilities under
U.S. federal securities laws against us or our directors in Singapore.
Broadcom is incorporated under the laws of the Republic of Singapore, and certain of our directors are resident outside the United States. Moreover, a majority of our consolidated assets are located outside the United States. Although Broadcom is incorporated outside the United States, we have agreed to accept service of process in the United States through our agent designated for certain purposes. Nevertheless, since a majority of the consolidated assets owned by us are located outside the United States, any judgment obtained in the United States against us may not be collectible within the United States.
There is no ratified treaty between the United States and Singapore providing for the reciprocal recognition and enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters and a final judgment for the payment of money rendered by any federal or state court in the United States based on civil liability, whether or not predicated solely upon the federal securities laws, would, therefore, not be automatically enforceable in Singapore. There is doubt whether a Singapore court may impose civil liability on Broadcom or our directors and officers who reside in Singapore in a suit brought in the Singapore courts against us or such persons with respect to a violation solely of the federal securities laws of the United States. Consequently, there can be no assurance as to whether Singapore courts will enter judgments in actions brought in Singapore courts based upon the civil liability provisions of the federal securities laws of the United States.
Broadcom is incorporated in Singapore and our shareholders may have more difficulty in
protecting their interest than they would as shareholders of a corporation
incorporated in the United States, and we may have more difficulty attracting and retaining qualified board members and executives.
Broadcom’s corporate affairs are governed by its Constitution and by the laws governing corporations incorporated in Singapore. The rights of our shareholders and the responsibilities of the members of our Board under Singapore law are different from those applicable to a corporation incorporated in the United States. Therefore, our public shareholders may have more difficulty in protecting their interest in connection with actions taken by our management or members of our Board than they would as shareholders of a corporation incorporated in the United States.
In addition, being a public company incorporated in Singapore may make it more expensive for Broadcom to obtain director and officer liability insurance, and we may be required to accept reduced coverage or incur substantially higher costs to obtain coverage. These factors could also make it more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified members of our Board, particularly to serve on committees of our Board, and qualified executive officers.
For a limited period of time, our directors have general authority to allot and issue new ordinary shares on such terms and conditions as may be determined by our Board in its sole discretion.
Under Singapore law, we may only allot and issue new ordinary shares with the prior approval of Broadcom’s shareholders in a general meeting. At our 2017 annual general meeting, Broadcom’s shareholders provided our directors with the general authority to allot and issue any number of new ordinary shares, which will continue in force until the earlier of (i) the conclusion of our annual general meeting in 2018, (ii) the expiration of the period within which the next annual general meeting is required by law to be held (i.e., within 15 months after the conclusion of the last general meeting) or (iii) the subsequent revocation or modification of such general authority by our shareholders at a duly convened general meeting. Subject to the general authority to allot and issue new ordinary shares provided by our shareholders, the provisions of the Singapore Companies Act and Broadcom’s Constitution, our Board may allot and issue new ordinary shares on such terms and conditions as they may think fit to impose. Any additional issuances of new ordinary shares by our directors may adversely impact the market price of our ordinary shares.
Risks Relating to Owning Our Ordinary Shares
At times, Broadcom’s share price has been volatile and it may fluctuate substantially in the
future, which could result in substantial losses for our investors as well as class action litigation against us and our management which could cause us to incur substantial costs and divert our management’s attention and resources.
The trading price of Broadcom ordinary shares has, at times, fluctuated significantly and could be subject to wide fluctuations in response to many of the risk factors listed in this “Risk Factors” section, and others. Many of these risks are beyond our control, including:
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actual or anticipated fluctuations in our financial condition and operating results;
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issuance of new or updated research or reports by securities analysts;
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fluctuations in the valuation and results of operations of our significant customers as well as companies perceived by investors to be comparable to us;
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announcements of proposed acquisitions by us or our competitors;
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announcements of, or expectations of additional debt or equity financing efforts;
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share price and volume fluctuations attributable to inconsistent trading volume levels of our shares;
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issuance of ordinary shares upon exchange of Partnership REUs; and
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changes in our dividend or share repurchase policies.
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These fluctuations are often unrelated or disproportionate to our operating performance. These broad market and industry fluctuations, as well as general economic, political and market conditions such as recessions, interest rate changes or international currency fluctuations, may negatively impact the market price of our ordinary shares. You may not realize any return on your investment in us and may lose some or all of your investment. In the past, companies that have experienced volatility in the market price of their stock have been subject to securities class action litigation. We may be the target of this type of litigation in the future. We are also the subject of a number of lawsuits stemming from our acquisitions of PLX and Emulex, and from our pending acquisition of Brocade. Securities litigation against us, including the lawsuits related to such transactions, could result in substantial costs and divert our management’s attention from other business concerns, which could seriously harm our business.
