AMPHENOL CORP /DE/ - Annual Report: 2021 (Form 10-K)

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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

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FORM 10-K

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(Mark One)

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For the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2021

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or

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For the transition period from          to

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Commission file number: 1-10879

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AMPHENOL CORPORATION

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

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358 Hall Avenue, Wallingford, Connecticut 06492

(Address of principal executive offices)

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203-265-8900

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

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

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

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

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

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

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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ⌧ No ◻

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

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

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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ⌧

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

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As of June 30, 2021, the aggregate market value of Amphenol Corporation Class A Common Stock (based upon the closing price of such stock on the New York Stock Exchange) held by non-affiliates was approximately $36,303 million.

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As of January 31, 2022, the total number of shares outstanding of Registrant’s Class A Common Stock was 598,939,773.

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DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

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Portions of the Registrant’s definitive proxy statement, which is expected to be filed within 120 days following the end of the fiscal year covered by this report, are incorporated by reference into Part III hereof.

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Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

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This Annual Report on Form 10-K (“Annual Report”) includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and the provisions of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Such forward-looking statements are based on our management’s assumptions and beliefs about future events or circumstances using information currently available, and as a result, they are subject to risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements address events or developments that Amphenol Corporation (together with its subsidiaries, “Amphenol,” the “Company,” “we,” “our,” or “us”) expects or believes may or will occur in the future. These forward-looking statements, which address the Company’s expected business and financial performance and financial condition, among other matters, may contain words and terms such as: “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “guidance,” “intend,” “look ahead,” “may,” “ongoing,” “optimistic,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “seek,” “should,” “target,” “will” or “would” and other words and terms of similar meaning.

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Forward-looking statements by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain, such as statements about expected earnings, revenues, growth, liquidity, effective tax rate or other matters, together with any forward-looking statements related in any way to the coronavirus (“COVID-19”) pandemic, including its future impact on the Company. Although the Company believes the expectations reflected in all forward-looking statements, including those with regards to expected earnings, revenues, growth, liquidity, the Company’s effective tax rate, and other matters discussed herein, are based upon reasonable assumptions, the expectations may not be attained or there may be material deviation. Readers and investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they are made. There are risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements. A description of some of these uncertainties and other risks is set forth under the caption “Risk Factors” in Part I, Item 1A and elsewhere in this Annual Report, as well as other reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including but not limited to Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K. There may be other risks and uncertainties not identified in these documents that we either currently do not expect to have an adverse effect on our business or that we are unable to predict or identify at the time of this Annual Report. Our forward-looking statements may also be impacted by, among other things, future tax law changes that may arise in any of the jurisdictions in which we operate as well as changes in interpretive guidance under the Department of Treasury’s interpretive guidance initiatives.

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The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements except as required by law.

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PART I

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Item 1. Business

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General

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Amphenol Corporation is one of the world’s largest designers, manufacturers and marketers of electrical, electronic and fiber optic connectors and interconnect systems, antennas, sensors and sensor-based products and coaxial and high-speed specialty cable. The Company estimates, based on reports of industry analysts, that worldwide sales of interconnect and sensor-related products were approximately $215 billion in 2021.

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Certain predecessor businesses of the Company were founded in 1932, and the Company was incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware in 1986. The Company’s Class A Common Stock (“Common Stock”) began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in 1991.

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The Company’s strategy is to provide our customers with comprehensive design capabilities, a broad selection of products and a high level of service on a worldwide basis, while maintaining continuing programs of productivity improvement and cost control. Through December 31, 2021, the Company operated through two reporting segments: (i) Interconnect Products and Assemblies and (ii) Cable Products and Solutions. The Interconnect Products and Assemblies segment primarily designed, manufactured and marketed a broad range of connector and connector systems, value-add products and other products, including antennas and sensors, used in a broad range of applications in a diverse set of end markets. Interconnect products include connectors which, when attached to an electrical, electronic or fiber optic cable, a printed circuit board or other device, facilitate transmission of power or signals. Value-add systems generally consist of a system of cable, flexible circuits or printed circuit boards and connectors, antennas or sensors for linking electronic equipment. The Cable Products and Solutions segment primarily designed, manufactured and marketed cable, value-add products and components for use primarily in the broadband communications and information technology markets, as well as certain applications in other markets.

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The table below provides a summary of our reporting segments as of December 31, 2021, the 2021 net sales contribution of each segment, the primary end markets that we serviced and our key products in each segment:

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Information regarding the Company’s operations and assets by reporting segment, as well as the Company’s net sales and long-lived assets by geographic area, appears in Note 14 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

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New Reportable Business Segments effective January 1, 2022

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Effective January 1, 2022, the Company aligned its businesses into three newly formed reportable business segments: (i) Harsh Environment Solutions, (ii) Communications Solutions and (iii) Interconnect and Sensor Systems. This new alignment replaces our historic reportable business segments. All businesses previously reported in the Interconnect Products and Assemblies segment have now been aligned with one of the three newly formed segments. All businesses previously reported in the Cable Products and Solutions segment have now been aligned with our newly formed Communications Solutions segment. This new alignment reinforces the Company’s entrepreneurial culture and the clear accountability of each of our business unit general managers, while enhancing the scalability of

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Amphenol’s business for the future. A description of each of our newly formed reportable business segments is as follows:

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The following table provides a summary of the end markets that we service and our key products within each of the three new reportable business segments:

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In conjunction with the new alignment of our business, the Company appointed three new segment managers to lead their respective reportable business segments, each reporting directly to the Company’s Chief Executive Officer. The Company will begin reporting its new reportable segments in connection with its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ending March 31, 2022, including the recasting of relevant prior year period segment information for conformity of presentation. For further details related to the Company’s change in its reportable business segments effective in the first quarter of 2022, refer to Note 16 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, included in Part II, Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data of this Annual Report, which is incorporated herein by reference.

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COVID-19 Pandemic

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The COVID-19 pandemic has affected our offices and manufacturing facilities throughout the world, as well as the facilities of our suppliers, customers and our customers’ contract manufacturers. The COVID-19 pandemic caused widespread disruptions to our Company during the first half of 2020, and to a lesser extent, those disruptions continued during the second half of 2020 and throughout all of 2021. As of December 31, 2021, we continue to experience some disruptions, and at a minimum, particularly given the surge of cases resulting from the Omicron variant, we expect those disruptions to continue into 2022 and potentially beyond. These disruptions have included and may continue to include government regulations that inhibit our ability to operate certain of our facilities in the ordinary course, travel restrictions, supplier constraints, supply-chain interruptions, logistics challenges and limitations, labor disruptions and reduced demand from certain customers. During 2021 and into 2022, there have been resurgences in COVID-19 cases in several regions around the world, particularly related to new variant strains, including Delta and Omicron. The extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic will continue to impact our business and financial results going forward will be dependent on future developments such as the length and severity of the crisis, the impact of the recent resurgence of the crisis due to the Omicron variant, as well as any additional future resurgences from known or new variants, future government regulations and actions in response to the crisis, the timing, availability, effectiveness and adoption rates of vaccines and treatments, and the overall impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global economy and capital markets, among many other factors, all of which remain highly uncertain and unpredictable. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic could impact the health of our management team and other employees. Given these uncertainties, we expect the pandemic to continue to have an impact on our business, operations, financial condition, liquidity and results of operations in 2022 and potentially beyond. There can be no assurance that the COVID-19 pandemic will not have a material and adverse effect on our business, operations, financial condition, liquidity and results of operations in the future. For a discussion of certain risks related to the COVID-19 pandemic, refer to the risk factor titled “We face significant risks related to adverse public health developments, including epidemics and pandemics such as the COVID-19 pandemic” in Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors herein. For a discussion of the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business, operations, financial condition, liquidity and results of operations, refer to Part II, Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

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Our Strategy

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The Company’s overall strategy is to provide its customers with comprehensive design capabilities, a broad selection of products and a high level of service on a worldwide basis, while maintaining continuing programs of productivity improvement and cost control. Specifically, our business strategy is as follows:

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Markets

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The Company sells products to customers in a diversified set of end markets. For a discussion of certain risks related to the Company’s markets, refer to the subsection titled “Risks related to our end markets” included in Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors herein.

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Automotive - Amphenol is a leading supplier of advanced interconnect systems, sensors and antennas for a growing array of automotive applications. In addition, Amphenol has developed advanced technology solutions for hybrid and electric vehicles and is working with leading global customers to proliferate these advanced interconnect products into next-generation automobiles. Sales into the automotive market represented approximately 20% of the Company’s net sales in 2021, with sales into the following primary end applications:

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Broadband Communications - Amphenol is a world leader in broadband communication products for cable, satellite and telecommunications-based video and data networks, with industry-leading engineering, design and manufacturing expertise. The Company offers a wide range of products to service the broadband market, including customer premises and distribution cable, connectors and value-add interconnect products, passive components, active and passive fiber optic interconnect components, as well as interconnect products integrated into headend equipment. Sales into the broadband communications market represented approximately 4% of the Company’s net sales in 2021, with sales into the following primary end applications:

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Commercial Aerospace - Amphenol is a leading provider of high-performance interconnect systems and components to the commercial aerospace market. In addition to connector and interconnect assembly products, the Company also provides rigid and flexible printed circuits, high-technology cable management products as well as sensors. Our products are specifically designed to operate in the harsh environments of commercial aerospace, while also providing substantial weight reduction, simplified installation and/or minimal maintenance. Sales into the commercial aerospace market represented approximately 2% of the Company’s net sales in 2021, with sales into the following primary end applications:

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Industrial - Amphenol is a technology leader in the design, manufacture and supply of high-performance interconnect systems, sensors and antennas for a broad range of industrial applications. Amphenol’s core competencies include application-specific industrial interconnect solutions utilizing integrated assemblies, including with both cable and flexible printed circuits, as well as high-power interconnects requiring advanced engineering and system integration. In particular, our innovative solutions facilitate the increasing demands of embedded computing, power distribution and electrification within industrial applications. Sales into the industrial market represented approximately 25% of the Company’s net sales in 2021, with sales into the following primary end applications:

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Information Technology and Data Communications - Amphenol is a global provider of interconnect solutions to designers, manufacturers and operators of internet-enabling systems. With our industry-leading high-speed, power and active and passive fiber optic interconnect technologies, together with superior simulation and testing capability and cost effectiveness, Amphenol is a market leader in interconnect development for the information technology (“IT”) and datacom market. Whether industry standard or application-specific designs are required, Amphenol provides customers with products that enable performance at the leading edge of next-generation, high-speed, power and fiber optic technologies. Sales into the IT and datacom market represented approximately 21% of the Company’s net sales in 2021, with sales into the following primary end applications:

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Military - Amphenol is a world leader in the design, manufacture and supply of high-performance interconnect systems for harsh environment military applications. Such products require superior performance and reliability under conditions of stress and in hostile environments such as vibration, pressure, humidity, radiation and rapid and severe temperature changes. Amphenol provides an unparalleled product breadth, from military specification connectors to customized high-speed board level interconnects; from flexible to rigid printed circuit boards; from backplane systems to completely integrated assemblies; and from sensors to sensor-based systems. Amphenol is a technology leader, participating in major programs from the earliest inception across each phase of the production cycle. Sales into the military market represented approximately 11% of the Company’s net sales in 2021, with sales into the following primary end applications:

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Mobile Devices - Amphenol designs and manufactures an extensive range of interconnect products, antennas and electromechanical components found in a wide array of mobile computing devices. Amphenol’s capability for high-volume production of these technically demanding, miniaturized products, combined with our speed of new product introduction, are critical drivers of the Company’s long-term success in this market. Sales into the mobile devices market represented approximately 12% of the Company’s net sales in 2021, with sales into the following primary end applications:

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Mobile Networks - Amphenol is a leading global interconnect solutions provider to the mobile networks market and offers a wide product portfolio, including antennas, connectors and interconnect systems. The Company’s products are used in current and next generation wireless communications standards, including in 5G networks. In addition, the Company works with service providers around the world to offer an array of antennas and installation-related site solution interconnect products. Sales into the mobile networks market represented approximately 5% of the Company’s net sales in 2021, with sales into the following primary end applications:

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Customers and Geographies

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The Company manufactures and sells a broad portfolio of products on a global basis to customers in a wide variety of industries. Our customers include many of the leaders in their respective industries, and our relationships with them typically date back many years. We believe that our diversified customer base provides us with the opportunity to leverage our skills and experience across markets and reduces our exposure to particular end markets. Additionally, we believe that the diversity of our customer base is an important asset of the Company.

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A trend among customers has been to consolidate their lists of qualified suppliers to companies that have the ability to meet certain technical, quality, delivery and other standards while maintaining competitive prices. The Company has positioned its global resources to compete effectively in this environment. As an industry leader, the Company has established close working relationships with many of its customers on a global basis. These relationships allow the Company to better anticipate and respond to these customer needs when designing new products and new technical solutions. By working with customers to develop new products and technologies, the Company is able to identify and act on trends and leverage knowledge about next-generation technology across our portfolio of products. In addition, the Company has concentrated its efforts on service, procurement and manufacturing improvements designed to increase product quality and performance and lower product lead-time and cost. For a discussion of certain risks related to the Company’s sales, refer to the subsection titled “Risks related to our end markets” included in Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors herein.

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The Company’s products are sold to thousands of original equipment manufacturers (“OEMs”) in numerous countries throughout the world. The Company’s products are also sold to electronic manufacturing services (“EMS”) companies, to original design manufacturers (“ODMs”) and to service providers, including telecommunications network service providers and web service providers. No single customer accounted for 10% or more of the Company’s net sales for the year ended December 31, 2021. During the year ended December 31, 2020, aggregate sales to the Company’s largest customer accounted for approximately 11% of our net sales.

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The Company sells its products through its own global sales force, independent representatives and a global network of electronics distributors. The Company’s sales to distributors represented approximately 17% and 16% of the Company’s net sales in 2021 and 2020, respectively. In addition to product design teams and collaborative initiatives with customers, the Company uses key account managers to manage certain customer relationships on a global basis so that it can bring to bear its total resources to meet the worldwide needs of its multinational customers.

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Manufacturing

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The Company is a global manufacturer employing advanced manufacturing processes including molding, stamping, plating, turning, computer numerical control (“CNC”) machining, 3D printing, extruding, die casting and assembly operations and proprietary process technology for specialty and coaxial cable production, antenna and sensor fabrication. Outsourcing of certain manufacturing processes is used when cost-effective. Substantially all of the Company’s manufacturing facilities operate under certification to management system standards of globally recognized, industry certification organizations. Our facilities are primarily certified to quality management systems, primarily ISO9001, but also may include ISO13485, AS9100, and IATF16949. In addition, approximately half of our facilities are also certified to environmental or occupational health and safety management systems, including ISO14001 and ISO45001.

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The Company’s manufacturing facilities are generally vertically integrated operations from the initial design stage through final design and manufacturing. The Company designs, manufactures and assembles its products at facilities in approximately 40 countries around the world. Our global coverage positions us near many of our customers’ locations and allows us to assist them in consolidating their supply base and lowering their production and logistics costs. In addition, the Company generally relies on local general management in every region, which we believe creates a strong degree of organizational stability and operational agility, as well as a deeper understanding of local markets. We believe our balanced geographic distribution lowers our exposure to particular geographies. In particular, during the COVID-19 pandemic, we were generally able to support our customers even if pandemic-related restrictions were adopted in any given country. The Company believes that its global presence is an important competitive advantage, as it allows the Company to provide quality products on a timely and worldwide basis to its multinational customers.

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The Company employs a global manufacturing strategy to ensure proximity and reliable service to customers, while also lowering production and logistics costs. The Company’s strategy is to maintain strong cost controls in its manufacturing and assembly operations. The Company is continually evaluating and adjusting its expense levels and workforce to reflect current business conditions and attempting to maximize operating profitability as well as the return on capital investments. The Company sources its products on a worldwide basis. To better serve certain high-volume customers, the Company has established certain facilities near these major customers. The Company seeks to position its manufacturing and assembly facilities in order to serve local markets while coordinating, as appropriate, product design and manufacturing responsibility with the Company’s other operations around the world. For a discussion of certain risks related to the Company’s foreign operations, refer to the subsection titled “Risks related to our global operations” included in Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors herein.

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Research and Development

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The Company’s product development strategy is to rely on product design teams at each of our operating units around the world working collaboratively with customers, which often results in the Company obtaining approved vendor status for its customers’ new products and programs. The Company generally focuses its research and development efforts primarily on those product areas that it believes have the potential for broad market applications and significant sales within a one- to three-year period. The Company seeks to have its products become widely accepted within the industry for similar applications and products manufactured by other potential customers, which the Company believes will provide additional sources of future revenue. At the end of 2021, our research, development, and engineering efforts, which relate to the creation of new and improved products and processes, were supported by approximately 3,500 of our employees and were performed primarily by individual operating units focused on specific markets and product technologies.

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Intellectual Property

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Patents and other proprietary rights are important to our business. We own a significant portfolio of patents that principally relate to mechanical, electrical, optical and electronic features of connector, antenna and sensor products. We also own a portfolio of trademarks and are a licensee of various patents and trademarks. Patents for individual products extend for varying periods according to the date of patent filing or grant and the legal term of patents in the various countries where patent protection is obtained. Trademark rights may potentially extend for longer periods of time and are dependent upon the laws of various jurisdictions and the use of the trademarks.

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We also rely upon trade secrets, manufacturing know-how, continuing technological innovations and licensing opportunities to maintain and improve our competitive position. We review third-party proprietary rights, including patents and patent applications, as available, in an effort to develop an effective intellectual property strategy, avoid infringement of third-party proprietary rights, identify licensing opportunities and monitor the intellectual property claims of others.

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From time to time, the Company is involved in disputes with third parties regarding the Company’s or such third party’s intellectual property assets, particularly patents. While we consider our patents and trademarks to be valuable assets, we do not believe that our competitive position or our operations are dependent upon or would be materially impacted by the loss of any single patent or group of related patents, or by a third party’s successful enforcement of its patents against us or any of our products. For a discussion of certain risks related to the Company’s intellectual property, refer to the risk factor titled “We may experience difficulties in enforcing our intellectual property rights, which could result in loss of market share, and we may be subject to claims of infringement of the intellectual property rights of others” in Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors herein.

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Raw Materials

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The Company purchases a wide variety of raw materials for the manufacture of its products, including (i) precious metals such as gold, silver and palladium, (ii) aluminum, steel, copper, titanium and metal alloy products and (iii) plastic materials. The Company also purchases a wide variety of mechanical and electronic components for the manufacturing of its products. Such raw materials and components are generally available throughout the world and are purchased locally from a variety of suppliers. The Company is generally not dependent upon any one source for raw materials or components or, if one source is used, the Company generally attempts to protect itself through long-term supply agreements. From time to time, the Company may encounter difficulties in obtaining certain raw materials or components necessary for production due to supply chain constraints and logistical challenges, which may also negatively impact the pricing of materials and components sourced or used by the Company. While the Company does not currently anticipate any significant, broad-based difficulties in obtaining raw materials or components necessary for production, beginning in 2021 and into 2022, there have been supply chain and logistical challenges that have impacted the global economy, including our Company, and have caused supply constraints and commodity price increases on certain raw materials and components used by the Company in production, as well as lower availability of, and increased prices for, freight and logistics, including air, sea and ground freight. Consequently, the Company may experience supply shortages for discrete raw materials or components in the future, which could be further exacerbated by increased commodity prices and additional inflation. For a discussion of certain risks related to the availability of and dependence on raw materials and components, refer to the risk factor titled “The Company and certain of its suppliers and customers are experiencing difficulties obtaining certain raw materials and components, and the cost of most of the Company’s raw materials and components is increasing” in Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors herein. Information regarding our obligations related to commitments to purchase certain goods and services is disclosed in Note 15 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

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Competition

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The Company encounters competition in substantially all areas of its business. The Company competes primarily on the basis of technology innovation, product quality and performance, price, customer service and delivery time. Primary competitors include Aptiv, Belden, Carlisle, Commscope, Eaton, Foxconn, Hirose, HUBER+SUHNER, ICT Luxshare, JAE, Jonhon, JST, Molex, Radiall, Rosenberger, Sensata, TE Connectivity, Yazaki and 3M, among others. In addition, the Company competes with a large number of smaller companies who compete in specific geographies, markets or products. For a discussion of certain risks related to competition, refer to the risk factor titled “The Company encounters competition in substantially all areas of our business” in Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors herein.

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Backlog and Seasonality

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The Company estimates that its backlog of unfilled firm orders as of December 31, 2021 was approximately $3.809 billion compared with backlog of approximately $2.380 billion as of December 31, 2020. The increase in the Company’s backlog was related to the significant sales increase, the addition of seven acquired companies, as well as the impact of certain customers placing longer lead-time orders due to the wide array of supply chain constraints occurring in many industries in 2021. Orders typically fluctuate from quarter to quarter based on customer demand and general business conditions. Unfilled orders may generally be cancelled prior to shipment of goods. It is expected that all or a substantial portion of the backlog will be filled within the next 12 months. Significant elements of the Company’s business, such as sales to the communications-related markets (including wireless communications, information technology and data communications and broadband communications) and sales to distributors, generally have short lead times. Therefore, backlog may not be indicative of future demand. Generally, the Company does not experience significant seasonality in its business, although historically, the strongest quarters have typically been the last two quarters of our fiscal year.

