ADNT 8-K
Adient plc (ADNT)
8-K
2026-05-20
For: 2026-05-20
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May 20, 2026
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (date of earliest event reported): May 20, 2026
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| (State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation) | (Commission File Number) | (IRS Employer Identification Number) | ||||||
| (Address of principal executive offices) | ||
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: 734 -254-5000
Not applicable
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
| Title of class | Trading symbol(s) | Name of exchange on which registered | ||||||||||||
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrants under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):
Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
Emerging growth company ☐
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the Registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Item 7.01. Regulation FD Disclosure.
Representatives of Adient plc expect to hold meetings with certain investors in May 2026. A copy of the presentation materials that will be used during these meetings is furnished as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K.
The information contained in Exhibit 99.1 shall not be deemed “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), or incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in such a filing.
Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits.
| EXHIBIT INDEX | ||||||||
| Exhibit No. | Exhibit Description | |||||||
| 99.1 | ||||||||
| 104 | Cover Page Interactive Data File (the Cover Page Interactive Data File is embedded within the Inline XBRL document). | |||||||
SIGNATURE
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 hereunto duly authorized.
| ADIENT PLC | ||||||||
| Date: May 20, 2026 | By: | /s/ Heather M. Tiltmann | ||||||
| Name: | Heather M. Tiltmann | |||||||
| Title: | Executive Vice President, Chief Legal and Human Resources Officer, and Corporate Secretary | |||||||
J.P. Morgan Auto Group Investor Meeting Adient China Business Update May 21, 2026
Adient has made statements in this document that are forward-looking and, therefore, are subject to risks and uncertainties. All statements in this document other than statements of historical fact are statements that are, or could be, deemed “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In this document, statements regarding Adient’s expectations for its deleveraging activities, the timing, benefits and outcomes of those activities, as well as its future financial position, sales, costs, earnings, cash flows, other measures of results of operations, capital expenditures or debt levels and plans, objectives, market position, outlook, targets, guidance or goals are forward-looking statements. Words such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “intend,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “should,” “forecast,” “project” or “plan” or terms of similar meaning are also generally intended to identify forward-looking statements. Adient cautions that these statements are subject to numerous important risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors, some of which are beyond Adient’s control, that could cause Adient’s actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including, among others, risks related to: the effects of local and national economic, credit and capital market conditions (including the persistence of high interest rates, vehicle affordability and volatile currency exchange rates) on the global economy, increased competitive pressures in the EMEA and Asia regions from Chinese OEMs, uncertainties in U.S. administrative policy regarding trade agreements, tariffs and other international trade relations, automotive vehicle production levels, mix and schedules, as well as the concentration of exposure to certain automotive manufacturers particularly new entrants in the China market, shifts in market shares among vehicles, vehicle segments or away from vehicles on which Adient has significant content, changes in consumer demand, risks associated with Adient’s joint ventures, volatile energy markets, Adient’s ability and timing of customer recoveries for increased input costs, the availability of raw materials and component products (including components required by Adient’s customers for the manufacture of vehicles), risks associated with warranty and product recall and product liability exposures, geopolitical uncertainties such as the Middle East and Ukraine conflicts and the impact on the regional and global economies and additional pressure on commodities, supply chain and vehicle production, the ability of Adient to effectively launch new business at forecast and profitable levels, the ability of Adient to successfully identify suitable opportunities for organic investment and/or acquisitions and to integrate such investments and/or acquisitions, work stoppages, including due to strikes, supply chain disruptions and similar events, wage inflationary pressures due to labor shortages and new labor negotiations, the ability of Adient to execute its restructuring plans and achieve the desired benefit, the ability of Adient to meet debt service requirements and terms of future financing, the impact of global tax reform legislation, the impact of more aggressive