A substantial amount of our shares is held by a small number of large investors and significant sales of our ordinary shares in the public market by one or more of these holders could cause our share price to fall.
As of June 30, 2017, we believe that our two largest shareholders, Capital World Investors and Capital Research Global Investors, hold approximately 18% of Broadcom outstanding ordinary shares in the aggregate. These investors may sell their shares at any time for a variety of reasons and such sales could depress the market price of our ordinary shares, given the large amounts of our shares held by these investors. In addition, any such sales of our ordinary shares by these entities could also impair our ability to raise capital through the sale of additional equity securities.
There can be no assurance that we will continue to declare cash dividends.
Our Board has adopted a dividend policy pursuant to which we currently pay a cash dividend on Broadcom ordinary shares on a quarterly basis. The declaration and payment of any dividend is subject to the approval of our Board and our dividend may be discontinued or reduced at any time. There can be no assurance that we will declare cash dividends in the future in any particular amounts, or at all. Furthermore, we may declare dividends as interim dividends, which are wholly provisional under Singapore law and may be revoked by our Board at any time prior to the payment thereof.
Future dividends, if any, and their timing and amount, may be affected by, among other factors: management’s views on potential future capital requirements for strategic transactions, including acquisitions; earnings levels; contractual restrictions; cash position and overall financial condition; and changes to our business model. The payment of cash dividends is restricted by applicable law, contractual restrictions and our corporate structure. Pursuant to Singapore law and Broadcom’s Constitution, no dividends may be paid except out of our profits or expected profits, based on Singapore accounting standards. Because we are a holding company, our ability to pay cash dividends on Broadcom ordinary shares is also limited by restrictions on our ability to obtain sufficient funds through dividends from subsidiaries, the declaration and payment of which are subject to restrictions under the terms of our 2016 Credit Agreement.
Singapore corporate law may impede a takeover of our company by a third-party, which
could adversely affect the value of our ordinary shares.
The Singapore Code on Take-overs and Mergers contains provisions that may delay, deter or prevent a future takeover or change in control of our company for so long as we remain a public company with more than 50 shareholders and net tangible assets of S$5 million or more. Any person acquiring an interest, whether by a series of transactions over a period of time or not, either on their own or together with parties acting in concert with such person, in 30% or more of our voting shares, or, if such person holds, either on their own or together with parties acting in concert with such person, between 30% and 50% (both inclusive) of our voting shares, and such person (or parties acting in concert with such person) acquires additional voting shares representing more than 1% of our voting shares in any six-month period, must, except with the consent of the Securities Industry Council in Singapore, extend a mandatory takeover offer for the remaining voting shares in accordance with the provisions of the Singapore Code on Take-overs and Mergers. While the Singapore Code on Take-overs and Mergers seeks to ensure equality of treatment among shareholders, its provisions may discourage or prevent certain types of transactions involving an actual or threatened change of control of our company. These legal requirements may impede or delay a takeover of our company by a third-party, which could adversely affect the value of our ordinary shares.
Our actual operating results may differ significantly from our guidance.
From time to time, we release guidance regarding our future performance that represents our management’s estimates as of the date of release. This guidance, which consists of forward-looking statements, is prepared by our management and is qualified by, and subject to, the assumptions and the other information contained or referred to in the release. Our guidance is not prepared with a view toward compliance with published guidelines of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and neither any independent registered public accounting firm nor any other independent expert or outside party compiles, examines or reviews the guidance and, accordingly, no such person expresses any opinion or any other form of assurance with respect thereto.
Guidance is based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while presented with numerical specificity, is inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond our control and are based upon specific assumptions with respect to future business decisions, some of which will change. We generally state possible outcomes as high and low ranges which are intended to provide a sensitivity analysis as variables are changed but are not intended to represent that actual results could not fall outside of the suggested ranges. The principal reason that we release this data is to provide a basis for our management to discuss our business outlook with analysts and investors. We do not accept any responsibility for any projections or reports published by any such persons.
Guidance is necessarily speculative in nature, and it can be expected that some or all of the assumptions of the guidance furnished by us will not materialize or will vary significantly from actual results, particularly any guidance relating to the results of operations of acquired businesses or companies as our management will, necessarily, be less familiar with their business, procedures and operations. Accordingly, our guidance is only an estimate of what management believes is realizable as of the date of release. Actual results will vary from the guidance and the variations may be material. Investors should also recognize that the reliability of any forecasted financial data will diminish the farther in the future that the data are forecast. In light of the foregoing, investors are urged to put the guidance in context and not to place undue reliance on it.