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Sustainability

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At Amphenol, we believe that making sustainable business choices, building strong relationships with our stakeholders and engaging in good corporate governance create long-term value for our Company. Whether through minimizing our and our partners’ environmental footprint, following humane labor practices, supporting the development and diversity of our global team, ensuring the strength and integrity of our supply chain or giving back to our communities, we have always believed that it is not just good stewardship, but good business to focus on the long-term sustainability of Amphenol. Throughout Amphenol, we have a shared commitment to create life-changing innovations and products which enable technologies that improve the lives of people around the world, all while

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supporting the well-being of our employees and communities and doing our part to sustain the precious health of our planet.

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Our latest 2020 Sustainability Report is available at https://amphenol.com/sustainability. This report discusses our approach and progress on the environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) issues most significant to our business, including ESG-related strategies, programs, goals and metrics that demonstrate our commitment to all of our stakeholders. Information included in our 2020 Sustainability Report is not incorporated by reference in, and does not form part of, this Annual Report. Our 2021 Sustainability Report is expected to be released during the second quarter of 2022.

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Human Capital Management and Our Culture

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The Company’s success is closely tied to the capability, adaptability and accountability of our diverse, global organization. One of the key components of our business strategy is the fostering of a collaborative and entrepreneurial management culture. Each of our general managers operates in a flat organizational structure and is incented to grow and develop their business, with the support of the resources of the larger organization. We believe this structure, with approximately 130 general managers running unique, independent businesses, creates an environment and culture where each of our general managers has a more direct link to the success of their individual businesses and a more personal connection to the employees they oversee and the communities in which they operate.

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As of December 31, 2021, the Company had approximately 90,000 employees worldwide, of which approximately 10,000 are located in the United States. Approximately 10% of Amphenol’s U.S. workforce is represented by an independent trade union or covered by collective bargaining. The Company believes that it has a good relationship with both its unionized and non-unionized employees.

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Governance and Culture – Our Board of Directors (the “Board”) is actively involved in overseeing the Company’s employee-related strategies and practices as well as the Company’s culture and ESG initiatives. This oversight is conducted both directly and through certain of the Board’s committees. At each of its regularly scheduled quarterly meetings, the Board reviews changes in key personnel and, multiple times a year, meets with management to discuss various human resources related topics, including talent development, succession planning, diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, compensation and culture. We believe the Company’s culture has been a critical component of the Company’s success and reinforcing that culture is a key responsibility of our executive management.

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Diversity, Equity and Inclusion – Amphenol is committed to workplace diversity and fostering a culture of equity, inclusion and belonging across our organization. Our business spans the globe and the employees in our facilities reflect the diversity of our geographic footprint. At Amphenol, we promote and maintain a culture of respect and appreciation of differences in our employees. The Company generally relies on local general management in every region, which we believe creates a strong degree of organizational stability and a deep commitment to our people and the local community. A key hallmark of our structure is our entrepreneurial culture that creates clear accountability for each of our general managers, who are our key business leaders. Our core management team is comprised of these general managers, as well as their controllers and our executive team. Women represented 28% of this core management team at the end of 2021. Of our total employees worldwide, approximately half are women.

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Health, Safety and Well-being – We believe that the protection of our employees is a moral obligation. In addition, the safety and well-being of our employees is critical to the successful operation of our business. Our health and safety activities are overseen by our corporate environmental, health, safety and sustainability leadership team and are managed by our local teams, who coordinate on-site safety programs, resources, reporting and training in our facilities. We believe that this model of coaching and tracking at the corporate level, but administering at the facility level, has allowed us to provide training and supervision that better fits the local needs of each of our workforces. Throughout the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we have taken significant actions to protect the physical and mental health and well-being of our employees throughout the world, including, in particular, those employees who work in our factories. These actions have included adopting mask requirements, creating social distancing in our factories, upgrading air handling systems to install anti-viral filtration systems, as well as encouraging, enabling and, in certain geographies, requiring employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19. During more significant localized outbreaks of COVID-19, we have also enabled and encouraged certain employees to work from home, when possible and appropriate, and have taken an integrated approach to helping our employees optimally manage their work and personal responsibilities.

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Compensation and Benefits – The Company is focused on providing our employees around the world equitable and competitive compensation and benefits. In the U.S., in addition to competitive compensation, the Company maintains

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various employee benefits such as health and related insurance, retirement savings programs and health savings and flexible spending accounts. Outside the U.S., we maintain compensation and other benefits competitive with local market conditions.

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Community and Social Impact – Amphenol recognizes that we have a responsibility to be a positive influence in the communities in which we operate around the world. Most of our community outreach is organized by our local management teams, which helps ensure that our efforts are working in support of the local communities in which our employees live and work. Our local teams are actively supporting their communities in a variety of ways including: school supply drives, local blood drives, mentoring of at-risk students, community clean-up events, local tree planting, holiday-giving events and food delivery services to immobile individuals. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, many of our local teams have worked to support their communities through the purchase and donation of supplies and equipment, as well as financial support of local health care institutions.

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Cybersecurity

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In an effort to reduce the likelihood and severity of cyber intrusions, the Company has a comprehensive and evolving cybersecurity program designed to protect and preserve the confidentiality, integrity and availability of our data and systems. We regularly perform risk assessments and penetration tests relating to cybersecurity and technology risks. We also conduct regular workforce training to instruct employees how to better identify cybersecurity concerns and to avoid actions that might inadvertently allow outsiders to access our systems. We install and regularly update our next-generation end point protection software on our company-managed systems and workstations in an effort to detect and prevent malicious code from impacting our systems. The Company’s annual internal audits also include procedures performed on our control environment including our information security systems. Our Board of Directors maintains oversight responsibility relating to our information security and cybersecurity program, with assistance from the Audit Committee of the Board. At least annually, our senior leadership team (including the leaders of our Information Technology and Internal Audit teams) provides an overview of our information security and cybersecurity program to the full Board. In addition, the Company maintains standard cybersecurity insurance. During the last three years, we have not experienced a material security breach and, as a result, we have not incurred any material expenses from such a breach. Furthermore, during such time, we have not been penalized or paid any amount under any information security breach settlement.

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Environmental Matters

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Certain operations of the Company are subject to environmental laws and regulations that govern the discharge of pollutants into the air and water, as well as the handling and disposal of solid and hazardous wastes. The Company believes that its operations are currently in substantial compliance with applicable environmental laws and regulations and that the costs of continuing compliance will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. For more information on certain environmental matters, refer to Note 15 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements. For a discussion of certain risks related to environmental matters, refer to the risk factor titled “The Company is subject to environmental laws and regulations that could adversely affect our business” in Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors herein.

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Available Information

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The SEC maintains a website that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding issuers, including Amphenol, that file with the SEC. Any such documents that the Company files with the SEC can be obtained by the public on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. This Annual Report and all of the Company’s other filings with the SEC, such as quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, proxy statements, and any amendments to such reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”), are also available to view, free of charge, on the Company’s website, www.amphenol.com, as soon as reasonably practicable after they are electronically filed with, or furnished to, the SEC. Also included on the Company’s website are press releases and other information about the Company’s financial results and performance, and information regarding environmental, social and corporate governance matters, among other information. Copies of this Annual Report are also available without charge, from Amphenol Corporation, Investor Relations, 358 Hall Avenue, Wallingford, CT 06492. The information on our website is not incorporated by reference in this Annual Report.

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Item 1A. Risk Factors

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The Company’s business, operations, financial condition, liquidity, results of operations and stock price can be negatively affected by many risk factors. Investors should carefully consider the risks described below and all other information in this Annual Report. The Company’s past financial performance, including historical trends, should not be considered a reliable indicator of future performance. The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones facing the Company. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to the Company or that we currently consider immaterial may materialize and impair the Company’s business, operations, financial condition, liquidity, results of operations and/or stock price. In addition to the risk factor included below related to adverse public health developments and, in particular, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on public health and the global economy, the Company also notes that the effects of the pandemic have and may continue to exacerbate the risks detailed in many of the other risk factors described below.

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If actions taken by management to limit, monitor or control enterprise risk exposures are not successful, the Company’s business, operations, financial condition, liquidity and results of operations could be materially adversely affected. In such case, the trading price of the Company’s Common Stock and debt securities could decline and investors may lose all or part of their investment.

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Risks related to our global operations

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The Company is exposed to political, economic, military and other risks related to operating in countries outside the United States, and changes in general economic conditions, geopolitical conditions, U.S. trade policies and other factors beyond the Company’s control may adversely impact our business and operating results.

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The Company’s operations and performance depend significantly on global, regional and U.S. economic and geopolitical conditions. During 2021, non-U.S. markets constituted approximately 71% of the Company’s net sales, with China constituting approximately 28% of the Company’s net sales. The Company employs approximately 90% of its workforce outside the United States. The Company’s customers are located throughout the world and the Company has many manufacturing, administrative and sales facilities outside the United States.

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In recent years, the U.S. government has enacted new laws and taken actions that directly affect our business in China. For example, during the last few years, the U.S. Department of Commerce has added a number of Chinese-based companies to its “Entity List”, including existing customers of the Company. More recently, the U.S. government enacted the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, which bars the importation into the United States of products made from forced labor in the Xinjiang region of China. The Chinese government could also enact laws and take actions that affect our business in China. We cannot predict what additional laws or actions may be taken by the U.S. or Chinese governments, but any such actions could have a material adverse effect on our business.

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In addition to the new laws outlined above, during the last few years there have also been significant changes to U.S. trade policies, legislation, treaties and tariffs, including, but not limited to, trade policies and tariffs affecting China. These changes have, in certain cases, increased our costs of doing business. The imposition of additional tariffs or other trade barriers could increase our costs in certain markets, and may cause our customers to find alternative sourcing or could make it more difficult for us to sell our products in some markets. Other countries where we operate or sell our products have changed, and may continue to change, their own policies on trade as well as business and foreign investment in their respective countries. Additionally, it is possible that U.S. policy changes and uncertainty about such changes could increase market volatility and currency exchange rate fluctuations. As a result of these dynamics, we cannot predict the impact to our business of any future changes to the U.S.’s or other countries’ trading relationships or the impact of new laws or regulations adopted by the U.S. or other countries.

