PHOENIX — (BUSINESS WIRE) — February 1, 2021 — ON Semiconductor Corporation (Nasdaq: ON) today announced financial results for the fourth quarter of 2020 and the fiscal year 2020 with the following highlights:

• Fourth Quarter revenue of $1,446.3 million, up three percent year-over-year
• Fourth Quarter GAAP diluted earnings per share of $0.21 as compared to $0.14 in the quarter a year ago
• Fourth Quarter Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share of $0.35, as compared to $0.30 in the quarter a year ago
• Record automotive revenue of $491 million in the fourth quarter
• Annual 2020 operating cash flow increased to $884.3 million from $694.7 million in 2019 on a 5 percent lower revenue
• Annual 2020 free cash flow increased to $500.7 million, from $160.1 million in 2019

“In the fourth quarter, we saw strong improvement in business trends driven by broad-based improvement in global macroeconomic environment, lean inventories, and a steep recovery in the automotive end-market, in which we continue to see our content growth exceed the overall automotive market growth. Based on current demand trends and the global macroeconomic outlook, we expect to continue to see above seasonal demand trends in the near term,” said Hassane El-Khoury, president and CEO of ON Semiconductor.

“ON Semiconductor has tremendous potential, and I am excited about the opportunities we have to unlock that potential and create value for our shareholders, customers, and employees. The company has outstanding assets, targeting the fastest growing semiconductor end-markets with solid margin potential. As we reposition the company, we aim to realign capital allocation and investments in the business with our strategic intent of driving strong revenue growth, structural margin expansion, and free cash flow generation.”

FIRST QUARTER 2021 OUTLOOK

Based on product booking trends, backlog levels, and estimated turns levels, the Company anticipates that first quarter of 2021 revenue will be approximately $1,410 to $1,510 million.

GAAP and non-GAAP gross margin for first quarter 2021 is expected to be between 34.1 percent and 36.1 percent.

The outlook for the first quarter of 2021 includes anticipated stock-based compensation expense of approximately $15 to $17 million. Net cash paid for income taxes is expected to be $18 to $24 million.

The following table outlines ON Semiconductor's projected first quarter of 2021 GAAP and non-GAAP outlook.

TELECONFERENCE

ON Semiconductor will host a conference call for the financial community at 9 a.m. Eastern Time (EST) on Feb. 1, 2021 to discuss this announcement and ON Semiconductor’s results for the fourth quarter of 2020 and year then ended. The Company will also provide a real-time audio webcast of the teleconference on the Investor Relations page of its website at http://www.onsemi.com. The webcast replay will be available at this site approximately one hour following the live broadcast and will continue to be available for approximately 30 days following the conference call. Investors and interested parties can also access the conference call through a telephone call by dialing (877) 356-3762 (U.S./Canada) or (262) 558-6155 (International). In order to join this conference call, you will be required to provide the Conference ID Number, which is 3795935.

About ON Semiconductor

ON Semiconductor (Nasdaq: ON) is driving energy efficient innovations, empowering customers to reduce global energy use. The Company is a leading supplier of semiconductor-based solutions, offering a comprehensive portfolio of energy efficient power management, analog, sensors, logic, timing, connectivity, discrete, SoC and custom devices. The Company’s products help engineers solve their unique design challenges in automotive, communications, computing, consumer, industrial, medical, aerospace and defense applications. ON Semiconductor operates a responsive, reliable, world-class supply chain and quality program, a robust compliance and ethics program and a network of manufacturing facilities, sales offices and design centers in key markets throughout North America, Europe and the Asia Pacific regions. For more information, visit http://www.onsemi.com.

ON Semiconductor and the ON Semiconductor logo are registered trademarks of Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC. All other brand and product names appearing in this document are registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective holders. Although the Company references its website in this news release, information on the website is not to be incorporated herein.

