“In a year filled with unimaginable challenges, Garmin delivered record revenue and profits,” said Cliff Pemble, President and CEO of Garmin. “Strong demand for active lifestyle products fueled our growth, and we expect these trends to continue into 2021. I am very proud of what we have accomplished in 2020 and look forward to the opportunities and challenges of the new year.”

Fitness:

Revenue from the fitness segment grew 26% in the fourth quarter driven by strong demand for advanced wearables and cycling products. Gross margin and operating margin were 53% and 27%, respectively, resulting in 75% operating income growth. During the quarter, we launched the Tacx Boost, a powerful indoor trainer that is easy-to-use and features a magnetic brake, realistic ride-feel and manual resistance control for cyclists of all levels.

Outdoor:

Revenue from the outdoor segment grew 40% in the fourth quarter across all categories led by strong demand for adventure watches. Gross margin and operating margin were 66% and 43%, respectively, resulting in 55% operating income growth. During the quarter, we launched the Mk2i dive watch and T1 tank transmitter adding air integration to our growing lineup of dive electronics.

Aviation:

Revenue from the aviation segment declined 19% in the fourth quarter due to fewer shipments to OEM customers and reduced contributions from ADS-B products. Gross margin and operating margin were 73% and 21%, respectively. During the quarter, we introduced smart rudder bias technology into GFC 600 autopilot systems for select twin engine aircraft, providing control assistance to the pilot in the event of an engine failure.

Marine:

Revenue from the marine segment grew 48% in the fourth quarter across multiple categories led by chartplotters. Gross margin and operating margin were 56% and 24%, respectively, resulting in 92% operating income growth. We recently updated our mid-range GPSMAP chartplotter series with higher resolution displays and more processing power, and we launched the all new Striker^TM Vivid series with enhanced color depth in an entry level fishfinder.

Auto:

Revenue from the auto segment grew 11% during the fourth quarter primarily driven by OEM programs and growth in consumer specialty categories. Gross margin was 42%, and we recorded an operating loss of $12 million in the quarter driven by investments in OEM programs. We recently introduced the new RV 1090 GPS navigator with a new 10-inch high resolution touchscreen display, which further expands our reach in the growing market for recreational vehicles.

Additional Financial Information:

Total operating expenses in the fourth quarter were $420 million, a 16% increase over the prior year. Research and development increased by 23%, primarily due to engineering personnel costs and other expenses related to auto OEM programs. Selling, general and administrative expenses increased 15%, driven primarily by information technology costs and personnel related expenses. Advertising decreased 2%.

The effective tax rate in the fourth quarter was 14.8%. Excluding $11 million of income tax expense due to the revaluation of certain Switzerland deferred tax assets associated with Switzerland tax reform, our pro forma effective tax rate⁽¹⁾ in the fourth quarter of 2020 was 12.0% compared to 15.5% in the prior year quarter. The decrease in the pro forma effective tax rate is primarily due to the migration of intellectual property ownership from Switzerland to the United States.

In the fourth quarter of 2020, we generated approximately $387 million of free cash flow⁽¹⁾, and paid a quarterly dividend of approximately $117 million. We ended the quarter with cash and marketable securities of approximately $2.98 billion.

2021 Guidance ⁽²⁾:

We expect full year 2021 revenue of approximately $4.6 billion with growth in all segments. We expect our full year pro forma EPS to be approximately $5.15 based upon gross margin of approximately 59.2%, operating margin of approximately 23.5% and a full year pro forma effective tax rate of approximately 10.5%.

Dividend Recommendation:

The board of directors intends to recommend to the shareholders for approval at the annual meeting to be held on June 4, 2021, a cash dividend in the amount of $2.68 per share (subject to possible adjustment based on the total amount of the dividend in Swiss Francs as approved at the annual meeting), payable in four equal installments on dates to be determined by the board. The board currently anticipates the scheduling of the dividend in four installments as follows: