SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION 			 Washington, DC 20549 				 Form 10-Q /X/ Quarterly Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 For the quarterly period ended December 31, 1996. / / Transition Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 For the transition period from __________ to __________ Commission file number 1-10431 	 			 AVX CORPORATION 	 Delaware 33-0379007 (State of other jurisdiction (IRS Employer ID No.) of incorporation or organization) 	 801 17th Avenue South, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina 29577 		 (Address of principal executive offices) 	 				 (803) 448-9411 				 	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 X No ___ Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the issuer's classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date. 							 Class Outstanding at February 7, 1997 Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share 88,000,000 			 AVX CORPORATION 	 			 INDEX 								 Page Number PART I: Financial Information ITEM 1. Financial Statements 	Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 1996 	and March 31, 1996 1 	Consolidated Statements of Income for the three months 	ended December 31, 1996 and 1995 and for the nine months 	ended December 31, 1996 and 1995 2 	Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the nine months 	ended December 31, 1996 and 1995 3 	Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements 4-5 ITEM 2. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Results of 	Operations and Financial Condition PART II: Other Information 	 	 Signatures 	 	 Exhibits 1 			AVX CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES 		 CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS 		 (dollars in thousands, except share data) 					 December 31, 1996 March 31, 1996 				 	 ----------------- --------------- 					 (unaudited) Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $175,903 $131,601 Accounts receivable, net 135,981 139,545 Inventories 255,437 243,155 Deferred income taxes 30,853 30,853 Other receivables - affiliates 4,071 2,429 Prepaid and other 15,299 13,562 				 	 ------- ------- Total current assets 617,544 561,145 Property and equipment: Land 10,597 9,370 Buildings and improvements 116,840 109,574 Machinery and equipment 576,956 506,004 Construction in progress 38,196 46,030 						 ------- ------- 					 	 742,589 670,978 Accumulated depreciation (462,587) (404,432) 					 	 ------- ------- 			 		 280,002 266,546 Goodwill, net 35,702 36,067 Other assets 4,289 3,758 				 		 ------- ------- TOTAL ASSETS $937,537 $867,516 			 		======== ======== Current liabilities: Short-term debt - bank $ 18,095 $ 19,398 Current maturities of long-term debt 2,328 1,398 Accounts payable: Trade 32,830 31,755 Affiliates 34,203 33,040 Income taxes payable 43,049 35,546 Accrued payroll and benefits 34,432 40,481 Accrued expenses 26,411 41,597 	 					 ------- ------- Total current liabilities 191,348 203,215 Long-term debt 4,414 8,507 Deferred income taxes 19,647 22,818 Other liabilities 12,244 8,976 	 					 ------- ------- TOTAL LIABILITIES 227,653 243,516 Contingencies (Note 4) ------- ------- Stockholders' equity: Preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share: Authorized, 20,000,000 shares; None issued or outstanding Common stock, par value $0.01 per share: Authorized, 300,000,000 shares; 88,000,000 shares issued and outstanding 880 880 Additional paid-in capital 319,909 319,909 Retained earnings 383,074 306,923 Foreign currency translation adjustment 6,021 (3,712) 						 ------- ------- TOTAL STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY 709,884 624,000 						 ------- ------- TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY $937,537 $867,516 			 			======== ======== <FN> <FN1> See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements. </FN> </TABLE/> 2 			 AVX CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES 		 CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (UNAUDITED) 			 (dollars in thousands, except share data) 			Three Months ended December 31, Nine Months ended December 31, 			 1996 1995 1996 1995 		 -------------------------------- ------------------------------ Net sales $289,574 $302,716 $825,694 $914,909 Cost of sales 224,941 222,888 621,980 674,677 			 ------- ------- ------- ------- Gross profit 64,633 79,828 203,714 240,232 Selling, general and administrative expenses 22,253 28,501 74,989 89,000 			 ------- ------- ------- ------- Profit from operations 42,380 51,327 128,725 151,232 Other income (expense): Interest income 1,900 1,699 5,168 3,562 Interest expense (497) (679) (1,503) (1,902) Other, net 444 459 988 1,006 			 ------- ------ ------- ------- Income before income taxes 44,227 52,806 133,378 153,898 Provision for income taxes 14,176 18,608 42,707 52,857 			 ------- ------- ------- ------- Net income $ 30,051 $ 34,198 $ 90,671 $101,041 Income per share $ 0.34 $ 0.39 $ 1.03 $ 1.16 			 			 Weighted average number of common shares outstanding 88,000,000 88,000,000 88,000,000 86,900,000 <FN> <FN1> See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements. </FN> </TABLE/> 3 				 AVX CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES 			 CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (UNAUDITED) 				 (dollars in thousands) 	 					Nine Months Ended December 31, 			 			 1996 1995 Operating Activities: Net Income $ 90,671 $101,041 Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash from operating activities: Depreciation and amortization 59,241 51,293 Deferred income taxes (3,158) (6,486) Changes in operating assets and liabilities: 	Accounts receivable 9,852 (21,928) 	Inventories (8,196) (41,063) 	Accounts payable and accrued expenses (22,053) 19,733 	Income taxes payable 5,226 12,273 	Other assets and liabilities 744 5,432 						 ------- ------- Net cash from operating activities 132,327 120,295 						 ------- ------- Investing Activities: Purchases of property and equipment (70,475) (82,411) Proceeds from sale of operations to affiliate 3,973 Other 2 (79) 						 ------- ------- Net cash used in investing activities (70,473) (78,517) 						 ------- ------- Financing Activities: Repayment of debt (3,523) (2,867) Dividends paid (14,520) (15,044) Proceeds from issuance of debt 65 8,696 Proceeds from issuance of common stock 52,889 						 ------- ------- Net cash from (used in) financing activities (17,978) 43,674 						 ------- ------- Effect of exchange rate changes on cash 426 (75) 						 ------- ------- Increase in cash and cash equivalents 44,302 85,377 Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period 131,601 43,813 						 ------- ------- Cash and cash equivalents at end of period $175,903 $129,190 						 ======== ======= <FN> <FN1> See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements. </FN> 4 				AVX CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES 		 	 NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 			 (dollars in thousands, except share data) 1. Basis of presentation: The consolidated financial statements of AVX Corporation and subsidiaries (the "Company" or "AVX") include the accounts of the Company and its subsidiaries. All significant intercompany transactions and accounts have been eliminated. In the opinion of management, the accompanying unaudited financial statements reflect all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) that are necessary to a fair presentation of the results for the interim periods shown. These financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company's audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended March 31, 1996. 2. Accounts Receivable: Accounts receivable consisted of: 				 December 31, March 31, 			 		 1996 1996 				 ----------- --------- Trade $153,943 $159,798 Less, allowance for doubtful accounts, sales returns, distributor adjustments and discounts (17,962) (20,253) 				 -------- -------- 				 $135,981 $139,545 		 			 ======== ======== 3. Inventories: Inventories consisted of: 				 December 31, March 31, 				 	 1996 1996 				 ----------- --------- Finished goods $ 80,554 $ 75,235 Work in process 83,770 77,256 Raw materials and supplies 91,113 90,664 	 				-------- --------- 					$255,437 $243,155 				 	======== ======== 5 			 AVX CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES 	 NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - (continued) 4. Environmental Matters and Contingencies: The Company has been named as a potentially responsible party in state and federal administrative proceedings seeking contribution for costs associated with the correction and remediation of environmental conditions at various waste disposal sites. Once it becomes probable that the Company will incur costs in connection with remediation of a site and such costs can be reasonably estimated, the Company establishes reserves or adjusts its reserve for its projected share of these costs. As a result of revised remediation methods and cost estimates, the Company recorded a reduction in remediation accruals of $3,400 during the quarter ended December 31, 1996. Based upon information known to the Company,the Company had accrued approximately $4,600 at December 31, 1996 and management believes that it has adequate reserves with respect to these matters. Actual costs may vary from these estimated reserves, but such costs are not expected to have a material adverse effect on the Company's financial condition or results of operations. AVX is presently under investigation by the United States Customs Service for possible violations of the custom laws. The Company does not believe that the ultimate resolution of these customs matters will materially affect AVX's financial condition or results of operations. 5. New Accounting Standards The Company has adopted Statement of Financial Accounting Standard No. 121, "Accounting for the Impairment of Long-Lived Assets and for Long-Lived Assets to be Disposed Of", which requires that certain long-lived assets be reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amounts may not be recoverable. The adoption did not materially affect the Company's financial condition or results of operations. 6. Subsequent Event On January 16, 1997, the Company declared a $0.055 dividend per share of common stock with respect to the quarter ended December 31, 1996, payable on February 10, 1997. 6 		 MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF 		 RESULTS OF OPERATIONS AND FINANCIAL CONDITION Results of Operations - --------------------- Three Months Ended December 31, 1996 Compared to Three Months Ended December 31, 1995 - ------------------------------------------------------------------- Net sales in the three months ended December 31, 1996 decreased 4.3% to $289.6 million from $302.7 million in the three months ended December 31, 1995. The decrease was attributable to a combination of factors, including the continuation of the trend toward surface-mount products and smaller part sizes, which traditionally have lower average selling prices, and an overall reduction in selling prices. In addition, the residual effect of the softened order demand experienced by the electronic component industry through the latter portion of the calendar 1995 and much of calendar 1996 (as customers reduced their level of inventory and suppliers reduced lead times) resulted in reduced shipments during the current quarter. Gross profit in the three months ended December 31, 1996 decreased 19% to $64.6 million (22.3% of net sales) from $79.8 million (26.4% of net sales) in the three months ended December 31, 1995. The decrease in gross profit as a percentage of net sales can be attributed to a decline in selling prices, offset in part by the strength of advanced products, improvements in manufacturing efficiencies and continued efforts to reduce manufacturing costs through various cost containment programs. The 1995 quarter's results included a provision of $3.5 million for the consolidation of one of the Company's smaller facilities. Selling, general and administrative expenses in the three months ended December 31, 1996 decreased to $22.3 million (7.7% of net sales) from $28.5 million (9.4% of net sales) in the three months ended December 31, 1995. During the quarter ended December 31, 1996, selling, general and administrative expenses were reduced by $4.0 million as a result of changes in estimates for environmental remediation and legal costs. Exclusive of the $4.0 million benefit, selling, general and administrative expenses, as a percentage of sales, declined .3% (9.1% vs. 9.4%), despite a decrease in net sales of 4.3%. This is attributed to the Company's ongoing cost containment programs. As a result of the above factors, profit from operations in the three months ended December 31, 1996 decreased 17.4% to $42.4 million from $51.3 million in the three months ended December 31, 1995. For the reasons set forth above, net income in the three months ended December 31, 1996 decreased 12.1% to $30.0 million (10.4% of net sales) from $34.2 million (11.3% of net sales) in the three months ended December 31, 1995. Nine Months Ended December 31, 1996 Compared to Nine Months Ended December 31, 1995 - ----------------------------------------------------------------- Net sales in the nine months ended December 31, 1996 decreased 9.8% to $825.7 million from $914.9 million in the nine months ended December 31, 1995. The decrease was attributable to a combination of factors, including the continuation of the trend toward surface-mount products and smaller part sizes, which traditionally have lower average selling prices, and an overall reduction in selling prices. In addition, the residual effect of the softened order demand experienced by the electronic component industry through the latter portion of the calendar 1995 and much of calendar 1996 (as customers reduced their level of inventory and suppliers reduced lead times) resulted in reduced shipments. 7 Gross profit in the nine months ended December 31, 1996 decreased 15.2% to $203.7 million (24.7% of net sales) from $240.2 million (26.3% of net sales) in the nine months ended December 31, 1995. As a percentage of net sales, gross profit decreased primarily as a result of decreased selling prices. However, the effect of these decreases was dampened by the continued automation of the manufacturing processes and continued efforts to reduce manufacturing cost for products sold. The 1995 period's results include a provision of $3.5 million for the consolidation of one of the Company's smaller facilities. Selling, general and administrative expenses in the nine months ended December 31, 1996 were $75.0 million (9.1% of net sales) compared with $89.0 million (9.7% of net sales) in the nine months ended December 31, 1995. The decrease in selling, general, and administrative expenses is primarily due to the benefit of adjustments for environmental remediation accruals and charges related to the closing of the Company's previous headquarters recorded in 1995 and current year cost containment programs. As a result of the above factors, profit from operations in the nine months ended December 31, 1996 decreased 14.9% to $128.7 million from $151.2 million in the nine months ended December 31, 1995. For the reasons set forth above and higher interest income on invested cash, net income in the nine months ended December 31, 1996 decreased 10.3% to $90.7 million (11.0% of net sales) from $101.0 million (11.0% of net sales) in the nine months ended December 31, 1995. Liquidity and Capital Resources - ------------------------------- The Company's liquidity needs arise primarily from working capital requirements, dividends and capital expenditures. Historically, the Company has satisfied its liquidity requirements through internally generated funds. As of December 31, 1996, the Company had a current ratio of 3.2 to 1, $175.9 million of cash and cash equivalents, $709.9 million of stockholders' equity and an insignificant amount of long-term debt. Net cash from operating activities was $132.3 million in the nine months ended December 31, 1996 compared to $120.3 million in the nine months ended December 31, 1995. Decreases in working capital partially offset by lower income contributed to the increase. Purchases of property and equipment were $70.4 million in the nine month period ended December 31, 1996 and $82.4 million in the nine month period ended December 31, 1995. Expenditures for both periods were primarily for expanding production capabilities of the tantalum and ceramic surface-mount and advanced product lines in North America and Europe. During the nine months ended December 31, 1996, the Company repaid $3.5 million of European loans. During December 31, 1995, a European subsidiary of the Company borrowed 7.5 million deutschmarks under a bank line of credit to repay an intercompany loan with AVX in the United States. In August 1995, the Company completed an initial public offering of 2,200,000 shares of common stock at a price of $25.50 per share resulting in proceeds (net of underwriting commissions and offering costs) of $52.9 million. The proceeds were used for general purposes, including capital expenditures and working capital. 8 Based on the financial condition of the Company as of December 31, 1996, the Company believes that cash on hand and expected to be generated from operating activities will be sufficient to satisfy the Company's anticipated financing needs for working capital, capital expenditures, research and development expenses and any dividends to be paid in the foreseeable future. Part II: Other Information Item 1. Legal Proceedings. None. Item 2. Change in Securities. None. Item 3. Defaults Upon Senior Securities. None. Item 4. Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders. None. Item 5. Other Information. None. Item 6. Exhibits and Reports on Form 8-K. (a) Exhibits: None. (b) Reports on Form 8-K. None. 9 				 Signatures 				 ---------- Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized. Date: February 7, 1997 					 AVX Corporation 					 /s/ Donald B. Christiansen 			 		 -------------------------- 			 		 Donald B. Christiansen 				 	 Chief Financial Officer, 					 Vice President and 					 Treasurer