10-KPeriod: FY2002

CELESTICA INC Annual Report, Year Ended Dec 31, 2002

Filed April 21, 2003For Securities:CLS

Summary

Celestica Inc. filed its 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2002, on April 21, 2003. The report highlights a challenging year marked by a significant revenue decline of 17% to $8.3 billion, driven by a prolonged downturn in the information technology and communications sectors. The company experienced reduced demand, leading to lower volumes and margin pressures, particularly in its European operations. To address these challenges, Celestica continued its restructuring efforts, focusing on capacity reduction and shifting operations to lower-cost geographies, with substantial restructuring charges recorded. Despite the revenue drop, Celestica focused on strengthening its financial position by increasing its cash balance and reducing working capital. The company also actively managed its debt, redeeming Senior Subordinated Notes and repurchasing convertible debt. Looking ahead, Celestica anticipates continued market uncertainty but remains committed to its strategy of leveraging technology, quality, and supply chain management to secure strategic relationships with leading OEMs, while also pursuing diversification and cost optimization initiatives.

Key Highlights

  • 1Revenue for 2002 decreased by 17% to $8.3 billion compared to $10.0 billion in 2001, reflecting weak demand in IT and communications end markets.
  • 2Gross margin declined to 6.7% in 2002 from 7.1% in 2001, attributed to reduced business volumes, industry pricing pressures, and lower utilization, especially in Europe.
  • 3Celestica recorded significant 'Other Charges' totaling $677.8 million in 2002, primarily due to restructuring charges ($385.4 million) and goodwill impairment ($203.7 million).
  • 4The company continued its restructuring efforts, with plans to further reduce manufacturing capacity, expecting charges between $50.0 million and $70.0 million in 2003.
  • 5Celestica's financial position improved in terms of liquidity, with its cash balance reaching its highest level in history, and effective management of working capital.
  • 6The company continued its focus on strategic acquisitions, although the pace slowed in 2002 compared to 2001, with $111.0 million spent on acquisitions.
  • 7Despite operational challenges, Celestica remains controlled by Onex Corporation, which held approximately 84% of the voting interest as of February 28, 2003.

Frequently Asked Questions

In 2002, Celestica experienced a challenging financial year. Revenue decreased by 17% to $8.3 billion compared to $10.0 billion in 2001. The company recorded a net loss of $445.2 million, a significant decline from a net loss of $39.8 million in 2001. This performance was largely due to weak demand in its key customer industries and significant restructuring and impairment charges.

Celestica faces several key risks, including fluctuations in operating results due to order volume variability, dependence on a limited number of customers (with the top three accounting for 48% of 2002 revenue), exposure to general economic conditions, significant restructuring activities and associated costs, and risks related to its international operations, including political and economic instability in certain regions and foreign currency fluctuations.

Celestica focused on strengthening its financial position. Operating activities generated substantial cash ($982.8 million), which was sufficient to fund capital expenditures, acquisitions, debt repayment, and stock repurchases. The company redeemed its entire $130.0 million of outstanding Senior Subordinated Notes and continued to repurchase its convertible notes (LYONs).

The company indicated that market visibility remained limited in early 2003 due to continued economic uncertainty. Celestica planned further capacity reductions, anticipating between $50.0 million and $70.0 million in restructuring charges for 2003. While expecting to leverage outsourcing trends, the company cautioned that significant deterioration in economic conditions could lead to further capacity reductions and negatively impact profitability.