This document includes “forward-looking statements,” as that term is defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included or incorporated in this document could be deemed forward-looking statements, particularly statements about the future financial performance of ON Semiconductor, including financial guidance for the year ending December 31, 2021. Forward-looking statements are often characterized by the use of words such as “believes,” “estimates,” “expects,” “projects,” “may,” “will,” “intends,” “plans,” “should,” “anticipates,” or similar expressions or by discussions of strategy, plans, or intentions. All forward-looking statements in this document are made based on our current expectations, forecasts, estimates, and assumptions and involve risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause results or events to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements. Additional factors that could affect our future results or events are described under Part I, Item 1A “Risk Factors” in our 2019 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on February 19, 2020 (our “2019 Form 10-K”), Part II, Item IA “Risk Factors” in our Form 10-Q for the quarter ended April 3, 2020 (our “First Quarter 10-Q”), our Form 10-Q for the quarter ended July 3, 2020 (our “Second Quarter 10-Q”), and our Form 10-Q for the quarter ended October 2, 2020 (our “Third Quarter 10-Q”), and from time-to-time in our other SEC reports. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. We assume no obligation to update such information, except as may be required by law.

You should carefully consider the trends, risks, and uncertainties described in this document, our 2019 Form 10-K, our First Quarter 10-Q, our Second Quarter 10-Q, our Third Quarter 10-Q, and other reports filed with or furnished to the SEC before making any investment decision with respect to our securities. If any of these trends, risks, or uncertainties actually occurs or continues, our business, financial condition, or operating results could be materially adversely affected, the trading prices of our securities could decline, and you could lose all or part of your investment. All forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement.

Certain of the amounts in the above tables may not total due to rounding of individual amounts.

Total share-based compensation related to the Company’s restricted stock units, stock grant awards, and employee stock purchase plan is included below.

NON-GAAP MEASURES

To supplement the consolidated financial results prepared in accordance with GAAP, ON Semiconductor uses certain non-GAAP measures, which are adjusted from the most directly comparable GAAP measures to exclude items related to the amortization of intangible assets, amortization of acquisition-related intangibles, expensing of appraised inventory fair market value step-up, inventory valuation adjustments, purchased in-process research and development expenses, restructuring, asset impairments and other, net, goodwill impairment charges, gains and losses on debt prepayment, non-cash interest expense, actuarial (gains) losses on pension plans and other pension benefits, third party acquisition and divestiture related costs, tax impact of these items, and certain other non-recurring items, as necessary. Management does not consider the effects of these items in evaluating the core operational activities of ON Semiconductor. Management uses these non-GAAP measures internally to make strategic decisions, forecast future results, and evaluate ON Semiconductor’s current performance. In addition, the Company believes that most analysts covering ON Semiconductor use the non-GAAP measures to evaluate ON Semiconductor’s performance. Given management’s and other relevant use of these non-GAAP measures, ON Semiconductor believes these measures are important to investors in understanding ON Semiconductor’s current and future operating results as seen through the eyes of management. In addition, management believes these non-GAAP measures are useful to investors in enabling them to better assess changes in ON Semiconductor’s core business across different time periods. These non-GAAP measures are not prepared in accordance with, and should not be considered alternatives or necessarily superior to, GAAP financial data and may be different from non-GAAP measures used by other companies. Because non-GAAP financial measures are not standardized, it may not be possible to compare these financial measures with other companies’ non-GAAP financial measures, even if they have similar names.

Adjusted EBITDA

Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure that represents net income before interest expense, interest income, provision for income taxes, depreciation, and amortization expense and special items. We use the adjusted EBITDA measure for internal managerial evaluation purposes, as a means to evaluate period-to-period comparisons and as a performance metric for the vesting and release of certain of our performance-based equity awards. SEC Regulation G and other federal securities laws regulate the use of financial measures that are not prepared in accordance with GAAP. We believe this measure provides important supplemental information to investors. However, we do not, and you should not, rely on non-GAAP financial measures alone as measures of our performance.

Non-GAAP Revenue

The use of non-GAAP revenue allows management to evaluate, among other things, the revenue from the Company’s core businesses and trends across different reporting periods on a consistent basis, independent of special items. In addition, non-GAAP revenue is an important component of management’s internal performance measurement and incentive and reward process as it is used to assess the current and historical financial results of the business and for strategic decision making, preparing budgets, obtaining targets and forecasting future results. Management presents this non-GAAP financial measure to enable investors and analysts to evaluate the Company's revenue generation performance relative to the direct costs of operations of ON Semiconductor’s core businesses.