positions taken by tax authorities, potential adjustment of the value of deferred tax assets, global climate change and related emphasis on sustainability matters by various stakeholders, and the ability of Adient to achieve its sustainability-related goals, cancellation of, or changes to, commercial arrangements, and the ability of Adient to identify, recruit and retain key leadership. A detailed discussion of risks related to Adient’s business is included in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in Adient’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2025 filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on November 18, 2025, in Adient’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2026, and in subsequent reports filed with or furnished to the SEC, available at www.sec.gov. Potential investors and others should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements and should not place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements included in this document are made only as of the date of this document, unless otherwise specified, and, except as required by law, Adient assumes no obligation, and disclaims any obligation, to update such statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this document. In addition, this document includes certain projections provided by Adient with respect to the anticipated future performance of Adient’s businesses. Such projections reflect various assumptions of Adient’s management concerning the future performance of Adient’s businesses, which may or may not prove to be correct. The actual results may vary from the anticipated results and such variations may be material. Adient does not undertake any obligation to update the projections to reflect events or circumstances or changes in expectations after the date of this document or to reflect the occurrence of subsequent events. No representations or warranties are made as to the accuracy or reasonableness of such assumptions, or the projections based thereon. This document also contains the key performance indicator of business performance, which is defined as the difference in period-over-period Adjusted EBITDA excluding production volume/mix, equity income, foreign exchange and net commodity pricing. Management believes this key performance indicator encompasses the significant drivers of the performance of the business that are within management’s ability to influence and may assist investors in evaluating Adient’s on-going operations and provide important supplemental information regarding financial and business trends relating to Adient’s financial condition and results of operations. Investors should not consider this key performance indicator as an alternative to our GAAP financial results. Important Information May 21, 2026J.P. Morgan China Investor Meeting 2
3 Agenda > Introduction > Adient China Business Update James Huang Executive VP APAC > Q&A J.P. Morgan China Investor Meeting James Huang
Adient China Business Update
We generated ~$6B sales revenue in FY2025 1 We have in Asia We employ ~26,000 highly engaged employees including 2,170 engineers 5 We have in China 25 Manufacturing locations 3 Global tech centers in countries6 39 Manufacturing locations 3 Global tech centers Wholly-owned entities2 Joint ventures7 Adient is a top 3 seating supplier in APAC region (for both China and Asia) Adient APAC at a glance May 21, 2026J.P. Morgan China Investor Meeting Note: 1 Includes consolidated and unconsolidated sales
• Broad geographic reach with 39 plants serving 40+ customers • Continue to expand footprint through organic and inorganic growth • 3 advanced global tech centers with world-class innovation and engineering capabilities Wholly-owned Joint Venture Global Tech Center Adient China Customer Portfolio Global OEMs Chinese OEMs Unmatched footprint, capabilities, and scale in China Adient China Footprint 6 Leading China EV maker J.P. Morgan China Investor Meeting Changchun Guangzhou Foshan NanchangChongqing Chengdu Tianjin Daqing Qingdao Langfang Nantong Wuhan Hefei Zhaoqing Hangzhou Beijing Meihekou Jinan Shanghai Xinji Changshu Taizhou May 21, 2026 Established 3 new manufacturing sites to serve new customers Zhangjiakou Jinhua Fuzhou New Footprint New Customer Lishui
7 Wholly-owned and JV entities enabling growth across a diverse customer base Wholly-owned # of Plants Major Products Major Customers ACQ 14 JIT/Foam/Trim/Metal Volvo, Ford, Lincoln, Chang’an, Geely, BYD, NIO, Onvo, Xpeng, Leapmotor, Leading China EV maker, VOYAH, AITO, Nissan Consolidated JVs # of Plants Major Products Major Customers BJA 4 JIT/Foam/Trim Mercedes-Benz, Hyundai, BAIC, Stelato GAAS 2 JIT/Metal GAMC, Aion, Honda, Toyota Unconsolidated JVs 1 # of Plants Major Products Major Customers CFAA 9 JIT/Foam/Trim VW, Audi, Toyota, FAW-Hongqi, Chery FAA 6 Metal/Mechanism VW, Audi, Toyota, FAW-Hongqi, Chery Keiper 2 Mechanism Tesla, AITO, GM, VW, Geely, BYD, Chery LF 1 Metal Mercedes-Benz, Hyundai, BAIC, Stelato SAA 1 JIT Geely Adient’s wholly-owned and JV structure in China China sales split in FY25 21% 11% 68% Wholly-owned Consolidated Unconsolidated As a leading global seating supplier with highly localized operations in China, our wholly-owned and JV entities strengthen our access to and expansion across a diverse customer portfolio nationwide Note: 1 With near-equal ownership, shared governance and strong partner alignment J.P. Morgan China Investor Meeting May 21, 2026
8 Adient China business highlights since last year’s J.P. Morgan Summit J.P. Morgan China Investor Meeting > Won ~$1.1B in annual business in FY25 and captured business from 4 new auto brands > Sales in China continue to outperform the market: up 18% vs. market down 2% in FY26 1H, reflecting key program wins with C-OEMs Strong new business bookings fueling continued sales growth momentum Strengthening OEM relationships through existing and new partnerships Accelerating the commercialization of innovative solutions Reinforcing supplier of choice status with execution and customer focus Advancing operational excellence through automation and AI > Established a new strategic joint venture to further strengthen presence in China > Continuing to explore inorganic opportunities across different dimensions to drive growth > 130 programs developed and 30+ innovative products commercialized in China since FY25 > Strong innovation-to-execution capability drives premium content and enabled new / conquest wins > Strong execution performance – 46 programs launched in FY26 and 158 active programs in launch > YTD received 35+ awards recognizing our unique value to customers and the auto industry > 70+ new projects initiated in FY26 to invest and scale automation and AI-enabled plant digitalization, delivering cost savings and sustainable success in the region May 21, 2026 1 2 3 4 5
9 Adient China organic growth accomplishments in the past year J.P. Morgan China Investor Meeting C-OEM Global OEM Adient China customer mix1 shift, FY24 – FY28E Strong bookings and sales momentum 1 Management estimates, including consolidated revenues 2 Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance Growing new and existing customers > ~$1.1B annual total business sourced in FY25 > ~70% business wins in FY25 from C-OEMs, reflecting a strategic shift in customer mix aligned with market dynamics > Sales in China continues to outgrow the broader market: up 18% vs. market down 2% in FY26 1H > Successfully entered BYD and Chery supplier pools with new component / complete seat businesses > Re-established presence at Dongfeng via premium EV brand VOYAH > Captured a new EV customer Stelato under HIMA2 > Adient now serves 8 of the top 10 OEM groups in China > Leveraging high-content innovative products to drive growth with key customers, and conquer strategic programs from competitors Leading China EV maker May 21, 2026 1 40% 60% 2024 48% 52% 2025 60% 40% 2026E 64% 36% 2027E 65% 35% 2028E
10 Electric vehicle Recent new and conquest business wins in China J.P. Morgan China Investor Meeting New wins FAW-VW VW311 Complete Seat DF-Voyah H97N/H56N/H37N Front-row Complete Seat BYD Denza D9 & Seagull Trim Chery Rely P3X Pick-up Truck Complete Seat BAIC-Stelato BE22 Platform 3rd-row Complete Seat Conquest wins Xpeng Mona M03 JIT and front-row platform frame Geely Zeekr 9X / Lynk & Co. 900 2nd-row Frame & Mechanism FAW-VW Audi PPE Complete Seat GAC-Toyota V57 Rear-row Complete Seat May 21, 2026 1 Driving new and conquest business wins in China through Adient’s high-content innovations New Customer
11 Strengthening relationship with C-OEMs through new joint venture J.P. Morgan China Investor Meeting > In December 2025, Adient established a new strategic joint venture through the acquisition of a 49% equity stake in SCI (Zhangjiakou) Co., Ltd., a local Chinese supplier under Zhejiang Yoening Technology Group > This collaboration aims to strengthen relationship with key Chinese OEMs and represents another strategic move for Adient in strengthening its presence in China Key benefits and synergies: > New business opportunities to grow market share within the domestic China market > Expansion of our footprint to support new customers > Enhanced product development and innovation Latest progress of the JV: > JV established as SCI Adient (ZJK) Automotive Components Co., Ltd. > First plant in operation > The JV won its first new complete seat business from Geely Adient continues to explore inorganic opportunities across different dimensions to drive growth May 21, 2026 2
12J.P. Morgan China Investor Meeting Delivering sustainable value through industry leading engineering capabilities and product innovations 3 Global Tech Centers ~1,200 Engineers May 21, 2026 Innovative product portfolio driving better in-vehicle experience Comfort Reconfiguration Safety Sustainability Connectivity ~130 Complete seat programs active 30+ Innovative products commercialized China engineering highlights since FY25 40+ Customers > Adient China continues to upgrade our engineering facilities and capabilities to pioneer seating solutions for today and tomorrow > Our industry-leading innovative products enable new & conquest business wins through differentiated in-vehicle experience > China TCs are actively applying AI-enabled technologies across seating engineering design and development 3 Sled Test with latest configuration AI-driven engineering workflows New showroom in Shanghai
13 Accelerating the commercialization of Adient’s innovative products J.P. Morgan China Investor Meeting Comfort Reconfiguration Safety SustainabilityConnectivity TruMassage Seat • Shoulder massage • Calf rest massage Examples of Recently Commercialized Innovations Ongoing Commercialization Discussion May 21, 2026 3 Power long track and swivel StepJoy Foot Massage ProForce Massage Focus NIO ES9 Trumpchi M8/S9 Hyptec A800 Leapmotor D99Nissan NX8 Adaptive Seat ModuGo Seat • Modular design • Adaptive support • Improved JIT efficiency C-Coupe • Zero-gravity frame • Forward folding • Height adjustment Z-Guard • Zero-gravity dynamic safety solution ProForce Massage Flow Two new Chinese OEM models
Reinforcing competitive advantages in operational excellence through automation and AI-enabled digitalization J.P. Morgan China Investor Meeting 14 Automation equipment / technologies at Adient China facilities Humanoid Robot for Quilting and Perforation Smart SteamingAuto Sewing AI Visual InspectionWelding Seam AI Inspection Foam > Anti-squeak / mold release auto spray > Auto mold cleaning > Camera-based auto inspection JIT > Smart steaming > AI visual inspection > Auto marriage and EOL > Humanoid robot for quilting and perforation > Auto sewing and monitoring systems Trim Metal > Welding seam AI inspection > Long rail track auto inspection > Automated long rail track marriage Mechanism > Adient China remains committed to investing and scaling in automation and AI-enabled smart manufacturing technologies to drive sustained success > 70+ automation projects initiated in FY26 > ~400+ robots and ~300 AGVs already in place across all plants in China > Commenced early-stage use of humanoid robots and developing shopfloor applications > Ongoing investments for program launches and CI projects, with quick payback and significant cost reduction Automation and AI-enabled digitalization are key enablers to drive positive business performance and margin expansion Adient’s focused areas in automation and digital technologies 4 > Spreading the use of AGVs / AMRs / AGFs 1 across all product groups Note: 1 AGV: Automated Guided Vehicles; AMR: Autonomous Mobile Robots; AGF: Automated Guided Forklift May 21, 2026
15 Program launch success rate continues to execute at a high level J.P. Morgan China Investor Meeting Nissan NX8 1strow JIT/foam/trim/headrest Adaptive Seat System / Zero Gravity > 46 programs launched YTD in FY26, 45% of seating programs are high-content; in total 158 active programs in launch > Exceptional execution and high agility continues to enable complex high-content launches with short lead times > Adient’s foot massage innovation StepJoy successfully launched on NIO ES9 model Electric vehicle Leapmotor D19 2nd & 3rd row complete seat Zero Gravity / One Touch Recliner Geely Galaxy L380 Complete seat Long Rail Track / Music Headrest NIO ES9 1st row JIT/foam/trim StepJoy / Long Rail Track / Adaptive Display GAC Hyptec A800 Complete seat Zero Gravity / Proforce Massage / Push Tray Table Toyota RAV4 JIT/foam/trim Adient designed ANGS structure May 21, 2026 Complete Seat System: JIT/Trim/Foam/Metals Key FY26 program launches 5
Adient remains an industry leading global seating supplier in China Adient China’s unique value drivers for OEM customers Launch Execution Product Innovation Total Quality Performance Customer Partnership Changan Group Collaborative Contribution Award Xpeng Co-Xpathfinder Supplier Award Fujian Mercedes-Benz Best Localization Supplier FAW-Hongqi Cooperation Flag Award FAW-VW Excellent Partner Award Gasgoo China Top Auto Supplier (Smart Cockpit Category) Polaris Integrated Seat and Comfort System Innovation – Xi Yi Award FAW-VW Collaborative Innovation Award … Adient China received 35+ recognition YTD in FY26 5 16J.P. Morgan China Investor Meeting May 21, 2026 Volvo APAC Brand Ambassador Award Changan-Ford Outstanding Supplier Award Changan-Avatr 2025 Excellent Supplier Award Toyota Reginal Contribution Award Chery RELY Excellent Supplier Award FAW-Toyota Best Quality Award J.D. Power 11 Awards in 2025 China Seat Quality Ranking across 10 segments GAC-Toyota Quality Collaboration Award FAW-VW Excellent Quality Award Geely Quality Excellence Award
17J.P. Morgan China Investor Meeting Adient’s strategic priorities to drive shareholder values in China > Adient is well positioned to outgrow the market driven by strong business wins with C-OEMs, while delivering robust EBITDA and cash flow over the foreseeable future > Continuing to explore inorganic growth opportunities across multiple dimensions > Adient China will make maximum efforts to expand market share with existing footprint, common product platform, minimized investment and disciplined capital allocation > Continue to drive efficiency and cost optimization through automation and plant digitalization > Remain focused on execution excellence and delivering value to OEM customers > Utilize world-class engineering capabilities to develop and commercialize high-content innovations, driving new and conquest business wins > Actively applying AI-enabled technologies across seating engineering design and development May 21, 2026 Profitable Growth Innovation Leadership and Speed to Market Automation and AI-enabled Operational Excellence Optimized Capital Allocation
Q&A
Appendix
Adient APAC FY2026 customer mix by revenue Our APAC business reflects a broad and well-balanced customer base throughout the region enhancing stability and long-term growth Chinese OEM Japanese OEM Korean OEM European OEM American OEM Chinese OEM Japanese OEM European OEM American OEM Chinese OEM Japanese OEM Korean OEM European OEM American OEM Asian OEM China Consolidated Business China Non-consolidated Business 1 Asia ex China Business 20May 21, 2026 Note: 1 Includes third-party component sales J.P. Morgan China Investor Meeting