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In addition to the risks noted above, a number of other legal, economic and geopolitical factors both in the United States and abroad could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, operations, financial condition, liquidity and/or results of operations, such as:

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We face significant risks related to adverse public health developments, including epidemics and pandemics such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Any outbreaks of contagious diseases and other adverse public health developments in countries where we operate could have a material and adverse effect on our business, operations, financial condition, liquidity and results of operations. For example, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected our offices and manufacturing facilities throughout the world, as well as the facilities of our suppliers, customers and our customers’ contract manufacturers. The COVID-19 pandemic caused widespread disruptions to our Company during the first half of 2020, and to a lesser extent, those disruptions continued during the second half of 2020 and throughout all of 2021. As of December 31, 2021, we continue to experience some disruptions, and at a minimum, particularly given the surge of cases resulting from the Omicron variant, we expect those disruptions to continue into 2022 and potentially beyond. These disruptions have included and may continue to include government regulations that inhibit our ability to operate certain of our facilities in the ordinary course, travel restrictions, supplier constraints, supply-chain interruptions, logistics challenges and limitations, labor disruptions and reduced demand from certain customers. During 2021 and into 2022, there have been resurgences in COVID-19 cases in several regions around the world, particularly related to new variant strains, including Delta and Omicron. The extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic will continue to impact our business and financial results going forward will be dependent on future developments such as the length and severity of the crisis, the impact of the recent resurgence of the crisis due to the Omicron variant, as well as any additional future resurgences from known or new variants, future government regulations and actions in response to the crisis, the timing, availability, effectiveness and adoption rates of vaccines and treatments, and the overall impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global economy and capital markets, among many other factors, all of which remain highly uncertain and unpredictable. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic could impact the health of our management team and other employees. Given these uncertainties, we expect the pandemic to continue to have an impact on our business, operations, financial condition, liquidity and results of operations in 2022 and potentially beyond. There can be no assurance that the COVID-19 pandemic will not have a material and adverse effect on our business, operations, financial condition, liquidity and results of operations in the future.

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In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has and continues to increase the likelihood and potential severity of other risks (some discussed separately within this Item 1A. Risk Factors), including but not limited to, the following:

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The Company and certain of its suppliers and customers are experiencing difficulties obtaining certain raw materials and components, and the cost of most of the Company’s raw materials and components is increasing.

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The Company uses basic materials like aluminum, steel, copper, titanium, metal alloys, gold, silver, palladium and plastic resins in its manufacturing processes as well as a variety of components and relies on third-party suppliers to secure these materials and components. The COVID-19 pandemic initially disrupted the supply of such raw materials and components, primarily in the first half of 2020. However, more recently, in 2021 and the first quarter of 2022, we, along with many of our suppliers and customers, have experienced widespread supply chain disruptions that have resulted in significant cost increases across certain raw materials and components as well as some supply shortages, that collectively have had an adverse impact on our business and operating results. For example, the recent market shortage of semiconductors has caused disruptions, from both a supply and pricing standpoint, in some of the markets we serve, in particular, the automotive market. Recent inflationary pressures have been exacerbated by the lower availability of, and increased prices for, freight and logistics, including air, sea and ground freight. In addition, the Company may not be able to pass along increased raw material or component prices to its customers. While the Company has taken and continues to take measures to procure and obtain sufficient quantities of raw materials and components at acceptable prices from our suppliers, there can be no assurance that the Company will be able to continue to do so. Accordingly, any future delays, disruptions, and supply and pricing risks, such as the ongoing supply chain challenges and disruptions that we expect to continue during 2022, could affect our ability to meet customer demand for our products, which could have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

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In limited instances we depend on a single source of supply or participate in commodity markets that may be served by a limited number of suppliers. Delays in obtaining supplies may result from a number of factors affecting our suppliers, and any delay could impair our ability to deliver products to our customers. The cost and availability of raw materials may fluctuate significantly due to external factors including, but not limited to, product scarcity, disruptions caused by climate change and adverse weather conditions, commodity market fluctuations, currency fluctuations, governmental policies and regulations such as trade tariffs, as well as pandemics and epidemics (such as, but not limited to, the COVID-19 pandemic), which may, in turn, negatively impact our results of operations and financial condition.

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The Company may be negatively impacted by extreme weather conditions and natural catastrophic events, including those caused by climate change and global warming.

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From time to time, extreme weather conditions and natural disasters have negatively impacted and may continue to negatively impact our operations, as well as the operations of our suppliers, vendors, customers and distributors. Such extreme weather conditions and natural disasters including, but not limited to, earthquakes, fires, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, and stronger and longer-lasting weather patterns, and their consequences and effects have, in the past, temporarily disrupted our business operations both in the United States and abroad. These events could cause some of the Company’s operations to suffer from supply chain disruptions and potential delays in fulfilling customer orders or order cancellations altogether, lost future business and sales, and/or damage to our property or harm to our people, each and all of which could have an adverse effect on our business, operations, financial condition and results of operations.

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Our international operations require us to comply with anti-corruption laws and regulations of the U.S. government and various foreign jurisdictions and our business reputation and financial results may be impaired by improper conduct by any of our employees, customers, suppliers, distributors or any other business partners.

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Doing business on a worldwide basis requires us and our subsidiaries to comply with the laws and regulations of the U.S. government and various foreign jurisdictions, and our failure to comply with these rules and regulations may expose us to significant liabilities. These laws and regulations may apply to companies, individual directors, officers, employees, subcontractors and agents, and may restrict our operations, trade practices, investment decisions and partnering activities. In particular, our international operations are subject to U.S. and foreign anti-corruption laws and regulations, such as the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended (“FCPA”). As part of our business, we deal with state-owned business enterprises, the employees and representatives of which may be considered foreign officials for purposes of the FCPA. In addition, some of the foreign locations in which we operate lack a developed legal system and have elevated levels of corruption. As a result of the above activities, we are exposed to the risk of violating U.S. and foreign anti-corruption laws.

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We have established policies and procedures designed to assist us and our personnel in complying with applicable U.S. and international laws and regulations. However, there can be no assurance that these policies will be effective in preventing our directors, officers, employees, subcontractors and agents from taking actions that violate these legal requirements. Violations of these legal requirements could subject us to criminal fines and imprisonment, civil penalties, disgorgement of profits, injunctions, debarment from government contracts and other remedial measures. In addition, any actual or alleged violations could disrupt our operations, cause reputational harm, involve significant management distraction and result in a material adverse effect on our competitive position, results of operations, cash flows or financial condition.

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The Company’s results have at times been negatively affected by foreign currency exchange rates.

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The Company conducts business in many foreign currencies through its worldwide operations, and as a result is subject to foreign exchange exposure due to changes in exchange rates of the various currencies, including possible foreign currency restrictions and/or devaluations. Changes in exchange rates can positively or negatively affect the Company’s sales, operating margins and equity. The Company manages currency exposure risk in a number of ways, including producing its products in the same country or region in which the products are sold (thereby generating revenues and incurring expenses in the same currency), cost reduction and pricing actions, working capital management and hedging contracts. However, there can be no assurance that these actions will be fully effective in managing currency risk, including in the event of a significant and sudden decline in the value of any of the foreign currencies of the Company’s worldwide operations, which could have an adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations.

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The Company is dependent on attracting, recruiting, hiring and retaining skilled employees, including as part of our various management teams.

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Our performance is dependent on our ability to attract, recruit, hire and retain skilled personnel, including our executive and management teams. Given the current inflationary wage environment and strong demand for skilled labor in many of the countries and regions in which we operate, the ability to identify and attract new talent, as well as retain existing talent, may prove to be difficult. It is possible that the current labor market could have an adverse effect on our ability to attract, recruit, hire and retain skilled employees, which in turn, could have an adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations. In particular, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many workers around the world have re-assessed their career plans and priorities, which could lead to increased difficulty of the Company in retaining its experienced team members.

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Risks related to our end markets

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The Company is dependent on the communications industry, including information technology and data communications, wireless communications and broadband communications.

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Approximately 42% of the Company’s 2021 net sales came from sales to the communications industry, including information technology and data communication, wireless communications and broadband communications, with 12% of the Company’s 2021 net sales coming from sales to the mobile devices market. Demand for these products is subject

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to rapid technological change. In addition, these markets are dominated by several large manufacturers and operators who regularly exert significant pressure on their suppliers, including the Company. Furthermore, a trend among customers has been to consolidate their lists of qualified suppliers to companies that have the ability to meet certain technical, quality, delivery and other standards while maintaining competitive prices. There can be no assurance that the Company will be able to meet these standards or maintain competitive pricing and therefore continue to compete successfully in the communications industry. The Company’s failure to do so could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations.

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Approximately 4% and 5% of the Company’s 2021 net sales came from sales to the broadband communications and mobile networks markets, respectively. Demand for the Company’s products in these markets depends primarily on capital spending by operators for constructing, rebuilding or upgrading their systems. The amount of this capital spending and, therefore, the Company’s sales and profitability could be affected by a variety of factors, including general economic conditions, consolidation within the communications industry, the financial condition of operators and their access to financing, competition, technological developments, new legislation and regulation of operators. There can be no assurance that existing levels of capital spending will continue or that spending will not decrease.

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Changes in defense expenditures may reduce the Company’s sales.

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Approximately 11% of the Company’s 2021 net sales came from sales to the military market. The Company participates in a broad spectrum of defense programs. The Company’s military sales are generally to contractors and subcontractors of the U.S. or foreign governments or to distributors that in turn sell to the contractors and subcontractors. Accordingly, the Company’s sales are affected by changes in the defense budgets of the U.S. and foreign governments. A significant decline in U.S. or foreign government defense expenditures could have an adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations. U.S. and foreign government expenditures are also subject to political and budgetary fluctuations and constraints, which may result in significant unexpected changes in levels of demand for our products.

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The Company encounters competition in substantially all areas of our business.

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The Company competes primarily on the basis of technology innovation, product quality and performance, price, customer service and delivery time. Competitors include large, diversified companies, some of which have greater assets and financial resources than the Company, as well as medium- to small-sized companies. In addition, rapid technological changes occurring in the communications industry could also lead to the entry of new competitors of all sizes against whom we may not be able to successfully compete. There can be no assurance that the Company will be able to compete successfully against existing or new competition, and the inability to do so may result in price reductions, reduced margins, or loss of market share, any of which could have an adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations.

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Risks related to acquisitions

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The Company has at times experienced difficulties and unanticipated expenses in connection with purchasing and integrating newly acquired businesses.

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The Company has completed a number of acquisitions in recent years, including seven in 2021. The Company anticipates that it will continue to pursue acquisition opportunities as part of its growth strategy. From time to time, the Company experiences difficulty and unanticipated expenses associated with purchasing and integrating acquisitions, and acquisitions do not always perform and deliver the financial benefits expected. The Company has also experienced challenges at times following the acquisition of a new company or business, including but not limited to: managing the operations, manufacturing facilities and technology; maintaining and increasing the customer base; or retaining key employees, suppliers and distributors. In certain limited cases, the Company has pursued indemnification claims against the seller or sellers of an acquired business for pre-acquisition liabilities, breaches of representations, warranties or covenants or for other reasons provided for in the relevant acquisition agreement. To the extent we pursue indemnification claims against the seller or sellers of any acquired business, such seller or sellers may successfully contest such claims, such seller or sellers may not have the financial capacity to compensate us for such claims or such claims may otherwise be difficult or impractical to enforce. We cannot predict or guarantee whether and to what extent anticipated cost savings, benefits and growth prospects will be achieved from recent or future acquisitions.

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The Company may in the future incur goodwill and other intangible asset impairment charges.

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On December 31, 2021, the total assets of the Company were $14.7 billion, which included $6.4 billion of goodwill (the excess of fair value of consideration paid over the fair value of net identifiable assets of businesses acquired) and $756.9 million of other intangible assets, net. The Company performs annual evaluations (or more frequently, if necessary) for the potential impairment of the carrying value of goodwill and other intangible assets. Such evaluations to date have not resulted in the need to recognize an impairment. However, if the financial performance of the Company’s businesses were to decline significantly, the Company could incur a material non-cash charge to its income statement for the impairment of goodwill and other intangible assets. Furthermore, we cannot provide assurance that impairment charges in the future will not be required if the expected cash flow estimates as projected by management do not occur, especially if an economic recession occurs and continues for a lengthy period or becomes severe, or if acquisitions and investments made by the Company fail to achieve expected returns.

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Risks related to our liquidity and capital resources

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The Company’s credit agreement contains certain covenants, which if breached, could have a material adverse effect on the Company.

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The second amended and restated credit agreement that governs our $2.5 billion unsecured credit facility (the “Revolving Credit Facility”), which also backstops the Company’s U.S. commercial paper program (“U.S. Commercial Paper Program”) and Euro commercial paper program (“Euro Commercial Paper Program”), contains financial and other covenants, such as a limit on the ratio of debt to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, a limit on priority indebtedness and limits on incurrence of liens. Although the Company believes none of these covenants is presently restrictive to the Company’s operations, the ability to meet the financial covenants can be affected by events beyond the Company’s control, and the Company cannot provide assurance that it will meet those tests. A breach of any of these covenants could result in a default under the Revolving Credit Facility. Upon the occurrence of an event of default under the Revolving Credit Facility, the lenders could terminate all commitments to extend further credit and elect to declare amounts outstanding thereunder to be immediately due and payable which could result in the acceleration of certain of the Company’s other indebtedness and the Company not having sufficient assets to repay the Revolving Credit Facility and such other indebtedness. As of December 31, 2021, the Company had approximately $795.2 million of outstanding borrowings under the U.S. Commercial Paper Program, and no outstanding borrowings under the Revolving Credit Facility and Euro Commercial Paper Program.

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The Company relies on the global capital markets, and an inability to access those markets on favorable terms could adversely affect the Company’s results.

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The Company has used the global capital markets to invest in its business and make strategic acquisitions. If general economic and capital market conditions deteriorate significantly, it could impact the Company’s ability to access the capital markets. The capital and credit markets have experienced significant volatility in the past. Market conditions could make it more difficult to access capital to finance capital investments, acquisitions and other initiatives including dividends and share repurchases. As such, this could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. In addition, if the credit rating agencies that rate the Company’s debt were to downgrade the Company’s credit rating, it would likely increase the Company’s cost of capital and make it more difficult for the Company to obtain new financing and access capital markets, which could also have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

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The Company’s results may be negatively affected by changing interest rates.

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The Company may be subject to interest rate volatility with regard to existing and future issuances of debt. The Company monitors its mix of fixed-rate and variable-rate debt, as well as its mix of short-term and long-term debt. As of December 31, 2021, approximately $804 million, or 17%, of the Company’s outstanding borrowings were subject to floating interest rates and were primarily comprised of borrowings under the U.S. Commercial Paper Program. A 10% change in floating interest rates at December 31, 2021 would not have a material effect on the Company’s interest expense. However, there can be no assurance that interest rates will not change more significantly.

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Legal and regulatory risks

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Cybersecurity incidents affecting our information technology systems could disrupt business operations or cause the release of highly sensitive confidential information, resulting in adverse impacts to our reputation and operating results and potentially leading to litigation and/or governmental investigations.

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Cybersecurity threats, including but not limited to malware, phishing, credential harvesting, ransomware and other increasingly sophisticated attacks, continue to expand and evolve globally, making it difficult to detect and prevent such threats from impacting the Company. Globally, there has been an increased volume of cyber threats and ransomware attempts throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Ransomware attacks have become easier to execute, and the rise of cryptocurrency has facilitated payments to criminals, making ransomware a more lucrative business. While the Company has been a target of various cybersecurity attacks, including but not limited to ransomware attacks, the impact of such attacks has not been material. Future cybersecurity incidents could lead to unauthorized access to and potentially impair the Company’s information technology systems, products, customers, suppliers and third-party service providers. Cybersecurity incidents could potentially result in the disruption of our business operations and/or misappropriation, destruction or corruption of critical data and confidential or proprietary information. Cybersecurity events could also result in the loss of or inability to access confidential information and critical business, financial or other data, and/or cause the release of highly sensitive confidential information. Cybersecurity incidents could also result from unauthorized parties gaining access to our systems or information through fraudulent or other means of deceiving our employees, suppliers or third-party service providers. In addition, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic may increase our susceptibility to cybersecurity incidents and risks, especially as some of our employees have transitioned and continue to work from home. Despite the Company’s implementation of preventative security measures to prevent, detect, address and mitigate these threats, our infrastructure may still be susceptible to disruptions from cybersecurity incidents, ransomware attacks, security breaches, computer viruses, outages, systems failures, natural disasters, adverse public health developments, or other catastrophic events, any of which could include reputational damage, loss of our intellectual property, release of highly sensitive confidential information, the inability to access critical data, litigation with third parties and/or governmental investigations and fines, among other things, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

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We and our business partners maintain significant amounts of data electronically in locations around the world.  This data relates to all aspects of our business, including financial information and current and future products under development, and also contains certain customer, supplier, partner and employee data.  We maintain systems and processes designed to protect this data, but notwithstanding such protective measures, there is a risk of intrusion, cyberattacks or tampering that could compromise the integrity and privacy of this data or make the data inaccessible to us.  In addition, in certain cases, in order to conduct business, we outsource to third-party business partners.  We generally obtain assurances from those parties that they have systems and processes in place to protect our data, and where applicable, that they will take steps to assure the protection of our data; nonetheless, those partners may also be subject to data intrusion or a cyberattack.  Any compromise of the data could substantially disrupt our operations, harm our customers, employees and other business partners, damage our reputation, violate applicable laws and regulations, and subject us to potentially significant costs and liabilities.

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The regulatory environment surrounding information security and privacy is increasingly demanding, with frequent imposition of new and changing requirements. For example, the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”), which became effective in May 2018, the state of California’s California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”), which became effective January 1, 2020, and more recently in August 2021, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China’s Personal Information Protection Law (“PIPL”), which became effective on November 1, 2021, impose significant requirements and additional obligations for companies on how they collect, process and transfer personal data by enhancing consumer privacy rights and imposing significant fines for non-compliance. The potential for fines and other related costs in the event of a breach of or non-compliance with the GDPR, CCPA, PIPL or other existing or proposed information security or privacy laws and requirements may have an adverse effect on our financial results.

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Our business and financial results may be adversely affected by government contracting risks.

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We are subject to various laws and regulations applicable to parties doing business with the U.S. and other governments, including laws and regulations governing performance of government contracts, the use and treatment of government furnished property and the nature of materials used in our products. In the U.S., we may be unilaterally suspended or barred from conducting business with the U.S. government or its suppliers (both directly and indirectly), or

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become subject to fines or other sanctions if we are found to have violated such laws or regulations. As a result of the need to comply with these laws and regulations, we are subject to increased risks of governmental investigations, civil fraud actions, criminal prosecutions, whistleblower lawsuits and other enforcement actions. For example, in August 2018, we received a subpoena from the U.S. Department of Defense, Office of the Inspector General, requesting documents pertaining to certain products manufactured by the Company’s Military and Aerospace Group that are purchased or used by the U.S. government, as noted herein in Item 3. Legal Proceedings and Note 15 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements. The U.S. laws and regulations to which we are subject include, but are not limited to, Export Administration Regulations, the Federal Acquisition Regulation, the False Claims Act, International Traffic in Arms Regulations, regulations from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the FCPA. We are subject to a wide range of similar laws and regulations in other countries throughout the world. Failure, or the perceived failure, to comply with applicable requirements also could harm our reputation and our ability to compete for future government contracts or sell commercial equivalent products. Any of these outcomes could have a material adverse effect on our business, operations, financial condition, liquidity, and results of operations.

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In addition, U.S. government contracts are subject to modification, curtailment or termination by the U.S. government without prior written notice, either for convenience or for default as a result of our failure to perform under the applicable contract. If our contracts are terminated by the U.S. government as a result of our default, we could be liable for additional costs the U.S. government incurs in acquiring undelivered goods or services from another source and any other damages it suffers. We are also prohibited from assigning prime U.S. government contracts without the prior consent of the U.S. government contracting officer. Furthermore, the U.S. government periodically audits our governmental contract costs, which could result in fines, penalties or adjustment of costs and prices under the contracts. Any such fines, penalties or payment adjustments resulting from such audits could adversely affect our reputation, business, operations, financial condition, liquidity, and results of operations.

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The Company is subject to governmental export and import controls.

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Certain of our products, including purchased components of such products, are subject to export controls and may be exported only with the required export license or through an export license exception. In addition, we are required to comply with certain U.S. and foreign sanctions and embargoes. These laws and regulations are complex, may change frequently and with limited notice, have generally become more stringent over time and have intensified under recent U.S. administrations, especially in light of recent trade tensions with China. For example, in 2019, the U.S. government added certain of the Company’s customers based in China to its “Entity List”, which imposes additional restrictions on sales to such customers. Although such restrictions did not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations, the U.S. government has the power to place even greater restrictions on these and other customers, and such restrictions could further limit or prohibit the Company from selling products to such customers. If we were to fail to comply with these restrictions or applicable export licensing, customs regulations, economic sanctions and other laws, we could be subject to substantial civil and criminal penalties, including fines for us, the incarceration of responsible employees and managers, and the possible loss of export or import privileges. In addition, if our distributors fail to obtain appropriate import, export or re-export licenses or permits, we may also be adversely affected through reputational harm and penalties. Obtaining the necessary export license for a particular sale may be time-consuming and may result in the delay or loss of sales opportunities.

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Changes in fiscal and tax policies, audits and examinations by taxing authorities could impact the Company’s results.

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The Company is subject to tax in the U.S. and in numerous foreign jurisdictions. The Company is currently under tax examination in several jurisdictions, and, in addition, new examinations could be initiated by additional tax authorities. As the Company has operations in jurisdictions throughout the world, the risk of tax examinations will continue to occur. The Company’s financial condition, results of operations or cash flows may be materially impacted by the results of these tax examinations.

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Any future changes in tax laws, regulations, accounting standards for income taxes and/or other tax guidance, including related interpretations, could materially impact the Company’s current and non-current tax liabilities, along with deferred tax assets and liabilities, and consequently, our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

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We may experience difficulties in enforcing our intellectual property rights, which could result in loss of market share, and we may be subject to claims of infringement of the intellectual property rights of others.