Any failure to successfully implement our operating strategy or the occurrence of any of the events or circumstances set forth in this Form 10-Q could result in the actual operating results being different than the guidance, and such differences may be adverse and material.
Risks Relating to Restricted Exchangeable Units
The exchange of the Partnership REUs into Broadcom ordinary shares is subject to significant restrictions, including the right of Broadcom in its sole discretion to cause the Partnership to repurchase such Partnership REUs for cash instead of Broadcom ordinary shares.
As of February 1, 2017, holders of Partnership REUs, or Limited Partners, may, subject to compliance with the procedures set forth in the Partnership’s amended and restated exempted limited partnership agreement, as amended from time to time, or the Partnership Agreement, require the Partnership to repurchase all or any portion of such Limited Partner’s Partnership REUs in exchange for Broadcom ordinary shares, at a ratio of one Broadcom ordinary share for each Partnership REU, or the Exchange Right. However, Broadcom, in its sole discretion as General Partner, has the right to cause the Partnership to repurchase the Partnership REUs for cash (in an amount determined in accordance with the terms of the Partnership Agreement based on the market price of Broadcom ordinary shares) in lieu of Broadcom ordinary shares. Although we are currently issuing Broadcom ordinary shares upon exchange of Partnership REUs, Broadcom, in its sole discretion as General Partner, may choose to cause the Partnership to repurchase the Partnership REUs for cash at any time and without notice. The payment of cash upon exchange of Partnership REUs could result in, among other things, tax consequences that differ from those that would have resulted if the holder of such Partnership REUs had received Broadcom ordinary shares.
In addition, prior to the third anniversary following the effective time of the Broadcom Merger, it is a condition precedent to the obligation of the Partnership to repurchase such Partnership REUs, and the holder of such Partnership REUs shall not be permitted to exercise the Exchange Right, unless (i) Broadcom has received a written opinion from an independent nationally recognized law or accounting firm that the Exchange Right should not cause Broadcom to be treated as (a) a “surrogate foreign corporation” (within the meaning of Section 7874(a)(2)(B) of the Code) or (b) a “domestic corporation” (within the meaning of Section 7874(b) of the Code) and (ii) Broadcom’s independent auditor has determined that no reserve shall be required for financial accounting purposes relating to Section 7874 of the Code as a result of the exercise of such Exchange Right. Although Limited Partners are currently permitted to exercise their Exchange Rights, no assurance can be provided as to whether or not such determinations will be obtainable in the future.
The exchange of Partnership REUs is a U.S. taxable event.
The exchange of Partnership REUs will be treated for U.S. tax purposes as a taxable sale of the Partnership REUs by the Limited Partner making the exchange. A Limited Partner will recognize gain or loss for U.S. income tax purposes in an amount equal to the fair market value of our ordinary shares or the cash amount received in the exchange, plus the amount of the
Partnership’s liabilities allocable to the Partnership REUs being exchanged, less the Limited Partner’s adjusted tax basis in the Partnership REUs exchanged. The recognition of any loss resulting from an exchange of Partnership REUs is subject to a number of limitations set forth in the Code. It is possible that the amount of gain recognized or even the tax liability resulting from the gain could exceed the value of our ordinary shares or cash amount received upon the exchange. In addition, a Limited Partner may have difficulty finding buyers for a substantial number of ordinary shares in order to raise cash to pay tax liabilities associated with the exchange of their Partnership REUs and may not receive a price for the ordinary shares equal to the value of the Partnership REUs at the time of the exchange.
An active trading market for Partnership REUs is not expected to develop.
The Partnership REUs are not listed on a national exchange in the United States or on a foreign exchange. An active public market for the Partnership REUs is not expected to develop. In addition, although the Partnership REUs are registered under the Exchange Act, Broadcom, as General Partner, is under no obligation to continue such registration and is authorized to deregister the Partnership REUs at any time such registration is not legally required. As a result, it will be very difficult to sell the Partnership REUs at a price that is attractive, or at all.
Future sales of Broadcom ordinary shares in the public market could cause the value of Partnership REUs to fall.
Sales of a substantial number of Broadcom ordinary shares in the public market, or the perception that these sales might occur, could depress the value of the Partnership REUs because the value of the Partnership REUs is derivative of the value of Broadcom ordinary shares.
The value of the Broadcom ordinary shares received in any exchange of the Partnership REUs, or the cash amount to be paid by us in lieu thereof, may fluctuate.
The value of the Broadcom ordinary shares into which the Partnership REUs may be exchanged, or the cash amount to be paid by the Partnership in lieu thereof, may be subject to significant fluctuations for many reasons.
Consequently, due to these potential fluctuations in value of Broadcom ordinary shares, at the time that the Exchange Right is exercised, the Broadcom ordinary shares into which Partnership REUs may be exchanged, or the cash amount to be paid in lieu thereof, may have a value that differs from the value of Broadcom ordinary shares as of the effective time of the Broadcom Merger. Also see
“At times, Broadcom’s share price has been volatile and it may fluctuate substantially in the
future, which could result in substantial losses for our investors as well as class action litigation against us and our management which could cause us to incur substantial costs and divert our management’s attention and resources”
regarding fluctuations in the value of Broadcom ordinary shares.
There can be no assurance that the Partnership will continue to declare cash distributions.
Pursuant to the terms of the Partnership Agreement, Broadcom, as General Partner, and our Limited Partners are entitled to receive distributions from the Partnership if and when Broadcom pays dividends to holders of its ordinary shares. There can be no assurance that Broadcom will declare cash dividends in the future in any particular amounts, or at all. Also see “
There can be no assurance that we will continue to declare cash dividends
” regarding factors that may affect the timing and amount of dividends paid by Broadcom.
In certain circumstances, a Limited Partner may lose its limited liability status.
The Exempted Limited Partnership Law, 2014 of the Cayman Islands, as amended and any successor to such statute, or the Cayman Islands Limited Partnerships Act, provides that a limited partner with the benefits of limited liability unless, in addition to exercising rights and powers as a limited partner, such limited partner takes part in the control or conduct of the business of a limited partnership of which such limited partner is a partner (subject to certain qualifications and exceptions). Subject to the provisions of the Cayman Islands Limited Partnerships Act and of similar legislation in other jurisdictions, the liability of each limited partner for the debts, liabilities and obligations of the Partnership will be limited to the limited partner’s capital contribution, plus the limited partner’s share of any undistributed income of the Partnership. However, pursuant to the Cayman Islands Limited Partnerships Act, where a limited partner has received a payment representing the return of all or part of that limited partner’s capital contribution or is released from any outstanding obligation in respect of his commitment and, at the time that payment was made or release effected, (i) the limited partnership is insolvent; and (ii) the limited partner had actual knowledge of the insolvency of the limited partnership, then for a period of six months, but not thereafter, such limited partner would be liable to the Partnership or, where the Partnership is dissolved, to its creditors, to repay such payment or perform the released obligation with interest to the extent that such contribution or part thereof is, necessary to discharge the liabilities of the Partnership to all creditors who extended credit or whose claims otherwise arose before the return of the capital contribution.
The limitation of liability conferred under the Cayman Limited Partnerships Act may be ineffective outside the Cayman Islands except to the extent it is given extra-territorial recognition or effect by the laws of other jurisdictions. There may also
be requirements to be satisfied in each jurisdiction to maintain limited liability. If limited liability is lost, limited partners may be considered to be general partners (and therefore be subject to unlimited liability) in such jurisdiction by creditors and others having claims against the Partnership.
Under certain circumstances, the voting rights of the Partnership REUs will be limited.
Each holder of Partnership REUs has the benefit of a voting trust agreement dated February 1, 2016, among the Partnership, Broadcom and the voting trustee, or the Voting Trust Agreement. Pursuant to the terms of the Voting Trust Agreement, the voting trustee holds non-economic voting preference shares of Broadcom, or Special Voting Shares, that entitle the voting trustee to a number of votes equal to the number of votes that would attach to the Broadcom ordinary shares receivable upon the exchange of the Partnership REUs as of the record date of a Broadcom shareholder meeting. Holders of Partnership REUs are entitled to direct the voting trustee under the Voting Trust Agreement to vote the number of Special Voting Shares equal to the number of Partnership REUs held by such holder in substantially all votes that are presented to the holders of Broadcom ordinary shares. However, in the event that, under applicable law, any matter requires the approval of the holder of record of a Special Voting Share, voting separately as a class, the Voting Trust Agreement restricts the ability of holders of Partnership REUs to exercise such voting rights.
Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds
None
Item 3. Defaults Upon Senior Securities
None.
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures
None.
Item 5. Other Information
None.
Item 6. Exhibits
The exhibits listed in the Exhibit Index immediately preceding the exhibits are filed with or incorporated by reference into this Form 10-Q.