Non-GAAP Gross Profit and Gross Margin

The use of non-GAAP gross profit and gross margin allows management to evaluate, among other things, the gross margin and gross profit of the Company’s core businesses and trends across different reporting periods on a consistent basis, independent of non-cash items including, generally speaking, expensing of appraised inventory fair market value step-up and the impact from the change in revenue recognition on distributor sales. In addition, it is an important component of management’s internal performance measurement and incentive and reward process as it is used to assess the current and historical financial results of the business and for strategic decision making, preparing budgets, obtaining targets, and forecasting future results. Management presents this non-GAAP financial measure to enable investors and analysts to evaluate our revenue generation performance relative to the direct costs of revenue of ON Semiconductor’s core businesses.

Non-GAAP Operating Income and Operating Margin

The use of non-GAAP operating income and operating margin allows management to evaluate, among other things, the operating margin and operating income of the Company’s core businesses and trends across different reporting periods on a consistent basis, independent of non-cash items including, generally speaking, expensing of appraised inventory fair market value step-up, the impact from the change in revenue recognition on distributor sales, amortization and impairments of intangible assets, third party acquisition and divestiture related costs, restructuring charges, and certain other special items as necessary. In addition, it is an important component of management’s internal performance measurement and incentive and reward process as it is used to assess the current and historical financial results of the business and for strategic decision making, preparing budgets, obtaining targets, and forecasting future results. Management presents this non-GAAP financial measure to enable investors and analysts to evaluate our revenue generation performance relative to the direct costs of operations of ON Semiconductor’s core businesses.

Non-GAAP Net Income Attributable to ON Semiconductor and Non-GAAP Diluted Earnings Per Share

The use of non-GAAP net income attributable to ON Semiconductor and non-GAAP diluted earnings per share allows management to evaluate the operating results of ON Semiconductor’s core businesses and trends across different reporting periods on a consistent basis, independent of non-cash items including, generally, the amortization and impairments of intangible assets, expensing of appraised inventory fair market value step-up, the impact from the change in revenue recognition on distributor sales, restructuring, gains and losses on debt prepayment, non-cash interest expense, actuarial (gains) losses on pension plans and other pension benefits, third party acquisition and divestiture related costs, tax indemnification by third parties, tax impact of these items and other non-GAAP adjustments, and certain other special items, as necessary. In addition, these items are important components of management’s internal performance measurement and incentive and reward process, as they are used to assess the current and historical financial results of the business and for strategic decision making, preparing budgets, setting targets, and forecasting future results. Management presents these non-GAAP financial measures to enable investors and analysts to understand the results of operations of ON Semiconductor’s core businesses and, to the extent comparable, to compare our results of operations on a more consistent basis against that of other companies in our industry.

Free Cash Flow

The use of free cash flow allows management to evaluate, among other things, the ability of the Company to make interest or principal payments on its debt. Free cash flow is defined as the difference between cash flow from operating activities and capital expenditures disclosed under investing activities in the consolidated statement of cash flows. Free cash flow is not an alternate to cash flow from operating activities as a measure of liquidity. It is an important component of management’s internal performance measurement and incentive and reward process as it is used to assess the current and historical financial results of the business and for strategic decision making, preparing budgets, obtaining targets, and forecasting future results. Management presents this non-GAAP financial measure to enable investors and analysts to evaluate our revenue generation performance relative to the direct costs of operations of ON Semiconductor’s core businesses.

Non-GAAP Diluted Share Count

The use of non-GAAP diluted share count allows management to evaluate, among other things, the potential dilution due to the outstanding stock options and restricted stock units excluding the dilution from the convertible notes that is covered by hedging activity up to a certain threshold. In periods in which the quarterly average stock price per share exceeds $25.96, the non-GAAP diluted shares outstanding and non-GAAP net income per share include the impact of the Company’s warrants issued concurrently with our 1.00% convertible notes. In periods when the quarterly average stock price per share exceeds $20.72, the non-GAAP diluted shares outstanding and non-GAAP net income per share include the impact of the Company’s hedge transactions issued concurrently with the 1.625% convertible notes. At an average stock price per share between $20.72 and $30.70, the hedging activity offsets the potentially dilutive effect of the 1.625% convertible notes.

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Kris Pugsley
Corporate/Media Communications
ON Semiconductor
(312) 909-0661
kris.pugsley@onsemi.com

Parag Agarwal
Vice President - Investor Relations & Corporate Development
ON Semiconductor
(602) 244-3437
investor@onsemi.com