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We rely on patent and trade secret laws, copyright, trademark, confidentiality procedures, controls and contractual commitments to protect our intellectual property rights. Despite our efforts, these protections may be limited and, from time to time, we encounter difficulties in protecting our intellectual property rights, particularly in certain countries outside the U.S. We cannot provide assurance that the patents that we hold or may obtain will provide meaningful protection against our competitors. Changes in laws concerning intellectual property, or the enforcement of such laws, may affect our ability to prevent or address the misappropriation of, or the unauthorized use of, our intellectual property, potentially resulting in loss of market share. Litigation may be necessary to enforce our intellectual property rights. Litigation is inherently uncertain and outcomes are unpredictable. If we cannot protect our intellectual property rights against unauthorized copying or use, or other misappropriation, we may not remain competitive.

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The intellectual property rights of others could inhibit our ability to introduce new products. Other companies hold patents on technologies used in our industries and are aggressively seeking to expand, enforce and license their patent portfolios. We periodically receive notices from, or have lawsuits filed against us by, third parties claiming infringement, misappropriation or other misuse of their intellectual property rights and/or breach of our agreements with them. These third parties may include entities that do not have the capabilities to design, manufacture, or distribute products or that acquire intellectual property like patents for the sole purpose of monetizing their acquired intellectual property through asserting claims of infringement and misuse. In addition, some foreign competitors may take advantage of the intellectual property laws in their home countries and the more favorable litigation and regulatory environment to our detriment. Third party claims of infringement may result in loss of revenue, substantial costs, or lead to monetary damages or injunctive relief against us.

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The Company is subject to customer claims, litigation and other regulatory or legal proceedings.

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The Company is currently engaged in, or subject to, various customer claims, litigation and other regulatory and legal matters and may be subject to additional claims, litigation and other regulatory or legal proceedings in the future. Such matters expose the Company to risks that could be material, including but not limited to, risks related to employment disputes, tax controversies, government investigations, intellectual property infringement, compliance with environmental laws, unfair sales practices, product safety and liability, and product warranty, indemnity and other contract-related claims. These matters may subject the Company to lawsuits, voluntary or forced product recalls, government investigations and criminal liability, including claims for compensatory, punitive or consequential damages, and could result in disruptions to our business and significant legal expenses. These matters could also damage our reputation, harm our relationships with customers or negatively affect product demand.

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While the Company does maintain certain insurance coverages that may mitigate losses associated with some of these types of claims and proceedings, the policies may not respond and, where insurance exists, the amount of insurance coverage may not be adequate to cover the total claims and liabilities. In some cases, particularly with respect to product warranty claims from customers, we self-insure against this risk, meaning that any product liability claims will likely have to be paid from Company funds and not by insurance. Any current or future substantial liabilities or regulatory actions could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, cash flows and reputation.

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The Company is subject to environmental laws and regulations that could adversely affect our business.

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The Company operates in both the United States and various foreign jurisdictions, and we must comply with locally enacted laws and regulations addressing health, safety and environmental matters in such jurisdictions in which we manufacture and/or sell our products. Certain operations of the Company are subject to locally enacted environmental laws and regulations that govern the discharge of pollutants into the air and water, as well as the handling and disposal of solid and hazardous wastes. The Company and its operations may be subject to liabilities, regardless of fault, for investigative and/or remediation efforts on such matters that may arise at any of the Company’s former or current properties, either owned or leased. For example, as disclosed in Note 15 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, the Company was named as one of several defendants in four separate lawsuits filed in the State of Indiana relating to a manufacturing site in Franklin, Indiana where the Company has been conducting an environmental clean-up effort under the direction of the United States Environmental Protection Agency. All the costs incurred by the Company relating to these lawsuits as well as all costs associated with the clean-up effort at the manufacturing site have been reimbursed by the former owner pursuant to an indemnification agreement entered into in connection with the acquisition of the manufacturing site as part of a larger acquisition that led to the establishment of the Company’s

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business in 1987. Environmental liabilities can result from the use of hazardous materials in production, the disposal of products, damages associated with the use of any of our products or other related matters. We cannot be certain as to the potential impact of any changes to environmental conditions or environmental policies that may arise in any of our jurisdictions. Our failure to comply with these local environmental laws and regulations could result in fines or other punitive damages and/or modifications to our production processes as well as subject us to reputational harm, any of which could adversely impact our financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.

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The Company may be subject to incremental costs and risks associated with efforts to combat the negative effects of climate change.

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There continues to be an increased global focus on climate change issues which has led to international treaties and agreements and legislative and regulatory efforts. In addition to the risks discussed under the heading “The Company may be negatively impacted by extreme weather conditions and natural catastrophic events, including those caused by climate change and global warming,” the Company may also be subject to larger, global climate change initiatives, laws, regulations or orders. For example, in early 2021, the United States rejoined the Paris Climate Agreement, an international treaty focused on climate change, with several goals, including but not limited to, the reduction of greenhouse gas (“GHG”) emissions. More recently, in late 2021, the United States participated in the 2021 United National Climate Change Conference (“COP26”). At the COP26, participating countries agreed on a new climate change-focused deal, the Glasgow Climate Pact, which marks the first-ever climate deal to explicitly commit to a reduction in coal use. The COP26 also resulted in many countries pledging to end deforestation and reduce methane emissions, among other pledges.

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Given our global manufacturing presence, any future increased regulation surrounding GHG emissions and other climate change-related laws and regulations, beyond initiatives already in process at the Company, could subject us to additional and/or unforeseen compliance costs and limitations, including increased energy and raw material costs and capital expenditures. Any future regulatory changes in any of the countries in which we operate could result in transition risks to the Company, including but not limited to (i) the nature and timing of any requirement to lower GHG emissions and adopt more energy-efficient energy use, which could result in changes or disruptions to the way the Company operates, (ii) financial risks where the compliance with such regulations requires unforeseen capital expenditures and becomes costly or financially burdensome, (iii) legal risks associated with the failure to adapt to or comply with future climate change-related regulations, (iv) risks associated with the implementation of any new technologies required to comply with such regulations, which could impede our ability to innovate new products, meet customer and market demand or compete on pricing and quality in the market, and/or (v) reputational risks associated with our customers’ and investors’ perceptions of the Company and their preferences for maintaining relationships with companies with lower emissions, all of which could harm our reputation in the marketplace. We are not able to predict how any future definitive agreements, pacts and/or regulations, if and when they are adopted and required, and the commitments necessary to comply with such requirements, will affect our reputation, business, operations, financial condition, liquidity, or results of operations in the future.

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Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments

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None.

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Item 2. Properties

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The Company’s fixed assets include plants and warehouses and a substantial quantity of machinery and equipment. The Company’s plants, warehouses and machinery and equipment are generally in good operating condition, are reasonably maintained and substantially all of its facilities are in regular use. The Company considers the present level of fixed assets along with planned capital expenditures as suitable and adequate for operations in the current business environment. At December 31, 2021, the Company operated approximately 230 manufacturing facilities with approximately 22.0 million square feet, of which approximately 15.0 million square feet were leased. Manufacturing facilities located in the U.S. had approximately 4.0 million square feet, of which approximately 1.5 million square feet were leased. Manufacturing facilities located outside the U.S. had approximately 18.0 million square feet, of which approximately 13.5 million square feet were leased. The square footage by segment related to our manufacturing facilities was approximately 21.0 million square feet and approximately 1.0 million square feet for the Interconnect Products and Assemblies segment and the Cable Products and Solutions segment, respectively.

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The Company believes that its facilities are suitable and adequate for the business conducted therein and are being appropriately utilized for their intended purposes. Utilization of the facilities varies based on demand for the products. The Company continuously reviews its anticipated requirements for facilities and, based on that review, may from time to time acquire or lease additional facilities and/or dispose of existing facilities.

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Item 3. Legal Proceedings

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Information required with respect to legal proceedings in this Part I, Item 3 is included in Note 15 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements contained in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report, which is incorporated herein by reference.

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Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures

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Not applicable.

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PART II

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Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

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Market Information

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The Company effected the initial public offering of its Class A Common Stock (“Common Stock”) in November 1991. The Company’s Common Stock has been listed on the New York Stock Exchange since that time under the ticker symbol “APH”. As of January 31, 2022, there were 32 holders of record of the Company’s Common Stock. A significant number of outstanding shares of Common Stock are registered in the name of only one holder, which is a nominee of The Depository Trust Company, a securities depository for banks and brokerage firms. The Company believes that there are a significant number of beneficial owners of its Common Stock.

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Stock Split

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On January 27, 2021, the Company announced that its Board of Directors (the “Board”) approved a two-for-one split of the Company’s Common Stock. The stock split was effected in the form of a stock dividend paid to stockholders of record as of the close of business on February 16, 2021. The additional shares were distributed on March 4, 2021, and the Company’s Common Stock began trading on a split-adjusted basis on March 5, 2021. As a result of the stock split, stockholders received one additional share of Common Stock for each share held as of the record date. All current and prior year data impacted by the stock split and presented throughout this Annual Report, including number of shares and per share information, earnings per share, and dividends per share amounts, among others, have been retroactively adjusted to reflect the effect of the stock split. Refer to Note 1 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for further information related to the stock split.

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In May 2021, the Company’s stockholders approved an amendment to the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation to increase the number of authorized shares of Common Stock. Refer to Note 7 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for further details related to the increase in the number of shares authorized for issuance as a result of this amendment.

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Stock Performance Graph

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The following graph compares the cumulative total shareholder return of Amphenol over a period of five years ending December 31, 2021 with the performance of the Standard & Poor’s 500 (“S&P 500”) Stock Index and the Dow Jones U.S. Electrical Components & Equipment Index. This graph assumes that $100 was invested in our Common Stock and each index on December 31, 2016, reflects reinvested dividends, and is weighted on a market capitalization basis as of the beginning of each year. Each reported data point below represents the last trading day of each calendar year. The comparisons in the graph below are based upon historical data and are not indicative of, nor intended to forecast, future performance.

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Dividends

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Contingent upon declaration by the Board, the Company pays a quarterly dividend on shares of its Common Stock.

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The following table sets forth the dividends declared per common share for each quarter of 2021 and 2020:

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Dividends declared and paid for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 (in millions) were as follows:

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The Company’s Revolving Credit Facility contains restrictions that may limit the Company’s ability to pay dividends, and any future indebtedness that the Company may incur could also limit its ability to pay dividends.

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Repurchase of Equity Securities

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In April 2018, the Board authorized a stock repurchase program under which the Company could purchase up to $2.0 billion of its Common Stock during the three-year period ending April 24, 2021 (the “2018 Stock Repurchase Program”) in accordance with the requirements of Rule 10b-18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). During the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company repurchased 3.1 million shares of its Common Stock for $203.8 million under the 2018 Stock Repurchase Program. As a result of these purchases, the Company completed all purchases authorized under the 2018 Stock Repurchase Program and, therefore, the 2018 Stock Repurchase Program has terminated. Of the total repurchases made in 2021 under the 2018 Stock Repurchase Program, 0.3 million shares, or $19.8 million, were retained in Treasury stock at the time of repurchase; the remaining 2.8 million shares, or $184.0 million, were retired by the Company.

