Seagate Technology plc today reported financial results for the quarter ended September 30, 2011. The company shipped 51 million disk drives and reported revenue of $2.8 billion, gross margin of 19.5%, net income of $140 million and diluted earnings per share of $0.32. On a non-GAAP basis, which excludes the net impact of certain items, Seagate reported net income of $146 million and diluted earnings per share of $0.34 for the quarter ended September 30, 2011. For a detailed reconciliation of non-GAAP to GAAP results, see accompanying financial tables.

Additionally, Seagate returned $75 million to shareholders in the form of a dividend and repurchased $128 million of ordinary shares during the first fiscal quarter.

Acquisition of Samsung's Hard Disk Drive Assets
The European Commission announced on October 19, 2011 that they have approved under the EU Merger Regulation, Seagate's proposed acquisition of Samsung's hard disk drive assets. The company will continue to work with other regulatory bodies to secure additional approvals in the coming weeks. Seagate believes the transaction will close by the end of calendar year 2011.

Investor Communications
Seagate will hold a conference call to review its first fiscal quarter today at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time. The conference call will consist of opening comments from Steve Luczo, CEO, followed by a question and answer session with the executive management team. During today's conference call, the company will provide an update on its Thailand operations. In light of the situation in Thailand, the company will provide limited guidance for the December quarter.

Seagate has issued a Supplemental Commentary document. The Supplemental Commentary will not be read during today's call, but rather it is available in the investor relations section of seagate.com.

Dividend
The Board of Directors has approved a quarterly cash dividend of $0.18 per share which will be payable on November 18, 2011 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on November 3, 2011. The payment of any future quarterly dividends will be at the discretion of the Board and will be dependent upon Seagate's financial position, results of operations, available cash, cash flow, capital requirements and other factors deemed relevant by the Board.

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