Commitments and Contingencies
Commitments
The Company signed long-term purchase agreements with certain software, hardware, telecommunication and other service providers to obtain favorable pricing and terms for services and products that are necessary for the operations of business activities. Under the terms of these agreements, the Company is contractually committed to purchase specified minimum amounts within defined time periods. If the Company does not meet the specified minimums, the Company would have an obligation to pay the service provider all, or a portion, of the shortfall. Minimum purchase commitments as of March 31, 2025 were as follows:
| | | | | | | | |
| Fiscal year | | Minimum Purchase Commitment |
| (in millions) | |
| 2026 | | $ | 633 | |
| 2027 | | 304 | |
| 2028 | | 146 | |
| 2029 | | 64 | |
| 2030 | | 25 | |
| Total | | $ | 1,172 | |
In the normal course of business, the Company may provide certain customers with financial performance guarantees, and at times performance letters of credit or surety bonds. In general, the Company would only be liable for the amounts of these guarantees in the event that non-performance by the Company permits termination of the related contract by the Company’s customer. The Company believes it is in compliance with its performance obligations under all service contracts for which there is a financial performance guarantee, and the ultimate liability, if any, incurred in connection with these guarantees will not have a material adverse effect on its consolidated results of operations or financial position.
The Company also uses stand-by letters of credit, in lieu of cash, to support various risk management insurance policies. These letters of credit represent a contingent liability and the Company would only be liable if it defaults on its payment obligations on these policies.
The following table summarizes the expiration of the Company’s financial guarantees and stand-by letters of credit outstanding as of March 31, 2025:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| (in millions) | | Fiscal 2026 | | Fiscal 2027 | | Fiscal 2028 and Thereafter | | Totals |
| Surety bonds | | $ | 241 | | | $ | 22 | | | $ | 156 | | | $ | 419 | |
| Letters of credit | | 52 | | | 15 | | | 440 | | | 507 | |
| Stand-by letters of credit | | 60 | | | 2 | | | 4 | | | 66 | |
| Totals | | $ | 353 | | | $ | 39 | | | $ | 600 | | | $ | 992 | |
The Company generally indemnifies licensees of its proprietary software products against claims brought by third parties alleging infringement of their intellectual property rights, including rights in patents (with or without geographic limitations), copyrights, trademarks and trade secrets. DXC’s indemnification of its licensees relates to costs arising from court awards, negotiated settlements, and the related legal and internal costs of those licensees. The Company maintains the right, at its own cost, to modify or replace software in order to eliminate any infringement. The Company has not incurred any significant costs related to licensee software indemnification.
Contingencies
Securities Litigation: On August 20, 2019, a purported class action lawsuit was filed in the Superior Court of the State of California, County of Santa Clara, against the Company, directors of the Company, and a former officer of the Company, among other defendants. The action asserts claims under Sections 11, 12 and 15 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and is premised on allegedly false and/or misleading statements, and alleged non-disclosure of material facts, regarding the Company’s prospects and expected performance. The putative class of plaintiffs includes former shareholders of Computer Sciences Corporation (“CSC”) who exchanged their CSC shares for the Company’s common stock pursuant to the offering documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with the April 2017 transaction that formed DXC.
The State of California action had been stayed pending the outcome of the substantially similar federal action filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. The federal action was dismissed with prejudice in December 2021. Thereafter, the state court lifted the stay and entered an order permitting additional briefing by the parties. In March 2022, Plaintiffs filed an amended complaint, which the Company moved to dismiss. In August 2022, the Court granted the Company’s motion to dismiss, but permitted Plaintiffs to amend and refile their complaint. In September 2022, Plaintiffs filed a second amended complaint, which the Company moved to dismiss. In January 2023, the Court issued an order denying the Company’s motion to dismiss the second amended complaint. In March 2023, the Court entered a scheduling order setting a trial date for September 2025. The trial date has since been extended to May 2026. In May 2024, the Court entered an order granting Plaintiffs’ motion for class certification. In July 2024, notice was provided to potential class members. The case is otherwise in discovery.
On August 2, 2024, a purported class action lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia against the Company and certain of its current and former officers. The complaint asserts claims under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and is premised on allegedly false and/or misleading statements regarding the Company’s transformation journey. The putative class of plaintiffs includes investors who acquired DXC stock during the period of May 26, 2021 to May 16, 2024. In March 2025, the Court entered an order granting the Company’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit and closing the case. In April 2025, the deadline to file an appeal passed and no appeal was filed. The matter is now closed.
After the filing of the August 2024 securities class action, five shareholder derivative suits were filed against the Company’s Board of Directors and certain of its current and former officers, alleging a breach of fiduciary duties arising from the claims asserted in the August 2024 securities class action. Three derivative suits were filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, and two derivative suits were filed in the District Court of the State of Nevada, Clark County. All of the derivative suits had been temporarily stayed, pending an outcome in the August 2024 securities class action. With the securities class action now dismissed and the matter closed, three of the five derivative suits have been voluntarily dismissed, including the two derivative suits pending in District Court of the State of Nevada, Clark County, and one of the derivative suits pending in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. The Company is pursuing dismissal of the two remaining derivative suits.
The Company believes that the lawsuits described above are without merit, and intends to vigorously defend all claims asserted.
Tax Examinations: The Company is under IRS examination in the U.S. on its federal income tax returns for certain fiscal years and is in disagreement with the IRS on certain tax positions, which are currently being contested in the U.S. Tax Court. For more detail, see Note 14 - "Income Taxes."
TCS Litigation: In April 2019, the Company filed a lawsuit against Tata Consultancy Services Limited ("TCS") and Tata America International Corporation alleging misappropriation of certain of the Company’s trade secrets. In November 2023, a trial was held in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, and a jury found TCS liable for misappropriating the Company’s trade secrets and awarded the Company $70 million in compensatory damages and $140 million in punitive damages, for a total award of $210 million. In June 2024, the Court entered a final order in the case, affirming the jury’s verdict in the Company’s favor and revising the monetary award to $56 million in compensatory damages and $112 million in punitive damages. The Court also awarded the Company $26 million in prejudgment interest, post-judgment interest at an annual rate of 4.824%, and its attorney’s fees and costs, in an amount to be determined in a later order. The total award to the Company is $194 million, plus its attorney’s fees and costs. The Court also issued a permanent injunction enjoining TCS from, among other things, possessing, accessing, or using any of the Company’s trade secrets that were at issue in the case, and appointing a monitor to confirm, among other things, that TCS does not do so.
In August 2024, TCS filed a Notice of Appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. In April 2025, the Court of Appeals heard oral argument on the appeal. A decision from the Court of Appeals is pending.
The Company has not recognized any portion of the award in its financial statements and will continue to monitor the progress of the case.
In addition to the matters noted above, the Company is currently subject in the normal course of business to various claims and contingencies arising from, among other things, disputes with customers, vendors, employees, contract counterparties and other parties, as well as securities matters, environmental matters, matters concerning the licensing and use of intellectual property, and inquiries and investigations by regulatory authorities and government agencies. Some of these disputes involve or may involve litigation. The financial statements reflect the treatment of claims and contingencies based on management’s view of the expected outcome. DXC consults with outside legal counsel on issues related to litigation and regulatory compliance and seeks input from other experts and advisors with respect to matters in the ordinary course of business. Although the outcome of these and other matters cannot be predicted with certainty, and the impact of the final resolution of these and other matters on the Company’s results of operations in a particular subsequent reporting period could be material and adverse, management does not believe based on information currently available to the Company, that the resolution of any of the matters currently pending against the Company will have a material adverse effect on the financial position of the Company or the ability of the Company to meet its financial obligations as they become due. Unless otherwise noted, the Company is unable to determine at this time a reasonable estimate of a possible loss or range of losses associated with the foregoing disclosed contingent matters.