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On April 27, 2021, the Board authorized a new stock repurchase program under which the Company may purchase up to $2.0 billion of its Common Stock during the three-year period ending April 27, 2024 (the “2021 Stock Repurchase Program”) in accordance with the requirements of Rule 10b-18 of the Exchange Act. During the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company repurchased 6.2 million shares of its Common Stock for $457.9 million under the 2021 Stock Repurchase Program. Of the total repurchases made in 2021 under the 2021 Stock Repurchase Program, 0.4 million shares, or $33.0 million, have been retained in Treasury stock at the time of repurchase; the remaining 5.8 million shares, or $424.9 million, have been or will be retired by the Company. From January 1, 2022 through January 31, 2022, the Company repurchased 0.6 million additional shares of its Common Stock for $50.0 million under the 2021 Stock Repurchase Program, and, as of February 1, 2022, has remaining authorization to purchase up to $1,492.1 million of its Common Stock under the 2021 Stock Repurchase Program. The price and timing of any future purchases under the 2021 Stock Repurchase Program will depend on a number of factors such as levels of cash generation from operations, the volume of stock options exercised by employees, cash requirements for acquisitions, dividends paid, economic and market conditions and the price of the Company’s Common Stock.

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The Company’s stock repurchases during the three months and year ended December 31, 2021 were as follows:

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Item 6. [Reserved]

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Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

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(amounts in millions, except share and per share data, unless otherwise noted)

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The following discussion and analysis of the results of operations and financial condition for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019 has been derived from and should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and the accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8, herein for Amphenol Corporation (together with its subsidiaries, “Amphenol,” the “Company,” “we,” “our,” or “us”). The Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared in U.S. dollars, in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP” or “GAAP”). Any references to the Company’s results in this Item 7 are specifically to our continuing operations only and exclude discontinued operations, unless otherwise noted. The following discussion and analysis also includes references to certain non-GAAP financial measures, which are defined in the “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” section below, including “Constant Currency Net Sales Growth” and “Organic Net Sales Growth”. For purposes of the following discussion, the terms “constant currencies” and “organically” have the same meaning, respectively, as these aforementioned non-GAAP financial measures. Refer to “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” within this Item 7 for more information, including our reasons for including non-GAAP financial measures and material limitations with respect to the usefulness of the measures.

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In addition to historical information, the following discussion and analysis also contains certain forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to the risk factors described in Part I, Item 1A herein, as well as the risks and uncertainties that exist with the use of forward-looking statements as described in the “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” section included herein at the beginning of this Annual Report on Form 10-K (“Annual Report”).

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Stock Split

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On January 27, 2021, the Company announced that its Board of Directors (the “Board”) approved a two-for-one split of the Company’s Class A Common Stock (“Common Stock”). The stock split was effected in the form of a stock dividend paid to stockholders of record as of the close of business on February 16, 2021. The additional shares were distributed on March 4, 2021, and the Company’s Common Stock began trading on a split-adjusted basis on March 5, 2021. As a result of the stock split, stockholders received one additional share of Common Stock for each share held as of the record date. All current and prior year data impacted by the stock split and presented in this Item 7 and throughout this Annual Report, including number of shares and per share information, earnings per share, and dividends per share amounts, among others, have been retroactively adjusted to reflect the effect of the stock split. Refer to Note 1 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for further information related to the stock split.

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Overview

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General

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Amphenol is one of the world’s largest designers, manufacturers and marketers of electrical, electronic and fiber optic connectors and interconnect systems, antennas, sensors and sensor-based products and coaxial and high-speed specialty cable. Through December 31, 2021, the Company operated through two reporting segments: (i) Interconnect Products and Assemblies and (ii) Cable Products and Solutions. In 2021, approximately 71% of the Company’s sales were outside the United States. The primary end markets for our products are:

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The Company’s products are used in a wide variety of applications by a wide array of customers around the world. The Company competes primarily on the basis of technology innovation, product quality and performance, price, customer service and delivery time. A trend among customers has been to consolidate their lists of qualified suppliers to companies that have the ability to meet certain technical, quality, delivery and other standards while maintaining competitive prices. The Company has focused its global resources to position itself to compete effectively in this environment. The Company believes that its global presence is an important competitive advantage as it allows the Company to provide quality products on a timely and worldwide basis to its multinational customers.

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Effective January 1, 2022, the Company aligned its businesses into three newly formed reportable business segments: (i) Harsh Environment Solutions, (ii) Communications Solutions and (iii) Interconnect and Sensor Systems. This new alignment replaces our historic reportable business segments. All businesses previously reported in the Interconnect Products and Assemblies segment have now been aligned with one of the three newly formed segments. All businesses previously reported in the Cable Products and Solutions segment have now been aligned with our newly formed Communications Solutions segment. This new alignment reinforces the Company’s entrepreneurial culture and the clear accountability of each of our business unit general managers, while enhancing the scalability of Amphenol’s business for the future. The Company will begin reporting its new reportable segments in connection with its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ending March 31, 2022, including the recasting of relevant prior year period segment information for conformity of presentation. For further details related to the Company’s change in its reportable business segments effective January 1, 2022, refer to Note 16 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements herein.

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Strategy

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The Company’s strategy is to provide its customers with comprehensive design capabilities, a broad selection of products and a high level of service on a worldwide basis, while maintaining continuing programs of productivity improvement and cost control. The Company focuses its research and development efforts through close collaboration with its customers to develop highly engineered products that meet customer needs and have the potential for broad market applications and significant sales within a one- to three-year period. The Company is also focused on controlling costs. The Company does this by investing in modern manufacturing technologies, controlling purchasing processes and expanding into lower cost areas.

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The Company’s strategic objective is to further enhance its position in its served markets by pursuing the following success factors:

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In 2021, the Company reported net sales, operating income and net income from continuing operations attributable to Amphenol Corporation of $10,876.3, $2,105.1 and $1,569.4, respectively, representing an increase of 26%, 28% and 30%, respectively, from 2020. In 2021, the Company’s net income from continuing operations attributable to Amphenol Corporation was impacted by (a) excess tax benefits of $63.4 related to stock-based compensation resulting from stock option exercises and (b) a discrete tax benefit of $14.9 related to the settlement of uncertain tax positions in certain non-U.S. jurisdictions, partially offset by (c) acquisition-related expenses of $70.4 ($57.3 after-tax) comprised primarily of transaction, severance, restructuring and certain non-cash purchase accounting costs related to the acquisition of MTS Systems Corporation (“MTS”) in the second quarter of 2021 and external transaction costs and certain non-cash purchase accounting costs related to the acquisition of Halo Technology Limited (“Halo”) in the fourth quarter of 2021. In 2020, the Company’s net income from continuing operations attributable to Amphenol Corporation was impacted by (a) excess tax benefits of $42.8 related to stock-based compensation resulting from stock option exercises and (b) a discrete tax benefit of $19.9 related to the settlements of refund claims in a non-U.S. jurisdiction and the resulting adjustments to deferred taxes, partially offset by (c) acquisition-related expenses of $11.5 ($10.7 after-tax) comprised primarily of external transaction costs related to acquisitions that were announced or closed. Excluding the effects of these items, Adjusted Operating Income and Adjusted Net Income from continuing operations attributable to Amphenol Corporation, as defined in the “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” section below and reconciled within this Part II, Item 7, increased by 32% and 34%, respectively, in 2021 compared to 2020. Sales and profitability trends are discussed in detail in “Results of Operations” below. In addition, a strength of the Company has been its ability to consistently generate net cash provided by operating activities from continuing operations (“Operating Cash Flow”). The Company uses Operating Cash Flow to fund capital expenditures and acquisitions, repurchase shares of its Common Stock, pay dividends and reduce indebtedness. In 2021, the Company generated Operating Cash Flow of $1,523.9 and Free Cash Flow of $1,167.2. Free Cash Flow, a non-GAAP financial measure, is defined in the “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” section below and reconciled within this Part II, Item 7.

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Impact of COVID-19 on our Business, Operations, Financial Condition, Liquidity and Results of Operations

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The COVID-19 pandemic has affected our offices and manufacturing facilities throughout the world, as well as the facilities of our suppliers, customers and our customers’ contract manufacturers. The COVID-19 pandemic caused widespread disruptions to our Company during the first half of 2020, and to a lesser extent, those disruptions continued during the second half of 2020 and throughout all of 2021. As of December 31, 2021, we continue to experience some disruptions, and at a minimum, particularly given the surge of cases resulting from the Omicron variant, we expect those disruptions to continue into 2022 and potentially beyond. These disruptions have included and may continue to include government regulations that inhibit our ability to operate certain of our facilities in the ordinary course, travel restrictions, supplier constraints, supply-chain interruptions, logistics challenges and limitations, labor disruptions and reduced demand from certain customers. During 2021 and into 2022, there have been resurgences in COVID-19 cases in several regions around the world, particularly related to new variant strains, including Delta and Omicron. The extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic will continue to impact our business and financial results going forward will be dependent on future developments such as the length and severity of the crisis, the impact of the recent resurgence of the crisis due to the Omicron variant, as well as any additional future resurgences from known or new variants, future government regulations and actions in response to the crisis, the timing, availability, effectiveness and adoption rates of vaccines and treatments, and the overall impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global economy and capital markets, among many other factors, all of which remain highly uncertain and unpredictable. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic could impact the health of our management team and other employees. Given these uncertainties, we expect the pandemic to continue to have an impact on our business, operations, financial condition, liquidity and results of operations in 2022 and potentially beyond. There can be no assurance that the COVID-19 pandemic will not have a material and adverse effect on our business, operations, financial condition, liquidity and results of operations in the future. For further discussion on the risks and uncertainties associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, refer to Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors.

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Results of Operations

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The following table sets forth the components of net income attributable to Amphenol Corporation as a percentage of net sales for the years indicated.

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2021 Compared to 2020

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Net sales were $10,876.3 for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to $8,598.9 for the year ended December 31, 2020, which represented an increase of 26% in U.S. dollars, 25% in constant currencies, and 18% organically (excluding both currency and acquisition impacts), over the prior year. The increase in net sales in 2021 was driven by growth in several markets in the Interconnect Products and Assemblies segment, as described below.

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Net sales in the Interconnect Products and Assemblies segment (approximately 96% of net sales) increased 27% in U.S. dollars, 25% in constant currencies, and 19% organically, in 2021, compared to 2020. The sales growth in 2021 was driven by strong growth across nearly all end markets, including the industrial, automotive, information technology and data communications, military and mobile networks markets, along with moderate growth in the mobile devices

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market and contributions from the Company’s acquisition program. This sales growth was partially offset by a decline in the commercial aerospace market, which continued to be negatively impacted by the significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on travel and aircraft production. The strong sales growth in 2021 in the Interconnect Products and Assemblies segment also reflected a recovery in certain markets from the more negative impact resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic during 2020. Net sales to the industrial market increased (approximately $864.6), with broad-based growth across nearly all market segments of the global industrial market, with particular strength in heavy equipment, factory automation, industrial instrumentation, battery and heavy electric vehicle, alternative energy, rail mass transit, and transportation, along with contributions from acquisitions. Net sales to the automotive market increased (approximately $683.4), reflecting the continued recovery and growth in most regions of the global automotive market, as well as the Company’s expanded position in next-generation electronics, including in particular electric and hybrid drive trains. Net sales to the information technology and data communications market increased (approximately $482.7), driven primarily by continued strong sales growth to web service providers and broad-based market demand for server, storage and networking related products as customers worked to support higher demand for increased bandwidth. Net sales to the military market increased (approximately $135.8), driven by strength across nearly all segments of the military market, including missile, military communications and naval and space-related applications, along with a recovery from the impact of pandemic-related production disruptions experienced during the first half of 2020, as well as contributions from acquisitions. Net sales to the mobile networks market increased (approximately $60.5), driven by a recovery in demand from mobile networks equipment manufacturers and mobile operators, which was primarily driven by increased demand for products used in 5G network build-outs and contributions from acquisitions, offset in part by reductions of sales to certain customers in China that were added to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s “Entity List”. Net sales to the mobile devices market increased (approximately $45.7), driven by growth in products incorporated into laptops and wearable devices, along with production-related products, and was partially offset by moderations of sales into smartphones and tablets. Net sales to the commercial aerospace market decreased (approximately $26.6) primarily due to the continued significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on travel and aircraft production.

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Net sales in the Cable Products and Solutions segment (approximately 4% of net sales), which primarily serves the broadband communications market, increased 21% in U.S. dollars, 20% in constant currencies and 15% organically in 2021, compared to 2020. The increase in net sales in the Cable Products and Solutions segment was primarily driven by increased market demand from broadband operators and mobile network service providers, as well as the contribution from one acquisition in this segment that closed during the first quarter of 2021.

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The table below reconciles Constant Currency Net Sales Growth and Organic Net Sales Growth to the most directly comparable U.S. GAAP financial measures, by segment, geography and consolidated, for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to the year ended December 31, 2020:

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The increase in foreign net sales in 2021 compared to 2020 was driven by strong growth in both Europe and Asia. The comparatively weaker U.S. dollar in 2021 had the effect of increasing sales by approximately $159.1, compared to 2020.

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Selling, general and administrative expenses were $1,226.3, or 11.3% of net sales for 2021, compared to $1,014.2, or 11.8% of net sales for 2020. The decrease in selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of net sales in 2021 was driven primarily by higher sales during the year, relative to 2020 which was more negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, slightly offset by the impact of MTS’s Sensors business, acquired in 2021, which currently has higher selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of net sales compared to the average of the Company. Administrative expenses increased $78.6 in 2021, and represented approximately 4.5% of net sales in 2021 and 4.8% of net sales in 2020. Research and development expenses increased $57.0 in 2021 primarily related to increases in expenses for new product development, and represented approximately 2.9% of net sales in 2021 and 3.0% of net sales in 2020. Selling and marketing expenses increased $76.5 in 2021 compared to 2020, and represented approximately 3.8% of net sales in 2021 and 4.0% of net sales in 2020.

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Operating income was $2,105.1, or 19.4% of net sales in 2021, compared to $1,638.4, or 19.1% of net sales in 2020. Operating income in 2021 included acquisition-related expenses of $70.4, comprised primarily of transaction, severance, restructuring and certain non-cash purchase accounting costs related to the MTS acquisition in the second quarter of 2021, along with external transaction costs and certain non-cash purchase accounting costs related to the Halo acquisition in the fourth quarter of 2021. Operating income in 2020 included acquisition-related expenses of $11.5, comprised primarily of external transaction costs related to acquisitions that were announced or closed. These acquisition-related expenses in 2021 and 2020 had the effect of decreasing net income from continuing operations by $57.3, or $0.09 per share, and $10.7, or $0.02 per share, respectively. Acquisition-related expenses are separately presented in the Consolidated Statements of Income. Excluding the effect of these acquisition-related expenses, Adjusted Operating Income and Adjusted Operating Margin, as defined in the “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” section below, were $2,175.5 and 20.0% of net sales, respectively, in 2021, and $1,649.9 and 19.2% of net sales, respectively, in 2020. The increase in Adjusted Operating Income and Adjusted Operating Margin in 2021 relative to 2020 was primarily driven by the Interconnect Products and Assemblies segment, as discussed further below.

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Operating income for the Interconnect Products and Assemblies segment in 2021 was $2,296.8, or 22.0% of net sales, compared to $1,741.2, or 21.2% of net sales in 2020. The increase in operating margin for the Interconnect Products and Assemblies segment for 2021 compared to 2020 is driven by normal operating leverage on the higher sales volumes combined with the benefit of a lower cost impact resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic compared to 2020, partially offset by the impact of the more challenging commodity and supply chain environment experienced in 2021.

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Operating income for the Cable Products and Solutions segment in 2021 was $22.8, or 5.1% of net sales, compared to $35.4, or 9.6% of net sales in 2020. The decrease in operating margin for the Cable Products and Solutions segment in 2021 compared to 2020 is driven by the impact of the more challenging commodity, logistics and supply chain environment experienced in 2021.

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Interest expense was $115.5 in 2021 compared to $115.4 in 2020. Refer to Note 4 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for further information related to the Company’s debt.

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Provision for income taxes was at an effective rate of 20.6% in 2021 and 20.5% in 2020. Provision for income taxes in 2021 included (i) excess tax benefits of $63.4 from stock option exercises and (ii) a discrete tax benefit of $14.9 related to the settlement of uncertain tax positions in certain non-U.S. jurisdictions, all of which was partially offset by the tax effects related to acquisition-related expenses during the year. These items had the aggregate effect of decreasing the effective tax rate and increasing earnings per share by the amounts noted in the table below. Provision for income taxes in 2020 included (i) excess tax benefits of $42.8 from stock option exercises and (ii) a discrete tax benefit of $19.9 related to the settlements of refund claims in a non-U.S. jurisdiction and the resulting adjustments to deferred taxes, which were partially offset by the tax effects related to acquisition-related expenses during the year. These items had the aggregate effect of decreasing the effective tax rate and increasing earnings per share by the amounts noted in the table below. Excluding the effect of these items, the Adjusted Effective Tax Rate, a non-GAAP financial measure as defined in the “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” section below within this Item 7, was 24.3% and 24.5% for 2021 and 2020, respectively, as reconciled in the table below to the comparable effective tax rate based on GAAP results. For additional details related to the reconciliation between the U.S. statutory federal tax rate and the Company’s effective tax rate for these years, refer to Note 6 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

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Net income from continuing operations attributable to Amphenol Corporation and Net income from continuing operations per common share attributable to Amphenol Corporation-Diluted (“Diluted EPS”) were $1,569.4 and $2.51, respectively, for 2021, compared to $1,203.4 and $1.96, respectively, for 2020. Excluding the effect of the aforementioned items discussed above, Adjusted Net Income from continuing operations attributable to Amphenol Corporation and Adjusted Diluted EPS, non-GAAP financial measures as defined in the “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” section below within this Item 7, were $1,548.4 and $2.48, respectively, for 2021, compared to $1,151.4 and $1.87, respectively, for 2020.

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The following table reconciles Adjusted Operating Income, Adjusted Operating Margin, Adjusted Net Income from continuing operations attributable to Amphenol Corporation, Adjusted Effective Tax Rate and Adjusted Diluted EPS (all on a continuing operations basis only, as defined in the “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” section below) to the most directly comparable U.S. GAAP financial measures for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020:

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Note: All data in the tables above are on a continuing operations basis only and exclude results associated with discontinued operations

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2020 Compared to 2019

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Net sales were $8,598.9 for the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to $8,225.4 for the year ended December 31, 2019, which represented an increase of 5% in U.S. dollars, 4% in constant currencies, and 2% organically (excluding both currency and acquisition impacts), over the prior year. The increase in net sales in 2020 was driven by strong growth in several markets, which was partially offset by the sudden and severe slowdown in certain of our markets resulting from the global outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, which also caused production disruptions in many parts of the world during much of the first half of 2020.

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Net sales in the Interconnect Products and Assemblies segment (approximately 96% of net sales) increased 5% in U.S. dollars, 4% in constant currencies, and 2% organically, in 2020, compared to 2019. The sales growth was driven by strong growth in the industrial, information technology and data communications, and mobile devices markets, along with moderate growth in the military market, and contributions from the Company’s acquisition program. This sales growth was partially offset by declines in the commercial aerospace, mobile networks and automotive markets, all of which were negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Net sales to the industrial market increased (approximately $246.4), primarily driven by strength in battery and electric vehicle, industrial instrumentation, heavy equipment, alternative energy and medical applications, along with contributions from acquisitions. Net sales to the information technology and data communications market increased (approximately $234.0), driven primarily by strong sales growth to data center customers and market demand for storage and networking related products as customers worked to support higher demand for increased bandwidth to support work, school and entertainment activities during the pandemic, along with contributions from acquisitions. Net sales to the mobile devices market increased (approximately $179.9), driven by strength in products incorporated into laptops, tablets, wearable devices, and accessories along with production-related products, and was partially offset by a slight moderation of sales into smartphones. Net sales to the military market increased (approximately $32.2), driven by strength across multiple segments of the military market, offset in part by the impact of pandemic-related production disruptions experienced during the first half of the year. Net sales to the commercial aerospace market decreased significantly (approximately $135.3) primarily due to the significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on travel and aircraft production. Net sales

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to the mobile networks market decreased (approximately $98.5), which reflected the impact of the 2019 U.S. Government restrictions on certain Chinese customers as well as reduced demand from both mobile networks equipment manufacturers and mobile operators, partially as a result of the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, offset in part by contributions from acquisitions. Net sales to the automotive market decreased (approximately $86.0), due to a significant reduction in demand resulting from customer factory shutdowns together with production disruptions in the first half of 2020 resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, which was partially offset by a strong recovery of demand during the second half of the year.

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Net sales in the Cable Products and Solutions segment (approximately 4% of net sales), which primarily serves the broadband communications market, decreased 4% in U.S. dollars, 1% in constant currencies and 1% organically in 2020, compared to 2019. The decrease in net sales in the Cable Products and Solutions segment was largely driven by the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic primarily during the first half of 2020, as well as an overall weakness in market demand.

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The table below reconciles Constant Currency Net Sales Growth and Organic Net Sales Growth to the most directly comparable U.S. GAAP financial measures, by segment, geography and consolidated, for the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to the year ended December 31, 2019:

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